American Legion Post 13 November 2018 Newsletter 2017-2018 Officers Commander: Richard Brown Sr Vice: Rod Pedersen Adjutant: Phil Youngblood Jr Vice: Stephen Blanton Jr Vice: Whit Chappell Fin. Off.: Henrietta Traynor Judge Adv: Phil Youngblood Serv. Off: Ed Kent Historian: Clayton Roberts Sgt @ Arms: Raymond Meeks Chaplain: Bill MacLaughlin Members @ Large: Jimmy Traynor; Dave Guest & Don Van Pelt COMMANDER'S CORNER: Well we are at that time of year where everyone will be celebrating a number of holidays. 1). Veterans Day. The post is sponsoring the annual Veterans Day Ceremony at Martin Stadium this year on November 12, 2018 at 10:00 A.M. sharp. We will have guest speakers. Lunch will be served after the ceremony and there will also be the Marine Birthday celebration. The re-enactment crew will be doing the gun salute. The Lowndes High JROTC will be doing the large flag unfolding. If you haven't been to one of these you need to make your presence. We will have enough seats on the field for Veterans. 2). On December 8, 2018 the SAL will be sponsoring the children's Christmas Party beginning at 10:00 A.M. with a pancake Breakfast at 9:00 A.M. Sign up for children need to be no later than December 1, 2018 thru the post or the SAL Commander Rod Pedersen. 3) The post 13 Christmas Dinner will be on December 15,2018. Social at 6:00 P.M. eat at 7:00 P.M. This will be a catered dinner so sign up needs to be no later than December 8, 2018 either at the post or thru Junior Vice Commander Steve Blanton or the Commander Richard Brown. 4) Also the Legion Riders are having their annual veterans essentials Ride to Lake city November 17th. To get Further information on this call the post at 229-242-7616. WE, AS THE EXECUTIVE BOARD, HOPE WE CAN MAKE THIS POST WORK FOR THE MEMBERSHIP. IF ANYONE HAS AN IDEA, DON'T HESITATE TO CONTACT ONE OF US.
ANYONE WISHING TO ASSIST IN ANY ACTIVITIES THE POST IS HAVING CAN CONTACT ANY EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBER AND THEY WILL BE GLAD TO ADD YOUR NAME TO THE VOLUNTEER LIST RICHARD BROWN, COMMANDER conductorbrown@hotmail.com Senior Vice Our new 2019 American Legion Membership cards have been available at the Post for renewal. Currently at the time of this writing, Post 13 has a total 2019 Paid Membership of 292 paid members, at an overall 54.6% of our Department s Membership Goal. As always, although the 2018 Membership cards are still good until December 31, 2018, The American Legion encourages us to renew early to ensure the success of our Post, District, Department and National Programs. If you know a qualifying Veteran or Active Duty Service Member, invite them to attend and/or stop by the Post on Thursday, Friday or Saturday afternoons and evenings to see who we are and what we are about. If anyone knows of a Veteran in need of a FREE aluminum Wheelchair Ramp for a home, please contact the Post Commander, the Senior Vice-Commander or one of the Junior Vice-Commanders. Delivery and installation will be arranged through the Post 13 Executive Committee. When the ramp is no longer needed by the Veteran, the Post 13 Executive Committee will arrange for the return of the ramp to Post 13 and placed in storage for the next needing Veteran. We also have a limited inventory of medical-assistance items stored at Post 13. Follow the Airborne!!!! Rod Pedersen Sr. Vice Commander Post 13 Valdosta rod.pedersen.1956@gmail.com Jr. Vice Stephen Blanton sabusn6976@gmail.com Post 13 will not have membership meetings in November or December. We will be at Lowndes High Martin Stadium. for our Veterans Day Event on Monday, November 12th. Start time is 10:00 AM. Veterans are welcome to sit on the field. After the ceremony, Post 13 will observe the Marine Corp birthday and then serve a BBQ lunch until everyone is fed or food runs out so please come to the Post right after the ceremony. Post 13 Christmas party is on Saturday December 15th, please RSVP by December 7th by calling Post phone 229 242-7616 and leave your name and number people in your party. Post 13 is paying for meal.
Please continue to invite veterans to join our American Legion Family and let us all find a way to serve our fellow Veterans, Community, State and Nation. For God and Country. Stephen Blanton JVC 864 680-3865 cell or 229 232-4891 leave message Ask yourself each day, What have I done to help a veteran today? Service Officer Presumption of Herbicide Exposure and Presumption of Disability During Service for Reservists Presumed Exposed to Herbicides On Monday, October 22, 2018, The Department of Veterans Affairs published in the Federal Register it final rule, RIN 2900 AP43, entitled Presumption of Herbicide Exposure and Presumption of Disability During Service for Reservists Presumed Exposed to Herbicides. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is adopting as final an interim final rule published on June 19, 2015, to amend its adjudication regulation governing individuals presumed to have been exposed to certain herbicides. Specifically, VA expanded the regulation to include an additional group consisting of individuals who performed service in the Air Force or Air Force Reserve under circumstances in which they had regular and repeated contact with C 123 aircraft known to have been used to spray an herbicide agent ( Agent Orange ) during the Vietnam era. In addition, the regulation established a presumption that members of this group who later develop an Agent Orange presumptive condition were disabled during the relevant period of service, military, naval, or air service. The effect of this action is to presume herbicide exposure for these individuals and to create a presumption that the individuals who are presumed exposed to herbicides during reserve service also meet the statutory definition of veteran (hereinafter, veteran status ) for VA purposes and eligibility for some VA benefits. In 2015, when VA published the interim final rule, VA received 46 comments from various organizations and individuals. According to VA, the issues raised by the commenters that concerned a similar topic have been grouped together and VA s discussion of the comments organized accordingly. For the reasons set forth in the interim final rule, VA adopted the interim final rule as final without changes. The effective date of the final rule was October 22, 2018 GVMC-Milledgeville to Open Phase III Expansion The Georgia Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Milledgeville will open a new expansion of available burial space during a ceremony on Thursday, October 25 at 10:30 a.m. Continuing to offer an honorable resting place for all of Georgia s veterans and their families is something we take seriously, said GDVS Commissioner Mike Roby. We are proud to honor the dignity and memory of each person laid to rest at our cemeteries.
In 2017, the Georgia Department of Veterans Service (GDVS) was awarded a development grant of $2,436,388 by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs to be used at GVMC-Milledgeville. The new development encompasses about 15 acres, including the road network. 1,520 pre-placed crypts and 320 columbarium niches were added to the cemetery s total capacity as part of the expansion. Landscaping, irrigation, and supporting infrastructure were also upgraded as part of the construction. Dedicated in 2001, the Georgia Veterans Memorial Cemetery at Milledgeville sits on 142 acres with an administration/visitor center, a committal chapel, and a carillon. It was last expanded in 2011. As of September 30, 2018, there are 3,431 veterans, spouses, and eligible dependents buried at the GVMC. The burials are composed of 2,370 casketed burials, 623 cremations in the columbarium, 410 inground cremations, and 28 memorial markers. For more information on the content of this news release, please contact the GDVS Public Information Division at 404-656-5933 or gavetsvc@vs.state.ga.us. Breast Cancer Update 09: October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a perfect time to remind women Veterans about the importance of mammograms and early detection. According to the National Cancer Institute, there were an estimated 266,000 new cases of breast cancer so far in 2018 and over 40,000 deaths. A more encouraging statistic is the percentage of breast cancer patients surviving five years after treatment: almost 90%. (For the years 2008-2014.) Approximately 12.4 percent of women will be diagnosed with female breast cancer at some point during their lifetime, based on 2013-2015 data. In 2015, there were an estimated 3,418,124 women living with female breast cancer in the United States. Breast cancer is cancer that forms in the breast when abnormal (unusual) cells turn into cancer. Breast cancer can spread to other parts of the body. Talk with your doctor or nurse if you notice any of these changes: * A lump or an area that feels very firm in the breast or armpit. * A change in size, shape, or feel of the breast. * Fluid (called discharge) coming out of a nipple. * Skin on the breast that is itchy, red, flaky, or dimpled. Mammograms let the doctor or nurse look for lumps inside your breasts that can t be felt. If a lump is found, you may need other tests to find out if it s cancer or not. The doctor or nurse may take a small bit of tissue from the lump for testing, a biopsy. At each VA Medical Center nationwide, a Women Veterans Program Manager is designated to advise and advocate for women Veterans. She can help coordinate all the services you may need, from primary care to specialized care for chronic conditions or reproductive health. Woman Veterans who are interested in receiving care at VA should contact the nearest VA Medical Center and ask for the Women Veterans Program Manager. [Source: Vantage Point October 2, 2018++] Ed Kent kentj2@bellsouth.net
UNIT 13 Scoop SAL If you are a Son or a Dual Member, please remember that our 2019 Sons of the American Legion Membership Cards are available. $20 for Sons Memberships, $10 for Junior SAL Memberships and $9 for Dual AL/SAL Memberships. Our next Squadron 13 First Monday meeting will be conducted at the Post on November 5th, 2018 at 7:00 PM. Squadron 13 donated some of our Parking Lot proceeds to a young middle-school student to help her with participation in competing at Nationals with the Future Farmers of America. We need all Squadron members to attend and participate this month as we are planning and facilitating our annual Children s Christmas Party breakfast and meeting with Santa and Mrs. Claus, December 8th at the Post Home, 9:00AM (ongoing cycles of breakfast, crafts and Wishes with Santa) until Noon. As Squadron Commander I will call for a Special of the Squadron Executive Committee, to be announced for the purpose of planning this Children s Christmas Party. ***Our next Squadron 13 meeting will be conducted at the Post on November 5, 2018 at 7:00 PM. Rod Pedersen rod.pedersen.1956@gmail.com Squadron Commander, Post 13 Valdosta Legion Riders We are gearing up and getting excited for our 11th Annual Books 4 Vets Ride on Saturday, November 17th! We will be leaving Post 13 at 11:00 a.m. to ride down to the V.A. Hospital in Lake City, Florida to take donated items to the Vets. Everyone is welcome to come and ride with us. If you don't ride and would still like to donate items (toiletries, games, lap blankets, etc.), you can either drop items off at Post 13 or contact Tina Dooley for pickup. Please join us for our next Riders monthly meeting on Thursday, November 15th. Meet & Greet starts at 6:00 p.m. with the at 7:00 p.m. Thank you, Tina Dooley Post 13 ALR Officer Secretary & Activities
There will not be a Membership in November or December November & December 2018 1 2 3 4 5 SAL 7:00 pm 6 7 8 9 10 11 Veteran s Day 12 Veterans Day Ceremony 10 am Martin Stadium 13 14 15 ALR 6pm Meet & Greet 7pm 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 PEC 5:30 pm 27 28 29 30 December 1 2 3 SAL 7:00 pm 4 5 6 7 RSVP cut-off date Post Christmas Party 8 Childrens Christmas Party 9am @ Post Home 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Post Christmas Party