My Appearance is Coming up on My Point Radio on Sat. April 28th 8 p.m. EST 5 p.m. 



click on the icon or here for My Point Radio

Also Appearing on the Same Show is David L. Robbins, NYT best selling author.

Friday, April 27

He is author of many great historical novels including these great books. 

War of the Rats


"Immensely exciting and terribly authentic...White-knuckle tension as the two most dangerous snipers in Europe hunt each other through the hell of Stalingrad."
—Frederick Forsyth



Last Citadel



"Robbins recreates the battle (of Kursk) in this rousing novel. He has done extensive research into the weapons and planes used in the battle, bringing to life the horrors of war."
—Booklist

Proposal for Cold War Victory Day in New York State on May 1st, 2007

WHEREAS, the Cold War (September 2, 1945 – December 26, 1991) was a long and costly struggle for freedom between the forces of democratic nations, led by the United States, against the tyranny and brutality of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics; and

WHEREAS, the Cold War began after World War II with the threat of world domination in Europe and Asia by the Communist ideology and military action and that this unique war was marked by periodic confrontations between the West and East including international crises such as the Berlin Airlift in 1948, the Korean War, 1950 – 1953, the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, and the Vietnam War, 1960 – 1975; and

WHEREAS, the end of the longest undeclared war in United States history began with the fall of the Berlin Wall, November 1989, and culminated with the collapse of the Soviet Union’s Communist government in December of 1991; and

WHEREAS, tens of thousands of New York State Veterans valiantly served in our nation’s armed forces during this long conflict with many sacrificing their lives; and

WHEREAS, the Cold War Veterans Association (CWVA) – a federally recognized Veteran’s Service Organization with numerous members in New York State has identified May 1^st as the day to commemorate our Victory in the Cold War:

NOW, THEREFORE, I Eliot Spitzer, Governor of the Great State of New York, do hereby proclaim, May 1, 2007 as

Cold War Victory Day

in the State of _New York__ in honor of the brave men and women of __New York__ who helped our victory possible.

Cold War Veterans Association

Sean P. Eagan Director, New York State

14 Valley Street, Jamestown, New York 14701

Phone: 716-708-6416 E-Mail: sean.eagan@gmail.com




April 27th, 2007



Dear Governor Spitzer,

As New York State Director of the Cold War Veterans Association, I urge you to please give a strong show of support for all Cold War Veterans by declaring May 1st, 2007 as Cold War Victory Day.

Our nation remains strong and free because of the sacrifices that I made along with my fellow servicemen and women during the Cold War. Our president declared that we won the Cold War. Yet there has been very little and in some cases no effort to recognize the dedication and sacrifice that we Cold War Veterans made.

Please help us in receiving official appreciation for 2007. Your proclamation of May 1st as Cold War Victory day would send a strong message to the Cold War Veterans of our state that you appreciate and support the sacrifices that they made.

Thank you for taking the time with my request. The men and women who served in the Cold War who are your constituents here is this great state also thank you for supporting us in this important proclamation.

Sincerely,


Sean P. Eagan
New York State, Director
Cold War Veterans Association
CWVA NY 716-708-6416


The Cold War Veterans Association is a tax-exempt 501(c)(19) Veterans Service Organization open to honorably discharged veterans who served during the Cold War period – September 2, 1945 to December 26, 1991

Cold War survival kits discovered

Tamiko Lowery / Opelika-Auburn News
April 23, 2007






A local church stairwell kept Cold War secrets of survival under lock and key for 40 years.

Construction workers at First Baptist Church of Opelika, 301 S. Eighth St., recently unlocked historic secrets during the church’s renovation project.

"We’re still in shock," said Ken Adams, director of building maintenance at FBCO. "We were just amazed to find old stuff like that. All the medical kits were still intact. There were crackers, too, and one of the guys tried one, but said it was stale. So we threw the crackers out."

While the food didn’t fare well over time, the Cold War survival kits did. The historical treasures found at the church have since been given to the Museum of East Alabama, located at 121 S. Ninth St., for display Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

"The medical kits were dated in the ‘60s," said Glenn Buxton, executive director of the Museum of East Alabama.

"This morning, we were given a 17 and a half-gallon metal barrel. We’re pleased to have this piece of local history," he said Friday.

Local history means something to retired Lt. Col. Albert Killian, who has been a member of First Baptist Church of Opelika since 1941. He says that he, along with others, got a charge out of finding fall-out shelter items popular in the 1960s housed in a holy place.

"I thought, ‘How about that,’ " Killian said. "There was an emergency toilet made out of a tin container that had toilet paper and a disposable chemical bag."

While it was not uncommon for churches to serve as Cold War bomb shelters for the U.S. Department of Civil Defense, he says, recent church findings are a surprise - especially since the items have been well preserved.

"It’s a leftover from an era past when the threat of a nuclear explosion was upon us," Killian said.

Cold War submariner ends 30+ years of silence

Water pours from ports on the bottom of the Pickerel during an emergency surface. Crews filled ballast tanks with seawater to dive, Dunn said. During an emergency surface, they closed the ballast tank valves on the top of the submarine and forced air into the tanks, which pushed the water out the ports, causing the submarine to shoot to the surface.


Jim Dunn was scrubbing the deck of a seaplane tender at White Beach, Okinawa, when a submarine docked on the other side of the pier.

Submariners were volunteers, he said. They received incentive pay, ate better than anyone else in the Navy, dressed in civilian clothes when they went on liberty and stayed out as late as they wanted.

It was 1958, and Dunn was 21 years old. When he had liberty it was "Cinderella liberty" - he had to wear his uniform and be back at midnight.

"I decided I was in the wrong Navy and volunteered to be a submariner."

He had to pass psychological tests, pressure tests and enter the bottom of a 100-foot diving tower and "blow and go" bubbles until he reached the top.

The air pressure at the bottom of the tank was 50 pounds per square inch, he said. The higher he went, the more the air expanded inside his lungs. Blowing bubbles kept them from bursting.

Deep water exerts a lot of pressure, he said. A line tied across the inside hull of a submarine will droop halfway to the floor when it dives to 1,000 feet. Submarines would implode if they went too deep.

The first submarine Dunn "rode" was the Gudgeon, a diesel, fast-attack submarine built after World War II.

It traveled 5 or 6 knots an hour at 400 feet, he said, had to come to periscope depth twice a day to vent exhaust, and it dripped hydraulic fluid onto the bunks. But he liked it because on a submarine, officers and enlisted men "were all the same."

"In the words of Admiral (Bruce) DeMars: 'We belonged to a very elite group,'" Dunn said.

Even the Soviet crews that they followed were considered brother submariners.

Dunn had to learn every job on the Gudgeon to qualify to be a submariner. It took him more than six months.

A submariner has to know everybody's job, Dunn said, because when something goes wrong, there usually are only seconds to respond.

Dunn also qualified for and served on four other subs during his 16 years as a submariner: the Tiru and Pickerel, diesel submarines built at the end of World War II; and the Flasher and Tautog, nuclear-powered submarines. Dunn served on the Tautog for more than five years.

Nuclear subs could travel 25 knots an hour at a depth of 1,000 feet and stay submerged for months at a time.

"As long as we had food - that was the big thing," Dunn said.

Dunn was a quartermaster, a term the Navy once used for a navigator.

On the Gudgeon, he had used maps, stars and the LORAN-A navigation system, which measured the time interval between three or more low-frequency, land-based radio transmitters to determine the position of a ship to within 10 to 15 miles.

By the time he was assigned to the Tautog, he was using satellite trackers.

Life on a nuclear sub was very, very secretive, Dunn said.

Crew members could never tell their family and friends what they were doing or where they had been.

And living inside a machine-filled, metal tube 1,000 feet below the surface of the ocean required some adjustments.

"When you worked on a submarine, you bathed before you left," Dunn said, "because fresh water was always in short supply."

Their water was distilled from sea water, he said. Even their oxygen was manufactured from sea water.

There were never enough bunks, Dunn said. Petty officers had their own bunks in the "mole hole," but the rest of the crew lived with "hot bunking." When one submariner was on watch, another slept in his bunk.

Dunn was assigned to the Tautog in December 1969 as lead quartermaster.

The Soviets had a submarine base at Petropavlovsk on the Kamchatka Peninsula in the North Pacific, he said.

"Between 1945 and 1991, there was always a U.S. submarine submerged off the coast of Petropavlovsk 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year," Dunn said. "But no one would talk about it."

In June of 1970, the Tautog was two weeks into an eight-month-long West Pac (Western Pacific) tour when its crew discovered a new Soviet Echo II, K-class guided missile submarine about 14 miles west of Petropavlovsk.

The Tautog followed the Soviet sub for 1' days while it did its sea trials - moving back and forth, doing figure-eights, sharp turns and dives, with the Tautog right behind.

Suddenly, about 2 a.m. on June 24, the Tautog's sonar operators lost track of the Soviet sub.

Dunn had just finished his watch and was sleeping when he heard the sound of grinding metal and was thrown into the corner of his bunk.

Barefoot and half dressed, he scrambled up the ladder to his station in the control room. Broken coffee cups covered the floor. The captain was in his bathrobe.

Damage reports poured in: The Soviet sub had collided with the Tautog's sail (the part above the deck), ruptured the Tautog's top hatch and flooded the trunk of the sail.

If the Tautog stayed in the area, it would have been scuttled or forced to surface, Dunn said.

"There was only one thing to do."

The captain ordered the sub to drop to 1,000 feet and head south.

Dunn was calculating the track when he heard the sonar man say that it sounded like the Soviet sub was breaking up. Dunn pushed the thought away; he had too much to do.

Later it hit him, Dunn said. The Soviet sub would have gone down with as many as 130 submariners on board.

"I felt horrible," Dunn said. "I had problems sleeping for years. I would try to go to sleep and have weird dreams that I was in a coffin, and someone was trying to push the lid down when I was trying to get out." Read Entire Article from the Casa Grande Dispatch

Islamo-Fascism Awareness Day
Terrorism Awareness Project: Islamo Fascism Awareness Day



Join the Terrorism Awareness Project in a mass-screening of Obsession: Radical Islam’s War against the West

Towanda American Legion honors first female commander

TOWANDA - Charlotte Madden Gates of Towanda was honored at a banquet held on Sunday afternoon for her 10-plus years of service to the Towanda American Legion Post 42 Honor Guard.

At the event, which more than 60 people attended, Gates received a citation from the Pennsylvania House of Representatives presented to her by Rep. Tina Pickett; a certificate from the Veterans' Appreciation Committee; and a pin presented to her by Joyce Richlin, member of the Post 42 Ladies Auxiliary, according to Diane Elliott of Towanda.

Gates was also honored with a birthday cake during the banquet in celebration of her 84th birthday, which was April 15, Elliott explained.

According to Dan Rungo, vice commander, Gates was the first woman in Bradford County to volunteer for the draft during World War II. Gates served in the Marine Corps from 1943 until 1945 as a telephone operator at Camp Pendleton, Calif. During that time she also was a member of the Woman's Marine Dance Band, "Camp Bugler." "I was real popular then," Gates said.
Gates was "first and only" woman commander of the Towanda American Legion Post, and according to Rungo, she was also a member of the Ladies Auxiliary for many years, as well as being instrumental in forming the color guard and honor guard.

"I have enjoyed all the years of work," said Gates, who added that she especially enjoyed the funeral guard color guard. "We do it for any veteran even if they aren't a member of the post," something which not all posts will do, said Gates.

"I thank everyone for doing this; it was nice," Gates said as she expressed her gratitude to everyone who honored her at Sunday's banquet.

Gretchen Balshuweit can be reached at (570) 265-1639 or by e-mailing: gbalshuweit@thedailyreview.com.

thedailyreview.com

Title of the Photo is (Fort)Sill-1
czarnick

A Must Read Email

This is a email I recieved from Roger Helbig at theveteran2@yahoogroups.com





From: Robert P. Walsh
Sent: Sunday, April 22, 2007 9:35 AM
To: Mike Bird , Col Dan
Subject: FW: From a pilot on his trip back home ...

We do not have bad news coverage in this country. We have NO news coverage
in this country.

Bob Walsh

From a pilot on his trip back home ...

February 17, 2007,
0350

I was at curbside at 24th and M, Washington DC. 16 Degrees with a light
breeze. Going west after my second week of freezing temps to my warm home in
SoCal. Take a walk on the beach, ride a horse, climb a mountain and get back
to living. I'm tired of the cold.

0425

paying the taxi fare at Dulles in front of the United Airlines counter,
still cold.

0450

engaged the self-serve ticket machine and it delivers my ticket, baggage tag
and boarding pass. Hmmm, that Marine over there is all dressed up in his
dress blues a bit early this morning... "Good Morning Captain, you're
looking sharp." He says, "Thank you, sir."

Pass security and to my gate for a decaf coffee and 5 hours sleep. A quick
check of the flight status monitor and UA Flt 211 is on time. I'm up front,
so how bad can that be? Hmmm, there's that same Marine. He must be heading
to Pendleton to see his lady at LAX for the long weekend, all dressed up
like that. Or maybe not. I dunno.

The speaker system announces "Attention in the boarding area, we'll begin
boarding in 10 minutes, we have some additional duties to attend to this
morning, but we'll have you out of here on time."

The Marine Captain has now been joined by five others. BINGO, I get it,
he's not visiting his lady, he's an official escort. I remember doing that
once, CACO duty. I still remember the names of the victim and family, the
Bruno Family in Mojave - all of them. Wow, that was 24 years ago.

On board, 0600:

"Good morning folks, this is the Captain. This morning we've been
attending to some additional duties, and I apologize for being 10 minutes
late for push back, but I believe we'll be early into LAX. This morning it
is my sad pleasure to announce that 1st LT Jared Landaker, USMC will be
flying with us to his Big Bear home in Southern California. Jared lost his
life over the skies of Iraq earlier this month, and today we have the honor
of returning him home along with his mother, father and brother . Please
join me in making the journey comfortable for the Landaker family and their
uniformed escort. Now sit back and enjoy your ride. We're not expecting
any turbulence until we reach the Rocky Mountain area, but we'll do what we
can to ensure a smooth ride. For those interested, you can listen in to our
progress on Channel 9."

Click Channel 9: "Good morning UA 211. You are cleared to taxi, takeoff
and cleared to LAX as filed."

4 hours and 35 minutes later over Big Bear, CA, the AB320 makes a left roll,
a steep bank and then one to the right. Nice touch. Nice tribute. Five
minutes out from landing, the Captain comes on the speaker: "Ladies and
Gentlemen, after landing I'm leaving the fasten seatbelt sign on, and I ask
everyone to please yield to the Landaker family. Please remain seated until
all members of the family have departed the aircraft. Thank you for your
patience. We are 20 minutes early."

On roll out, I notice red lights, emergency vehicles approaching. We're
being escorted directly to our gate, no waiting, not even a pause. Out the
left window, a dozen Marines in full dress blues. A true class act by
everyone, down to a person. Way to go United Airlines for doing things
RIGHT, Air Traffic Control for getting the message, and to all security
personnel for your display of brotherhood.

When the family departed the aircraft everyone sat silent, then I heard a
lady say,"God Bless you and your family, and thank you." Then a somber round
of applause. The Captain read a prepared note from Mrs. Landaker to the
effect, "Thank you all for your patience and heartfelt concern for us and
our son. We sincerely appreciate the sentiment. It's good to have Jared
home."

After departing the aircraft I found myself along with 30 others from our
flight looking out the lobby window back at the plane. Not a dry eye. It was
one of the most emotional moments I've ever experienced. We all stood there
silently, and watched as Jared was taken by his honor guard to an awaiting
hearse. Then the motorcade slowly made it's way off the ramp.

I realized I had finally seen the silent majority. It is deep within us
all. Black, Brown, White, Yellow, Red, Purple, we're all children, parents,
brothers, sisters, etc - we are an American family.

Official Report: February 7, 2007, Anbar Province, Iraq .. 1st LT Jared
Landaker United States Marine Corps, from Big Bear California, gave his
live in service to his country. Fatally wounded when his CH-46 helicopter
was shot down by enemy fire. Jared and his crew all perished. His life was
the ultimate sacrifice of a grateful military family and nation.



His death occurred at the same time as Anna Nicole Smith, a drug using
person with a 7th grade education of no pedigree who dominated our news for
two weeks while Jared became a number on CNN. And most unfortunately,
Jared's death underscores a fact that we are a military at war, not a nation
at war.

It has been said that Marines are at war - America is at the mall.

1st LT Landaker, a man I came to know in the sky's over America on 17
February 2007, from me to you, aviator to aviator, I am unbelievably
humbled. It was my high honor to share your last flight. God bless you.
_____

War Becomes Personal at Academy

War is what cadets train for at the nation's oldest private military academy.

The grim reality of that career path is hitting home for the officers-to-be in the student body at Norwich University with the deaths of two former students in Iraq, within three days of each other.

"It's kind of like surreal now because before I heard names, you know, and I saw pictures and I didn't know them so it was kind of removed," said senior Cadet Jonathan Pride, 21, who graduates next month and will be commissioned an Army lieutenant. "Now, it's somebody I know. It's kind of like 'Wow, there really is a war out there.'"

Norwich, founded in 1819, has been training officers for battle on its picturesque hilltop campus since before the Civil War.

The school lost at least 52 graduates in the Civil War, 16 in World War I, 86 in World War II, three in Korea and 22 in Vietnam, although college officials say the numbers are imprecise.

And since the war began in Iraq, it has lost four graduates, including two this month:

_Army Capt. Anthony Palermo Jr., 27, of Brockton, Mass., was killed April 6 by an improvised explosive device that detonated near his Humvee in Baghdad. He attended Norwich for four years before graduating from Bridgewater State College in Massachusetts in 2003.

_Army Sgt. Adam Kennedy of Norfolk, Mass., was killed April 8 when he was hit while on patrol near Diwaniyah, Iraq. He graduated from Norwich in 2004.

"For the last three or four days, almost every senior I've talked to that's going to be commissioning in the Army had some kind of different temperance about them," said junior Kim Sorber, of Dallas, Pa., who is due to receive her commission in just over a year. "They've got some kind of, not even hesitance, but just a different, lower, more modest temperance about them."

Last year, Norwich produced more second lieutenants for the Army than any other college except the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

Not every student is headed for a military career. Of the 1,950 who attend, 1,150 are members of the Corps of Cadets and only a portion of those are seeking officers' commissions.

It is an "awesome responsibility to prepare them, to guide them," said Commandant of Cadets Michael Kelley, a 1974 graduate and retired Army colonel. "The group that's here today came post 9/11. Every one of them knew the world order had changed."

During his student years at Norwich, five alumni died in Vietnam. But Kelley couldn't remember anything being done for any of them. Today, however, "our students take so proudly the service of others," he said.

Fallen Norwich graduates are remembered on the Harmon Wall, a granite monument on which are inscribed the names of graduates and others who have contributed to the community, not just those killed in action. It is named for former Norwich President Gen. Ernest Harmon.

Kennedy and Palermo, whose names will be on the wall's yet-to-be inscribed 2007 section, also will be remembered by the Corps of Cadets at a May 3 ceremony known as "echo taps."

The entire Corps of Cadets will gather in full dress uniform just before 11 p.m. and be called to attention with whispered orders. Following a salute of 21 shots by a firing party, two buglers at different locations on campus will play taps, a beat apart, just enough to make the sound appear to echo.

Pride and Sorber attended echo taps for 1st Lt. Mark Dooley, a 2001 graduate killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq in September 2005.

Pride was a member of the firing party.

"I was crying on the platform," Pride said. "It can be anybody. It can be him, it can be Kim, it can be anybody. We are all connected in this. We are at a small school. We are all connected in some way. It was almost as if part of me died."

AP full article

___

Pilot Killed in S.C. Blue Angel Crash

Navy Blue Angel jet crashed during an air show Saturday, plunging into a neighborhood of small homes and trailers and killing the pilot.

Witnesses said the planes were flying in formation during the show at the Marine Corps Air Station at about 4 p.m. and one dropped below the trees and crashed, sending up clouds of smoke.

Raymond Voegeli, a plumber, was backing out of a driveway when the plane ripped through a grove of pine trees, dousing his truck in flames and debris. He said wreckage hit "plenty of houses and mobile homes."

"It was just a big fireball coming at me," said Voegeli, 37. "It was just taking pine trees and just clipping them."

Witnesses said metal and plastic wreckage _ some of it on fire _ hit homes in the neighborhood, located about 35 miles northwest of Hilton Head Island. William Winn, the county emergency management director, said several homes were damaged. Eight people on the ground were injured.

The crash took place in the final minutes of the air show, said Lt. Cmdr. Anthony Walley, a Blue Angel pilot. The pilots were doing a maneuver which involved all six planes joining from behind the crowd to form a Delta triangle, said Lt. Cmdr. Garrett D. Kasper, spokesman for the Blue Angels. One plane did not rejoin the formation.

Walley said the name of the pilot would not be released until relatives were notified of the death. A Navy statement said the pilot had been on the team for two years _ and it was his first as a demonstration pilot.

"Our squadron and the entire U.S. Navy are grieving the loss of a great American, a great Naval officer and a great friend," Walley said.

Kasper said all possible causes of the crash are under investigation, and it could take at least three weeks for an official cause to be released.

John Sauls, who lives near the crash site, said the planes were banking back and forth before one disappeared, and a plume of smoke shot up.

"It's one of those surreal moments when you go, 'No, I didn't just see what I saw,'" Sauls said.

The Blue Angels fly F/A-18 Hornets at high speeds in close formations, and their pilots are considered the Navy's elite. They don't wear the traditional G-suits that most jet pilots use to avoid blacking out during maneuvers. The suits inflate around the lower body to keep blood in the brain, but which could cause a pilot to bump the control stick _ a potentially deadly move when flying inches from other planes.

Instead, Blue Angels manage G-forces by tensing their abdominal muscles.

The last Blue Angel crash that killed a pilot took place in 1999, when a pilot and crewmate were killed while practicing for air shows with the five other Blue Angels jets at a base in Georgia.

Saturday's show was at the beginning of the team's flight season, and more than 100,000 people were expected to attend. The elite team, which is based at Pensacola Naval Air Station, recently celebrated its 60th anniversary.

The 2007 team has a new flight leader and two new pilots; Blue Angel pilots traditionally serve two-year rotations.

Kasper said the team would return to Florida on Sunday afternoon. "We will regroup," he said.

Taken Question
Office of the Spokesman
Washington, DC
April 17, 2007
Question Taken at April 17, 2007 Daily Press Briefing

North Korea -- Return of the USS Pueblo

Question: Have we received an offer from the North Koreans to return the USS Pueblo? Are there any conditions? Would we consider such an offer?

Answer: We have not heard officially from the D.P.R.K. about the USS Pueblo. The D.P.R.K. did not offer to return the ship during the Richardson-Principi visit, and the U.S. government members of the delegation declined an offer of a tour of the vessel.

As we have said previously, the USS Pueblo is the property of the United States government and it should be returned to the United States. North Korea's seizure of the vessel and its detention of the crew were in violation of international law.

Podcast mp3

Transcript:
complete
USS Pueblo Q&A

The Wonderful World of Radical Islam

Maine Veterans Contact Your State Representatives
Keep May 1st as Victory Day

Find Your Elected Officials Here

I just received a legislative Update from Jerald Terwilliger Maine State Director of Cold War Veterans Association he needs your help to keep Maine in line with the other 14 states have declared it as May 1 and with the date the CWVA has chosen.


Once again please contact your Maine Representative and urge them to vote for bill LD111 as introduced.





I have just received word from Representative Duprey that there is an amendment to his bill that would change the date from May 1, which is the date the CWVA is trying to get, to November 9th, and change it from Cold War Victory Day to Cold War Remembrance Day.

So far there are ten members who want the original date and three who want the amended date.

Please contact your state representatives and ask them to vote for bill LD111 as introduced by Representative Duprey. This is very important that we have the original date and wording.

This will keep Maine in line with the other 14 states have declared it as May 1. And with the date the CWVA has chosen.

Once again please contact your Maine Representative and urge them to vote for bill LD111 as introduced.

Sincerely

Jerald Terwilliger
Maine State Director
Cold War Veterans Association

M-60A3 Tank Becomes Memorial in Upstate New York

Local veterans procured a tank for the Sullivan County Veterans Cemetery in Liberty, NY. It will be a "static memorial." First, it had to be shipped, then unloaded, which is what this video shows. They pull it off its trailer with a truck, while one guy sits inside the tank, ready to hit the breaks.

Vestiges of The Cold War Now Fuel American Power Plants

Cold War Weapons Fuel Clean Energy for America

--Megatons to Megawatts Program Fuels Nuclear Power Plants across America--

BETHESDA, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Megatons to Megawatts program has eliminated the equivalent of 12,000 nuclear warheads, USEC Inc. (NYSE:USU - News) announced today.To date, 300 metric tons (MT) of highly enriched uranium (HEU) from Russian nuclear warheads have been downblended to low enriched uranium (LEU) as part of this vital energy and nonproliferation program. America's commercial nuclear reactors use this LEU to generate about 10 percent of the country's electricity. The program is now 60 percent complete.

USEC, as executive agent for the U.S. government, implements the 20-year agreement with its Russian partner at no cost to U.S. taxpayers. By the program's completion in 2013, 500 MT of HEU, the equivalent of 20,000 nuclear warheads, will be downblended into LEU.

Through 2006, USEC has paid more than $4.6 billion to Russia. With annual purchases of more than $500 million, USEC expects to pay Russia more than the $7.6 billion in revenue guaranteed under the contract by the end of 2013. The price USEC pays Russia is set by a market-based pricing formula and will rise over the next several years since market prices have increased in recent years. Read Article

Susan Collins (R) Maine Co-Sponsors Cold War Medal Bill

Press Realease:

April 13, 2007

Washington, DC -


U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Hillary Rodham Clinton today announced that they are reintroducing bipartisan legislation in the Senate to establish a military service medal to honor Cold War Veterans. The Cold War Medal Act of 2007 honors those veterans who fought for our freedom and served their nation admirably during the Cold War.

“I am pleased to be an original cosponsor of this legislation to honor the members of our Armed Forces who served honorably during the Cold War,” said Senator Collins. “Throughout our nation’s history, the heroes who wear the uniforms of the American Armed Forces put the comforts of civilian life aside to advance the cause of freedom. The veterans of the Cold War did their duty with honor and distinction. The Cold War Medal would be an appropriate means of expressing our gratitude for their devotion and sacrifice.”

“It is important that we not forget those who served during the Cold War, a decades long struggle in which the forces of freedom eventually triumphed. Our victory in the Cold War was made possible by the willingness of millions of Americans in uniform to stand prepared against the threat from behind the Iron Curtain. Our victory in the Cold War was a tremendous accomplishment and the men and women who served during that time deserve to be recognized,” said Senator Clinton.

Specifically, the legislation would authorize the Secretary of Defense to issue a service medal, to be known as the Cold War Service Medal, to those who performed active duty or inactive duty training as an enlisted member or commissioned officer during the Cold War. For the purpose of the Act, the Cold War would be determined as the period beginning on September 2, 1945 and ending December 26, 1991.

Similar legislation was also introduced today in the House of Representatives by Congressman Robert Andrews (D-NJ).

Clinton Press Release:

April 12, 2007

Senators Clinton, Collins and Representative Andrews Announce Reintroduction of Legislation to Establish Military Service Medal to Honor Cold War Veterans

Washington, DC - Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) and Susan M. Collins (R-ME) and Representative Robert E. Andrews (D-NJ) today announced they are reintroducing legislation in the Senate and House of Representatives to establish a military service medal to honor Cold War Veterans. The Cold War Medal Act of 2007 honors those veterans who fought for our freedom and served their nation admirably during the Cold War.

"It is important that we not forget those who served during the Cold War, a decades long struggle in which the forces of freedom eventually triumphed. Our victory in the Cold War was made possible by the willingness of millions of Americans in uniform to stand prepared against the threat from behind the Iron Curtain. Our victory in the Cold War was a tremendous accomplishment and the men and women who served during that time deserve to be recognized," said Senator Clinton.

"I am pleased to be an original cosponsor of this legislation to honor the members of our Armed Forces who served honorably during the Cold War," said Senator Collins. "Throughout our nation's history, the heroes who wear the uniforms of the American Armed Forces put the comforts of civilian life aside to advance the cause of freedom. The veterans of the Cold War did their duty with honor and distinction. The Cold War Medal would be an appropriate means of expressing our gratitude for their devotion and sacrifice."

"The Cold War was a global military operation that was highly dangerous and sometimes fatal for the brave soldiers, sailors, airmen and women, and Marines engaged in the campaign," said Representative Andrews. "It was a critical period in our country's history. The millions of American veterans who served around the world to help us win this conflict deserve a unique medal in recognition and thanks for their service."

Specifically, the legislation would authorize the Secretary of Defense to issue a service medal, to be known as the Cold War Service Medal, to those who performed active duty or inactive duty training as an enlisted member or commissioned officer during the Cold War. For the purpose of the Act, the Cold War would be determined as the period beginning on September 2, 1945 and ending December 26, 1991.

Senator Clinton and Representative Andrews first introduced the Cold War Medal Act during the 108th Congress and reintroduced the bill during the 109th Congress.

Cold War Medal on Moscows Radar Screen

Clinton Supports Cold War Medal

The Moscow Times

Three U.S. lawmakers, including Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton, are reintroducing legislation to establish a military service medal to honor Cold War veterans.

Senator Clinton, along with Republican Senator Susan Collins and Democratic Congressman Robert Andrews, have introduced the Cold War Medal Act of 2007 in the U.S. Senate and Congress, according to a statement posted on Clinton's web site late last week.

Apr 16, 2007 5:57 PM

Vets Are Home and Homeless: San Fran Chronicle
Important article on homeless vets below. Please check it out, post it, and pass it on.
For more on homeless vets and the story of Herold Noel, please check out the important film

Press Kit


When I Came Home.







Trailer



San Francisco Chronicle
Sunday, April 15, 2007

Vets are home and homeless
After fighting in Iraq, some end up on streets

Jonathan Curiel, Chronicle Staff Writer

Three years ago, when he returned from Iraq and a stint in the U.S. Army, Herold Noel thought he'd be treated as a hero. Instead, he faced a series of degradations, including learning he was ineligible for public-housing assistance.

That's when Noel went back to the red Jeep that had become his home at night. That's when Noel -- fueled by alcohol -- took out a gun. That's when Noel fired the bullet intended to pierce his skull and kill himself instantly.

Noel misfired, then passed out. When he woke up, he realized what had happened.

"I was fed up with this situation," he says now, speaking on the phone from New York about the housing setbacks, job rejections and other stresses that pushed him to attempt suicide. "I just felt like I'd rather die on my feet than on my knees. This country was putting me on my knees. I said I'd rather die with a little bit of pride, because they stripped me away from all that."

Homelessness was a central factor in Noel's desperation, just as it is for many veterans returning to cities and towns all across the United States from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

On any given night, an estimated 100 to 300 vets who were part of Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom (the government's name for its Afghanistan campaign) live in transient conditions, according to organizations that help homeless ex-GIs. These men and women who once proudly represented the U.S. military now live on the street, in shelters, in their cars, with their friends -- anywhere they can unload their belongings for a night or two or longer. The number may seem low, but homeless advocates worry that these wars will eventually produce tens of thousands of homeless vets, as the Vietnam War did.

Brian Dadds, a Navy veteran whose ship monitored missile strikes on Iraq in the war's first months, now bides his time in San Francisco, where he has slept everywhere from Ocean Beach to a city-run homeless shelter. His hair much longer than in his military days, Dadds, 24, says he'll often just "walk around town" before deciding on a place to sleep.

Swords to Ploughshares, the San Francisco organization that helps former military personnel who are homeless, has seen more than 20 Iraq War veterans. Vietnam Veterans of California, which has temporary housing sites throughout Northern California, says it has assisted more than 60 veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom who were in need of permanent housing.

Historians often compare the Iraq war to Vietnam in terms of scope, casualties and military aims gone awry, but for homeless advocates, there's a disturbing difference between the conflicts: The Vietnam War, which lasted more than a decade, produced a steady stream of homeless vets in the years after hostilities ended; the Iraq and Afghanistan campaigns, which are less than 6 years old, have resulted in homeless vets while hostilities are still going on.

Many of those who join today's volunteer army, like Noel, come from economically depressed backgrounds, say homeless advocates, and when they return home, they face the same financial vulnerabilities they had before, but now they might suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (Noel has been diagnosed with it) and might rely on alcohol or other drugs to cope with their traumas. They may also be reluctant to admit their problems to the Department of Veterans Affairs or the many nongovernmental organizations that help homeless veterans.

"What happens sometimes is that young men and women come home from Iraq and Afghanistan, and they think everything is going to be cool and that life is going to begin again," says Cheryl Beversdorf, president of the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans in Washington. "But then things start occurring, like they begin recognizing symptoms of PTSD or depression or whatever, and some people say, 'I'm not going to the VA -- that's where my dad went.' Or they say, 'There's nothing wrong with me.' Or they don't know about community-based organizations (that help homeless vets)."

About 200,000 veterans are homeless in the United States, according to estimates by the Department of Veterans Affairs, with about 80,000 having been in Vietnam. About 2.8 million Americans served in Vietnam. So far 1.5 million U.S. troops have been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Judging by experience, tens of thousands of Americans who went to Iraq and Afghanistan will eventually become homeless -- a number that Veterans Affairs is woefully unprepared for, says Paul Rieckhoff, a former Army lieutenant who fought in Iraq in 2003 and 2004 and now heads a group called Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, which lobbies on behalf of homeless vets.

"History is repeating itself," Rieckhoff says. "Systemwide, there's not an adequate plan in place to deal with homelessness. ... It starts with a lack of adequate transitional resources and capacity, but there's also a lack of beds, a lack of outreach, a lack of good data. One of my biggest criticisms of the VA is that they don't have an accurate tracking mechanism. If you ask the secretary of the VA how many people are homeless, he won't be able to tell you adequately. He can't even tell you how many people are dead, because there is no registry. That's one of the legislative initiatives that we've been pushing for -- a Department of Defense registry that tracks everyone from the moment they get home."

After the Vietnam War, the Department of Veterans Affairs did establish homeless outreach programs around the country. VA medical centers, such as the one in San Francisco's outer Richmond District, have coordinators who specialize in homeless services. The VA has a national director of homeless programs and a multimillion-dollar budget that, among other things, pays for temporary housing. But the staggering number of Vietnam vets still on the streets 30 years after the war ended reveals the extent of the problem, including the VA's role, say homeless advocates.

Upon returning to the United States, veterans must register with a system already backlogged with 400,000 applications for disability benefits, a bottleneck that puts veterans at risk of homelessness, warns Linda Bilmes, a Harvard lecturer in Public Policy who is the author of a paper published in January, "Soldiers Returning from Iraq and Afghanistan: The Long-term Costs of Providing Veterans Medical Care and Disability Benefits."

During the long wait for their first disability check -- six months or longer -- "veterans, particularly those in a state of mental distress, are most at risk for serious problems, including suicide, falling into substance abuse, divorce, losing their job, or becoming homeless," Bilmes warns in her report.

Noel was one of those vets forced to wait six months for his first disability check. At one point, he stayed in a homeless shelter in the Bronx, where he says someone stole his Iraq War medals and photos. Noel would sometimes sleep on the roof of a building. His nightmares followed him wherever he went.

During his seven months in Iraq in 2003 and 2004, Noel delivered fuel for tanks and other military vehicles. His tanker was shelled by militants, and every time he took to Iraq's roadways, Noel feared he would be killed. During his deliveries, he carried an M16 that he fired at people he believed were trying to harm him. In other interviews he's given after his appearance in the 2005 documentary "When I Came Home" (which is about homeless veterans), Noel has implied that he had killed eight Iraqis. He says he witnessed the deaths or dead bodies of many other people.

After Iraq, Noel's marriage collapsed in divorce. Two of his three kids lived with another family in New York, while he and one son slept in Noel's SUV, usually parking it on the streets of Brooklyn. "Although he now can afford to rent his own apartment, Noel still has thoughts of suicide.

"We came back to a country that won't fight for us," Noel says. "We're still sacrificing." Noel, 27, says homelessness among former service members should spark as much outrage as the conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where a Washington Post probe prompted a shakeup.

The government is trying to do something about vet homelessness, says Peter Dougherty, director of homeless programs for Veterans Affairs. In the past 15 years, as the VA has boosted services to homeless vets, the number of ex-GIs who are homeless has decreased by 50,000, he says. About 300 members of the military who saw duty in Iraq and Afghanistan have stayed in VA-sponsored housing for homeless veterans, Dougherty says. Instead of being a foreboding sign, he says, the number of new veterans seeking shelter is an opportunity for the government to work with veterans in vulnerable positions -- to offer assistance before problems get out of control.

"I'm of the theory that the earlier we can intervene, the better off that veteran is going to be," Dougherty says. "Some people always ask me, 'Isn't it tragic that we're seeing these veterans?' Well, it's tragic we're seeing anyone. But I think the best news we have is that the earlier we see them, the more likely it is that they're going to get better, faster, and get on with their lives." Read entire article

Download a Copy of the Cold War Service Medal Act in .pdf

2007 Cold War Medal Act

Senator Hilary Clinton (D) NY Introduced Bill S.1097

Cold War Service Medal

On Thursday April 12th, 2007 Sen Clinton once again has introduced a Cold War Service Medal. She has been very consistent and one of our staunchest supporters.

A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for the award of a military service medal to members of the Armed Forces who served honorably during the Cold War era.Sponsor: Sen Clinton, Hillary Rodham [NY] (introduced 4/12/2007) Cosponsors (1) Committees: Senate Armed Services Latest Major Action: 4/12/2007 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

A MySpace Bulletin from IAVA

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America
Date: Apr 13, 2007 11:57 AM


In yet another Band-Aid solution to our troop shortage, Defense Secretary Gates announced yesterday that soldiers will be serving 15-month tours in Iraq, instead of just one year.

First and foremost, this policy will deal a tremendous blow to our active-duty soldiers and their families, who have already sacrificed so much in this war. No matter how you cut it, 15 months is an excruciatingly long time to be away from one's spouse and children. It means you miss some occasions - like your child's birthday, or Christmas -- for two years in a row.

These extensions are also a terrible hit on our military readiness.
Secretary Gates, in his briefing yesterday, lauded the troops and their families for their commitment and sacrifice. But courage and commitment aren't replacements for training and rest. They are also no replacement for the missing equipment that we need, both in Iraq and here at home to respond to national disasters.

We're using our military to the point of exhaustion. 31 of the 44 Army brigades have served two or more tours in Iraq or Afghanistan. The Army is losing West Point graduates at a record rate. Four National Guard brigades that already served a tour in Iraq are being sent back; others are getting extended.
There's one brigade from Minnesota that's already done 12 months in Iraq and is going to be extended for another four months now - 16 months total.

To use a baseball analogy, sending National Guard units back to Iraq this fast is like asking your star pitcher, who just pitched a complete game, to go back on the mound with only one day's rest to pitch again. You can do it, but it's just plain stupid. The pitcher's performance will suffer significantly, he will jeopardize the team's chances to win, and his arm will practically fall off.

Secretary Gates has promised that these longer tours will ensure troops get a full year at home between deployments. But the Pentagon has a record of breaking the promises made to our troops - sending troops to Iraq even after their contracts are up, calling up troops who've spent years as civilians, and failing to provide adequate care to the wounded at Walter Reed. So what is to stop the Department of Defense from breaking this promise too?

The current force level in Iraq is unsustainable, and is breaking the back of our armed forces. Like so many other choices made by the Bush Administration during this war, extending Army tours to 15 months is merely a half-measure move to cover up the much larger problem of a poorly planned war with an unprecedented operational tempo and a military structure that is simply too small to fight two protracted wars for five years.

The President's decision to over-commit military resources to the war in Iraq has depleted our strategic reserves and left America's back door wide open. As General Barry McCaffrey wisely warned earlier this week, "We are in a position of enormous strategic peril." I hope the President is listening.

DC VFP Meeting Tomorrow

Anthony Teolis fellow 528th USAAG Veteran and Webmaster of vfpdc.org
sent this to me today. Some good articles and website if your in DC area
you might want to check them out or visit their website.

Dear Veterans and Friends,

Kudos to Kevin McCarron for speaking up in Connections
Newspapers in response to President Bush's recent
visit to the Fairfax American Legion. Thanks also to
Lauren Glendenning, Reporter-Fairfax/Burke Connection
Newspapers. She reached out to Veterans For Peace for
a response.
http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/article.asp?article=80020&paper=63&cat=104

Don't forget tomorrow's monthly Veterans For Peace
meeting.
April 14, 1-3 PM
Peace House
1233 12th St NW, Washington, DC 20005-4305

If you want to help out please consider joining
Veterans For Peace. We need help planning and joining
public demonstrations, participating in public events,
writing letters to congress people and media, public
speaking, website design, etc.

40 Years Ago - Martin Luther King said, “This madness
must cease.”
April 4, 1967, Martin Luther King made a speech at
Riverside Church in New York City. King understood
the death and destruction the United States was
causing in Vietnam was poisoning America's soul. "Now
it should be incandescently clear that no one who has
concern for the integrity and life of America today
can ignore the present war." This is no less true in
Iraq. Read and listen to Riverside Church Speech.

www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkatimetobreaksilence.htm

Veterans For Peace Chapter 16 is profiled in March
28th's Washington Post. Chapter Vice President
Michael Marceau is featured in a profile alongside a
pro war veteran. "Seeds Planted in Vietnam Flourish
in Activism on Iraq."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/27/AR2007032702123.html

VFP DC letter to the editor March 27 to Connection
Newspapers.
http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/article.asp?article=79278&paper=60&cat=127

Best regards,

Tony Teolis
Veterans For Peace Chapter 16
www.vfpdc.org
vfpdc@vfpdc.org

Army Won't Field Rifle Deemed Superior to M4

The compact M4 carbine -- a shortened version of the M16 -- that is now standard issue for most Army troops, some Marines and other specialized units is facing increased criticism because of its tendency to malfunction with even the minutest exposure to the elements....More

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Podcast Update w/ New Host.

Cold War Veterans Association Podcast



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May 1st meeting In DC is On

RSVP at ftims@aol.com if you would like to attend still seats available

Our plan for May 1 in DC is shaping up nicely. We have reserved the Gold Room (and Dolly Madison Lounge) at the Cosmos Club, 2121 Massachusetts Ave. NW for our meeting and memorial event. At this meeting, we will plan and discuss (1) Cold War Medal campaign, (2) plans for May 1, 2008 NATIONAL DAY OF REMEMBRANCE FOR FORGOTTEN HEROES OF THE COLD WAR, and (3) a Cold War Memorial in Washington, DC. We will form two committees: One to plan the 2008 Day of Remembrance (with White House support) and one to begin a campaign to establish a National Cold War Memorial.

Our meeting will begin about 1PM and last for about two hours. At close of meeting, we will go to Arlington National Cemetery to place flags and flowers on the graves of the Forgotten Heroes of the Cold War. There are quite a few casualties of Cold War operations -- for example, see the headstone below for the 17 crew members of an aircraft shot down by a Soviet MIG in 1958.
Please plan to attend. Send me an e-mail at ftims@aol.com. Our Director of Public Affairs, plus a good number of State Directors of CWVA are expected to be there, as well as Gary Powers of the Cold War Museum. Let's all make a commitment to honor the Forgotten Heroes of the Cold War. This will get national media attention, and we have a chance of getting White House involvement. Let's make this work!

Cold War Veterans Association Podcast



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Pentagon Media Roundtable 05 April

SecDef Gates / CJCS Gen Pace

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen Peter Pace speak with reporters at the Pentagon.

Gen. Pace and Sec Defense Gates Discuss a Warm and Fuzzy Trip to China (Anti satellite tests) and they field questions about the Iran British hostage crisis, Afghanistan and Iraq.

Pentagon Media Roundtable 05 April

Red menace - Jefferson Barracks exhibit brings Cold War to life

Erica Burrus Perry Parker, a museum volunteer, stands next to an exhibit of items from the Bay of Pigs invasion. The display is part of the Cold War exhibit at the Old Ordinance Room at Jefferson Barracks County Park. A soldier's uniform from the invasion is in the case to the left of Parker. Parker served in the U.S. Navy aboard a destroyer.

(Excerpt)The Cold War has come to the Jefferson Barracks Park.The Old Ordinance Room has more than 1,000 artifacts from the Cold War on display until June 3."This exhibit covers topics that many of us remember from our lifetimes, such as the Berlin Airlift, the Korean War, the Berlin Wall and its fall, the Vietnam War, Bay of Pigs Invasion in Cuba, Cuban Missile Crisis, and Cold War spying," said Marc Kollbaum, the museum curator.

The exhibit goes beyond the Berlin Wall to include artifacts from the Soviet Union and its allies.Kollbaum said this includes Soviet spy gadgets such as a "Doggie Doo" transmitter device, which was a homing beacon whose camouflage is designed to discourage it from being moved.He said the exhibit also has miniature KGB spy cameras, KGB emblems, East German uniforms and equipment, a metal plaque designating an East German police station and Soviet uniforms and military pieces.The exhibit begins with the Berlin Airlift in 1948 and moves through the Korean War, the Bay of Pigs Invasion and the Vietnam War.Kollbaum said this is the first time the park has had a display for a time period past 1946, the year the Jefferson Barracks closed as a federal military post.He said usually the Old Ordinance Room has provided displays from 1826 to 1946, which is the time period the historic park had operated as a federal military base.Kollbaum said park volunteers and people had been asking for years for them to do an exhibit outside of that time frame.He said they were able to gain artifacts from the Cold War era from a museum volunteer, a man in Illinois and from another man in Florida, who lent about 70 percent of the materials used in the exhibit, including materials from the failed Bay of Pigs invasion in April 1961. Rest of Article

Whatever Happened to Name Rank and Serial #

After surrendering without firing a shot, giving press conferences galore and apologizing to Iranians British sailors and marines returned with gift bags from President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and have some explaining to do as far as there conduct throughout this incident. They must have really been tortured horribly either that or ill trained. I know they have a code of conduct and this behavior just doesn't seem to be adequate from that standard. British Soldiers have never been known to behave in such a way. In recent history read the story of Bravo 2 Zero by Andy McNab. He and his comrades resistance to their Iraqi captures was heroic. It just seems this units conduct definitely did not live up to that standard. It is too early but I am sure debriefing officers might have some questions. The whole gift bag thing and the quick confessions just doesn't sit right with me. I do not wish to pass judgment but the whole incident and behavior that followed seemed bizarre.

The 15 British sailors and marines freed by Iran arrived back in the UK today.

"Iran has every right to put these people on trial but they have been pardoned," Mr Ahmadinejad said as he announced the face-saving solution in which neither side backed down from its position of principle. "They will be set free as a gift from the people of Iran to the people of Britain. And I ask Tony Blair's government not to punish these soldiers for having told the truth. I also ask him to be concerned with truth, justice and service to the British people."

Mr Ahmadinejad denied the release was part of a quid pro quo deal involving Iranians taken captive in Iraq, but Iranian reports yesterday suggested the country would be given access to five Revolutionary Guards officers detained by US forces in Arbil in January. On Tuesday, an Iranian diplomat, who was abducted by uniformed Iraqis in Baghdad in February, was released. Iran had accused the US of involvement in his detention.

"If we wanted to exchange Iranians for these prisoners, we would ask for hundreds or thousands," he said. "These people were pardoned. It was a present. Our approach was humanitarian."

Mr Blair also made a direct link between "elements" of the Iranian regime which financed and supported terrorism in Iraq.

The naval personnel were held captive in Iran for 13 days before their release was announced by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad yesterday.

Paraded in front of the cameras one last time by Iranian state television, they were seen drinking tea and receiving gifts before leaving.

The sailors and marines left Tehran on commercial flight BA6634, travelling in business class, and touched down at Heathrow at 12.02pm.

The aircraft taxied to the VIP section of the airport near Terminal Four and was immediately surrounded by ground staff.

The freed crew remained on board for 20 minutes while luggage was taken off by baggage handlers.

Eventually they emerged, carrying the bags given to them by the Iranian authorities over their shoulders.

Dropping their luggage to the ground, they briefly lined up in front the cameras and media, joking with each other as they stood there.

They then filed on board the Sea King helicopters which lifted off and disappeared into the haze, heading towards the military base in Devon.

On arrival at Chivenor, they are expected to undergo medical checks and a full debriefing before being allowed to see their families.

A steady stream of traffic built up at the barracks as the base prepared for their arrival.

Gulf War Health Survey

DR Robert Haley will be sending out a survey to Gulf War Veterans in
the next month. He is looking at all Gulf War Illnesses.

To make sure that you recieve the survey please send you contact infor
mation to MSVETS@emailaccount .com Incluse you Name , address and phone
number ONLY. NO other correspondence will be addressed through this
email. Your information will be kept in my files and sent only to Dr
Haley.

Please participate.

Ed Butler
MSVETS

I came across the below MIAP program while surfing and had no idea this was a problem. I wrote to them for more info so I will keep you posted but I encourage you to check it out it seems like a great cause to honor these men who have slipped between the cracks deserve a dignified military funeral.

Missing in America Project
Veteran Recovery Program

Unclaimed Cremains

You served your country through a war, or through peacetime. You expected to receive a military burial, recognition by our government of your commitment to our great country. You expected to have honor and respect paid to you as a result of your service to our great country. Instead, you reside on a shelf in a mortuary or a storage facility at a crematorium.

The mission of the MIAP project is to locate, identify and inter the unclaimed cremains of veterans through the joint efforts of private, state and federal organizations. These forgotten veterans have served our country and, as such, deserve to be buried with honor and respect. The impetus for our fine program began in November 2006. The Idaho State Veterans cemetery interred 21 cremains of forgotten veterans, with full military honors and the dignity these fallen heroes so richly deserved. Recently, a state hospital announced that 3500 cremains were on shelves to be identified. (The link to the newspaper article is: http://tinyurl.com/2xrx9u. On the shelf were cremains for the time span of the 1890s to 1971. It is estimated 1,000 of these cremains are veterans. This is happening in every state.

This project has just begun. We need to blanket every mortuary and cemetery in the United States and let them know there are people who desire to claim our veterans. We need to let them know it is our desire to see they are interred with the honor and respect they deserve. They served our great nation. It is now our great nation’s turn to serve them.

The MIAP, nationally, will enter into alliances with other organizations. To achieve its objective, MIAP:

· Has registered as a non-profit corporation

· Is sponsored by the Patriot Guard Riders on a national level. We are seeking sponsorship with other organizations, such as the American Legion. Once the program has been launched in Oregon, the American Legion will evaluate its performance and make a decision on whether to sponsor MIAP nationally.

• ·Will seek volunteers from all veteran and non veteran groups nationwide. This will encompass locating and identifying veterans’ cremains in funeral homes, crematoriums, mausoleums and cemeteries.
• ·Will attempt to obtain private funding/grants. The Patriot Guard Riders has generously contributed funds to support our database.
• ·Will operate its own email and systems.
• ·Will coordinate all memorial services and escorts with PGR State Captains.
• ·Will conduct its business autonomously from its sponsors but will include members from the Patriot Guard and other groups.

The veterans languishing on shelves need us. They need America to step forward and ensure they are buried with honor. They need America to show their thanks for their service. Without them, we would not have the freedoms we enjoy today.

The following is a list of contacts for the MIAP:

Operations

Fred Salanti ducpho@miap.us

Planning

Sean Post sean@miap.us

Logistics

Debbi McKay debmckay@patriotguard.org

Inter-organization liaison

Ronny Awtry: bear@patriotguard.org

Information

Cheryl Egan: cdegan@miap.us