Issuu

14TH DISTRICT

Serving Fresno, Kings, and Madera Counties

LEGION

NAIRE

FRESNO, KINGS AND MADERA COUNTIES

MEMORIAL DAY 2020

“The Nation that forgets its Defenders, will itself be forgotten.”

COMMANDER’S CORNER

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

GREETINGS COMRADES As it looks at this time most communities will not be observing Memorial Day in the Same old fashioned way of the past. As the Commander of the local post here in Kingsburg, CA I was asked if we should do the same ceremony this year. Sadly, my answer was no.

This has been a year to remember! We started off celebrating our 100 years of Service and now we are ending amidst a pandemic.

I was raised in a Military Family. I grew up in or near a Military Post all of my early years, until age 18. Dad retired that time and we moved into the civilian community. During my senior year in High School the kids around me were perplexed when my family observed this day. At age 20 I was encouraged by the draft Board to enlist in the Army. I then served in Viet Nam during most of 1972. I also have two brothers who also served. One brother did several tours in Nam with the SeeBees. Needless to say we all lost Friends and Comrades in arms during those times. Andy Reeve

There have been major disapGeni Lefler pointments with the cancellations of Girls State, Department of California, and National Conventions not to mention all the meetings and events as well. This has left us all scrambling to figure out what are we to do? We do what we do best we adapt and overcome the hurdles of life as team as we have done for a hundred years. Has it been easy? No, but as a group we have been working together to help one another along the new path that we are following. This unity is what will take us through the next hundred years. Girls State is now going to have a virtual Town Hall for all the delegates. So that they can at least get a partial experience of Girls State. Units, Districts, and Department are now having virtual meetings, and conducting business to the best of their ability. Virtual meetings are new to a lot of our members, but it has been wonderful getting to see one another!

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PLUS INSIDE Mask or Not To Mask.......Page 6

GI Bill Benefits.................Page 8

Debt Management....... Page 21

AL Chaplains.....................Page 26 1

14TH DISTRICT LEGIONNAIRE | MEMORIAL DAY 2020

14TH DISTRICT OFFICERS 2019 – 2020

Commander - Andy Reeve, andyreeve49@gmail.com 1st Vice - Frank Ducar, flducar@yahoo.com 2nd Vice - Jason Loncour, jytd@sti.net 3rd Vice - Jim McClurg, mcidrivr@hotmail.com Adjutant - Tom Vang, 97hoosiers@gmail.com Finance Officer - Barbara Lowe, barbarapost509@gmail.com Judge Advocate - Fran Kilgore, fran58@hotmail.com Chaplin - Chris Hoffman, jchoffman55@gmail.com Sgt. At Arms - Lee Martinez, maillee951@gmail.com Historian - Karen Balske, kbalske@comcast.net Service Officer - Henry Lopez, asyouwere509@gmail.com Exec Off. 1 yr - Gloria Gomez, gloriaglogomez@sbcglobal.net Exec. Off. 2 yr. - Anthony Guerro, angpc14@yahoo.com Exec. Off. 3 yr. - Henry Lopez, asyouwere509@gmail.com Past Commander - Les Chappel, llmntent@hotmail.com

BEST PRACTICES: LEGION MOBILE APPS Yes, The American Legion has Mobile Apps! https://www.legion.org/mobileapps Many Legionnaires will be surprised to know, the first Legion Mobile App was released in 2010. Since the launch of the first Legion Mobile App eight years ago, several new apps have been launched and the mobile apps continue to be updated and improved. There are four mobile apps, they are: • The American Legion Mobile App • The American Legion Claims Coach • Sons of The American Legion Mobile App • American Legion Baseball Mobile App A National Convention App is produced and distributed prior to each National Convention. Based on the feedback we have received, the 2017 Convention Mobile App was very well received as helpful tool for convention goers.

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P R E SI DE N T ' S M E S S AG E

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Each Memorial Day that goes by, each day that passes by, I am reminded that War Sucks. There is no glorious feeling in my heart to reminded of that. Over the last week I have been asked by several folks if we will be raising the flags. We have over 1300 Veterans at our local cemetery.

As many of you have heard, officers for National, Department of California and Districts are staying in place. Most of the Units for our District are as well. At this time, it is unclear as to when functions will be held again, so for now all business must be done virtually, by phone or by mail. Please be patient as we navigate the new way.

To stay in line with Local social distancing regulations we must say no. It is not just the Legion and the VFW who makes this happen this year, it is the community who comes out to make this happen.

I would like to thank all the Units who have made goal this year. They are Unit 3 Hanford – 100%, Unit 4 Charlie Waters – 180.00%, Unit 23 William Lee Netzer – 154.55%, Unit 147 Cecil Cox – 101.96%, Unit 191 Kingsburg – 100%. Congratulations to these Units! As a district at close of books (May 12th) we are at 93.67% and are in 9th place for California. Great Job! Keep up the excellent work and continue to work membership. Since we have some extra time reach out to members and check in with them!

I challenge all of you to pick a date once this time has passed to pick out another day to celebrate those who gave all so we could enjoy each and every day. Thank you all for your Service. Andy Reeve Commander District 14

At this time VAMC Fresno CLC is still on lock down and although Units can not go the staff is still doing bingo for our Veterans with the donated script. After all of this happened the American Legion Auxiliary was the only organization providing script for the CLC. A big thank you to Sandy Dowell for her hard work and dedication as Hospital Representative. Units that would like to or continue to sponsor bingo for the Veterans please let us know. The new bingo list for the year is usually completed by July. We will also be looking to replace a Deputy if anyone is interested please contact us. May is Poppy Month and a lot of Units mailed letters to distribute the Poppy’s. Please donate if you can, this year Units cannot sit in front of stores or be at events to distribute them. If you have a Poppy, please wear with pride this is how we “Honor the dead and aid the living.” As we end… or blend into the next year I look forward to serving with all of you. Please keep up the fabulous work that all of you do! A special THANK YOU to the Auxiliary members who have become mask makers and have donated so much time to helping keep all of us safe. Thank you to the men and women who serve to keep us free, fed and safe.

Geni Lefler, President American Legion Auxiliary District 14

14TH DISTRICT LEGIONNAIRE | MEMORIAL DAY 2020

FRESNO VA: COVID-19 F R E S N O VA C E N T E R S C A L I N G U P SAFETY MEASURES AMID COVID-19 CRISIS BY NATHALIE GRANDA

At least six people are being treated at Fresno's VA medical center. Those numbers come from a recently released interactive map by the US Department of Veteran Affairs.

Since the start of the COVID-19 crisis, veterans say the VA has implemented a series of new safety measures, starting with tents at the front door.

THE AMERICAN LEGION MOBILE APP

When she went to the VA a month ago to get tested for COVID-19, everything was running as usual.

With The American Legion Mobile App, you can sign up new members of The American Legion.

She tested negative, but returned a week later with her husband after she was having difficulty breathing.

When you "Just Ask" an eligible veteran to join your American Legion Post, your cell phone can now be used to process their application. You no longer need to keep a paper Legion application stuffed in your wallet, as long as you have your cell phone with the Legion Mobile App installed. The Legion Mobile App will also allow you to: • Find out about the Legion • Join the Legion or use the app to help a veteran join

Jennifer Granados is an 8-year army veteran. "From the last visit to the second visit, they set up screening before entering the VA," she says. Granados is one of the more than 71,000 patients the VA has administered tests to nationwide. According to their new map, they've had more than 5,000 confirmed cases, with 263 veterans testing positive in California. Action News reached out to the Fresno VA to find out more about the measures being taken, but officials weren't able to provide a statement. Granados, however, says most of her appointments are now over the phone, and her husband isn't allowed to go in the VA with her.

• Renew membership • Get Legion news • Access Legion images • Follow the Legion • Find a post • Access myLegion.org, and • Access Emblem Sales Yes, the mobile app will allow new members to join, just remember your post is still responsible for verifying eligibility via the DD-214.

During her most recent trip on Wednesday, she says more aggressive safety measures are being imposed on patients. "They asked me to step out and wait for them, and once they were ready they would put me in a room where the air was being filtered and they're wearing protective masks," she says. While there have been 13 deaths statewide, there haven't been any reported at the Fresno V.A.

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14TH DISTRICT LEGIONNAIRE | MEMORIAL DAY 2020 COVID-19

MASK OR NOT TO MASK When we were first notified about the increased risk of COVID-19, I was not impressed. We have a Governor who was (as I termed) dictating terms of social engagement. I was infuriated. Who did he think he was telling me, a grown woman, what I could and could not do with my life and when to do it? The gull of him. He can’t dictate to me. Constitutionally, where does it say he has the right to decide how and where I go and what I do? Then I thought about it.

Mildred Wright-Pearson

I’m not a news hound. I rarely watch or listen to news. I hate commercials. My thing is NEFLEX, period. I am a retired nurse and know how diseases can spread. I think back to the different flus that have spread though out the US in recent past years. How is it mainly spread? Through some form of human contact. Be it physical or air transmission. COVID-19 was spreading like wildfire. I know that America has had its share if disease, but it has mostly been sheltered from the many disease storms. I take it to mean, as a whole this, country lives a lot cleaner than others in respect to its environmental protection and sanitation guidelines. In many ways, we have been in our own bubble, protected from the world. That is changing. As is my thoughts about COVID-19 isolation. As I began to be more informed about the rapid advancement of the disease, I decided I would adhere to the requirements of the Order by the Governor. I thought about the things I would normally do outside of the home. I came up with alternative methods of accomplishing the

same tasks without leaving. I increased my online shopping. There are drawbacks but they are handled. I thought about when I had to go shopping in person. I live in a rural area with no supermarkets near. I went online and found out how to make masks. Then I got to work. I made masks for my sister in Texas, nieces and grandnieces in New Jersey and Washington state, friends, and myself. I am a person who sews and love every minute of it. Now when I go out, I wear one of my masks. I have seen people without masks who are sneezing (not covering their mouth) and blowing their noses. I tend to stay clear of them as much as possible. They don’t have any hand sanitizer to clean their hands either. They just put the tissue in their pocket and go on with their life. I am not a germophobic, but really! Who says they are not spreading the disease? Touching things that I may/will touch? Get a grip!!! Presently, I wear my mask when out, put on gloves, and use hand sanitizer when I get into my vehicle. It is not a question of being compliant, but of being safe. We only have one life we live. Protection and preservation of the ID, ego and super-ego are essential for all of us. Mask or no mask, your decision. Good Health, Safe Living, Mildred S. Wright-Pearson 29-Year Legion Member Veterans serving Veterans

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A R E YO U A

PAST COMMANDER?

Proud to Support the American Legion and our veterans in Fresno 1680 E. Herndon Ave #101 • Fresno, CA 93720 • (559) 432-4200

Often times-there is a question as to whether and when someone reaches the level of “past commander.” First of all, which is a given, someone needs to be nominated and voted into the position of Commander at a Post level. When that individual holds their first meeting, they are considered a past commander.

The level of the Past Commander’s Club is statewide. There are District and Areas Commanders. The structure is aligned with the Legion structure. Although it is a Club, it has its own bylaws separate from those of the Legion. It is not an automatic membership. You would need to apply, be selected and vetted by the current membership to become a valid member. The Past Commander’s Club is there to assist all new commanders in understanding and structuring their new command. It also encourages comradery and leadership amongst its membership. One of its most important programs is its Nursing program, where a graduating nurse is awarded scholarship money upon graduation and after passing their state boards.

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Although the Past Commander’s Club is for past commanders only, we have extended an associate membership to the spouses of club members whose wives/husbands were once Sweethearts or meet the criteria for Sweethearts. They have no voice or vote in the business of the club. Above all things, the Past Commander’s Club has fun. If you are currently or have been a post commander, contact one of the current members of the Past Commander’s Club for an application. We would gladly accept your application to join. Once again, I ask, “Are you a Past Commander?” Safe Haven and God Speed, James L. McClurg President Outpost 14

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14TH DISTRICT LEGIONNAIRE | MEMORIAL DAY 2020

UPDATE ON GI BILL BENEFITS C O N G R E S S PA S S E S N E W L E G I S L AT I O N D U E T O C O V I D - 1 9

cies. The new law allows for VA to continue to pay benefits regardless of the fact that the program has changed from resident training to online training. Also, students will continue to receive the same monthly housing allowance payments that they received for resident training until January 1, 2021, or until the school resumes normal operations of resident training. VA is working to immediately implement the new changes to address current and future school terms to ensure students continue to receive their education benefits. What should GI Bill Students know? There is no action required from a GI Bill student. VA has scheduled several training sessions with all VA approved schools and training facilities over the next couple of days to provide further guidance. We will work closely with schools to ensure enrollments are accurately certified and processed timely.

Over the past two weeks, VA has worked with Congress to preserve GI Bill benefits for impacted students during this difficult time. The Senate and House passed S.3503 and the bill will be headed to POTUS to sign, which will give the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) the authority to continue GI Bill payments uninterrupted in the event of national emergen-

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14TH DISTRICT LEGIONNAIRE | MEMORIAL DAY 2020

PTSD T R E AT I N G P T S D A S A N I N J U RY BY STEVEN B. BROOKS

Sean Mulvaney spent nine years as a Navy SEAL officer and then later became an Army physician, serving as the battalion and brigade surgeon with several Army Special Operations units.

Working with SEALS, Green Berets and Marines, Mulvaney treated many of them for injuries – but also saw many who had post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). “They all had security clearances. They were all worried about having the stigma of PTSD,” Mulvaney said. “They were all worried about seeking treatment for PTSD and admitting that they had something going on.” One of Mulvaney’s patients, who served in Desert Storm, had crashed his car while taking Seroquel, an anti-psychotic drug used to treat nightmares in PTSD. The patient also was seeing an Army psychiatrist, but nothing was helping him. “He said, ‘Help me. I’ll do anything. Help me,’” said Mulvaney, who promised to keep on the lookout for anything he thought would help the patient. Two weeks later at a conference, Mulvaney was shown a newspaper article by someone he didn’t know at the time about a doctor in Chicago using a stellate ganglion block (SGB) to treat women’s hot flashes. “He said, ‘Do you think this could have anything to do with treating PTSD?' another segue that I thought was just incredible,” said Mulvaney, who reached out to the doctor in Chicago to get his input on using the procedure to treat PTSD. When he returned from the conference, Mulvaney asked his patient if he was willing to undergo an SGB. “His symptoms resolved on the table,” Mulvaney said. “He said, ‘I haven’t felt this good since high school.’ I remember that quote. I’ll never forget it.” Mulvaney, now a staff physician with Regenerative Orthopedics and Sports Medicine in Annapolis, Md., has continued to use the procedure with great success and spent part of March 8 briefing The American Legion TBI/PTSD Committee during the organization’s annual Washington Conference in the nation’s capital. According to Mulvaney’s website, SBG uses an injection of a long-acting local anesthetic, using ultrasound or fluoroscopic guidance, in the right side of the neck around the main nerve that (Continued on Page 12)

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14TH DISTRICT LEGIONNAIRE | MEMORIAL DAY 2020 T R E AT I N G P T SD AS A N I N J U RY

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controls the “fight or flight” response (the sympathetic nervous system). The nerve, which is a two-way conduit, connects the parts of the brain that control the fight or flight response (referred to as the central autonomic network) to the rest of the body. Blocking off the traffic in the cervical sympathetic chain is believed to allow the parts of the brain that control the fight or flight response to completely reset, resulting in longterm relief of the associated anxiety symptoms. Mulvaney said he has delivered more than 1,400 treatments. Around one third of those have needed just one procedure, while the other two thirds retrigger from time to time and require multiple treatments. A study by Mulvaney and others on the procedure’s successful use with PTSD was published in JAMA Psychiatry in 2019. What Mulvaney has seen in patients using SGB is “statistically significant improvements across the board in neuro-cognitive function: reaction time, memory, executive function – all the test batteries. It’s the first treatment of its kind that shows it actually improves combat survivability.” Mulvaney said he currently is working with members of Congress on passage of the Treatment and Relief through Emerging and Accessible Therapy for (TREAT) PTSD Act, which would require the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide SGB therapy to veterans diagnosed with PTSD.

“People treating folks with PTSD have their treatment failures,” Mulvaney said. “I see people routinely on five psychoactive medications, including highly addictive ones. Including ones where if you stop taking them you could die. They’ve been through multiple inpatient and outpatient treatment programs. “If they’ve failed after everything else that anybody else feels like doing, if they’re still in a bad place … consider stellate ganglion block.” Mulvaney said he prefers to use post-traumatic stress injury over PTSD. “I treat this like an injury,” he said. “If you come in with this, I don’t care how you got it,” he said. “And when you set the optic that this is an injury and I expect you to get better, you’re halfway home to making these people better.” Former Special Assistant to the President on Veterans’ Issues Drew Trojanowski briefed the committee on the upcoming release of the President’s Roadmap to Empower Veterans and End a National Tragedy of Suicide (PREVENTS). The comprehensive strategy, which will be released March 30, will include the federal government working with state and local agencies, and private and nonprofit entities to provide veterans with much-needed services, while also advancing the understanding of causal factors of veteran suicide. Trojanowski served in U.S. Army Special Operations and currently is Arizona State University’s

assistant vice president of strategic initiatives for the ASU Knowledge Enterprise. He said PREVENTS has two major components: a research arm and a community aspect. “The community side of this is we need to have organizations that exist to able to work with (veteran service organizations), work with VA, work in this area that they call the social determinants of health,” Trojanowski said. “There are a lot of things that impact your life that have nothing to do specifically with service. It could be a lot of environmental conditions. So how do you create a lens from which an organization isn’t the provider of services, but is coordinating the services – all those activities that already exist?” Finding a “vaccine for suicide” means identifying and intervening early, Trojanowski said. He noted that 70 percent of veteran suicides are by an individual who have never set foot inside a VA facility. “That’s not a VA problem. That’s an everyone else problem,” he said. TBI/PTSD Committee Vice Chairman Ralph Bozella agreed. “Suicide is a community problem. It’s a personal problem. It’s a family problem,” he said. Trojanowski said recognizing a veteran who is suicidal likely will happen at a personal level. “The person that’s going to figure out that some(Continued on Page 16)

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14TH DISTRICT LEGIONNAIRE | MEMORIAL DAY 2020

Thank you to our Veterans! To all those who served our great country, we say thank you! - Congressman Jim Costa

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thing’s wrong with you isn’t the guy who’s at the VA,” he said. “It’s going to be your smoking, drinking, shooting, fishing, hanging out buddy. And then you need to empower them with information to be able to get you where you need to go.” The committee also heard from representatives from TruGenomix, a veteran-owned genomics company that has patented a PTSD genomic biomarker blood test to identify an individual’s predisposition to develop PTSD. The company developed the test through years of research using samples from 9/11 first responders, military personnel, Holocaust survivors and their descendants. The test identifies three specific biomarkers that have been shown to be differentially regulated in a person with PTSD. “It’s literally what is going on in your brain bio-

chemistry and understanding it at the genetic level,” said TruGenomix Chief Science Officer Tshaka Cunningham, who previously served as VA’s scientific program manager for the Aging and Neurodegenerative Diseases Rehabilitation Research Program. “And then we generate a report … on those levels of the genes that your clinician can then use to better assess your overall risk and hopefully one day stage your severity of disease.” TruGenomix Chief Medical Officer Anne Naclerio spent 30 years in the U.S. Army in positions such as Chief of Clinical Operations for the Regional Health Command Atlantic, Deputy Surgeon for the U.S. Army in Europe and the Command Surgeon for the Army National Guard. She said the self-reporting test is “not yet a diagnostic by FDA standards but is a (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments)-ap-

proved, lab-developed test. Our current diagnostic tools are not the best. They’re limited by one thing: You have to come in to take them.” Naclerio said those in the military who may be suffering from PTSD tend to play down their condition “because you want to finish your career. You don’t want to get boarded out, or you don’t want to be taken out of the fight. You want to go back with your team, and you want to remain deployable for your career purposes.” Cunningham said TruGenomix begun engaging VA about a study that would involve 3,000 veterans who would be given the test and then tracked over a two-year period. Cunningham also asked that The American Legion advocate on behalf of TruGenomix “to get this (test) out into use, into clinicians’ hands to start letting them assess it.”

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WHY BYLAWS? S

Stepping in to complete a term as the 14th District Judge Advocate is some what fulfilling for me. The first thing I said I would tackle Mildred Wright-Pearson is our outdated bylaws. They have not been updated since 2010. Many things have changed in our organization, the country, and the world.

lating to ensure we do not get and/or help to spread this aggressive disease. Who would have known?

Many years ago, when the “tech” world was in its infancy, I questioned whether we could utilize electronic communication to enhance organization effectiveness that would include those persons who could not physically get to a meeting. These people were still interested in being a significant part of the organization and actively participate in its activities. What I was told is: “It’s not in the bylaws, so it can’t be done.”

I started the District bylaw project back in March of this year. I have sent an updated copy out (electronically) to every Commander and Adjutant that has email communication, twice. To date, I have only received a few responses. Webster’s Dictionary states a bylaw is: a rule(s)

We have now come full circle. We have, essentially, been caught with our pants down when it comes to effective participation and communication. COVID-19 has seen to this. There are many aspects of our organization that needs to be rethought because we are now self-iso-

Many organizations throughout the world who have not become tech savvy are scrambling to get there. This includes our own American Legion. Bylaws will have to be changed to include ways of technological communication in this social distancing era. So far, there have been three bylaw changes by our Department since March to accommodate this situation. There has been some double talk about the way things should be handled thus far.

adopted by an organization chiefly for the government of its members and the regulation of its affairs. Without bylaws, there is chaos. With-

out updated bylaws, there is pandemonium. Everyone is scrambling to adjust to a new “unknown.” Rushing through changing to a new set of bylaws to adjust and comply with a given situation is less than professional but may be the only way to adhere to the here and now we

see today. Not changing your bylaws to reflect what you are doing can lead to disaster. Not only will there be the population who complains about not following the bylaws, there will be the population that forges ahead and takes the lack of new, approved bylaws to do whatever they feel should be done that suits their purpose. Then chaos set in. Bylaws are essential to the purpose and product of an organization. Without them, no one knows the standard operating procedure within an organization. Everyone is not in tandem. People get left out in understanding the rules. Why bylaws? They keep everyone in focus and moving in the right direction. Update your bylaws with technological outliers in mind. Doing so may lead to a more complete and close-knit membership that can expand exponentially.

“Write bylaws in a simple language-no one needs an advanced degree to understand them.” —Holly Duckworth

Stay Healthy. Be safe, Mildred S. Wright-Pearson 14th District Judge Advocate Veterans serving Veterans

14TH DISTRICT LEGIONNAIRE | MEMORIAL DAY 2020

VETERAN HOMELESSNESS R E A C H E S 1 0 - Y E A R L O W, B U T U N U S E D H O U S I N G V O U C H E R S C O U L D H E L P M O R E V E T S BY STEVE BEYNON

Housing and veterans officials told House lawmakers Tuesday that the veteran homeless rate has dropped to a 10-year low as thousands of federal vouchers that could help get more veterans off the streets went unused.

“There are so many unused vouchers and so many homeless veterans remaining,” Keith Harris, the national director of clinical operations for Veterans Health Administration, said Tuesday during a House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs hearing on veteran homelessness. The Department of Housing and Urban Development reported last week that the homelessness rate among veterans is at a 10-year low, as overall homelessness increased across the country. Some lawmakers and Department of Veterans Affairs officials have largely credited the decrease to the HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Program, which helps veterans with rental assistance and VA support services. Harris said more than 800,000 veterans and their families have used the HUD-VASH program since 2010, calling it one of the “most important resources for ending veteran homelessness” and saying the collaboration between nonprofits and multiple state and

federal agencies makes eliminating veteran homelessness an attainable goal. Nationally, the homeless population is up 3%, which HUD attributes to a ballooning crisis in California where homelessness increased 21% between 2018 and 2019. But the number of homeless veterans in the United States is down to 37,000, according to HUD. This is a decrease of 2% in the last year and a 50% decrease since 2010, said Hunter Kurtz, assistant secretary for Public and Indian Housing for HUD. Last year, about 8% of the homeless population were veterans. But the program intended to help veterans find a place to live isn’t being used by thousands of potentially eligible former service members due to a lack of VA staff and skyrocketing costs of living in some parts of the country, according to Harris. “One homeless veteran is one too many,” Rep. Mike Levin, D-Calif., said during the hearing. “Right now we are not good enough at identifying at-risk veterans and connecting them with services before they become homeless.” The HUD-VASH program has more than 100,000 vouchers issued nationally right now, but 11,000 are not being used by a vet-

A roadblock with vouchers for some veterans is skyrocketing costs of living in some parts of the country, specifically urban areas, according to Harris. “All over the country the vouchers are just not enough,” said Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla. “Veterans are having a hard time because it’s just not enough and they’re having a hard time paying for things like electricity. We’re very fortunate to have nonprofits kick-in.” Harris said HUD is working to increase the number of federal subsidized living spaces, put a ceiling on rising rents and make the vouchers more useful. He also pointed to the VA being short staffed with case managers, which the department is seeking new ways to process homeless case work such as using contractors. “One critical strategy [to ending veteran homelessness] is increasing the number of case managers,” Harris said. “Along with the lack of affordable housing, the lack of case workers is unquestionably the great limiting factors in voucher utilization.”

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WOMEN'S VA N E W T E X T M E S S A G I N G F E AT U R E AVA I L A B L E T H R O U G H VA’ S WOM E N V ET E R A N S C A L L C E N T E R

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) added a text messaging feature to the Women Veterans Call Center on April 23, providing another convenient way for women to seek information about VA benefits, health care and available resources.

Women Veterans can now text 855-829-6636 to receive answers and guidance about VA services. “We want to make it as easy as possible for women Veterans to get answers about eligibility requirements, benefits, services and more,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “By offering new methods of communication, such as texting, we can reach more women Veterans and support their health care needs more quickly.”

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The Women Veterans Call Center is staffed by trained, compassionate female VA employees, who can provide and link callers to available resources, such as health care, benefits and cemetery information via phone, chat and now text. The new texting feature aligns this service with other VA call centers that provide information and assistance to Veterans who are in crisis, at risk for suicide and becoming homeless. VA works to meet the unique requirements of women, while offering privacy, dignity and sensitivity to gender-specific needs. Since April 2013, the call center has received nearly 83,000 inbound calls and has initiated almost 1.3 million outbound calls. As the number of women Veterans continues to grow, VA is expanding its outreach to ensure they receive enrollment and benefit information through means that are user-friendly and responsive. Women are among the fastest-growing Veteran demographics, accounting for more than 30% of the increase in Veterans who served between 2014 and 2018. The number of women using VA health care services has tripled since 2000, growing from about 160,000 to over 500,000 today. This continued growth underscores VA’s commitment to enhancing communication and outreach to the growing population of women Veterans. For more information about the Women Veterans Call Center, visit Women Veterans Health. 19

14TH DISTRICT LEGIONNAIRE | MEMORIAL DAY 2020 POST 509

ALMOST THERE! M E RC I B OX C A R

Today, and every day, we honor our fallen soldiers and their families with our heartfelt thanks. We also thank all service members, veterans and their families for their contributions and service to our country. —Council President Paul Caprioglio, District 4 City of Fresno

If you have been following my articles you will know that since 2004 La Societe des Quarante Hommes et Huit Chevaux (40&8) has been attempting to get a cover placed on the Merci Box Car that is located at American Legion Post 509. We have contacted many contractors, gone to many City Hall meetings, and have run many newspaper and television notifications for the public’s support.

As you may not have known, the box car was given to us by the country of France in gratitude for the assistance given to them Mildred Wright-Pearson during WWI and WWII. It was delivered with gifts from the people of France. Those gifts were taken out of the box car and given to schools to put on display. Which school and what was given to each for display is a mystery. Attempting to raise money for this project has not been easy. There are a lot of people who provide the lip service about whom they know that can do the job and they can get it for free. Well, that never happened. It got to the point that we almost lost this gift to a museum in Palm Springs. Only one box car was provided to each State and Fresno was given the gift because it is near the center of the state with easy access for visitation. It had originally been placed in Roeding Park in 1952 where is was left to deteriorate. It was moved to its current location in 2004. As of today, the contractor has been hired and the money to pay for the cover has been raised. Now comes the bureaucratic process with all the red tape and opinions. Everyone has one, no matter how innate the reason. Everyone has to put a hand on the plan to sanctify its ability to exist with a financial conundrum. With all that having been said, all the T’s have been crossed and now we are awaiting the I’s. It only takes two weeks to complete the project. Presently, I would like to thank all of organizations that has contributed to this worthwhile project that is saving a war memorial dedicated to those who lived, fought, rode, and died traveling in our Merci Train Box Car during WWI and WWII. It is an honor to have worked with you who contributed during this project. Hopefully, it will be complete by the end of this June. Be Safe, Stay Healthy.

Bon Jour et Merci Beau Coup Mildred S. Wright-Pearson 14th District Judge Advocate Veterans serving Veterans

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The VA Debt Management Center (DMC) is offering temporary financial relief, if you are unable to pay your GI Bill benefit debt during this crisis. WHAT ARE YOUR OPTIONS? If you are financially unable to pay your existing VA debt due to the COVID-19 crisis, you can request a temporary collection suspension, hardship refund of offsets or an extended repayment plan. Call 1-800827-0648 to receive information on these relief options and to let us know which option you prefer. If you have already made payment arrangements for your debt, and you would like those arrangements to remain in place, you do not need to contact our office- your payment arrangement will continue. If you have a new VA debt, we will temporarily stop debt collections. You don’t have to act. DMC will not refer delinquent debts to credit reporting agencies during the crisis.

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DMC suspended all collection action on Veteran debts under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Treasury during the crisis.

14TH DISTRICT LEGIONNAIRE | MEMORIAL DAY 2020

HVAF EFFORTS

L E G I O N N A I R E S G E T A N U P- C L O S E L O O K BY STEVEN B. BROOKS

Three days after a group of American Legion Family volunteers spent the morning cleaning up one of the Hoosier Veterans Assistance Foundation’s facilities, members of the Legion’s Veterans Employment and Education Commission (VEED) were given an up-close briefing on HVAF’s mission.

The 26-year-old foundation is the state’s largest non-profit dealing with homeless veterans and in 2018 assisted more than 1,200 veterans through case management, housing, employment, and its food and clothing pantries. Approximately 700 of those veterans are homeless, while the other 500 are in need of some other kind of assistance. Thirty-five of the 55 full-time employees serve as case workers for veterans. “Those are our bread and butter,” said Bernie Kruse, HVAF’s vice president of Support and a 32-year U.S. Army veteran. “Those are my heroes because they are the people working with the veterans. They break down barriers. Every vet coming in has a different story, background, experience that we need to try to break through. Some of them are battling behavioral health. Some are battling drug addiction. Some are just down on their luck or dealt a bad hand and just need a little pickme up. “The case workers … they get assigned a vet and they just start digging in and breaking these barriers down, getting them hooked up: getting them a place to stay, getting them food, getting them clothing, get them employment services – all those things we do here within HVAF.” HVAF also offers both a food pantry – with both perishable and non-perishable items – and a clothing pantry for both men and women. In 2018 the food pantry alone distributed more than 26,000 pounds of food. The commission also got the opportunity to view one of HVAF’s 17 transitional housing units, where veterans have their own living quarters and share a common area. Each veteran has 90 days at the facility, though they can get an extension if they show they are working toward moving into their own permanent housing. (Continued on Page 23)

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At one of those 17 properties, commission members heard from HVAF Peer Counselor Fred Young, a U.S. Army veteran who himself battled both alcohol and drug addiction, eventually becoming homeless for five years, but for the past 14 years has assisted veterans in their own battles. Young draws on his own experience when helping the veterans in the HVAF program. “I did every drug that I can think of. I came close to death a couple times,” he said. “I’m dealing with clients who have the same issue. I was hired on to help them get back on their feet in a way to show by example how I did what I did to get back on my feet. I bring that to this community. “It’s all about saving lives. We’re trying to eliminate every single excuse that they try to have. Being a recovering (addict), you can come up with some good ones.” VEED Commission member James Fratolillo said opportunities to meet with organizations like HVAF are critical to the commission’s mission. “It makes it real all over again,” he said. “You see how it actually works. You can read about it, but when you see it – and you get the stories like we heard today – I think it’s important for us to stay aware. “And it’s a constant vigil. We have great legislation. We have resolutions. We have a lot of good stuff … but you see it happening here. It’s really nice.”

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Audrey Hopkins Long, HVAF’s Volunteer Coordinator, said efforts like the Legion Family assisting in cleanup of one of its facilities is one example of how veterans service organizations assist HVAF’s mission. “A lot of (The American Legion) posts do amazing drives for us: food and clothing,” she said. “We do get a lot of good volunteers come through, but it’s more behind-the-scenes, offsite organized drives. And they just show up sometimes with a truckload of food for us that we’re able to restock our pantry with.” HVAF President Brian Copes said he is passionate about the mission of HVAF but looks forward to the day the foundation no longer is necessary. “We would hope and pray, as I think everyone would, for the day that comes when we work ourselves out of business and there are no more homeless vets,” he said. “But until that day comes, I’m going to posture to meet as many vets’ (needs) wherever we can and whatever way we can for as long as we have to. When that day approaches, I’ll be happy to lock the doors and give the keys to somebody else.”

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14TH DISTRICT LEGIONNAIRE | MEMORIAL DAY 2020

VA STRENGTHENS CARE AND BENEFITS IN 2021 VA S T R E N G T H E N S C A R E A N D B E N E F I T S F O R V E T E R A N S WITH $243 BILLION BUDGET REQUEST FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has a proposed $243.3 billion budget for fiscal year (FY) 2021.

The 10.2% increase from FY 2020 will allow VA’s continued commitment to provide Veterans with high quality health care and timely access to benefits and services. “The budget request will ensure Veterans and their families experience health improvements and technological modernization advancements,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “That’s evidenced by the increase in budget funds we’re receiving — that not only increase health care services and benefits to Veterans — but allow VA to lead the way in forward thinking innovation.”

Budget highlights The FY 2021 budget provides robust funding for the secretary’s top priorities. It includes $109.5 billion (an increase of $13.5 billion or 14.1%above 2020) in discretionary funding and resources for health care, benefits and national cemeteries. Additionally, there’s $133.8 billion (an increase of $9 billion or 7.2% above 2020) in mandatory funding for benefit programs, specifically: compensation and pensions, readjustment benefits, housing and insurance.

MISSION Act: Beginning June 6, 2019, VA launched its new and improved Veterans Community Care Program giving Veterans a choice about how best to meet their health care needs. More than 5,000 Veterans per week are accessing the new urgent care benefits provided through the MISSION Act. The FY

2021 request would provide resources to support expansion of the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family to eligible Veterans seriously injured in the line of duty on or before May 7, 1975.

Preventing Veteran Suicide: $10.2 billion ($682 million above 2020) for mental health services includes $313 million for suicide prevention programs, a $76 million increase (32%) over FY 2020. Part of this funding will support President Trump’s Executive Order, President’s Roadmap to Empower Veterans and End a National Tragedy of Suicide (PREVENTS) program.

Women’s Health: $626 million ($53 million or 9% above FY 2020) for gender-specific women’s health (Continued on Page 25)

Serving Fresno, Kings, and Madera Counties VA S T R E N G T H E N S C A R E A N D B E N E F I T S

(Continued from Page 24)

care. This increase will expand access to gynecology, provide more primary care services for women and enable VA to continue to identify and serve the health care needs of women Veterans.

Electronic Health Record Modernization (EHRM): $2.6 billion ($1.2 billion above FY 2020) to continue implementation of a single longitudinal electronic health record (EHR) from active duty to Veteran status and ensure interoperability with the Department of Defense. In addition to funding continued EHR deployment to further sites, the FY 2021 request will accelerate nationwide deployment of the Centralized Scheduling Solution.

Transforming Business Systems: $221 million in the request will support the continued deployment of a modern integrated financial and acquisition management system. The request also includes $236 million for VA to transform its supply chain system through the implementation of the LogiCole solution (formerly Defense Medical Logistics Standard Support) and other supply chain improvements.

Blue Water Navy (BWN): $137 million to continue implementing the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019 (BWN) by ensuring sufficient staff are hired to support claims processing, handle call center activity, and conduct quality reviews. In FY 2021, VA expects to receive an estimated 70,000 BWN claims and appeals. VA has received more than14,000 BWN claims — since Jan. 7 — and has already issued $7.5 million in retroactive benefit payments to 218 BWN Veterans and survivors.

VA National Cemeteries: $360 million for increased burial access, partnering with stakeholders and preserving Veterans’ legacies. In 2019 the National Cemetery Administration achieved the highest customer satisfaction index for any organization in either the public or private sector from the American Customer Satisfaction Index.

Capital Investments: $1.9 billion for VA’s total construction program, including funding to complete the American Lake (Tacoma, Washington) and Long Beach (Long Beach, California) projects.

14TH DISTRICT LEGIONNAIRE | MEMORIAL DAY 2020 AMERICAN LEGION

CHAPLAINS

The chaplaincy has many purposes. One of its major purposes is to help persons grow in their relationship with God and one another. Also, we serve as a reminder of the transcendent and seek to develop an environment within which Legionnaires are encouraged in their personal and collective moral and spiritual growth. We are to remind all Americans that God is the source of all rights and privileges.

The American Legion is comprehensive in nature embracing all religions, faiths, and denominations within its ranks. The chaplaincy being non-denominational and non-sectarian, wishes to minister to the spiritual needs of all without regard to either affiliation or nonaffiliation. Chaplains seek to minister to people wherever there is a need. For many, chaplains are the only ministers they will ever know, as they have no affiliation with church, synagogue, or other religious institution. The role of the chaplain is ever increasing due to the aging of our membership. Each Legionnaire should be alert to the physical and spiritual needs of his/her comrades. The chaplain should be notified when there is death, illness, or special concern in the membership. At that point the chaplain should provide all ministry and service available. Veteran Crisis Line; or DIAL 1-800-273-8255 and Press 1 26

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VA DIABETES CAMPAIGN VA L AU N C H E S D I A B E T E S C A M PA I G N T O H E L P V E T E R A N S , H E A LT H C A R E T E A M S B E T T E R M A N A G E C A R E The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) launched a new campaign this month to give Veterans a better understanding of their diabetes numbers, which are critical to their well-being.

The Understand Your Diabetes Numbers campaign educates Veterans and their families on hemoglobin A1C, glucose meter, blood pressure and kidney tests, and other vital measurements. “One in four Veterans enrolled in VA health care services has diabetes,” said VA Secretary Robert Willkie. “This public health cam-

paign encourages Veterans to be proactive with their health care teams by improving their understanding of diabetes test results. The campaign reflects VA’s ongoing commitment to improve the health care experiences of Veterans by empowering them to be active partners in their care.” VA’s Office of Patient Care Services is overseeing the year-long campaign, which addresses treatment goals, medication and nutritional management, and patient safety. Key topics include understanding the importance of hemoglobin A1c test results, shared decision making between Veterans and their health care team, hypoglycemia

safety, insulin differences, good nutrition and carbohydrate counting, and kidney function and blood pressure measurement. Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) is a marker, along with blood pressure and cholesterol control, of good diabetes care. VA’s diabetes campaign is guided by Choosing Wisely® which is a collective effort among professional societies whose goal is to reduce medical tests, treatments and procedures that may be unnecessary. For more information, watch the VA roundtable videos Diabetes is a Disease of Numbers and Healthcare Teams Helping Veterans Understand Diabetes Numbers.

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