There are four bills in Congress that are of great interest to veterans.
In the Senate, Senator Snowe, with 4 cosponsors has introduced a bill
S. 2743 The Cold War Medal Act 2009
Please contact Senator Collins on her website,
or phone, or fax
Ask her to become a cosponsor, and vote for rapid passage of S.2413 The Cold War Medal Act 2009
In the House there are three bills to be considered. Please contact your Representative
Congressman Michaud
Or Congresswoman Pingree
Ask them to become a cosponsor and vote for rapid passage of
H.R. 4051 The Cold War Medal Act 2009(a sister bill to S.2743)
H.CON.RES 207 Regarding the victory of the United States in the Cold War
H.RES 900 Cold War Veterans Recognition Day (this is similar to the Cold War Victory
Day as proclaimed by several states in the last few years.
You might mention that this year is the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the 17th anniversary of the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War.
For those of you not living in Maine, please contact both your senators and the Representative from your district asking them to become cosponsors of the above bills. Ask your family, friends, neighbors, coworkers etc to contact their elected officials.
Thank you
Jerald Terwilliger
National Chairman
American Cold War Veterans Inc.
"We Remember"
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Helping Veterans with PTSD
From West Roxbury Mass
http://www.wickedlocal.com/west-roxbury/news/x1792908722/Helping-our-veterans-with-post-traumatic-stress-disorder
West Roxbury -
From the Civil War to the Vietnam War, it has been called nostalgia, shell shock, soldier’s heart and battle fatigue, but today the diagnosis sounds far more clinical: post-traumatic stress disorder.
On Nov. 20, the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology partnered with the Massachusetts Department of Veterans’ Services and held an eight-hour conference on educating and caring for the mental health needs of veterans and their families.
More than 100 mental health-care providers and educators came together to discuss treating veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, brain trauma sustained in the line of duty, depression and suicide intervention.
“As a culture, we tend to celebrate the upside of conflict,” said MSPP President Nicholas Covino in his opening remarks to the symposium, calling PTSD “a major mental health issue” that has been neglected since the Vietnam era.
PTSD, an anxiety disorder that can plague soldiers returning from combat, is a debilitating condition that can occur after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal in which grave physical harm occurred or was threatened.
Thomas Kelley, secretary of the state veterans’ office, lost one eye while serving as a U.S. Navy lieutenant in Vietnam. A recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor — the nation’s highest military honor— Kelley, 70, who had addressed the audience, later said mental health-care workers are not always equipped to treat the needs of returning soldiers.
“I’m trying to let people know when men and women come out of the service, especially if they’ve been in combat in a war zone, that they’re going to come back as a changed person,” said Kelley, a retired captain. “They’ve been under stress and they’re re-entering a new environment, and our job, all of us, should [be to] try to keep that stress from becoming a disorder.”
Since October 2001, more than 1.7 million soldiers have been deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq. Of them, nearly 280,000 have been sent back for at least one more tour of duty, according to the National Center for PSTD, a research arm of the federal Department of Veterans Affairs.
Meanwhile, veterans affairs officials said there has also been a resurgence of PTSD in Vietnam veterans. Since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, there has been a 59 percent increase in Vietnam veterans seeking counseling, the center reported.
Navy Reserve Commander Marybeth O’Sullivan, 56, of Brockton, said support might come from people other than health-care professionals, such as a civilian neighbor or classmate.
“It’s the everyday person in the community who is going to be empowered — that needs be empowered — to help with reintegration,” she said.
O’Sullivan, a nurse with a 24-year military career, said she had “a vested interest” in the conference. Her son and son-in-law have served in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Referring to tales from Homer’s “Iliad,” O’Sullivan spoke for an hour about the psychological consequences of war.
“As long as we’ve had war, there’s been PTSD,” said O’Sullivan, who spoke of the way Greek war hero Achilles reacted — smearing himself with ash and fasting — to death of his friend, Patroclus.
Symptoms of PTSD include mood changes, anxiety, flashbacks and emotional numbness.
She said the general population might be scared to approach the issue.
“Because of what they may remember — and maybe even feel some guilt — feeling and thinking about Vietnam vets who were not getting any help,” O’Sullivan said.
Post-traumatic stress disorder was given a name in the late 1980s, more than a decade after the end of the Vietnam conflict, she said.
In addition to PTSD, O’Sullivan also talked to mental health-care workers about mild traumatic brain injury, a type of head injury that 20 percent of military personnel reported to have been exposed to in combat.
“Getting out of the military is a tough enough challenge,” O’Sullivan said. “Getting out of the military after seeing some stuff — bad stuff — and doing some rough stuff? It’s a whole other experience.”
Holly Marston, 29, has seen what the trauma of war can do to a loved one. Her father served in Vietnam. Now, she is one of seven outreach coordinators for Mass SAVE, Statewide Advocacy for Veterans’ Empowerment.
The group defines its mission as suicide prevention and benefits advocacy. Marston said some veterans are “not getting the help they need.”
“That could put them on the path to a better life,” she said.
O’Sullivan said one of the obstacles is that more than 40 percent of those in the military experiencing mental health problems refuse treatment due to a fear that seeking treatment could hurt their image, ruin their military career or limit civilian job opportunities.
Covino said mental health professionals have an increased responsibilities but the clinical expertise is insufficient.
The school plans to have additional conferences in March and June to discuss PTSD and the effects on families.
“We have 1.6 million returning veterans and [an] equally large number of family members that are going to be touched by this,” Covino said. “This is a new culture — there are values, [morals], customs, special needs that mental health practitioners really need to understand.”
For more information about the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology, visit www.mspp.com. To learn more about veterans services in Massachusetts, visit www.mass.gov/veterans.
Jerald Terwilliger
National Chairman
American Cold War Veterans, Inc.
"We Remember"
http://www.wickedlocal.com/west-roxbury/news/x1792908722/Helping-our-veterans-with-post-traumatic-stress-disorder
West Roxbury -
From the Civil War to the Vietnam War, it has been called nostalgia, shell shock, soldier’s heart and battle fatigue, but today the diagnosis sounds far more clinical: post-traumatic stress disorder.
On Nov. 20, the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology partnered with the Massachusetts Department of Veterans’ Services and held an eight-hour conference on educating and caring for the mental health needs of veterans and their families.
More than 100 mental health-care providers and educators came together to discuss treating veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, brain trauma sustained in the line of duty, depression and suicide intervention.
“As a culture, we tend to celebrate the upside of conflict,” said MSPP President Nicholas Covino in his opening remarks to the symposium, calling PTSD “a major mental health issue” that has been neglected since the Vietnam era.
PTSD, an anxiety disorder that can plague soldiers returning from combat, is a debilitating condition that can occur after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal in which grave physical harm occurred or was threatened.
Thomas Kelley, secretary of the state veterans’ office, lost one eye while serving as a U.S. Navy lieutenant in Vietnam. A recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor — the nation’s highest military honor— Kelley, 70, who had addressed the audience, later said mental health-care workers are not always equipped to treat the needs of returning soldiers.
“I’m trying to let people know when men and women come out of the service, especially if they’ve been in combat in a war zone, that they’re going to come back as a changed person,” said Kelley, a retired captain. “They’ve been under stress and they’re re-entering a new environment, and our job, all of us, should [be to] try to keep that stress from becoming a disorder.”
Since October 2001, more than 1.7 million soldiers have been deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq. Of them, nearly 280,000 have been sent back for at least one more tour of duty, according to the National Center for PSTD, a research arm of the federal Department of Veterans Affairs.
Meanwhile, veterans affairs officials said there has also been a resurgence of PTSD in Vietnam veterans. Since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, there has been a 59 percent increase in Vietnam veterans seeking counseling, the center reported.
Navy Reserve Commander Marybeth O’Sullivan, 56, of Brockton, said support might come from people other than health-care professionals, such as a civilian neighbor or classmate.
“It’s the everyday person in the community who is going to be empowered — that needs be empowered — to help with reintegration,” she said.
O’Sullivan, a nurse with a 24-year military career, said she had “a vested interest” in the conference. Her son and son-in-law have served in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Referring to tales from Homer’s “Iliad,” O’Sullivan spoke for an hour about the psychological consequences of war.
“As long as we’ve had war, there’s been PTSD,” said O’Sullivan, who spoke of the way Greek war hero Achilles reacted — smearing himself with ash and fasting — to death of his friend, Patroclus.
Symptoms of PTSD include mood changes, anxiety, flashbacks and emotional numbness.
She said the general population might be scared to approach the issue.
“Because of what they may remember — and maybe even feel some guilt — feeling and thinking about Vietnam vets who were not getting any help,” O’Sullivan said.
Post-traumatic stress disorder was given a name in the late 1980s, more than a decade after the end of the Vietnam conflict, she said.
In addition to PTSD, O’Sullivan also talked to mental health-care workers about mild traumatic brain injury, a type of head injury that 20 percent of military personnel reported to have been exposed to in combat.
“Getting out of the military is a tough enough challenge,” O’Sullivan said. “Getting out of the military after seeing some stuff — bad stuff — and doing some rough stuff? It’s a whole other experience.”
Holly Marston, 29, has seen what the trauma of war can do to a loved one. Her father served in Vietnam. Now, she is one of seven outreach coordinators for Mass SAVE, Statewide Advocacy for Veterans’ Empowerment.
The group defines its mission as suicide prevention and benefits advocacy. Marston said some veterans are “not getting the help they need.”
“That could put them on the path to a better life,” she said.
O’Sullivan said one of the obstacles is that more than 40 percent of those in the military experiencing mental health problems refuse treatment due to a fear that seeking treatment could hurt their image, ruin their military career or limit civilian job opportunities.
Covino said mental health professionals have an increased responsibilities but the clinical expertise is insufficient.
The school plans to have additional conferences in March and June to discuss PTSD and the effects on families.
“We have 1.6 million returning veterans and [an] equally large number of family members that are going to be touched by this,” Covino said. “This is a new culture — there are values, [morals], customs, special needs that mental health practitioners really need to understand.”
For more information about the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology, visit www.mspp.com. To learn more about veterans services in Massachusetts, visit www.mass.gov/veterans.
Jerald Terwilliger
National Chairman
American Cold War Veterans, Inc.
"We Remember"
Friday, November 27, 2009
Another loss of life incident in the Cold War
I received this information from Wendell Pruitt
On January 11, 1985 as Member of the 56th Field Artillery G-3 Training Staff I was sent to Camp Redleg, Heilbronn, Germany when an accident was reported involving C Battery, 3rd Battalion, 84th Field Artillery.
Three soldiers were killed in an explosion. The explosion occurred while removing a missile stage from the storage container during an assembly operation of a Pershing II Missile.
An investigation later revealed that the Kevlar rocket bottle had accumulated a triboelectric charge in the cold dry weather; as the engine was removed from the container the electrical charge began to flow and created a hot spot that ignited the propellant.
The Soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice for their Country and Peace were Staff Sergeant John Leach, Sergeant Todd A Zephier and Private First Class Darryl L Shirley
Once again, loss of life not counted in the
official causality list as Cold War Losses
Jerald Terwilliger
American Cold War Veterans, Inc
"We Remember"
On January 11, 1985 as Member of the 56th Field Artillery G-3 Training Staff I was sent to Camp Redleg, Heilbronn, Germany when an accident was reported involving C Battery, 3rd Battalion, 84th Field Artillery.
Three soldiers were killed in an explosion. The explosion occurred while removing a missile stage from the storage container during an assembly operation of a Pershing II Missile.
An investigation later revealed that the Kevlar rocket bottle had accumulated a triboelectric charge in the cold dry weather; as the engine was removed from the container the electrical charge began to flow and created a hot spot that ignited the propellant.
The Soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice for their Country and Peace were Staff Sergeant John Leach, Sergeant Todd A Zephier and Private First Class Darryl L Shirley
Once again, loss of life not counted in the
official causality list as Cold War Losses
Jerald Terwilliger
American Cold War Veterans, Inc
"We Remember"
Mesothelioma Cancer
Anyone who was exposed to Asbestos at anytime is subject to this disease.
Most ships built before about 1975 contained large amounts of asbestos. Just normal
duties exposed you, but if you were aboard during shipyard periods then it was even worse.
This might be of interest to anyone exposed to asbestos
My name is Carl Jewett and I’m the Veteran Liaison for the Mesothelioma Center (Asbestos.com); an organization devoted to assisting veterans through their application processes for VA benefits, and helping them obtain the maximum benefits for which they are entitled. I’m also the Executive Director of the Veterans Assistance Network, and a retired Lieutenant Commander in the US Navy. While I was browsing through a number of Veterans sites I came across your website and was very impressed by the information you have listed.
Countless veterans are currently suffering from life-threatening illnesses that are a result of exposure to asbestos, a material that was commonly used in hundreds of military applications, products, and ships primarily because of its resistance to fire. Unfortunately, asbestos-related diseases are not always recognized by the VA, which is why I’m reaching out to veterans -- in hopes of helping them win the rights to their benefits.
The Mesothelioma Center provides a complete list of occupations, ships, and shipyards that could have put our Veterans at risk for developing asbestos-related diseases. In addition, they have thousands of articles regarding asbestos and mesothelioma and they’ve even created a veterans-specific section on their website in order to help inform them about the dangers of asbestos exposure.
Because so many veterans visit your site, I thought that you may be interested in helping to educate our nation’s veterans about the dangers of asbestos exposure by linking to our website from your resources page at americancoldwarvets.org/links.html. Please let me know. I'm available by e-mail at carl.jewett “@” asbestos.com. With your help, we can save some lives. Thanks again.
Carl Jewett
Mesothelioma Center
Asbestos.com
Jerald Terwilliger
National Chairman
American Cold War Veterans, Inc.
Most ships built before about 1975 contained large amounts of asbestos. Just normal
duties exposed you, but if you were aboard during shipyard periods then it was even worse.
This might be of interest to anyone exposed to asbestos
My name is Carl Jewett and I’m the Veteran Liaison for the Mesothelioma Center (Asbestos.com); an organization devoted to assisting veterans through their application processes for VA benefits, and helping them obtain the maximum benefits for which they are entitled. I’m also the Executive Director of the Veterans Assistance Network, and a retired Lieutenant Commander in the US Navy. While I was browsing through a number of Veterans sites I came across your website and was very impressed by the information you have listed.
Countless veterans are currently suffering from life-threatening illnesses that are a result of exposure to asbestos, a material that was commonly used in hundreds of military applications, products, and ships primarily because of its resistance to fire. Unfortunately, asbestos-related diseases are not always recognized by the VA, which is why I’m reaching out to veterans -- in hopes of helping them win the rights to their benefits.
The Mesothelioma Center provides a complete list of occupations, ships, and shipyards that could have put our Veterans at risk for developing asbestos-related diseases. In addition, they have thousands of articles regarding asbestos and mesothelioma and they’ve even created a veterans-specific section on their website in order to help inform them about the dangers of asbestos exposure.
Because so many veterans visit your site, I thought that you may be interested in helping to educate our nation’s veterans about the dangers of asbestos exposure by linking to our website from your resources page at americancoldwarvets.org/links.html. Please let me know. I'm available by e-mail at carl.jewett “@” asbestos.com. With your help, we can save some lives. Thanks again.
Carl Jewett
Mesothelioma Center
Asbestos.com
Jerald Terwilliger
National Chairman
American Cold War Veterans, Inc.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
A Young German Citizen Thanks the US
A seventeen year old exchange student from Germany, attending school in Upland, California thanks America for winning the Cold War.
Although he is too young to remember the Cold War, and the Berlin Wall, this young
man living with an American family while attending Upland High School made a special
stop.
He walked down the street to visit Dr. Robert Kamansky, Capt. US Army (ret) to say
"Thank you" to America for helping to bring an end to the Cold War. He felt the
reunification of Germany was the most important happening at the turn of the century.
He wishes to pass on thanks to all Americans in general, and the veterans of the Cold War in particular, for all the help given to his country. He wanted to acknowledge the
long hard struggle that the U.S. went through to preserve freedom.
Jerald Terwilliger
National Chairman
American Cold War Veterans, Inc.
"We Remember"
Although he is too young to remember the Cold War, and the Berlin Wall, this young
man living with an American family while attending Upland High School made a special
stop.
He walked down the street to visit Dr. Robert Kamansky, Capt. US Army (ret) to say
"Thank you" to America for helping to bring an end to the Cold War. He felt the
reunification of Germany was the most important happening at the turn of the century.
He wishes to pass on thanks to all Americans in general, and the veterans of the Cold War in particular, for all the help given to his country. He wanted to acknowledge the
long hard struggle that the U.S. went through to preserve freedom.
Jerald Terwilliger
National Chairman
American Cold War Veterans, Inc.
"We Remember"
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Pennsylvania to issue Veterans License Plates
http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091120/NEWS/911200350/-1/rss01
By Pocono Record staff report
November 20, 2009
HARRISBURG — Honorably discharged veterans of the United States Armed Forces have a new way to proudly display their service. PennDOT has announced the availability of a new series of military license plates honoring veterans of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard.
"On any given day, members of our armed forces are serving around the globe protecting our freedom," said PennDOT Secretary Allen D. Biehler. "PennDOT is pleased to announce this new series of military plates recognizing their sacrifices in service to our nation."
The new plates feature the standard Pennsylvania license plate colors of blue, white and yellow along with the applicable branch of service emblem or logo on the left side of the plate. Pennsylvania is printed at the top of the plate, with the name of the branch of service at the bottom. To get one of these plates, honorably discharged veterans must complete and mail Form MV-150, application for U.S. Military Veteran registration plate, to PennDOT and include a certified copy of their DD-214, along with a $20 fee.
Form MV-150 is available on PennDOT's Driver and Vehicle Services Web site, www.dmv.state.pa.us, via the Military License Plates link under the Military Personnel/Veterans Information Center. Additional information and images of the new license plates are also available on this Web page
Jerald Tewilliger
National Chairman
American Cold War Veterans, Inc.
By Pocono Record staff report
November 20, 2009
HARRISBURG — Honorably discharged veterans of the United States Armed Forces have a new way to proudly display their service. PennDOT has announced the availability of a new series of military license plates honoring veterans of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard.
"On any given day, members of our armed forces are serving around the globe protecting our freedom," said PennDOT Secretary Allen D. Biehler. "PennDOT is pleased to announce this new series of military plates recognizing their sacrifices in service to our nation."
The new plates feature the standard Pennsylvania license plate colors of blue, white and yellow along with the applicable branch of service emblem or logo on the left side of the plate. Pennsylvania is printed at the top of the plate, with the name of the branch of service at the bottom. To get one of these plates, honorably discharged veterans must complete and mail Form MV-150, application for U.S. Military Veteran registration plate, to PennDOT and include a certified copy of their DD-214, along with a $20 fee.
Form MV-150 is available on PennDOT's Driver and Vehicle Services Web site, www.dmv.state.pa.us, via the Military License Plates link under the Military Personnel/Veterans Information Center. Additional information and images of the new license plates are also available on this Web page
Jerald Tewilliger
National Chairman
American Cold War Veterans, Inc.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)