15th district memorial day 2018

15TH DISTRICT

LEGION

NAIRE

“The Nation that forgets its Defenders 15th District Legionnaire

...will itself be forgotten.”

“Saluting Kern & Tulare Counties" C OM M A N DE R E DDI E ORO S C O 2 0 1 7 - 2 0 1 8

COMMANDER'S CORNER Greetings Fellow Legionnaires It has been a busy year as your Commander. I have enjoyed the time traveling to the different posts and to the meetings for Department.

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We are saddened that the Buttonwillow Post had to close and wish those members the best at their new Posts.

The 15th District held Revitalization in Visalia and were able to transfer 58 legionnaires to Posts in the District. At Post 20 had two of the new members come to our meeting.

As we near the end of the year, we follow through Department President Loretta theme, “Real Heroes Wear Dog Tags Not Capes.”

PLUS INSIDE...

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Natl' Commander Visit.......Page 2

We can exceed all our goals and 100% reporting for this year. Lots of our units was very busy in their communities. We focused our mission to help our Veterans and their families through the community. We had three units who made goal this year, very proud all units what they have accomplishment.

We must remind the Legionnaire’s that their wives that can join the Auxiliary.

I am looking forward to the Convention in June where the new Commander will take over and I will be there to help him in any that I can to continue the work in District 15.

I still love the song that Tim McGraw sing, is “Be Kind and Humble” this should be every units’ theme song. We need to be there for our Auxiliary Ladies and Legionnaire’s also SAL there are family.

I want to thank all the Posts for their effort in recruiting members for their Posts as of last week we were 7th in the Department.

We are here to help all our veterans and the homeless, Veterans families and our Community.

I am looking forward to our meeting on May 19, 2018 in Porterville. Hope to see everyone there.

Our last District Meeting is in May at Porterville Post 20. Please come out and support our district. The we will fly off to Sacramento for our Convention in June, this also marks 75 years for the Girls State program.

Eddie Orosco 15th District Commander 2017-2018

Monday, May 28, 2018 | MEMORIAL DAY | 1

Veterans Rideshare.........Page 21

Yountville Suspended....Page 27

If we all remember our mission is, “In the spirit of Service Not Self, the mission of the American Legion Auxiliary is to Support The American Legion and honor the sacrifice of who serve by enhancing the lives of our veterans, military and their the families both at home and abroad.” We can exceed all our unit goal.

To all units thank you for all your hard work, dedication and support.

Zana Chaney 15th District President 2017-2018

Aging Veterans............ Page 34

Legion Scholarship..........Page 40 THANK YOU TO OUR SUPPORTERS

“Saluting Kern & Tulare Counties”

2 | MEMORIAL DAY 2018

15th District Legionnaire

NAT IONA L C OM M A N DE R

15TH DISTRICT OFFICERS COMMANDER Eddie Orosco, Post 20

FINANCE OFFICER David Graham, Post 26

1st VICE COMMANDER Ralph Wenzinger, Post 26

ADJUTANT Ester Tillery, Post 20

2nd VICE COMMANDER Don Johnson, Post 18

CHAPLAIN Michael Cruz, Post 26

SERGEANT-AT-ARMS Tony Strauss, Post 221

SERVICE OFFICER Michael Johnson, Post 221

JUDGE ADVOCATE Juan Lopez, Post 779

HISTORIAN Brian Adams, Post 20

15TH AUXILIARY OFFICERS President Zana Chaney, Post 124

Chaplain Dolores Ryan, Post 26

First Vice President Dee Ann Graham, Post 221

Historian (unassigned)

Second Vice President Barbara Goodlow, Post 26

Parliamentarian Genieca Risner, Post 213

Secretary Treasurer Karen Herrera, Post 20

Sergeant-at-Arms & Marshall (unassigned)

Treasurer Brenda Preston, Post 26

Junior Past President Dee Ann Graham, Post 26

VISIT TO CALIFORNIA National Commander Denise Rohan, the first female National Commander of the American Legion made her visit to California in December 2017. Commander Rohan and her Aide de Camp, Mike Rohan (Yes, her Husband) landed in San Diego December 8 and started their weeklong tour.

They were met at the Airport by National Executive Committeeman Janet Wilson, Department Commander Bob Heinisch, Department Adjutant Doc Bart, ALR President Mick Sobczak, ALR Sergeant at Arms Caleb Homer and myself District 14 Commander and designated driver for the tour. We were escorted to the hotel by the ALR President and Sergeant at Arms.

Let it be known to all, the National Commander was escorted by the American Legion Riders every mile of her California trip. This was coordinated and executed by the ALR Sergeant at Arms who deserves a huge “Thank you” for his tireless effort.

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She and her Aide had a relaxing first day on Saturday, starting with a leisurely breakfast at the hotel and then to Post 416 in Encinitas for the viewing of the annual Army/Navy game. She was pleased with the results being a former Army Soldier.

Day two we visited the USS Midway and received a warm welcome by the docents who showed the utmost respect to our Commander, followed by a visit to Post 255 in National City for lunch served by the local High School Marine ROTC Unit and then off to Post 365 in Vista for dinner, where a new member of their Post was sworn in by National Commander Rohan.

On day three, we were off to Orange County with a brief stop at the Southern California State Veterans Cemetery were Commander Rohan received a $5000 dollar check to her charity. We continued on to Post 679 which meets at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library, with a full tour and lunch. Later that day for dinner, we were at Post 132 in Orange for a special presentation and dinner.

Day four of the tour took us to the USS Iowa, American Legion Post 61 for a fantastic lunch and tour of the magnificent Destroyer Class Battleship 61. Pasadena Post 13 hosted dinner. Post 13 has a really nice memorial to their fallen heroes who have paid the ultimate sacrifice.

Day five started with a drive from Pasadena to Simi Valley where we were expecting a smoke filled visit to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. We were fortunate and missed all the smoke from the Ventura fires. After a delicious, gourmet lunch prepared

by President Reagans personal chef; hosted by Post 283, Pacific Palisades, we received a tour of this beautiful, sprawling Library and museum. The next leg of the trip was up the beautiful California coast line with miles and miles of ocean shore line to view. We definitely have beautiful sunsets in California. We made it to Post 66 in San Luis Obispo just in time for the last of the BBQ dinner, but were welcomed the next morning Day six by a delicious pancake and egg breakfast hosted by Post 66 and District 16 where Medal of Honor recipient Leroy Petry, U.S. Army (retired) was the guest of honor and speaker. We pulled in to San Francisco in the mid-afternoon and were met at the War Memorial Building by Area 1 Vice Commander Nelson Lum, (retired SFPD) and many of his former SFPD Motorcycle counterparts. After a short tour of the Memo(Continued on Page 4)

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15th District Legionnaire

MEMORIAL DAY 2018 | 3

MEMBERSHIP REPORT DISTRICT 15 STANDINGS

Post # Post Name & City

ne s rs nli fer l be s O s L l m d d n a e UF ai ai ra Tot Goa M P P P T l oa 18 18 18 18 18 018 018 G 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 %

0015 Tulare, Tulare

0 45

4

30

0

79 105

0018 Visalia, Visalia

0 15

9

44

6

74 105 70.48%

0019 Alta, Dinuba

3

7

0

24

3

37 40

92.50%

0020 Porterville, Porterville

3 29

20

112 13 177 224

79.02%

0026 Bakersfield, Bakersfield

12 56

122 434 23 647 684

94.59%

0063 Fellows, Taft

9

5

7

34

0

55 65

84.62%

0094 Exeter, Exeter

0

6

7

34

5

52 68

76.47%

0124 Merle Reed, Delano

3 11

6

42

1

63 79

79.75%

0128 Lindsay, Lindsay

0

2

0

16

0

18 25

72.00%

0221 Tehachapi, Tehachapi

5 14

27

67

9 122 109 111.93%

0674 Buttonwillow, Bakersfield

0

2

0

1

0

0682 East Bakersfield, Bakersfield

4 32

16

3

75.24%

15

20.00%

118

2 172 230

74.78%

0711 Kern River Valley, Lake Isabella 3

9

12

41

2

67 95

70.53%

0743 Charter Oak, Ivanhoe

0

9

3

20

0

32 45

71.11%

0779 Terra Bella, Terra Bella

0

6

1

19

0

26 44

59.09%

0785 Sierra, Visalia

9 11

1 5

6

1

78 77

101.30%

District 15 Totals

51 259 235 1092 65 1702 2010 84.68%

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4 | MEMORIAL DAY 2018

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NAT IONA L C OM M A N DE R V I SI T TO C A L I F OR N IA

(Continued from Page 2)

SH U L K I N M A DE

‘POSITIVE CHANGES’

rial, Commander’s Rohan and Heinisch were whisked away in a 1947 Rolls Royce escorted by a full SFPD Motorcade through the city streets to our hotel. They shut down major city streets during downtown San Francisco rush hour traffic specifically for our National Commander and her entourage. We received the same escort from the hotel to Cathay Post 384 and the Restaurant for dinner. This was one of the most impressive, if not ‘the most’ impressive escort I’ve ever been associated with. I’m guessing a minimum of 40 Motorcycle Officers leap frogging from intersection to intersection, stopping traffic, buses, trollies, taxis and pedestrians. As I said, it was impressive.

On our last evening, after a great dinner at Post 77, our Jr. Past Commander Gary Leach’s Post, the Commander let her hair down, so to speak and actually was on the floor playing with Chloe, Caleb Homer’s Service K-9. Our National Commander had a great time in California and was impressed with her mile by mile escort by the American Legion riders. Even though the Commander’s tour did not bring her through the 14th District and the Central Valley, we showed her a great time and what the golden state has to offer. With the Commander being from Wisconsin, she is obviously a ‘Cheesehead.’ We had a few good debates on who has the better cheeses. We had a great time with Commander Rohan and her Aide, had many great discussions and learned a lot of how our National Organization is moving forward. Thank you Commander Rohan and Mike for a great trip.

THE AMERICAN LEGION

American Legion National Commander Denise H. Rohan issued the following statement regarding the departure of David Shulkin as secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs:

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“Secretary Shulkin has acted in the best interests of America’s veterans and was making meaningful, positive changes at the VA. We wish Shulkin well on his next venture.

"The American Legion looks forward to working directly with the president through this transition and going forward, and providing him with an increased level of advice and feedback on the issues important to America’s veterans.

"The American Legion fought to create the Department of Veterans Affairs and we remain committed to its success. Our two million members are opposed to any legislation, or effort, to close or privatize the VA health-care system, and we will continue to work vigorously to ensure our nation’s veterans have the efficient, transparent and properly functioning VA that they deserve.”

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“Saluting Kern & Tulare Counties”

15th District Legionnaire

MEMORIAL DAY 2018 | 5

PROUD SUPPORTER OF OUR LOCAL VETERANS AND ARMED FORCES. Strong veterans make strong communities.

Bankof theSierra.com © 2017 Bank of the Sierra. All rights reserved.

AMERICAN LEGION

DEPT. OF CALIFORNIA 100TH ANNUAL CONVENTION

JUNE 21ST – 24TH, 2018

McClellan Conference Center 5411 Luce Ave., McClellan Park, CA 95652 Convention Hotel 5321 Date Ave., Sacramento • 916.338.5800 District Housing: Dottie Deerwester, 707.972.5055, dottie@rdysetgo.com

THANK YOU TO OUR SUPPORTERS

Dept. Executive Committee Officers: Veronica 559.875.838, veronica@calegion.org

Convention Hotel Housing: Wendy O’Brien, 916.971.1805, johnsjammers@att.net

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6 | MEMORIAL DAY 2018

Voice Your Choice

NAT IONA L

RECOGNITION AWARDS

Insist on HealthSouth...

Insist on HealthSouth Bakersfield Hospital as your first choice for rehabilitation after illness, injury, surgery or stroke.

It is with great pride Bakersfield Post 26 recognizes the following members jor their Continuous Years of Membership in the American Legion.

15th District Legionnaire

Gus Balasis, Jr 70 Years Martin Chernek, Jr. 60 Years Leo Houston 50 Years

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Licensed as an inpatient hospital level of care

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Specialized rehabilitation physicians

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Physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy at least 3 hours per day

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Rehabilitation registered nurses and certified respiratory therapists on staff 24 hours a day

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Admission from home or hospital The Joint Commission Disease-Specific Care Certification in Stroke and Pulmonary rehabilitation

POST 26

FRIDAY NIGHT STEAK DINNER Safer, Stronger, Sooner

The community is invited to dinner at the American Legion for $14

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Choose from: 12oz NY steak, fish or baked chicken.

Each item includes salad, sides, dessert, iced tea and water.

The Canteen opens at 5:30 p.m. with great drink prices, raffle prizes and an opportunity drawing.

Enjoy a fabulous dinner and support this great cause!

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H I S TORY OF

MEMORIAL DAY

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Memorial Day is an American holiday, observed on the last Monday of May, honoring the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. Memorial Day 2018 occurs on Monday, May 28. Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971.

Many Americans observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings and participating in parades. Unofficially, it marks the beginning of the summer season.

a nationwide day of remembrance later that month.

“The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land,” he proclaimed.

EARLY OBSERVANCES OF MEMORIAL DAY The Civil War, which ended in the spring of 1865, claimed more lives than any conflict in U.S. history and required the establishment of the country’s first national cemeteries.

On the first Decoration Day, General James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery, and 5,000 participants decorated the graves of the 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers buried there.

By the late 1860s, Americans in various towns and cities had begun holding springtime tributes to these countless fallen soldiers, decorating their graves with flowers and reciting prayers.

It is unclear where exactly this tradition originated; numerous different communities may have independently initiated the memorial gatherings. Nevertheless, in 1966 the federal government declared Waterloo, New York, the official birthplace of Memorial Day. Waterloo—which first celebrated the day on May 5, 1866—was chosen because it hosted an annual, community-wide event, during which businesses closed and residents decorated the graves of soldiers with flowers and flags.

DECORATION DAY On May 5, 1868, General John A. Logan, leader of an organization for Northern Civil War veterans, called for

The date of Decoration Day, as he called it, was chosen because it wasn’t the anniversary of any particular battle.

Many Northern states held similar commemorative events and reprised the tradition in subsequent years; by 1890 each one had made Decoration Day an official state holiday. Southern states, on the other hand, continued to honor their dead on separate days until after World War I. HISTORY OF MEMORIAL DAY Memorial Day, as Decoration Day gradually came to be known, originally honored only those lost while fighting in the Civil War. But during World War I the United States found itself embroiled in another major conflict, and the holiday evolved to commemorate American military personnel who died in all wars.

For decades, Memorial Day continued to be observed on May 30, the date Logan had selected for the first Decoration Day. But in 1968 Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which established Memorial Day as the last Monday in May in order to create a

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MEMORIAL DAY 2018 | 7

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H I S TORY OF M E M OR IA L DAY

(Continued from Page 7) three-day weekend for federal employees; the change went into effect in 1971. The same law also declared Memorial Day a federal holiday.

MEMORIAL DAY TRADITIONS Cities and towns across the United States host Memorial Day parades each year, often incorporating military personnel and members of veterans’ organizations. Some of the largest parades take place in Chicago, New York and Washington, D.C. Americans also observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries and memorials. On a less somber note, many people take weekend trips or throw parties and barbecues on the holiday, perhaps because it unofficially marks the beginning of summer.

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That freedom was won and preserved by hundreds of thousands of active-duty

TASHA BROWN GARCIA, R.N. AESTHETIC NURSE

military members and veterans.

DEBBIE ALTEPARMAKIAN, R.N. AESTHETIC NURSE

THANK YOU FOR KEEPING US FREE.

GREGORY KLIS, M.D. MEDICAL DIRECTOR

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MEMORIAL DAY 2018 | 9

MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS

VA P L A N WO U L D G I V E E V E RY SE RV IC E M E M B E R M E N TA L H E A LT H B E N E F I T S A F T E R L E AV I N G M I L I TA RY

VA secretary criticized on Capitol Hill for travel decisions In addition to this new plan, the VA has partnered with AMVETS, a congressionally-chartered veterans service organization, to create a new mental health initiative dubbed HEAL, which stands for health care, evaluation, advocacy, and legislation.

David Shulkin and President Trump Secretary of Veterans Affairs David Shulkin announced Tuesday that the VA will send President Donald Trump a plan this week that would give every service member mental health benefits when they leave the military.

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The plan follows President Trump’s executive order signed in January aimed at improving mental health resources for veterans.

“AMVETS is making this investment to place a team of licensed healthcare experts on the front lines where American veterans have direct access to a clinician that can guide them through the maze of the VA healthcare system,” said AMVETS national executive director Joe Chenally.

The cost for the HEAL program comes from hiring licensed professionals to join the team and is partly paid by corporations invested in AMVETS. On March 19th, a toll-free number will be available for veterans and their family members to access the HEAL program.

McKenzie said the program will extend services to all veterans suffering from traumatic brain injury (TBI) and those who are at a high risk for suicide.

That number is 1-833-VET-HEAL, and the corresponding e-mail address is vetheal@amvet.org.

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She estimated that about 320,000 veterans incur some degree of TBI during service and that 20 veterans take their lives every day.

One of the first investments for AMVETS was hiring the organization’s first chief medical executive, Lana McKenzie.

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“First, we will facilitate access to appropriate mental health screenings and treatment plans to ensure they include proper follow-up,” said McKenzie. “Second, we will use public forums, roundtables, and town hall meetings to raise awareness in local communities around the country.”

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10 | MEMORIAL DAY 2018

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A R E A 3 R E P ORT

NATURAL DISASTERS

BY DAVID GRAHAM, DISTRICT 15, AREA 3, DISASTER AND EMERGENCY SERVICES

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As will we all know the U.S. has had one of the worst years in recent history for natural disasters.

August 2018 Harvey brutality hitting Texas and the Louisiana coast, September2018 Irma hits Florida, September 2018 Maria hits the Caribbean (Puerto Rico), October 2018 Nate hit Alabama and Mississippi coast.

We have had wild fires thru out the Western United States, Napa fires, Thomas fire, San Diego fire, etc. These fires ripped thru communities leaving families homeless. Then there were the flash floods. Leaving more families with no place to go.

Do you know what to do in an emergency or a disaster? Here are a few things you can do to be ready. Go online to calegion.org /commissions/disaster and emergency services. There you can find resources like Department of California, Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Response Plan, Home Emergency Preparedness, Emergency Go Bag, and American Legion, Disaster Preparedness Guide.

Here are some agencies that can help after a disaster.

1. The Red Cross has information pamphlets.

2. F.E.M.A. has information pamphlets.

3. Your County and State Agencies should have information.

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Proudly supports the 15th District American Legion

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MEMORIAL DAY 2018 | 11

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12 | MEMORIAL DAY 2018

15th District Legionnaire

VA AND HEARING AIDS Many veterans are affected by hearing loss. If you've served in the military, you may qualify for hearing healthcare benefits from the VA.

To begin this process, veterans should apply for enrollment using an online form, by calling 1-877-222-8387 or visiting a VA healthcare facility or regional office.

For additional information regarding hearing aid coverage through the VA, contact a representative at the nearest VA medical center to begin hearing loss treatment discussions.

The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) was created to ensure our cherished military men and women have appropriate resources to address their healthcare needs, particularly injuries and illness resulting from active duty. The VA dates all the way back to 1663 when the Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony were at war with Pequot Native Americans.

Veterans who are eligible include: • Individuals with compensable service-connected disabilities

Benefits provided by the VA In the last few years, the VA has worked to become a modern organization which provides care, research and education for those who come back from war. The biggest changes made to the department include these initiatives: • Automating GI Bill benefits

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Throughout history, the department became much more sophisticated, and by World War I in 1917, it included insurance services, disability compensation and rehabilitation services.

Hearing healthcare eligibility through the VA Your military service may qualify you for hearing aid benefits through the VA. Assistance provided by the VA for hearing loss treatment depends on meeting eligibility requirements. Once met, veterans can receive benefits for hearing tests, examinations and hearing aids.

• Former Prisoners of War (POWs) • Purple Heart recipients • T hose receiving benefits under Title 38 United States Code 1151 • I ndividuals rated permanently housebound or in need of regular aid and assistance • V eterans with hearing loss resulting from diseases or other medical conditions • I ndividuals with significant functional or cognitive impairment that hinders daily living • Veterans with hearing impairment severe enough to interfere with their ability to participate in their own medical treatment • V eterans with service-connected hearing disability which contributes to decline in ability to communicate

• Creating Virtual Lifetime Electronic Records • D eveloping the capabilities and systems to drive performance and outcomes • Eliminating homelessness for veterans • E nabling benefits and services that are up to the 21st century standards • Improving the mental health of returning veterans • B uilding a veterans Relationship Management system to enable convenient, seamless interactions • E nhancing veteran access to healthcare and improving the overall experience

(Continued on Page 13)

LOOKING FOR A DOCTOR YOU CAN COUNT ON? Our panel of physicians may include the doctor you already know and trust.

For a list of our physicians, call (661) 716-7100 4550 California Ave, Suite 100, Bakersfield, CA 93309

Contracted Health Plans: Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield of California, Blue Shield 65 Plus, Cigna, County of Kern EPO, Grimmway Basic Plans, Grimmway EPO Plus, Health Net, Health Net Seniority Plus, SunviewCare, UnitedHealthcare *Participation in some health plan products is limited.

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“Saluting Kern & Tulare Counties”

VA A N D H E A R I N G A I D S

(Continued from Page 12) • Establishing strong management infrastructure and operation • Performing research to enhance longevity and overall wellbeing of veterans • Transforming human capital management • Improving the quality of healthcare and cutting cost • Transforming healthcare delivery through health informatics Prevalence of hearing loss in veterans According to the VA, more than 59,000 military members experienced hearing loss from Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. Because of routine exposure to loud noise in active combat, hearing loss is the most prevalent injury that veterans experience, and it has been a growing concern for decades. In fact, the Veterans Health Initiative reported that the field of audiology was established during World War II to treat veterans who returned home with hearing loss.

Between 1945 and 1947, 15,000 veterans were seen for hearing loss, 45,000 by 1949 and 71,000 veterans were identified with hearing loss by 1957. The VA hearing aids program began in the late 1950s and became a leader in the development of treatment options, evaluation and technology.

Get the benefits you deserve!

Apply for VA benefits online or by calling 1-877-222-8387.

Preventing hearing loss in today's military Combat veterans, especially those who spend an extended amount of time in the force, find that having trouble hearing is common. Soldiers can protect themselves against future hearing loss by following these protective measures: • Minimize exposure to noisy environments: While it may not be possible to choose their level of exposure to loud sounds, military personnel can try to avoid it outside of the force.

• W ear hearing protection: As much as possible, soldiers should wear protective barriers for their ears.

• A void medications that can harm hearing: Some medications, like ototoxic drugs, are known to cause hearing loss and possibly tinnitus. Military personnel should talk with their doctor about hearing concerns and learn about drug side effects.

• P rotect the head to prevent trauma or injury: Protecting the head against trauma can reduce the chance of injuries that can contribute to hearing loss.

• H ave regular hearing check-ups: After a baseline hearing test, military personnel should have their hearing checked each year to catch any changes early.

Getting started If you are a veteran and think you may have hearing loss, contact your local VA facility to set up a consultation with an audiologist who can determine your hearing needs and help you get your hearing back on track. If you are returning home from combat, you may face some complex health challenges – don’t let hearing loss be one of them!

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MEMORIAL DAY 2018 | 13

14 | MEMORIAL DAY 2018

“Saluting Kern & Tulare Counties”

15th District Legionnaire

VETERAN HISTORY PROJECT

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The Veterans History Project of the American Folk life Center collects, preserves, and makes accessible the personal accounts of American war veterans so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand the realities of war.

The Project collects first-hand accounts of U.S. Veterans from the following wars: • World War, 1914-1918 • World War, 1939-1945 • Cold War • Korean War, 1950-1953 • Vietnam War, 1961-1975 • Grenada--History--American Invasion, 1983 • Panama--History--American Invasion, 1989 • Operation Restore Hope, 1992-1993 • Persian Gulf War, 1991 • United Nations Operation in Somalia • Haiti--History--American intervention, 1994-1995 • Operation Allied Force, 1999 • Peacekeeping forces--Bosnia and Hercegovina • Operation Joint Guardian, 1999• War on Terrorism, 2001-2009 • Afghan War, 2001• Iraq War, 2003-2011

Inspiring Excellence

Transforming Lives • • • • • • •

• •

How did the Veterans History Project start?

The United States Congress created the Veterans History Project in 2000. The authorizing legislation (Public Law 106-380), sponsored by Representatives Ron Kind, Amo Houghton, and Steny Hoyer in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senators Max Cleland and Chuck Hagel in the U.S. Senate, received unanimous support and was signed into law by President William Jefferson Clinton on October 27, 2000.

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One of the most veteranfriendly campuses in CSU system Committed to helping veterans succeed; working with CSU system and Veterans Administration to ensure certified veterans receive their benefits Visit csub.edu/veterans for more information

AARP is the founding corporate sponsor of the Veterans History Project. In addition to providing initial major funding for the Project, AARP also spread the word to its legion of volunteers and almost 37 million members, encouraging them to get involved. Numerous state chapters have also been involved in the Project.

The Veterans History Project is made possible by the generous support of the United States Congress.

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It’s Your University 661-654-3036 | www.csub.edu admissions@csub.edu

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MEMORIAL DAY 2018 | 15

New name.

Same 5-star care.

The only hospital in Kern County ranked in the top 5% in the nation for overall care for three years in a row The only hospital in Kern County to receive the 5-Star Award for stroke care for 4 straight years Recipient of more 5-Star Awards for heart care than any other hospital in Kern County

ahbakersfield.org

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Taking care of each other is what

community

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MILLER MILLER Memorial MemorialChapels Chapels

VISALIA / WOODLAKE

VISALIA / WOODLAKE

is all about.

MillerChapel.com MillerChapel.com 559-732-8371

559-732-8371 FD 65 / FD 773

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MEMORIAL DAY 2018 | 17

PENSION WITH A&A F OR V E T E R A N S A N D T H E I R SP O U SE S

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The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Pension with Aid and Attendance program is a needs-based benefit and offers monetary assistance to veterans or their surviving spouses who require the regular attendance of another person to assist in the activities of daily living. Not all will qualify, but for those who do it can be a life changing benefit. The assistance a claimant receives must be medically necessary for that person’s well-being; this means bathing, dressing, mental/physical therapy, administration of medication, caring for the needs of nature, etc. Care received in an assisted living facility may also qualify a claimant for the benefit.

Eligibility for this program is dependent upon a veteran having served during a time of war, with at least 90 days of active duty service. The claimant must also meet medical and financial criteria which reflect that the claimant is in need of the benefit being offered.

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The maximum benefit amounts are as follows: up to $1,830.00/month for a single veteran, up to $2,169.00/month for a married veteran whose spouse also receives care, and up to $1,176.00/month for a surviving spouse. It is important to note that the spouse of a veteran cannot qualify on his/her own while the veteran is living if the veteran is not also in need of aid and attendance care.

There is much information that needs to be gathered and prepared when applying for Pension with Aid and Attendance. To apply, a veteran/surviving spouse will need to have: • Discharge/separation papers • Copy of marriage certificate • Copy of any divorce decrees (veteran and/or surviving spouse) • Copy of death certificate (surviving spouse only) • Information showing income from all sources • Asset information, including bank accounts, CDs, Trusts, Stocks, Bonds, Annuities, etc.

• Listing of all medical expenses, including but not limited to, insurance premiums, medications, medical bills, caregivers, or any other medical expenses that are not reimbursed by insurance, Medicare, or Medicaid • Physician statement that includes current diagnosis, medical status, prognosis, name and address, ability to care for self, ability to travel unattended, etc.

• Banking information for Direct Deposit of Aid and Attendance payments To apply or inquire further, please visit the Kern County Veterans Service Department at 1120 Golden State Ave., Bakersfield, Ca. 93301. We are happy to speak with the family of a claimant who is unable to make the trip into our office. Our Veterans Service Assistant can make an appointment for you. Call 661-868-7300.

The goal of the Kern County Veterans Service Department remains the same today as when it was first established in 1944: To assist veterans, their dependents, and survivors to obtain the benefits they have earned as a result of their honorable military service.

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18 | MEMORIAL DAY 2018

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NAT IONA L P O S T

HISTORY CONTEST ENTRIES Post historians who have been chronicling the activities of their post over the last membership year should start finalizing their entries for the first round of judging in the National Post History Contest, which will take place during department conventions this spring and summer.

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Entries in the One-Year Post Narrative and One-Year Post Yearbook categories will be judged by the department historian during the convention. The first-place finisher in each category, certified as such by the department historian, will be sent to National Headquarters in Indianapolis where it will be judged by a group of past and present department and national historians during Fall Meetings, Oct 9-12. All department-winning entries must arrive at National Headquarters by Sept. 15.

Contact your department historian for more information; a directory of departments can be found www.legion.org/departments The National Department History Contest, for the best narrative and yearbook entries by department historians, will also take place during Fall Meetings, and those entries must arrive by Sept. 15 as well.

Now is also a good time to start planning a narrative or yearbook for the next membership year. They can serve as references and templates for future post members to continue the activities and community service that make your post special. Guidelines and advice can be found in the Post Officer's Guide, beginning on page 147.

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MEMORIAL DAY 2018 | 19

FREEDOM IS NEVER FREE. Thank you to all the men and women of our Armed Forces.

www.BakersfieldHeartHospital.com

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P O S T E V E R L AS T I N G

CHARLES (CHUCK) M.MOORE

BAKERSFIELD (661) 835-9464

IN MEMORIAM

3720 Gosford Road, Ste F

February 4, 1932 - February 8, 2018 American Legion Bakersfield Post 26 Past Post Commander 2000-2001 & 2011

BAKERSFIELD

Albertson Shopping Ctr

Charles (Chuck) M.Moore

(661) 871-9464

2600 Oswell St., Ste E Oswell Street at Bernard Street

C

Behind Wendy’s

Chuck grew up in McFarland, Ca., graduated from McFarland High School in 1949 then immediately enlisted in the U.S. Navy and serving aboard the USS Boxer during the Korean War. In 1952, married his wife Sherry they had 2 sons and one daughter, 4 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren.

With an Honorably Discharged from the Navy in July of 1953. After various jobs, in 1958, he began his career with the Kern County Sheriff's Department. Chuck retired in 1985 with the rank of Lieutenant.

ROSEDALE

(661) 213-4567 4580 Coffee Road, Ste #B Von's Shopping Center at Hageman Road

Chuck was active and loved serving in the American Legion, Bakersfield Post 26 for 21 years.

He was an honorary member American Legion Rider Chapter 26.

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MEMORIAL DAY 2018 | 21

VETERANS RIDESHARE V E T E R A N S R I DE SHA R E E M P L OYS V E T E R A N S , PAYS I T F ORWA R D

W

Thank You

Veterans!

When Veteran Chris Pozek founded his company, he did so to give back to America’s former military service members. Today, Veterans Rideshare employs veterans and their families, provides dependable, safe and flexible transportation solutions, and directly benefits our nation’s former military personnel and other charitable organizations.

Pozek shares, “I have been taking care of people since I was a Combat Medic (91B) in the Army. It is truly an honor to ‘Pay it forward’ to veterans and military families.” It is to this end that he dedicated his efforts to offering direct employment opportunities to military veterans and providing a corporate culture that openly salutes and celebrates our nation’s heroes.

Dawn Fatheree, Veteran and Corporate Administrator, shares, “We are a family here at Veterans Rideshare. We take care of each other and do what we can to care for our fellow brothers and sisters in arms and their families.”

Veterans Rideshare strives to offer better solutions for reaching every destination and provides non-emergency medical transport, ad-hoc shuttle service, freight options and more.

They provide rider-focused options to include special rates and fares for Veterans organizations. Pozek shares, “We offer more options than other transportation services, and uniquely, we provide the chance for every ride to give something tangible back to the military men and women who have so selflessly served.”

A portion of all fares are dedicated to non-profit, 501(c)3 Veterans organizations, and passengers have the ability to designate an organization at the end of their ride. Each passenger has the ability to select the featured organization of the month, or donate to their charity of choice.

(Continued on Page 22)

Veterans THANK YOU

Growers, Shippers, Importers & Exporter of Select Quality Product Since 1941

33150 Pond Road | Delano, CA 93215 | Office: (661) 725-3755

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V E T E R A N S R I DE SHA R E

(Continued from Page 17) Veterans Rideshare knows what it means to serve, and this is why the company generously gives back in numerous ways.

They have recently teamed up with the popular military lifestyle blog, ArmyWife101. com, to support active duty military families. Lead writer and Army wife Jackie Toops, has worked closely with Pozek and his team. “Veterans Rideshare is incredible,” shares Toops.

“Just this holiday season alone, I watched them help three military families in need. They provided money to the family of a disabled Veteran for a Thanksgiving feast, and brought an active-duty couple and their baby home so that both families could meet their new granddaughter. Most impressive was the generous $500 Christmas they provided to the family of a service member’s widow and the four grandchildren in her custody. Veterans Rideshare truly makes a difference.”

We are proud to support our veterans and active duty service members.

Veterans Rideshare is a business dedicated to serving our nation’s Veterans. Pozek closes with, “We strive to provide unique transportation options that will improve upon the lives, opportunities and possibilities of our passengers, our employees, and our nation’s Veterans.” To learn more about Veterans Rideshare, please visit veteransrideshare.com.

Thank you for your service to our country.

B A K E R S F I E L D • F R E S N O • SA N D I E G O • K L E I N L AW. C O M

THANK YOU VETERANS THANK YOU TO OUR SUPPORTERS

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NAT IONA L C OM M A N DE R ' S

GIRLS STATE

April 14th Merle Reed hosted a Lunch for District 15 Girls State Delegates and Alternates. There was such a great turnout and all the Girls were wonderful. Karen Herrera Porterville Unit 20 is the District Girls State Chairman and Zana Chaney Merle Reed Unit 124 - District 15 President was the Co-Chairman of this event. Arelli Adam was our guest speaker and Last Years Girls State Citizen Sponsored by Porterville Unit 20 and goes to Harmony Magnet Academy in Strathmore.

A

Areas of Practice

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5060 California Avenue, Suite 700 Bakersfield, California 93309 Tel: (661) 322-3051 Fax: (661) 322-4628 bortonpetrini.com

Agricultural Law Business & Civil Litigation Business Law Commercial Law Construction Law & Defect Contract Law Corporate Law Employment & Labor Law Family Law Insurance Defense Land Use Oil, Gas & Mineral Law Property Association Law Real Estate Law Transportation/Trucking Law Water Rights

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NAT IONA C OM DI SLT R IC TM1A5N DE R ' S

AULILIARY STATE PRESIDENT

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NAT IONAPLOC S OM T 2M 0 A N DE R ' S

HONOR GUARD

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NAT IONA L C OM M A N DE R ' S

VETERAN CEMETARY

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NAT IONAPLOCSOM T 2M 0 A N DE R ' S

SCHOOL SUPPLIES IN FIJI

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NAT IONA C OM DI SLT R IC TM1A5N DE R ' S

ORATORICAL CONEST

Veterans THANK YOU

We salute you!

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YOUNTVILLE SUSPENDED V E T E R A N S P RO G R A M SU SP E N DE D I N DE F I N I T E LY A F T E R DE A DLY SHO OT I N G

BY MARY CALLAHAN

The Yountville veterans program attacked last week by a gunman announced Wednesday that it will suspend operations indefinitely, a wrenching move made after its executive director and two clinicians who worked with combat-stressed veterans in the program were shot and killed Friday.

T

Spokesman Larry Kamer said the board of directors for The Pathway Home is still exploring options that would continue its mission to provide mental health and wellness support to traumatized veterans who need help returning to civilian life.

The indefinite closure of operations of its facility at the Veterans Home of California followed Friday’s deadly shooting by a former Army infantryman who just two weeks prior was under treatment at the center. He also died in the attack. Authorities have yet to clarify if he died by suicide or as a result of an exchange of gunfire with a Napa sheriff’s deputy.

The bullet-riddled building that housed the program remains a crime scene, and there are questions “about whether people will feel comfortable living there and working there,” Kamer said.

The agency also has lost its “core clinical team.” The three women staff members killed in the attack were Executive Director Christine Loeber, 48, Dr. Jennifer Golick, 42, a therapist with the program, and Dr. Jennifer Gonzales Shushereba, 32, a psychologist with the San Francisco Department of Veterans Affairs Healthcare System. She was more than six months pregnant.

Even if The Pathway Home finds some way to resume helping veterans, “the program, at least as we knew it — the residential program in Madison Hall — would not be continuing,” Kamer said.

More than 450 veterans with a range of post-traumatic stress, traumatic brain injury and other issues had been treated by the 10-year-old nonprofit, which gained

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early, national recognition for an innovative, holistic approach to treatment that combined intensive therapy with music, art, yoga, acupuncture and a range of other specialties, as well as purposeful engagement and interaction with a community that embraced program participants, founder and former executive director Fred Gusman said.

The unique program hosted veterans who had tried and failed elsewhere in their effort to successfully transition to civilian life after war, and graduates often credited the program for saving their lives. But many participants were extremely challenging, capable of retreating into dark places as they struggled “with their own life and death issues,” Gusman said.

Continued funding challenges shuttered the program in 2015, however, and the staff dispersed after graduating its final class. Not until 2017 did the nonprofit begin welcoming clients again under new leadership provided by Loeber.

The revamped program focused on providing wraparound mental health services and case management to veterans of post 9/11 conflicts who needed support pursuing higher education at Napa Valley College and elsewhere, or completing vocational programs.

Unlike the original, intensive treatment program, the idea was to provide early intervention before individual participants reached crisis point — “before they’re dealing with substance abuse, or suicidal thoughts or life on the street or some of the other terrible things that happen to our vets if they don’t get care,” Kamer said.

The program had six remaining clients after Albert Cheung Wong’s departure, most or all of whom were present at a going-away party for two staff members when Wong — dressed in black and heavily armed with

(Continued on Page 26)

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YO U N T V I L L E SU SP E N DE D

(Continued from Page 27) a band of ammunition around his neck — arrived at the nonprofit headquarters Friday morning and took hostage the three women he would later kill.

Wong reportedly had told a brother days earlier that “he wanted to get back at them” for making him leave. The brother said Wong had knives in his possession at the time. Law enforcement and Pathway Home representatives have refused to confirm or comment on the reasons for Wong’s dismissal or his motive in the slayings.

Wong had said nothing about violence toward the women, his brother said, but he had clearly come home from military service in Afghanistan a changed man who harbored resentment over conflicts with family or friends.

For the veterans who were gathered eating cake and making toasts in a second-floor activity room when Wong arrived to carry out his mission, “it’s one more traumatic situation,” said state Sen. Bill Dodd. His North Bay district includes the spacious Napa Valley veteran’s home.

The six men have been connected with treatment services through Napa County Mental Health and nonprofit providers, as well as the Veterans Administration, to try to ensure continuity, Kamer said. They also have been provided viable housing options, though it’s their choice whether to take advantage of them, he said.

“Part of the strength of The Pathway Home program is that they were living together and spending a lot of time together, but absent a facility, that’s not possible right now,” Kamer said.

Dodd said The Pathway Home board is focused on those clients, in addition to the families of the slain staff, and spending its effort seeing to the well-being of “wounded warriors” for whom, he claims, the federal Veterans Administration and Department of Defense are not doing enough.

Given the need and the community support for The Pathway Home “financially, morally, spiritually,” it’s possible it could reopen some day, Dodd said, but “I think it’s too early to tell.”

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MEMORIAL DAY 2018 | 29

PAST PRESIDENTS NAT IONA L C OM M A N DE R ' S

O

On March 24 Past President of Units, District and Department met at Merle Reed Unit 124 for a Lunch and fundraiser for Nursing Scholarships for the Department of California.

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VETERAN'S PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTION V

Veteran's Property Tax Exemption: The Veterans' Exemption provides exemption of property not to exceed $4,000 for qualified Veterans who own limited property (see Revenue and Taxation Code section 205). The Veterans' Exemption may be claimed by a person currently serving in the military service or one who has been honorably discharged, the unmarried surviving Spouse or either parent of a deceased Veteran meeting the service requirements. In order to qualify for this exemption, the claimant may not own property, real or personal, worth more in aggregate than $5,000 if the claimant is single. If married, the couple may not own property worth more than $10,000. In addition, the claimant must have lived in California on the lien date, January 1.

Eligibility: In order to qualify for the Veterans' Exemption, a person must first be considered a Veteran by the government by meeting certain criteria regarding his or her service as a Veteran. A Veteran means either of the following: • A person serving or has served in and has been discharged under honorable conditions and served in any of the following:

– in time of war

– i n time of peace in a campaign or expedition for which a medal has been issued to the Veteran by Congress

Eligibility: A qualifying disabled Veteran who, due to a service-connected injury or disease, has been rated 100% disabled or is being compensated at the 100% rate due to unemployability, or the unmarried surviving Spouse of the Veteran, may claim either of the following benefits on his or her principal place of residence: • An exemption from property taxation on that part of the full value of the residence that does not exceed $100,000, as adjusted for the relevant assessment year (basic exemption); or • A n exemption from property taxation on that part of the full value of the residence that does not exceed $150,000, as adjusted for the relevant assessment year, when the household income of the Veteran does not exceed $40,000, as adjusted for the relevant assessment year (low-income exemption).

The dollar amounts of the exemption and the income threshold for the low-income exemption are increased annually due to inflation.

– i n time of peace and because of a service-connected disability was released from active duty

• P ersons from the National Guard or National Guard Reserve who are called into active service as part of the Armed Forces of the United States may also qualify for the Veterans' Exemption.

Disabled Veteran Property Tax Exemptions: The Disabled Veterans' Exemption is available for qualified Veterans to reduce their property tax liability. In order for property to qualify for the Disabled Veterans' Exemption, it must be used as the principal place of residence of the Veteran or the unmarried surviving Spouse of a qualified disabled Veteran. One exception to this requirement occurs when the claimant is confined to a hospital or other care facility and the property would be that claimant's principal place of residence were it not for such confinement, provided that the residence is not rented or leased. The property may be owned by the Veteran, the Veteran's Spouse, or the Veteran and Spouse jointly.

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MEMORIAL DAY 2018 | 33

T H E M ON T H OF M AY

POPPY MONTH F

For over 70 years the American Legion Auxiliary has sponsored Poppy's to remind America that millions have' sacrificed their lives and health to keep our nation strong and free.

American veterans brought home that image and planted it with the Auxiliary where is has bloomed every year for the benefit of those who served America The Memorial Poppy contributions are devoted entirely to rehabilitation and assistance for veterans and their families.

A few years ago I was asked to read the infamous poem "In Flanders Field" at a Memorial Day Ceremony. I found myself curious about the man, the poet and physician from Ontario Canada.

Lt CoL John McCrae, a 41 years old, joined the Canadian Expeditionary force following the outbreak of WWL He didn't join the medical corps but volunteered instead to join a fighting unit as a gunner and medical officer. He considered himself a soldier first... growing up to believe in the duty of fighting for his country and empire. He fought in two conflicts the Second Boer War and in Ypres in the Flanders region of Belgium where the German army launched one of the first chemical attacks in the history of the war. On April 22, 1915, the Germans attacked the Canadian position with chlorine gas... the German were unable to bread through the Canadian line... which was held for over two weeks.

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In a letter to his mother, McCrae described the battle as a "'NIGHTMARE! For 17 days and nights none of us have had our clothes off, nor our boots"! He went on to tell her "In all that time while I was awake, gunfire and rifle fire never ceased for 60 seconds". And behind it all was the constant back ground of the sights of the dead, the wounded, the maimed and a terrible anxiety lest the line should give way...

We Support our Veterans

During that battle a close, Alexis Helmer was killed. McCrae performed the burial service at which time he noted "How poppies quickly grew around the graves of those who died at Ypres." The following day May 5, 1915, he composed this poem while sitting in the back of a military ambulance.

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In Flanders Fields The poppies blow between the crosses, row on row,

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That mark our place: And in the sky the larks, still bravely singing, Fly scare heard amid the guns below.

Committed. Experienced. Trusted.

We are the Dead, Short Days ago we lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow...

Loved and were loved, and now we lie in Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foes: To you from failing hands we throw the torch Be yours to hold it HIGH! If ye break faith with us who die ... we shall not sleep, though grow10% in Flanders Thank you poppies Veterans!

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A LITTLE-KNOWN BENEFIT FOR AGING VETERANS C A R E G I V E R S , AS SI S T E D L I V I N G A N D N U R SI N G HOM E S

That seems to be the story with a Department of Veterans Affairs benefit called the Aid and Attendance and Housebound Improved Pension benefit, known as A&A, which can cover the costs of caregivers in the home (including sons and daughters who are paid to be caregivers, though not spouses) or be used for assisted living or a nursing home.

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As veterans age, many are unfamiliar with a benefit that can help pay for care at home or in assisted living or a nursing home.

The benefit is not insignificant: up to $2,019 monthly for a veteran and spouse, and up to $1,094 for the widow of a veteran.

Here’s a riddle: When is a government benefit that pays for caregivers, assisted living and a nursing home not a benefit?

When hardly any people know they’re entitled to it.

Surprised that you’ve never heard of it?

You’re not alone.

“It’s probably one of the lesser-known benefits,” said Randal Noller, a Veterans

Affairs spokesman in Washington. Of the 1.7 million World War II veterans alive as of 2011, who were in need of care giving assistance and thus eligible, only 38,076 veterans and 38,685 surviving spouses were granted the A&A benefit that year, according to Mr. Noller.

Mr. Noller is not the first to acknowledge A&A is a well-kept secret. Jim Nicholson, former secretary of Veterans Affairs, said in a December 2006 news release that “not everyone is aware of his or her potential eligibility” for the program, which he called an “underused” benefit.

Not much has changed. A search of the Veterans Affairs Web site for evidence of public information efforts in the six years since came up blank.

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“The sad thing is, it’s been an entitlement for 61 years, but it’s sat idle — the V.A. employees just haven’t been educated about it,” said Debbie Burak of Midlothian, Va. She said she repeatedly called department offices on behalf of her father, a World War II veteran, and her mother, who became homeless after their house caught fire and their injuries required extensive care. She was told there were no benefits they were entitled to. (Indeed, when I called two Baltimore-area Veterans Affairs offices for my father, a World War II veteran, no one had heard of this benefit or any benefit that paid for caregivers or assisted living or nursing homes.)

“My parents’ end of life was so difficult. They lost everything, were living in a terrible hotel, ran up every credit card we had,” Ms. Burak (Continued on Page 35)

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A L I T T L E K N OW N B E N E F I T

(Continued from Page 34) said. “My mother begged us not to cremate her, but there was no money for a burial; we had no choice.”

D & L Service

It was only after her father died that Ms. Burak discovered her parents would have been entitled to as much as $160,000 over the last decade through the Aid and Attendance benefit. She applied, but no money arrived before her mother died.

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Mr. Noller said the program’s low visibility might be an effect of the size of the department.

“The V.A. is the second-largest agency in the federal government, and you can’t expect everybody to know everything,” he said, referring to the agency’s work force. www.comoso.com ibuy@comoso.com

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To bridge the information gap, Ms. Burak introduced VeteranAid.org, a Web site and a 501(c)(3) charity, in 2005, to provide information about A&A eligibility and how to apply.

To qualify, a veteran need not have suffered a service-related injury. He or she only had to have clocked at least one day of his or her 90-day minimum military service during a time of war and need caregiving for activities of daily living.

Applying can be confusing and arduous. If you know the program’s name and search the Veterans Affairs Web site for Aid and Attendance, the first page states, among other things, that you are not eligible for A&A unless you already qualify for a basic Veterans Affairs pension — for which you have to be “totally disabled.”

That’s more than a little misleading.

“What people don’t know is that when wartime veterans turn 65, the V.A. automatically classifies them as ‘totally disabled,’ ” Ms. Burak said. And if they meet income and asset criteria, they are eligible for a basic pension.

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Honor.

Respect.

Integrity.

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A L I T T L E K N OW N B E N E F I T

(Continued from Page 35)

600,000 VETERANS

The A&A benefit can be more than 50 percent higher than the basic veteran’s pension ($24,239 annually for a veteran and spouse with A&A, versus $16,051 for a basic pension).

The income and asset cutoffs are also higher than for A&A benefits.

Karen McCarty, of Fort Worth, is one of the lucky ones who applied for A&A — and got it.

She heard about it when the assisted living facility where her father-in-law, Robert McCarty, 92, was living, held a seminar on it.

Ms. McCarty, a former certified public accountant, started researching the application process at the Veterans Affairs site, but, she said, “the VeteranAid.org site was much clearer.”

She found all the forms she needed, and her father-in-law received the first check in record time — six months.

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Not all Veterans Affairs officers are in the dark about A&A. After Annette Cadena’s parents were in a car accident and moved to a nursing home in their tiny hometown, Fossil, Ore., it was the local Veterans Affairs officer, Paul Conroy (now retired), who saw her on the street and mentioned that her parents might qualify.

“I was skeptical, to be honest,” said Ms. Cadena. “My husband did two tours in Iraq and has worked 30 years for the Washington State Army National Guard coordinating with the V.A. to help veterans, and he had never heard of it.”

Still, she applied in August 2009, and nine months later her parents started receiving the maximum $2,019 per month.

The benefit was a lifesaver. That is, until her father, Clinton Ray, died on Aug. 5. The payments to her mother, Bessie Ray, stopped, even though widows of veterans are also entitled to this benefit.

“They cut her off cold,” Ms. Cadena said, and told her she would have to apply all over again as a widow, which could take 9 to 18 months. “My mother said, ‘Oh, my God, are they going to kick me out of the home?'” Ms. Cadena recalled.

Still, when the benefit comes through, it can make a real difference.

Marcia Hruska’s mother, 85, had run through all her savings after seven years of worsening Alzheimer’s and round-the-clock care in her apartment in Coconut Creek, Fla. Assisted living was the next step, but Ms. Hruska didn’t know how they would pay for it, with Social Security her only income.

“One of the assisted living facilities we visited asked if my dad had been in the service,” and mentioned A&A, Ms. Hruska recalled. So she filled out the 26-page Veterans Affairs application — which used to be only four pages — and on Sept. 1, six months after applying, she received the first monthly check for $1,019. “This relieves a lot of tension,” Ms. Hruska said.

One warning note: Scams abound. The department forbids anyone to charge to help veterans fill out these challenging forms, yet a growing number of companies — many of which, on a Web search for “Aid and Attendance,” pop up with waving flags and red-white-andblue banners — offer to “help” veterans fill out the forms free, then charge thousands of dollars for financial consultation.

(Continued on Page 44)

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This Memorial Day, take a moment to remember the brave men and women who served and sacrificed for our freedom.

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9/11 FAMILIES SEEK JUSTICE 9 / 1 1 FA M I L I E S SE E K J U S T IC E DE PA RT M E N T P ROB E OF S AU DI L OB B Y I N G T HAT E N L I S T E D U. S . V E T E R A N S

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A group of families of Sept. 11 victims is asking the Justice Department to investigate an “unprecedented foreign influence campaign” by Saudi Arabia — including “all-expenses paid” trips to Washington, D.C., with stays at the new Trump International Hotel for veterans willing to lobby to weaken a new law permitting the Saudi government to be sued for complicity in the 2001 terror attacks.

Lawyers for the families charge that Saudi operatives “duped” hundreds of veterans into lobbying on the issue – warning them that under the new law they could be subjected to retaliatory lawsuits in foreign countries — without disclosing the effort was being bankrolled by the Saudi government.

“In service of this dangerous effort to influence Congress into passing legislative text promoted by a foreign power, the Kingdom and its foreign agents have targeted U.S. veterans nationwide” and “deceived them into serving as unwitting advocates for the Saudi government,” according to a letter sent Wednesday to Attorney General Jeff Sessions by lawyers for the “9/11 Families and Survivors United for Justice Against Terrorism,” a group that represents thousands of 9/11 family victims.

The letter, a copy of which was provided to Yahoo News, opens up a new front in the battle over JASTA, the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act — a controversial, recently enacted law that gives the 9/11 families new powers to press lawsuits against the Saudi government in U.S. courts.

The families contend that the Saudis’ “unparalleled” campaign to weaken the measure — including hiring an army of 100 lobbyists and spending at least $1.3 million a month — violated the statute known as the Foreign Agents Registration Act, or FARA, which requires full disclosure of foreign sponsored lobbying activities.

But in making their case in the letter, the families also include as exhibits internal Saudi lobbying memos and emails that could reopen a thorny legal issue for the Trump Organization and the White House: whether a foreign government and its U.S. agents are steering business to the Trump Hotel, still owned by President Trump, in what critics charge is a violation of the “emoluments” clause of the U.S. Constitution. The clause bars government officials from receiving payments or gifts “of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.”

“The Trump International Hotel lobby and restaurant area has become a very known place for politicos and others to gather,” Jason Johns, a registered lobbyist for Saudi Arabia who lives in Wisconsin, wrote in a memo to a group of veterans who were flown to Washington and booked rooms at the hotel for a three-day trip starting on Jan. 23, three days after President Trump’s inauguration.

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MEMORIAL DAY 2018 | 39

RICARDO YBARRA

RADIOMAN CHIEF PETTY OFFICER S U R FA C E WA R FA R E R I C A R D O Y B A R R A

Born in El Paso Texas then transplanted to the San Fernando Valley when he was just 11. At age 17 he received his GED and enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He served 21 years retiring as a Radioman Chief Petty Officer. During his career he was assigned to various destroyers, amphibious ships as well as Commander Destroyer Squadron 31 and Commander Middle East Forces Staff. He served shore tours as a Navy Recruiter, Communications Center Leading Petty Officer and Instructor Duty. He is Desert Storm Veteran. He is very active in the community as well. As a member of American Legion 26 he is the Bakersfield Veterans Day Parade coordinator. As an associate of the Military Order of the Purple Heart he is on the Bakersfield Military Ball Committee. As a member of VFW he is active with the POW/MIA Remembrance Ceremony. He is active with the Pearl Harbor Day Remembrance Ceremony as well as the Memorial Day Ceremonies.

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He was awarded the following medals and awards: Navy Commendation Medal Navy Achievement Medal with 3 gold stars Navy Unit Commendation Meritorious Unit Commendation with bronze star Navy E ribbon with 3 E’s Good Conduct medal with 4 bronze stars National Defense Service Medal Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal Southwest Asia Service Medal with 3 bronze stars Humanitarian Service Medal Sea Service Ribbon with silver and bronze stars Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia) Kuwait Liberation (Emirate of Kuwait) Navy Pistol Marksmanship Medal

If that is not enough on his plate he is also a member of the Kern Kiwanis Club and the 2017-2018 Kiwanis Division 33 Lt Governor overseeing the 10 Kiwanis Clubs in Kern County.

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40 | MEMORIAL DAY 2018

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SAMSUNG AMERICAN LEGION SCHOLARSHIP L E G I O N S C H O L A R S H I P AVA I L A B L E F O R B O Y S S TAT E , G I R L S S TAT E AT T E N D E E S THE AMERICAN LEGION

High school juniors who have been selected to participate in a 2018 American Legion Boys State or Auxiliary Girls State program may be eligible for the Samsung American Legion Scholarship.

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The Samsung American Legion Scholarship is available for high school juniors who participate in the current session of Boys State or Girls State and are direct descendants (or legally adopted children) of wartime veterans eligible for American Legion membership. The Samsung scholarship awards up to $10,000 for undergraduate studies (e.g., room and board, tuition and books), and each applicant is selected according to his or her involvement in school and community activities, academic record and financial need.

Students who qualify for and are interested in the Samsung scholarship can fill out an application online here.

Scholarship applications are due no

later than the first day of a participant’s Boys State or Girls State program. Please note that the scholarship is restricted to high school juniors participating in the current session of Boys or Girls State; youth who participated in either program the previous year cannot apply or reapply for the scholarship.

A Boys and Girls State participant from each state is selected as a finalist for the Samsung American Legion Scholarship. During The American Legion’s Fall Meetings in October, the Committee on Youth Education will select the scholarship winners. All scholarship recipients will be notified of their award by a letter in late October.

Recipients of the scholarship are encouraged to become a part of the Samsung American Legion Alumni Association to network with each other. Learn more at www.legion.org/ samsungalumni.

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MEMORIAL DAY 2018 | 41

AMERICAN LEGION

ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION I

If you have served federal active duty in the United States Armed Forces during any of the war eras listed below, and have been honorably discharged or are still serving — you are eligible for membership in The American Legion!

*August 2, 1990 To Today

(Persian Gulf/ War On Terrorism)

December 20, 1989 To January 31, 1990

(Operation Just Cause - Panama)

August 24, 1982 To July 31, 1984

(Lebanon/Grenada)

February 28, 1961 To May 7, 1975

(Vietnam)

June 25, 1950 To January 31, 1955

(Korea)

December 7, 1941 To December 31, 1946

(World War Ii)

April 6, 1917 To November 11, 1918

(World War I)

*Because eligibility dates remain open, all members of the U.S. Armed Forces are eligible to join The American Legion at this time, until the date of the end of hostilities as determined by the government of the United States.

U.S. Merchant Marine eligible only from December 7, 1941 to December 31, 1946 (WWII).

Serving my Country and now

SERVING MY COMMUNITY Jeffrey Nalesnik, Lt. Col, USAF, MC, FS 1997, Luke AFB, Arizona F-16 Fighting Falcon

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Kern Medical is proud to be a credentialed provider of the Veterans Choice Program. Now serving veterans with Primary and Specialty care at multiple locations!

If you have VA Medical Benefits, call Triwest at 866.606.8198 to learn more about the Veterans Choice Program and how to receive medical services at Kern Medical.

To learn about other Veteran benefits that you may be eligible for, please call the Kern County Veterans Service Department at 661.868.7300.

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42 | MEMORIAL DAY 2018

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LEGISLATIVE AGENDA

L E G ION NA I R E S R A L LY I N D C B E F OR E S TOR M I N G T H E H I L L

BY JEFF STOFFER

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American Legion national staff, led by Legislative Commission Chairman Paul Dillard of Texas, had a recurring message Monday afternoon in the nation’s capital: “it just makes sense.”

enrolled patients to use non-VA services from community providers, but only when necessary. “We are 100 percent opposed to privatization,” Shuman told the Legionnaires, warning them that some legislation now in Congress “calls for just that.”

Those words accompanied many message points from American Legion Legislative Division Director Matthew Shuman and Assistant Director Jeff Steele as they briefed hundreds of veterans gathered in Washington, D.C., at the annual “Know Before You Go” review of legislative priorities. Legionnaires from across the country will personally deliver those priorities to their congressional representatives this week.

The American Legion is taking to Congress conditional support for continuation of the Choice Program. National Commander Denise H. Rohan is scheduled to testify before a joint session of the House and Senate Committees on Veterans’ Affairs Wednesday to explain that The American Legion puts efficient and timely health care first for the nation’s veterans, and if achieving that goal means the use of non-VA providers, steps must be taken to ensure quality and fair, timely compensation for community providers.

Priorities such as improved efforts to use VA services to prevent veteran suicide, provision of qualified VA medical staff to better serve the nation’s growing number of women veterans, the installation of a long-awaited DoD-VA electronic medical records system and the streamlining of nine different non-VA health-care programs into one that VA fully manages were among the issues Legionnaires will take to Capitol Hill.

“It just makes common sense when you (leave DoD) and become a veteran, you should have one medical record that follows you everywhere,” Shuman said, noting that progress is being made toward a fully interoperable electronic records system that can untangle information-sharing issues between VA and DoD for veteran patients. Shuman said the project needs to be funded, however, without the forfeiture of VA medical services.

The Choice Program, which allows veterans to use non-VA providers if they live far from VA services or near facilities that are overbooked, expires in May. That program, initiated in 2014 after veterans were found nationwide to be waiting for appointments that had not in fact been scheduled, allows VA-

“A community care option is now a basic expectation for enrollees in VA’s health-care system,” according to drop-sheets Legionnaires were given at the Monday briefing. However, “excessive outsourcing would render (the Veterans Health Administration) too small to function economically or preserve quality of care and essentially dismantle it. Congress should pass legislation to unify VA’s multiple non-VA care programs, with VA as the coordinator and guarantor of care.”

Among the issues on the Legion’s legislative agenda are: • Expansion of support and benefits for the estimated 5.5 million Americans who are caregivers for disabled veterans of all war eras.

• Increased resources and assurance that the growing percentage of women veterans receives VA health care equal to that of their male counterparts, provided by physicians qualified to deliver gender-specific care.

• Measures to improve recruitment and retention of VA healthcare providers, emphatically those who work in mental health.

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• Full funding to help VA achieve its goal to eradicate veteran homelessness in America.

• Oversight to ensure that a lifetime electronic health record system connecting DoD and VA is properly funded, effective and seamless no matter where a veteran might be seeking care.

• Mandate end-of-service physical examinations for all military personnel at separation, a requirement that is now only partially authorized for the reserve component.

• Continued support, emphasis and funding for effective programs that seek to reduce the veteran suicide rate. Shuman explained that veterans who use VA services are less likely than others to commit suicide.

• Prohibition of employer pressure to force deployed activeduty, National Guard or reservists to waive their Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act protections caused by deployment.

• National security measures to improve cybersecurity, military quality of life and adequate funding and resources for the U.S. Armed Forces now at war.

• Support for H.J. Res. 61 and S.J. Res. 46, that would allow Congress to approve a constitutional amendment to prohibit the physical desecration of the U.S. flag. “At some point, this country will see the light (on the flag amendment),” Steele said. Until then, he added, flag protection will never leave The American Legion’s legislative priority list.

Legionnaires posting photos and messages about their visits on Capitol Hill this week and during the national commander’s testimony are encouraged to use the hashtag #LegionStormsHill on social media channels.

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MEMORIAL DAY 2018 | 43

True Heroes Often Don’t Think of Themselves That Way

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BUT WE KNOW A HERO WHEN WE SEE ONE halliburton.com

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A L I T T L E K N OW N B E N E F I T

(Continued from Page 36) And, Ms. Burak warns: “Financial planners at assisted living facilities are putting on seminars about the A&A benefit — but it isn’t out of the goodness of their hearts. They are trolling for residents who have too much money to qualify, to get them to move assets into annuity products that don’t count as income or assets and yield big commissions.” (This is possible because, unlike Medicaid, with its five-year look back, Veterans Affairs has no look back on asset transfers.)

The department does not reveal maximum allowable assets. But $80,000 (the house and a car are exempt from this total) seems to be in the ballpark, though someone with more assets could still qualify if expenses were very high, according to Ms. Burak.

Income limits are not set in stone either. But the maximum is around $20,000 to $23,000 after deducting costs for medical expenses, caregivers, and assisted living or nursing home fees.

Some people are taking advantage of A&A to protect assets for their heirs, Ms. McCarty said. Still, she said, ”it’s a wonderful benefit.”

Thank You

Veterans!

Steve & Sherry Shamblin Proudly supports the 15th District American Legion

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MEMORIAL DAY 2018 | 45

DMV FEES WAIVED M OTOR V E H IC L E R E G I S T R AT ION F E E S WA I V E D / DI S A B L E D V E T E R A N L IC E N SE P L AT E S

THE BENEFIT Waiver of registration fees and free license plates for one passenger motor vehicle, or one motorcycle, or one commercial motor vehicle of less than 8001 pounds unladen weight. Waiver of registration fees and free “DV” handicap parking license plates for one passenger motor vehicle, or one motorcycle, or one commercial motor vehicle of less than 8001 pounds unladen weight.

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WHO MAY BE ELIGIBLE Medal of Honor recipients, American Ex-Prisoners of War and “disabled veterans” as defined below: A "disabled veteran" is any person who, as a result of injury or disease suffered while on active service with the armed forces of the United States, suffers any of the following:

Sakura Buffet Proudly supports the 15th District American Legion

(a) Has a disability which has been rated at 100 percent by the Department of Veterans Affairs or the military service from which the veteran was discharged, due to a diagnosed disease or disorder which substantially impairs or interferes with mobility or,

(b) Is so severely disabled as to be unable to move without the aid of an assistant device (i.e. cane, crutches, walker, or wheelchair) or,

(c) Has lost, or has lost use of, one or more limbs or,

(d) Has suffered permanent blindness, as defined in Section 19153 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.

HOW TO APPLY Obtain a signed doctor’s statement that indicates that the veteran in question has a service-connected disability with at least one of the above listed mobility impairments, complete DMV forms REG 195 and REG 256A, and mail the completed package to: DMV PLACARD P.O. Box 942869 Sacramento, CA 94269-0001 1-800-777-0133 www.dmv.ca.gov

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46 | MEMORIAL DAY 2018

BUY A FL AG

FROM THE AMERICAN LEGION Legion testifies on Veteran’s financial protection legislation

BY JOHNATHON CLINKSCALES

Made in the USA, a flag from the American Legion supports our mission and supports your local community. The flag program contributes to: • Military Families • Veterans • Children Easy to order; simply visit the website or call.

• www.americanlegionflags.com • 1-888-453-4466 Available flags and products: • A merican Flags (outdoor and stick flags) • State Flags (outdoor and indoor) • Military Flags (service and POW/MIA) • F lag Accessories (stands, display cases, poles, tops)

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15th District Legionnaire

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MEMORIAL DAY 2018 | 47

21478

25x12.125 4C

Saluting the spirit of freedom and independence

We always feel fortunate to live in the greatest country in the world, but our national holidays give us time to reflect on our good fortune.

Wells Fargo joins you in celebrating Memorial Day.

wellsfargo.com © 2017 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. IHA-21478

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“We must never forget the courage and sacrifice of our veterans.

It is our obligation and a symbol of our gratitude that we honor their service to our country.”

www.McCarthyforCongress.com Paid for by Kevin McCarthy for Congress

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