Post 3830 NO ONE DOES MORE FOR VETERANS! September 2013 Commander's Corner Aloha Comrades and Sisters, Greetings from your Post Commander. I just returned from a trip to Alaska, an interesting and rugged place. I still like my warm climate. Join us for Breakfast on Sept. 1 and Sept. 15, 9-11 am, for a donation of $5.00, all you can eat. Bring your family and friends. It's the best bargain in town. VFW Post 3830 Fundraising Raffle - For a donation of $5.00, you could win this beautiful HĀ Tenor Ukulele, handcrafted here in Hawaii. The ukulele is made from sapele wood (African mahogany). The drawing will be Nov. 23, 2013, and you need not be present to win. Get your tickets from VFW and LAVFW members. Raffle proceeds benefit the VFW Building Fund. Affordable Care Act - What it Means to Veterans - VERY IMPORTANT! The Department of Veterans Affairs has launched an awareness campaign and a new website, www.va.gov/aca, to let Veterans know what the Affordable Care Act means for them and their families. Veterans receiving health care from the Department of Veterans Affairs will see no change in their benefits or out-of-pocket costs when portions of the Affordable Care Act take effect next year. Veterans who are not enrolled in VA health care can apply at any time to have coverage under the standards of the health care law. The health care law does not change VA benefits or out-ofpocket costs. VA health care is available to both men and women Veterans. In addition, enrollment in VA health care means you can enjoy: Immediate benefits of health care coverage. Veterans may apply for VA health care enrollment at any time. No enrollment fee, monthly premiums, or deductibles. Most Veterans have no out-of-pocket costs. Some Veterans may have to pay small copayments for health care or prescription drugs. If you have other forms of health care coverage, such as a private insurance plan, Medicare, Medicaid or TRICARE, you can continue to use VA along with these plans. Remember: it is always a good idea to inform your doctors if you are receiving care outside of VA so your health care can be coordinated.
Let's Bring Them Home - The third Friday in September - September 20, 2013 - is set aside to honor the commitment and the sacrifices made by this nation s Prisoners of War and those who are still Missing in Action, as well as their families. Observances of National POW/MIA Recognition Day are held across the country on military installations, ships at sea, state capitols, schools and Veterans facilities. This observance is one of six days throughout the year that Congress has mandated the flying of the National League of Families POW/MIA flag. Today is the day to stand up for what you believe in. For the last several decades, too many Veterans have returned home from bravely protecting our freedom, only to find that their service is undervalued. Their sacrifice, forgotten. America's Veterans are struggling to secure jobs. They're waiting years for their VA claims to be processed. The benefits they've earned are consistently threatened by budget cuts. The VFW is here for Veterans. WE CHALLENGE: VA to provide more benefits for Veterans and end the backlog. Congress to pass Veterans legislation and properly fund Veterans programs. Employers to hire Veterans. America to support our Veterans. And now, we re calling on you to join us! Stand strong with the 1.6 million members of the nation s largest organization of combat Veterans. For just $27.00 a year, your VFW membership helps to ensure our numbers stay strong in the fight to protect all that you've earned. Without a strong VFW, who will continue the fight for Veterans? 22 million Veterans. 5 branches of service. 1 VFW to unite us all. Let the VFW Help You File Your VA Claim - As the largest organization of combat Veterans, we understand the frustrations that can arise with making a VA claim. That s why our Service Officer can help you wade through all the bureaucratic red tape, offering you a better opportunity to get the disability claim you deserve. You don t even need to be a VFW member to take advantage of this free service. As a Veteran, this is a service you ve earned. Contact Wymond Wilds at 965-0841 and he will put you in touch with the VFW's Service Officer. Make a donation to Post 3830's Building Fund in George's Name - Visit the Post's website at vfwpost3830.com and make a donation through Paypal, or write a check to VFW Post 3830 and bring it to breakfast, or mail it to VFW Post 3830, PO Box 13, Pahoa, HI 96778. Funds are being raised to add a new kitchen to the existing building.
Facilities and Grounds Maintenance - Community service is alive and well at the VFW. Only this time, it's Home Depot coming to perform community service at the Post. On Oct. 16-17, employees of Home Depot will repaint the floor of our Post building at no charge to us. Many thanks to them for this much needed service! Just a reminder: show your Military I.D. card for a 10% discount on purchases at Home Depot. Building Committee - Post 3830 is the only VFW Post in the State of Hawaii that owns a post facility, the property where we meet. This gives us a unique advantage to tailor it to our needs. The property extends behind the building, quite a ways back into the albizia forest. The potential use is unlimited. All it takes is initiative to make it happen. The Building Committee has been meeting to discuss plans for expanding the existing facility. We are compiling a wish list of desired services, features and specifications, and invite your input. With proper design and planning, the facility could even be utilized as an Emergency Response Center in the event of a disaster. What kinds of services and facilities do you envision for our Veterans? We'd like to hear your ideas. Upcoming facility improvement projects include pouring a 16' x 40' concrete slab between the two Matson containers, painting the two containers, and constructing a roof to cover this storage area. This will create a "garage" for our Vets Haulin' Vets van. List VFW Post 3830 in your Will or Trust. We are dedicated to helping Veterans and their families. This is our primary function. We are the mentors for those coming behind us...providing service and dedication to our Veterans and our community. We need a Driver for the Vets Haulin' Vets Van! The Vets Haulin' Vets handicapped van with a hydraulic wheelchair lift was donated by Bill McRay, former Post 3830 Commander and longtime VFW member. This van transports disabled Vets from Hilo and Puna to medical appointments in Hilo. It's not a full time job, just a few hours here and there, and we need to expand the list of available drivers. Call Wymond at 965-0841 to volunteer or for further info. If you're a disabled Vet and need the use of the handicapped van to go to doctor's appointments, please call 48 hrs. in advance to schedule an appointment for a ride. Call Wymond Wilds at 965-0841. The VA van is available to any Vet in Puna or Hilo who needs transportation to CBOC or the Vet Center. Call Don Bennett 24 hrs. in advance to make an appointment for a ride - 965-9168. Mark your calendar for September's upcoming events. I hope to see you there. Be sure to turn in your community service hours to Quartermaster Randy Brady. Respectfully Yours, Commander Wymond A. Wilds
LAVFW President's Corner Ladies Auxiliary to the Veterans of Foreign Wars Aloha from the Ladies Auxiliary, I was privileged and honored to attend the 3 rd Annual Womenʼs Military Day at PTA. Post 3830 was represented by three of our Women Veterans who served in foreign wars. Ardis Dennis was a nurse in Germany during World War II, Julia Kaehuaea served in Italy during the Persian Gulf War, and Carolle Brulee-Wilson served in the Navy during Desert Shield and Desert Storm. There were 50 women there from all of our Armed Forces, and each had a different story to tell about their service. All these ladies volunteered and enlisted in the service, many served in a war zone. It was a day of celebration, fun and a great learning experience. We had guest speakers from many different VA and military organizations, and lots of important information was shared. I want to thank Maricar Souza, who put this event together. She has been deployed twice and is still serving in the Army National Guard. We were informed that the theme for the 2014 Veterans' Day parade will be Honoring Women in the Military. A special thanks to Sr. Vice Commander Ed Taylor would drove the VA Van and brought some of the ladies to the event. We had a fun day at our sewing party which was hosted by Stella Calio. Those of us who donʼt sew were able to cut material into the squares that were put together to make beautiful lap blankets. We will be visiting the Veterans Home soon. If you sew, knit or crochet and would like to make something for the Veterans, it would really be appreciated. We are in the planning stage of trying Bingo at the Post. Hopefully our first game will be Friday, Oct. 11 th. Weʼll let you know when we get all the details figured out. But please keep that date open, and if all goes well, we will be having at monthly Bingo party on the second Friday of each month. September 20 th is POW/MIA Day. Did you know that Bowe Bergdahl is a Prisoner of War held captive by the Taliban in Afghanistan since June 2009? Read his story at http://bringhomebowe.com/ and please remember him and all our POW/MIAs who need to be brought home. Please honor them by flying your flag on this day. I would like to thank all the ladies who helped this month with our monthly breakfasts and dinner. I would also like to thank Libbie, who volunteers hours of her time every month to help the VFW and LAVFW. I hope to see you at some of the upcoming events this month, and donʼt forget to come and celebrate our Sept. birthdays on the 27 th. Itʼs always a fun time. Please remember to pay your 2013-14 dues. Aloha and Peace, Freda Hart, LAVFW President
If you know of any Vet or Family in need, please contact any of the Post or Auxiliary Officers. Coqui Poke News from the Neighborhood September events for VFW Post 3830. Please try to attend as many functions as you can, and remember to enjoy yourself and have fun. September 1 st Community Breakfast, 9:00 to 11:00 am. SOS, scrambled eggs, hash browns, biscuits and gravy, fruit salad, coffee and tea. September 5 th Post Meeting, VFW Post 3830, meeting 1700. September 6 th Post open 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm. Bring a tasty dish to share. September 13 th Post open 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm. Bring a tasty dish to share. September 15 th Community Breakfast, 9:00 to 11:00 am. Bacon, scrambled eggs, hash browns, biscuits and gravy, fruit salad, coffee and tea. September 20 th POW/MIA Remembrance Day September 20 th Post open 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm. Bring a tasty dish to share. September 21 st Oktoberfest Dinner with Brats, Sauerkraut, and the works. 4:00-6:00 pm. Lots of ono desserts. Note - Oktoberfest begins officially on September 21 st in Munich September 26 th Ladies Auxiliary Meeting at 3:30 pm, followed by potluck. September 27 th Birthday Bash and Potluck - Post open 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm. Bring a tasty dish to share. Celebrating the September birthdays.
VFW Post 3830 1 Breakfast 9:00 11:00 am SOS ~ September 2013 ~ Sun 7 Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 2 Labor Day 3 4 5 6 VFW Post Mtg 1700 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Breakfast 9:00 11:00 am Bacon 16 17 18 19 20 22 23 24 25 26 LAVFW Mtg 3:30 pm followed by Potluck 29 30 Notes: POW/MIA Day 27 BIRTHDAY BASH! 21 Oktoberfest Dinner 4:00 6:00 pm 28