VFW IL WebCOM Network

2009-2010 VFW Commander in Chief Farewell Message

Posted at 02:10 PM on Friday, August 27, 2010 by illinois

Richard L. Eubank is new VFW National Commander

Posted at 04:37 PM on Thursday, August 26, 2010 by illinois

KANSAS CITY, Mo., Aug. 26, 2010 – America’s largest organization of combat veterans has elected a Vietnam War veteran to head the 1.5 million-member Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States.

Richard L. Eubank, now a resident of Eugene, Ore., was elected VFW National Commander on Aug. 26, 2010, during the VFW’s National Convention held Aug. 20-25, in Indianapolis, Ind.

During his acceptance speech Eubank, who served with the U.S. Marine Corps from 1967-1987, pledged his support to help the organization’s state and local leaders in fighting for our troops and veterans. “Just let me know how I can use the influence of this position to help you at the local level…any combat unit worth its salt will take their objective and accomplish their mission. I want warriors who are willing to go into battle with me. For those that do not wish to wage war for our veterans, please stand aside and let us pass through,” he stated.

When emphasizing the need for new members, Eubank asked the mostly Vietnam-era audience to compare their roles within the organization to rifles and bullets. “Everyone at this convention is a rifle, and so are the thousands of others back in your home states and [VFW] Departments, Districts and Posts. You are the leaders…but every rifle needs bullets, and that’s our membership – and from one grunt to the many warriors in this room-you can never have too many bullets…every program and service we provide takes rifles to do the legwork and bullets to provide the support.”

During the Vietnam War Eubank served as a field radio operator with the 1st and 3rd Marine Division. His military decorations include the Combat Action Ribbon, Navy Achievement Medal with Combat V device, Good Conduct Medal with 5 Stars, Vietnam Service Medal with 5 stars, Vietnam Campaign Medal, National Defense Medal, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry Medal among others.

Eubank joined the VFW in 1988 at Post 10165 in Cameron Park, Calif., and is currently a Life Member of Post 4084 in Ridgecrest, Calif. He has served in elected and appointed positions at the Post, District and Department (state) including Department Commander in 1999 – 2000. He earned distinction by achieving the Triple Crown; All American Commander honors at the Post, District and Department levels. He has served on numerous national committees.

During his yearlong term, Eubank will log thousands of miles across the globe to promote the VFW, veterans' issues and quality of life initiatives for active-duty, Reserve and Guard members. By the time the commander's term ends, he will have visited every state and numerous overseas areas.

Also elected were Richard L. DeNoyer, senior vice commander-in-chief, of Middleton, Mass., and John E. Hamilton, junior vice commander-in-chief, of Jacksonville, Fla.

Watch video here: http://www.livestream.com/vfw_us/video?clipId=pla_bb956bfa-490f-48d3-a1c9-c0a564b5fab7

2010 National Convention Live Stream

Posted at 12:58 AM on Monday, August 23, 2010 by illinois

Vice President to Speak Monday at VFW Convention

Posted at 07:40 PM on Saturday, August 21, 2010 by illinois

WASHINGTON, Aug. 20, 2010 – Vice President Joe Biden has accepted an invitation to speak Monday at the 111th National Convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. The annual convention of America's oldest major veterans' organization starts Saturday in the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis.

"It is a time-honored tradition for the president or vice president to address the national convention of America's largest organization of combat veterans," said VFW National Commander Thomas J. Tradewell Sr., a combat-wounded Vietnam veteran from Sussex, Wis.

"We are grateful to Vice President Biden for taking the time to speak to us on issues that are vitally important to our nation's veterans, her military and their families."

Almost 13,000 VFW and Ladies Auxiliary delegates will represent the 2.1 million-member organization at the weeklong convention. Their mission will be to approve new national priorities to guide the organization's advocacy efforts in Congress on behalf of the nation's 23 million veterans, 2.2 million servicemembers and their families. Advocacy issues include military and veterans' healthcare, benefits, and Quality of Life programs, as well as military readiness, national defense and homeland security.

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Second Annual Live Stream of VFW National Convention

Posted at 07:32 PM on Saturday, August 21, 2010 by illinois

KANSAS CITY, MO., August 12, 2010 - VFW is pleased to announce — for the second year in a row, this year's 111th VFW National Convention will stream live on www.vfw.org from the Indianapolis Convention Center.

Streaming is set to begin at 8:00 a.m. (EDT) on Monday, August 23st, during the call to order of the VFW/Ladies Auxiliary, Joint Opening Session. The stream will continue for the duration of the session, including presentations of the VFW Eisenhower Distinguished Service Award to General David H. Petraeus, the VFW Hall of Fame Award to Keni Thomas, as well as appearances by many other notable guests.

Streaming of the VFW General Sessions will continue live August 24-26 beginning at 8:00 a.m. Replays will run from approximately 1 p.m. until 8:00 a.m. the next day.

Don't miss the installation of our next VFW Commander-in-Chief, Richard Eubank, and more event coverage from the comfort of your own computer!

via VFW.org

Thanks a Million Campaign

Posted at 11:54 AM on Monday, August 9, 2010 by illinois

Have you thanked a Veteran today? Here's your chance. We are looking for a million ways to thank our Veterans and our Troops for their service to our Country. Thank a hero, past, present, future. You can share your story, idea or inspiration here.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Thanks-a-Million/143909055638425

VFW Washington Weekly - July 30, 2010

Posted at 03:21 PM on Sunday, August 1, 2010 by illinois

In This Issue:

1. Stop-Loss Vets to Lose Retroactive Payments

2. VA to Investigate Life Insurance Practices

3. Arlington National Cemetery Hearing

4. VA Funding Clears House

5. House VA Committee Hearings

6. Help VFW Win the Pepsi Refresh Grant

2. VA to Investigate Life Insurance Practices: The VA is investigating what may be a legal yet shameful life insurance industry practice of putting veterans' death benefits into corporate accounts instead of making lump sum payments to survivors. Prudential Financial Inc. and MetLife Inc. are among the companies to be investigated, according to Bloomberg Markets magazine. Another industry practice to be investigated is the payment of uncompetitive interest rates to survivors. In 2008, for example, Prudential paid survivors 1 percent interest on their accounts, while it earned a 4.8 percent return on its corporate funds, according to Bloomberg. Such accounts are not FDIC protected. House VA Committee Chairman Bob Filner (D-CA) said he was "outraged" that insurance practices appear to result in "corporations retaining the assets in corporate accounts, profiting from the interest, and failing to pass accrued interest to surviving families."

3. Arlington National Cemetery Hearing: Senate Homeland Security Subcommittee on Contracting Oversight Chairwoman Claire McCaskill (D-MO) used in her opening statement parts of VFW-submitted testimony to describe the mismanagement of Arlington National Cemetery as "a national disgrace." Witnesses included the former cemetery superintendent and his deputy, as well as two civilian deputy assistant secretaries of the Army and the newly-appointed director of Army National Cemeteries. The intent of the hearing was to uncover potential fraud, waste and abuse in the cemetery's failed effort to electronically upgrade its paper-based burial filing system. The Army Inspector General revealed in June that $5.5 million had been spent on numerous IT projects that never materialized. At the hearing, it was mentioned that the amount spent may have exceeded $8 million, and that the number of unmarked or improperly marked gravesites could number upwards of 6,000. The IG report disclosed only 211 known sites. In testimony submitted for the record, the VFW said failure at Arlington National Cemetery does not rest solely on the shoulders of the former superintendent and his deputy, both of whom retired earlier this month. The failure was allowed to occur by a hands-off attitude by those more senior in the chain-of-command, who may have regarded their oversight responsibility more as an additional duty than a primary mission. To view video of the hearing and read witness testimonies, go to http://hsgac.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_id=cc2f65d4-3908-4934-aba3-9c559c8d0822.

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