Husband and wife sworn in to VFW Post 4642

By Sharon Stone
Tctimes.com

The price, Crane and Robinson's Michigan Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 4642 in Linden experienced another first — the swearing in of a married couple.

The Post swore in the third generation, a first, of the Hogan family in November and then swore in its first female, Mary Dunkley, in December. The eldest member of the Hogan family, Woody Hogan has since passed away at the age of 94.

On Jan. 14, Robert (Rob) Stewart, 44 and his wife Cheryl Stewart, 52, were sworn in during a private ceremony.

Rob, a retired master sergeant, spent 11 years active duty with the Army. He is now a full-time National Guardsman. While serving overseas in Iraq, he was stationed in Baghdad for all of 2005 with a military police unit. His unit trained Iraqi police, transported prisoners and worked on other combat situations

Reflecting on the swearing-in ceremony, Rob said, “They welcomed us with open arms. They treated us as two individuals that just happened to be married. It keeps our relationship with the veterans going.”

The Stewarts moved to Michigan in 2000 and to Linden in 2001. Their daughters, Meghan and Kristen, graduated from Linden High School and now attend the University of Michigan-Flint.

Cheryl was a sergeant with the Army and is now a disabled veteran, combat related. She was active for eight years. She joined in response to the recession in Flint in the early ‘80s. After being laid off in 1982, she enlisted in 1983 and reported for duty in 1984.

Overseas, Cheryl was deployed to Dhahran, Saudi Arabia for Desert Storm. She was part of a military intelligence battalion and had two main jobs, a personnel sergeant and a photojournalist. She reported on interrogations and counter-terrorism issues.

Being sworn into the VFW was a proud moment for Cheryl. “It’s a proud moment whenever we can represent veterans. It’s an extension of our military service. I’m proud of our service and they’re a great group of people.

“They do so much for the community and we look forward to that.

“It felt natural to be with those veterans, and they were very receptive to having females there. It was very nice.”

Army remembers, honors Auburn WWII veteran

World War II veteran Paul V. Myers points to a picture of himself in front of a P-47 Thunderbolt.Robert Whale/Reporter


By ROBERT WHALE
Auburn Reporter News reporter Auburnreporter.com

In a black-and-white photograph taken on some forgotten field in France during the Second World War, a weary young man in grimy mechanic's coveralls stands near the left wing of a Republic P-47 Thunderbolt fighter plane.

White markings on the fuselage reveal that this bird flew in the D-Day invasion over the beaches at Normandy. The Allies would have shot down any plane without the markings.

Soldier and mechanic Paul Victor Myers, the man in the photo, kept the behemoth P-47s going, muscling their 2000-horsepower, Pratt and Whitney, Double Wasp, 18-cylinder, two-row radial engine, the largest and most powerful aircraft engine ever developed in the United States up to that time, and the first piston-powered fighter to fly faster than 500 mph.

"It was my baby," said the Army veteran, now 98 and living quietly at Parkside Retirement Community in Auburn, in a room filled with photographs and mementos of his long and varied life.

The U.S. Army has not forgotten him. The new U.S. Army Freedom Team Salute Program recently honored Myers for his service, as part of a larger effort to show appreciation for its veterans.

His certificate notes his "outstanding service to the Nation as a United States Army Soldier. You are being recognized for your patriotism and continued support of the Army family. Your legacy is today's Army and the values soldiers exhibit as they stand in defense of our country around the world. Their efforts are a direct reflection of your service, and the United States Army and a grateful nation thank you."

Myers can thank his comrades at Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 1741 in Auburn for submitting his name to the Army. Last July, 1741 Post Commander Bill Peloza opened a letter from the Army describing the program.

"We went through our cadre list and picked out all of the Army guys," said Peloza. "Mike Sepal, an Army vet and the junior vice commander, sent the list to the Department of the Army. It mailed out certificates to each of the U.S. Army veterans in our post that we had identified. Along with the certificate is a letter from the U.S. Army and a pin."

Myers, a member of Post 1741 since the fall of 1945, wears the pin on his Army jacket alongside the European - African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal Ribbon, the Army Good Conduct Medal Ribbon and the American Campaign Medal - WWII Ribbon.

"I'm proud of what we did," Myers said.

Myers was born on July 11, 1911 to Hamlin and Ida Myers in Tukwila, when the horse and buggy were still common sights. Myers had three sisters, France, Grace and Gladys. He graduated from Foster High School in 1930.

To scratch out a living during the Depression, Myers and his brother-in-law, Ed Garbrick, peddled fruits and vegetables in the streets, but could not make it work. Next they founded the East Valley Lumber Yard near the Pioneer Cemetery, eventually moving the business to the site of the present-day St. Vincent De Paul on Auburn Way North. They had just started to build the lumber company into a viable business when the war came.

Myers said a friend advised him to register before he was drafted so he could choose his branch of service. The Navy passed on him for health reasons, but the Army wasn't so picky. He signed up and the Army gave him six months to sell the business.

Instead of training him at Ft. Lewis as he had been told he would be, the Army shipped him off to the Jefferson Barracks in East St. Louis. After additional training in Texas, he crossed the Atlantic Ocean on the Queen Mary, then being used as a troop transport ship. In England he spent two years as a mechanic tending the planes the United States had contributed to the war effort before he was called to take part in the invasion of France.

"Our boat sank on the beach, so we marched through the surf," Myers recalled of D-Day. "Where I was at the Germans didn't show up; they were supposed to, but they didn't."

Myers described the infernal bursting of shells and the percussive punch of artillery, but added, "If I was ever shot at, I don't remember it."

He said that the command situation was so fluid he didn't know most of the time which Army he was attached to, but he believes it was the First Army, at least to start with.

"Things happened so fast and changed so fast that we didn't know from one week to another who we were with or anything, but we had to take orders from whoever the immediate commander was," Myers said.

He was there for the liberation of Paris.

"We got a lot of kisses from the girls," Myers recalled with a twinkle. "The GIs were very popular. Everywhere we went, the French people hugged us and partied with us. They mobbed us for two or three months."

His trek through the countryside and his duties kept him so busy, Myers said, that he was always at work until the day the Germans surrendered. That glorious news reached him while he was on the French-German border near the remains of the famous Remagen Bridge over the Rhine River.

"I was very happy. I had never had a day off from the day I went into the Army until then. Almost everybody else I knew of had had a furlough of some kind, but they never found the time to give me a day off," Myers said.

After his discharge from the Army on Sept. 24, 1945, Myers returned to Auburn. He married Gladys Agee in August 1945. The couple lived in Auburn, and he worked for Boeing and then for Armstrong Home Builders in Auburn, Westport, Wash., and Juneau, Alaska. He worked on the Alaskan Pipeline. In the mid 1970s, the couple moved back to Auburn.

Myers retired from construction but continued to travel and see the world until age 90. A picture hangs on his wall, showing him at 90 astride a camel before the pyramids in Egypt.

He said he has "had a good life," and looks back on his military service with pride.

"Nothing to be ashamed of," said Myers. "We freed the country of the Germans."


Auburn Reporter News reporter Robert Whale can be reached at rwhale@auburn-reporter.com or 253-833-0218, ext. 5052

VFW Pays Tribute to Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans

KANSAS CITY, Mo., Jan. 18, 2010 – VFW magazine’s latest special publication, To War and Back: Afghanistan and Iraq — A New Generation of Veterans, is now available. The magazine’s editors created To War and Back to honor the sacrifices of today’s warriors.

This special publication deals with matters of critical concern, including the latest information on TBI, PTSD, the GI Bill, medical care, medals, memorials and other relevant issues.

And the booklet contains information you won’t find anywhere else. Compact chronologies chronicle combat in both wars from their beginnings through 2009. All Medal of Honor, Air Force Cross, Distinguished Service Cross and Navy Cross recipients are compiled on two convenient pages. Also, find employment resources especially for veterans, and read how families cope with the strains of wartime.

To preview the booklet online, please visit www.vfwmagazine.org/towarandback.html.

Copies are perfect for overseas deployment and welcome home ceremonies.

To order To War and Back, contact Shontaye Davis in the Membership Department at:

National Membership Department
Veterans of Foreign Wars
406 W. 34th St.
Kansas City, MO 64111

Phone: (816) 756-3390
Fax: 816-968-2728
E-mail: membership@vfw.org

VFW National Home for Children Celebrates 85th Birthday

Eaton Rapids, Mich. – The VFW National Home for Children celebrated its 85th Birthday! The momentous occasion brought people from across the country to honor the rich tradition of the National Home and its years of service to our veteran and active-duty military children and families.
VFW Commander-in-Chief Tommy Tradewell, Ladies Auxiliary National President Jan Tittle, the National Home Board of Trustees along with 200 guests filled the Home’s Community Center for a birthday party unlike any other at the National Home!
The 85th birthday celebration was a traditional children’s birthday party with balloons, hats, games, and of course, cake and ice cream. Remarks from Tradewell, Tittle, Board President Raymond Warren and National Home Executive Director Patrice Green reminded everyone of the National Home’s important mission to care for, love and serve the children and families of our veterans.

At the birthday party, the National Home received a wonderful gift. National President Jan Tittle spearheaded a campaign to buy a new, much needed mini-bus for the Home. The success of the campaign, due to the hard work of the Ladies Auxiliary (and some VFW members, too!), allowed Tittle to surprise the guests by announcing the mini-bus had been purchased and was outside for everyone to see. The new bus was toured by all amid great excitement and truly put the icing on the festive evening.
Commander Tradewell had a further surprise for attendees – announcing a special flag project. Trustees of the Home will work to obtain a state flag from each VFW department for display in the National Home’s Community Center.

Of course, what would a birthday party be without the traditional birthday song? National Home Buddy Poppy Child Beau Yabs wheeled out a larger-than-life birthday cake, while the National Home Patriot Chorus led everyone in song.

The National Home thanks everyone who attended and made this special night possible and is grateful for everyone that has honored veterans and active-duty military by providing their children and families help and hope since 1925.

For more information please call (517) 663-1521, toll-free at (800) 424-8360 or visit www.vfwnationalhome.org

VFW Joins in Haiti Humanitarian Effort

VFW Assisting U.S. Troops to Reach Families in Haiti

Kansas City, MO., Jan. 15, 2010 -The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) is assisting in humanitarian efforts in Haiti by providing U.S. service members — with relatives currently located in Haiti — with the funds necessary to purchase airline tickets to the devastated island, so that they may locate, assist or make burial arrangements for relatives affected by the recent earthquake. Funds also may be used to help provide sustenance or other necessities to sustain life.

The veterans' organization donation will be used to assist U.S. service members currently on active duty, in the Reserves or in National Guard units.

VFW National Commander Tommy J. Tradewell Sr., has asked VFW and its Ladies Auxiliary members to come to the aid of victims of the recent natural disaster by individually donating what they can to the VFW National Military Services program (NMS), either online [Donate now online], text [text “VFW” to 90999 - standard text messaging rates apply], or mail directly to VFW National Military Services, 406 W. 34th Street, Kansas City, MO 64111.

In addition, he is asking the 7,000 VFW Posts and Auxiliary Units worldwide to donate to the NMS fund to help in this effort.

"We (VFW) were contacted by the military and informed that there is an urgent need to assist a number of U.S. military men and women with this emergent need and that is why I am asking for help, so that we can respond immediately to assist our military service members,” said Tradewell. "We must unite as an organization to do everything we can to make sure the appropriate resources are available to help the men and women who have loved ones residing in the area impacted by this terrible tragedy."

Tradewell said he can only imagine the heartbreak and fear that military members with families living in Haiti are experiencing.

"It is heart-breaking for our military families who have loved ones living in Haiti to have to cope with such a disaster without the means to travel to the island to care for displaced or injured family members. It also is a sad and tragic situation for those U.S. service men and women who are deployed thousands of miles away from the disaster who have confirmed that relatives were killed during the earthquake and need to assist in burial arrangements. The VFW will do whatever necessary to ensure our troops have the means of transportation necessary to care for their families in Haiti and every dollar donated will be used for VFW’s National Military Services Program.”

Finding Your Next Job

The following article appears in VFW magazine’s special edition booklet, To War and Back.

Even in a climate of high young vet unemployment, jobs still are available for returning veterans. Programs online and around the country can help.
Employment opportunities for Iraq and Afghanistan vets have fluctuated dramatically.

As of October 2009, the unemployment rate for post-Sept. 11, 2001, vets stood at 11.6%, according to the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Widely varying unemployment rates may show that these individuals are having difficulty transitioning to civilian jobs following Iraq or Afghanistan deployments. “If you served in the military, you’re disconnected from the civilian workforce, you don’t have contacts that a civilian person has,” Justin Brown, VFW legislative associate, told USA Today.

Regardless of the cause of the documented high unemployment rates, federal and private programs exist to help vets find jobs after returning from war.

• VetJobs averages more job postings than any other military- or intelligence-related job board. An employment assistance section includes information on how to organize a job search, write a resume, interview and identify a potential employer. Its monthly newsletter for veterans, the Veteran Eagle, has information about employment and the job market. VFW partners with this job board.

• American Corporate Partners helps vets transition from the military to the workforce through career counseling and networking with corporate professionals. Some 300 mentors are available from Campbell Soup Company, General Electric, Home Depot, Morgan Stanley, PepsiCo and Verizon. Iraq and Afghanistan veterans—especially those who have been wounded—take precedence for selection in the program.

• Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans With Disabilities provides entrepreneurship training and small business management to disabled Iraq and Afghanistan vets. The Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University, UCLA Anderson School of Management, Florida State University’s College of Business and Mays Business School at Texas A&M offer these free nine-day residency programs.

•Texas Veterans Leadership Program strives to match recently discharged vets with employers and also offers advice on VA benefits.

•VA’s Veterans Employment Coordination Service helps veterans—especially wounded vets—who are interested in working for VA. Services include employment counseling, identifying transferable skills, a career assessment, resume and job search assistance, and direct job placement assistance.

• Small Business Administration’s Veterans Business Outreach Program provides entrepreneurial development services including business training, counseling and mentoring, and referrals for eligible veterans who own or are considering starting a small business. Four organizations participate in this cooperative agreement and serve as Veterans Business Outreach Centers.

• Hire Vets First, coordinated by the Department of Labor’s Veterans Employment and Training Service, offers links to online job search engines and resume assistance. Its nearly 2,000 One-Stop Career Centers assist with job search, resume writing, job placement, interviewing skills, career counseling, labor market information and financial aid information.

•The Little Caesars Veterans Program offers a $5,000 reduction of the franchising fee, financing benefits and a $5,000 credit on the equipment order for the veterans opening their first store in this chain. Service-disabled veterans are eligible for a total benefit of up to $68,000.

For reservists called to active duty, job protection is afforded under the 1994 Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act. The Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve agency exists to provide assistance in this regard.

In November 2009, an executive order created the Council on Veterans Employment, charged with increasing the number of vets hired by the federal government. Each of 24 executive branch agencies must form a veterans employment program. The Office of Personnel Management is tasked with developing a strategic plan for veterans recruitment and employment.

VA Aggressively Working Claims Backlog

WASHINGTON (January 4, 2010) — The national commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. said the most important takeaway from last night's 60 Minutes piece on the Department of Veterans Affairs was that the VA is aggressively working to overcome a claims backlog that is currently delaying benefits payments to hundreds of thousands of disabled military veterans.

"The backlog is something the VFW is very concerned about," said Thomas J. Tradewell Sr., a combat-wounded Vietnam veteran from Sussex, Wis.

"We understand the frustration that veterans and their families experience from delayed, rejected or improperly adjudicated claims, but we also know there are no quick fixes," he said. "That's why the VFW will continue to work with VA leadership and Congress to find a permanent solution, because we know the backlog will only continue to rise as the veterans' population ages, as more become eligible from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and elsewhere, as presumptive illnesses and programs are expanded, and as more veterans learn about the government programs and benefits available to them."

The VFW has for a number of years lobbied the Administration and Congress for additional funding and new oversight to address the claims problem. In response, the VA has added 4,200 new employees to compensation and pension claims processing over the past three years. They are working diligently to develop new information technology programs that will assist in the claims process system, and working jointly with the Defense Department to create an electronic medical and service record capability to ease a veteran's transition from DOD to VA care.

As VA continues to expand their outreach efforts to eligible veterans, they also recommend claimants seek the assistance of trained service officers that veterans' service organizations like the VFW provide at no cost to all eligible veterans.

VFW-trained service officers last year helped almost 95,000 veterans to recoup more than $1.2 billion in earned compensation and pension. The VFW also served almost 10,000 more at military installations around the country through a program called Benefits Delivery at Discharge, which helps personnel complete VA paperwork prior to their separation or retirement from the military.

"The VFW is the VA's strongest ally in Congress and sometimes its loudest critic, but we recognize that only by working together will the claims backlog problem be solved," said Tradewell. "We are a willing partner in helping to find a permanent solution so that our government can better care for those who have worn the uniform."