Friday, May 27, 2016

DOD Memorial Day Message

Memorial Day Message
05/27/2016 03:00 PM CDT

Memorial Day Message
As written by Secretary of Defense Ash Carter, May. 27, 2016

To all of the men and women of the Department of Defense, it is an honor to join you this Memorial Day in solemn remembrance of the long line of patriots who have given everything to the cause of freedom and liberty, and of the Gold Star families to whom we owe a debt that can never be repaid.

From the first Memorial Day observance at the close of the Civil War, to the heartfelt ceremonies taking place in every American community today, the people of our nation have always taken the time to reflect, and consider the price of freedom. We recall the names, and the faces, of those brave individuals who made the ultimate sacrifice, and made it possible for us to raise our children, dream our dreams, and live full lives.

It is a mission that you carry forward today. As Secretary of Defense, I have been privileged to witness your service in many parts of the world, and to stand with you in solemn remembrance of those who came before you. Know that as you gather today for Memorial Day ceremonies on every American ship and base around the world, the American people stand with you, support you, and will never forget you. Thank you for your service.

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Rolls Royce Driving Employee runs a 29 million dollar Charity that gives 2 percent Zero Star Rates Charity to Vets

NOTE: When contacted by CNN, Burch asked that we not contact him at his job at the Department of Veterans Affairs, but he refused to answer phone calls placed to his home. CNN tried to confront Burch as he drove home from work in a black Rolls Royce, but upon seeing a CNN camera crew, Burch gunned the Rolls Royce down his suburban Washington, D.C. street and disappeared.

 

'Worst' charity for veterans run by VA employee

By David Fitzpatrick and Drew Griffin

CNN Investigations

May 16, 2016

http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/16/politics/vietnam-veterans-charity/

 

At first glance, the National Vietnam Veterans Foundation is a roaring success. According to its tax filings, the charity has received more than $29 million in donations from generous Americans from 2010 to 2014 for what it calls on its website "aiding, supporting and benefiting America's veterans and their families."

But look a little closer on those same filings and you can see that nearly all of those donations have been cycled back to telemarketers, leaving less than 2 percent for actual veterans and veterans' charitable causes.

 

That's why Charity Navigator, one of the nation's largest and most influential charity watchdog organizations, has given the charity a "zero" out of four stars for those same four years.

 

"It's a zero-star organization and you can't go lower than that," says Michael Thatcher, Charity Navigator's CEO. "They don't have an independent board of directors, they actually don't even have a comprehensive board of directors -- only three members on the board at this point in time and some of them are family. So one can say, is this representative of an independent board? It's not."

 

The charity's most recently filed tax return, for 2014, lists a catalogue of expenses paid for by donations: including $133,000 for travel, $21,000 for unnamed "awards", $70,000 for a category described as "other expenses" and even a little more than $8,000 for parking.

 

Charity president works at VA

The CEO and founder of the National Vietnam Veterans Foundation, himself a veteran, is J. Thomas Burch, who is also a federal employee working as an attorney for the Department of Veterans Affairs. Burch is deputy director in the VA's Office of General Counsel, where he pulled down $127,000 in salary in 2014. That's the same year he drew a salary of $65,000 as head of his "zero-star" charity.

 

A VA spokesman told CNN Burch's position at the veteran's charity is not a conflict of interest "per se". But the spokesman added the VA is now "reviewing" the situation and that the agency's Office of Inspector General is handling that review.

 

When contacted by CNN, Burch asked that we not contact him at his job at the Department of Veterans Affairs, but he refused to answer phone calls placed to his home. CNN tried to confront Burch as he drove home from work in a black Rolls Royce, but upon seeing a CNN camera crew, Burch gunned the Rolls Royce down his suburban Washington, D.C. street and disappeared.

 

The charity's vice president, David Kauffman, said in an email that the NVVF was responsible for "feeding homeless and unemployed veterans by donating to food banks, sent personal care kits to hospitalized veterans and donated blankets, hats and gloves to homeless centers."

 

According to the charity's tax filings, though, it accounted for about $122,000 in cash donations to veterans, out of more than $8.5 million raised in donations in 2014. That is less than 2% of the charities cash donations being used to support veterans and their families.

 

###

 

Curt Cashour

House Committee on Veterans' Affairs

curt.cashour@mail.house.gov

202.225.3527

@CurtCashour



--


 

 Sean Eagan


 Life Member VFW NY Post 53
 American Cold War Veterans, Inc.
Web: http://americancoldwarvets.org/
Blog: Cold War Veterans Blog
Email: Sean.Eagan@gmail.com
Phone:  716 720-4000 
Network: My Fast Pitch! Profile
LinkedIn