VFW OK District 8

VETS IN THE CLASSROOM

Posted at 12:52 PM on Tuesday, October 9, 2012 by dist8

This is the last month to work your teacher’s awards, and essay contest entries. Please work them hard this last month! Also let’s start planning now for “Vets in the Classroom” which starts in November. Now is the time to contact a school principal or teacher at your local area to setup a visit. Most schools in Oklahoma have school on Veterans Day and this is a perfect time to visit a school. Visibility - Make things happen! //signed// Michael H. Devenitch

TEN MIA IDENTIFIED

Posted at 12:51 PM on Tuesday, October 9, 2012 by dist8

The Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office recently announced the identification of remains belonging to eight Marines and two soldiers who have been missing in action since World War II, Korea, and the final battle of the war in Southeast Asia. Identified are: * Marine Corps 1st Lt. Laverne A. Lallathin, 22, of Raymond, Wash.; 2nd Lt. Dwight D. Ekstam, 21, of Moline, Ill.; 2nd Lt. Walter B. Vincent, Jr., 21, of Tulsa, Okla.; Tech. Sgt. James A. Sisney, 19, of Redwood City, Calif.; Cpl. Wayne R. Erickson, 19, of Minneapolis; Cpl. John D. Yeager, 23, of Pittsburgh, Pa.; and Pfc. John A. Donovan, 20, of Plymouth, Mich. On April 22, 1944, the Marines were aboard a PBJ-1 aircraft that failed to return from a night training mission over the island of Espiritu Santo, in what is known today as Vanuatu. * Army Capt. Turnace H. Brown, 28, of Lawton, Okla., and Pfc. Arthur W. Hopfensperger, 18, of Outagamie, Wis. In late November 1950, Brown, Hopfensperger and elements of the 31st Regimental Combat Team were advancing along the eastern banks of the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea when they were attacked and forced into a fighting withdrawal to positions south of the reservoir. Both would go missing during the withdrawal. * Marine Corps Pfc. James J. Jacques, 18, of Denver. On May 15, 1975, Jacques was a member of the ill-fated rescue attempt of the American container ship S.S. Mayaguez, which had been hijacked along with her crew three days earlier by Khmer Rouge forces. During their assault on Koh Tang island, one of the Air Force rescue helicopters was shot down and crashed into the surf with 26 men on board. Half were rescued at sea, leaving Jacques and 12 others unaccounted-for.

NEW TRICARE PRIME RATES

Posted at 12:49 PM on Tuesday, October 9, 2012 by dist8

On Oct. 1, some military retirees saw their TRICARE Prime enrollment fees increase to $269.28 for singles and $538.56 for families to reflect the 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment retirees received in 2012, when applied to the FY 2012 enrollment fee of $260 (single) and $520 (family). Most retirees enrolled in TRICARE Prime prior to Oct. 1, 2011, however, saw a more significant increase because their enrollment fees were held at previous levels of $230 and $460, respectively. Survivors of active duty deceased sponsors and medically retired members and their dependents are exempt from annual fee increases as long as there is no break in their TRICARE Prime enrollment. Active duty service members and their families have no enrollment fee.

2-MIA RETURNED HOME AFTER 40+ YEARS

Posted at 02:58 PM on Wednesday, October 3, 2012 by dist8

Two MIAs Identified: The Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced the identification of two officers who had been missing in action since the war in Southeast Asia. Returned home are: * Air Force Lt. Col. Clarence F. Blanton, 46, of El Reno, Okla. In 1968, Blanton and 18 other men were assigned to Lima Site 85, a tactical air navigation radar site on a remote, 5,600-foot mountain peak known as Phou Pha Thi in northeastern Laos. In the early morning of March 11, the site was overrun by Vietnamese commandos. Eight of the men would be rescued, but Blanton, who was the site commander, and 10 others were killed in action and unable to be recovered. * Navy Lt. Cmdr. Edward J. Broms, Jr., 25, of Meadville, Penn. On Aug. 1, 1968, Broms was the pilot of an A-4C Skyhawk aircraft that crashed while attacking enemy targets in Ha Tinh Province, North Vietnam. Three other U.S. pilots in the flight did not witness the crash, and search-and-rescue teams found no sign of the aircraft or Broms.

NATIONAL GUARD BUREAU CHIEF

Posted at 02:57 PM on Wednesday, October 3, 2012 by dist8

NGB Gets New Chief: Army Gen. Frank Grass was sworn in Sept. 7 as the new National Guard Bureau chief, replacing Air Force Gen. Craig R. McKinley, who is retiring after nearly 40 years of service. McKinley became NGB Chief in 2008 after serving for two years as the chief of the Air National Guard. He became the first chief to be promoted to four stars, and in January 2012, became the first chief to become a full member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. General Grass had served since 2010 as deputy commander of the U.S. Northern Command, and as vice commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command.

STOLEN VALOR ACT UPDATE

Posted at 02:13 PM on Wednesday, October 3, 2012 by dist8

The Stolen Valor Act of 2012 overwhelmingly passed the House on Thursday by a vote of 410-3. The legislation closes a specific loophole that the U.S. Supreme Court identified when it overturned the VFW-supported Stolen Valor Act of 2005 in June due to First Amendment freedom of speech protections. The new version would make it illegal for a person to benefit from lying about being awarded military medals, awards and badges, to include the military\'s top valor awards, as well as the Purple Heart, and combat badges, medals and ribbons. Punishments could include up to one year in prison and a $10,000 fine. Sponsored by Rep. Joe Heck (R-Nev.), a Navy veteran, the House-passed bill is similar to a measure introduced by Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.), a colonel in the Army National Guard. Another bill in the Senate, sponsored by Navy Cross recipient Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.), would also make it a federal crime to benefit from the lie.

3-KOREAN WAR MIA IDENTIFIED

Posted at 02:12 PM on Wednesday, October 3, 2012 by dist8

The Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office recently announced the identification of remains of three soldiers who had been missing in action since the Korean War. Identified are: * Army Pfc. Casimir F. Walczak, 18, of Harvey, Ill. On Aug. 17, 1950, Walczak and B Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, came under attack as they took a hill near the town of Waegwan, South Korea. Walczak was reported missing in action after the battle. * Army Master Sgt. Clifford L. Ryan, 27, of Muscatine, Iowa. On Nov. 1, 1950, Ryan\'s unit, the 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, were forced to make a fighting withdrawal after Chinese attacked their defensive positions along the Kuryong River in North Korea. Almost 600 men, including Ryan, were reported missing or killed in action following the battle. * Army Cpl. Francis J. Reimer, 19, of St. Cloud, Minn. In late November 1950, Reimer and elements of the 31st Regimental Combat Team, known as \"Task Force Faith,\" were advancing along the eastern banks of the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea when they came under attack. Reimer was declared missing during a fighting withdrawal.

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