Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 203
Mail Call
PO Box 23405
Chattanooga, TN 37422
November/
December 2014
Next Meeting:
Monday,
November 17,
2014
Dinner at 6pm
Meeting at 7pm
American
Legion
All members please note: There “WILL NOT” be a business
meeting in December. The Annual Christmas Dinner on Saturday, December 13th will serve as our December meeting.
Please plan to attend this annual event. If you have never
attended this event, please consider it. A good time with
friends, family and fellowship are what you can expect. A
reservation form can be found on page 7 of this issue of the
“Mail Call”. If you will note, the cost of the dinner this year
is considerably lower than previous years. This is the result
of your chapter’s Board of Directors authorizing it at last
month’s meeting. This decision was made due to the R&R
Picnic being postponed until next Spring. This also means
that the Chapter will be picking up the dinner’s cost difference and we are expecting all members to take advantage
of this offer. Let’s make this years dinner the most attended
one we’ve ever had!!!
The following is reprinted from the va.gov we site:
Post 95
We Can All Do Something to End Veteran Homelessness
3329 Ringgold Rd
East Ridge, TN
VA is committed to ending Veteran homelessness by the end of 2015. No one who has served our
country should ever go without a safe, stable place to call home.
The entire department has put its energy and resources into ending Veteran homelessness. VA's
programs provide individualized, comprehensive care to Veterans who are homeless or at risk of
becoming homeless.
Inside this issue:
Still, VA cannot do it alone. Organizations and individuals in communities across the country are
integral to providing services to Veterans and spreading the word about the resources VA provides
to end and prevent homelessness among Veterans.
Officer
Contacts
2
Upcoming
Events
2
President’s
Message
3
Explore va.gov/homeless to learn about VA's programs for Veterans and to find out what you,
your neighbors, and your community can do to help Veterans who are homeless or at imminent
risk of becoming homeless.
Website Article
3
6
Know that one phone call can be the difference in the life of a Veteran who is homeless or at imminent risk of becoming homeless. Make the Call to 877-4AID-VET (424-3838) to be connected
24/7 with VA's services to overcome or prevent homelessness for yourself or a Veteran you know.
Membership Update
4
Website Article
5
6
Christmas Dinner
Reservation Form
7
Menu for November: Tentatively: Stew, Pinto Beans, Corn Bread & Dessert
Menu for December: VVA Chapter 203 Christmas Dinner Party @
Chattanooga Choo-Choo (See Reservation Form on Page #7 of this Issue)
Chapter 203
Officers and
Board of
Directors
2014 - 2015
Officers:
President - Charlie Hobbs
3619 John Sims Road
Chattanooga, TN. 37412
423-495-0202 (H)
423-991-5858 (C)
423-495-1108 (F)
[email protected]
Larry Anderson
706-676-3458
[email protected]
1st VP - Rick Simpson
170 Creeks Jewell Drive
Ringgold, GA. 30736
423-902-1359 (C)
Larry Gregory
423-396-3191 (H)
423-667-2415 (C)
[email protected]
2nd VP - Larry Johnson
727 Godsey Lane
Chattanooga, TN. 37415
423-875-3949 (H)
423-718-9056 (C)
[email protected]
Bob Holloway
423-802-8681
[email protected]
Secretary - Danny Arnold
423-443-0305
[email protected]
President: Joyce Simpson
Vice President: Charlene Holloway
Secretary: Vacant
Treasurer: Susan Price 423-629-7242
Appointed Positions in Chapter 203
VVA
Membership Chair: Dan Taylor 423-9915628
Chaplain: Phil Minton
Historian: Gerald Sniff 423-326-3177
Honor Guard Coordinator: Tom Sloan 423762-2522
Armory Sergeant: Wayne Walker
Website: Sharon Hobbs 423-495-0202
Newsletter: David Carne 423-413-0012 or
email: [email protected]
Page 2
Fred Huskey
423-899-2133 (H)
423-883-9297 (C)
Ralph Price
423-580-9611
[email protected]
Treasurer – James Lowery
423-227-5336
[email protected]
AVVA - Elected Officers:
Social Events: AVVA
Board of Directors:
www.vva203.org
UPCOMING EVENTS
Nov 8, 2014 - 1:30 game time -21 gun salute at UTC
Football game (21 gun salute) All veterans with military
ID, get in free.
Nov 9, 2014 - 11:00 AM service-Hat Ceremony at Fairview Baptist Church 108 Jenkins Rd - Rossville, GA.
Call Rick Simpson for any other details (423-902-1359)
Nov. 11, 2014 - 11:00 AM - Veterans Day service at
Chattanooga National Cemetery (Posting colors, 21
gun salute, massing of colors, roses for Gold Star
Mothers)
Nov. 11, 2014 - 6:00 PM - Ridgedale Baptist Church 1831 Hickory Valley Road - Chattanooga, TN. Chapter
203 H/G will be posting colors. Chapter 203 Chaplin
Phil Minton will be speaking
Nov. 28 - Dec. 8, 2014 - Walmart Collection Hwy #153
(10AM-6PM)
Dec. 13, 2014 - Chapter Christmas Dinner-Social Hour
6:00PM - Dinner 7:00PM - Chattanooga Choo Choo
Mail Call
President’s Message
Chapter 203 continues to hold the second largest
Chapter spot in the nation in membership. Dan Taylor, our Membership Chair, tells me we have 718
members and still growing. We had six new members
to sign up at our last meeting in October. Way to go
Chapter 203!
the mail by now, I hope you are making plans to attend.
The Chapter BOD voted to make it affordable for all
who wish to attend and celebrate the holiday season
with us. Hope to see you there. The date, time, and a
reservation form are in this issue.
This time of year is one of the busiest of all the year
for chapter functions. Make sure you check the
events calendar in this issue and plan to attend as
many as possible, we need you.
Finally, hope to see you at the meeting on November
17th. There will be no Chapter meeting in December,
the Christmas Dinner will serve as the meeting.
Don’t forget our Christmas Collection at the Walmart
As promised, I said I would keep you updated on the store on Highway 153; we need your support to make it
progress we are making on a permanent home for the a success. The dates and times are announced in
Chapter. We have a Building Planning Committee in “upcoming events”. Just a few hours each day will
make Christmas real in a lot of lives. Like the past sevplace and have toured the site on 23rd street. Patty
Parks is the Chair of the committee and has laid out eral years, we will take names from the Salvation Army
Angel Tree.
our plan for moving forward.
You should have gotten our Christmas invitation in
Charlie
The following article is reprinted from the vva.org website:
Agent Orange/Dioxin Committee Report, September/October 2014
Major Headway In Kansas
BY HERB WORTHINGTON, DIRECTOR
The wind blew the dust from the streets, and Dorothy clicked the heels of her ruby slippers. The temperature rose to nearly a
hundred degrees one day, and terrible thunderstorms covered the plains. This was the setting for the VVA Leadership & Education Conference in Wichita, Kansas.
But this didn’t seem to bother anyone. Business was done and ideas passed around. It was a particularly busy conference for
anyone involved with the Agent Orange/Dioxin Committee. First, we had a how-to session for putting on a town hall meeting.
Almost every seat in the room was filled. The next day the Kansas State Council held a town hall meeting. Due to the high interest, we had to move the meeting to a larger room.
Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kans.) discussed his recently introduced Toxic Exposure Research and Military Family Support Act (S2738), which replaces the Blumenthal bill (S-1602). The main difference is that S-1602 provided compensation for veterans’
progeny, while S-2738 does not. S-2738 concentrates on the diagnosis and treatment of all veterans exposed to toxins and their
progeny. That means the generations of our children plagued by so many health issues will finally get some answers. The Moran
bill provides for testing and treatment of conditions linked to veterans’ toxic exposure.
VVA President John Rowan spoke about the invisible wounds of war and how the symptoms may not manifest themselves for
decades. He noted that children are the innocent victims of our military service. He explained that S-2738 calls for the establishment of an advisory board to oversee and assess the work of the VA Center for Research on the diagnosis and treatment of
health conditions of the descendants of veterans exposed to toxins during their service in the armed forces. This committee will
report directly to the VA Secretary.
- Continued on Page 6 PO Box 23405
Page 3
Membership Update and Renewals
**Membership Renewals**
>>“IMPORTANT NOTICE”<<
At this time Chapter 203 is offering a onetime incentive to our active & inactive
members, a 3-year membership will cost
only $30. (A three-year membership is normally $50). Of course, the one-year and life
membership options are still available at the
normal price.
This incentive is only available through
Chapter 203, so be sure to mail your renewal to:
VVA Chapter 203, P.O. Box 23405, Chattanooga, TN 37422-3405.
Memberships Due
September
Robert Dickerson
Bill Prater
Junior Richerdson
October
Steve Bettis
Terry Dungan
November
Robert Blakeslee
Danny Bucher
Kelly Crownover
Edward Krekeler
Paul Patty
Ronald Tatum
Page 4
December
Benjamin Conner
Rick Cribbis
Richard Ellis
Roger Evans
Freddy Few
Gary Hannah
Ronnie McConathy
Tommy Million
We want to thank you if you
have already paid your dues.
Please call me if you have made
any change of “Address” or
“Phone Number” in the past year.
Please send your renewal payments to:
VVA Chapter 203
P.O. Box 23405
Chattanooga, TN 37422-3405
This will be a GREAT help
in tracking the renewals.
Dan L. Taylor, Jr.
(423) 991-5628
Membership Chair
VVA Chapter 203
Update As of 10/26/14
Dan Taylor,
Membership Chair
Mail Call
The following article is reprinted from the va.gov website:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 2, 2014
Department of Veterans Affairs Partners With Walgreens to Expand Real-Time Sharing of Medical
Information of Vaccines Provided by Walgreens to Enrolled Veterans
Pilot Immunization Program in Florida Expands Nationwide
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a first-of-its-kind partnership, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) today
announced that it will join forces with retailer Walgreens to provide greater access to Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention-recommended vaccinations to Veterans across the country. This partnership grew out
of a successful pilot program that began in Florida to provide flu vaccines to Veterans throughout the state.
Based on those results, VA is expanding the pilot nationwide.
Through its nearly 8,200 locations nationwide, Walgreens will offer flu and other recommended vaccinations
to Veterans. Pharmacists can administer vaccinations to Veterans and will leverage eHealth Exchange,
through its Walgreens Cloud Electronic Health Records platform, to securely share immunization records
with VA to help ensure complete patient medical records.
Vaccinations are available daily during all pharmacy hours with no appointment necessary and are subject to
availability.
“VA is proud to partner with Walgreens to provide needed vaccines to our nation’s Veterans,” said VA Secretary Robert A. McDonald. “This partnership is a great example of how government and the private sector
can work together to effectively and efficiently provide Veterans the care and benefits that they've earned.”
“Walgreens is committed to supporting our Veterans, and we are proud to work with the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide convenient access to vaccines,” said Walgreens President and Chief Executive Officer Greg Wasson. “This is an excellent opportunity for our pharmacists to help VA educate Veterans about
the importance of vaccinations, to improve immunization rates through greater access and to contribute to
helping veterans get, stay and live well.”
- Continued on Page 6 -
Page 5
Mail Call
- Continued from Page 5 “The VA-Walgreens partnership gives Veterans greater choice in time and location for getting their flu shots
without having to complete any other VA forms,” said Interim Under Secretary for Health, Dr. Carolyn Clancy. “With this program, the Veteran patient’s record is integrated, and VA maintains a complete immunization
record that allows us to more effectively provide patient-centered care.”
Vaccines are subject to availability. Age, state and health related restrictions may apply. Many immunizations
may be covered by commercial insurance plans, Medicare Part B or Medicare Part D. As part of this launch
and under the agreement, VA funding can provide approximately 75,000 flu shots for enrolled veterans. Patients are encouraged to check with their health plan for specific coverage details. To find the nearest
Walgreens, veterans can call 1-800-WALGREENS or visit www.walgreens.com. For more information about
VA’s immunization program, visit http://www.ehealth.va.gov/Immunization.asp
- Continued from Page 3 Vietnam veterans have long suspected that toxins (Agents Orange, Blue, Pink, White, Purple, and Green) have been killing us and
are also harming our progeny. It has been our mission to prove this to the VA. Not only were we exposed in the jungles and rice
paddies, but also on ships from the desalination plants on board. Our Navy slept, drank, washed, and bathed in this poison. Reports
show that the concentration of toxins is intensified by the desalinization process. Little by little more ships are being added to the
approved list for exposure to Agent Orange.
The problem is that while the VA investigates, many of our brothers and sisters—and their children and grandchildren—are dying.
It’s not just about us. Gulf War, Iraq, and Afghanistan veterans and their families also are affected by toxins. Our troops’ exposure
to oil fires, burn pits, and uranium-depleted ammunition is causing a tremendous backlash at the VA. Because they are not up on the
technology, they have been refusing these veterans and their offspring.
S-2738 is a bill that we should support. Thank your senators who have signed on to get this bill passed. Now we must get after all of
the other senators and House members. The House needs a companion bill. Use your power of the vote. Use the power of being a
veteran in this great country, and stand up for all of us and our families now.
All Chapter Members Please Note: We will have more upcoming information on a “Faces of Agent Orange” Town
Hall Meeting. Time, Date & Location: “To Be Determined”
PO Box 23405
Page 6
Page 7
Mail Call
Vietnam Veterans of America
Chapter 203
PO Box 23405
Chattanooga, TN 37422
We’re on the web!
www.vva203.org
“Never again will one generation of veterans
abandon another”