American Legion Post 13 November 2017 Newsletter

Transcription

1 American Legion Post 13 November 2017 Newsletter Officers Commander: Richard Brown Sr Vice: Rod Pedersen Adjutant: Phil Youngblood Jr Vice: Stephen Blanton Jr Vice: Don Van Pelt Fin. Off.: Judge Adv: Phil Youngblood Serv. Off: Ed Kent Historian: Clayton Roberts Arms: Tommy Hightower Large: Jimmy Traynor; Raymond Meeks & Whit Chappell COMMANDER'S CORNER: I would like to thank everyone who came out and participated in our October Membership meeting. It was a good time for all. As a reminder for all, Veterans Day Ceremonies will be held this year at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium on Friday November 10, 2017 beginning at 10:00 a.m. and a traditional meal of pulled pork and the trimmings will be served at Post 13 after the ceremony. Every Member and their families should support this ceremony. We also will be having our annual Christmas Dinner this year on December 9, anyone wishing to attend needs to call the post between Thursday and Saturday from 4-8 p.m. at or call me any time at and give your name and how many will be attending no later than December 2, Social hour will begin at 6:00 p.m. and meal served at 7:00 p.m. We are still searching for a Finance Officer, so if anyone would be interested we would love to hear from you. We, as the Executive Board, hope we can make this post work for the membership. If anyone has an idea, don't hesitate to contact one of us. Anyone wishing to assist in any activities the post is having can contact any Executive Committee member and they will be glad to add your name to the volunteer list. Remember, this organization is only as strong as its weakest member! RICHARD BROWN COMMANDER conductorbrown@hotmail.com

2 Senior Vice WOW!!! November already. Where did 2017 go? 2018 Memberships have been available to us since the June Department Convention. Our membership Goal is currently at 52.5%. It s time to remind each other that our 2017 dues expire December 31, Post 13 and District 12 representatives performed a Revitalization telethon at Post 13 on October 14th and reminded forty-three 2016 and 2017 members of their expiring or past dues. When you are around your Post 13 friends, ask them if they have renewed? It may take just a friendly reminder. If you know a qualifying Veteran or Active Duty, invite them to attend and see what we are about. Did you know that of all the War Memorials in Washington DC, there is no WW 1 Memorial? I did not realize this either until our Department s Fall Conference. Rest assured our founding WW 1 American Legion forefathers have not been forgotten. A Memorial has been organized through the efforts of the US World War One Centennial Commission and Groundbreaking will be this month on the 17th at Pershing Park. See page 56 of this month s Legion magazine. Finally, one more of our membership perks is a FREE insurance trust for Life, AD&D, Health, etc. Look on and sign up or renew annually. Rod Pedersen rod.pedersen.1956@gmail.com Sr. Vice Commander, Post 13 Valdosta Follow the Airborne!!!! Rod Pedersen Sr. Vice Commander Post 13 Valdosta rod.pedersen.1956@gmail.com Jr. Vice Stephen Blanton sabusn6976@gmail.com Jr. Vice Don Van Pelt vanpeltdon@yahoo.com Historian Clayton Roberts croberts22@hotmail.com

3 Service Officer Ed Kent VA Family Benefits: Six You should Be Aware Of If your family has transitioned from the military to civilian life, you may be navigating the whole new benefits world of the Department of Veterans Affairs. While it's likely most of the VA benefits are specifically for your veteran, some of them might be for you, too. And if your veteran is receiving any amount of disability pay, the benefits likely impact the whole family because they change what cash comes into your family bank account each month. Whether or not you're new to the VA, it's likely that there are benefits that you just don't know you or your veteran has. Take a look at the following to ensure you're taking advantage of everything you can. 1. Free counseling: You knew about the free counseling offered through Military OneSource while your service member was active duty, but did you know the VA has a similar program? Unlike the Military OneSource service, which works with local therapists, the VA readjustment counseling service is operated out of the VA's veteran centers. For veterans or their family members to use the service, the veteran must qualify under a set of guidelines. But they are broad, and most post-9/11 troops meet the basic requirements. There are plenty of emotional or life-change battles to face as you move from military to civilian life. And as long as your family qualifies, you may be able to sit down with a counselor to tackle working through PTSD, military-to-civilian transition issues and more. 2. Appointment travel reimbursements: Unless you happen to live right down the street from the VA hospital or clinic or are using VA Choice, your veteran is likely traveling for any medical appointments he has through the VA. That means he or she qualifies for a travel reimbursement for each and every trip to and from those appointments. Filing for reimbursement is easy -- simply fill out the form at and hand it in at the VA or mail it to the address provided. 3. Shopping and MWR on base: If your service member has been ruled 100 percent service-connected disabled, your family still has access to commissary Exchange shopping and MWR activities on base. If your veteran is not 100 percent disabled, he or she can have access to the Exchanges online. Although you won't be able to have your own login, you can shop under your veteran's account. 4. Caregiver support: Depending on your veteran's injury and how involved you are in his everyday care, you may qualify for the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers. That program gives qualifying users a cash stipend for taking care of their veteran. But even if you don't qualify for the payments, the VA offers other caregiver support resources and information that you might find helpful. 5. Free health care: If your veteran has been ruled permanently and totally disabled, you could qualify for free healthcare through the CHAMPVA program. 6. State benefits: Did you know all states have their own benefits for disabled veterans? New Jersey, for example, offers veterans state employment hiring preference, while Alaska gives major breaks on property taxes. Benefits vary widely by state, so check out the guide at

4 [Source: Military.com August 25, ] VA Compensable Disabilities Update: Top 10 Overlooked by Vets 1. Erectile Dysfunction Erectile dysfunction, or ED, is the inability of a man to have an erection hard enough to have sexual intercourse. It can also be known as impotence. It is not unusual for this to happen to a man on occasion, but frequent ED can be a sign of a bigger medical problem that needs attention. ED can also lead to complications in a man s life all on its own. 2. Agoraphobia The essential feature of Agoraphobia is anxiety about being in (or anticipating) situations from which escape might be difficult or in which help may not be available in the event of having a Panic Attack (or panic-like symptoms). Oftentimes, when in this situation, an individual may have the vague thought that something dreadful may happen. Such concerns must persist for at least 6 months and occur virtually every time an individual encounters the place or situation (especially those that remind a veteran of battle situations). Agoraphobic fears typically involve characteristic clusters of situations that include being outside the home alone; being in a crowd or standing in a line; being on a bridge; and traveling in a bus, train, or automobile. More specifically, the diagnostic criteria in the DSM-5 requires that an individual experiences intense fear in response to (or when anticipating entering) at least 2 of the following 5 situations: 1) using public transportation, such as automobiles, buses, trains, ships, or planes 2) being in open spaces, such as parking lots, marketplaces, or bridges 3) being in enclosed spaces, such as shops, theaters, or cinemas 4) standing in line or being in a crowd 5) being outside of the home alone A person who experiences agoraphobia avoids such situations (e.g., travel is restricted; the person changes daily routines) or else they are endured with significant distress. For example, people with agoraphobia often require the presence of a companion, such as a family member, partner, or friend, to confront the situation. 3. Keloids A scar that rises quite abruptly above the rest of the skin. It is irregularly shaped, usually pink to red in color, tends to enlarge progressively, and may be harder than the surrounding skin. Keloids are a response to trauma, such as a cut to the skin. In creating a normal scar, connective tissue in the skin is repaired by the formation of collagen. Keloids arise when extra collagen forms. 4. Sexually Transmitted Diseases Code 6310: Syphilis and Code 6351: HIV 9301 refer to 5. Pseudofolliculitis Barbae a common condition of the beard area occurring in men and other people with curly hair. The problem results when highly curved hairs grow back into the skin causing inflammation and a foreign body reaction. Over time, this can cause scarring which looks like hard bumps of the beard area and neck.

5 6. Plantar Fasciitis Plantar fasciitis is the pain caused by inflammation of the insertion of the plantar fascia on the medial process of the calcaneal tuberosity. The pain may be substantial, resulting in the alteration of daily activities. Various terms have been used to describe plantar fasciitis, including jogger s heel, tennis heel, policeman s heel, and even gonorrheal heel. Although a misnomer, this condition is sometimes referred to as heel spurs by the general public. 7. Pleurisy Pleurisy is inflammation of the parietal pleura that typically results in characteristic pleuritic pain and has a variety of possible causes. The term pleurisy is often used to refer to a symptom and a condition. It is more precise to use the term pleurisy for the condition and pleuritic pain to describe the symptom. Pleuritic pain is a key feature of pleurisy; therefore, this article reviews the physiology and classic characteristics of pleuritic pain, focusing on the presentation and diagnosis of the patient and the management of various causes of pleurisy. Pleuritic chest pain is a common presenting symptom and has many causes, which range from life-threatening to benign, self-limited conditions. 8. Tropical Phagedena (Jungle Rot) Tropical phagedena, Aden ulcer, Malabar ulcer, and jungle rot (from Vietnam), as well as various native terms. It occurs on exposed parts of the body, primarily the legs, arms, and feet. Frequently on pre-existing abrasions or sores, sometimes beginning from a scratch. As a rule, only one extremity is affected and usually there is a single lesion, although it is not uncommon to find multiple ulcers on two or more body parts.\ 9. Hemorrhoids Hemorrhoids are swollen and inflamed veins around the anus or in the lower rectum. The rectum is the last part of the large intestine leading to the anus. The anus is the opening at the end of the digestive tract where bowel contents leave the body. 10. Sleep Terror Disorder - Sleep terror disorder is also known as night terrors. Sleep terror is characterized by the following symptoms that a mental health professional looks for when making a diagnosis for this condition: a. Recurrent episodes of abrupt awakening from sleep, usually occurring during the first third of the major sleep episode and beginning with a panicky scream. b. Intense fear and signs of autonomic arousal, such as tachycardia, rapid breathing, and sweating, during each episode. c. Relative unresponsiveness to efforts of others to comfort the person during the episode. d. No detailed dream is recalled and there is amnesia for the episode. e. The episodes cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning. f. The disturbance is not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a drug of abuse, a medication) or a general medical condition. From the Bar Football season is here so check the schedule, parking is free for legionnaires, with a current membership card but it is first come first served and on game nights parking is at a premium!

6 Ladies Auxiliary The last 2 months of the year are busy ones for the unit and it is my hope that all those able volunteer to help with at least one activity. November 3rd & 4th the unit will be distributing Poppies at several locations. Fri. the 3rd we will be at Sonny s BBQ on Norman Dr. from 11 to 2. On Sat. the 4th we will be at Sonny s BBQ, Huddle House on Northside Dr. and at Walmart on Inner Perimeter, 10 to 2. We are in need of at least 4 volunteers to help cover the Walmart location. Ladies it is up to you, the members, to make any endeavor we undertake on behalf of veterans & their families successful. On Friday, November 10th the Veterans Day Ceremony will be held at Wildcat stadium, as is tradition the legion will be serving BBQ & all the fixings. Tuesday, November 14th the unit will hold its monthly meeting as usual. A meal will not be served. We will be discussing the Post Christmas party on Sat. Dec. 9th and the SAL Children s Christmas party on Sat. Dec 16th. HAPPY BIRTHDAY to all those celebrating this month. Menu for Nov. ; None **Please bring an ornament for the Unit Christmas tree** Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16 For God & Country Henrietta SAL Squadron 13 will conduct a Squadron a First Monday meeting in the Post Home on November 6th, 2017 at 6:30 PM. Once again as Squadron Commander, I have sent another letter out to the Squadron s local members and am once again appealing to the Dual American Legion / Sons of The American Legion members of Post 13 to attend in support of these Squadron meetings. The Squadron staff will be serving hotdogs and hamburgers to feed that hungry horde we hope will attend. The Squadron, with assistance from the Post 13 Ladies Auxiliary, will sponsor a Children s Christmas Party on the morning of December 16th, Santa and Mrs. Claus will be in the house to hear from the kids of all their Christmas morning wishes. If you know of a child attending, please let one of the Squadron officers know for planning purposes in the event Santa needs a C-5M Super Galaxy instead of the sleigh. There will also be a sign-up list at the Post Lounge. Rod Pedersen rod.pedersen.1956@gmail.com Squadron Commander, Post 13 Valdosta

7 November-December 2017 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat November SAL 6:30 pm Veteran s Day VSU Stadium ALR Veteran s Day PEC 5:30 pm December 1 2 Valdosta Christmas Parade 3 4 SAL 6:30 pm Post Christmas Party RSVP! NO General Children s Christmas Party Aux & Sqdn 13 Hosting THERE WILL NOT BE MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS IN NOVEMBER OR DECEMBER!