Veterans of Foreign Wars Department Oklahoma http://www.vfwwebcom.org/ok/dist6/ en-us Thu, 23 May 2013 03:28:36 -0400 Policlicks LLC 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 http://www.vfwwebcom.org/ok/dist6/106296/ Tue, 9 Oct 2012 12:52:00 -0400 http://www.vfwwebcom.org/ok/dist6/106296/ 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. http://www.vfwwebcom.org/ok/dist6/106174/ Tue, 9 Oct 2012 12:51:00 -0400 http://www.vfwwebcom.org/ok/dist6/106174/ 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. http://www.vfwwebcom.org/ok/dist6/106052/ Tue, 9 Oct 2012 12:49:00 -0400 http://www.vfwwebcom.org/ok/dist6/106052/ 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. http://www.vfwwebcom.org/ok/dist6/105930/ Wed, 3 Oct 2012 02:58:00 -0400 http://www.vfwwebcom.org/ok/dist6/105930/ 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. http://www.vfwwebcom.org/ok/dist6/105808/ Wed, 3 Oct 2012 02:57:00 -0400 http://www.vfwwebcom.org/ok/dist6/105808/ 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. http://www.vfwwebcom.org/ok/dist6/105686/ Wed, 3 Oct 2012 02:13:00 -0400 http://www.vfwwebcom.org/ok/dist6/105686/ 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. http://www.vfwwebcom.org/ok/dist6/105564/ Wed, 3 Oct 2012 02:12:00 -0400 http://www.vfwwebcom.org/ok/dist6/105564/ Stop Loss Retroactive Pay Deadline is Oct. 21: The deadline to apply for Retroactive Stop Loss Special Pay has been re-instated and extended to October 21, 2012. Service members and veterans whose military service was involuntarily extended under the \"Stop Loss\" program between the 9/11 terrorist attacks and Sept. 30, 2009, are eligible for special retroactive pay for the hardships the involuntary extensions caused. Eligible members or their beneficiaries may submit a claim to their respective military service to receive $500 for each full or partial month served in a Stop Loss status. Because the majority of those eligible had separated from the military, many eligible service members, veterans and their beneficiaries are not aware of the benefit. For more information, go to http://www.defense.gov/home/features/2010/0710_stoploss/. http://www.vfwwebcom.org/ok/dist6/105442/ Wed, 3 Oct 2012 01:50:00 -0400 http://www.vfwwebcom.org/ok/dist6/105442/ PRESS RELEASE: 5th SFG (A) Soldier dies in Afghanistan Henderson Click here for bio. FORT BRAGG, N.C. (USASOC News Service, Oct. 3, 2012) – A U.S. Special Forces Soldier died Oct. 2 from wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device attack on Sept. 30, in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Sgt. 1st Class Aaron Henderson was a Special Forces communications sergeant assigned to Company A, 2nd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), headquartered at Fort Campbell, Ky. This was his fourth deployment in support of combat operations. Henderson completed three deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom prior to his most recent deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. http://www.vfwwebcom.org/ok/dist6/105320/ Wed, 3 Oct 2012 01:48:00 -0400 http://www.vfwwebcom.org/ok/dist6/105320/ The Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced the identification of two servicemen who were missing in action from World War II and Korea. Returned home are: * Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Samuel E. Lunday, 20, of Marianna, Fla. On April 24, 1943, Lunday and four other U.S. servicemen were flying a C-87 Liberator Express aircraft from China over the Himalayan mountains to their home base in India. Radio communications were lost following take-off and the crew was never heard from again. Eleven aerial search missions were unable to locate the aircraft or crew. * Marine Pfc. Richard S. Gzik, 19, of Toledo, Ohio. On Dec. 2, 1950, Gzik and the other Marines of M Battery, 11th Artillery Regiment, 1st Marine Division, came under attack on the west side of the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea. Gzik was killed in action and buried. http://www.vfwwebcom.org/ok/dist6/105198/ Wed, 3 Oct 2012 01:46:00 -0400 http://www.vfwwebcom.org/ok/dist6/105198/