Greater Hartford
Connecticut Chapter 120
Over 31 Years of Service to Veterans
November 2014
Visit Our Website at www.vva120.org
Inside This Issue
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Chapter/State News
On The Hill
POW/MIA News
Veterans Affairs News
From the Service Rep’s Desk
Weapons of the Vietnam
War
Holiday Dinner Dance
Meetings
The Chapter 120 membership meeting will be
held on Thursday, November 6, 2012 at
7:00pm in the Machinists Union Hall, 357
Main St., East Hartford.
The Board of Directors will meet on
Thursday, November 26 at 7:00pm. Call the
Chapter office for any changes in schedule.
Chapter members are welcomed to attend.
Notice
If you have moved or changed your address,
PLEASE notify us immediately. Call the
Chapter office at (860) 568-9212, mail us at
the address on the back of this newsletter or
e-mail
the
Newsletter
editor
at
[email protected].
COPYRIGHT NOTICE: In accordance with
Title 17 of U. S. C. Section 107, any
copyrighted work in this newsletter is
distributed under fair use without profit or
payment to those who have expressed a prior
interest in receiving the included information
for nonprofit research and educational
purposes only.
Thank a Vet on Veterans’ Day!
Never Again Will One Generation of Veterans Abandon Another
The CONNECTION
November 2014
CHAPTER 120 OFFICE
568-9212
Board of Directors
Paul Barry
Robert Burgess
Peter Galgano
Peter Lund
Frank Zizzamia
569-3530
646-0205
828-1999
644-9770
569-0705
Executive Officers
Patricia Dumin, President
Jerome Blum, Vice President
William Chiodo, Treasurer
Roger Anderson, Secretary
620-4131
267-2981
688-2518
528-4338
VVA Service Representatives
John Cutler
E-Mail: [email protected]
887-1755
Gary Waterhouse
E-Mail : [email protected]
656-0430
620-4131
Product Sales
Ted Groenstein
688-5671
282-7470
SSMF Contact
Gary Gazdzicki, Sr.
432-3248
Notary Public
Gary Gazdzicki, Sr.
432-0111
268-4104
Vet Centers
Hartford (Area Code 860)
New Haven (Area Code 203)
Norwich (Area Code 860)
Danbury (Area Code 203)
563-8800
932-9899
887-1755
790-4000
All Telephone Numbers are Area
Code 860 unless otherwise noted
Birthday Wishes
For our Chapter members born in
November, we wish you a Happy Birthday
and many more to come!
Rocco N. Arturo
Michael Belliveau
Patricia M. Dumin
Joseph Goyette
Robert L. King
Frank J. Mello Jr.
Robert M.Pearson
Jerry D. St Amand
William R. Zenga
CT Trees of Honor Memorial completes Phase I
construction
We are very pleased to report that
Phase One of construction for the
CT Trees of Honor Memorial
(CTHM) is now complete. This
week crushed stone was put down
around the entire walkway and each
hero's tree and plaque has mulch
spread around it. The four flags are
flying high and grand in the park.
Erosion control was installed in
problem areas around the pond
yesterday. We are expecting that
next week or so hydro seeding
donated by a local company will be
sprayed between the trees and other
areas needing it.
604-3879
Women Vietnam Veterans
Patricia Dumin
Newsletter/Website
John Cutler
E-Mail: [email protected]
From The CTHM Committee
568-9212
Gerald Fabry, MD
E-Mail : [email protected]
Membership
Frank J. Mello, Jr.
E-Mail: [email protected]
Chapter/State News
Eugene Bacon
Robert C. Carlstrom
William F. Ellis
Robert W. Hoover
Samuel C. Mack
Roberta A. Pacheco
Robert Perritt
Lawrence Tagnon
On behalf of the CTHM Committee
we thank all of you for the
tremendous amount of support you
gave to help make the memorial
happen this spring, summer and fall.
While finishing work at the park the last few weeks, it has been very heartening to
see people come to walk, look for certain trees and plaques, ask questions, and offer
heartfelt gratitude for the project. We have met family members and comrades who
have served with our fallen. We are pleased to know this will one day be a beautiful
park for all veterans to be proud of and a wonderful place for all to visit and make
use of the amenities that it will offer.
Our committee will soon begin planning for Phase Two that will begin next spring
with the goal of completing and dedicating the Memorial later next year.
Thank you all again for your tremendous support, dedication and hard work to
realize the CT Trees of Honor Memorial.
Sincerely,
The CTHM Committee
New Connecticut Facility Offers Return to Sports
and Fitness for Injured Veterans
U.S. Code, Title 42, Chapter 126 outlines the need
for equal opportunity for individuals with
disabilities; Oak Hill is opened a new facility this
October in Bristol, Connecticut under the same
name. Chapter 126 Sports and Fitness is a brand
new state of the art adaptive sports and fitness
facility offering year round programs that cater to
individuals with disabilities. At 25,000 square feet,
including a fully accessible fitness facility and regulation high school gymnasium,
Chapter 126 is the first facility of its kind in New England. Staffed with certified
fitness professionals and experts in adaptive sports programming Chapter 126 will
be offering unique opportunities for our disabled service men and women to return
to both team sports as well as pursuits in physical fitness. As an inclusive sports and
fitness facility, Chapter 126 strives to provide a center that helps people of all
Never Again Will One Generation of Veterans Abandon Another
The CONNECTION
November 2014
physical abilities develop lasting relationships while on their
journey to increased overall health and wellness.
In order to assure that these programs are made available to all
of Connecticut’s veterans, Chapter 126 offers discounted
memberships and program scholarships through the VA. The
state of the art fitness center features accessible resistance and
cardiovascular machines, in addition to the new AlterG antigravity treadmill, one of only six in the entire state. Adaptive
sports programs will be held year round and include wheelchair
basketball, handball, and sports for individuals with visual
impairments. There are also future plans to provide veteran
specific team sports, where members of various military
branches will be invited to engage in healthy competition with
one another.
The opening of this new facility is a step forward in providing
inclusive programming for individuals with a disability that is
more than comparable to those programs offered for able-bodied
persons. It is the overriding goal of the staff at Chapter 126 to
offer programs that are inspiring while providing a community
centered on a shared love for sports and healthy living. At
Chapter 126 we strive to provide all individuals with a facility
that revolves around the pillars of Sports, Fitness, and
Community. We are looking forward to serving the men and
women who have served for all of us, and we hope to see you
this fall.
This comprehensive legislation will construct a common
mechanism and procedures that will encompass all past and
future toxic wounds, as needed.
VVA urges you to go to our Legislative Action Center site at
http://capwiz.com/vva/home/ and Take Action NOW by
entering your zip code and sending the prepared letter to your
U.S. Representative, asking them to please join their colleagues
Brownley, (CA-26), Conyers, (MI-13) Honda (CA-17) and
Rahall (WV-3) to co-sponsor H.R. 5484, the Toxic Exposure
Research Act of 2014.
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POW/MIA News
Come For Me
Twenty years in the jungle has taken its toll
on me.
I'm not the same man I used to be.
But one thing's consistent ... I long to be
free.
Please, Mr. President, come for me.
The scars of my torture will never go away.
I'm fifty pounds lighter. My hair is gray.
But the shackles can't chain the freedom in me.
Please, ("mighty") lawmakers come for me.
Chapter 126 will have an Open House on November 1, 2014,
from 9am to 1pm.
If my family believed there's a chance I'd survived,
They'd fight to their deaths to prove I'm alive.
Please, lovin' family, come for me.
Contact information:
860-769-7047
47 Upson Street, Bristol, CT 06010
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.chapter126.com
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Some captors say you don't know I'm here,
That I'm doomed to this prison year after year.
God Bless America, the land of the free.
Please, friends and parishoners, come for me.
On The Hill
VVA Legislative Alert
VVA supports H.R. 5484
the Toxic Exposure
Research Act of 2014
Ask your Representative to Support H.R.
5484, the Toxic Exposure Research Act of
2014
Representative Dan Benishek, (MI-1),
introduced H.R. 5484, the Toxic Exposure
Research of 2014 formerly H.R. 4816, the
Toxic Exposure Research and Military
Family Support Act of 2014. VVA strongly
supports this bill, which reflects positively on one of our
foremost legislative goals. Not only would it help achieve a
measure of justice for the innocent victims of the use of toxic
substances in times of war, but it offers unlimited possibilities
for scientific research into the effects of these toxic chemicals.
Other captors say you know that I'm here,
But refuse to accept the evidence, so clear.
Will some caring citizen hear my plea?
Please, fellow countrymen, come for me.
I'll have faith in my country 'till my dying day.
I'll never believe you could leave me this way.
My Country, 'tis of thee .....
Please, please, America, come for me!
LeAnn Thieman 1987
Receive “The Connection” by E-Mail
The monthly Chapter 120 newsletter, The Connection, is
available by e-mail. Currently, 79 members receive the
newsletter by e-mail, saving the Chapter over $440 in postage
fees annually. The newsletter is available in Adobe format
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newsletter via e-mail, please e-mail the newsletter editor at
[email protected]
Never Again Will One Generation of Veterans Abandon Another
The CONNECTION
Veterans Affairs News
November 2014
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From the Baltimore Sun - Oct.24
Secretary McDonald Op-Ed in the
Baltimore Sun: VA is critical to
medicine and vets
During preparation for my confirmation as secretary of Veterans
Affairs (VA), I was repeatedly asked, "Why doesn't VA just
hand out vouchers allowing veterans to get care wherever they
want?" For a department recovering from serious issues
involving health care access and scheduling of appointments,
that was a legitimate question.
After nine weeks at VA, travel to 31 VA facilities in 15 cities,
discussions with hundreds of veterans and VA clinicians,
meetings with 75 Members of Congress, two hearings before the
Senate and House Veterans' Affairs committees and dozens of
meetings with Veterans Service Organizations and other
stakeholders, I can answer that question.
Veterans need VA, and many more Americans benefit from VA.
Almost 9 million veterans are enrolled to receive health care
from VA — a unique, fully-integrated health care system, the
largest in the nation. The VA stands atop a critical triad of
support — three pillars that enable holistic health care for our
patients: research, leading to advances in medical care; training
that's essential to build and maintain proficiency of care; and
delivery of clinical care to help those in need.
VA's accomplishments on all three pillars and contributions to
the practice of medicine are as broad, historically significant and
profound as they are generally unrecognized.
Almost 9 million veterans are enrolled to receive health care
from VA — a unique, fully-integrated health care system, the
largest in the nation. The VA stands atop a critical triad of
support — three pillars that enable holistic health care for our
patients: research, leading to advances in medical care; training
that's essential to build and maintain proficiency of care; and
delivery of clinical care to help those in need.
VA's accomplishments on all three pillars and contributions to
the practice of medicine are as broad, historically significant and
profound as they are generally unrecognized.
VA is affiliated with over 1,800 educational institutions
providing powerful teaching and research opportunities. And
our research initiatives, outcomes and honors are tremendous.
Few understand that VA medical professionals:
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Pioneered and developed modern electronic medical
records;
Developed the implantable cardiac pacemaker;
Conducted the first successful liver transplants;
Created the nicotine patch to help smokers quit;
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Crafted artificial limbs that move naturally when
stimulated by electrical brain impulses;
Demonstrated that patients with total paralysis could
control robotic arms using only their thoughts — a
revolutionary system called "Braingate";
Identified genetic risk factors for schizophrenia,
Alzheimer's and Werner's syndrome, among others;
Applied bar-code software for administering
medications to patients — the initiative of a VA nurse;
Proved that one aspirin a day reduced by half the rate
of death and nonfatal heart attacks in patients with
unstable angina;
Received three Nobel Prizes in medicine or
physiology; seven prestigious Lasker Awards,
presented to people who make major contributions to
medical science or public service on behalf of
medicine; and two of the eight 2014 Samuel J. Heyman
Service to America medals.
No single institution trains more doctors or nurses than VA.
More than 70 percent of all U.S. doctors have received training
at VA. Each year, VA trains, educates and provides practical
experience for 62,000 medical students and residents, 23,000
nurses and 33,000 trainees in other health fields — people who
go on to provide health care not just to veterans but to most
Americans.
The 278,000 employees of the Veterans Health Administration
work in a system spanning all 50 states and beyond, providing
— from Maine to Manila — a high volume of quality, clinical
care. Our 150 flagship VA Medical Centers are connected to
819 Community-Based Outpatient Clinics, 300 Vet Centers
providing readjustment counseling, 135 Community Living
Centers, 104 Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Centers, and
to mobile medical clinics, mobile Vet Centers and telehealth
programs providing care to the most remote veterans.
That network of facilities allows VA to deliver care to veterans
from the greatest generation of World War II to the latest
generation from Afghanistan and Iraq. In 2013, VA provided
over 90 million episodes of care; that's an average of over
240,000 each day. And since 2004, the American Customer
Satisfaction Index survey has consistently shown that veterans
receiving inpatient and outpatient care from VA hospitals and
clinics give a higher customer satisfaction score, on average,
than patients at private sector hospitals.
Finally, VA is uniquely positioned to contribute to the care of
veterans with traumatic brain injury (TBI), prosthetics, PTSD
and other mental health conditions, and the treatment of chronic
diseases such as diabetes and hepatitis. The work we do in these
areas, as well as many others, produces results and life changing
improvements in care for veterans — and for all Americans and
people around the world who suffer from these conditions.
Fixing access to VA care is important; we have a plan to do that
and are dedicated to implementing it. That process will take
time — but it must be done, and we will be successful. Those
who fully understand the value of the department in research,
training, and clinical care understand that veterans and all
Never Again Will One Generation of Veterans Abandon Another
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November 2014
Americans need and deserve their VA to continue providing
exceptional care to those we serve.
Robert A. McDonald is secretary of Veterans Affairs. His email
is [email protected].
From Government Executive
VA Braces for a New Front in the
Agent Orange Battle
In 2011, Wes Carter was talking to a handful of friends when he
realized they had something in common: They all flew on the C123 planes after the Vietnam War, and they were all sick.
During the Vietnam War, C-123s were used to spray the
herbicide Agent Orange. Although the planes were being used
for cargo and medical flights by the time Carter served after the
war, he and his fellow veterans believe their illnesses—which
range from diabetes to cancer—are tied to their time on the
planes between 1972 and 1982.
“We were physically scraping goop from nooks and crannies
trying to get the thing as clean as possible, because there's quite
an odor to it,” said Carter, 68, who flew on a C-123 plane and
believes that his prostate cancer and heart disease are tied to his
time in the service.
So far, C-123 veterans have had little luck getting their
disability claims granted.
Last year, C-123 pilot Paul Bailey, who died in October 2013
after suffering from prostate cancer, became the first of Carter's
group to get his exposure to Agent Orange recognized without
having to seek help from the Board of Veterans Appeals.
The VA said in an email that any Agent Orange the C-123
veterans were exposed to would have been solidified, which
wouldn’t lead to “adverse long-term health effects.”
And that’s because dried Agent Orange does not “readily
penetrate into human skin,” meaning it would be difficult for C123 veterans to absorb Agent Orange into their systems,
according to a separate 1991 study cited by the VA.
The VA reviewed that report, and more than a dozen others,
throughout 2011 and 2012 and determined that it’s unlikely that
C-123 veterans were exposed to Agent Orange, and if they
were, it was at levels small enough that it wouldn’t impact their
health.
But there’s also a swath of scientific evidence that disagrees
with the VA.
Most notably, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
Registry, part of the Health and Human Services Department,
said in 2013 that it could not “exclude inhalation [or ingestion]
exposure to TCDD [commonly referred to as dioxin, a chemical
included in Agent Orange] while working on contaminated
aircraft.” It concluded that “aircrew operating in this, and
similar, environments were exposed to TCDD.”
The military stopped using the C-123 planes in 1982. In the late
‘90s, Air Force officials at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in
Ohio realized that a number of C-123 planes sold to other
countries “may have been contaminated by residual
pesticides/herbicides” including Agent Orange, according to a
1997 Air Force Security Assistance Center memo.
“I've said that because they've granted one, that becomes the de
facto standard, why not grant them all?” said Thomas Bandzul,
a lawyer representing the C-123 veterans.
The memo notes that Air Force Security Assistance Center
headquarters staff became aware of the problem after the
General Services Administration tried to sell some of the planes
in Arizona. One of the planes was determined to be
contaminated, and so the Air Force presumed that—unless they
had evidence to suggest otherwise—all of the C-123 planes
were contaminated.
The Veterans Affairs Department said in a July 2013 letter to
Bailey that the “preponderance of the evidence suggests that you
were exposed to herbicide onboard the U.S. Air Force C-123K
aircraft.” But the claims are considered on a case-by-case basis,
meaning the decision isn't factored in when VA staff look at
other disability requests.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers, led by Republican Sen.
Richard Burr and Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley, have pressed
for the VA to recognize C-123 veterans’ exposure. But their
efforts are largely on hold as Congress grapples with the larger
department scandal, and a government agency studies the Agent
Orange claims.
The C-123 crew isn't the first group of veterans to accuse the
VA of being unwilling to recognize that their illnesses are tied
to Agent Orange exposure. For decades, veterans who served in
the Vietnam War tried to get disability compensation, to no
avail. It wasn't until almost 20 years after the war that the VA
began to link certain illnesses in Vietnam veterans to Agent
Orange. They are still pressing the department to cover more
illnesses, with former Secretary Eric Shinseki in 2010 tying four
more diseases to Agent Orange for Vietnam veterans.
The deciding factor could come later this month. The Institute of
Medicine is expected to release a report determining if there is
“an excess risk of adverse health” for the C-123 crew members.
But if the institute says that the C-123 crews were exposed to
harmful levels, it could create more headaches for the VA.
Bandzul said that Alison Hickey, the VA undersecretary for
benefits, has promised to follow the findings of the institute's
report.
And, as before, the VA and the C-123 veterans each believe
they have science on their side.
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The CONNECTION
November 2014
But the roughly 2,000 members of the C-123 crews are a small
fraction of the more than 22 million total in the veterans’
community. And granting benefits to the post-Vietnam veterans
could give new life to ongoing fights over Agent Orange
exposure between the VA and Vietnam veterans who served at
sea, also known as blue-water veterans, or those who served on
bases where the chemical was stored.
“You could smell the stuff in the air, every time that they fueled
a plane. It was unbelievable,” Bandzul said. “... So we’re
wondering if that group [who served on bases where it was
stored] is going to be next.”
In the meantime, Carter hopes the Institute of Medicine will be
fair, but is hesitant to believe that things will improve. “We feel
that the deck had been stacked against us,” he said. “VA took an
adversarial position instead of a neutral position against us.”
But Carter argues that if he was able to change his mind on the
harms of Agent Orange exposure, the VA should, too. He said
he didn’t believe exposure was harmful until his father, a
Vietnam War veteran who was exposed to Agent Orange, died
from prostate cancer.
“The VA even said, 'you have a family history of prostate
cancer,’” Carter said. “No, we have a history of being warriors,
there’s a difference.”
paltry 37 percent said they were satisfied with the policies and
practices of the VA’s senior leaders.
Robert McDonald, a former CEO at Procter & Gamble, took
over as VA secretary this summer after department employees
responded to the annual survey. McDonald has launched an
ambitious management and human resources effort to reform
the department -- and raise morale -- including increasing the
salaries of new physicians and dentists to recruit more doctors
and improve veterans’ access to care.
VA managers also received lower marks from respondents in
this year’s survey on their ability to effectively communicate
agency goals, priorities and specific projects. That decrease
could have influenced feedback to the statement: “I have enough
information to do my job well.” While 68 percent of 2014
respondents agreed with that statement, it’s still down from 70
percent in 2013 and has steadily dropped over the past few
years.
Forty-nine percent of VA employees reported being satisfied
with their pay, the same as in 2013. Employees were
particularly unhappy when it came to job performance and
fairness: Twenty-eight percent said their work units took steps
to deal with poor performers, while just 30 percent said
promotions were based on merit. Pay raises also were a point of
contention: Only 20 percent said they believed salary bumps
“depend on how well employees perform their jobs.”
From Government Executive
Overall Morale at VA Dips, Along With
Faith in Leaders
Employees at the Veterans Affairs Department are less
enchanted with their job and agency this year than they were in
2013.
Sixty-four percent of VA respondents to the 2014 Federal
Employee Viewpoint survey reported being content with their
job overall, down from 66 percent last year. Satisfaction with
the department overall also was worse: 53 percent of
respondents said they were satisfied with the VA compared to
55 percent in 2013. The decrease in satisfaction isn’t
particularly surprising given the widespread management
problems at VA that came to light this spring, including coverups related to patient care.
Faith in senior leadership also took a hit over the past year,
similar to the response from Defense Department employees on
that topic.
Forty-four percent of VA workers who responded to the 2014
Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey agreed that their
organization’s top leaders “maintain high standards of honesty
and integrity,” compared to 49 percent in 2013. Thirty-six
percent said their senior leadership generated “high levels of
motivation and commitment in the workforce,” compared to 41
percent who agreed with that statement last year. And the
number of respondents who said they felt a “high level of
respect” for their organization’s top tier fell four percentage
points from 2013 to 2014, from 50 percent to 46 percent. A
Still, VA employees reported a strong sense of mission and
enthusiasm for their work, with 92 percent agreeing that what
they do is important, 85 percent saying they enjoy their work
and 92 percent supporting the statement: “I am constantly
looking for ways to do my job better.”
While VA employees were generally satisfied with work/life
programs in their agencies, including telework, alternative work
schedules, and child care programs, most said they do not -- or
cannot -- take advantage of them. For instance, 88 percent of
respondents said they don’t telework for one of the following
reasons: they have to be physically present on the job, they
don’t have the proper technical equipment, their supervisor
hasn’t approved them for telework even though they are
eligible, or they simply choose not to.
Eighty-three percent of respondents said that they did not
participate in alternative work schedules because they opted not
to, or it was not an available option. Just 4 percent of
respondents said they used available child care programs,
including daycare and parenting classes.
The department is one of several agencies that recently have
released results from their individual 2014 viewpoint surveys;
the Office of Personnel Management is expected to release the
full government wide results later this fall.
The 2014 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey, administered to
84,862 VA employees and completed by 27,639 employees, had
a response rate of 33 percent. VA administered it between May
6 and June 13 of this year.
Never Again Will One Generation of Veterans Abandon Another
The CONNECTION
November 2014
From the Service Rep’s Desk
Beware of New
Medicare Scams
The Federal Trade Commission
(FTC) reports that some scammers
claimed to be calling on behalf of
the government to verify
information for a new Medicare
card or Medicare-related package.
In fact, it was a ruse to get people's
bank account information to make unauthorized withdrawals
from their accounts.
The callers said they needed to verify people's identities using
information that included the consumers' bank account numbers.
According to the FTC, the scammers told people that their
information would not be used to debit their bank accounts and
that there was no charge for their services. But the FTC alleges
that was a lie as bank accounts were debited for $400 or more
within a couple of months. Never give out your bank account
information to someone who contacts you over the phone.
COLA Increase for 2015
Starting December 1 the amounts for Social Security, Military
Retired Pay and VA benefits programs will increase by the Cost
of Living Allowance of 1.7%. The first payment with the new
rate will be on Jan. 1, 2015.
DD-214's Online
The National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) has provided
the following website for veterans to gain access to their DD214s online: http://vetrecs.archives.gov/
This may be particularly helpful when a veteran needs a copy of
his DD-214 for employment purposes. NPRC is working to
make it easier for veterans with computers and Internet access to
obtain copies of documents from their military files. Military
veterans and the next of kin of deceased former military
members may now use a new online military personnel records
system to request documents. Other individuals with a need for
documents must still complete the Standard Form 180, which
can be downloaded from the online web site. Because the
requester will be asked to supply all information essential for
NPRC to process the request, delays that normally occur when
NPRC has to ask veterans for additional information will be
minimized. The web-based application was designed to provide
better service on these requests by eliminating the records
center’s mailroom processing time.
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Weapons of the Vietnam War
Australia's FN FAL L1A1 Rifle
The Australian Army's standard infantry rifle traced its roots to
1947, when the Belgian arms manufacturer Fabrique National
de Herstal (FN) completed its prototype self-loading rifle, the
FN FAL (Fusil Automatique Leger). It was initially chambered
for the German "short" 7.92 x 33mm round – the basis for the
round used in the AK-47 - but neither the U.S. nor Britain was
willing to buy a weapon centered on the short round. That led
FN to redesign it around what would become the NATO
standard 7.62 x 51mm round, which entered production in 1953.
Britain eventually acquired a license to produce the L1A1 SelfLoading Rifle (SLR), offering it to the commonwealth
countries. Australia gained a manufacturing license in 1958;
production began in 1939.
Australia, in coordination with Canada, then produced a
heavier-barreled automatic rifle designated the L2A1 in 1962.
Different from the Belgian versions, it had a unique combined
bipod/hand guard and a Canadian-built receiver-dust-covermounted tangent rear sight. Intended as a squad automatic
weapon, the L2A1 was not very accurate in full automatic and
lacked a quick-change barrel, limiting its ability to maintain a
better continuous rate of fire.
Both versions were gas-operated, using a short stroke, springloaded piston housed above the barrel. The L2A1 used a unique
straight 30-round magazine that was essentially an extended
L1A1 magazine.
Australia's Special Air Service
(SAS) personnel modified their
rifles, cutting the barrel off
immediately in front of the gas
block and mounting a U.S. provided XM-148 40mm
grenade launcher. They also
filed down the selector switches
on their SLRs to make them
fully automatic. This modified
automatic version was
unofficially called "the Bitch," because the bolt's twisting
motion and the barrel's light weight made it all but impossible to
hold the gun on target. Finally, Australia produced a shortened
version for jungle warfare designated the L1A1-F1. The F1 used
the shortest stock available and a shortened flash suppressor,
reducing the rifle's overall length by 2.75 inches.
Australian troops preferred their rifle to the M-16, believing it
was more reliable and powerful. The FN's heavier round would
pass through elephant grass and shrubbery that would make the
M-16's 5.56mm projectile veer off course. The Australian rifle
was more robust, although in muddy conditions the gas
regulator tended to jam. Operationally, the L1A1 was more
accurate than the American M-14 when fired semi-automatically
since the rifleman could reduce recoil by bleeding off excess
gas.
Australia's Small Arms Factory produced about 220,000 L1A1s
and 10,000 L2A1s before production ceased in 1986 and 1982,
respectively. New Zealand's troops also used the rifle. It
remained in Australian front-line service until 1988.
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so you can continue to receive the Chapter newsletter, as well as the
VVA Veteran! And as you renew, please consider joining the other 172
members who have chosen Life membership. You must submit a copy
of your DD214 to qualify for Life membership.
Never Again Will One Generation of Veterans Abandon Another
The CONNECTION
November 2014
Vietnam Veterans of America
Connecticut Chapter 120
Presents
The 28th Annual
Holiday Dinner Dance
Saturday December 6, 2014
7pm – Midnight
Dinner at 7:45pm
Machinists Union Hall
East Hartford, CT
Phone: (860) 568-9212
SINGLES
$20
COUPLES
$35
BYOB/Setups Available – Raffles – Prizes
Open to the Public - Bring Your Family and Friends
Proceeds to Benefit Area Veterans and Their Families
Vietnam Veterans of America, Inc.
Greater Hartford Chapter 120
P.O. Box 4136
Hartford, CT 06145
2014 Elections
November 4, 2014
As veterans, we know the
importance of casting our vote for
candidates we believe will share
our ideals and beliefs. Remind your
family and those around you to vote
at the polls on November 4th.
Never Again Will One Generation of Veterans Abandon Another