Navy confirms lost WWII sub has been found

This photo provided by the Electric Boat Co. via Bruce Abele shows the U.S. submarine, USS Grunion in this March 20, 1942 file photo. Commander, Submarine Forces Pacific Fleet, Rear Adm. Douglas McAneny announced Thursday Oct. 2, 2008 that a sunken vessel off the coast of the Aleutian Islands is in fact the World War II submarine USS Grunion (SS 216). (AP Photo/Electric Boat Co. via Bruce Abele)

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii — The Navy has confirmed the wreckage of a sunken vessel found last year off the Aleutians Islands is that of the USS Grunion, which disappeared during World War II.

Underwater video footage and pictures captured by an expedition hired by sons of the commanding officer, Lt. Cmdr. Mannert L. Abele, allowed the Navy to confirm the discovery, Rear Adm. Douglas McAneny said Thursday in a news release.

McAneny said the Navy was very grateful to the Abele family.

"We hope this announcement will help to give closure to the families of the 70 crewmen of Grunion," he said.

The Grunion was last heard from July 30, 1942. The submarine reported heavy anti-submarine activity at the entrance to Kiska, and that it had 10 torpedoes remaining forward. On the same day, the Grunion was directed to return to Dutch Harbor Naval Operating Base. The submarine was reported lost Aug. 16, 1942.

Japanese anti-submarine attack data recorded no attack in the Aleutian area at the time of the Grunion's disappearance, so the submarine's fate remained an unsolved mystery for more than 60 years, the Navy said.

Abele's son's, Bruce, Brad, and John, began working on a plan to find the sub after finding information on the Internet in 2002 that helped pinpoint USS Grunion's possible location.

In August 2006, a team of side scan sonar experts hired by the brothers located a target near Kiska almost a mile below the ocean's surface. A second expedition in August 2007 using a high definition camera on a remotely operated vehicle yielded video footage and high resolution photos of the wreckage.

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The Proper Salute of Old Glory passes in the NDAA


S.3001

SEC. 595. MILITARY SALUTE FOR THE FLAG DURING THE NATIONAL ANTHEM BY MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES NOT IN UNIFORM AND BY VETERANS.

Section 301(b)(1) of title 36, United States Code, is
amended by striking subparagraphs (A) through (C) and inserting the
following new subparagraphs:


`(A) individuals in uniform should give the
military salute at the first note of the anthem and maintain that
position until the last note;


`(B) members of the Armed Forces and veterans who
are present but not in uniform may render the military salute in the
manner provided for individuals in uniform; and


`(C) all other persons present should face the flag
and stand at attention with their right hand over the heart, and men
not in uniform, if applicable, should remove their headdress with their
right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the
heart; and'.

New Combat Action Streamer Now Available

Army units that have been deployed in support of combat operations now have a new way to be recognized: the Combat Action Streamer (CAS).

Army Secretary Pete Geren approved creation of the streamer Oct. 13 for units that have served or are serving in a theater of combat operations. The award is retroactive to Sept. 18, 2001, for units meeting the criteria.

If 65 percent or more of the soldiers in a unit have been awarded the combat action badge, then that unit can display the CAS with its distinctive flag or guidon.

The qualifying percentage is based on the unit's authorized strength, officials said.

Related Results

For the war on terrorism, only one streamer will be authorized per unit, regardless of the number of times a unit deploys, or whether it deploys to Iraq and Afghanistan, officials said.

In the future, a streamer will be awarded to a unit for each separate war or military operation in which the criteria for the award have been met, they said.

Commanders of battalions, groups, regiments and brigades are authorized to award the CAS to companies under their commands.

Requirements and restrictions for displaying streamers are governed by Chapter 9, Army Regulation 840-10, Flags, Guidon, Streamers, Tabards, and Automobile and Aircraft Plates, Nov. 1, 1998.

Other regulations containing award criteria are AR 600-8-22, Military Awards, Dec. 11, 2006 and AR 870-5, Military History: Responsibilities, Policies, and Procedures, Sept. 21, 2007.

Copyright National Guard Association of the United States May 2008

Vets ready to rally to keep clinic in Twin Ports

Maria Lockwood
The Daily Telegram - 10/01/2008

When his country called, Jack Bellino answered. Leaving behind a wife and 1-year-old son, he went to war.

“I spent 29 months in a tent,” he said, putting up communications towers along air strips in Australia and the Philippines during World War II. When he returned to Superior, the bus dropped him off in the middle of the night. Without fanfare or cheers, he walked to his house, knocked on the door and was reunited with his family.

Decades later, he stood up for his countrymen in another way. As a member of the Thomas F. Stein VFW Post 1091, Bellino drew up a resolution to bring a veteran’s clinic to the Twin Ports. It became a reality in 1989.

Today, as a federal bidding process for the Twin Ports VA Outpatient Clinic gears up, local vets like Bellino are ready to do battle, if need be, to keep the facility.

“It looks like we’ll have to be fighting for our clinic again,” said Carl Zukowski, a Korean War veteran. “The fight we had last time was a real dandy.”

Officials from the Superior-based clinic and it’s parent facility, the Minneapolis VA Medical Center, say the bidding process is required by law and there are no plans to privatize the clinic. But interest in the process is running high and rumors are rampant.

“We want to keep our eye on it,” said John Robinson, a Korean War veteran and member of the Douglas County Veteran’s Commission.

“We haven’t been told to start worrying yet,” said Gayle Carlson, commander of VFW Post 1091. “If they were trying to take the clinic from Superior, I think they would see an uprising of the vets.”

It’s happened before. In 2004, the VA planned to privatize the clinic because a medical director could not be found. Hundreds of veterans staged a rally at the clinic, located at St. Mary’s Hospital of Superior. Legislators joined together to sign a letter against privatization.

The end result was a five-year lease extension. But that ends in August.

Bellino is one of 5,450 veterans who use the clinic for their primary health care.

“They give me good service,” he said, and save him a long drive to Minneapolis for routine check-ups, medication and tests.

With a small staff, it can take a few days for veterans to get a regular appointment for things such as a cold. But, said Dan Knight, who served in the U.S. Navy from 1965-91, “a couple years ago I had chest pains all morning ... I went to the clinic, they took care of me right away.”

Knight, a member of the Richard I. Bong American Legion Post 435, said one of the benefits of going to the smaller clinic is that “they know me.”

Services at the clinic are expanding, Zukowski said. Hearing and vision tests are now available.

“The more vets that register and use it, the more services we get,” Carlson said.

The current site is a good fit, veterans say. Parking is plentiful and it’s easy to find.

And, Bellino asked, “where else are they going to go?”

The veterans are staying vigilant, however.

“We’re trying to veterans lined up,” Zukowski said. “We’re informing them all this is coming up, we may have to fight.

“We’ll be ready when the time comes.”

VFW SALUTES PASSAGE OF 2009 VA BUDGET

As part of the $634 billion Continuing Resolution signed by President Bush yesterday, VA discretionary funding is increased $4.5 billion over last year, which meets Independent Budget recommendations for healthcare funding. The Independent Budget is a detailed analysis of VA operations that the VFW has co-authored for the past 22 years with AMVETS, Disabled American Veterans and the Paralyzed Veterans of America.

VA budget highlights include $3.8 billion for mental healthcare, $584 million for substance abuse programs, $510 million for medical and prosthetic research, $250 million to improve access for veterans in rural areas, and additional funding for homeless grants, the hiring of 2,000 additional claims adjudicators, and to raise the mileage reimbursement rate from 28.5 to 41.5 cents per mile.

"We are very grateful to the president and to congressional leadership for keeping to their pledge to take care of our veterans," said VFW national commander Glen Gardner, a Vietnam veteran from Round Rock, Texas. "And we hope the delivery of an on-time budget is the start of a trend that will continue into the next administration and Congress."