On May 15th (Armed forces Day) at Lasdon Park the Friends of Lasdon held their annual flower sale. It was a very busy and a lot of plants were sold. Thank you to the Chapter members that helped; Al Zawiski, Al Singerman, Terry Keogh, Matt Coffey, Jim LaManna, and Bob Miller.
On May 30th Westchester County will held their 3ra Annual veteran appreciation Day at Playland. It was great, everyone seemed to have a good time. The estimate of the number of veterans who attended was 1,500! Also our table did very well, thanks to Rick Burns, Bob Miller, Phil Trerotola, Clyde Hardman, Charlie Schiavo and Al Zawiski.
At around 4:30 we had our Annual barbecue for the PTSD Unit At Montrose behind building 15. Thank you AI Singerman and Larry Barnette. After that we went down to the River for our Watch Fire.
On Monday the 31St we marched in Chappaqua. Afterward at 2:00 PM will held our ceremony at the Trail of Honor at Lasdon Park.
Our biggest fund raiser of the year, the Fol?De?Rol in Armonk will be
June 12t and 13th. Please stop by our table and help out for a little while
or just visit with your fellow Chapter members.
On Monday the 31st we will be marching in Chappaqua. We will meet at
about 11:00 AM at the grocery store parking lot. Afterward at 2:00 PM will
hold a ceremony at the Trail of Honor at Lasdon Park.
Take care of yourselves and each other.
Dan Griffin
JUST A SIMPLE MARINE
He was getting old and paunchy, and his hair was falling fast, as he
sat around the Legion telling stories of the past. Of a war he had fought
in, and the deeds he had done. In his exploits with his buddies; they were
heroes everyone. And tho sometimes, to his neighbors, his tales became
a joke, All his buddies listened, for they knew where of he spoke. But
we'll hear his tale no longer, for of John has passed away, and the world's
a little poorer, for a Marine died today. No, he won't be mourned by many,
just his children and his wife. For he lived an ordinary, quiet sort of
life. He held a job and raised a family, quietly going on his way; and
the world won't note his passing; tho a Marine died today. When politicians
leave this earth, their bodies lie in State, while thousands note their
passing and proclaim that they were great. Papers tell their life stories,
from the time they were young, but the passing of a Marine, goes unnoticed,
and unsung. Is the greatest contribution, to the welfare of our land, some
jerk that breaks his promise and cons his fellow man? Or the ordinary fellow,
who in time of war and strife, goes off to serve his country and offers
up his life? The politician's style, in which they live, is sometimes disproportionate
to the service that they give. While the ordinary Marine, who offers up
his all, is paid off with a Medal and perhaps a pension,... small! It's
so easy to forget them, for it is so long ago, that our buddies went to
battle, but we know. If it was not the politicians, with their compromises
and ploys, who won for us the freedom that our Country now enjoys. Should
you find yourself in danger, with your enemies at hand, would you really
want some cop?out, with his ever?waffling stand? Or would you want a Marine,
who has sworn to defend, his home, his kin, and Country, and would fight
to the end? He was just a common Marine and his ranks are growing thin,
but his presence should remind us, we may need his likes again. For when
Countries are in conflict, then we find that the Marine's part is to clean
up all the troubles, that the politicians start. If we cannot do him Honor,
while he's alive to hear the praise, then at least let's give him homage,
at the ending of his days. Perhaps just a simple headline, in the paper
that might say: Our Country is in morning,.. for a Marine died today!
CONTACT INFO FOR VETS: The following subject listing identifies respective office and/or website/telephone data for conducting veteran related business:
SUBJECT OFFICE AND/OR WEB SITE TELEPHONE NO.
Agent Orange Info www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/benefits/herbicide/index.htm
1 800?749?8387
Appeals Management Center Appeals Management Center Public Cont 1?866?258?0341
Arlington National Cemetery www.arlingtoncemetery.org 703?607?8000
Board Of Veterans Appeals www.va.gov/vbs/bva/ 202?565?5436
CHAMPVA VA Health Administration Center www.va.gov/hac/ 1?800?733?8387
Civil Service Retired Pay Office Of Personnel Mgmt www.opm.gov/retire/
1?888?767?6738
Court Of AppealsNets Claims hftp?://www.vetapp.uscourts.gov/202?501?5970
CRSC ? USAF hftp://www.afpc.randolph.af.miVlibrary/combat.asp 1?800?616?3775
CRSC ? USA hftps://www.hrc.army.mil/site/`crsc/index.htmi 1?866?281?3254
CRSC ? USN/USMC hftp:/AAmw.donhq.navy.mil/corb/crscb/crscmainpage.htm
1?877?366?2772
DEERS http://www.tricare.mil/mybenefit/home/overview/Eligibility/DEERS
1?800?538?9552
Direct Deposit VA National Direct Deposit Center 1?877?838?2778
Education Claims Regional Processing Office ? Atlanta 1?888?442?4551
EDU Verifications Of Pursuit hftps://www.gibill.va.govtwave/ 1?877?823?2378
Fraud, Waste, And Abuse VA Inspector General hftp://www.va.gov/oig/?1?800?488?8244
Gulf War Veterans Illnesses www.va.gov/GulfvVar 1?800?749?8387
Headstones And Markers http://www.cem.va.gov/CEM/hm?hm. asp 1?800?697?6947
Health Care Benefits www.va.gov/health 1?877?222?8387
Health Care Eligibility www.va.gov/healtheligibility 1?800?929?8387
Health Care Overseas www.va.gov/hac/forbeneficiaries/fmp/ 1?877?345?8179
Health Revenue Service Information On Debts Owed To Vamcs 1?866?793?4591
Information Federal Citizen Information Ctr www.info.gov 1?800?333?4636
Insurance ? SGLINGLI www.insurance.va.gov/sgiiSite/default 1?800?419?1473
Insurance, VA VA Insurance Center www.insurance.va.gov/ 1?800?669?8477
Insurance ? Fax For Loan Apps VA Insurance Center 1?888?748?5828
Loan Guaranty COE Eligibility Center ? Winston?Salem www.homeloans.va.gov/
1?888?244?6711
Loan Guaranty Helpiine www.vba.va.gov/ro/south/spete/RLC/index.htm
1?888?611?5916
Military Records National Archives www.archives.gov/ 1?866?272?6272
Overpayments Debt Management Center, St Paul 1?800?827?0648
Pension Pension Maintenance Center 1?877?294?6380
Prop Management (Va Repos) Ocwen Financial Corp www.ocwen.com 1?800?523?9479
Retired Pay, Military (EXC CG) DFAS www.dfas.mil/retiredpay.html 1?800?321?1080
Retired Pay, Coast Guard CG SVC CTR www.uscg.mil/hq/cgl/psc/ras/ 1?800?772?8724
Retired Pay, Reporting Death DFAS 1?800?321?1080
SBP Info Line DFAS www.dfas.mil/retiredpay/survivorbenefits.htmi 1?800?321?1080
SBA Small Business Admin www.sba.gov/aboutsba/sbaprograms/ovbd/index.html
1?800?827-5722
Small Business ? VA VA Ctr For Vets Enterprise http://www.vetbiz.gov/
1?866?584?2344 Social Security www.ssa.gov 1?800?772?1213 Spina Bifida
VHA Center www.va.gov/hac/forbeneficiaries/spina/spina. asp 1?888?820?1756
Suicide Prevention www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ 1?800?273?8255 Telecommunications
Device For The Deaf VARO Chicago 1?800?829?4833 TRICARE www.tricare.mil/
1800?444?5445 VA Central Office ? VBA http:/twww.vba.va.govNBA/ 202?273?5400
VA Central Office ? VHA VHA Patient Advocate 202?461?7252 VA Secretary
Telephone Unit VA Central Office?202?273?5674 Work Study Work Study Office
1?800?827?1000 EXT5951 [Source: California VFW VSO Scott Langhoff input
27 Aug 08 ++]
A veteran is someone who, at one point in their life, wrote a blank
check
made payable to "the United States of America," for an amount of "up
to
and including my life." This is Honor, and there are way too many people
in
this Country who no longer understand it.
Author unknown
Hooray for Dennis Miller! He said recently on his show, regarding
the Judges who declared the Pledge of Allegiance unconstitutional: "So,
your Honor, the Pledge is unconstitutional because it says under God. Guess
that means when you were sworn in with your hand on a Bible, and at the
end of your oath repeated, So help me God that makes your job unconstitutional,
therefore you have no job, which means your ruling doesn't mean s?
Special "Letter to the Editor"
Getting
help
For
information about PTSD or other veterans, issues:
Rockland
Veterans Service Agency, 845-638-5244
Westchester
Veterans Service Agency, 914-995-2146
VA
Outreach Center, White Plains, 914-682-6250
Trudy
O'Dell, Iraqi Freedom administrative coordinator, VA Hudson Valley Health
Care System, 845-831-2000, Ext. 5413
Veterans
Affairs Office, Spring Valley, 845-356-6070
Veterans
Affairs Office, Mount Vernon, 914-665-2319
Veterans
Affairs Office, Yonkers, 914-285-2149
Veterans
Affairs Office, Carmel, 845-225-2260
VA
Hospital, Montrose, 914-7374400
The Westchester County Veterans Service Agency has produced a
newsletter. They would like to send it out to all Veterans in the County.
If you want me to give them your address, call me or send an E-mail. I
think you would like this newsletter, it is very professional looking.
Also the first edition was about the "Trail of Honor". And the next one
is going to feature the Museum.
Dan