Texas VFW News | 2008 Fall

Fall 2008

Texas VFW Donations Help Operation Uplink and Veterans Assistance Fund Periodicals

Soldier-farmers Toil with Afghans 2.25 Million Funded to Texas Veterans Leadership Program

Texas vfw mid-winter convention The Mid-Winter Convention for the Texas Veterans of Foreign Wars and its Auxiliaries will be held January 28 - 31, 2009 in Austin, Texas at the Doubletree Hotel.

Hotel reservations can be made by calling the hotel at (800) 347-0330 or (512) 454-3737, please use group name: “VFW Mid Winter Conference.”

Group code: MID

See you at Mid-Winter!

Mid-Winter Guest Speaker Gunny Ermey

For online hotel reservations visit www.hilton.com/en/dt/groups/personalized/ AUSLNDT-MID-20090128/index.jhtml or texasvfw. org for more information Rooms are $97.00 plus tax, and check in time is 3:00 p.m.

Cancellations? Call the hotel immediately.

Posts and Districts wanting a Hospitality Room — $400/night + tax Call Cathy Calder (512) 374-4870 or email cathy.calder@ihrco.com.

Mid-Winter VOD Awards Banquet NO REFUNDS AFTER JANUARY 16, 2009 Name:______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Address:____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ City:_______________________________________________State:_______________________ Zip: __________________________________ Phone: (_________) ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Post/Aux#:__________________________________________District #: _ ________________________________________________________ # of Tickets: __________ @ $40.00 each = $ ____________ # of Tables:___________ @ $400.00 each = $____________ (Seats 10) Special Needs:________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Complete this form and mail with payment to:

Texas VFW P.O. Box 14468 Austin, Texas 78761

Must be recieved by January 16, 2009 • Tickets at the door are $50.00, if available.

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www.texasvfw.org

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Vets Laud Vinson & Elkins

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In uniform they look like any other soldier . . .

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The Texas Veterans of Foreign Wars honored the Vinson & Elkins law firm with its Military Assistance & Veterans Care Award, “recognizing the VFW’s sincere appreciation for V&E’s exceptional efforts supporting the Texas Military Assistance Program.”

But the heart of Lt. Col. Stan Poe’s unit of Texas National Guard troops is radically different than most combat outfits in Afghanistan, answering to the sounds of agriculture and the sight of crops . . .

Workforce Commission funds $2.25 Million With Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s support, the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) recently approved $2.25 million to fund the Texas Veterans Leadership Program.

ABOUT THE COVER

Periodicals

Soldier-farmers Toil with Afghans 2.25 Million Funded to Texas Veterans Leadership Program

4 Commander’s Column 6 Awards for Valor/Hurricane Ike 7 Texas VFW Donates to Assistance Fund 10 Women Veterans Health 11 POW/MIA 12 Texas VFW News Tidbits 13 Texas VFW Heroes 15 Important News for Injured Vets 16 Texas VFW Donates to Free “Call Home” Day 17 Texas VFW Exceptional Achievement 18 Ladies Auxiliary 19 VFW Post 5619 Supports the 147th Fighter Wing 22 Long Knife Troops Receive Combat Patches Back Cover VFW Memorial

Upcoming Events Inside Cover Mid-Winter Convention For information regarding:

Reunions General Orders Taps Seeking District Meetings and other related topics Visit our website www.texasvfw.org

Fall 2008

Texas VFW Donations Help Operation e Fund Uplink and Veterans Assistanc

In the News

The Vietnam Veterans Statue on the Mall in Washington D.C. overlooks the Vietnam Wall listing those who did not return. The Vietnam Veteran is looking 20 years into the future when the Iraq/Afghanistan Veteran will lead the VFW and champion Veterans issues continuing the 100+ year legacy of the VFW.

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CONTENTS

The official publication of the Texas Veterans of Foreign Wars

we want to hear from you!

Please send your comments, suggestions, ideas and Post activities to: Editor P.O. Box 14468 Austin, TX 78761 or by email dan@texasvfw.org

Contributions: Letters, manuscripts, stories, materials, or photographs are welcomed but cannot be returned unless sender provides SASE. Texas VFW News will not be responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photos and drawings. Submission of articles and letters implies the right to edit and publish all or in part.

Opinions expressed herein are those of the writers and are not to be construed as those of the publisher nor as official views of the Texas VFW, the National VFW or any of its agencies, unless otherwise made manifest by writers or spokespersons acting on behalf of the foregoing.

Advertising of products and services herein does not imply endorsement or approval of the Texas VFW. Advertising is accepted on the premise that the merchandise and services are accurately described. Ads that contain fraudulent, deceptive or misleading statements or illustrations, or in the opinion of the Texas VFW News may be offensive, are not knowingly accepted. If you encounter noncompliance, please tell us.

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Commander’s Column Texas VFW Service Officer Program Jerry Murphree, State Commander The theme for this issue of the “Texas VFW News” is Veterans Service. As we highlight this area, I will focus on the Texas VFW Service Officer Program.

Being a Veterans Organization, I am often told that our primary focus should be serving veterans.

Serving veterans encompasses much more than just having service officers. It includes our Unmet Needs Program, Operation Uplink and our sponsorship of military functions. During national disasters such as Hurricanes Ike and Dolly, it includes our emergency financial grants for members of the VFW and the Ladies Auxiliary. In many states, the various service organizations are the only source of Service Officers to process VA claims. Texas is fortunate that our legislators have seen the need and continue to fund the Texas Veterans Commission. The TVC has 70 State Service Officers throughout the State as well as over 170 Employment and Training Specialists. Most counties in Texas have County Veterans Service Officers. The VFW currently has two Service Officers, down from four Service Officers in 2006.

The TVC Service Officers offer the same claims representation that the VFW does. We are not in competition. There can be no competition when it comes to serving Texas veterans. Between the TVC, the VFW and the various other service organizations, we must ensure that the 1.8 million veterans in Texas are provided service second to none and we are very successful at that. Even if the Texas VFW tripled the two service officers we have now, we would still not be able to cover even 5% of this state. That is why we have VFW accredited Service Officers working across the State. These are Service Officers that can process claims using the VFW as the main Power of Attorney. When factored in, this increases the impact in Texas for Veterans Service by the VFW. As always, funding impacts our choices as it does every organization. As our membership rolls decrease, so does the funding for our programs. Yet as that funding decreases, the costs increase. The Department Budget and Finance Committee meet each year to look at these items and decide how to make up the shortfalls in funding and to try and keep as many programs in place as possible with an eye to the future. Will we ever be capable of putting more Service Officers within the State? I cannot answer that but I would suggest the question “Is it necessary?” Do we want to compete against the State? Can we ever hope to compete? The answer is no, we cannot. So how do we better serve our VFW members?

The answer lies within your Post. We must train and train again, on a constant basis, our Post Service Officers. They must be able to answer the basic questions and know how to initiate a claim. Post Commanders must ensure that they only appoint

The Official Publication of the Department of Texas, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States. Texas VFW News (USPS 8277742) Fall 2008 Issue. Periodicals Postage Paid at Austin, Texas and additional mailing offices. Subscription price of $6.00 per calendar year for non-members.

Free to all members in good standing.

Published Quarterly by the Department of Texas, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S., 8503 North IH-35, Austin, Texas 78753 Volume LXII, Number 2, © November 2008. All rights reserved.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Circulation Dept., VFW, 406 W. 34th St., Kansas City, MO 64111.

Members Change of Address: Forward address changes to: Data Entry, VFW, 406 W. 34th St., Kansas City, MO 64111. Be sure to furnish your old address, also your Post number, when requesting change to new address.

To ensure accuracy, please clip and enclose your present address as printed on a recent copy of the Texas VFW News magazine.

Advertisers: Electronic Media Kit available at www.texasvfw.org, or request a printed Media Kit at dan@texasvfw.org.

Roy Grona . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Editor Dan West . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Assistant Editor www.medianation.net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Graphic Design DEPARTMENT HEADQUARTERS....................................(512) 834-8535

2008-2009 DEPARTMENT OFFICERS Cdr Jerry Murphree . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3359 . . . . . . . . . . . P.O. Box 14468, Austin, Sr Vice Mike Barber . . . . . . . . . . . . 3892 . . . 1169 Shine Lane, Harker Heights, Jr Vice Wayne Depute . . . . . . . . . . . 6378 . . . 324 Windward Drive, League City, Adj/Qm Roy Grona . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3377 . . . . . . . . . . . .P.O. Box 14468, Austin, Asst Adj Dan West . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3413 . . . . . . . . . . . .P.O. Box 14468, Austin, Asst Qm Carlos Sustaita . . . . . . . . . 6378 . . . . . . . . . . . .P.O. Box 14468, Austin, C Of S Richard King . . . . . . . . . . . . 8790 . . . . . . . . . . . 8936 Padfield, Houston, Judge Advocate Ken Burton . . . . . . 9182 . . . . . . . . . . . .P.O. Box 14468, Austin, Surgeon Larry Velasquez . . . . . . . . 2397 . . . . 4829 Golden Eye, Corpus Christi, Chaplain Robert Dickerson . . . . . . . 2451 . . . . . . P.O. Box 341136, San Antonio, Inspector Ray Dudley . . . . . . . . . . . 6115 . . . . . . . . . . 463 Tahitian Dr., Bastrop, Past Cdr Al Cantu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2397 . . . . . 4009 Tripoli Dr., Corpus Christi, Council Member Russ Richards . . . 4010 . . . . . .6610 Rowell Ct., Missouri City, Immed Past Cmdr Al Cantu . . . . . . 2397 . . . . . . . . . . . P.O. Box 14468, Austin,

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78753 76548 77573 78753 78753 78753 77055 78753 78413 78234 78602 78411 77489 78753

DEPARTMENT SERVICE OFFICERS Mel Glidewell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6008 . . . One Veterans Plaza, 701 Clay St., Waco 76799 Donald D. Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4443 . . . . . . . . . . . 6900 Almeda Road, Houston 77030

2008-2009 DISTRICT COMMANDERS 1 John Owen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2195 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 607 Ironwood Dr., Allen, TX 75002 2 Robert Lafleur . . . . . . . . . . . . 2775 . . . . . . . . . . 3528 Whippoorwill, Orange, TX 77630 3 John F. Lozanski . . . . . . . . . . 5076 . . . . . . . . . 1215 Cedar Ridge Rd., Heath, TX 75032 4 Noble J. Alix, Sr. . . . . . . . . . . 8930 . . . 140 Black Walnut Dr., Houston, TX 77015-1757 5 Tom Kilpatrick . . . . . . . . . . . . 8800 . . . . . . . . . 257 Shayla Ln., Canyon Lake, TX 78133 6 Francisco Gonzales, Jr. . . . . . 9170 . . . . . . . . . 1102 E. Hutchinson, Beeville, TX 78102 7 Charles Ratliff . . . . . . . . . . . . 6797 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 516 West 11th St., Post, TX 79356 8 Ken Mosley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7767 . . . . . . . . . . 1860 Cr 217, Breckenridge, TX 76424 9 Clayton Hoffman . . . . . . . . . . . 430 . . . . . . . . . 2001 Two Deer Trl., Amarillo, TX 79124 10 Joel R. Cool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8550 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P.O. Box 6221, El Paso, TX 79906 12 Terry Rowe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8560 . . . . . . . 523 Plano St., Sulphur Springs, TX 75482 13 Ron Suggs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1480 . . . . . . . . . . . 209 First St., Center Point, TX 78010 14 Charles S. Duncan . . . . . . . . . 3892 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P.O. Box 23, Nolanville, TX 76559 15 James L. Mansfield . . . . . . . . 8878 . . . . . . 11 Lackland Circle, Wichita Falls, TX 76306 16 Bruce E. Perry . . . . . . . . . . . . 7109 . . . . . . . . . . . . 1833 Max Road, PearlandTX 77581 17 Norm Brawner . . . . . . . . . . . 12024 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P.O. Box 1650, Willis, TX 77378 18 Luis Lucio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2035 . . . . . . . . . . 865 John Ave., Brownsville, TX 78521 19 Olin S. Sonier . . . . . . . . . . . . 6899 . . . . . . . . 1150 N. Rainey Rd., Groveton, TX 75845 20 Lewis E. Gravelin . . . . . . . . . . 8541 . . . . . . . . . . . . . P.O. Box 423, Converse, TX 78109 21 Glenn Heady . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9190 . . . . . . 6620 Summertime Ln., Watauga, TX 76148 24 Herman Sturm . . . . . . . . . . . . 4146 . . . . . . . . . . . 7932a Lmv Road, Victoria, TX 77905 25 Melvin Parker . . . . . . . . . . . . 4372 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5305 Clinton, Odessa, TX 79762 28 James J. Clark . . . . . . . . . . . . 8787 . . . 2107 Aaron Ross Way, Round Rock, TX 78665 29 Larry Crawford . . . . . . . . . . . 8571 . . . . . . . . . . . . . P.O. Box 2466, Whitney, TX 76692 30 Harry Fontenot . . . . . . . . . . . 9171 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1607 Vzcr 4517, Van, TX 75790

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Reprinted with permission of the Dallas Morning News

By Robert Miller

Vets laud vinson & elkins The Texas Veterans of Foreign Wars honored the Vinson & Elkins law firm with its Military Assistance & Veterans Care Award, “recognizing the VFW’s sincere appreciation for V&E’s exceptional efforts supporting the Texas Military Assistance Program.”

Carol Payne, a V&E litigation partner in Dallas, said the pro bono program came about after “we heard some heart-wrenching stories in the news media about legal problems faced by some of our veterans and active duty personnel, most of whom didn’t have the resources to effectively deal with those problems.

“After all these veterans and soldiers have done for our country, I wanted to do what I could to help them handle their legal problems, particularly problems that arose because of their military service,” she said.

In operation for more than a year, the public service program has handled more than 15 cases and has involved more than a dozen V&E lawyers in Austin, Dallas, Houston and Washington, D.C. Examples of the types of disputes are custody battles, debt collection matters and evictions.

The firmwide pro bono program is called “Veterans Initiative.” Texas VFW Assistant Adjutant Dan West said “The partnership between Vinson & Elkins and the VFW is exciting because I see scores of veterans who face legal issues caused by deployment.

“Unfortunately, Vinson & Elkins cannot take every case we refer to them. But when they do, those veterans are so relieved that V&E is protecting their interests and rights while they are off protecting the country.”

V&E’s Veterans Initiative has developed on two fronts.

Ms. Payne and V&E partner John Mitchell, a former Army lieutenant and veteran of the first Gulf War, teamed up with the Texas Veterans of Foreign Wars. It has several military assistance programs, including Unmet Needs and Wounded Warrior, that receive requests for help from veterans and those active in the military.

V&E lawyers in Washington work with the Veterans Consortium for Pro Bono Programs to help veterans appeal benefit denial decisions. The veterans groups screen the cases for need and legitimacy.

“The work that we do for these veterans and service members is very different from what V&E lawyers generally do,” says Ms. Payne, who is listed in Best Lawyers in America for her commercial litigation practice.

“These aren’t complex business disputes or transactions involving millions of dollars. But the legal issues facing these soldiers and veterans — custody disputes, debt collection matters, evictions and the like — directly impact their day-to-day lives. And there are few things more heartwarming than getting a note from a soldier in Iraq telling us how grateful he is for the work we are doing.” n

“After all these veterans and soldiers have done for our country, I wanted to do what I could to help them handle their legal problems, particularly problems that arose because of their military service . . . “ w w w . t e x a s v f w . o r g

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By Pfc. Terence Ewings, 4th BCT PAO, 1st Cav. Div. PAO

long knife heroes receive awards for valor Colonel Philip Battaglia, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Commander, awards Sgt. Steven Robinson with an Army Commendation Medal with “V” device indicating valor at the Combat Action Awards Ceremony on Contingency Operating Base Adder September 19, 2008. Robinson, a native of Barre, Mass., and several other soldiers of the 4th BCT, 1st Cav. Div., were awarded for assisting their fellow soldiers during a rocket attack on Forward Operating Base Garry Owen. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Terence Ewings)

Colonel Philip Battaglia awards Sgt. Javier Reyes and Sgt. Nicolas King with an Army Commendation Medal with “V” device for valor at the Combat Action Awards Ceremony on COB Adder September 19. The two combat veterans, Reyes, a Phoenix native, and King, a native of North Richland Hills, Texas, received the award for assisting their fellow soldiers in the 4th BCT, 1st Cav. Div., during a rocket attack on FOB Garry Owen. n (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Terence Ewings)

The U.S.S. Stewart, a Destroyer Escort during World War II, was washed up during Hurricane Ike at Galveston’s Seawolf Park.

Photo by Bill Hausinger

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texas vfw donates to texas veterans assistance fund The Texas VFW made a $10,000 donation to the Texas Veterans Assistance Fund. The 80th State Legislature provided that a Veterans Assistance Fund be created within the auspices of the Texas Veterans Commission. The fund was designed to enhance or improve veterans’ assistance programs, including veterans’ representation and counseling and to make grants to local communities to address veterans’ needs. Unfortunately, the Legislature did not commit any money to the fund. The fund relies strictly on donations from private and corporate donors. There will be some bills forthcoming for the 81st State Legislature that could provide the funding needed. One bill would authorize the Texas Lottery Commission to issue a new lottery scratch ticket that will allow all proceeds from that ticket to benefit the fund. It really does not make much sense to have a fund with no provisions for funding it other than donations.

Another possibility is either a special license plate or a voluntary donation of $1.00 similar to the donation on your annual income tax return. As we get nearer to the session, we will furnish more information. At that time it will be very important that all veterans contact their representatives and push for passage of the bills that will provide the funding for this program. In the meantime, if you would like to donate to the fund, you can send your check to: The Texas Veterans Commission Veterans Assistance Fund P.O. Box 12277 Austin, Texas 78711-2277 Pictured left to right are Roy J. Grona, State Adjutant /Quartermaster, Karen Rankin, Chair of the Texas Veterans Commission, VFW State Commander Jerry Murphree and the Texas Veterans Commission Executive Director and Past National Commander, Jim Nier.

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Reprinted by permission ©2008 Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Soldier- farmers Toil with Afghans In uniform, they look like any other Soldier. But the heart of Lt. Col. Stan Poe’s unit of Texas National Guard troops is radically different than most combat outfits in Afghanistan, answering to the sounds of agriculture and the sight of crops . . .

. . . “Soldier-farmers,” one might call them.

The Texas Soldiers, agricultural experts who come from Aledo to Weslaco, are on the forefront of a new National Guard initiative to bring Afghan farming out of the 19th century, in a place where decades of war have destroyed infrastructure, wrecked government capabilities and provided a favorable environment for illicit poppy production. Virtually everything is on their plate — preventing erosion, irrigating fallow orchards, developing ways to market crops regionally, down to helping one farmer keep his grape juice from fermenting. They’re doing it all without much of a playbook, either.

“The disadvantage of that is that we have nothing to go off of,” Poe said.

“But the advantage is that we really get to set the direction for agriculture in Ghazni province.”

Creating Stability The Army National Guard has provided medical, veterinary and engineering support for decades in Central America, but the idea of an agriculture-focused program in Afghanistan came from two Missouri Soldiers — Lt. Gen. Clyde Vaughn, director of the Army National Guard, and Maj. Gen. King Sidwell, Missouri National Guard Adjutant General.

It is a mission that the Guard is qualified for, said Col. Martin Leppert, who oversees the program from the Guard’s headquarters in Virginia. There is no similar program for Iraq, although there are talks starting about the possibility.

“The commanders on the ground want as many of these teams as they can get,” Leppert said. “They see the good in what the [teams] can do long-term to turn the tide and create stability in the farming regions.”

The National Guard teams are a welcome presence to the Afghan government, which has complained that not enough nonmilitary aid is flowing.

“This is always what we asked for,” said Ashraf Haidari, a political counselor in the Afghan Embassy in Washington, D.C. “There has been some, but not enough to meet the needs of Afghanistan. Revitalizing agriculture is one of the key priorities for our government. To the extent that we get technical assistance in military form or civilian form, it helps us a great deal.”

Ag Experts The Texas team is built around 12 people who are experts in animal science, horticulture, agronomy, soil, pest management, hydrology and engineering. All volunteered for the mission, even though it is the second or third combat tour for many of them. So many other Texans volunteered that the state will send a second team in March when the first group returns.

But the agriculture experts did not go alone. A sizeable security force of Guard Soldiers accompanied them. All are led by Poe, an engineer in Houston who is a part-time infantry officer. The team also added a pet, an adopted Afghan mutt with green eyes.

“I’ve been an infantry officer my entire career, 25 years,” he said. “This is very different. I always thought my command would be in a combat mission. But this is a good mission. You really get to see the effects you’re having.”

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If a particular problem comes up that is outside the expertise of the team, they e-mail or phone experts at Texas A&M University.

Other states are quickly ramping up to join the mission. Nebraska, Tennessee, Indiana and Kansas are sending teams in the coming months, and Kentucky just volunteered.

Missouri, the first state to deploy, is working in the desperately poor Nangarhar province in eastern Afghanistan.

“The challenges we’ve had getting states on board is because the Guard is so busy with missions throughout the theater,” Leppert said. “We compete with resources with the entire National Guard. But having said that, the local farm boys of the Army Guard have come out of the woodwork.”

Limited Markets The Texas team is based in the Ghazni province of eastern Afghanistan, not far from the Pakistan border, on an installation with Soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division.

Except for Ghazni City, the province’s population is widely dispersed in very small villages that are not easily reached because of poor roads and 10,000-foot mountains.

Distance is not just measured in kilometers or miles but in hours of travel.

Afghanistan is in the middle of its growing season, and many of the country’s 30 million people grow something — wheat, corn, tomatoes, apples, apricots, almonds, pomegranates.

“It looks like barren wasteland until you drop water on it,” Leppert said. “I don’t know what kind of magic stuff is in the soil.”

Of course, the best-known crop in Afghanistan is the poppy. Almost the entire world’s supply of illegal opium is grown there, and its proceeds are believed to be funding the Taliban’s continued attacks on U.S. and NATO troops.

But the Guard teams have nothing to do with poppy eradication. They are adamant on that point.

“We are not into poppy eradication,” Poe said. “We have not seen any in Ghazni, but if we did, we would not do anything about it. That’s another unit’s job.”

The problem in Afghan agriculture is not the lack of ingenuity but the inefficiency, some of it brought on by 30 years of constant war and a decimated infrastructure.

Ask an American farmer or producer what he would do if he did not have dependable electricity, irrigation, tractors, paved roads, trucking companies, rail lines and

marketing associations, and one can get the picture of how difficult it is to make a living in agriculture.

Those farmers who produce more than their family can eat can, at best, sell their wares on a roadside or perhaps to Pakistan, which stores it and then sells it back to the same farmers later in the year at inflated prices.

Or they grow poppies, which sell for more money than legal crops.

“They have very little infrastructure to support their harvest,” Poe said. “Whatever they can sell their harvest for at that time is what they get. The rest of it goes to waste.

They have no means to store it or preserve it.”

Afghan water control doesn’t exist, either. There is plenty of water from snow runoff, but it is seasonal, and farmers have yet to harness that water for year-round irrigation.

“I’ve seen farmers using sandbags as a lock,” Poe said.

“Whatever they can capture and collect at their spot is what they have available. Water management is the largest issue and it cannot be resolved in one year. It will be handed off to future [teams].”

Early Progress Already the teams are making headway, the leaders say.

The Texas team is planning to build a slaughterhouse in Ghazni, and one is almost complete in Nangarhar. One of the Texas engineers, Capt. Joaquin Campos, is designing a power source — possibly solar or wind — that is more reliable than the sporadic electric service in rural areas.

Cold-storage facilities have been built to store perishable crops, and the teams are developing demonstration farms where villagers can learn about better agricultural techniques.

“Just in the small amount of time our boys have been on the ground, they’ve gone after some quick-hit infrastructure support projects to start making a turn for the local farmers,” Leppert said.

Much of their early work, too, is in building provincial leaders’ trust.

That work with government leaders is key to making lasting change, said Haidari, who added that too much assistance is done in an “ad hoc, some here, some there” manner that does not build government competency.

“We need technical expertise to use in that secure environment,” he said. “That’s part of an effective counterinsurgency strategy. If we don’t help the people with their livelihoods and create jobs, it will be really hard to win their hearts and minds.” n

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By SFC Tashawnya M. McCullough

The women veterans health strategic health care group As the face of today’s military changes so does that of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). When President Herbert Hoover signed EXECUTIVE ORDER 5398 on July 21, 1930, the population of veterans was almost exclusively male.

By 2010, women veterans are expected to represent over 14 percent of the total veteran population. As the numbers of women veterans is growing, the VA is getting prepared and is committed to providing comparable quality of care to both men and women thus ensuring that the unique health care needs for both are being met.

There is a great need to eliminate gender disparity and to deliver comparable comprehensive primary health care for every veteran.

In March of 2007, The Women Veterans Health Strategic Health Care Group was established to promote the health, welfare and dignity of women veterans and their families by ensuring access to timely, sensitive, quality health care. The Strategic Health Care Group has outlined a five-year initiative to bring the VA to the forefront of women’s health care. The group will use assessment results to help facilities develop full-service primary care for women at every facility. To facilitate this initiative, the Deputy Under Secretary for Health Operations and Management, has requested that the Women Veterans Program Manager be made a full-time position by December 2008.

The goal of the VA is to provide a comprehensive, one-stop shop care for women. To date, the VA has already established on-site mammography at 32 Medical Centers, $7.9 million in specialized equipment to support clinical follow-up of initial breast screenings, $3.5 million on DEXA scanners to evaluate osteoporosis, and $5.9 million on other specialized equipment needed for women’s health advancements.

The mission of the Women Veterans Program Managers (WVPM) is to strategically plan, coordinate quality care, evaluate delivery of care, and reach out to women veterans who need services. In Texas there are 8 (WVPM).

South Texas VHCS – Roxanne Ahrman, 210-392-9216 Central Texas VHCS – Jana O’Leary, 254-743-2956 North Texas VHCS – Cheryl Sampson, 214-857-1385 Houston VAMC – Shirley Smith, 713-794-7926 Kerrville Division – Janeth Del Toro, 830-792-2688 Amarillo – Larissa Williams, 806-355-9703 Ext:7765 El Paso – Jan Rogers, 915-564-6129 Big Springs – Sharon Settles, 432-263-7361 Ext:7175

I have spoken to many of you woman veterans right here in Texas about the care, or lack thereof, that you received from the VA. If you are dissatisfied with the service that you have received, please visit your local VA clinic and try again. If you have never registered for benefits with the VA due to the perception that it’s too hard or that it takes too long, I encourage you to do it. Contact the WVPM in your area, let them help you enroll and receive the benefits that you have earned. n

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POW/MIA MISSING IN ACTION FROM WWII IS IDENTIFIED

MISSING FROM THE VIETNAM WAR IS IDENTIFIED

2nd Lt. Ernest E. Martin, U.S. Army, of Hanover, Montana. In November 1944, the 109th and 112th Infantry Regiments, 28th Infantry Division, were attacking east through the Hürtgen Forest in an attempt to capture the German towns of Vossenack and Schmidt. On Nov. 4, the Germans counterattacked in what would become one of the longest running battles in U.S. history. Martin, a member of C Company, 109th Infantry Regiment, was reported missing in action near Vossenack on Nov. 10.

In 2000, a German construction company found human remains in an unmarked grave while clearing wartime unexploded ordnance from the Hürtgen Forest.

The remains, along with military rank and branch insignia were turned over to U.S. officials.

Pvt. James W. Turner, U.S. Army, of Altus, Oklahoma. In November 1944, the 112th Infantry Regiment, 28th Infantry Division was attacking east through the Hürtgen Forest in an attempt to capture the German towns of Vossenack and Schmidt. On Nov. 4, the Germans counterattacked in what would become one of the longest running battles in U.S. history. Turner, a member of G Company, 112th Infantry Regiment, was reported missing in action near Vossenack on Nov. 9.

In 2005, a German citizen who was searching for wartime relics in the Hürtgen Forest, near Vossenack, found human remains and other items, including Turner’s military identification tag. The remains and items were turned over to the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) for further analysis.

Ensign Irvin A.R. Thompson, of Hudson County, New Jersey; Ensign Eldon P. Wyman, of Portland, Oregon.; and Fireman 2nd Class Lawrence A. Boxrucker, of Dorchester, Wisconsin; all U.S. Navy. When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor December 7, 1941, the battleship USS Oklahoma suffered multiple torpedo hits and capsized. As a result, 429 sailors and Marines died.

Following the attack, 36 of these servicemen were identified and the remaining 393 were buried as Unknowns in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii.

In 2003, an independent researcher contacted the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) with information he believed indicated that one of the USS Oklahoma casualties who was buried as an unknown could be positively identified. After reviewing the case, JPAC exhumed the casket, and discovered that it contained what is believed to be the remains of at least 28 other men in addition to the three identified. n

Sgt. Timothy J. Jacobsen, U.S. Army, of Oakland, California. On May 16, 1971, Jacobsen was one of four U.S. soldiers and an unknown number of Republic of Vietnam (R.V.N.) Marines who were aboard a UH-1H Iroquois helicopter. The crew was on a combat assault mission near Hue, South Vietnam when they came under heavy enemy ground fire as their aircraft touched down at the landing zone. The pilot tried to lift off, but the damaged aircraft struck a tree line and exploded. A few days later, a search and rescue team recovered the remains of some of the Vietnamese Marines, but there were remains still trapped under the helicopter wreckage. No remains for the U.S. soldiers were recovered.

In 1994, a joint U.S./Socialist Republic of Vietnam (S.R.V.) team, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), investigated the incident. The team surveyed the crash site and found wreckage consistent with a UH-1. The next year, another joint team excavated the site and recovered human remains, but they were not those of the U.S. soldiers.

In 2002, a joint team traveled to Hue and interviewed two Vietnamese citizens who showed the team two re-burial sites associated with this incident. In 2006, another team excavated the two sites and recovered human remains from one of them.

Col. David H. Zook, Jr., U.S. Air Force, of West Liberty, Ohio. On Oct. 4, 1967, Zook was on a psychological warfare operation over Song Be Province, South Vietnam, when his U-10B Super Courier aircraft collided in mid-air with a C-7A Caribou. The C-7 pilot said he saw the other aircraft hit the ground and explode. Several search and rescue attempts failed to locate Zook’s remains.

In 1992, a joint U.S./Socialist Republic of Vietnam (S.R.V.) team, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), investigated the incident in Song Be Province. The team interviewed Vietnamese citizens who witnessed the crash and saw remains amid the wreckage. The team surveyed the site and found evidence consistent with Zook’s crash. While later examining the evidence recovered from the site, a small fragment of bone was found.

In 1993, another joint team excavated the crash site and recovered a bone fragment and non-biological material including small pieces of military clothing. In March 2008, a final excavation was conducted and more human remains were recovered. n

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For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO web site at www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1169.

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Texas VFW News tidbits Congratulations to National Award-Winning Post Ben Ellis, Post Commander of VFW Post 4443, Bee Caves, Texas at the VFW National Convention in Orlando, Florida holding the plaque presented to his post for Outstanding Community Service based on their work within the community helping local and area veterans and teaching Americanism to the youth in their community. Post 4443 was recognized by the National VFW for logging over 10,000 hours of volunteer service and over $25,000.00 to the community while working VFW Programs. n

National VFW Commanders & Auxiliary Presidents visit Brooke Army Medical Center and the “Center for the Intrepid�

Pictured from L to R. Jesse Burton-Volunteer, Richard Eubanks-National Jr. Vice Commander, Cortina Barnes-National Jr. Vice President, Glen M. Gardner-National Commander-in-Chief, Intrepid Center Director, Dixie HildNational President, Jan Tittle-National Sr. Vice President, Tommy TradewellNational Sr. Vice Commander.

ATI Career Training Presents

THE LARRY GILBERT/VFW MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP ATI Career Training is awarding 16 scholarships among its 8 Texas campuses.

Each scholarship will provide a veteran with 12 months to 3 years of career training at ATI in a variety of fields, including health care, computer repair, information technology, automotive repair, massage therapy, personal fitness trainer, business administration, HVAC and welding

Applications are available September 1 through October 31 Successful candidates will be notified by November 25.

Apply online now!

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Richardson and Stemmons, TX campuses are branch locations of ATI Career Training Center, Technology Blvd. Dallas, TX Garland, TX campus is a branch location of ATI Technical Training Center, Maple Ave., Dallas, TX

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Texas VFW Heroes Post 76 Recognizes Community Hero

Lytle VFW on the Move

By Phil Moreno

On Saturday 20 September 2008, Lytle Memorial VFW Post 12041 conducted its 2nd Annual “America Supports You Freedom Walk.“ More than 75 participants from the Lytle/Somerset/Devine/ LaCoste/Atascosa Area celebrated this event.

This is the second Freedom Walk organized by the Lytle VFW Post.

We advertised in the local newspaper and on the national “America Supports You Freedom Walk” website and, yes, we coordinate all the different entities. We spent over $1,400 dollars organizing and sponsoring the walk and received $1,600 in donations. We used the money on advertising banners and to purchase T-Shirts for the participants. The walk was just over one mile long.

The “America Supports You Freedom Walk” is a national tradition that calls on people to reflect on the lives lost on September 11, 2001, remember those who responded, honor our veterans past and present, and renew our commitment to freedom and the values of our country.

Each year, the number of walks held throughout the nation grows, as more people are moved to participate. The tradition was born when Pentagon employees, seeking a way to honor the victims of the attack on the Pentagon and their families, and pay tribute to those who responded to that attack as well as those who serve, organized a walk from the Pentagon to the National Mall. Nearly 15,000 people took part. Now, America Supports You Freedom Walks are taking place in communities across the nation. Last year, 255 communities participated, and every state was represented, along with eight nations overseas. n

On July 3, 2008, VFW Post 76 presented Officer Darreyl Tonne, a San Antonio Federal Drug Agent, with the National VFW Life Saving Award for his heroic actions.

Officer Tonne, while assigned to a temporary duty with the U.S. Embassy, Kingston, Jamaica, disregarded his own life to save five teenagers from drowning. The forty-one year old officer did not hesitate to come to the aide of the teenagers who were swept away in the Jamaican sea waters.

Tonne immediately realized they were in trouble and swam toward them to keep them afloat until rescuers arrived.

Officer Tonne, assigned to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Department, was nominated by VFW Post 76 to receive the National Life Saving Award by VFW National. n

By Petra & James Bennett

Left to Right: Sr.Vice Cmdr, Angel Vasquez, Post Cmdr, Danny Estrello, Officer Tonne, and past Post Cmdr, Antonio “Tony” Vasquez. Photo by Manuel Castillo.

Members of the Lytle Memorial VFW Post 12041 w w w . t e x a s v f w . o r g

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By Cynthia Hunter

TEXAX VETERANS LEADERSHIP PROGRAM Jason Doran speaks of 18 fellow Marines with piercing detail. Etched in his memory is March 23, 2003, when all were lost in the Battle of Nasiriyih in Iraq.

“Capt. Letendre,” he says. “I have to write a letter to his son this week.”

“Gunnery Sgt. Jordan.” Doran remembers Big J’s famous one-liners and how the Texan from New Braunfels lost a $300 poker hand because it helped another guy win.

“Sgt. Reiss.” Doran recalls how worried the 20-yearold was that his new Alabama marriage license might not be valid in North Carolina. For Doran, a decorated 20-year veteran, these Marines serve as the inspiration for his new mission: to help Texas’ returning veterans transition back to civilian life.

With Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s support, the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) recently approved $2.25 million to fund the Texas Veterans Leadership Program, a comprehensive program to assist returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan as they reconnect to civilian life in Texas.

Spearheaded by TWC Chairman Tom Pauken, the leadership program will be modeled after the Vietnam Veterans Leadership Program, the successful program established by Pauken, a Vietnam veteran, during his Reagan administration tenure.

“Governor Perry and I want Texas to serve as the model for the nation in welcoming our veterans home,” said Pauken. “The best means of thanking them for the sacrifices they have made for our state and nation is to put in place a road map for their successful re-integration into civilian life.”

Doran’s role will be to oversee the program’s dayto-day operations in Texas. “If I had died,” he says, “I’d want them to carry on for me.”

“We fought for each other over there, and we’re going to do it over here — one-on-one and face-to-face,” says Doran, who earned the Silver Star and 20 other medals and ribbons during his service that spanned both Gulf Wars.

Doran will manage a statewide team of 28 newly hired veterans known as Veterans Resource and Referral Specialists (VRRSs). Each VRRS will be responsible for building a vast referral network for veterans employment, education, training, mental health, community, and family issues.

“Our goal is to connect vets with other vets,” says Doran. “If you can find one vet, he or she probably knows another vet who needs help.”

For more information about this program call (512) 936-0202. n

“Our goal is to connect vets with other vets . . .

If you can find one vet, he or she probably knows another vet who needs help.”

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important news for injured vets VA Announces Changes to the Disability Rating Schedule for Traumatic Brain Injuries and Burn Scars Increased Compensation Possible for Some Veterans WASHINGTON — The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) today announced changes in the way VA will evaluate traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and burn scars for purposes of determining the appropriate level of compensation veterans receive for these injuries.

VA has revised the Disability Rating Schedule in light of current scientific and medical knowledge in order to provide VA employees with more detailed and up-to-date criteria for evaluating and compensating veterans with these injuries.

Two groups of veterans may be affected by these changes. The first group includes veterans who will be awarded disability compensation for TBI and burn injuries in the future. The second group includes veterans already receiving compensation for these injuries whose disabilities are reevaluated under the new criteria.

As of September 2008, there are more than 22,000 veterans being compensated for TBI, of whom more than 5,800 are veterans of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Difficulties after TBI may include headache, sleep difficulties, decreased memory and attention, slower thinking, irritability, and depression.

To view the entire regulation published today in the Federal Register, go to: www.federalregister.gov/OFRUpload/ OFRData/2008-22083_PI.pdf. n

2007-2008 VFW Commander-in-Chief George Lisicki thanks VFW Department of Texas Commander Jerry Murphree for their generous $10,675 donation. w w w . t e x a s v f w . o r g

VA Secretary Establishes ALS as a Presumptive Compensable Illness Cites Association between Military Service and Later Development of ALS WASHINGTON — Veterans with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) may receive badly-needed support for themselves and their families after the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced today that ALS will become a presumptively compensable illness for all veterans with 90 days or more of continuously active service in the military.

“Veterans are developing ALS in rates higher than the general population, and it was appropriate to take action,” Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake said.

Secretary Peake based his decision primarily on a November 2006 report by the National Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Medicine (IOM) on the association between active-duty service and ALS.

“ALS is a disease that progresses rapidly, once it is diagnosed,” the Secretary explained. “There simply isn’t time to develop the evidence needed to support compensation claims before many veterans become seriously ill. My decision will make those claims much easier to process, and for them and their families to receive the compensation they have earned through their service to our nation.”

ALS, also called Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a neuromuscular disease that affects about 20,000 to 30,000 people of all races and ethnicities in the United States, is often relentlessly progressive, and is almost always fatal.

ALS causes degeneration of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that leads to muscle weakness, muscle atrophy, and spontaneous muscle activity. Currently, the cause of ALS is unknown, and there is no effective treatment.

The new interim final regulation applies to all applications for benefits received by VA on or after September 23, 2008, or that are pending before VA, the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, or the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on that date.

VA will work to identify and contact veterans with ALS, including those whose claims for ALS were previously denied, through direct mailings and other outreach programs.

To view the entire regulation published in the Federal Register today, go to: www.federalregister.gov/OFRUpload/ OFRData/2008-21998_PI.pdf.

For more information on VA’s disability compensation program, go to www.va.gov or contact 1-800-827-1000. n

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texas vfw donates $20,000 to sponsor free “call home” day VFW Posts and Auxiliaries from all across Texas helped sponsor a free call home day for troops stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan with their donations to Department Headquarters over the last several months.

“Operation Uplink” now has agreements in place that allow service members to call home without needing an Operation Uplink card, saving millions of dollars in phone card costs.

National VFW has committed to sponsoring one free call home day every month, instead of every 60 days with the cards, and allows the service member to make as many calls as they want and to talk as long as they want to their family members instead of the 15 minutes for one phone card.

Texas VFW sponsored a call home day on Labor Day and each person calling heard a prerecorded message that informed both the caller and the receiver that the Texas VFW had sponsored the call and that we thank them for their service.

A total of 92,123 calls where made for a total of 1,170,107 minutes of talk time. Under the phone card program, this would have cost the VFW $598,799.

To support Operation Uplink free call home days, donations can be sent to Texas VFW earmarked Operation Uplink. n

To Whom It May Concern: I just wanted to thank the VFW for pay ing for phone calls made from soldiers in Iraq on Lab or Day 2008.

My fiancé is over in Iraq and he calle d me yesterday and told me that it was a free call beca use the VFW had paid for it. I just want you to kno w that both of us really appreciate it because we spend so much money just to be able to talk on the phone to each other and it is nice to get a free call whe re we can talk and not worry about how much it is goin g to cost.

Thank you,

Rebecc a Pennock Left to Right — Bud Mackey, Bob Ogg, Virginia Atkins (Aux), Paul Prentice, and David Kirkpatrick.

VFW Post 3990, Paris, Texas helps Texas soldiers at Camp Maxey as they train for deployment to Iraq. Working with the local community Post members help set up a recreation area for soldiers to use during their downtime.

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Members of Post 8559, Iredell at the District 29 meeting in the field of flags sponsored by their Post. Each Flag, over 200, represents a veteran from the local community.

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Texas vfw exceptional achievement Wounded Warriors Chris Leverkuhn and David Camargo pick up a 1948 Buick Royale from McKinney VFW Post 2150. The 1948 mostly original Buick was donated to the Post for a raffle.

The winner then donated it to “Operation Comfort” that runs a program called AUTOMOTIVATION. The program was developed at the request of injured Soldiers, Marines, Sailors, and Airmen who were reluctant to participate in conventional rehab activities due to their injuries. Instead, they expressed interest in rebuilding and restoring automobiles. As a result, AUTOMOTIVATION was born.

Operation Comfort was immediately offered a garage and work space for the AUTOMOTIVATION program at Lonesome Dove Ranch. This location offers four bays to work in, a paint booth, and a break room. We look to the Automotive industry to help fund our Automotivation Program by donating parts, equipment, and funds for the parts and equipment which are not donated. n Iraqi Veteran and Life member Anthony Gene Bailey of VFW Post 6008, Hewitt, Texas. Applied for and was accepted to flight school while deployed to Iraq. After completing deployment he headed to Fort Rucker, Alabama for Warrant Officer Candidate School and Flight School.

Currently in AH-64D portion of “Flight School XXI.” n

Afghanistan Veteran and Life member Joe Meller of VFW Post 8787, Austin, recently graduated from Officer Training School and is now a full fledged 2ndLt in the Army National Guard and will be attending MOS Training as a Combat Engineer early next year. Joe currently serves as the State Assistant Officer of the Day. n

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TAPS The Department of Texas VFW is saddened to announce the passing of two of our Past State Commanders.

Edward J. Krenek passed away on October 9, 2008 at the age of 86. Ed was the Texas VFW State Commander during 1964-1965. A WWII Army veteran, Ed was born in Dime Box, Texas. Ed owned and operated Mid-Tex Sales and Service Company in Austin.

Charles Cannon, the State Commander during 1972-1973 passed away on October 14, 2008 at the age of 84. Charles was a WWII Army veteran serving during the Battle of the Bulge. He was a civil engineer and also served as a councilman for the City of Garland. Charles was born in Dierks, Arkansas. Both of these comrades were past Post and District Commanders and stayed active in the VFW. They will be missed. n

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ladies auxiliary Non-Commissioned Officer, in Charge of the Texas Military Family Foundation, S/ Sgt Currington and his wife Amanda after accepting a donation from VFW Post 8577 and the Ladies Auxiliary. The donation of $540.00 was used by the Ft Hood Wounded Warriors for 26 pre k and kindergarten children schools supplies. n

Left to Right — Ladies Auxiliary President VFW Post 8577 Karen Kaylor; S/Sgt James Currington and his wife Amanda; Juanita Workman, Ladies Auxiliary Past State President; and Rose Sweet Ladies Auxiliary 8577 Treasurer.

Texas VFW Ladies Auxiliary State President Debbie Daniels and Line Officers at the National VFW Convention Patriotic Rally.

VFW Ladies Auxiliary Post 4149, Midland, Texas, collects school supplies for U.S. Soldiers in Iraq who are helping to rebuild schools.

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Commander’s Column continued from page 4

those members who are capable of fulfilling the duties of this office. This is not a “good old boy” position but one which requires our best. More than that, they must know the Department Service Officers telephone numbers in Waco and Houston. That is the only way we can increase our presence in direct assistance to Texas veterans. So I challenge every Post Commander to appoint only those comrades who want and are willing to go that extra mile to help veterans. Your Post needs to send your Service Officer to Department training and, if possible, to TVC training. Yes, if there are seats available, your Post Service Officer may attend TVC training free of any charges other than travel, food and lodging. If we can increase the competence of our Post Service Officer Program, then the VFW would have more than 400 Service Officers statewide. Our next Service Officer training program will be at the Mid Winter Round Up on Saturday, January 31, 2008 from 8 AM to 1 PM. I challenge your Post to send your Post Service Officer to this training. Let’s start here to change our program by taking assets we have readily available and improving them. For every Post that sends a Registered Post Service Officer to this training, the Department will reimburse the Post in the amount of $150. No forms to fill out, no lengthy requirements. Just fill out the registration form at the training and Department will send the Post a check. What a deal! We will have a proficiency test at the end of the training, so come prepared to attend the entire session.

In conclusion, let me issue you this challenge. If you want a better Service Officer program, let’s work together to improve our existing assets. Let’s work together with the TVC and the other veterans’ service organizations. Let’s combine all of these assets in the state and then we can all truly say we support our vets!

Respectfully yours,

District 20 Commander-Lewis Gravelin, Auxiliary President Bobbie Rollins and Sr.Vice Commander Tish Mccullough lay a remembrance wreath on the graves of Sailors killed in the attack on the U.S.S. Cole while Sailors from the Naval Technical School at Lackland Air Force Base provide a honor guard.

VFW Post 4149, Midland and their Motorcycle Unit collect school supplies for U.S. Soldiers helping to rebuild schools in Iraq.

Jerry Murphree, State Commander

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Texas VFW member, Texas VFWproudly Member Joe Joe Meller, sports Meller, proudly sports his his Texas VFW shirt and cap.

Texas VFW Shirt and cap.

Joe is currently in Officer Joe is currently in Officer Candidate School with Candidate School with the the Texas Army National Texas Army National Guardand and isisaaveteran of of Guard veteran Afghanistan.

Afghanistan.

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Add lines ofoftextext on the an additional Prices good thru 8/31/09 Mail or Fax VFW Emblem & Supply Dept.

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The overseas cap was the first introduced in World War I and is America’s first military uniform item denoting war time service.

M6251 Light Weight Members Cap, Gold Piping M6251 Uniform Caps & Accessories Price: $32.45 Light weight style overseas cap with the Cross of Malta Emblem, letters VFW above the Post number and state name. Additional lettering is available at .86 per letter or numeral. No reduction in price if state name is abbreviated. STATE AND POST NUMBER TO BE ON CAP. SIZE 8 AND LARGER ADD $5.00. FORT KNOX STYLE AVAILABLE ON REQUEST. CAP MAY BE LETTERED WITH THE WORDS “VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS” ADD $2.55 for life member patch OR the words “LIFE MEMBER” can be embroidered on cap. Green, light weight, shade 51 Allow 8 weeks for manufacture except during April, May, June, & July. During these months allow 10 weeks.

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07209 – Coast Guard Cap. Faded Khaki Embrd. Logo on Bill 07212 – Army Cap. Faded OD w/ Embrd. Logo on Bill 07213 – Navy Cap Khaki. Embroidered Navy. Logo on bill 07214 – Marines Cap. Faded OD Green. Marine Logo on Bill 07215 – Air Force Cap. Faded OD. Air Force Logo bill

By Spc. Creighton Holub 4th BCT, 1st Cav. Div. PAO

Long knife troops receive combat patches CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, Iraq — Most generations in American history experienced a major war; one which produced combat veterans. Operation Iraqi Freedom is producing the next generation and some of the best combat veterans America has ever seen.

The 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Long Knife Brigade, deployed in support of OIF a little over two months ago, and their brigade’s 4th Special Troop Battalion, Spartan, officially received their combat patches during a ceremony at Contingency Operating Base Adder Aug. 13.

“Becoming a combat veteran feels very good,” said PFC Roy Bankhead, a Shadow Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle operator from Detroit.

Bankhead’s job is to inform our infantry troops of what lies around that proverbial corner his brothers

Soldiers assigned to the 4th STB, 4th BCT, 1st Cav. Div. salute during the playing of the National Anthem prior to receiving their combat patches during a battalion ceremony at the COB Adder Aug. 13.

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can’t see. “I make sure our troops on the ground have what they need information and imagery-wise.”

The first-term soldiers like Bankhead assigned to the Long Knife STB are proud to wear their first combat patch.

“It’s awesome to be a 1st Cav. combat veteran,” explained Spc. Jessica Robinson, whose company held a special promotion ceremony after the combat patch ceremony for the former-private first class. The Signal Intelligence Analyst assigned to Company A is from the small Illinois town of Table Grove with a population of 400 people.

The unit took a moment during the ceremony to recognize those sacrifices the soldiers of the Spartan Battalion and Long Knife Brigade continue to make.

“This is a very significant day for our Soldiers, especially the ones who haven’t been (deployed) before,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Dennis

Lieutenant Colonel Timothy Norton and Command Sgt. Maj. Dennis Eger, the Battalion commander and Battalion Command Sergeant Major of the Long Knife Brigade’s STB, salute during the playing of the National Anthem at a combat patch ceremony Aug. 13. Soldiers assigned to the 4th STB, 4th BCT, 1st Cav. Div. received combat patches during a battalion ceremony at COB Adder.

Eger, the battalion’s senior enlisted leader and a Lilly, Penn., native. “It’s not just slapping the patch onto the right shoulder and moving on.”

The Long Knife Brigade leaders took time to ensure this ceremony was meaningful, and the soldiers understood their accomplishments.

“This time, with the Long Knife Brigade, it felt kind of special,” said SPC Vanessa Fricke of the ceremony in comparison to her first deployment in 2006. “I was working in a (holding area) last time, and my squad leader slapped the combat patch on my shoulder. He said that I was in a combat zone and that I had earned it,” explained the Alexandria, Ind. native and a Military Police soldier in the battalion headquarters.

“But, this ceremony made me stand proud on the inside.

I’m standing prouder than I am tall,” the 5-foot-3 Military Police soldier joked. n

Then PFC Jessica Robinson, a Signal Intelligence Analyst assigned to Co. A, 4th STB, receives her combat patch from another Soldier in her company during the Spartan’s combat patch ceremony August 13, 2008.

Soldiers assigned to the 4th STB, 4th BCT, 1st Cav. Div. received combat patches during a ceremony at COB Adder.

(Photos by SPC Creighton Holub)

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American Made Veteran Owned

TXVFW040208

State VFW Senior Vice Commander Mike Barber (L) and State Commander Jerry Murphree (R) display the new VFW Memorial at the Texas State Veterans Cemetery in Killeen.

Texas VFW and District 14 sponsored this monument honoring the service of all veterans.