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AMVETS
DEPARTMENT OF MASSACHUSETTS
April 2015
NEWSLETTER
WEB SITE: AMVETS-MA.ORG
AMVETS, Department of MA
State House, Room 546-3
Boston, MA 02133
617-727-2972
www.amvets-ma.org
Office Hours M-F
8:30 A.M. to 3:30 P.M.
Commander’s Message:
Fellow AMVETS,
As this term is on the wind down
with a lot of miles behind me, let us
all step forward with our resolve to
do more with assisting our veterans.
I appointed a new State Legislative
Officer this year and he is doing a
great job in keeping us up to date
with the happenings in the State
House. We needed to do this to
keep abreast to the situation on the
hill which is one that is always
changing and shifting. The times
are always changing and the way
the elected officials view the
veterans is always a complex one.
Let us all due our due diligence in
contacting our own officials when
asked to for our brothers and sisters
in arms. AMVETS needs to be a
leader on the hill to make our voices
heard loud and strong. We must
also stand with our comrades in the
VFW, American Legion and all the
other groups that are working for the
same end. It will be by the strength
of our voices that AMVETS will be
one of the ones in front of these
battles. Be sure to read the entire
newsletter and be prepared to take
that stand on the hill. I will be right
E-MAIL [email protected]
by your side making sure that we
are moving forward.
As always, be sure to contact me
with any questions or concerns.
Commander Peacey
1st Vice Commander’s
Message
THERE IS STILL TIME. You
could win a free cell phone. Just
enlist 5 new members and
contact 1st Vice Don McLean
with the information. He will
help you fill out the form for
National and get you entered into
the drawing. Good luck.
The second round of renewal
notices have gone out. Please
check your posts e-roster on line
and see where you stand. Some
posts are paying the renewal now
so that the numbers are in for the
delegate count. REMEMBER
....the renewals must be into the
State House by April 25 so we
can figure your delegate strength.
LET'S GO...
Nominations are starting around
the state. Let's get some new
green hats to fill a position at
your post. The more a member
owns a stake, the more they will
try to do. Let's work together.
We have so much we can do for
our veterans and our community.
HEY. When you are entered
into the FREE PHONE drawing,
you also get entered into the
drawing for a FREE WEEK in
CARLSBAD CA. What a deal.
Try to recruit a member today.
I have a tri-fold display panel for
your recruiting efforts. It needs a
6 foot long table for display. It
goes out on a first come/first
served basis. CONTACT ME:
[email protected] or
617-943-4337.
Make sure you have your rooms
for convention. The time fast
approaches.
The "Moving Wall" is coming to
Gloucester in July. Let's support
it all we can.
Oh.......By the way......Don
McLean has been nominated
for the position of
DEPARTMENT
COMMANDER 2015-2016 I
ask for your support.
Thank you
Don McLean
([email protected])
Sick Call:
Agop John Dulgarian Post 2008
recovering at home
TAP S
John Hamilton Post 208
Dates to
Remember:
Apr16- Service Foundation Meeting
@7:00 P.M, Post 79 in Natick
Convention Corp meeting @7:30
P.M., Post 79 in Natick
Apr 22- Americanism Judging @
7:00 P.M., Post 38 in Leominster
Apr 24- Honors & Awards Meeting
@7:00 P.M. in Natick Post 79
Apr 30 National Commander’s Tour
of Massachusetts
VAVS Activities
Bedford - Richard Burnell
 Amvets and Sad Sacks Bingo
Party @ Bedford VA-10:00
A.M. Apr.11,
Brockton - James Campbell
 District 6 Ice Cream Party @
Brockton VA Apr 9 &29. @
7:00 P.M.
Jamaica Plains -Tom Davitt
 AMVETS and Sad Sacks
Bingo Party @ Bedford VA
Apr 28 @7:00 P.M.
Manchester -Gerry Marchand
 Manchester VA Bingo Party
Apr 23 @ 7:30 P.M.
Northampton - Bud Garrant
 Spaghetti & Meatball Dinner
Post 12 Chicopee Apr 15
Legislative
Officer
Submitted by Eric Segundo
March 23, 2015
AMVETS Department of
Massachusetts strongly stands
in opposition to a proposed
Bill, HD1590 “An Act relative
to Veteran’s Agents”. The bill
restructures Mass General
Law Chapter 115, as it relates
to the provision of veterans’
benefits by veterans’ agents
and the Commissioner
removing the local Veterans
agent in your community. This
bill in its current form is not in
the best interest of our
Veterans, their families and the
long-standing traditions of
taking care of Veterans
Locally. The bill comes from a
select few who no longer want
to fund Veterans’ Services, and
wish it to become a strictly
state operated and financed
program. Essentially,
Districting would do away with
the intent of Chapter 115 –
having local Veterans and their
families assisted locally. Each
city and town has unique
individual needs and traditions
which their Veteran
populations hold dear. This
bill if passed will not be looked
on favorably by the Veterans’
Community and its supporters,
as it is not in our best interest;
our families members’ tradition
of taking care of Veterans,
locally.
I respectfully request that this
administration take a firm
stance against HD1590, and
encourage members of the
General Court to do the same,
immediately. Most
importantly, we must ensure
that MGL Ch. 115 continues to
keep VSO in the cities and
towns, and not remove them to
further grow the State
Government.
We need to call all of our
Representatives and Senators
at the State House in Boston.
Please also forward this to all
Veterans in Massachusetts and
tell them to also call their
Representatives and Senators
on Beacon Hill best interest;
and in the long-standing
State Service Officer
(Submitted by Eric Segundo SSO)
STEP
VA Works to Expand Choice
Program Eligibility
Eligibility criteria for 40 miles
calculation would change to
driving distance
Washington -- In order to expand
eligibility for the Veterans
Choice Program, the Department
of Veterans Affairs (VA) today
announced that it will change the
calculation used to determine the
distance between a Veteran’s
residence and the nearest VA
medical facility from a straight
line distance to driving distance.
The policy change will be made
through regulatory action in the
coming weeks. The Veterans
Choice Program was authorized
by the Veterans Access, Choice,
and Accountability Act of 2014
(VACAA).
“VA has worked very quickly to
implement the Veterans Choice
Program and we appreciate the
constructive feedback shared by
Veterans and our partners to help
us improve service to Veterans,”
said Secretary Robert McDonald.
“We’ve determined that
changing the distance calculation
will help ensure more Veterans
have access to care when and
where they want it. VA looks
forward to the ongoing support
of our partners as we continue to
make improvements to this new
program.”
The method of determining
driving distance will be through
distance as calculated by using a
commercial product. The change
is expected to roughly double the
number of eligible Veterans.
The Veterans Choice Program is
a new, temporary benefit that
allows eligible Veterans to
receive health care in their
communities rather than waiting
for a VA appointment or
traveling to a VA facility.
Veterans seeking to use the
Veterans Choice Program should
call
1-866-606-8198 FREE
to confirm their eligibility and to
schedule an appointment. Since
the Choice Program went into
effect on November 5, 2014,
more than 45,000 medical
appointments have been
scheduled.
Using expanded authorities from
VACAA, VA continues to
expand access to care through
increased staffing and enhanced
collaboration with both the
Indian Health Service and Native
Hawaiian Health Care Systems.
See the VACAA progress fact
sheet here:
VA is enhancing its health care
system and improving service
delivery to better serve Veterans
and set the course for long-term
excellence and reform. VA has
made significant progress in
various areas of the legislation,
such as extending the Assisted
Living/Traumatic Brain Injury
Pilot program and Project Arch,
to expand timely access to highquality health care for Veterans.
Name the Newsletter
Contest
Now that the newsletter has changed
its format I think we should have a
name that is appropriate for
Massachusetts.
I have been given permission from
the Finance Committee and the
Convention Corporation to hold a
Name the Newsletter Contest. This
contest will be open to all AMVETS
in Massachusetts, There will be two
prizes, and the first place winner
will receive a two night stay at the
Sturbridge Host Hotel at the time of
our State Convention in June 2015.
The runner up will receive a one
night stay the same hotel at the same
time.
All submissions for this contest
will be e-mailed to 1) Leon
Proctor at
[email protected])
Janice Jordan at
[email protected] 3)
Stephen Garner at
[email protected].
The three of us will then meet in
April to make a decision on who
submitted the best names for the
contest and the winners will be
announced in the May 2015
Newsletter. So let’s put some
thoughts into this and make the
name unique to Massachusetts
Good Luck to every one
AMVETS Riders
Chapter Events
2015
Saturday May 2nd 2nd Annual
PTSD/TBI Awareness Ride AMVEST
Chapter 12 Chicopee $20.00
Registration 9:00AM Kickstands Up
11:00AM
750 Montgomery St. Chicopee, MA
Sunday June 28th
Annual
Poker Run AMVETS Charities
AMVETS Post 51 Randolph
$20.00/$10.00 Registration 10:00AM
Kickstands Up 12:00AM
9 AMVETS Lane Randolph, MA.
Tuesday July 7th
Moving
Wall Escort MASP & AMVETS
Riders AMVETS Chapter 32
Gloucester T.B.D. MA Stateline to
Gloucester Center 14 Prospect St
Gloucester, MA.
Sept 12th 6th Annual Warrior
Thunder Fisher House Ride
AMERICAN LEGION Post 110
$20.00/$15.00 Registration
9:15AM Kickstands Up 11:30
AM
110 Peter Kristoff Way Medfield,
MA Police Escorted Ride 45 Miles
National Rallies:
28th Annual Rolling Thunder
Ride for Freedom May 24th
92nd Annual Laconia Bike Week June
13th -21st
Please Post this on your
Post Bulletin Boards.
Make Copies and pass
them out to your members
If you want a copy sent to
you send e-mail to
[email protected]
to get on the newsletter list
Convention 2015
GLOUCESTER UNITED
VETERANS COUNCIL
Place: The Sturbridge Host
Hotel, Sturbridge, Ma.
AND THE CITY OF
GLOUCESTER
ARE PROUD TO SPONSOR
THE WALL THAT HEALS
THE TRAVELING VIETNAM
VETERANS MEMORIAL
WALL AND MUSEUM
"WE MUST NEVER
FORGET"
DATES: JULY 9-12,
2015TIMES: OPENING 10:00
A.M. JULY 9th -5:00 P.M.
JULY 12th
LOCATION: FULLER
SCHOOL 4 SCHOOLHOUSE
ROAD (OFF RTE 128 at
BLACKBURN CIRCLE)
GLOUCESTER, MA
FREE ADMISSION
All-You-Can-Eat Breakfast
Sat. Apr 11, 20157- 11:30 a.m.
Sat. Apr 11, 20157- 11:30 a.m.
Italian American Veterans Club
4 Hayward Field, Milford, MA
$6.00/adults; $4.00 8 yrs and under
Pay at the door.
Comedy Night
Sat. May 16, 2015 7-10:00 p.m.
Italian American Veterans Club
4 Hayward Field, Milford, MA
Tickets $20 p/p for tickets email
[email protected] or call
508-523-6682. Cash Bar, Door
Prizes, Bring your own
snacks/appetizers/food
for more information on Thanks To
Yanks and upcoming events visit our
website www.thankstoyanks.org.
Convention Corp.
2015 State Convention Pin design
was selected at the February
meeting. Order and request for
quote has been submitted by A.
Temple to the supplier in R.I.
WHEN: Wednesday June 10
to Sunday June 14, 2015
RESERVATIONS: Call the
Hotel and ask for Catherine
the Reservationist between
8am-2pm Monday thru
Friday 508 347 7393
RATE OF ROOM: $106.47
INCLUSIVE OF TAX, THE CUTOFF DATE FOR THIS RATE IS
MAY 15TH.
Delegate Registration?
Adjutant Steve Garner has
put out many notices and I'm
sure he will follow this with
more.
Thursday night SAD
SACK/SACKETTE function: In
the Commons (behind the
large fire place as you come
in) A donation of $3.01 is
requested at the door.
REMEMBER!!!! This has
never been a Dinner Meal. If
you need a full meal we
suggest that you eat before
arriving. We will have finger
food to accompany the
beverage that you purchase.
This will be put out in two
phases, the first part of the
evening and then half way
through the night. Function
time: 501pm to 10:01pm.
The entertainment is being
looked at for booking.
FRIDAY NIGHT: The Blues
Brothers are back!! Excellent
show band to sing with,
dance with, and raise hell
with. For tickets please Call
Jay Cassie at 508 655 6985 or
Steve Garner at 978 618
1883 these will be tables of
eight (8). Price: after the
March SEC, you will be
paying $35.00 per person.
The meal will be a multi
entrée one. I have not got the
exact meal, yet. As Saturday,
the soft drinks are
complimentary. Saturday
Night’s Commander’s
Banquet: THE PLACE TO BE
TO SEE THE MEMBERS OF
OUR AMVET FAMILY
RECEIVE THEIR AWARDS
FOR THE WORK THAT THEY
DO FOR THE AMVETS, SAD
SACKS, AUXILIARY,
SACKETTS, SONS OF
AMVETS The ticket prices
are the same as for Friday
with the March SEC the
determining factor in saving
$10.00 or not. For tickets call
Dick Burnell at 978 373 3216
or Tom Davitt at 508 620
1153. Tables of eight with
this one also. The meal will
be a prime rib with the
normal starch and
vegetables. PLEASE
REMEMBER, SOFT DRINKS
SUCH AS COKE ARE
COMPLIMENTARY.
QUESTIONS????? Call any
member of the Convention
Corporation. President
Charlie Studebaker at 781
828 4156, State Commander
Jim Peacey at 413 547 0119,
Vice President Phil Furtado
at 508 540 5121, Secretary:
Steve Garner at 978 618
1883, Tom Davitt at 508 620
1153, Jay Cassie at 508 655
6985, Gerry Marchand at 603
378 2005, Dick Burnell at
978 373 3216, or Al Temple
at 978 568 8492 That’s it.
Let’s make this a Convention
to Remember!
Yours in AMVETS, Al Temple
State Commander
Testimonial Dinner
Commander Jim Peacey
Testimonial dinner will be
on April 25, 2015 Post 12 in
Chicopee. The prices on the
tickets are approx. $30-$35
each. As of now, this is only
information I have.
Information on menu, hotels
and final ticket cost will be
forthcoming Tickets are
available from Phil Furtado
(508-566-5121) or Tom Davitt
(508-523-9327)
National
Commander
Visitation
National Commander Larry Via
is coming to visit Massachusetts
on April 30 thru May 3, 2015.
The tentative itinerary is printed
below. Those posts that are
giving him gifts his shirt size is
large and his jacket size is extra
large if you have any questions
please contact Leon at 1-207595-1169 or
[email protected].
National Commander Larry
Via’s Visitation
Thursday April 30, 20015
Commander and entourage meet
the National Commander at
Comfort Inn in Randolph;
register Leave at 2:00 P.M. to go
to Post 2012 at 3 Eaton St in
Westminister. Return to hotel for
the night whenever the
Commander wishes
FRIDAY, MAY 1, 2015
Depart from the Hotel at 8:30
A.M. for President John F.
Kennedy Library Tour on
Columbia Point in Dorchester.
Leave the Library for Gloucester
Post 32 at 14 Prospect St in
Gloucester MA by 11:00 A.M.
Arrive at Post 32 around 12:30
P.M. for lunch.
Leave Post 32 for Haverhill Post
147 on 576 Primrose St in
Haverhill MA at 2:00 P.M.
Arrive at Post 147 around
3:00P.M. Meet and greet the
members and light snack.
Leave Post 147 at 5:00 P.M.
Arrive at McKeon Post 146 on 4
Hilltop St in Dorchester MA
around 6:30 P.M. For supper and
the Commander to work the bar.
Leave the post whenever the
Commander wishes
SATURDAY, MAY 2, 2015
Depart Hotel at 7am
Arrive at Post 79, Natick for
breakfast at 8:00A.M. Meet and
Greet
Leave Post 79 at 9:00 A.M.
Arrive at Post 12 at 11:00 A.M.in
Chicopee for Riders send off on a
bike run. Meet and Greet and
lunch
Arrive 2:00 P.M.at Northampton
VA at 421 N. Main St in
Northampton for tour.
Leave Northampton VA at 3:30
P.M.
Arrive Post 1977, 1591 Central
St., Stoughton at 5:00 P.M. For
meet and greet
Arrive Post 51, 9 AMVETS
Lane, Randolph at approx. 6:30
P.M. Dinner and meet and leave
for the hotel whenever the
Commander wishes
Sunday May 3, 2015
Arrive at Post 208 for Sad Sack
golf Tournament?? Still up in the
air
THIS WILL CONCLUDE THE
NATIONAL COMMANDER'S
VISITATION. THANK YOU
TO ALL. EVERYONE IS
INVITED ON THIS
VISITATION, AMVETS, SAD
SACKS, LADIES AUX.,
SACKETTS, SONS OF
AMVETS, and AMVET
RIDERS
Hotel Information
Comfort Inn, 1374 North Main
St., Randolph. Rate will be
around $99.00 + tax per night, 1
781 961 1000, mention
AMVETS Due to the late
confirmation on travel
arrangements, please book
ASAP. Cutoff date for the hotel
room is April 10, 2015 to receive
this rate a full continental
breakfast is included with eggs,
breakfast meat, and much more.
Sad Sacks Mini Golf: breakfast,
mini golf, barbecues (all
included) $12.51 for adults and
Children $7.51 Call 978 568
8178 for tickets. You must pay
all fees to the Sad Sacks in Post
208 See Billy Rivers.???????
Still working on this
PLEASE MAKE IT EASY FOR
ALL INVOLVED BY NOT
WAITING FOR THE LAST
MINUTE TO DECIDE.
THANKS,
YOUR NEC,
Leon Proctor
This Agenda is Tentative as
times may change due to the
traffic and length of the posts
visits.
Please remember that the
National Commander is here for
a visit and not for business thank
you for your consideration and
let’s make this a good visit for
the National Commander
March SEC Officer
Nominations
Commander
Don McLean – Accept
1st Vice Commander
Joseph Kenyon – Accept
2nd Vice Commander
Bob Boulay – Accept
Dean Thayer – Accept
3rd Vice Commander
Tom Norton – Accept
Adjutant
Stephen Garner - Accept (Ltr)
Finance Officer
Tom Davitt – Accept
Judge Advocate
Joseph Dineen – Accept
Gerard Marchand – Accept
Ken Montgomery - Decline
Provost Marshal
John Pasierbiak - Accept
Wayne Anthony - Accept
Service Foundation
Richard Burnell – Accept
Tom Davitt – Accept
Don McLean - Accept
Convention Corporation (*)
Tom Davitt – Accept
Gerard Marchand – Accept
Al Temple – Decline
(*) Vacancy due to passing of Jim
Blake. Cdr Peacey called for an
election to be held at the June
Convention to fill remaining 2
years of this 3 year position.
The nation’s oldest
woman veteran has
died. She was 108.
Lucy Coffey was found dead in
her bed in San Antonio Thursday
morning. Her friend, Queta
Marquez of the Bexar County
Veterans Service Office said
Coffey had been sick for about a
week and had a chronic cough.
“It is with great sadness we
learned that our beloved Ms.
Lucy Coffey, our nation's oldest
female veteran who served in
WWII, passed away,” Marquez
said in a Facebook post. “She
was an incredible lady who will
be missed dearly. Her
contributions to our country and
community will never be
forgotten.”
The Indiana-born farm girl was
working at a Dallas A&P
supermarket on the day Japan
attacked Pearl Harbor. The San
Antonio Express-News reports
she quit her job in 1943 and
joined the Women’s Army
Auxiliary Corps.
During her service she was
stationed around the Pacific and
earned two Bronx stars. She
continued to serve her country
after the war as an Army civilian
on Okinawa.
“When Vice President Biden and
I had the honor of meeting Sgt.
Coffey at the White House last
year, she was America’s oldest
living woman veteran, and it was
clear that the passage of time
never dampened her patriotic
love of country or her pioneering
spirit,” President Obama said in a
statement Friday.
The Express said Coffey met
Biden and Obama as part of a
final visit she wanted to make to
Washington. A group in Austin
organized her all-expenses-paid
honor flight. In Washington she
visited the World War II
memorial, Arlington Cemetery
and the Women’s Memorial.
“I’d like to go to see things that
are there that were not there
before,” she told the paper,
explaining why she wanted to go.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve
in in Washington, but I would
like to go to see the things that
are there.”
Funeral arrangements were
incomplete. There were plans to
hold a memorial service in San
Antonio.
The Express said only one other
vet was older than Coffey,
Richard Overton of Texas was
born three days before her in
May 1906.
Coffey suffered a stroke in 2013.
She was confined to a wheelchair
and needed oxygen to breathe.
USO
Submitted by Al Temple
AMVETS Department of
Massachusetts
State House Room 546-3
Boston, MA 02133
January 31, 2015
Dear Members,
On behalf of the United Service
Organization Inc, I would like to
thank you very much for your
generous donation of $ 500.00 on
December 31, 2014 to support
our Yellow Ribbon Program.
Your generosity provides support
for the many Soldiers, Sailors,
Marines, Airman, and Coast
Guard we serve and their
families. It allows us to reach out
to them personally and let them
know first-hand that someone is
thinking about them and
supporting them, particularly
during the challenges of a
deployment.
The USO has been supporting
service members for over 74
years, as we remain, “Always by
Their Side”. We serve troops in
harm’s way, military families,
the wounded, ill, and injured,
troops in transition and families
of the fallen. Last year in New
England, we served over 44,000
service members in our centers,
at our events and through our ongoing programs and services,
such as the Yellow Ribbon
Program.
It is the generous time given by
our volunteers and the generous
financial support from donors
such as you who make it all
possible each day. The continued
commitment to this program by
your organization is greatly
appreciated. It will make quite
an impact, and we thank you for
supporting the USO mission.
Kindest Regards,
Jean Mallon
Director, New England USO
The USO is a 501c (3) nonprofit
organization that primarily raises its own
operating funds and relies mainly on
volunteers and donors to support our
services. Donations to USO are tax
deductible to the extent provided by law.
Please retain this receipt for your records.
Rochester NH News
Come join the Rochester
Community honor the special
men and women of our
ARMED FORCES.
•Learn the history of our
freedom!
•Military vehicles, Re-enactors,
motorcycles, military
ceremonies, VET STORE
DISCOUNTS at participating
stores!
•Activities for the kids! Bring
your camera!
ARMED FORCES
DAY TRIBUTE
Saturday, May 16th
10AM until 3PM
Lilac Mall Rochester, NH
Come one, come all!
“Agent Orange” as well as
other VA Claims will be
processed. Vets bring your
DD214!
Contact Dennis Sellers at 603312-2235 or
[email protected]
Army charges
Bergdahl with
desertion and
misbehavior
The Army on Wednesday
charged Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl
with desertion, reigniting the
debate over whether President
Obama paid too high a price to
secure his release from the
Taliban.
Bergdahl, 28, who went missing
from his base in 2009 while
serving in Afghanistan, could
face life imprisonment for the
separate charge of misbehavior
before the enemy. Some
suggested that other soldiers had
died while looking for Bergdahl.
Obama released five Taliban
commandos from the
Guantánamo Bay prison in Cuba
in exchange for Bergdahl, the last
U.S. prisoner of war in
Afghanistan.
Republicans have argued that
was far too high a price to pay
for Bergdahl, who fellow soldiers
accused of walking off the job
and endangering their lives. They
have also pointed to a CNN
report from January that said one
of the five men released from
Guantánamo had attempted to
return to militant activity by
contacting his former associates.
“I have no doubt that, in the
future, the ‘Taliban 5’ will return
to the fight against the United
States,” Sen. Lindsey Graham
(R-S.C.) said Wednesday in
response to the news about the
charges against Bergdahl.
American Air
Museum Website in
Britain
Apologies to those of you who
have received this information
from us through a different
channel already but we didn’t
want to run the risk of missing
anybody out – we hope you
don’t mind hearing about this
again!
As you may know the
American Air Museum at IWM
Duxford acquired World War II
aviation historian, Roger
Freeman’s, collection of
papers, books and
photographs in 2012.
Since 2012, we have been
scanning the photographs
which Roger collected. We
have made over 10,000 of
these photographs available
at
www.americanairmuseum.co
m and the information held
about them is editable by
anyone who registers (freely)
on the site. You can also see
contemporary aerial
photographs of over 120
airfields and bases, supplied
by English Heritage’s aerial
photography archive.
Many of the people in the
photographs are not
identified. We would love you
to add to the captions if you
recognize anyone and also to
add your stories to the
website in the ‘people’ section
– we intend the website to be
a permanent online record of
the service of World War II
veterans connected to the
USAAF in the UK.
It would also be brilliant if you
could share your photos, as
we want the website to inspire
new and future generations to
become interested in this
history through seeing photos
of the Americans and Brits
who made it.
We’re sharing the images for
use by others in any noncommercial and attributed
form and we would be asking
you to do the same. For more
information on image rights,
check out this page of info on
the site:
http://www.americanairmuseu
m.com/using-images-website/
If you have any questions or
feedback about the website,
please do get in touch with us.
With best wishes,
Jenny, Carl, Lucy and Emily
American Air Museum Project
team
Submitted by Al Temple
Outrage Over Stolen
Valor Prompts Bill
in Massachusetts
Boston Herald | Mar 23, 2015 |
by Marie Szaniszlo
A bill that would make it a crime
to pose as an active-duty service
member or a veteran for financial
gain is drawing the support of
veterans groups, who say those
who make such false claims are
an insult to those who have
served, and died, for their
country.
The bill introduced by Westfield
state Rep. John Velis, a U.S.
Army Reserves captain who
served in Afghanistan, would
make such misrepresentations
punishable by up to a year in jail
and/or a $1,000 fine.
"When you're doing it for
financial gain, whether it's a
veteran's discount at a store or a
special rate on a loan, that should
be a crime," Velis said.
The bill -- one of the strongest
versions of the federal c in the
nation -- is gaining the support of
local veterans, who say it
addresses a growing problem
documented in YouTube videos
of veterans outing wannabes
seeking discounts and attention.
"The blood and sweat that we
spent to protect our country and
our freedom should not give
folks the right to lie about what
they did or didn't do," said Dan
Magoon, an Army sergeant who
served in Iraq and Afghanistan,
and co-founder and executive
director of Massachusetts Fallen
Heroes. "I think it's a slap in the
face to the men and women
who've actually served in that
capacity."
Shortly after he returned home
from Afghanistan in 2013, Velis
said he was waiting to buy some
popcorn at the movies when he
overheard someone who wasn't
in uniform asking for a veteran's
discount.
Retirees invited to
retiree day April 24
"I struck up a conversation with
him, and he said he had served in
Afghanistan, but his answers
clearly indicated to me he had
never been there in his life," he
said. "I lost three friends over
there, and another lost his leg. So
to lie about something like that
for financial gain is just morally
repugnant."
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. -
The federal Stolen Valor Act,
passed in 2006, barred anyone
from falsely claiming they had
been awarded a medal, but the
U.S. Supreme Court struck down
the law on the grounds that it
violated free speech.
In 2013, President Obama signed
into law a new version
prohibiting the same behavior if
it was done for financial gain.
Velis' bill is broader in that it
would apply to anyone
fraudulently claiming to be a
service member or veteran -medals or not -- for financial
gain.
"If it prevents one person from
stealing the valor of another, it's
done its job," said Eric Segundo,
president of the Massachusetts
Veterans' Service Officers
Association. "More states should
follow suit."
- A Military Retiree Day will be held
April 24 at the Minuteman Commons.
The event will begin with an
Information Services Session from 10 to
11:30 a.m., followed by a luncheon.
Military retirees, spouses and retirees
dependent survivors of all ranks and
services are invited to attend.
The Information Services session will
provide retirees an opportunity to
browse 20 information tables staffed by
representatives of both on- and off-base
agencies and organizations. Those on
hand will include the 66th Medical
Squadron, TRICARE, US Family
Health Plan, Social Security
Administration, the Veterans
Administration and other veteran
service agencies.
The luncheon will begin at 11:30 a.m.
Col. Michael A. Vogel, 66th Air Base
Group commander, will be the guest
speaker and will provide an overview
and update on Hanscom AFB and its
future.
The cost to attend the luncheon is $10.
Organizers recommend attendees
reserve early as space is limited to 150
people.
For further information on Military
Retiree Day, or to RSVP to the
luncheon, contact the
RetireeActivities Officer
781-225-
1310 or Bobby Jacques at
225-1333.
781-
Submitted by Stephen Garner