Veterans in the Bamberg, Germany Area
Labels: VFW Post 10592
posted by Greg @ 11:55 AM
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 Mark St.Clair / S&S The 15th Junior ROTC Battalion Color Guard from Bamberg American High School posts the colors at a Veterans Day remembrance at Warner Barracks in Bamberg, Germany.   Mark St.Clair / S&S In honor of Veterans Day, Travis Fosmo, a member of Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States Richard E. Austin Post 10592, and his son Fabian, 2, replace a flag at the grave of an American serviceman at a cemetery in downtown Bamberg, Germany. |
BAMBERG, Germany — Hundreds of soldiers, family members and veterans came together Monday to remember the service and sacrifice of American fighting men and women. As a parade led by Bamberg American High School’s 15th Junior ROTC Battalion and followed by more than 60 Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts from more than 11 local troops wound through post, the military community gathered at Warner Barracks’ Memorial Park. In a short ceremony at 11:11 a.m., members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars led the community in the laying of flowers and a wreath. While Veterans Day observances normally are held on the 11th, the community elected to gather on the 12th due to conflicting religious services. “And I’m glad we did it today, since yesterday at 11:11 it was pouring down rain,” VFW commander Tom Stenson said. “It’s been said that without the American soldier there would not be a United States of America,” said Col. Martin B. Pitts, commander of Bamberg’s 16th Sustainment Brigade, the ceremony’s guest speaker. Honoring the 52 million veterans who have served since colonial times, Pitts said that although the number of Americans is the largest it’s ever been, the 2.2 million men and women in uniform make up less than one percent of the population, a percentage far lower than previous generations. “Our world would be a very different place if it wasn’t for the American soldier. ... It’s that seven-tenths of one percent that should matter the most to this country,” Pitts said. Gulf War veteran and VFW member Dave Robinson, who acted as the ceremony’s chaplain, said he tries to honor veterans “to never let the American people who have never served forget that there are those who have and are serving to give them the freedoms and benefits of American life as they know it.” One of the 50 JROTC members who participated was 17-year-old high school senior Patricia Payton. “There are a lot of teenagers who don’t care about veterans,” Payton said. “ROTC helps show that there are some teenagers who do.” Shortly after the activities concluded on Warner, several members of VFW Post 10592 went to a cemetery in downtown Bamberg to place or replace flags at the gravesites of Americans who elected to live and be buried in Germany after their time in service was done.
posted by Greg @ 10:42 AM
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| A Message from VFW National Commander George Lisicki | |||
| Remembering America’s warriors is often an afterthought for many Americans. It’s about time Nov. 11 is paid its proper respect. Veterans Day, once a widely celebrated holiday, is increasingly forgotten by many Americans. One need only look at the poor turnouts at ceremonies on Nov. 11. With the percentage of citizens who have worn a uniform rapidly declining, appreciation for the sacrifices made by veterans is correspondingly diminishing. To help counter this trend, VFW has long promoted Veterans Day as an opportunity to educate the public as to the meaning of this significant time each November. This task can best be accomplished by explaining the five “Ws.” Who. As a nation, we remember all Americans who served on active duty in the armed forces. While those who died always remain prominent in our memories, they have a special time of mourning reserved for Memorial Day. Veterans Day is an opportunity to publicly commemorate the contributions of living veterans. What. Collective as well as individual contributions to the nation’s defense is what we are remembering. The outcome of any given military campaign is irrelevant here—it’s the sacrifices made at the behest of the country that are important. Where. Across the land, the grounds of virtually every state capitol and county courthouse host monuments, memorials and plaques honoring those who served. They date back as far as the American Revolution and are as recent as Iraq. But paying homage to veterans need not necessarily be in a public place. Every private home also should serve this purpose when appropriate. When. For some Americans, remembering veterans is a daily act. But as a nation, it is essential that we preserve the integrity of November 11 as that one extra-special day for the American people as a whole to pause in silence or demonstrate public recognition. Why. Remembering gives true meaning to sacrifice and service. Millions of Americans’ lives were forever altered because they donned a uniform to protect the freedoms and rights we take for granted. We owe an eternal debt of gratitude to them. And acknowledging Veterans Day is the time that debt comes due. It’s our way of keeping faith. All of this is particularly relevant now, with the nation at war in Afghanistan and Iraq. There is no better example of how Veterans Day has moved from the public consciousness than in my home state of New Jersey. The state legislature and the New Jersey School Boards Association attempted to abolish mandatory teaching about the importance of Veterans Day. Thankfully, Gov. Jon S. Corzine vetoed that part of the bill dealing with this day. This should serve as a reminder that vigilance is necessary. The 24 million veterans living in America deserve no less of us as an organization. It is often forgotten that legislative battles were waged over this day and its earlier version called Armistice Day in 1926, 1938, 1954 and throughout the 1970s. Let’s not take its value for granted. God Bless America George Lisicki VFW Commander-in-Chief |
posted by Greg @ 12:25 PM
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| to Raise Money for VFW ’s ‘Unmet Needs’ Military Assistance Program | |||
| KANSAS CITY, Mo., Nov. 5, 2007--In honor of Veterans Day and those who continue to put their lives on the line for our country, “The Rusty Humphries Show,” in conjunction with VFW's “The National Defense” and hundreds of radio stations across the country, will host a national fundraiser for the VFW Unmet Needs program, which provides emergency assistance to military families who face financial burdens, complicated and amplified by a family member's deployment. “The Rusty Humphries Show”, recently ranked by Talkers Magazine as the 9th most listened to radio show in America, will host the VFW Unmet Needs program, radiothon November 8-11. During the 4-day event, listeners will be able to dial toll-free 1-866-437-9283 to donate to the valuable military support program. Since 2003, the VFW Foundation’s Unmet Needs Program, has assisted more than 1, 250 military families by providing them with emergency aid such as mortgage assistance, rent, home repair, vehicle repair and maintenance, medical expenses, groceries, and transportation expenses. Thanks to corporate sponsor Vermont American Power Tool Accessories, 100 percent of all donations go directly to the military families in need. Some examples of how Unmet Needs funds are used: When a wildfire destroyed the home of a soldier from Washington, the Unmet Needs Program quickly joined with the local VFW post, community volunteers and businesses to help the family find temporary shelter and plan for the rebuilding of their home. In another example, the wife of a Missouri soldier was struggling under the weight of medical bills due to a complicated pregnancy and the expense of caring for a new baby on her own. The Unmet Needs Program approved a grant to cover the medical expenses and one month of rent to help get the family back on its feet. To join Rusty Humphries in raising funds for the VFW Unmet Needs Program, call 1-866-437-9283 to make your donation. To donate online, got to VFW Unmetneeds.com. Click to listen to VFW's “The National Defense.” |
posted by Greg @ 12:22 PM
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WASHINGTON — Veterans make up one in four homeless people in the United States, though they are only 11 percent of the general adult population, according to a report to be released Thursday.
And homelessness is not just a problem among middle-age and elderly veterans. Younger veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan are trickling into shelters and soup kitchens seeking services, treatment or help with finding a job.
The Veterans Affairs Department has identified 1,500 homeless veterans from the current wars and says 400 of them have participated in its programs specifically targeting homelessness.
The National Alliance to End Homelessness, a public education nonprofit, based the findings of its report on numbers from Veterans Affairs and the Census Bureau. 2005 data estimated that 194,254 homeless people out of 744,313 on any given night were veterans.
In comparison, the VA says that 20 years ago, the estimated number of veterans who were homeless on any given night was 250,000.
Some advocates say the early presence of veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan at shelters does not bode well for the future. It took roughly a decade for the lives of Vietnam veterans to unravel to the point that they started showing up among the homeless. Advocates worry that intense and repeated deployments leave newer veterans particularly vulnerable.
"We're going to be having a tsunami of them eventually because the mental health toll from this war is enormous," said Daniel Tooth, director of veterans affairs for Lancaster County, Pa.
While services to homeless veterans have improved in the past 20 years, advocates say more financial resources still are needed. With the spotlight on the plight of Iraq veterans, they hope more will be done to prevent homelessness and provide affordable housing to the younger veterans while there's a window of opportunity.
"When the Vietnam War ended, that was part of the problem. The war was over, it was off TV, nobody wanted to hear about it," said John Keaveney, a Vietnam veteran and a founder of New Directions in Los Angeles, which provides substance abuse help, job training and shelter to veterans.
"I think they'll be forgotten," Keaveney said of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. "People get tired of it. It's not glitzy that these are young, honorable, patriotic Americans. They'll just be veterans, and that happens after every war."
Keaveney said it's difficult for his group to persuade some homeless Iraq veterans to stay for treatment and help because they don't relate to the older veterans. Those who stayed have had success _ one is now a stock broker and another is applying to be a police officer, he said.
"They see guys that are their father's age and they don't understand, they don't know, that in a couple of years they'll be looking like them," he said.
After being discharged from the military, Jason Kelley, 23, of Tomahawk, Wis., who served in Iraq with the Wisconsin National Guard, took a bus to Los Angeles looking for better job prospects and a new life.
Kelley said he couldn't find a job because he didn't have an apartment, and he couldn't get an apartment because he didn't have a job. He stayed in a $300-a-week motel until his money ran out, then moved into a shelter run by the group U.S. VETS in Inglewood, Calif. He's since been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, he said.
"The only training I have is infantry training and there's not really a need for that in the civilian world," Kelley said in a phone interview. He has enrolled in college and hopes to move out of the shelter soon.
The Iraq vets seeking help with homelessness are more likely to be women, less likely to have substance abuse problems, but more likely to have mental illness _ mostly related to post-traumatic stress, said Pete Dougherty, director of homeless veterans programs at the VA.
Overall, 45 percent of participants in the VA's homeless programs have a diagnosable mental illness and more than three out of four have a substance abuse problem, while 35 percent have both, Dougherty said.
Historically, a number of fighters in U.S. wars have become homeless. In the post-Civil War era, homeless veterans sang old Army songs to dramatize their need for work and became known as "tramps," which had meant to march into war, said Todd DePastino, a historian at Penn State University's Beaver campus who wrote a book on the history of homelessness.
After World War I, thousands of veterans _ many of them homeless _ camped in the nation's capital seeking bonus money. Their camps were destroyed by the government, creating a public relations disaster for President Herbert Hoover.
The end of the Vietnam War coincided with a time of economic restructuring, and many of the same people who fought in Vietnam were also those most affected by the loss of manufacturing jobs, DePastino said.
Their entrance to the streets was traumatic and, as they aged, their problems became more chronic, recalled Sister Mary Scullion, who has worked with the homeless for 30 years and co-founded of the group Project H.O.M.E. in Philadelphia.
"It takes more to address the needs because they are multiple needs that have been unattended," Scullion said. "Life on the street is brutal and I know many, many homeless veterans who have died from Vietnam."
The VA started targeting homelessness in 1987, 12 years after the fall of Saigon. Today, the VA has, either on its own or through partnerships, more than 15,000 residential rehabilitative, transitional and permanent beds for homeless veterans nationwide. It spends about $265 million annually on homeless-specific programs and about $1.5 billion for all health care costs for homeless veterans.
Because of these types of programs and because two years of free medical care is being offered to all Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, Dougherty said they hope many veterans from recent wars who are in need can be identified early.
"Clearly, I don't think that's going to totally solve the problem, but I also don't think we're simply going to wait for 10 years until they show up," Dougherty said. "We're out there now trying to get everybody we can to get those kinds of services today, so we avoid this kind of problem in the future."
In all of 2006, the National Alliance to End Homelessness estimates that 495,400 veterans were homeless at some point during the year.
The group recommends that 5,000 housing units be created per year for the next five years dedicated to the chronically homeless that would provide permanent housing linked to veterans' support systems. It also recommends funding an additional 20,000 housing vouchers exclusively for homeless veterans, and creating a program that helps bridge the gap between income and rent.
Following those recommendations would cost billions of dollars, but there is some movement in Congress to increase the amount of money dedicated to homeless veterans programs.
On a recent day in Philadelphia, case managers from Project H.O.M.E. and the VA picked up William Joyce, 60, a homeless Vietnam veteran in a wheelchair who said he'd been sleeping at a bus terminal.
"You're an honorable veteran. You're going to get some services," outreach worker Mark Salvatore told Joyce. "You need to be connected. You don't need to be out here on the streets."
___
Associated Press writer Kathy Matheson contributed to this story from Philadelphia.
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On the Net: National Alliance to End Homelessness: http://www.naeh.org/
New Directions: http://www.newdirectionsinc.org/
Project Home: http://www.projecthome.org/
County of Lancaster: http://www.co.lancaster.pa.us/
Veterans Affairs Department: http://www.va.gov/
U.S. Vets: http://usvetsinc.org/
posted by Army_Tanker @ 11:31 AM
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| Supporting Troops More Than a Bumper Sticker | |||
| KANSAS CITY, Mo., Nov. 05, 2007--This Veteran’s Day (November 11), the VFW encourages all Americans to consider what it means to "support our troops." A yellow ribbon is a great start, but what more can we all do to show our support? The VFW offers these tips to celebrate Veteran’s Day and honor our military veterans--past and present--who have put their lives on the line every day to protect our freedoms. Headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., the VFW is a non-profit organization dedicated to honoring the sacrifice and ensuring the rights of America’s veterans through advocacy, support and community service, while promoting patriotism. The VFW offers various services to support veterans and their families throughout their military career, from active duty to honorably discharged. |
posted by Greg @ 2:34 PM
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Stories of spirits and unexplained phenomena have persisted on U.S. military bases in the Pacific for years.
Doors slam, shadows creep and voices shout in the night. Could it be spirits of the dead reaching out?
As costumed ghosts and ghouls hit the streets for Halloween, Stars and Stripes has compiled some accounts of allegedly real ghosts and ghouls to keep the holiday creepy.
Creepy Crematorium Tale
Many of the buildings on Yongsan Garrison in South Korea have been there longer than the U.S. military. Some date back to Japan's occupation of Korea before and during World War II.
One of those buildings, near the gas station on the garrison's South Post, has been surrounded by rumors for years.
"I hate being here at night. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up just talking about it," said Sgt. 1st Class Riviere Cools, 52nd Medical Battalion as he eyed the squat, red-brick building in the center of his unit's complex of offices. "I don't believe in that kind of stuff, but in the back of my mind, there are souls here."
The entire compound, surrounded by a thick, crumbling, brick wall, was a prison during the occupation.
For years, said U.S. Army Garrison spokesman David McNally, soldiers working there have passed along stories claiming that the area, especially the small building in the center, was haunted.
McNally said the building was most likely the prison's administrative office, but those working around it have a more sinister theory.
"Everybody that's worked in that building right there has either seen something or heard something," said Staff Sgt. Sae Kim, 52nd Medical Battalion. "Because that's where they burned people."
McNally was quick to point out there was no evidence to suggest that the building was a crematorium, but that doesn't stop the stories from spreading.
"I haven't seen any ghosts," said Sgt. 1st Class Freeman Witherspoon. "But I definitely have heard the rumors. People say they see shadows when they have duty at night."
The Unexplained Voice
Stories of strange happenings abound at the base chapel at Camp Zama in Japan.
Strange presences in rooms and doors that mysteriously open and close are part of chapel lore, employees say.
Some tell stories of strange figures passing by and then disappearing.
"My predecessor said that she used to hear footsteps through the halls late at night," said Staff Sgt. Desmond West, the Unit Ministry Team noncommissioned officer in charge.
Last year, Spc. Jennifer Villagomez, a funds clerk, said she was working late when a voice emanated from her unplugged computer speakers.
It sounded like a Japanese man, "like a drill sergeant yelling at a private," she said.
At first, Villagomez said she thought the sounds were a practical joke and called for a sergeant who was the only other person in the building at the time.
"And as I heard him come closer to my office, the voice on the speaker went lower and lower until it went away, just before he walked in the room," Villagomez said.
She said that since that incident, she tries not to be the last person to in the office at night.
Sgt. Joshua Lee, who works at the chapel with Villagomez, said he didn't hear the voice that night but has witnessed other strange occurrences.
Chapel lights switch on and doors open seemingly on their own, Lee said.
West, who has worked in the chapel for four years, said he has never seen or heard anything peculiar.
"But the day I start hearing things, I'm running out of here," he said.
Ghosts Crowd Okinawa
Reportedly haunted sites can be found around almost any corner on and off Okinawa bases.
So many ghost stories abound that Marine Corps Community Services and 18th Services Squadron on Kadena Air Base both run special Halloween spooky sites tours that sell out weeks in advance.
Web sites and a book on the subject -- Jayne A. Hitchcock's "The Ghosts of Okinawa" -- celebrate the local haunts.
A World War II soldier is said to roam Gate 3 on Camp Hansen in blood-splattered fatigues asking sentries to light his cigarette.
Marines refused to stand guard due to the haunting, and the gate was eventually closed, according to Hitchcock.
Camp Foster is said to be the home of a ghostly samurai warrior who eternally travels from Stillwell Drive uphill toward Futenma Housing.
Kadena Air Base also has its ghost stories.
A small house behind the Kadena United Services Organization, numbered 2283, is now used for storage because, it is said, no one willingly lives in it for long.
Some say the house remains haunted after a man murdered his family there. Others say the house rests on an ancient burial site, and the souls of the dead beneath are restless.
Kadena's golf course might be the site where in 1945 a group of high-school girls pressed into service in the Japanese Imperial Army committed suicide, according to another yarn.
The spirits of the dead girls are said to still haunt the land.
Off-base, half-finished buildings are abandoned due to reports of ghostly visitors.
Construction of the Royal Hotel off Route 329, near the Nakagusuku Castle ruins, was begun some three decades ago -- possibly on a sacred site.
Mysterious accidents and deaths drove workers to abandon construction.
Meanwhile, at Maeda Point, there is rumored to be a prophet-of-death ghost.
The elderly Okinawan apparition is said to appear at a tomb that can be seen only from the water, and within days of a sighting, a body is found on a nearby beach.
Stars and Stripes reporters Travis Tritten, Jimmy Norris, Vince Little and Cindy Fisher contributed to this story.
posted by Greg @ 4:59 AM
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