Quarterly Newsletter Winter 2015

Transcription

1 Department of Human Services DIVISION OF VETERANS SERVICES One Bergen County Plaza 2nd Floor Hackensack, NJ Fax: VETERANS NEWSLETTER Jane C. Linter Richard Daul Susan Krause Department Director Director Editor / Secretary James J. Tedesco III County Executive Board of Chosen Freeholders Dr. Joan M. Voss Chairwoman Steven A. Tanelli Vice Chairman John A. Felice Chair Pro Tempore Maura R. DeNicola David L. Ganz Thomas J. Sullivan Jr. Tracy Silna Zur Quarterly Newsletter Winter 2015 Dear Veterans and Friends of Veterans: The County of Bergen is pleased to present you with the Winter 2015 edition of the Bergen County Veterans newsletter. You will find important information inside concerning a multitude of topics including programs, benefits, and upcoming events. As you may know, the county s Division of Veterans Services provides veterans and their dependents with information and assistance to obtain the services and support earned through their years of service to our country. Veterans Services can help direct requests for VA compensation, provide information on pensions and available home loans, facilitate burial and memorial benefits, connect veterans to educational and training programs, obtain lost military separation papers, and assist with forms for military medals and records. Please contact Veterans Services at (201) , should you need assistance with any of these matters. The County of Bergen helps residents, including veterans, connect with comprehensive mental health and alcohol and drug treatment resources, regardless of ability to pay. If you or someone you love is in need of mental health care or assistance, please reach out. If you would like more information, contact the Bergen County Department of Health Services at (201) or visit It is an honor to serve as your County Executive. I promise that veterans are a top priority for this administration and I look forward to working with you and for you. Do not hesitate to reach out to my office at (201) with any questions regarding the services we provide. Thank you for your service to our country. May God bless you and may God bless America. James J. Tedesco III County Executive United We Stand SEPTEMBER 11, 2001

2 2 BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER WINTER 2015 SUGGESTED DATES AND EVENTS TO REMEMBER JANUARY 2015 Birth Defects Prevention Month ( National Glaucoma Awareness Month ( National Blood Donor Month Bingo every Tuesday at American Legion Post #147 (7:00 pm) 1 Legion Place, Elmwood Park 8 games, with 3 part big game. Doors open at 5 pm and there is never a door charge. Have your fundraiser here. For more information call (201) or visit al147.org. Refreshments and food available for purchase and the bar is always open to the public on Friday evenings from 7 pm to midnight. Wood-Ridge Post 3616 & Ladies Auxiliary visit the Paramus Veterans Home. Every Tuesday in the months of January, February and March members of the Wood-Ridge VFW Post 3616 and Ladies Auxiliary entertain the residents by playing cards and socializing with them. Are you ready for some football? 1 Cotton Bowl (12:30 pm ET) Rose Bowl (5:00 pm ET) Sugar Bowl (8:30 pm ET) 2 Armed Forces Bowl (11:00 am CT) 1 New Year s Day (National Holiday) Emancipation Proclamation Signed (1863) Elks Club Lodge #2167 will hold its monthly meeting at 33 Ramapo Valley Road, Oakland (8 pm). For more information please call (201) Elks Club Lodge #2475 Palisades Park/Fort Lee Lodge will hold its regular meeting at th St., Palisades Park (7:30 pm). Rochelle Park American Legion Post 170 (7:30 pm) regular meeting. Contact Bob Salvini (201) VVA Chapter 800 (Bergen County) Party at Lyons VAMC (6 pm). 2 Fair Lawn American Legion SAL 171 meeting. 4 New Milford-Teaneck JWV Post 498 hosts breakfast 9:00 am at the Coach Diner, Rt. 4 East, Hackensack. Contact Stephen at (201) Fort Lee Jewish War Veterans Post 741 meeting (10 am breakfast followed by 10:30 business meeting). This meeting is subject to change 5 American Legion Alexander Stover Post 37, located at 222 River Road in North Arlington, will hold its monthly meeting (8 pm). All Veterans are invited to attend. For more information call (201) or at aalhojr@comcast.net. Thank You, Antonio Alho Jr., Post Commander. Waldwick American Legion Post 57 Walter Nightengale Ladies Auxiliary Unit regular meeting at 46 Franklin Turnpike,

3 BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER WINTER Waldwick (7:30 pm). Visit: 1. Paramus VFW Post 6699 will have its monthly bus trip to Atlantic City. The bus will leave from 6 East Winslow Place, Paramus at 7:45 am. The cost is $30. This trip is open to all; you do not have to be a post member or a resident of Paramus to attend. There is ample onsite parking available. If you have questions or would like to reserve a seat, please call Paul Thompson at (201) Rutherford American Legion Post 109 Auxiliary Unit meeting (7:30 pm). Teaneck American Legion Post 128 hosts the monthly meeting of Teaneck VFW Post Ford Nelson O Sullivan VFW Post 277 Ladies Auxiliary regular meeting (7:00 pm). Westside, 18 Paulison Ave., Ridgefield Park. Contact Carol- Anne Avella (201) Fort Lee VFW Post 2342 (10:30 am: new meeting time until further notice) meeting at 250 Main Street, Fort Lee. Coffee & bagels will be served after the meeting. Wood-Ridge Post VFW 3616 & Ladies Auxiliary visit the Paramus Veterans Home. Bogota VFW Post 5561 meeting (7:30 pm). All veterans eligible for the VFW are welcome to attend. Visit the Post at 241 West Shore Avenue, Bogota. 7 Rochelle Park American Legion Riders 170 regular meeting (7:30 pm). Contact Les Derbyshire (201) South Hackensack Anthony LoPresti VFW Post 8005 meeting at Troast Athletic Club, 74 Troast St., Hackensack (7:30 pm). 8 Northern Valley Chapter 32 of the DAV regular meeting at 8 Veterans Plaza, Bergenfield (7 pm). For questions call (201) Waldwick American Legion Post 57 Walter Nightengale regular meeting at 46 Franklin Turnpike, Waldwick (7:00 pm). Visit: Rochelle Park American Legion Auxiliary Unit 170 meeting (7:30 pm). Contact Roberta O Dowd at (201) or robertaod@verizon.net.. VVA Chapter 800 (Bergen County) bingo East Orange VAMC (6:30-8 pm). 12 New Jersey Volunteer Fireman s Day Rutherford American Legion Post 109 meeting (7:30 pm). Teaneck American Legion Post 128 hosts the monthly meeting of SAL Squadron 128. Catholic War Veterans of Bergen County Bingo at the Paramus Veterans Home (7-8 pm). 13 Wood-Ridge Post VFW 3616 & Ladies Auxiliary visit the Paramus Veterans Home. Bogota VFW Ladies Post 5561 meeting (7:30 pm). If you are the wife or daughter of

4 4 BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER WINTER 2015 a qualified VFW Veteran, come in to talk to the Ladies Auxiliary. 14 Waldwick American Legion Post 57 Walter Nightengale American Legion Sons of the American Legion Detachment of New Jersey Squadron No. 57 regular meeting at 46 Franklin Turnpike, Waldwick (7:30 pm). Visit: Rochelle Park American Legion SAL Squad 170 meeting (7:30 pm). Contact Joey Connors: (201) Washington Elm VFW Post 192 meeting (7:30 pm). Bergen County New Jersey American Legion Department Bingo Paramus Vets Home (7-8 pm be there at 6:30 pm). 15 Elks Club Lodge #2167 will hold its monthly meeting at 33 Ramapo Valley Road, Oakland, NJ (8 pm). For more information please call (201) Elks Club Lodge #2475 Palisades Park/Fort Lee Lodge will hold its regular meeting at th St., Palisades Park (7:30 pm). VFW Post 4697 of North Arlington meets at 8-9 pm at 222 River Road, North Arlington. Contact Commander Ed McDonough at (201) or at staff4314@yahoo.com. 17 Operation Desert Storm and air war phase begins (1991). Paramus VFW Post 6699 will hold its monthly meeting at 6 East Winslow Place, Paramus (10 am). For more information please call (201) NFC Championship Game (3 pm, FOX) AFC Championship Game (6:30 pm, CBS) Elmwood Park American Legion Post 147 Third Sunday Pancake Breakfast (8-11:30 am), 1 Legion Place, Elmwood Park. Contact (201) Lodi Post 136 and Rochelle Park Post 170 Third Sunday Pancake Breakfast (8-11:30 am), 33 W. Passaic Street, Rochelle Park. 19 Martin Luther King Day (National Holiday) New Jersey Volunteer First Aid and Rescue Squad Day VVA Chapter Bergen County (8 pm) meeting at VFW Post #809, Little Ferry. The E-board meets one hour before at 7 pm. 20 DAV #15 meeting at the VFW #809 Hall, 100 Main St., Little Ferry (7:30 pm). Rutherford American Legion Post 109 Ward Party East Orange (6 pm). Fair Lawn American Legion Post 171 bingo at the Paramus Veterans Home (7 pm). Wood-Ridge Post VFW 3616 & Ladies Auxiliary visit the Paramus Veterans Home.

5 BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER WINTER U.S.S. Nautilus launched (1954). The Nautilus became the first commissioned nuclear powered ship in the U.S. Navy. It was the first vessel to complete a submerged transit to the North Pole. The submarine is currently docked at the Submarine Force Museum in Groton, CT and is open for tours. Fair Lawn Jewish War Veterans Post 651 bingo at the Paramus Veterans Home (7-8 pm). Rutherford American Legion SAL 109 meeting (7:30 pm). 22 Pompton Lakes Marine Corp League Detachment #744 will hold its monthly meeting at the Oakland Elks, 33 Ramapo Valley Rd, Oakland, NJ (7 pm). For more information please call (973) Wood-Ridge Post VFW Post 3616 meeting at Carlstadt AL Post meets every 4th Thursday at 7:30 pm. "Peace with Honor" was a phrase President Nixon used in a speech on January 23, 1973 to describe the Paris Peace Accord to end the Vietnam War. Fair Lawn American Legion Post 171 meeting (8-9 pm). 26 The first American troops arrived in Britain (1942). DAV Chapter #49 meets on the 4 th Monday of the month at the American Legion Post #365, at 110 Anderson Ave., Fairview at 8 pm. New Milford-Teaneck JWV Post 498 bingo at the Paramus Veterans Home (7-8 pm). MOPH 522 Paramus at the Paramus Veterans Home (7:30 pm). 26 The first American troops arrived in Britain (1942) th Anniversary: Auschwitz was liberated by Soviet troops, a day commemorated around the world as International Holocaust Remembrance Day (1945). More inside on page 19. East District Elks Bingo at the Paramus Veterans Home (7 pm). Wood-Ridge Post 3616 & Ladies Auxiliary visit the Paramus Veterans Home. 28 Bergen County Project Homeless Connect (9:30 am 4:00 pm) at 120 South River Street, Hackensack. Contact Alcira Castro (201) or hsplanning@co.bergen.nj.us. See the back pages for the flyer and more information. The official cease-fire, along with the release of all American prisoners of war, was to go into effect on January 28, 1973, though troops would remain in Vietnam until the fall of Saigon in Fair Lawn American Legion Post 171 Auxiliary meeting (8-9 pm). District 2 Meeting Saddle Brook (7:30 pm) th Anniversary: The Battle of the Bulge ends (1945). Americans suffered some 75,000 casualties and the Germans lost 80,000 to 100,000. The Americans can recover from their military losses; the Germans cannot. Few people besides Hitler believe Germany can still win the war.

6 6 BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER WINTER Teaneck American Legion Post 128 monthly meeting. 30 Viet Cong launch Tet Offensive (1968). 31 First U.S. satellite launched (1958). FEBRUARY 2015 Black History Month The month of February of each year is designated as "Black History Month" in NJ in recognition of the many accomplishments of Black Americans and their contributions to the history of this nation and State. American Heart Month ( Bingo every Tuesday at American Legion Post #147 (7:00 pm) 1 Legion Place, Elmwood Park 8 games, with 3 part big game. Doors open at 5 pm and there is never a door charge. Have your fundraiser here. For more information call (201) or visit al147.org. Refreshments and food available for purchase and the bar is always open to the public on Friday evenings from 7 pm to midnight. Fair Lawn Jewish War Veterans Post 651 hosts a breakfast the first Sunday of every month at the Fair Lawn Land & Sea Diner. They are seeking sons and daughters to form a son & daughter branch of the Post. For reservations or information feel free to contact Commander Mel Kaplan at (201) Super Bowl XLIX (6:30 pm ET) National Freedom Day is an observance in the United States that honors the signing of a resolution that proposed the 13th amendment of the nation's constitution on Feb. 1, Abraham Lincoln, who was the president at the time, signed the resolution to outlaw slavery. This anniversary is annually observed on Feb. 1. The all Japanese- American 442nd Regimental Combat Team is activated (1943). It became one of the war s most decorated units. Four Chaplains Sunday A day to honor the religious leaders who gave their lives to save other civilian and military personnel as the troop ship USAT Dorchester sank on Feb. 3, 1943, during WWII. They helped other soldiers board lifeboats and gave up their own life jackets when the supply ran out. 1 New Milford-Teaneck JWV Post 498 hosts breakfast 9:00 am at the Coach Diner, Rt. 4 East, Hackensack. Contact Stephen at (201) Fort Lee Jewish War Veterans Post 741 meeting (10 am breakfast followed by 10:30 business meeting). This meeting is subject to change. 2 Groundhog Day American Legion Alexander Stover Post 37, located at 222 River Road in North Arlington, will hold its monthly meeting (8 pm). All Veterans are invited to attend. For more information call (201) or e- mail aalhojr@comcast.net. Thank You, Antonio Alho Jr., Post Commander. Waldwick American Legion Post 57 Walter Nightengale Ladies Auxiliary Unit regular meeting at 46 Franklin Turnpike, Waldwick (7:30 pm). Visit:

7 BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER WINTER Paramus VFW Post 6699 will have its monthly bus trip to Atlantic City. The bus will leave from 6 East Winslow Place, Paramus at 7:45 am. The cost is $30. This trip is open to all; you do not have to be a post member or a resident of Paramus to attend. There is ample onsite parking available. If you have questions or would like to reserve a seat please call Paul Thompson at (201) South Hackensack Anthony LoPresti VFW Post 8005 meeting at Troast Athletic Club, 74 Troast Street, Hackensack (7:30 pm). 3 Rutherford American Legion Post 109 Auxiliary Unit meeting (7:30 pm). Teaneck American Legion Post 128 hosts the monthly meeting of Teaneck VFW Post Ford Nelson O Sullivan VFW Post 277 Ladies Auxiliary regular meeting (7:00 pm). Westside, 18 Paulison Ave., Ridgefield Park, NJ Contact Carol- Anne Avella at (201) Fort Lee VFW Post 2342 (10:30 am) meeting at 250 Main Street, Fort Lee. Light breakfast will be served after the meeting. Wood-Ridge Post 3616 & Ladies Auxiliary visit the Paramus Veterans Home. Bogota VFW Post 5561 meeting (7:30 pm). All veterans eligible for the VFW are welcome to attend. Visit the Post at 241 West Shore Avenue, Bogota. 4 USO s Birthday Founded in 1941 (more inside on page 31 ). Rochelle Park American Legion Riders 170 regular meeting (7:30 pm). Contact Les Derbyshire (201) th Anniversary: The Yalta Conference between the U.S., Britain, and the USSR begins. Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin discuss their plans for Europe after the war, and Stalin agrees to declare war on Japan. In the Pacific, the Allies finally retake Manila in the Philippines after three years of brutal Japanese occupation. 5 River Edge VFW Post 876 meeting (7:30 pm). Elks Club Lodge #2167 will hold its monthly meeting at 33 Ramapo Valley Road, Oakland, NJ (8 pm). For more information please call (201) Elks Club Lodge #2475 Palisades Park/Fort Lee Lodge will hold its regular meeting, th St., Palisades Park (7:30 pm). Rochelle Park American Legion Post 170 (7:30 pm) regular meeting. Contact Bob Salvini (201) VVA Chapter 800 (Bergen County) Party at Lyons VAMC (6 pm). 6 National Wear Red Day (First Friday in February)

8 8 BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER WINTER 2015 Wear red in February for American Heart Month to help raise awareness about heart disease. Make sure you know the signs of a heart attack and questions to ask your doctor about heart health. For more information visit: Fair Lawn American Legion SAL 171 meeting. 9 Rutherford American Legion Post 109 meeting (7:30 pm). Teaneck American Legion Post 128 hosts the monthly meeting of SAL Squadron 128. Catholic War Veterans of Bergen County Bingo at the Paramus Veterans Home (7-8 pm). 10 Wood-Ridge VFW Post 3616 & Ladies Auxiliary visit the Paramus Veterans Home. Bogota VFW Ladies Post 5561 meeting (7:30 pm). If you are the wife or daughter of a qualified VFW Veteran, come in to talk to the Ladies Auxiliary. 11 Waldwick American Legion Post 57 Walter Nightengale American Legion Sons of the American Legion Detachment of New Jersey Squadron No. 57 regular meeting at 46 Franklin Turnpike, Waldwick (7:30 pm). Visit: Rochelle Park American Legion SAL Squad 170 meeting (7:30 pm). Contact Joey Connors: (201) Washington Elm VFW Post 192 meeting (7:30 pm). Bergen County American Legion Department Bingo Paramus Vets Home (7-8 pm be there at 6:30 pm). 12 Abraham Lincoln s Birthday Operation Homecoming started Feb, 12, 1973, with three C-141A aircraft heading to Hanoi, North Vietnam, and one C-9A aircraft to Saigon, South Vietnam. They all departed Clark Air Base, Philippines, early that morning, with the C-9A departing first. Later that day, the arrival of each aircraft was to be broadcasted live by satellite around the world (a telecast of this scale was a first ever). Northern Valley Chapter 32 of the DAV regular meeting at 8 Veterans Plaza, Bergenfield (7 pm). For questions call (201) Waldwick American Legion Post 57 Walter Nightengale regular meeting at 46 Franklin Turnpike, Waldwick (7 pm). Visit: Rochelle Park American Legion Auxiliary Unit 170 meeting (7:30 pm). Contact Roberta O Dowd at (201) or at robertaod@verizon.net. VVA Chapter 800 (Bergen County) bingo, East Orange VAMC (6:30-8 pm). 14 Valentine s Day 15 Elmwood Park American Legion Post 147 Third Sunday Pancake Breakfast (8-11:30 am), 1 Legion Place, Elmwood Park. Contact (201) Lodi Post 136 and Rochelle Park Post 170 Third Sunday

9 BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER WINTER Pancake Breakfast (8-11:30 am), 33 W. Passaic Street, Rochelle Park. 13 Fair Lawn American Legion Post 171 Auxiliary meeting (8-9 pm). Fair Lawn American Legion Post 171 meeting (8-9 pm). 16 George Washington's Birthday Observed (Presidents Day) VVA Chapter Bergen County (8 pm) meeting at VFW Post #809 (Little Ferry) and E-board meets one hour before at 7 pm. DAV #15 meeting at the VFW #809 Hall, 100 Main Street, Little Ferry (7:30 pm). Rutherford American Legion Post 109 Ward Party East Orange (6 pm). 19 Elks Club Lodge #2167 will hold its monthly meeting at 33 Ramapo Valley Road, Oakland, NJ (8 pm). For more information please call (201) Elks Club Lodge #2475 Palisades Park/Fort Lee Lodge will hold its regular meeting, th St., Palisades Park (7:30 pm). VFW Post 4697 of North Arlington meets at 8-9 pm at 222 River Road, North Arlington. For more information call Ed McDonough, Commander: (201) First Day of Spring (Spring Equinox) 21 Paramus VFW Post 6699 will hold its monthly meeting at 6 East Winslow Place, Paramus (10 am). For more information please call (201) DAV Chapter #49 meets on the 4th Monday of the month at the American Legion Post #365, at 110 Anderson Ave., Fairview at 8 pm. Veterans Home (7 pm). Fair Lawn American Legion Post 171 bingo at the Paramus New Milford-Teaneck JWV Post 498 bingo at the Paramus Veterans Home (7-8 pm). MOPH 522 Paramus at the Paramus Veterans Home (7:30). Wood-Ridge VFW Post 3616 & Ladies Auxiliary visit the Paramus Veterans Home. 18 Fair Lawn Jewish War Veterans Post 651 bingo at the Paramus Veterans Home (7-8 pm). Rutherford American Legion SAL 109 meeting (7:30 pm). 24 East District Elks Bingo at the Paramus Veterans Home (7 pm). Wood-Ridge Post 3616 & Ladies Auxiliary visit the Paramus Veterans Home. 25 District 2 Meeting Bogota (7:30 pm)

10 10 BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER WINTER th Anniversary: Old Glory Goes Up On Mt. Suribachi, Iwo Jima, which has been called the greatest photograph of all time. It portrays 5 U.S. Marines raising the Stars and Stripes on a remote Pacific island that was the site of the costliest battle in Marine Corps history. In addition to being one of the most widely published news photographs of World War II, it was used as the symbol for the Seventh War Loan Drive, appeared on a three-cent commemorative postage stamp, and served as the model for the Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, Virginia (1945). More inside on page Teaneck American Legion Post 128 monthly meeting. American Red Cross Month Volunteer, Donate, Take a Class Brain Injury Awareness Month ( The Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) and its network of state affiliates, including self-advocates, families and volunteers across the nation, will mark Brain Injury Awareness Month this March. A brain injury can happen anytime, anywhere, to anyone a brain injury does not discriminate. In fact, more than 2.5 million Americans sustain a brain injury each year. 1 New Milford-Teaneck JWV Post 498 hosts breakfast 9:00 am at the Coach Diner, Rt. 4 East, Hackensack. Contact Stephen at (201) Fort Lee Jewish War Veterans Post 741 meeting (10 am breakfast followed by 10:30 business meeting). This meeting is subject to change. 2 American Legion Alexander Stover Post 37, located at 222 River Road in North Arlington, will hold its monthly meeting (8 pm). All Veterans are invited to attend. For more information call (201) or aalhojr@comcast.net. Thank You, Antonio Alho Jr., Post Commander. Pompton Lakes Marine Corp League Detachment #744 will hold its monthly meeting at the Oakland Elks, 33 Ramapo Valley Rd, Oakland, NJ (7 pm). For more information please call (973) Wood-Ridge Post VFW Post 3616 meeting at Carlstadt AL Post meets every 4th Thursday at 7:30 pm. MARCH 2015 Women s History Month Waldwick American Legion Post 57 Walter Nightengale Ladies Auxiliary Unit regular meeting at 46 Franklin Turnpike, Waldwick (7:30 pm). Visit: Paramus VFW Post 6699 will have its monthly bus trip to Atlantic City. The bus will leave from 6 East Winslow Place, Paramus at 7:45 am. The cost is $30. This trip is open to all; you do not have to be a post member or a resident of Paramus to attend. There is ample onsite parking available. If you have questions or would like to reserve a seat, please call Paul Thompson at (201)

11 BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER WINTER Rutherford American Legion Post 109 Auxiliary Unit meeting (7:30 pm). Teaneck American Legion Post 128 hosts the monthly meeting of Teaneck VFW Post Ford Nelson O Sullivan VFW Post 277 Ladies Auxiliary regular meeting (7:00 pm). Westside, 18 Paulison Ave., Ridgefield Park. Contact Carol-Anne Avella (201) South Hackensack Anthony LoPresti VFW Post 8005 meeting at Troast Athletic Club, 74 Troast Street, Hackensack (7:30 pm). 150 th Anniversary: Abraham Lincoln s Second Inaugural Address (1865) With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan. 5 River Edge VFW Post 876 meeting (7:30 pm). Fort Lee VFW Post 2342 (10:30 am) meeting at 250 Main Street, Fort Lee. Lite breakfast will be served after the meeting. Wood-Ridge Post 3616 & Ladies Auxiliary visit the Paramus Veterans Home. Bogota VFW Post 5561 meeting (7:30 pm). All veterans eligible for the VFW are welcome to attend. Visit the Post at 241 West Shore Avenue, Bogota. 2 U.S. Air Force launches Rolling Thunder (1965), the sustained bombing campaign against North Vietnam. The air strikes are designed to convince the North Vietnamese to cease their support of the insurgency in the South. Elks Club Lodge #2167 will hold its monthly meeting at 33 Ramapo Valley Road, Oakland, NJ (8 pm). For more information please call (201) Elks Club Lodge #2475 Palisades Park/Fort Lee Lodge will hold its regular meeting, th St., Palisades Park (7:30 pm). Rochelle Park American Legion Post 170 (7:30 pm) regular meeting. Contact Bob Salvini (201) VVA Chapter 800 (Bergen County) Party at Lyons VAMC (6 pm). 6 Fall of the Alamo (1836) Fair Lawn American Legion SAL 171 meeting. 4 Rochelle Park American Legion Riders 170 regular meeting (7:30 pm). Contact Les Derbyshire (201) Daylight Savings Time Begins

12 12 BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER WINTER th Anniversary of the Arrival of the First U.S. Combat Troops in South Vietnam (1965) The 9 th Marine Expeditionary Brigade arrived in South Vietnam to protect the U.S. airbase at Da Nang 9 Rutherford American Legion Post 109 meeting (7:30 pm). Teaneck American Legion Post 128 hosts the monthly meeting of SAL Squadron. Catholic War Veterans of Bergen County Bingo at the Paramus Veterans Home (7-8 pm). 10 Wood-Ridge Post 3616 & Ladies Auxiliary visit the Paramus Veterans Home. Bogota VFW Ladies Post 5561 meeting (7:30 pm). If you are the wife or daughter of a qualified VFW Veteran, come in to talk to the Ladies Auxiliary. 11 Waldwick American Legion Post 57 Walter Nightengale American Legion Sons of the American Legion Detachment of New Jersey Squadron No. 57 regular meeting at 46 Franklin Turnpike, Waldwick (7:30 pm). Visit: Rochelle Park American Legion SAL Squad 170 meeting (7:30 pm). Contact Joey Connors (201) Washington Elm VFW Post 192 meeting (7:30 pm). Bergen County American Legion Department Bingo Paramus Vets Home (7-8 pm be there at 6:30 pm). 12 Rochelle Park American Legion Auxiliary Unit 170 meeting (7:30 pm). Contact Roberta O Dowd: (201) Waldwick American Legion Post 57 Walter Nightengale regular meeting at 46 Franklin Turnpike, Waldwick (7:00 pm). Visit: VVA Chapter 800 (Bergen County) bingo, East Orange VAMC (6:30-8 pm). Northern Valley Chapter 32 of the DAV regular meeting at 8 Veterans Plaza, Bergenfield (7 pm). For questions call (201) Fair Lawn American Legion Post 171 Auxiliary meeting (8-9 pm). Fair Lawn American Legion Post 171 meeting (8-9 pm). VVA Chapter Bergen County (8 pm) meeting at VFW Post #809 (Little Ferry) and E-board meets one hour before at 7 pm. 15 U.S./UN/ROK forces retake Seoul, Korea (1951). Elmwood Park American Legion Post 147 Third Sunday Pancake Breakfast (8-11:30 am), 1 Legion Place, Elmwood Park. Contact: (201) Rochelle Park Post 170 & Lodi Post 136 Third Sunday Pancake Breakfast (8-11:30 am), 33 W. Passaic Street, Rochelle Park. 17 St. Patrick s Day DAV #15 meeting at the VFW #809 Hall, 100 Main Street, Little Ferry (7:30 pm).

13 BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER WINTER Rutherford American Legion Post 109 Ward Party East Orange (6 pm). Fair Lawn American Legion Post 171 bingo at the Paramus Veterans Home (7 pm). Wood-Ridge Post 3616 & Ladies Auxiliary visit the Paramus Veterans Home. 18 Fair Lawn Jewish War Veterans Post 651 bingo at the Paramus Veterans Home (7-8 pm). Rutherford American Legion SAL 109 meeting (7:30 pm). 19 Elks Club Lodge #2167 will hold its monthly meeting at 33 Ramapo Valley Road, Oakland, NJ (8 pm). For more information please call (201) Elks Club Lodge #2475 Palisades Park/Fort Lee Lodge will hold its regular meeting, th St., Palisades Park (7:30 pm). VFW Post 4697 of North Arlington meets at 8-9 pm at 222 River Road, North Arlington. For more information call Ed Mc Donough Commander Operation Iraqi Freedom begins; the Iraq War begins (2003). 20 First day of Spring 21 Paramus VFW Post 6699 will hold its monthly meeting at 6 East Winslow Place, Paramus (10 am). For more information please call (201) Jessica Lynch captured (2003). The first successful rescue of an American POW since WWII and the first ever of a woman. DAV Chapter #49 meets on the 4th Monday of the month at the American Legion Post #365, at 110 Anderson Ave., Fairview at 8 pm. New Milford-Teaneck JWV Post 498 bingo at the Paramus Veterans Home (7-8 pm). MOPH 522 Paramus at the Paramus Veterans Home (7:30 pm). 24 East District Elks Bingo at the Paramus Veterans Home (7 pm). Wood-Ridge Post 3616 & Ladies Auxiliary visit the Paramus Veterans Home. 25 District 2 Meeting Woodcliff Lake (7:30 pm). Teaneck American Legion Post 128 monthly meeting. Pompton Lakes Marine Corp League Detachment #744 will hold its monthly meeting at the Oakland Elks, 33 Ramapo Valley Rd, Oakland, NJ (7 pm). For more information please call (973) Wood-Ridge Post VFW Post 3616 meeting at Carlstadt AL Post meets every 4th Thursday at 7:30 pm. 22 Tuskegee Airmen Activated (1941).

14 14 BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER WINTER 2015 The Postscript Corner.. VFW Post 2342, Fort Lee We had a very busy Fall 2014 this year. On September 11 th we held ceremonies at the Post Hall. During October we helped sponsor Christ the Teacher School with their girls basketball program and proudly they had won their Division. November Veterans Day Ceremonies were held: Fort Lee High School; placing 8,000 flags on the lawn in front of the school, Post services, and 2 other schools. December s Pancake Breakfast proceeds went to the Fort Lee Epiphany Food Pantry Toys for Tots Program. A special thanks to the members for helping out in our programs and lunch was served. Al Gonzales, Officer of the Day Rochelle Park AL Ladies Auxiliary Unit 170 We had a very busy September and October. Our annual Family picnic was held on 9/6 with lots of food and great entertainment for all. The 9/11 service was very well attended and the video that was played left many of us in tears. After the pancake breakfast on 9/21, all who signed up left for the Sands Casino in Bethlehem. The bus was sold out and everyone had a great day. Snacks, beer, wine, soda, bloody marys, and mimosas were served on the bus. On 9/22, we held a bingo party at the Paramus Veteran s Home which was very well attended by Veterans (45) and both post and auxiliary volunteers. The Veterans were given a cash gift just for showing up and, of course, their bingo winnings. Afterwards we served cookies, juice and bananas. On Saturday, 10/11, Greg and Kim Havel hosted a Family Oktoberfest at the Post lounge. A great home-cooked dinner was served and music provided by Jim Cava. On 10/19, after the pancake breakfast, Veterans from the Paramus Home were bussed to our Post to attend a Casino Day. We served an assortment of appetizers, dessert and beverages and then the Veterans sat down at the blackjack tables. The Veterans all went home with winnings. For God and Country, Roberta O Dowd, President Post 170 Website 2014 First Place Winner in the N.A.L.P.A. (National American Legion Press Association) annual contest for the Mary B. Howard Category 5B. View the web site at your leisure by visiting American Legion Post 106, Hasbrouck Heights Most Post commanders are happy to get a letter thanking them for donations. Mike Cahill of Post 106 Hasbrouck Heights got a lot more than a letter. Aimee McCarthy, a new young author, dedicated her first e- book, 36 Week Jam Session, to Post 106. It is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords. The dedication reads: I would like to dedicate this book to American Legion Post 106 of Hasbrouck Heights, NJ for helping me with my education. Nice to know that investments in children s education can come back in unexpected ways. Patrick McCarthy

15 BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER WINTER American Legion Post 136, Lodi American Legion Post 170, Rochelle Park On behalf of American Legion Lodi Post 136 and Rochelle Park Post 170 members, we would like to thank everyone who attended our Dec. 13 th Pancake Breakfast (we had 225 adults and 52 children). This great turnout enabled us to donate $1,500 to Autism Speaks. In addition, they did a tricky-tray which was also a great success. We'd also like to remind everyone that our next breakfast will be Sunday, January 18 th from 8 am to 11 am at Rochelle Park Post 170, 33 W. Passaic St. Rochelle Park, The breakfast consists of pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage, fruit cocktails, coffee, tea, and juice (and homemade crumb cake while it lasts, so come early) for $4 with children $3 and under 6 free. Thanks for you continued support, Bob Salvini, Commander, Post 170 Fred Hesse, Commander, Post 136 VETERANS NEWSLETTER AVAILABLE ONLINE VISIT Click on Services at the top and then click on Veterans Services under the Human Services category Winter 2015: Our 35 th Year of Continuous Publication

16 BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER WINTER CONTENTS Page 17 The Battle of Iwo Jima 70th Anniversary 19 70th Anniversary of the Liberation Of Auschwitz 20 Veterans War Letters 22 VFW Salutes WWII Generation In Congress 23 The Road to Restored Trust with VA by American Legion National Commander Mike Helm 24 American Legion Item Honors Women Veterans 24 VFW Commander In Missouri Solves Medal Mystery 27 VA Disability Payments Linked to Veteran Unemployment 29 Volunteer Or Donate: Your Participation Can Make a Difference 31 USO News 32 Veterans Issues Saw Legislative Success in North Jersey Takes Part in Wreaths Across America Movement 35 Donation to Paramus Veterans Home 36 Tracers: Helping Bergen County s Homeless Veterans and their Families for Over 21 Years 36 Thanks to Tracers Benefactors 37 Community Solutions Announces Selection of 71 Communities to Participate in Zero: Mom s Obit Reconnects Bergenfield Triplets with WWII Hero Father They Never Met 41 Important Contact Numbers 41 Volunteer Lawyers for Justice: Taking Cases, Changing Lives 42 Back Pages

17 17 BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER WINTER 2015 THE BATTLE OF IWO JIMA 70 TH ANNIVERSARY Amphibious tractors approaching Iwo Jima, February Harry George and Iwo Jima One of World War II's most famous and lasting images is the photograph of U.S. Marines raising a flag atop Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima. Thousands of Americans died to gain control of this tiny island. Why was it so important for American forces? The answer is simple. The U.S. needed Iwo Jima's airbases. Harry George Safe Haven After American forces captured the Mariana Islands in the summer of 1944, B- 29 bombers began flying their payloads to Japan. The planes had to travel almost 3,000 miles, much of it over enemy territory. Planes damaged over Japan by fighter planes or anti-aircraft fire might not be able to complete the 1,500-mile return trip to the Marianas. They needed a safe haven. Iwo Jima, halfway between Tokyo and the Marianas, was ideal. American landing strips on Iwo Jima would not only provide emergency assistance, but could also be a base for American fighter escorts. Serious Threat The other reason American forces needed Iwo Jima was to eliminate the threat of the Japanese planes based there. Japanese fighters had been attacking B-29s in the air and on the ground. Initially, more B-29s were lost on airstrips in the Mariana Islands than were shot down over Japan. The Japanese set up early warning radar alerts on Iwo Jima, and took away the B-29s' element of surprise. There was no question in the minds of U.S. strategists: Iwo Jima had to be captured and its airbases turned over to American forces. A Long and Fierce Fight D-Day for Iwo Jima was February 19, The 30,000 Marines who came ashore that first day had to uproot 21,000 Japanese defenders in well-fortified underground bunkers. An open, barren, moon-like landscape provided little to no protection for the exposed American forces. It would take the Marines more than a month of yard-by-yard fighting over inhospitable terrain to secure the island. The battle for Iwo Jima was over on March 26, Less than two weeks later, on April 7, the Americans had converted it into an offensive asset: 108 P-51 Mustang fighters took off from the island, supporting a fleet of B-29s heading for Japan on a bombing raid.

18 BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER WINTER Harry George and fellow pilots Heavy Losses Securing Iwo Jima came at a great cost to the Marine Corps and the Navy. More than 75,000 Americans fought at Iwo Jima. Almost 7,000 were killed and more than 24,000 wounded. Almost 6,000 of the dead were U.S. Marines. Nearly all of the Japanese defenders died. But the B-29 crews who had gained a new base were grateful. Harry George was a co-pilot on a B-29: "Every time I see or meet a Marine, I'll head him to the nearest bar and buy him a drink, because [if] it hadn't been for them, I probably wouldn't be here, I know, and our crew wouldn't. Always grateful to Marines." Proof of Iwo Jima's Value George appreciated Iwo Jima because without it, he almost certainly would have died. On the night of May 25, 1945, just a few weeks after the U.S. had secured the island; Harry George's B-29 was hit by Japanese anti-aircraft fire: "Over the interphone came the voice of our left gunner saying, 'I'm hit, I'm hit.' And I remember my control column flopped in George in front of his B-29 bomber my lap. The airplane commander's control column flopped this way. The rudder just went loose, left rudder pedal. In other words, the controls were starting to go." Two of the gunners had been hit; one lost most of his jaw. They were in need of help. The plane was down to two engines. Iwo Jima was three hours away. "When we finally got to Iwo, it was all socked in. Well, we didn't have enough gas to go on back down to our base at Tinian, which would have been another three hours of flying time. So we said we were going to stay right there over Iwo and try to get in there." Parachuting to Safety The weather made landing the plane impossible. Despite gallant efforts, Harry's crew was never able to get their B-29 over the runway. Down to their last drop of gas, the engines began to cut out and the crew, all 11 including the injured men, had to bail out. "I remember coming down in my chute and landing in a big foxhole. And this big old Army sergeant comes sliding down with all his pack on. 'You all right?' I said, 'Boy, am I glad to see you.'" Thankful to Survive All 11 men from George's crew survived. Harry George was so thankful to be alive that he saved his parachute. Harry George and his bride "I put it in a cardboard box. I said, 'Hey, take this back to the States and mail it to my fiancée.' When I arrived home in November, after the war was over in August, she had it made into her wedding gown. And I was married in November, and I still have the nylon wedding gown that was made up at that time."

19 19 BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER WINTER 2015 By war's end, more than 3,000 B-29s in distress had used Iwo Jima's landing strips. (Source: 70 TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE LIBERATION OF AUSCHWITZ Auschwitz concentration camp January 2015 marks seventy years since the liberation of Auschwitz, the largest camp established by the Germans. A complex of camps, Auschwitz included a concentration camp, killing center, and forced-labor camps. It was located 37 miles west of Krakow (Cracow), near the prewar German-Polish border. In mid-january 1945, as Soviet forces approached the Auschwitz camp complex, the SS began evacuating Auschwitz and its satellite camps. Nearly 60,000 prisoners were forced to march west from the Auschwitz camp system. Thousands had been killed in the camps in the days before these death marches began. Tens of thousands of prisoners, mostly Jews, were forced to march to the city of Wodzislaw in the western part of Upper Silesia. SS guards shot anyone who fell behind or could not continue. Prisoners also suffered from the cold weather, starvation, and exposure on these marches. More than 15,000 died during the death marches from Auschwitz. On January 27, 1945, the Soviet army entered Auschwitz and liberated more than 7,000 remaining prisoners, who were mostly ill and dying. It is estimated that at minimum 1.3 million people were deported to Auschwitz between 1940 and 1945; of these, at least 1.1 million were murdered. There was abundant evidence of mass murder in Auschwitz. The retreating Germans had destroyed most of the warehouses in the camp, but in the remaining ones the Soviets found personal belongings of the victims. They discovered, for example, hundreds of thousands of men's suits, more than 800,000 women's outfits, and more than 14,000 pounds of human hair.

20 BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER WINTER In the following months, the Soviets liberated additional camps in the Baltic states and in Poland. Shortly before Germany's surrender, Soviet forces liberated the Stutthof, Sachsenhausen, and Ravensbrueck concentration camps. U.S. forces liberated the Buchenwald concentration camp near Weimar, Germany, on April 11, 1945, a few days after the Nazis began evacuating the camp. On the day of liberation, an underground prisoner resistance organization seized control of Buchenwald to prevent atrocities by the retreating camp guards. American forces liberated more than 20,000 prisoners at Buchenwald. They also liberated Dora-Mittelbau, Flossenbürg, Dachau, and Mauthausen. British forces liberated concentration camps in northern Germany, including Neuengamme and Bergen-Belsen. They entered the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, near Celle, in mid-april Some 60,000 prisoners, most in critical condition because of a typhus epidemic, were found alive. More than 10,000 of them died from the effects of malnutrition or disease within a few weeks of liberation. Liberators confronted unspeakable conditions in the Nazi camps, where piles of corpses lay unburied. Only after the liberation of these camps was the full scope of Nazi horrors exposed to the world. The small percentage of inmates who survived resembled skeletons because of the demands of forced labor and the lack of food, compounded by months and years of maltreatment. Many were so weak that they could hardly move. Disease remained an ever-present danger, and many of the camps had to be burned down to prevent the spread of epidemics. Survivors of the camps faced a long and difficult road to recovery. (Source: The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum online at VETERANS WAR LETTERS From the Civil War, to Vietnam, to World War II, and more contemporary conflicts, soldiers have been writing home from the front lines for centuries. In every American war from the Revolutionary War, American military men and women have captured the horror, pathos, and intensity of warfare by writing letters home. Tens of thousands of these letters have been handed down from generation to generation. Using the most compelling and enlightening of these missives, War Letters tells the story of American wars from the viewpoint of the men and women in the front lines. Many of them were still teenagers at the time. Taken together, the letters form an epic record of wartime events. Read individually, they reveal the deep emotions of people in the midst of a unique and terrible experience.

21 21 BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER WINTER 2015 NATHAN HOFFMAN Date: December 31, 1945 Rank: Sergeant Home: Waco, Texas Letter "This is the last day of the last month of the year, and this should be the last letter that I shall write to you... So long, honey, and pucker up -- 'cause here I come." Resolution On leave from Camp Shanks in Orangeburg, New York, Hoffman met Evelyn Giniger just days before he was to go to Europe with the 12th Army Division, in October After five dates with Evelyn on five consecutive nights, Nathan was restricted to camp, as were all the soldiers who were about to leave. He sent her an orchid with a note that read, "I'll be seeing you," taking his words from the popular song of that name. Nathan began writing Evelyn in between bouts of seasickness on the transport ship to Europe, and she wrote back. As the 12th advanced through France and Germany, Evelyn and Nathan's correspondence continued, running to thousands of pages which they both saved. When Nathan came home in January 1946, Evelyn was already in Waco, waiting for him. They were married a month later. HORACE EVERS Date: May 2, 1945 Rank: Staff Sergeant Home: Riverhead, Long Island, New York Letter "A year ago today I was sweating out shells on Anzio Beachhead -- today I am sitting in Hitler's luxuriously furnished apartment in Munich writing a few lines home. -- What a contrast. -- A still greater contrast is that between his quarters here and the living hell of DACHAU concentration camp only 10 miles from here. -- I had the misfortune of seeing the camp yesterday and I still find it hard to believe what my eyes told me..." Resolution Evers took time to write home while he and his men were setting up a command post in Munich. Finding themselves in the apartment of Adolph Hitler, they discovered some sheets of Hitler's personal stationery. Evers wrote home on this stationery, gold-embossed with an eagle, swastika, and Hitler's name at the top. When he returned home, he resumed working for the U.S. Postal Service. For years, he never discussed the war with his family, but when his parents passed away and he received a number of his old letters in the mid-1990s, he assembled albums of his experiences in the war. His collection includes a love letter he sent home to his wife, also on Hitler's stationery. LEWIS PLUSH Date: February 3, 1919 Rank: Lieutenant Home: Pomona, California Letter "Men fought to kill, to maim, to destroy. Some return home, others remain behind forever on the fields of their greatest sacrifice. There was a war, a great war, and now it is over."

22 BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER WINTER Resolution Plush was honorably discharged from service on February 15, He returned home and homesteaded property in the coastal mountains. He married in 1923, planted apples and raised turkeys on his ranch, and died in 1956 at age 63. JUNE WANDREY Date: January 18, 1944 Rank: Army Nurse Corps Home: Wautoma, Wisconsin Letter "We now have a mix of wounded, medical patients, and battle-fatigued soldiers....the wounded were happy to be missing only one arm or leg... I have a terrible earache but as usual I have to work. The patients need me." Resolution Wandrey served in Western Europe and North Africa as a combat nurse, accumulating eight battle stars in some of the war's bloodiest campaigns. At age 81, she was still receiving letters from some of her patients. These are excerpts from some of the letters in Andy Carroll's book, War Letters: Extraordinary Correspondence from American Wars, dramatized in the American Experience film. (Source: VFW SALUTES WWII GENERATION IN CONGRESS National commander doesn't want significance of the moment to go unnoticed WASHINGTON, DC (Dec. 12, 2014) The closing of the 113th Congress in the new year also signals an end to World War II representation in Congress, and the national commander of America s largest and oldest major combat veterans organization doesn't want the significance of the moment to go unnoticed. When World War II veterans returned home, many experienced the same reintegration difficulties that veterans from all wars do, explained John W. Stroud, who leads the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States. But they persevered, started families, finished their education, and became the scientists, scholars, poets and captains of industry that allowed America to prosper so much in the second half of the 20th century, he said. They also got involved in how their communities and nation were governed, and the VFW is proud to claim among its members six World War II veterans who became president of the United States, and an untold number of others among the 36 Congresses that have convened since

23 23 BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER WINTER 2015 the election of Navy Lt. George Andrews (D-Ala.) in 1944 to the impending departure of former Army Lt. John Dingell (D-Mich.) and Navy Lt. Ralph Hall (R-Texas) next month, said Stroud. Once comprising more than 70 percent of Congress in the 1970s, the number of military veterans has fallen below 20 percent, but the VFW national commander is confident that the new generation of veterans entering the 114th Congress, as well as many other congressional champions, will continue to take care of veterans, the troops, and all their families. Taking care of those who serve and sacrifice the most for our great country mattered then and it matters now, said Stroud. The VFW salutes the World War II generation for their selfless service to country, and we look forward to working with the new Congress to continue building a better tomorrow for our nation and world. (Source: THE ROAD TO RESTORED TRUST WITH VA BY MIKE HELM, AMERICAN LEGION NATIONAL COMMANDER Michael D. Helm of Norcatur, Kansas, was elected national commander of the American Legion on Aug. 28, A U.S. Army veteran during the Vietnam War, he served with the 82nd Airborne Division in Fort Bragg, N.C., and earned his Ranger tab in Featured in The American Legion Magazine Henry Ford once said, If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself. That s how I look at the American Legion s relationship with the Department of Veterans Affairs. We are stakeholders, watchdogs, advocates, patients, partners, volunteers, and, when necessary, critics. Our loyalty is to veterans first, and our obligation is to ensure that the federal government is fulfilling its duty to help them. When the full extent of the VA scandals was revealed last spring, the Legion called for changes in top leadership and for needed reforms. We persuaded Congress and the White House to take urgent action or jeopardize a hard-won and fragile trust with America s veterans. As hard as the Legion has worked, the systemic problem caused by massive backlogs, cooked books and substandard care cannot be solved overnight. That is why I am so proud of the success we have seen at our Veterans Crisis Command Centers (VCCCs), which were recently renamed Veterans Benefits Centers (VBCs). The Legion s initial crisis center opened June 9 in Phoenix, the epicenter of the VA scandals. Legion experts gathered at Post 1 and assisted nearly 600 veterans with system enrollment, outpatient appointments, benefit applications and appeals representation. The results over the five-day event were astounding. Four veterans were granted 100 percent service-connected disability ratings on the spot, and one terminally ill veteran received a Chapter 35 benefit that will help his dependents pay for college. Another veteran helped by the Legion discovered he was eligible for $60,000 in retroactive disability compensation.

24 BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER WINTER Similar results followed at VCCCs in other communities, including Fayetteville, N.C.; El Paso, Texas; Fort Collins, Colo.; St. Louis; Baltimore; Shinnston, W.Va.; Charlotte, N.C.; Honolulu; Harlingen, Texas; and White City and Medford, Ore. By the end of September, the Legion had helped more than 3,000 veterans at these events and obtained nearly $1 million in on-the-spot retroactive benefits. In just a short period of time, these events have produced life-changing results for thousands. Our work in Washington is important, but local communities are where we witness firsthand the fruits of our efforts. Ralph Bozella, chairman of the American Legion s Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation Commission, recently explained the evolution of the Veterans Crisis Command Centers to Veterans Benefits Centers this way: By its very nature, a crisis can t last forever. If it does, what s the end result? A crisis has to end, and the scandal that took place from the spring up until late summer is over. But we ve learned so much from that. We want to continue to offer the service to veterans because of the environment we create: the environment of friendliness, the environment that we are here, in fact, to help. We cannot do it alone. We have to work together. I couldn t agree more. Mike Helm, National Commander The American Legion (Source: AMERICAN LEGION ITEM HONORS WOMEN VETERANS Among the new items being offered by American Legion Emblem Sales is a dog tag tack honoring women veterans. The dog tag is inscribed with "Women Proudly Served. To order the dog tag tack, visit and view other new items available through Emblem Sales:

25 25 BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER WINTER 2015 VFW COMMANDER IN MISSOURI SOLVES MEDAL MYSTERY Items returned to family of deceased WWII vet Sometimes you find your mission and sometimes your mission finds you. That s exactly how VFW Post 6947 Commander Joseph Cerchi felt after being approached by a Bismarck, Missouri resident who asked him for some help clearing up a mystery. In October I was at the railroad depot in Bismarck for the Missouri Show Me Convoy a convoy of WWII vintage military vehicles, said Cerchi. Jimmy Dale Ketcherside came up to me and Adjutant Joe Snyder saying he d found some medals while cleaning out a storage locker at Apple Ridge over at Mineral Point. Then he handed us a presentation case with two Purple Hearts and an Army of Occupation Medal for Japan. Ketcherside asked Cerchi if he could find out whom the medals might belong to. I told him to give to me (the medals) and I d see what I could do, Cerchi recalled. That afternoon I went to a veteran s web group that I belong to on Facebook, told them about the medals and asked if they had any idea where to start. Cerchi didn t have to wait long for a response. It took 10 minutes and I got my first reply from a gentleman in Ohio named Timothy Ewalt, he said. Timothy told me to try a link he had to the Purple Heart Hall of Fame. I went to the site and it verified that one of the names inscribed on the Purple Heart Hubert S. Terry did indeed earn them and told me his hometown was Quitman, Mississippi. Next, I contacted another friend of mine Sue Schippert in Colorado. Not only does she run a private investigations firm, but she s also a veteran and heavily involved in a movement called the Warfighter Rights Movement. I told her what I d found out and as soon as I said Quitman, Mississippi, she immediately told me to call the Copelands. " Cerchi had never heard of Natalie and Norman Copeland before, but Schippert told him the couple worked for the state of Mississippi s VFW Department. I contacted the Copelands and told them that Terry s hometown was Quitman, Mississippi. They laughed a little and told me the town was in their district. They immediately contacted the post in Quitman and it turned out the quartermaster was also one of the city aldermen. So, they started looking through the county records trying to find any mention of Hubert S. Terry. Cerchi said the searchers felt like they were stumbling around and hitting brick walls. It turns out that in that part of Mississippi nobody uses their real names, he said, laughing. Everybody knows each other by nicknames. Turning once again to Shippert, she told Cerchi and the Copelands to call Scott Hughes, a Marine veteran living in West Virginia.

26 BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER WINTER He has real good computer investigative skills," Cerchi said. "Of course, he has to because he mainly deals with exposing military phonies. He was just thrilled to be able to use those skills for something like this. Once Scott got on the case, the man we were searching for started to come to life. It wasn t just a name on a medal Hubert S. Terry now it was Sgt. Terry, United States Army, a veteran of World War II, who served in the occupational forces of Japan and then went to Korea where he was killed in action on Sept. 4, Scott also informed the searchers that Sgt. Terry was buried in the Marks, Mississippi Cemetery. We thought we had a trace because we found an application for a military marker that was filled out by an Augustus Terry, Cerchi said. He turned out to be Hubert s brother, but unfortunately had passed away in Despite this, with the information obtained from Scott, the Copelands were able to locate Augustus son. That s when things began to open up, Cerchi said. When we contacted him, he said, Oh, you mean Bird! Once we got that, everybody knew who we were talking about Hubert Bird Terry. Not long afterward, Cerchi and the others located Sgt. Terry s sister, Sarah Louise Vaughn, who lives in Southaven, Mississippi. When we found this out everybody just wanted to get right on it and return the medals to Mrs. Vaughn, he said. Unfortunately, due to our schedules, it couldn t be done when we wanted it to be done on Veterans Day. So, we scheduled it to add a little bit of thanksgiving to Mrs. Vaughn s Thanksgiving holiday instead. We set up a meeting at the VFW post in Hernando, Mississippi, for Saturday, Nov. 29. That was pretty much halfway between myself and the Copelands, and just a few miles away from Southaven where Mrs. Vaughn lives. When Cerchi arrived in Hernando, he admits being shocked by what awaited him at the VFW hall. The family had kept Sgt. Terry s memory alive all these years, he said. They had so many mementos displayed his photos, unit pictures right down to the flag that had draped his casket. I met not just his sister, but also her sons, daughters-in-law, grandchildren and greatgrandchildren. I ve got to say the people of Hernando went out of their way to make this a special occasion for them. As the ceremony began, Cerchi said he began looking around the room. I don t think I saw a single dry eye between the Copelands, myself, any veteran in that room, members of the family or his sister, he said. The family was in awe that people that they had never met before would actually do something like this. I tried to explain to Mrs. Vaughn that the people involved in the search for her brother were all veterans. That s how we roll. We re a family. It doesn t matter if I never met you before in my life. It doesn t matter if you came before me 30, 40 or 50 years ago. You re still a member of the family.

27 27 BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER WINTER 2015 Vaughn said she didn t know why she d been kept on this earth for so long, but after receiving the medals, realized that this might have been the reason why. It was quite a day and I ll never forget it, Cerchi said. When asked how the medals of a World War II veteran from Quitman, Mississippi, might have ended up in a storage locker at Mineral Point, Missouri, the Navy veteran just shook his head. We still haven t figured that out, he said. I am very thankful that Jimmy Dale stood up and did the right thing. Most people finding something like that would have probably seen what they could get for them at a pawn shop or a flea market. And how does Cerchi feel now that he has successfully fulfilled his unexpected mission to find the rightful owners of the three mysterious medals? Well, I ll put it this way this is now December and I m still up on cloud nine. (Source: Kevin R. Jenkins, Daily Journal Online, December 22, 2014) VA DISABILITY PAYMENTS LINKED TO VETERAN UNEMPLOYMENT Stanford study suggests a seesaw relationship between the two Unemployment persists among military veterans as a sharply growing number of them are receiving disability payments from the Department of Veterans Affairs, according to a new study by a Stanford economist. The steep increase in such payments, Mark Duggan suggests, could be acting as a brake on their employment prospects. Veterans receiving disability compensation from the VA rose from 8.9% in 2001 to 18% in 2014, Duggan s study says. Even as the number of veterans shrank from 26.1 million in 2001 to 22 million this year, those receiving federal money for wounds linked to military service have climbed from 2.3 million to 3.9 million. The substantial rise in Disability Compensation enrollment in recent years suggests that this program may be affecting labor market outcomes for military veterans, Duggan writes. He cites two possible reasons: It can reduce a veteran s propensity to work because with the additional income he may now prefer additional leisure to work. Additional work may also prevent a veteran from qualifying for a higher level of Disability Compensation benefits and thus increase the effective tax rate on work. The jobless rate among post-9/11 vets was 7.2% in October, compared to the nation s 5.8% rate and a 4.5% rate among all veterans.

28 BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER WINTER The study is important because it shows how the good intentions of the disability system can sabotage the well-being of veterans, says Sally Satel, a one-time VA psychiatrist who now works at the conservative American Enterprise Institute think tank. But the report, she adds, could boomerang: Talking about reforming the veterans disability system is a third-rail topic because, on superficial glance, it appears as if reformers want to deny veterans help. But Satel, a reform advocate, denies that. Reformers urge that assistance be given in the most constructive way possible, she says. This means that the VA should go all-out in terms of treatment and rehabilitation, to maximize entry into the workforce and minimize exit from it. Some vets believe the report misses the point. Repeated deployments and the lack of a formal, uniformed and organized enemy, ground down the Americans who fought the post-9/11 wars, says Alex Lemons, a Marine sergeant who pulled three tours in Iraq, A number of my friends were blown into many pieces and they never quite reassembled them, he says. You might look at this person and think they look fine despite scars, but then you find out they can t stand for more than an hour a day, they have shrapnel that works its way out of their dermis and have to pry it out, they are near deaf without hearing aids, or they can t pick up things as a result of nerve damage in a hand. It means they will never be qualified for many jobs. Lemons says it s good that troops are coming forward seeking help for post-traumatic stress disorder, which has gone from the 10th most-common condition among vets on disability in 2000, to third in In my infantry battalion the number of Marines who are on PTSD disability is not more than 35%, he says, even though I believe everyone who deployed with us has it. The average monthly disability payment grew 46% from $747 to $1,094 between 2001 and 2013, Duggan reports. While that s not much per veteran, the nation paid out a total of $54 billion in such benefits in Not only are more veterans receiving disability compensation, Duggan s report says, but they re receiving more than earlier veterans did. That s because the VA has ruled that the impact of their military service on their health is greater than for earlier generations of vets. Disability payments are pegged to a VA-determined rating, which is expressed in 10 percentage-point increments. Between 2001 and 2013, the number of vets deemed 10% disabled generating an average monthly payment of $131 last year dropped by 1%. Over the same period, the more than 800,000 vets rated 80% or more disabled receiving an average monthly payment of $2,700 rose by 221%. Military service also may have become more demanding over time, accounting for less veteran participating in the labor force, Duggan s report says. Consistent with this explanation, he adds, veterans have become more likely than non-veteran males to report that their health is poor or just fair rather than excellent, very good, or good. Elspeth Ritchie, a retired colonel who served as the Army s top psychiatrist before retiring in 2010, believes the report slights what troops experienced in the nation s post-9/11 wars. It does not seem to factor in the high rate of physical injuries, traumatic brain injury and PTSD in the veterans from these conflicts, she says. Since turning its back on its veterans following the unpopular war in Vietnam, American society has sung the praises of its veterans, and has been footing the bills for those hurt to prove it. Spending on veterans disability benefits has almost tripled since fiscal year 2000, from $20

29 29 BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER WINTER 2015 billion in 2000 to $54 billion in 2013 an average annual increase of nearly 8%, after adjusting for inflation, the Congressional Budget Office reported in August. VA projects that such spending will total $60 billion in 2014 and $64 billion in 2015, a 19% increase from two years earlier. Duggan reports that a key driver in the growth of such benefits has been the VA s decision to make veterans who served in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War eligible for benefits if they have Type 2 diabetes, ischemic heart disease, Parkinson s disease, or B-cell leukemia. The agency took the action when it decided to presume the ailments were linked to military service in the theater and possible exposure there to the defoliant Agent Orange. Today s veterans, the study says, are more likely than their fathers to seek and gain VA disability benefits. Nearly one in four vets since 1990 are being compensated compared to one in seven veterans prior to This higher rate of enrollment may be primarily driven by the VA s approval of presumptive conditions for Gulf War veterans who served in the Southwest Asia theater from 1990 to the present (including Iraq and Afghanistan), Duggan found. He also reports that while veterans between 1980 and 1999 were more likely to be employed than non-veterans, that has flipped since This significant reduction in labor force participation among veterans, he adds, closely coincides with their increase in Disability Compensation enrollment during this same period. Duggan notes that a 2010 change in VA regulations no longer required veterans with a diagnosis of PTSD to document their exposure to wartime trauma such as firefights or IED blasts. The number of veterans being compensated for PTSD rose from 133,789 in 2000 to 648,992 last year. The percentage of all veterans on the Disability Compensation program with a diagnosis of PTSD has increased by a factor of six during this period, Duggan writes, from 0.5% in 2000 to 3.0% in The jump doesn t surprise William Treseder, who deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq as a Marine sergeant. Many post-9/11 vets can tell you stories about the inflation of VA claims, he says. We are often told to file for certain conditions especially post-traumatic stress whether or not we think it s actually an issue. It s the chicken-soup principle in action: can t hurt; might help. Like Duggan, Treseder believes more study is needed examining the impact of disability payments on veterans. This is much-needed research, he says. I m glad to see someone out there looking into this. (Source: Mark Thompson, December 22, 2014, VOLUNTEER OR DONATE: YOUR PARTICIPATION CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE The Voluntary Service Program at the Department of Veterans Affairs, New Jersey Health Care System has a wide variety of volunteer activities available in a flexible fashion, just for you. The program fulfills a

30 BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER WINTER national commitment, to care for and enhance the lives of American's veterans. Our devoted corporate participants and volunteers offer ongoing support for a number of these needs that brighten the lives of these special men and women who fought so bravely to preserve our freedom. Many of our volunteers bring their diverse backgrounds and unique skills to their volunteer assignments, while others bring a desire to learn and explore, finding the experience truly beneficial. All come offering their support, which is one of the most valuable assets. You are encouraged to join our Voluntary Service team and discover the personal satisfaction you will receive "earning your stripes." In addition, special recreational sponsorship opportunities exist to promote the true value of your support within the community or during special events. The invitation is open. Your participation and support can make a difference and we guarantee it will be rewarding. A menu of the available voluntary service opportunities is available. Contact To learn more about the volunteer program, please contact the Voluntary Service Departments at the following locations: VA New Jersey Health Care System East Orange Campus Voluntary Service Office (135) 385 Tremont Avenue East Orange, NJ (973) VA New Jersey Health Care System Lyons Campus Voluntary Service Office (135) 151 Knollcroft Road Lyons, NJ (908) Monetary and Material Contributions Monetary and material donations are accepted to benefit our veterans. Monetary donations are deposited into accounts that are earmarked to benefit the veterans. For example: Nursing Home Care Unit Recreation Mental Health and Behavioral Sciences Recreational Program Holiday Gift fund Voluntary Service has the authority to accept both monetary and material donations that will benefit our hospitalized veterans.

31 31 BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER WINTER 2015 If you are interested in learning more about ways to contribute, please contact our office to obtain a wish list. (Source: USO NEWS Ebola Mission Support: How the USO is Helping Troops Overseas and in Quarantine During the Holidays Thousands of U.S. troops will be away from home during the holiday season, but a few hundred of those brave men and women will be serving an unconventional mission, isolated as a precautionary measure after duty in West Africa to fight the Ebola outbreak. And the USO will be with them. Troops rotating home after six-month deployments to West Africa are being isolated for 21 days in what the military calls controlled monitoring areas (CMAs) at select installations in the United States, Germany and Italy. Thousands of troops have deployed and returned from the region with no issues to date. Still, concerns from within the military community led to the decision by Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel to provide an extra level of protection for troops who ve spent time around the spreadable virus. In Liberia, where more than 2,800 military personnel are supporting the mission to build and support hospitals, the USO is on the ground at five different locations providing comforts of home. These items include dedicated satellite service for Internet connectivity, phone cards, health and comfort items and even leisure and recreational equipment. Wherever the troops go, we go, said Ed Shock, USO Vice President of Warrior and Family Care Programs. After responding to the needs of troops throughout the past two wars and especially after assisting with humanitarian efforts such as the evacuation of personnel from Benghazi and Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, we ve learned to be more agile, more nimble. soon as we get in the request. We can basically move on a dime to provide support as In the United States, troops are being monitored at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Fort Hood and Fort Bliss, Texas and at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia. At each location, the USO was approached to work with the military s Morale, Welfare and Recreation divisions to provide health, comfort and recreation items for the quarantined troops ranging from TVs and DVDs to sports equipment. In most cases, groups of 20 to 30 soldiers are isolated at the same time. Subsequent groups cannot have items used by a previous group because of health precautions, so providing multiple sets of supplies has made the operation more challenging.

32 BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER WINTER If somebody can find a problem, the USO can find a solution, said Glenn Gibbs, manager of USO Vicenza, who is supporting the CMA site at nearby American-Italian installation Caserma Del Din. It s just what the USO does. According to Gibbs, the parallel monitoring areas presented a challenge for sourcing new materials for each group. But he said the local community has rallied to support its own. If I couldn t provide something in triplicate, I didn t provide it at all, he said. If one group got weight equipment, everyone got weight equipment. If one group got chocolate cake, everyone got chocolate cake. At Joint Base Langley-Eustis, the USO of Hampton Roads and Central Virginia has supplied more than $20,000 in health items, food and other comforts. [Our] prime directive is to serve active-duty military members and their families wherever and whenever the need arises, to the best of our capacity, said Paula Moran, CEO of USO Hampton Roads and Central Virginia. In this case we were thrilled to have the opportunity to take our home-away-from-home mission and apply it to our troops returning from West Africa. On the ground in Liberia and at each of the seven controlled-monitoring areas in the U.S. and Europe, USO staff and volunteers are stepping up to make sure American troops have what they need to be as comfortable as possible. It makes me feel proud to be a part of an organization the Army comes to [to] support real-world operations, said Konrad Braun, area director of USO Kaiserslautern in Germany. They come to us because we know what they want, we know what they need, and we know how to get it to them as quickly as possible. Anything they need that s what we re here for, and we ll be by their side every step of the way. See more at: (Source: Joseph Andrew Lee, December 3, 2014, VETERANS ISSUES SAW LEGISLATIVE SUCCESS IN 2014 Veterans faced a disheartening series of nationwide scandals related to their benefits and care in 2014, but that also brought an encouraging boost in attention and action from Capitol Hill. Vets advocates saw two top priorities passed in the lameduck session despite congressional gridlock. Advocates from the veterans community saw two of their top legislative priorities approved in the waning days of the lame-duck congressional session: a new, bigger Veterans Affairs Department budget and advance appropriations for all VA benefits starting next fiscal year.

33 33 BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER WINTER 2015 Those successes come after this summer's massive veterans' reform bill that mandated more private care options for veterans facing lengthy wait times for VA medical appointments and more money to hire doctors, lease space, and find ways to add more care hours for patients. And 2014 began with veterans advocates succeeding in killing their most hated legislative provision of 2013 a plan to lower cost-of-living adjustments on military retirees, part of a broader budget balancing package. "We feel pretty good about what we accomplished," said Garry Augustine, executive director of Disabled American Veterans. "Getting anything done in Washington is a surprise these days. And those were big accomplishments." DAV had been leading the push for advance appropriations since the 2013 government shutdown, when veterans' GI Bill checks and other benefits were threatened due to a lack of authorized funding. With a change included in the $1.1 trillion federal spending bill recently signed into law, those fears won't surface again. Like VA medical care accounts, all department benefits will be funded a full year in advance, ensuring that congressional budget fights delays won't disrupt their delivery. Ian de Planque, deputy director of the American Legion's legislative division, said even more important than the legislation that passed may be the new focus from lawmakers on veterans issues. "We're starting to talk to a lot more lawmakers outside the traditional [veterans] committees," he said. "After the problems earlier this year, now this is something that jumped up on their radar." Those problems care delays and record-keeping cover-ups at dozens of VA facilities forced the resignation of former VA Secretary Eric Shinseki and brought dozens of lawmakers into the national debate on how to fix the department's shortfalls. That new knowledge is critical, de Planque said, because VA already has several critical deadlines looming in 2015, including ending the disability benefits backlog and ending veterans homelessness. Success on both those goals will depend on continued pressure from Congress. And Ray Kelley, legislative director of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, noted that there is still a host of advocate-backed legislation that didn't make headway in this session of Congress, either due to legislative gridlock or political distraction. Veterans groups worked long hours in recent weeks in an attempt to guide the Clay Hunt suicide prevention bill through Congress, but fell short after retiring Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., blocked the measure just days before lawmakers left town. That measure, along with plans for VA construction reform and expanded Gulf War Illness research, is expected to be reintroduced quickly in the new legislative session next month. "We still have a lot of work that didn't get done," Kelley said. "So we're already looking ahead. But VA has been in the national spotlight, so our job now is to keep those issues in the light."

34 BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER WINTER The new session of Congress starts Jan. 6, Among the 535 members of the House and Senate, there are 100 lawmakers with military experience, including 25 who served in Iraq or Afghanistan. (Source: NORTH JERSEY TAKES PART IN WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA MOVEMENT Rosemarie Simpson and Marine veteran Gerald Ruud presenting a wreath at Veterans Memorial Park in Mahwah. MAHWAH Across the country on Dec. 13, 2014, tens of thousands of green wreaths with red bows were placed on the graves of veterans as part of a movement to honor those who have served. The effort, called Wreaths Across America, was also present in North Jersey, with wreathlaying ceremonies in Mahwah, Ramsey and Fair Lawn. All the ceremonies from Arlington National Cemetery to North Jersey were coordinated to take place at noon. In Mahwah and Ramsey, ceremonial wreaths representing the branches of the military were placed by the monuments in the municipalities' veterans parks by veterans and students. In Fair Lawn, the ceremony was held at borough hall. Mahwah Marine Moms/North Jersey Military Moms, a group of mothers whose children have served or are serving in the military, coordinated the Mahwah and Ramsey gatherings. This was the first year they undertook the effort. Terry Wendrychowicz, one of the group's founders, told the 100 or so people who gathered at Mahwah's Veterans Memorial Park that it is important to remember the sacrifices all veterans have made to keeping America safe and free. "As a nation standing together, we can defeat terrorism, hatred and injustice. Thanks to our veterans, we have the freedom to do just that," Wendrychowicz said. After the ceremony, the group went to Maryrest Cemetery in Mahwah, where 35 wreaths paid for through fundraising and donations were placed on the graves in the cemetery's veterans circle. Wreaths Across America, a non-profit organization, began at Arlington National Cemetery in 1992, adding a patriotic component to the holiday tradition of decorating the graves of loved ones who have died. The group carries out its mission, "Remember, Honor, Teach," through coordinating wreath-laying ceremonies each December at Arlington and throughout the nation, according to its website. Wendrychowicz said she wanted to bring the movement to North Jersey after she learned about it through a news program. She said the image of all the white gravestones at Arlington decorated

35 35 BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER WINTER 2015 with green wreaths was not only moving but provided yet another way that veterans could be honored. "It's an overwhelming sight," Wendrychowicz said. Sherry Fusco, an event coordinator, said that numerous groups had pitched in to help raise funds for the wreaths. "We've been very fortunate that a lot of local organizations have been very generous with us," Fusco said. Among the volunteers who helped with the event were members of Ramapo College's Veterans Student Organization. For the previous three years, Rebecca Smith a member of that group who studies biology and is a veteran herself participated in Wreaths Across America ceremonies while stationed in Texas. Smith was in Mahwah's Veterans Memorial Park, offering a wreath to pay tribute to those who had served before her. "I think it's important that we don't forget them as well," said Smith of Paramus. Mike McNulty, vice commandant of the Marine Corps League Lakeland Detachment 744, said it was important to maintain traditions that seek to honor and remember veterans. McNulty, who served in the Marine Corps from 1979 to 1985, said that as a youngster he looked up those who served in World War I and World War II as heroes. "We have to honor people who are willing to do that, because not everyone is willing to do that," McNulty said. On Dec. 13 th, 240 more wreaths were placed on veterans' graves at Mahwah Cemetery and Union Cemetery in Ramsey. (Source: Mary Diduch, The Record, December 14, 2014, DONATION TO PARAMUS VETERANS HOME The Bergen County Police Chiefs Association donated a 55" TV for the Paramus Veterans Memorial Home. (Source: New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs). Left to right: Trudi Dial, Chief Rossi, Giulia V. Kirsch, home s recreation supervisor; Chief Rutigliano, and Chief Regino.

36 BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER WINTER TRACERS: HELPING BERGEN COUNTY S HOMELESS VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES FOR OVER 21 YEARS Established in November 1993, Tracers has provided over $106,400 worth of bus tickets, $5,000 worth of phone cards, and tens of thousands of dollars in clothing, McDonald s & Shop Rite gift certificates, shoes, VA canteen books, and other items essential to homeless veterans. Whether the veteran needs bus tickets for job interviews, transportation to social services agencies or to employment obtained, Tracers is there to assist. Because of your donations, the lives of homeless veterans in Bergen County are improving, one veteran at a time. If you or your organization would like to make a donation, checks should be made payable to County of Bergen - Tracers and sent to Tracers, One Bergen County Plaza, 2nd Floor, Hackensack, NJ $25 or $50 gift certificates, redeemable at stores in Hackensack such as Sears, Shop Rite, and Target are also welcome. Gift certificates allow the veteran to purchase clothing, shoes, etc. in their exact size, as well as male or female personal items required. $10.00 McDonald s, Pizza Hut, Dunkin Donuts or Burger King gift cards, which are available for purchase at the counter, are greatly appreciated by our homeless job seekers. Packages of VA One Dollar Canteen Books are also a welcomed donation and available at VAMC East Orange, Third Floor PX. If you have any questions, call the Division of Veterans Services at (201) , weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Among many programs, VA has created a national hotline for homeless veterans which is staffed around the clock, seven days a week. Responders can help callers find food, shelter, clothing, and other assistance for homeless veterans. THANKS TO TRACERS BENEFACTORS (PRIOR TO 12/25/2014) Gold ($500 and above): Father Washington Post 1710 Catholic War Veterans American Legion Post 170 Riders American Legion Auxiliary Unit 170 American Legion Post 139 Bergen County Police Chiefs Association Bergen County Division of Senior Services Employees Bergen County Community Volunteer Services Omega Environmental Services, Inc. Employee Gift Drive Hackensack Department of Labor, Union City Employee Gift Drive Our Lady of Grace Church, Fairview Parishioners of Our Lady of Grace Church and Union of the Catholic Apostolates

37 37 BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER WINTER 2015 Silver ($250 - $499): American Legion Post 128 VFW Ladies Auxiliary Post 277 VFW Post 5084 Bronze ($100 - $249): CWV Post 1076 Tom Lemond David & Joan Boesch VFW Post 227 Catholic War Veterans Post 1076 Joan Carlson, Ridgefield Park Boosters (Under or up to $99): VFW Ladies Auxiliary Post 6467 Dan Kotkin, Bergen County Division on Disability Services COMMUNITY SOLUTIONS ANNOUNCES SELECTION OF 71 COMMUNITIES TO PARTICIPATE IN ZERO: 2016 Bergen County Joins Zero: 2016 To End Veteran and Chronic Homelessness National initiative will help communities end chronic and veteran homelessness Community Solutions announced that it has selected 71 communities to participate in Zero: 2016, a national campaign to end veteran and chronic homelessness in the next two years. The organization said it would work intensively with these communities to meet the federal goals set by President Obama to end veteran homelessness by Dec and chronic homelessness by Dec The initiative, made possible by the support of generous sponsors including Deutsche Bank, JP Morgan Chase, The Home Depot Foundation, and Got Your 6, is a rigorous follow-on to the group s successful 100,000 Homes Campaign, which announced in June 2014 that it had helped communities house 105,000 chronically homeless Americans in under four years.

38 BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER WINTER Zero: 2016 will formally launch in January of 2015, when the majority of communities participating say they will walk their streets block by block to survey each of their homeless neighbors during the national 2015 Homeless Point-in-Time Count (PIT). Communities will use this information to develop by-name files on each person experiencing homelessness on their streets -- a strategy designed to help communities connect people to available subsidies and appropriate housing options as quickly as possible. Chronic and Veteran homelessness are urgent, solvable problems, said Beth Sandor, Director of Zero: 2016 for Community Solutions. These communities represent a potential tipping point. If they can show that getting to zero is possible, we think it will become untenable for other communities not to follow suit. Zero: 2016 is about bringing shared accountability to this work. Participants are making a public commitment to get to zero on time, and they are going to use that commitment to drive measurable progress. This announcement comes on the heels of the release of the 2014 Homeless Point-in-Time Count, issued recently by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, which showed that homelessness continues to decline across virtually all major categories. According to the report, communities selected to join Zero: 2016 account for a combined 31,669 chronically homeless Americans and 16,218 homeless veterans. Community Solutions estimates an overlap of 10,000-12,000 between these two populations. The 71 communities selected for Zero: 2016 represent 30 different states and the District of Columbia. Among them are 55 communities who also participated in the 100,000 Homes Campaign and 16 new communities. Combined, the group represents the joint, public commitment of 234 housing authorities, local government entities, non-profit organizations and community agencies. Four states (Connecticut, New Mexico, Rhode Island and Utah) are participating as full states. Sandor said participating communities would seek to accelerate their housing efforts through four key areas of work: closing the research-to-practice gap, real-time data and performance management, local systems redesign and local leadership development. Community Solutions will provide hands-on coaching and data tools, and will curate a national peer-to-peer learning network to accelerate innovation across communities. Zero: 2016 will dovetail with other large-scale initiatives working to help communities end homelessness, including the 25 Cities Initiative, led by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Mayor s Challenge to End Homelessness, championed by First Lady Michelle Obama. Many communities selected to join Zero: 2016 are also participating in one or both of these initiatives, and Community Solutions has coordinated extensively with VA and other federal agencies to ensure that all three initiatives complement each other as well as possible. Communities applied by Continuums of Care (CoCs), the 414 local groups set up to administer HUD funding to end homelessness in each region of the country. Selected Communities in New Jersey: Bergen County CoC (Source:

39 39 BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER WINTER 2015 MOM S OBIT RECONNECTS BERGENFIELD TRIPLETS WITH WWII HERO FATHER THEY NEVER MET Standing on the roadside where Pvt. Herbert Bachant was killed helping wrest the French city of Rennes from Hitler's grasp "completed the circle" for the triplet daughters he never saw. Bergenfield natives Nancy Bachant, Janet Bachant and Karen Bachant Sellars, were guests of honor at the ceremonies marking the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Rennes, in the Brittany region, by Gen. George S. Patton's army. The sisters basked in adoration and applause and were interviewed by the French media. It was, they said, the experience of a lifetime. And it was made possible by their mother's obituary, the Internet, and an armchair historian across the Atlantic. Pvt. Herbert Bachant with of photo of his wife and baby daughters in Bachant was killed in battle near Rennes, never to meet the girls. Nancy, Janet and Karen were born to Teaneck native Muriel Snyder Bachant on March 30, 1944, while their dad was off fighting in World War II. They were 4 months old when he died. The adorable triplets were celebrated during the war years photographed in the New York press and posing at a War Bonds rally. Their mother soon remarried, took the surname McKeag and had another daughter. In 1949 the family left New York City for the red-brick Foster Village apartments in Bergenfield. Muriel Bachant McKeag was still residing there when she died Feb. 9, 2013, at 90. Her obituary in The Record described Herbert's sacrifice and Muriel's perseverance as a young war widow. More than a year later, in April, Etienne Maignen a retired official with the Rennes chamber of commerce and author of "Rennes Pendant la Guerre (Rennes During the War)" was at his computer doing what amateur historians often do. "After writing my book last year, I kept searching on the Net for events about that period, especially during the liberation of Rennes," he said by phone. "I was looking on the Net and I came to this article." From the keywords "4th Armored Division," "Rennes" and "1944," Maignen arrived at the obituary for Muriel Bachant McKeag of Bergenfield. He began reading. He had never heard of Muriel's soldier husband or the triplet daughters. But he said that when he got to the place in the article noting where Herbert Bachant was killed "the vicinity of Rennes" and the date Aug. 1, 1944 "it was quite clear to me that this was the combat" that preceded Rennes' liberation on Aug. 4, Maignen, an organizer of the commemoration events, set out to find the 70-year-old triplets. The obituary said they studied at Lebanon Valley College in Pennsylvania. Maignen typed the keywords "Lebanon Valley College" and "Bachant."

40 BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER WINTER Up popped an alumni notes item that Karen Bachant Sellars had retired from a teaching career at the American School in London, England. Maignen called the American School, which put him in touch with Karen, who lives in London. Karen was amazed to hear from Maignen and to receive his invitation to visit Rennes. She called her sisters in the States. "When Karen Skyped me, she said, you are going to be so jealous I'm going to Rennes!" said Nancy, who lives in the Seattle area. But of course, Nancy would be going, too. And so would Janet, who lives in Manhattan. "I was very excited when Karen told me she and her sisters had been looking for years about the way their father had been killed in action," Maignen said. The sisters, in fact, had gone to France on their own in But the precise circumstances of Pvt. Herbert Bachant's death including the location remained a mystery to them. That is, until Rennes historian Etienne Maignen stepped in. Nancy, Janet and Karen and their families spent a summer's week in Rennes. The highlight was visiting the spot in the village of Saint-Gregoire, outside Rennes, where their father's half-track was hit by German fire, and meeting a 93-year-old man whose family's farmhouse, 70 years earlier, was commandeered by the Germans. The man was witness to the advancing column of Americans and of the resulting battle that claimed Herbert Bachant. Speaking words Nancy wrote, Janet, in heavily practiced French, told a conference on the liberation of Rennes that the sisters' journey "completed the circle to discover all we could about our father and how he died." "All our lives we have been searching for our father," she concluded, "and now we have found him here in Saint-Gregoire." Janet and Nancy scooped dirt from the roadside. Janet will soon be visiting Nancy in Washington State and they plan to mix the soil with their mother's ashes. Some of Muriel Bachant McKeag's ashes are interred in Herbert's grave at a military cemetery in Virginia. Janet said Muriel would have been "thrilled to no end" to know that her triplet daughters stood at the place where their father died. "It would've been the highlight of her life," Janet said. "She even gave us instructions when we went first went to France: 'See if you can find his dog tags.' " (Source: Jay Levin, The Record, November 2, 2014)

41 41 BERGEN COUNTY VETERANS NEWSLETTER WINTER 2015 IMPORTANT CONTACT NUMBERS National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: (800) (TALK) National Suicide Hotline: (800) (800-SUICIDE) Safe Helpline - Sexual Assault Support for the DoD Community: (877) Text: (inside the U.S.) Text: (outside the U.S.) Defense Centers of Excellence (DCoE) for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury: (866) (24/7 Outreach) VOLUNTEER LAWYERS FOR JUSTICE (VLJ) TAKING CASES, CHANGING LIVES Volunteer Lawyers for Justice (VLJ), a civil legal services organization, introduces a new FREE legal clinic in Newark for Veterans and Military Personnel. In partnership with PSE&G, VLJ has established the Military Personnel/Veterans Legal Assistance Project (MLAP) to provide pro bono legal counsel and limited scope representation to both veterans and active duty military personnel. At the clinics, volunteer attorneys from PSE&G, as well as those from McCarter & English LLP and Gibbons PC, will assist a range of legal matters, including driver's license restoration, expungement of criminal records and child support issues, among others. PSE&G is providing funding for this program. Legal clinics will assist with NEW Jersey State: Criminal Record Expungement Driver s License Restoration Child Support Modification For eligibility and intake information : Please call VLJ at (973) Serving Bergen County Veterans Since 1977 DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES DIVISION OF VETERANS SERVICES One Bergen County Plaza, 2nd Floor Hackensack, NJ Phone: (201) Fax: (201) veterans@co.bergen.nj.us

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