Veterans & Military Families Monthly News-November 2012

Veterans & Military Families Monthly News
November 2012 Vol. 3 No. 11

Good afternoon and thank you for reading, this months edition of the newsletter. We appreciate your involvement and continued support. Remember, we have two online sources where you can read and offer comments on the current and previous editions of the newsletter. The newsletter is posted on Facebook through the group called Veterans and Military Families Monthly News. Check it out and join the group. Click here to go directly to the page. (Keep in mind, you need a Facebook account to join; however, the documents can be viewed through the docs link toward the bottom of the page even without an account.) The second source for the online version of the newsletter is the website www.scribd.com. This online source for the newsletter works in the same fashion as the Facebook page. Please let us know what you think, or if you have any questions about the online sources. For those of you who enjoy just receiving the email each month, we will continue to send it out. But we want to build the online presence as a way to reach out to more people. As always, thank you very much for reading. Our hope is to continue to expand the newsletter. For that, we need your input. So, again, if anyone has any suggestions for topics to cover or wants to write their own piece, we will gladly try to work it in. We hope you enjoy, and please share your feedback with us. From: www.gibill.va.gov The Post-9/11 GI Bill provides financial support for education and housing to individuals with at least 90 days of aggregate service after September 10, 2001, or individuals discharged with a service-connected disability after 30 days. You must have received an honorable discharge to be eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill. For more information see our Post-9/11 GI Bill pamphlet Approved training under the Post-9/11 GI Bill includes graduate and undergraduate degrees, vocational/ technical training, on-the-job training, flight training, correspondence training, licensing and national testing programs, entrepreneurship training, and tutorial assistance. All training programs must be approved for GI Bill benefits. This benefit provides up to 36 months of education benefits, generally benefits are payable for 15 years following your release from active duty. The Post-9/11 GI Bill also offers some service members the opportunity to transfer their GI Bill to dependents. For details on how much money you will receive using the Post 9-11 GI Bill click here. Some of the benefits the Post-9/11 GI Bill will pay include: Your full tuition & fees directly to the school for all public school in-state students. For those attending private or foreign schools tuition & fees are capped at the national maximum rate. Click here for more information. If you are attending a private Institution of Higher Learning in AZ, MI, NH, NY, PA, SC or TX you may be eligible for a higher tuition reimbursement rate. Click here for more information. For those attending a more expensive private school or a public school as a non-resident out-ofstate student, a program exists which may help to reimburse the difference. This program is called the Yellow Ribbon Program. (Click on the link for more information about the Yellow Ribbon Program, not everyone is eligible for the program). Continued...
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The Post-9/11 GI-Bill
Thank you very much!

P.3-What is ESGR P.5-SSA Widow(er)s Benefits P.6-Electronic Payment and TRICARE P.8-WWII Memories From Cpt. Franklin H. Smith P.9-WWI Memorial Foundation P.10-TRICARE Media Center P.13-Need A Ride
In This Issue
P.14-Mexican Border Duty P.15-WWI Memorial Peace Cross P.16-Veterans Health Benefits Handbook P.19-Lest We Forget book Signing Nov. 4th P.24-Legal Help For Veterans P.29-Hiring Heroes USA Many Upcoming Events
And much more.
We would like to express our appreciation to all of the Fighting men and women in the United States Military. Thank you for your service to this country.
Paid for by the Michigan Republican Party with Regulated Funds. Not authorized by any candidate or candidates committee. 520 Seymour Street, Lansing, MI 48933
Some Useful Links

Air Force Times www.airforcetimes.com Navy Times www.navytimes.com Marine Corps Times www.marinecorpstimes.com Army Times www.armytimes.com Military Times www.militarytimes.com TRICARE www.tricare.mil American Legion www.legion.org Veterans of Foreign Wars www.vfw.org AMVETS www.amvets.org The DAV www.dav.org Department of Defense www.dod.gov Military/Veterans Report www.militray.com The Pentagon Channel www.pentagonchannel.mil Veterans Administration www.va.gov Military Order of the Purple Heart www.purpleheart.org
A monthly housing allowance (MHA) An annual books & supplies stipend A one-time rural benefit payment Beginning August 1, 2011, break (or interval pay) will no longer be payable under Post-9/11 GI Bill except during periods your school is closed as a result of an Executive Order of the President or an emergency (such as a natural disaster or strike). For example, if your Fall term ends on December 15th and your Spring term begins January 10th, your January housing allowance will cover 15 days in December and your February housing allowance will cover 21 days in January. Dear Honored US Veterans and Your Families, My name is Dr. Jack Grenan and I am a psychologist and hypnotherapist who helps Veterans their families and anyone else who asks for help. I will be writing a column is this newsletter and I will be answering questions sent to me at jackgrenan@netscape.net. I have counseled many veterans with PTSD and I encourage any veteran who may have a question to email me. As far as PTSD any Veterans out there who thinks that you may have PTSD probably does and should speak to someone. Anyone who served their country is a hero for sacrificing time away from home and family to serve our Country and your fellow servicemen and women! I look forward to communicating with you every month! God Bless our Veterans, troops currently serving, their families and GOD BLESS AMERICA! Sincerely, Dr. Jack Grenan
If anyone has a site they would like to have added to this growing list please let us know! Contact us anytime at mhauser@migop.org Also check out the complete list of links that appear in this newsletter on the last page.
We would like to express our appreciation to all of the fighting men and women in the United States Military. Thank you for your service to this country.
Thank you for your Support!

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A Note From: Lest We Forget Speakers Bureau

This notice from LWF is to inform the reader of the development of a Lest We Forget Speakers Bureau. Since our organization has conducted three yearlong courses at Lake Michigan College, we have many topics and many qualified speakers to present information from WWII, Korean War, Vietnam War, and our involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan. We have developed formats for school children of all ages, and for veterans organization. Whatever the event we will gladly produce the correct format We would be glad to present any topic of interest to any group. As coordinator, I will be glad to help with the choices of presentations and help with planning. Gary C. Lulenski Coordinator Speakers Bureau 269-428-3442 Garykaye2@comcast.net
From: www.esgr.mil ESGR, a Department of Defense agency, was established in 1972 to promote cooperation and understanding between Reserve Component Service members and their civilian employers and to assist in the resolution of conflicts arising from an employee's military commitment. ESGR is supported by a network of more than 4,800 volunteers in 54 committees located across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam-CNMI, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Volunteers, hailing from small business and industry, government, education and prior military service bring a vast wealth of experience to assist in serving employers, service members and their families. Together with Headquarters ESGR staff and a small cadre of support staff for each State Committee, volunteers work to promote and enhance employer support for military service in the Guard and Reserve. ESGR has served our country for 40 years, developing and promoting a culture in which all American employers support and value the military service of their employees serving in the Guard and Reserve. These citizen warriors could not defend and protect us at home and abroad without the continued promise of meaningful civilian employment for themselves and their families. ESGR has continued to adapt to meet the needs of our Reserve Component members, their families and Americas employers by joining forces with a network of other national, state and local government and professional trade organizations as together, We All Serve!
What is ESGR
From: The USO In 2012, we're calling on the brave men and women of our armed forces to make some incredible sacrifices in Afghanistan, Iraq, and remote locations around the world. That means you and I need to make an extra effort to show our support. One of the best ways to let our troops know that you've got their back is by supporting the work of the USO. Step Up and Lead -- support our troops by signing up to be part of the USO today.
STEP UP AND LEAD
Click the Michigan Flag to access the ESGR Michigan Page
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From: From: RAO Bulletin October 2012 (Lt. James EMO Tichacek, USN (Ret) Associate Director, Retiree Assistance Office, U.S. Embassy Warden & IRS VITA Baguio City RPPSC 517 Box RCB, FPO AP 96517 Tel: (951) 238-1246 in U.S. or Cell: 0915-361-3503 in the Philippines. Email: raoemo@sbcglobal.net AL/AMVETS/ DAV/FRA/NAUS/NCOA/MOAA/USDR/VFW/VVA/CG33/ DD890/AD37 member) In the event of a veterans death the surviving spouse, starting at age 60, is entitled to collect monthly benefits on the veterans Social Security account. His/her decision on whether to start drawing benefits at age 60 or later requires taking a number of factors into consideration Consider the following scenario which would apply to some veteran widow(er)s: Q: My 66 yearold husband recently passed away before starting Social Security benefits. Im 63 and still working. I originally planned to wait until age 66 to start benefits, but I need extra income. Could you give me some ideas about when I should start? A: Before doing anything else make sure you have a realistic budget, and think long term. You want your income and savings to be adequate as long as possible, 30 years or even longer is not unrealistic for someone your age. In developing a budget, look back over at least three years to include large expenditures for periodic home maintenance and repairs, transportation, medical costs and other large costs. Include what you pay in taxes. Once you get an expense figure, allow for at least 3% per year for inflation. Then tally up your income and assets, including the value and expected income from retirement accounts and pensions, if any. You can apply for widow benefits as early as age 60, but if you start prior to your full retirement age, your benefits will be reduced. In addition, your benefits would be further reduced if you earn more than the annual earnings limit, which is $14,640 in 2012 ($1,220 per month). More on this in a moment. This doesnt mean you should completely rule out starting widows benefits. Depending on your finances, you may be able to start a reduced widows benefit now and later switch to your own retirement benefits after your reach full retirement age or later if it would be higher than what you are entitled to now. If your own retirement
SSA Widow(er)'s Benefits
would not be higher, then starting survivors benefits now would lock in a permanently lower benefit. Heres an example of how it might work: Lets say your husband was entitled to a benefit of $17,400 or $1,450 per month. Since he was at his full retirement age there are no reductions. You learn that your full retirement age benefit at age 66 would be about $1,195, and by age 70 it grows to about $1,640. In this case taking a reduced widows benefit now and letting your own benefit grow due to the delayed retirement credit may potentially work as long as your earnings dont completely offset your benefits. Lets assume you are 30 months from attaining your full retirement age of 66. Your monthly widows benefit would be reduced about 11.9% or $172.60 and you receive $15,328.80 or $1,277.40 per month ($1,450 $172.90 = $1,277.40). Lets also assume you currently earn $30,000 a year. Under the earnings restriction rule your benefit would be reduced $1 for every $2 over the limit, while you are under your full retirement age. Your earnings are $15,360 over the annual limit ($30,000 $14,640 = $15,360). Your benefits would be reduced by $7,680 ($15,360/2 = $7,680). That would leave you $7,648.80 in benefits ($15,328.80 $7,680 = $7,648.80). Social Security will withhold your benefits for 6 full months and you would then receive your $1,277.40 monthly payment for six months. This situation is only for 30 months though. Once you turn age 66 you can earn as much as you want without reduction to your Social Security benefits. Meanwhile you continue to work and delay your retirement benefit allowing it to grow. Once you reach age 70 you should go ahead and switch to your own larger retirement benefit, since it wont grow any larger. The decision on when to start benefits is complicated and you should get counseling. The Social Security Administration website at http://www.socialsecurity.gov has a great deal of information on survivors benefits as well as contact numbers to reach counselors. For more information about working after starting benefits check out How Work Affects Your Benefits Publication No. 0510069 at https://www.socialsecurity.gov/ pubs/10069.html. [Source: TSCL Social Security & Medicare Questions Oct 2012 ++]
Electronic Payments Required for TRICARE Reserve Select and Retired Reserve Monthly Premiums
From: www.tricare.mil October 10, 2012 FALLS CHURCH, Va. To avoid losing coverage, beneficiaries enrolled in TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS) or TRICARE Retired Reserve (TRR) who pay monthly premiums by check need to switch to an electronic form of payment before Jan. 1, 2013. Beginning Jan. 1, 2013, TRICARE will only accept monthly premium payments using recurring automatic payments by credit or debit card, or by recurring electronic funds transfer (EFT) from a linked bank account. To avoid confusion, beneficiaries should verify that their bank sends EFT payments electronically. The Defense Manpower Data Center is notifying current TRR and TRS beneficiaries directly by email, and new beneficiaries will be informed in their welcome package information when enrolling. Electronic payments streamline account management and ensure continuous coverage for beneficiaries. Failure to pay premiums by the due date results in termination of coverage. Beneficiaries can contact their regional contractor to set up automatic payments and get more information. Contact information for each region is available online atwww.TRICARE.mil/contacts.
TRS and TRR are premium-based health plans. TRS is available for eligible members of the Selected Reserve of the Ready Reserve and their families; and TRR can be purchased by retired Reserve members, their families and eligible survivors of deceased retired Reserve sponsors. For more information about TRS or TRR go to www.tricare.mil.
From: http://www.jpac.pacom.mil The mission of the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) is to achieve the fullest possible accounting of all Americans missing as a result of the nation's past conflicts. The highest priority of the organization is the return of any living Americans that remain prisoners of war. To date, the U.S. Government has not found any evidence that there are still American POWs in captivity from past U.S. conflicts. JPAC is located on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. The command was activated on Oct. 1, 2003, created from the merger of the 30-year-old U.S. Army Central Identification Laboratory, Hawaii, and the 11-year-old Joint Task Force - Full Accounting. Commanded by a flag officer,
JPAC is manned by approximately 400 handpicked Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Department of the Navy civilians. The laboratory portion of JPAC, referred to as the Central Identification Laboratory (CIL), is the largest forensic anthropology laboratory in the world. JPAC also maintains three permanent overseas detachments to assist with command and control, logistics and in-country support during investigation and recovery operations. They are Detachment One located in Bangkok, Thailand, Detachment Two in Hanoi, Vietnam and Detachment Three in Vientiane, Laos. JPAC has a fourth detachment, Detachment Four, located at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, responsible for recovery team personnel when they are not deployed.
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DISABLED WAYNE COUNTY VETERAN OUTFITTED FOR HUNTING

Published: April 29, 2012 4:07AM By: BOBBY WARREN From: http://www.the-daily-record.com & Chad Miles BLACHLEYVILLE -- A Wayne County man received hunting gear from a new nonprofit organization that helps disabled veterans experience the outdoors. Russell Sellers received the gear for wild turkey hunting Thursday from childhood friend and former Triway classmate Chad Miles, who now lives in the Detroit area and started Sling and Stone Outfitters. In the package were a new shirt, pants, jacket, boots, turkey decoys, a turkey call, a mouth call and a face mask. Miles told his friend he wished there were more, but the nonprofit is new and does not yet have much of a budget. Sling and Stone Outfitters was formed on Veterans Day last year: 11-11-11. Miles had been doing research on crossbow hunting and discovered in several states it is illegal, except for disabled veterans. So, he began thinking what if he could get crossbows into the hands of disabled veterans, along with boots and clothes. His ultimate goal is to be able to provide amputees with special gear for hunting. As a 20-year-old, Russell Sellers, who is permanently disabled, was working as a diesel mechanic in the U.S. Army. While installing a drive shaft in a Utah National Guard truck, in preparation to be shipped out for Operation Desert Storm, he felt a pop in his back. For the next month, he lay in traction. At the time, he was told he had a low lumbar fracture. He refused back surgery because he was told there would be a 50-50 chance of not walking again. The injury ultimately led to him being released from the military. Over the course of the next 20 years, Sellers, now 41, dealt with incredible back pain, leading him to take "every drug known to man" in order to find some relief. "It was very stressful," Russell Sellers said. "I lost some good jobs because of it, and I can't hold my kids." In 2011, he had back surgery, and the doctor said his injury was not a fracture, rather he broke his back. He is doing better since the surgery. Laurie Sellers said when her husband was having all of those problems, it was frustrating. His back could go out at any moment, and he would drop to the floor. Russell Sellers, who loves to hunt, whether deer, squirrel, rabbit or turkey, said he thinks it is great to be the first recipient of hunting gear from Sling and Stone Outfitters. When Miles started the organization, he created a Facebook page. He informed others he was soon going to put together a package for turkey hunting for a disabled veteran. After the Facebook post, Russell Sellers contacted Miles about being considered. With five children, Russell Sellers has not had the money to update his hunting equipment. His boots are 13 years old and shredded from the briars, but they were all he had. He was excited to get a pair of insulated boots. The name of the nonprofit plays on the idea of a primitive weapon, but it is also connected with David, an Old Testament figure who as a young boy slew Goliath with a sling and a stone. The goal of the organization is to help disabled veterans face their psychological Goliaths and slay them, Miles said. Anyone wishing to donate to the organization can visit the website, slingandstone.org, or check out its Facebook page.
From More information contact Chad Miles at: Phone: (313)-690-3010 Email: chad@slingandstone.org Mail: 2130 Audette Street. Dearborn, MI 48124 Facebook: Click Here
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On July 4th 2012 Mr. Franklin Smith passed away. In December of 2011 I received a letter with a story attached. Since then I have been working on obtaining a copy of his full story. Don Alsbro the President of Lest We Forget SW MI provided me with the document. Mr. Smith wrote over 50 pages in his account of World War II. Over the next few months we will publish the whole story. I thank Lest We Forget for their support with this project.Matthew X. Hauser
By: The Late Cpt. Franklin H. Smith WINTER WARFAIR SCHOOL I was assigned to go to Reykjavik to Herskola, which was a base school for training in various tactics. During the summer of 1942 I twice attended Herskola. I was a graduate of their Armed Forces Tactical School and the Bomb Reconnaissance School. This assignment was to attend the Winter Warfare School that was being run by the Norwegians. The man in charge was Colonel Stenerson and Major Lonavig was his assistant. These two men were regular Norwegian Army officers. They had both fought against the Russians as volunteers of the Finns and had fought against the Germans when they invaded Norway. They had managed to escape after Norway capitulated. The British picked them up along with other Norwegians and gave them English uniforms and put them to work. The only way you tell they were Norwegians was the word NORGE on their cap and the same NORGE symbol on the side of their shoulder. These two, along with a number of sergeants and privates, were running the Winter Warfare School. We had a month of training in Reykjavik. In the morning we would have class work on skiing and living in the cold, wet snow and all the various things that the Colonel thought we would need to know. In the afternoon we would go out for physical conditioning. We would usually go across country, making a tour of twenty to twentyfive miles every afternoon to make sure we were in good physical shape. This training continued for approximately one month. We then loaded onto an English trawler, which was a two thousandton boat and sailed around the Northwest Sector up to the town of Akeuri. Outside of Akeuri, there was a glacier called Vin-
World War II Memories From Captain Franklin H. Smith-Part III
daheimjokull, which means Home of the wind in the ice cap. We put all of our equipment on our backs and felt like packhorses as we started up the mountain to get to the area that we were going to occupy for the next month. This was pretty hard going with the equipment on your back, which included skis and snowshoes. Even though I was in perfect physical condition, I felt tired after ten yards because of always stepping up as we climbed toward the glacier. When we got to a point where the snow was to deep to continue, Major Lonavig who was in charge of the group told us to put on ours skis and follow the Norwegian instructors and if we had not skied before to put on our snowshoes and follow Lieutenant Polich . Lieutenant Polich was an American Officer from Iron Mountain, Michigan. Not only could he ski, but he also was good at snow shoeing. I later found out that the Norwegians were not any good at snow shoeing because they spent all their time on skis. Of course it was snowing and the group on skis left us and moved off fairly rapidly and we put on the snowshoes and started climbing up the mountain. It was difficult to see because the snow was hitting us in the eyes. The snowshoes had leather thongs and the thong was loose on one of my feet. I decided to take them off and put them on my back and carry them. I found out what a different situation I was in as I had never been in snow that deep before. I was waist deep and couldnt get out of the snow especially with all the equipment I was carrying. I had to put the snowshoes back on securely tied and then was able to start up the mountain again. We were climbing along the side of a valley and I happened to look down to my right and could just barely see that there were some tents down there. I called to Lieutenant Polich and told him about the tents. Of course that was our objective and we had almost passed them by because of limited visibility. Those tents were going to be our home for the next month. We used British four man mountain tents. I never could figure out how to put four men into one of these tents. We put three men in one tent and they were crowded. They were silk tents that were double so that there was dead air space between the inner and outer tent, which allowed you to keep the inside warm. We also had British Primus stoves, which were little stoves that were used to heat whatever food you might have and to warm up the tent. Those stoves really did the job. The tent came to a peak and there were some strings up there to tie things to so we would tie our wet clothing, socks and boots at the top and the hot air would dry them in no time. The first night we had a snow slide and the Norwegians were in the area where the snowslide occurred. We wound up losing one of the tents because the Norwegian Sergeant had cut up the tent to get out through the snow to free himself. Continued
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It turned out that he as a college graduate of Oxford in England and was the radio operator for our group. We had to do a little shifting around because of one less tent and Lieutenant Polich asked me if I would mind having a Norwegian Sergeant as my tent mate. He name was Knute Mustoe from Oslo, Norway. I was working on my tent trying to get a little more room by tightening up the ropes when Knute walked up, introduced himself and offered to help straighten out the tent. He knew more about it then I did and between the two of us we got the maximum room out of it. Knute and I got along very well. He was one of the instructors and always kept an eye out for me whether he was instructing me or not. He always wanted me to do well. At night we would lie in our sleeping bags, as you couldnt move. You could just crawl on your knees into the tent and immediately get on top of your sleeping bag and that is where you stayed. There was no moving around in the tent because there was not enough room. We had the little Primus stove in the middle of the tent and we had British Mountain rations to eat. The main ration was something called Pemmican, which was dried meat. If you cooked up some shoe leather, that is what it tasted like to me. If you made soup out it, it was the same way. If you cooked your shoe, it would be the same as Pemmican soup. There was a chocolate bar in the rations and that was the best thing. There was also powdered milk so with the chocolate bar, the milk and melted snow we would make hot chocolate and it was very good. We started out as a class of thirty two men and at the end of the class there were eighteen of us left. The rest of them had all been injured usually with damages to the lower parts of their legs. The skis were both for cross country and downhill and they had Kandihar bindings and these bindings did not release. If you took a fall you either broke the skis or broke your ankle and our group took a lot of falls. I took a fall one day and thought it might be the end of me but fortunately I was ready to go the next day. The Norwegians had rigged up a ski jump made of snow. After they had finished the days work they would go off this ski jump that wasnt very high. One day I thought I would ski down the area but not actually make the jump. I went down the slope very rapidly and when I hit the bottom where we had been walking with skis and snowshoes and our own boots, it was very hard like a wood floor. One of my skis went to the right and one went to the left. I fell forward and my head caught between my skis and I was still going forward. I went right across the valley pounding the back of my head and I ran right into the bank on the other side, which finally stopped me. The Norwegian instructors came running because they thought they had a casualty. They pulled me out and asked if I was all right. I was okay and did not even get a headache. Continued
From: www.wwimemorial.org In March 2008, Frank Buckles, the last surviving American veteran of World War I, visited the District of Columbia War Memorial, on the National Mall in Washington DC. He observed that this peaceful, secluded memorial, dedicated in 1931 as a memorial to the 499 residents of the District of Columbia who gave their lives in that war, sits neglected and in extreme disrepair, and that there is no national memorial to World War I. Mr. Buckles issued a call for the restoration and re-dedication of the D.C. memorial as a National and District of Columbia World War I Memorial. The World War I Memorial Foundation was formed to make Frank Buckles dream a reality. The mission of the Foundation is to advocate and raise funds for the re-dedication of the DC War Memorial as a national World War I memorial, dedicated to all those Americans who served in the Great War. In 2014 the world will mark the centennial of World War I. Nearly 5 million Americans served during the war, and 116,516 Americans died in defense of democracy overseas. Americas support of its allies in World War I marked the first time in this nations history that American soldiers went abroad to defend foreign soil against aggression -- and it marked the true beginning of the American century. Yet while the later conflicts of the 20th century World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War -rightfully have national memorials on the National Mall, there is no such memorial to the Great War, even though more Americans gave their lives in World War I than in Korea or Vietnam. The D.C. memorial, which is already located adjacent to those other memorials, is the most fitting site for a national World War I memorial.
The World War I Memorial Foundation
Photo: The Late Frank Buckles during his 2008 visit to the Washington D.C. World War I Monument.
Another little incident occurred during training. When Major Lonavig was with us, he was very careful with the class. One day he stayed in his tent. I think he really just wanted a little rest although we were told he was doing paperwork. We came down to a spot where the Major usually had us take off our skis if we hadnt skied before or if we were new. I was one of the new ones so when we came to that spot I asked the Lieutenant if we should take off our skis. He said no we would go right in. I happened to be the first student in line so I started going down the slope of the hill into the valley where our tents were pitched. When I hit the bottom, I realized that I hadnt been taught how to stop so I ran right across the valley and up the other side. I knew that would stop me and I ran up the other side and lost speed. I came to a complete stop and then I fell over in the snow. Everything was a learning experience. We were up there for thirty days and then class was over and we were to leave. We had an ice storm the night prior to leaving the glacier camp. There was a glaze of ice over the snow so skiing was very difficult with all the equipment we were carrying. The Norwegians had taught us to ride the ski poles in this type of situation. One of our fellows broke both of his ski poles so he had a problem. He was a guy that was not very well liked. I took pity on him and told him that he could use one of my poles until we got down to the supply spot where he could then get some replacements and return mine. The supply spot was where Icelandic horses were used to bring up supplies and we had to send sleds down, load them and pull them up to camp. We man aged to get down to that area and it was not easy with one pole each. I wanted to catch up to the two sergeants that I had been skiing with on the way down. They had gotten way ahead of me. Because of light snow conditions in one area they had made a half circle going to the camp area where we
were going to stay that night. I decided that if I cut the hypotenuse, I would be able to catch up with them. The snow was a little light in the area I was skiing though and I was going quite rapidly. We had been given very cheap plastic type glasses and I couldnt use them because they were so terrible. My eyes were watering from the wind and all of a sudden both skis hit a bare spot and I flew right between both skis and landed on my stomach about twenty yards down. I thought I had broken both legs and I was frightened. I lay there for a minute before trying one leg and then the other. I pulled them up and took the skis off and decided to walk because I was shaken by the fall. After walking twenty or thirty yards I began to feel better so I put my skis back on and caught up with the sergeants before they got to camp. We stayed at camp that night and had an award ceremony where I received an award for placing second in the ski race and second in the snow shoe race. The following day we boarded a Norwegian fishing trawler to go to Reykjavik. We ran into a tremendous gale off the northeast coast of Iceland near the Arctic Circle, which I thought for sure wouldsink the ship. Fortunately, we were in good hands with the Norwegians and they knew what to do. We had gone up to Akreyri, Iceland in thirty six hours on the English trawler and it took us three days coming back on the Norwegian boat. I returned to my unit in Borgarnes and went back to the normal functions of trying to survive and fight the snow. It was the worst winter that the island had in twenty years and we were constantly battling snow. I got a call that a winter warfare school was going to be formed in the southeast coast of Iceland at a glacier called Eyjafjallajokull, which means One beautiful icecap. Continued...
Short video from www.tricare.mil that explains some back ground information
View this video to get a better understanding of what TRICARE is. Or Click Here.
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Originally I was to be one of the instructors, but G4 section had to furnish an officer to handle all the supplies, set up the camp and keep it going. Major Townsend and Colonel McKee selected me. Captain John Acuff was now in the G4 section and he recommended me to Colonel McKee. I got a call that I was to report to Division Headquarters to get ready to work with the winter warfare school. I told Major Townsend that I was already ordered to Herskola as an instructor. He told me they had gone to General Parker and had him sign papers rescinding that order and ordering me to the G4 section. I was told to get trucks and supplies and go down to Storamork, which is a small gathering of about five homes right at the base of the glacier area. I checked out five two and a hal ton long wheelbase trucks and loaded them with supplies, tents, equipment Icelandic horses and materials to build a metal hut. We started out to go to Storamork, which was approximately one hundred and ten miles away. The trip took us about thirteen hours. We got down to Selfoss, Iceland and came up to a bridge that spanned the Olfussa River. There was a sign on the bridge that said the load limit was five tons. The trucks weighed about two tons without the equipment so I was pretty sure I was over the load limit. I hardly knew what to do and thought that I was given a lot of responsibility for a Second Lieutenant. I took some time to consider my options, like unloading the horses, but then I told the drivers that I would go across in the first truck and if I made it then all the rest could come over. We all crossed the bridge without unloading and without incident. It was dark when we arrived in Storamork in January of 1943. We were making our way cross country to the area selected for the camp. Around midnight we came to a small stream that was about ten yards wide and it was frozen over. I did not know about the stream and it wasnt on the map so I was not sure what to do. The stream was blocking us from the area we needed to get too. I told one of the truck drivers to move out and see if the ice was strong enough to hold the truck. The ice was not strong enough and the front end of the truck fell through it and the engine died. We were dragging the truck back out with one of the other trucks when an Icelander appeared on the other side of the stream. The Icelander lived in one of the houses that were located near the base of the glacier. He waved at me and indicated that he wanted me to follow him along the stream. I followed up to an area where they forded the stream. They didnt have any vehicles but they did have horses and carts. We took the trucks up to that area; crossed the stream, set up the camp and got things going. Engineers came down and built the Nissen hut. We used sixteen man tents for supplies and other things until the hut was built.
Later on troops arrived and they were sent on up to the glacier to start their winter warfare training. When I was up north we had proper equipment but in the south I had to requisition officers small wall tents and these were tents for summer use or mild winter. We sewed one of the ends up and tried to use this type of equipment for winter warfare. It was a failure because we could not get it warm enough in this type of tent to dry the equipment or the mens shoes. We had a big meeting over this issue. I had been reporting the truth to Colonel McKee and Major Townsend. Colonel Matte, who later was sent down to be in charge of the base camp, was sending up radio reports that everything was beautiful and I was telling them that everything was not beautiful. As a result the Division pulled the troops out and the winter warfare school ended. reports that everything was beautiful and I was telling them that everything was not beautiful. As a result the Division pulled the troops out and the winter warfare school ended. If we had the proper equipment, we could have continued and had a good winter warfare school. Trying to improvise with cold weather and a lot of snow and wet equipment that could not be dried out just did not work. The troops were brought out at the time when a tremendously big snowfall came down. It was a seven foot snow fall and the Norwegian officer in charge decided to have the men get on their skis and he brought them out of the glacier and down to the base camp. That snow really helped end the whole thing. We lost a lot of equipment and I had to put that down on a proper government statement as equipment lost to bad weather. Later I was told that some of the Norwegians went up later that summer and retrieved most of the equipment.
Please Support and listen to Frontlines of Fredom Military Talk Radio Hosted by Lt. Col. Denny Gillem. You can hear it every Saturday at 1p.m. on 1260 AM the Pledge (Zeeland, MI), or by visiting the website at www.frontlinesoffreedom.com. Or on Facebook by clicking here. Thank you for your Support!
Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.
~Ronald Reagan
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Additional Benefits for Active Duty Time Served: DD FORM 214-SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFIT
From: Social Security Administration (SSA) Please share this with anyone who's had active duty service between January 1957 to December 31, 2001 and planning for retirement. In a nutshell it boils down to this: You qualify for a higher social security payment because of Military service, for active duty any time from 1957 through 2001 (the program was done away with 1 January 2002). Up to $1200 per year of earnings credit credited at time of application - which can make a substantial difference in social security monthly payments upon your retirement. You must bring your DD-214 to the Social Security Office and you must ask for this benefit to receive it! Social Security website: http://www.ssa.gov/ retire2/military.htm This is something to put in your files for when you apply for Social Security down the road... It is NOT just for retirees, BUT anyone who has served on active duty between January1957 to December 31, 2001. FYI - this benefit is not automatic, you must ask for it!
A Note From Lt. Col. Hank Fuhs

We need your help to grow the Newsletter
We are currently looking for any contact information of individuals or groups that you think would either be interested in receiving our newsletter or interested in writing articles. If you know of anyone please let us know. For it is through your involvement we are able to reach more and more people each month. Thank you very much! We hope you enjoy.
Three ways to help:

1. Email us the contact information at mhauser@migop.org 2. By mail at: 520 Seymour Lansing, MI 48933 3. Or simply forward the newsletter along to a friend. Thank you for your Continued Support -Hank Fuhs
community need when the federal government terminated its program that helped many veterans pay for transportation to VA medical facilities. The DAV has 189 Hospital Service Coordinators around the country who coordinate the transportation needs for disabled veterans. Use the DAV Hospital Service Coordinator Directory to contact your nearest HSC for information or assistance. Please remember that the DAV Transportation Network is staffed by volunteers; therefore, it is unable to cover every community. We hope we can help you. Locate your nearest VA Medical Center
To request a copy of a DD-214 click here.
Form: www.dav.org Because so many sick and disabled veterans lack transportation to and from VA medical facilities for needed treatment, the DAV operates a nationwide Transportation Network to meet this need. Through the Transportation Network, DAV volunteers drive sick and disabled veterans to and from VA medical facilities for treatment. The Transportation Network is a clear example of veterans helping veterans. The DAV stepped in to meet a substantial
Need a Ride
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From: www.michigan.gov Just 15 days after the passage of the National Defense Act, June 18,1916, Michigan National Guard units were called into federal service for duty on the Mexican border. The units mobilized at their home stations on the following day. The organization of the Michigan National Guard at that time included: Company A, Signal Corps Company A, Engineers First Michigan Field Hospital First and Second Michigan Ambulance Companies Troops A and B, First Michigan Cavalry Batteries A and B, First Michigan Field Artillery First Michigan Infantry Brigade, composed of the 31st, 32nd, and 33rd Michigan Infantry Regiments. From their home stations, the units were sent to Camp Grayling, then to El Paso, Texas, for patrol duty on the Mexican border. The 31st Infantry, the first organization to leave, departed in June, with the 32nd following in July. The balance of the troops were sent at various times during succeeding months, with the last embarking during the latter part of October. Service on the border was uneventful, consisting mainly of guard duty, drill instructions, marches, etc. The troops started to return home in November, leaving the border in the same order in which they had been sent,
Mexican Border Duty
with the 31st Infantry the first to return. The last unit to be ordered home was the 33rd Infantry, but the War Department, realizing that war with Germany was very likely, changed the order. Rather than returning home the 33rd was sent to guard vulnerable spots in Michigan, and to Camp Custer near Battle Creek, which was then being built. Regimental duties included garrison duty at Camp Custer, Fort Wayne, and Fort Brady; guard duty at the railroad tunnels under the Detroit and St. Clair Rivers; and guarding the ore docks at Marquette and Escanaba. When war was finally declared on Germany, the 33rd Infantry was still in federal service.
From: www.michiganpva.org MPVA is celebrating its 50th year of service in Michigan. It is a chapter of the national Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA), operating according to the standards and practices established by the PVA. MPVA is, however, a separate 501(c)(3) charitable organization. The Michigan programs, services, education, and outreach conducted here are made possible by local volunteers, partners, sponsors, and donors. The mission of Michigan Paralyzed Veterans of America is to enhance the lives of veterans with spinal cord injury or disease as well as all citizens with disabilities, by advocating for civil rights, assuring quality health care, supporting continued research and education, and encouraging independence and healthy living through various health, sports and recreational programs. MPVA shall continue striving to remain at the forefront of both veterans benefits services and disability rights, while working toward a better quality of life for all American citizens.
The MPVA Mission
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WWI Memorial Peace Cross
From: From: RAO Bulletin October 2012 (Lt. James EMO Tichacek, USN (Ret) Associate Director, Retiree Assistance Office, U.S. Embassy Warden & IRS VITA Baguio City RPPSC 517 Box RCB, FPO AP 96517 Tel: (951) 238-1246 in U.S. or Cell: 0915-361-3503 in the Philippines. Email: raoemo@sbcglobal.net AL/ AMVETS/DAV/FRA/NAUS/NCOA/MOAA/USDR/VFW/ VVA/CG33/DD890/AD37 member) The forty-foot-tall Memorial Peace Cross, which well-known landmark that has served as a gateway to Bladensburg and Hyattsville, Maryland for over 85 years, is in jeopardy. The monument, which sits on state property, honors 49 men from Prince George's County, Maryland who lost their lives during World War I. The cross was dedicated on July 13, 1925, by the American Legion. A bronze tablet at the base of the monument contains the unforgettable words of Woodrow Wilson: The right is more precious than the peace; we shall fight for the things we have always carried nearest our hearts; to such a task we dedicate ourselves. At the base of the monument are the words, Valor, Endurance, Courage, Devotion. At its heart, the cross bears a great gold star. The American Humanist Association, a Washingtonbased group, is calling for the cross's removal, arguing that a religious image on public land violates the constitutional principle of the separation of church and state. Veterans organizations and some community groups have vowed to fight to keep standing. Meanwhile, the local park and planning commission is researching the legal issues. For more information on the Memorial Peace Cross, visit the Change.org website http:// www.change.org/petitions/maryland-national-capitalpark-and-planningcommission-save-the-historicalbladensburg-peace-cross-war-memorial, the Waymaking.com website http://www.waymarking.com/ waymarks/WMK1G, and the Historical Marker Database http://www.hmdb.org/Marker.asp?Marker=5187. [Source: Military.com article 24 Sep 2012 ++]
By: Dale Hemphill-Designer, Spirit of America Flag (dhemp31628@aol.com)
Spirit of the American Flag
The Spirit of America Foundation is a non-profit organization founded in 2001 by a naval veteran realizing the need for historical recognition of American's heroes and the sacrifices they made for our country. The "Spirit of America" insignia shown above was designed to recognize our men and women of the military forces and the battles they fought. As the Spirit of America Foundation continues its mission to promote patriotism and the appreciation of our veterans, it has expanded its reach to help veterans in need in today's tough economy. FORGOTTEN HEROES USA, LTD, supports the missions of the Spirit of America Foundation by offering patriotic products honoring Americas hardships in history dating back to the Revolutionary War to present day Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. With each purchase, a percentage is donated to the Spirit of America Foundation. If you would like to help our cause by making a purchase or donation please know that your generosity will reach many others in their time of need. Please review our web site for more information. If you have any questions or comments please contact us via the "Contact Us" page. Thank you! Video: The Raising of the Spirit of America flag. At the American war cemetery in Margraten in The Netherlands on Sunday the 3rd of July 2011. Made by: RALPH84 Click Here to view the video. We would like to express our appreciation to all of the fighting men and women in the United States Military. Thank you for your service to this country.
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Hubbardston American Legion Disable Veteran Hunting
From: www.va.gov The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is committed to informing the Veteran community about VA health benefits and services. Currently, VA is producing personalized Veteran Health Benefits Handbooks for Veterans who are enrolled in VA health care. The new handbooks are tailored specificfor each Veteran and provides detailed information about the VA health services the Veteran may be eligible to receive. The Veteran Health Benefit Handbook provides answers to common questions such as contact information for the Veteran's local facility, instructions on how to schedule appointments, guidelines for communicating treatment needs and an explanation of the Veteran's responsibilities, such as co-pays, if applicable. Veterans enrolled in VA healthcare will receive their personalized handbooks via mail as part of a national rollout campaign starting in February 2012 based on Priority Group, beginning with Priority Group 1 and ending with Priority Group 8. In the near future, VA will develop an online version of the handbook for Veterans to access via MyHealtheVet. This will allow Veterans to access their up-to-date health benefit information anywhere, anytime. Click the link below for additional information about the Veterans Health Benefits Handbook or call VA at 1 877-222-VETS (8387).
Veterans Health Benefits Handbook
From: Dan Heckman Adjutant-Hubbardston American Legion Located on Jones Rd. mile South of Maple Rapids Rd. Clinton County, Lebanon Twp. Disabled Veterans Hunting Shack Built and sponsored by the Hubbardston American Legion Post #182. It was constructed on the corner of Tim Chartrand, Doug Cusack and Wilson Dairy Farms properties. The shack is 8 x 8, 2 feet off the ground. Its sporting a fivefoot deck with roof and its insulated and heated. A disabled veteran or person can drive to the shack and exit onto the 4 x 8 platform and ascend up the 12-foot ramp. The entire cost was accepted by the American legion. Sons of the American Legion donated $200.00 for the cost, Triple C trucking donated the gravel for the driveway and Cusack Masonry provided some material and equipment. This opportunity is free, with no guarantee for harvesting a deer. DNR rules & Laws Apply.
100% Disabled Veterans Sept. 26-27 Special Disabled firearm hunt, 100% disability Oct. 15-18 Regular Bow season with a crossbow Oct. 1st-Nov. 14th Regular firearm season Nov. 15th-Nov. 30th Appointments or scheduling, call Mid-Mich. Process Serving at (989) 981-6979
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Available Hunting Dates are as Follows
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Michigan Republican Party Facebook Page

Along with building the newsletters Facebook page, which can be found by the link above, the Michigan Republican Party is building their page. If you would like join, please click here.
Old Warrior Camp

From: Hank Fuhs Lt. Col., USAF, Retired, ANG This Hunting Camp was built by a retired Marine First Sergeant with the primary purpose of facilitating the Wounded Warriors as they begin their Journey back to Civilian Life. The First Sergeant is the Commander of the Disabled American Veteran (Manistique Chapter 26) He is also 100% totally disabled. There is no cost to veteransBring a Valid Michigan Hunting License and your sleeping bag. Contact Bob Blevins at (906)-477-0025 for dates and times available.
A clipping from Gene Simon. It does bring up an interesting point. Do we forget?Matthew X. Hauser
We hear stories from around the state about Veterans who are in need of help. Please remember what these men and women have done for this nation. Please remember them, and let our communities not forget what these men and women have sacrificed. Thank you to everyone who has supported this newsletter, and if you know of any veterans who are in need of help let us know and we will put the word out to help. -Matthew X. Hauser Contact us anytime at mhauser@migop.org
Lest We Forget
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From: Don Alsbro and Vicki Dunlop On Nov 4 Lest We Forget of SW MI will have a book signing of their newest book: "Book of Heroes" which features over 90 veteran stories ranging from the Revolutionary War to Iraq/Afghanistan. 80% of the stories feature local Southwestern Michigan veterans and their experiences. However, this book differs from the previous two books in that there are also stories concerning individuals who have made an impact on Lest We Forget and military history. For example, there is a lengthy story on Bob Heft who as a high school student in 1958 designed our 50 star flag that we proudly fly today. Bob was a frequent visitor to Lest We Forget and we loved to hear his story of how he managed to get his flag design recognized in the national contest when there were over 1500 entries. He correctly guessed in 1958 that America would add not just one state (Alaska) but two states (Alaska and Hawaii), so he submitted his 50 star flag in the contest to select the
BIG LEST WE FORGET' "Book of Heroes" and Book Signing on Nov 4
winning the contest to select the 49 star flag design. Another story involves Frank Buckles, the last American WWI veteran who died in Feb 2011 at the age of 110. Lest We Forget made four visits to Frank's home in WVA and our visits are recorded in our story, "Frank Buckles: America's Last WWI Patriot." Arthur "Jibby" Jibilian is another patriot who Lest We Forget was privileged to meet. Jibby is featured in the book by Gregory Freeman, "Forgotten 500." This book is about Operation Halyard in WWII which was the rescue of 500 downed American pilots in Yugoslavia. They were shot down bombing the oil fields of Polesti and harbored by Gen Mihailavich for several months before the U.S. could mount a rescue operation. Jibby was the radio operator of this four man team that parachuted into Yugoslavia and saved the airmen in the largest rescue operation of WWII. Sadly, all of the above mentioned are no longer with us, but their memories are captured in their stories. Lest We Forget has been fortunate to have had the privilege of listening to several Medal of Honor recipients, such as Hershel Williams (WWII), Ron Rosser (Korea) and Duane Dewey (Korea). These individuals are inspiring to listen to. They realize that they are representing the thousands of fellow soldiers who not able to make it home.
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A good example of that is and presently gets around on his Hershel Williams who received his motorized scooter. There is also an MOH because of Iwo Jima. There Agent Orange story by Roddy were 28 Medal of Honors for the 36 Glenn, "My Secret War." Roddy day war on Iwo Jima. Fourteen were has also been suffering the ill effects living and fourteen were killed of this terrible killer. As an aside I during the battle. Of the 14 living, knew two fellow Vietnam officers Hershel is the last living Iwo Jima who died of the effects of Operation MOH recipient. Ranch Hand (the code word for the Hershel was a flame thrower dropping of Agent Orange. One was on Iwo and he lasted in battle for an infantry officer on the ground and four hours. The average the other was an intelligence officer life expectancy of a flame thrower who flew on the Air Force planes in WWII combat was six minutes out of Thailand that dropped the and Hershel far exceeded that. He herbicide on the Vietnam jungles. went thru several flame throwers There is also excerpts from John and two of his support riflemen If anyone is interested in Lest We Forget Podlaski's book "Cherries." John were killed. Hershel now lives in lives in Sterling Heights, MI and was SW Michigan Membership. West Virginia and has become a "cherry" in Vietnam as a member Please contact Don Alsbro at: a minister. He has been to three of the 25th Inf Div and the 501st dealsbro@sbcglobal.net. re-enactments of Lest We Forget Infantry Brigade. His book is and he delivers "one hell'ava serfictious BUT very real. It is about a mon" on patriotism and combat. This year we had over "newbie" who flies across the "big pond" to Vietnam and 400 people listening to every word he said. his acceptance problems joining the unit, thus the While there are over fifty WWII stories in the acronym "Cherry." There is a chapter from his book in book, there are some riveting stories on the Korean our book. Joann Puff-Kotcher also loaned us a chapter War. One of the stories is on Ron Rosser, a Korean War from her book "Donut Dolly: An American Red Cross Medal of Honor recipient. Ron has made several visits to Girl's War in Vietnam." This book is about her experiLest We Forget and his story is one that will never be ences in Vietnam as a Red Cross "Donut Dolly" in forgotten. Ron's unit was pinned down by fire from a 1966-67. Those were the years of one of my Vietnam Chinese unit located in bunkers on a hill above tours and her book book about An Khe, Pleiku, and Ban them. Only 35 of the 176 in his company were still funcMe Tuot brought back memories. Fortunately, for me tioning when Ron's commander ordered Ron to take a those memories were mostly good ones and they were squad up the hill. Ron accepted the mission and gave his reinforced on a return trip that I led in 2009 to "follow me" command. However, as he charged up the Vietnam. Joann's book recently was selected for honors hill he realized that he was the only one that was obeying as one of the top books by new authors for 2012. Joann is the command. He continued the charge and went from also a Michigander living in Rochester Hills. bunker to bunker firing his weapon and throwing There is also several stories about the Vietnam grenades. He had Chinese soldiers climbing all over him. battle of Ia Drang by the First Cavalry Division He ran out of ammo and went back down to the unit and (Airmobile). One of our Lest We Forget members John policed up grenades and ammo from the dead and woundClark was involved in this battle that later became a best ed American soldiers and charged back up the hill. This selling book "We Were Soldiers Once and Young by resulted in more casualties and again he ran out of ammo. General Hal Moore and reporter Joe Galloway. This book He went back down the hill and made a third charge up then was turned into one of the best movies made on with the same results. It is estimated that he was responsiVietnam by Mel Gibson in "We Were Soldiers." John ble for "several hundred" Chinese casualties. His feat was Clark gives us an account of his remembrances of the so heroic that Ted Turner made a full length movie out of battle and newscaster Jack Smith (son of Howard K. his exploits. Smith) who was also involved in the battle gives a stirring There are about twenty stories on Vietnam includspeech on Ia Drang 38 years later. He gave this speech ing several very moving stories on Agent Orange and the several months before he died of cancer. From Jun 1966effects that this poisonous insecticide is still having on Jun 67 I was a member of the First Cavalry Div (11th their lives. Ron Robaska's story "Agent Death" (Agent Aviation Group) so this movie has always had a special Orange) is Killing Me" is very, very powerful. Ron has place in my heart. suffered through several heart attacks, numerous cancers
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Another interesting story on Vietnam is "The Day It Became the Longest War" by Marine General Charles Cooper. General Cooper recounts a day in November 1965 when he participated in a briefing delivered by the Army, Navy, Marine, and Air Force Chiefs of Staffs to President Lyndon Johnson. He talks about the presentations and then President Johnson's explosive reaction to their recommendations. That day in November 1965 is the day that the Vietnam War truly became "the longest war." There is an interesting story by Cheryl Walberg who during the war was Cheryl Lane. Cheryl was notified in 1967 that her Air Force husband who was a pilot had been shot down in North Vietnam and they did not know if he was alive or dead. For five years Cheryl watched the evening news to see if when they showed shots of the POW's in Hanoi Hilton if he was one of them. In 1972 when the POW's came home is when Cheryl learned that he was not among them. She still receives updates from the State Dept that they are still searching for his remains. Cheryl has since remarried and is a member of Lest We Forget. There are several stoies on the present conflicts in the Middle East. One of them is by MI NG flight surgeon COL Brian Dykestra of Kalamazoo. COL Dykstra has been deployed as a CCATT physician (Critical Care Air Transport Team) to Iraq, Afghanistan and Germany in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom and New Dawn. He has more than 400 flight hours in a
number of different aircraft, more than 25 combat sorties and 140 combat flying hours in support of missions. Brian's story is about his present role when activated as Chief Surgeon on the Medevac Flights from Afghanistan to Ramstein AFB and the Army Hospital in Landstuhl (Germany) or from Landstuhl to Walter Reed or other critical care hospitals in the Armed Forces Medical System. His story is about how well equipped these hospital planes are and he takes the reader through the entire medical evacuation process. Having spent 17 of my 32 years in the military in the Medical Service Corps I was very interested in his story. These stories and many more are in the Lest We Forget book, "Book of Heroes." This book is 350 pages long and there is an additional 150 pages on the accompanying CD for the continuation of some of the stories that were too long to be included in the book. To order your copy of the book please send a check or money order for $30 ($25 for the book and $5 postage) to Lest We Forget, 942 Sierra Dr, Benton Harbor MI 49022. Contact info is Don Alsbro 269-921-7176 or dealsbro@sbcglobal.net. Again, on Nov 4 there will be a book signing at 1 pm, at the Silver Beach Carousel, St Joseph MI. There will probably be 40-50 authors present. PS: Book One "WWII Memoirs by Southwestern Michigan Veterans" and book two, "Wartime Memories of SW MI Veterans, Volume 2" are available for $20 each. Vol 2 features stories from WWII, Korea, Vietnam and Desert Storm.
Photo: The first two books published by Lest We Forgot all are available through their online store at: www.lestweforgetusa.org Paid for by the Michigan Republican Party with Regulated Funds. Not authorized by any candidate or candidates committee. 520 Seymour Street, Lansing, MI 48933
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By: Tech. Sgt. Jake Richmond U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron Public Affairs From: Hank Fuhs 12/8/2011 - NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. (AFNS) -- The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds announced their 2012 show schedule Dec. 7. The team is set to perform more than 60 demonstrations in 33 locations, including two shows in Canada. The team, officially known as the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, will again kick-off their season by performing a flyover for the 54th running of NASCAR's Daytona 500 on February. 26. The remainder of the schedule is as follows bellow: March 17: Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz. March 31 and April 1: Lakeland, Fla. April 14-15: Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz. April 21-22: Barksdale AFB, La. April 28-29: Fort Lauderdale, Fla. May 5-6: Shaw AFB, S.C. May 12-13: Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. May 19-20: March Air Reserve Base, Calif. May 23: Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Air Force Academy graduation flyover) May 26-27: Hill AFB, Utah June 2-3: Rockford, Ill. June 9-10: Ocean City, Md. June 16-17: North Kingstown, R.I. June 23-24: Indianapolis, Ind. June 30 & July 1: Battle Creek, Mich. July 7-8: Gary, Ind. July 21-22: Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. July 25: Cheyenne, Wyo. July 28-29: Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska Aug. 4-5: Hillsboro, Ore. Aug. 11-12: Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada Aug. 17: Atlantic City, N.J. Aug. 25-26: Brunswick, Maine Sept. 1-2: Davenport, Iowa Sept. 8-9: Sacramento, Calif. Sept. 15-16: Scott AFB, Ill. Sept. 22-23: Salinas, Calif. Sept. 29-30: McConnell AFB, Kan. Oct. 6-7: Fort Worth, Texas Oct. 13-14: Daytona Beach, Fla. Oct. 20-21: El Paso, Texas Oct. 27-28: Moody AFB, Ga. Nov. 3-4: Homestead Air Reserve Base, Fla. Nov. 10-11: Nellis AFB, Nev.
Thunderbirds Release 2012 Show Schedule
Five F-16 Fighting Falcons of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds demonstration team perform aerial stunts Oct. 8, 2011, during their demonstration at the Legacy of Liberty Open House and Air Show at Holloman Air Force Base, N.M. The team's primary mission is to exhibit the capabilities of modern warfighting aircraft and to demonstrate the high degree of skill maintained by Air Force members serving in a variety of career specialties. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman DeAndre Curtiss)
"We are excited about the upcoming season and representing our fellow American Airmen," said Lt. Col. Greg Moseley, who will command and lead the team in the 2012 show season. "We feel honored to tell the story of U.S. Air Force Airmen serving on the front lines of freedom around the world. We will proudly represent each Airmen with the same pride, precision and professionalism in which they perform their duties each and every day." As of 2012, the Thunderbirds will have been in existence for 59 years, dating back to 1953 when the team flew the straight-winged F-84G Thunderjets. This season will mark the 30th season the squadron has performed in the F-16 Fighting Falcon, the Air Force's premier multirole fighter aircraft. The Thunderbirds team is an Air Combat Command unit composed of eight pilots, including six demonstration pilots, four support officers, four civilians and more than 100 enlisted people serving in about 30 Air Force job specialties. A Thunderbirds aerial demonstration is a mix of formation flying and solo routines. The pilots perform approximately 40 maneuvers in a demonstration. The entire show, including the beginning ground ceremony, lasts about one hour. The air show season lasts roughly from March to November, with the winter months primarily used to train new team members. To learn more about the Thunderbirds, visit the U.S. Air Force Demonstration Team Facebook, Twitter orYouTube pages.
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Legal Help for Veterans

From: James G. Fausone Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC is a law firm located in Northville, Michigan. We have a national practice representing veterans on veterans disability claims. This representation occurs at the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, the Board of Veterans Appeals and regional offices. We have helped veterans collect over $10,000,000 in retro and future benefits. Over the last decade, LHFV has become a trusted name in the legal community for providing legal services to veterans and lecturing at law schools, bar associations and community events. Members of the Legal Help for Veterans practice group are former service members who bring not only legal expertise but an understanding of service and duty. The members of the group have medical and administrative backgrounds as well as finely honed legal skills developed over twenty years of practice and experience. We have represented thousands of veterans and currently have over 650 active clients. For more information about the organization and about legal help for veterans and for contact information www.legalhelpforveterans.com and found on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. Our telephone number is 800.693.4800. Our blog discusses current issues facing veterans and the VA. Typically our clients are enlisted men and women who served post Korea. The Vietnam vet is still the one with the most common problems. These include Agent Orange related disabilities, PTSD, psychiatric or orthopedic injuries. Other vets often have hearing loss, military sexual trauma or tinnitus. We are now seeing Iraq and Afghanistan vets with TBI. Many vets do not even begin the disability claim process until many years after service. The trigger may be unemployability and the need for benefits. With a million claim back log at VA, it is a slow and confusing process and many people need professional help establishing the proper diagnosis and service connection. That is what Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC has been doing for clients for years. We would like to express our appreciation to all of the fighting men and women in the United States Military. Thank you for your service to this country.
From: Rick Briggs, Major, USAF (Ret) The Brain Injury Association of Michigan (BIAMI) Veterans Program utilizes numerous types of outdoor activities to gather Veterans and currently serving military personnel together for a little R&R. These special events are almost always free for the troops depending totally on the kind donations of sponsors and donors. In addition to being a great way to say Thank you for their service, these activities serve as the mechanism to get the troops to open up a little if they are having post-deployment issues. Frequently we find that in the comfortable confines with others who have been there, done that they tend to be more receptive to learn about Invisible Wounds says Rick Briggs the Program Manager, both PTSD and TBI are treatable if they seek the proper help. To find out more about these activities, or to donate to their Veterans Program, please make out checks to BIAMI Veterans Program and send them to 7305 Grand River Suite #100, Brighton, MI 48114 or contact Rick Briggs at veterans@biami.org or call him (810) 2295880 or visit www.biami.org.
Brain Injury Association of Michigan
BIAMI is celebrating its 30th Anniversary as it continues to strive to provide persons with a brain injury and their families, healthcare professionals, and the general public with the resources necessary to enhance brain injury awareness, education, prevention, and support. BIAMI is also fields the first and only dedicated Veterans Program staff within the Brain Injury Association of America.
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About the Brain Injury Association of Michigan (BIAMI):
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MICHIGAN AIR NATIONAL GUARD HISTORY BOOKS

The Michigan Air National Guard Historical Association created a three volume set of history books covering the periods 1926-1996. A fourth volume covering the years 1996 to 2006 is in production and should be available soon. Volume 1 covers the period 1926 to 1976-Cost: $1.00 Volume 2 covers the period 1976 to 1986-Cost: $4.00 Volume 3 covers the period 1986 to 1996-Cost: $1.00 Volume 4 covers the period 1996 to 2010-Cost: $6:00 Full color $35.00 If you wish to purchase one or more of these volumes or are interested in more information, please contact MAGHA at Phone: 586-239-6768, Fax: 586-239-6646, Email: 127.wg.selfridgeairmuseum@ang.af.mil
MANGBANG
From: Eugene (Gene) A. Simon- Command Chief Master Sergeant USAF (Retired) & Matthew X. Hauser As you may have seen in past editions of the newsletter, MANGBANG has been one of our sources. We are thankful for the source and so we just wanted to pass the information along for MANGBANG in case anyone is interested in joining the Michigan Air National Guard Historical Association. You can contact Lou Nigro if you are interested. We think it is a worthwhile investment-it supports the history of the Michigan Air National Guard and his monthly publications are very informative. For those who want to view it on our website (www.selfridgeairmuseum.org, http://www.selfridgeairmuseum.org ), Lt Col Lou Nigro, MI ANG (Ret) Executive Director, Selfridge Military Air Museum Email: louis.nigro@ang.af.mil
From: Dept. Hospital Chairman Merridy Lewis Hospitalized Veterans Writing Program (HVWP). This program helps veterans get their poems and stories down on paper is one of the goals for our volunteers. Volunteer aides help both with a one on one or with groups of patients to help them put their thoughts and feelings into stories and poems. The stories and poems can be submitted to veterans voices, a magazine that publishes the articles that have been submitted. The HVWP does its very best to publish every article that has been submitted following the guide lines.
"Veterans Voices"
It is important to submit the authors name, VAMC facility and state, the authors permanent address the branch of service and duties along with the serial number or social security number. Manuscripts must be original and unpublished, except in VAMC publications. Writers can submit up to three poems, each no longer than 24 lines with 60 character width. Stories no longer than 10 pages, typed using double spacing. This is a brief detail of what HVWP is about. It may be an interest you would like to share with a Veteran on a volunteer basis. This is part of our history for generations yet to come we are losing World War II Veterans every day and we need to hear their stories. For more information about the organization please visit their website at www.veteransvoices.org.
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Two Great Sources for Veterans/Military Legislative Updates in Washington D.C. Simply click the images to view the site.
Military and Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security

Committee Testimony Committee Minutes No SubCommittees Committee Members: Ray A. Franz (R), Committee Chair, 101st District Dale W. Zorn (R), Majority Vice-Chair, 56th District Gail Haines (R), 43rd District Sharon Tyler (R), 78th District Mike Callton (R), 87th District David E. Nathan (D), Minority Vice-Chair, 11th District George T. Darany (D), 15th District Charles Smiley (D), 50th District Lesia Liss (D), 28th District Paul Clemente (D), 14th District Ben Cook, Committee Clerk 517-373-2002 bcook@house.mi.gov
Rep. Ray A. Franz Committee Chair Welcome to the Military and Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security Committee. The committee's regularly scheduled meeting time is Tuesday at 12:00 p.m. in room 308 of the House Office Building in Lansing. I welcome citizens to contact me or other committee members regarding bills or proposals our committee is addressing. Individuals needing special accommodations to participate in a committee meeting may contact my office to request the necessary assistance.
27
Steaming Live for those who serve check it out.

If anyone has any other sites or link they find to be a good source please let us know we will gladly work it in. Please contact us anytime at mhauser@migop.org.
Veterans Radio is dedicated to all of the men and women who have served or are currently serving in the armed forces of the United States of America. Our mission is to provide all veterans with a voice, to give them a forum where they are able to discuss their issuesand tell their stories. You can listen to the show on: WDEO (990-AM Ann Arbor/Detroit), WMAX (1440-AM, Saginaw), WDEO-FM (99.5 FM, Naples FL), KAGY (1510-AM Port Sulfur/New Orleans LA), KIXW (960-AM, Apple Valley CA) and KMRC (1430AM Morgan City, LA). Or, listen to our Webcast and archives at: www.veteransradio.net.
Lest We Forget SW Michigan

Have you ever felt that history, particularly military history, isn't being taught in our schools like it was in the "good old" times? Why is it that many of our high school graduates, some say a majority, don't know who we fought in WWII, who bombed us at Pearl Harbor or worst yet, believe that the holocaust never happened? Our children are not being taught the basic principles that have made this country great! "Lest We Forget" was started by a group of veterans who felt that patriotism was too important of a subject to be given the short shrift that it presently receives in our schools and community. Our operating principle is "To brighten the future we must illuminate the past." We've "illuminated the past" through WWII re-enactments, patriotic concerts, presentations by Medal of Honor recipients, presentation of the American flag to Frank Buckles, our last WWI veteran, TV telecasts to schools throughout the country, participation in local parades, made presentations in our schools on the flag, presented college classes on WWII, Korea and Vietnam wars, published a book of WWII stories by local veterans, presented college classes on WWII, Korea and Vietnam wars, published two books of veterans stories, brought in the VN Wall and honored the Korean vets this year. Next year (2012) Jun 29-Jul 1 we will have D-Day and Iwo Jima beach landings and much more. Remember, "Freedom is NOT free!" Patriotically Yours, Don Alsbro, President COL, US Army (ret) Lest We Forget For more info about Lest We Forget SW MI please visit their website by simply clicking here.
LWF 2010 Group Picture
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For the link to the interview with Rep. Ray Franz please Click Here
Rep. Ray Franz talks about the new Veterans program "Hire Heroes" that can be found online at - http://www.hireheroesusa.org/
A Little Information about Hire Heroes

From: www.hireheroesusa.org Mission: Hire Heroes USA (Hire Heroes) is dedicated to creating job opportunities for US military veterans and their spouses through personalized employment training and corporate engagement. As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, Hire Heroes services are provided at no cost to the veteran. Creating the Opportunity. Headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia, Hire Heroes USA has built a national reputation of excellence for its success at helping unemployed veterans find jobs currently at the rate of one veteran confirmed hired every business day. Our team is comprised of military veterans many with combat experience in Iraq and Afghanistan and business veterans. That mix of military and civilian experience has proven essential to effectively training veterans in the skills of self-marketing and then networking them into good jobs with great companies. The hallmark of the program is a personal approach where each veteran receives dedicated assistance from a highlytrained staff member in order to help them overcome barriers to employment. To become part of this program, click on the tab above that best suits your interest.
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Newsletter Links From Articles For November

DAV Page 1 Newsletters Facebook www.dav.gov www.facebook.com Page 14 Newsletters Scribd Department of Military and www.scribd.com Veterans Affairs Michigan The Post 9/11 GI-Bill www.michigan.gov www.gibill.va.gov Michigan Paralyzed Veterans of America Page 3 ESGR www.michiganpva.org www.esgr.mil Page 15 The USO Spirit of the American Flag www.uso.org www.forgottonheroesusa.com Page 5 Page 18 Social Security Administration MIGOP Facebook U.S House Committee of Veterans www.socialsecurity.gov www.facebook.com Affairs Page 6 www.veterans.house.gov Page 20 TRICARE LEST WE FORGET SW MI Department of Military and www.tricare.mil www.lestweforgetusa.org Veterans Affairs Michigan Joint POW/MIA Accounting www.michigan.gov Page 21 Command Team Pascarella Military and Veterans Affairs and www.jpac.pacom.mil www.teampascarella.com Homeland Security Committee Page 7 www.house.mi.gov Page 24 The Daily Record Legal Help for Veterans Page 28 www.the-daily-record.com www.legalhelpforveterans.com Pentagon Channel Page 10 Brain Injury Association of Michiwww.pentagonchannel.mil TRICARE gan Veterans Radio www.tricare.mil www.biami.org www.veteransradio.net Page 11 Front Lines of Freedom LEST WE FORGET SW MI Page 25 www.frontlinesoffreedom.com VA Home Front www.lestweforgetusa.org www.va.gov/homeless Page 12 Page 29 Metro Detroit Veterans Coalition Hire Heroes USA Page 26 www.metrodetroitveteranscoalition. Michigan Air National Guard www.hireheroesusa.org com www.selfridgeairmuseum.org Also check out the Some Useful Page 13 Page 27 Links Section on Page 2. Social Security Administration U.S. Senate Committee on Thank you for your Support! www.ssa.gov Veterans Affairs DD-214 Form www.veterans.senate.gov www.archives.gov
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Stand Up For Veterans-They Stood Up For US

-The DAV
American Legion Post is in looking for current military members to send care packages to. Please contact Robert Goulet if you know of any military member who might like something. Please see News From American Legion Post 341 below for more information. Thank you very much!
CoordinatorMatthew X. Hauser
Staff & Contributors

Vicki Dunlop Mark Eddy Keith Famie James G. Fausone Rep. Ray Franz Sean M. Furr Denny Gillem Robert Goulet Dr. Jack Grenan John Haggard Larry Harr Dan Heckman
In Memory of Gary Lillie

Louis Nigro Sid Rubin Eugene (Gene) A. Simon Phil Smith Sherry Swann Tim Pascarella Bob Tidmore Rep. Fred Upton Maureen VanHooser Publisher-Hank Fuhs
ContributorsDon Alsbro Rick Briggs Helen Budd Sen. Patrick Colbeck Sam Cottle Rep. Kurt Damrow Matt Davis David Duenow
Dale Hemphill John Hess Norma Housey Sec. of State Ruth Johnson James Julian Adrian Keogh Adele Krovsky Bill Langbehn Merridy Lewis Gary C. Lulenski Claude McManus Chad Miles
News From American Legion Post 341

American Legion Post 341 is seeking the names of troops that are deployed to a combat zone so that we can send them large package of goodies and that their names and address should be sent to the address below. Also post 341 is always seeking new members please contact Robert at the same address if interested. American Legion Post 341 Sr. Vice Commander Robert P. Goulet 6130 Nicholas West Bloomfield, MI rgoulet264@aol.com
Thank you for your service to our country. It is truly the men and women like you who make this nation great, and we must never forget that. Thank you to everyone for all the help you have given us with the newsletter. We have been able to reach more people because of your help. Compared to when we first started, the amount of input and ideas we receive has increased greatly. For that we are very thankful. If you have anything you would like to share, any questions, or have an article idea, please let me know. You may contact us anytime at mhauser@migop.org. Sincerely, Matthew X. Hauser and Lt. Col Hank Fuhs
In Closing
Lest We Forget-A Clip from Hank Fuhs Lt. Col., USAF, Ret, ANG (Just Click the Link Below)
I Fought For You
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Hope you enjoyed the Newsletter!

Please let us know what you thought. Contact Matthew X. Hauser at mhauser@migop.org
We need your help to grow the Newsletter
We are looking for any contact information of individuals or groups that you think would either be interested in receiving our newsletter or interested in writing articles. If you know of anyone please let us know.
Sincerely,
Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.
~Ronald Reagan
Lt. Col. Hank Fuhs & Matthew X. Hauser

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Veterans &amp; Military Families Monthly News-November 2012

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Veterans &amp; Military Families Monthly News-November 2012

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Veterans & Military Families Monthly News

November 2012 Vol. 3 No. 11

The Post-9/11 GI-Bill

Thank you very much!

And much more.

Some Useful Links

Thank you for your Support!

A Note From: Lest We Forget Speakers Bureau

STEP UP AND LEAD

Click the Michigan Flag to access the ESGR Michigan Page

SSA Widow(er)'s Benefits

DISABLED WAYNE COUNTY VETERAN OUTFITTED FOR HUNTING

World War II Memories From Captain Franklin H. Smith-Part III

The World War I Memorial Foundation

A Note From Lt. Col. Hank Fuhs

Three ways to help:

To request a copy of a DD-214 click here.

Mexican Border Duty

The MPVA Mission

WWI Memorial Peace Cross

By: Dale Hemphill-Designer, Spirit of America Flag (dhemp31628@aol.com)

Spirit of the American Flag

Hubbardston American Legion Disable Veteran Hunting

Veterans Health Benefits Handbook

Available Hunting Dates are as Follows

Michigan Republican Party Facebook Page

Old Warrior Camp

BIG LEST WE FORGET' "Book of Heroes" and Book Signing on Nov 4

Thunderbirds Release 2012 Show Schedule

Legal Help for Veterans

Brain Injury Association of Michigan

About the Brain Injury Association of Michigan (BIAMI):

MICHIGAN AIR NATIONAL GUARD HISTORY BOOKS

Military and Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security

Steaming Live for those who serve check it out.

Lest We Forget SW Michigan

LWF 2010 Group Picture

A Little Information about Hire Heroes

Newsletter Links From Articles For November

Stand Up For Veterans-They Stood Up For US

Staff & Contributors

In Memory of Gary Lillie

News From American Legion Post 341

Hope you enjoyed the Newsletter!

Lt. Col. Hank Fuhs & Matthew X. Hauser

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Veterans & Military Families Monthly News-November 2012

Veterans & Military Families Monthly News-November 2012