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Tony Curtis Foster
CN. 51st Street, West Philadelphia
After graduating from West Philadelphia High School in 1966, Foster briefly attended Community College of Philadelphia. He enlisted in the Air Force in 1967 and was thinking of going back to college to become a history teacher. After learning that it would cost more than $1,000 to fix his car, Foster volunteered for a second tour in Vietnam and planned to use the extra combat pay he would receive to buy a new car. The 21-year-old airman first class, a security policeman with the 37th Combat Security Police Squadron, died in Binh Dinh Province on Dec. 5, 1969. He was survived by his parents and two sisters. |
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John M. O'Farrell
Hellerman Street, Mayfair
O'Farrell had a keen interest in science. He won many prizes for physics at Father Judge High School and majored in physics at La Salle College. He was an amateur astronomer, a member of the Franklin Institute, and dabbled in optics and photography. O'Farrell left La Salle after his sophomore year and enlisted in the Army, planning to finish college upon his return from Vietnam. The 22-year-old first lieutenant was commander of Company B of the 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry, 25th Infantry Division. O'Farrell died in Tay Ninh Province on Jan. 14, 1969. He was posthumously awarded two Silver Stars. Survivors included his parents and a brother. |
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Erhard J. Mello
Mello entered the Army in November 1969. The sergeant was a helicopter mechanic in Vietnam, where he was assigned to Troop C of the 16th Cavalry. Mello died on Jan. 3, 1972. He was 19 years old. |
Click below for The Pennsylvania Veteran Newsletter - MARCH 2010
Liberty Bell Chapter 266
December/January Newsletter
From the President’s Desk 
Happy New Year everyone. I know the holidays have been hectic but I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for another year of hard work and dedication and I would like to wish you all good health and prosperity going forward.
Respectfully,
James Chappelle, President
Chapter Meetings
Meetings are held the first Monday of every month. The next meeting is February 1, 2010. Meetings begin at 7:30pm. No smoking or drinking on the floor during the meetings. If you can, plan to get there early and check out our product sales.
Bring in your can tabs, cancelled stamps and empty coffee cans.
We are also always accepting donations for Stand Down. Come on out and support your chapter.
Membership 
Chairperson Steve Uchniat reminds us that we are the :lifeblood” of the chapter. We currently have 269 VVA members and 43 AVVA members for a total of 312.. Recruitment is always open and the application for membership is in this newsletter and on our web site www.vva266.org
If there are any corrections, address or telephone, or email changes contact him at 215-624-1530 or emailed to Bogie609@aol.com. Please make every effort to pay your dues on time, especially if you see a red dot on the front of your newsletter. Every little bit helps.
Sunshine
Member and Past President Tom Murtha is recovering from illness. Tom, our thoughts are with you.
Community Affairs
The Christmas food drive was cancelled due to a snowstorm.
The Catholic Workers Christmas party was held on December 19, 2009 despite the sever snow. Special thanks to Fred Rosso, Maureen McHale, Andrew McHale and friends, Samantha Justice, & Sue Justice for braving the storm and making it a very nice party for the kids. Their little faces just lit up when they were opening their presents and everyone enjoyed the pizza party.
On December 12, 2009, eight members of the chapter held their annual neighborhood reunion. They made a generous donation to the Catholic Workers Christmas party. We also received another generous donation from American Legion 738. Our sincere thanks to those that donated.
AVVA 
I wanted to let our members know that AVVA and VVA has moved into their new National Headquarters this past weekend.
The new address is:
Associates of Vietnam Veterans of America
8719 Colesville Road
Silver Spring, Maryland 20910
At this writing, the telephone numbers will not be changing.
We continue to make quilts for wounded soldiers for Operation First Response. Anyone who would like to make a quilt, the measurements need to be 45” X 60”. Contact Sue Justice for further information. 215-745-4958
We are still collecting old cell phones for Cell Phones for Soldiers”. Bring in your old cell phones with the battery attached. No other accessories needed. Our post home is an official drop off site for www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com. We have already sent 2 shipments of old phones to them (we send them off 50 at a time). See Sue Justice with your phone donations.
Sometime in the spring, we will have another Child Safety Day. More information will follow.
Product Sales 
We are currently taking orders for T-shirts. There are 5 designs to choose from. They are posted on our web site www.vva266.org and can also be seen at the chapter meetings. Contact Len Johnson for more information. 267-254-9097.
Agent Orange
HOUSE PASSES RESOLUTION DECLARING “ORDER OF THE SILVER ROSE DAY” IN PENNSYLVANIA – The Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed House Resolution 515, declaring December 2, 2009 as “Order of the Silver Rose Day” in recognition of all the Vietnam veterans that were exposed to the chemical defoliant known as Agent Orange. The house resolution recognizes “the courage, heroism, and contributions of American service personnel found to have been exposed to Agent Orange” and will send a copy of the resolution to the White House. The Order of the Silver Rose attempts to educate Vietnam veterans of the many maladies associated with exposure to Agent Orange and to inform them that a simple yearly physical with CT scan and X-ray could easily save their lives by early detection of disease caused by the defoliant.
News from Chairman Bob Filner
House Committee on Veterans Affairs
Released November 20, 2009
More than 200 Members of Congress Agree: Agent Orange Veterans deserve compensation for their sacrifice.
“Republicans and Democrats alike have joined together to stand up for Agent Orange veterans. More than 200 Members of the House of Representatives have added their support for H.R. 2254, a bill to expand the eligibility for presumptive conditions to all combat veterans of the Vietnam War, regardless of where they served. Current laws requires VA to provide care for service members exposed to Agent Orange by virtue of their “boots on the ground” but ignores veterans that served in the blue waters and the blue skies of Vietnam. H.R. 2254 will provide veterans with benefits based on their exposure to Agent Orange regardless of an arbitrary geographic line or location. These are benefits that they have earned, yet the Department of Veterans’ Affairs illogically refuses to acknowledge them.
“Time is running out for these Vietnam Veterans. Many are dying from their Agent Orange related diseases, uncompensated for their sacrifice. If, as a result of service, a veteran was exposed to Agent Orange and it had resulted in failing health, this country has a moral obligation to care for each veteran the way we promised we would. And as a country at war, we must prove that we will be there for all of our veterans, no matter when they serve.
“There is still a chance for America to meet its obligations to these estimated 800,000 noble veterans. The courts have turned their backs on our veterans, but I believe this Congress will not allow veterans to be cheated out of their earned benefits. I would like to thanks the more than 200 Members of the House who have bravely joined the fight to stand up for the rights of Agent Orange veterans. I also urge the Senators to cosponsor S. 1939, Senator Gillibrand’s companion legislation.”
Employment, Training & Business Opportunities For Veterans
“VETS NEEDED TO FILL PUBLIC SECTOR’S MISSION – CRITICAL JOBS”
With all the bad news about the U.S. employment situation in the press, you’d think it’s impossible to find a job in today’s labor market. However, while the private sector is toiling with high unemployment, the public sector is hiring and looking to veterans to fill many of its mission-critical jobs.
According to a partnership of Public Service (PPS) study titled, “Where the jobs are 2009: Mission – Critical Opportunities for America,” the public sector will need to fill 273,000 jobs in various federal agencies over the next three years.
The greatest hiring need is in the health care field. At least 54,114 medical and public health jobs need to be filled including 31,455 nurses, 10,626 doctors, and thousands of nursing assistants, pharmacists, and other wellness professionals, reports the PPS.
Jobs in security and protection are also high in demand – 52,077 positions available. And, over the next three years, the federal government wants to hire 3,669 police officers and 34,500 transportation officers.
Other fields looking to hire new employees are compliance and enforcement with 31, 276 projected open positions, legal with 23,596 and administration and program management with 17,287.
Two of the main reasons for the hiring push are the need to bolster veteran employment, and to stop the brain drain that will occur when thousands of federal workers retire in coming years. The PPS projects that the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) will help plug these gaps by attempting to fill 48,159 jobs in the next three years. The Department of Homeland Security will also have a record 65,730 and the Department of Defense will have 43,514 open positions that veterans can fill.
“For job-seekers motivated by a desire to make a difference and improve the lives of Americans, there are no better possibilities than those provided by our federal government,” said Max Stier, President and CEO of the PPS, in a press release.
Veterans interested in working for the federal government should visit USAJobs.gov to apply for any of these open positions.
Women Veterans
This month please remember these women who died during December while serving our country in or during war times:
2 Dec 2008: USN PO2 Juantissa Hill, 24, murdered in her apartment in Alexandria, VA
3 Dec 1943: WAFS Dorothy E. Scott, WW II
4 Dec 1944: CIVILIAN Nurse Helen Corra
4 Dec 2004: USA SGT Cari Ann Gasiewicz, 28, IRAQ
6 Dec 2006: USMC MAJ Megan M. McClung, 34, IRAQ
9 Dec 1898: Army Contract Nurse Ellen May Tower, Typhoid Fever, SPANISH AMERICAN WAR
9 Dec 1944: WASP Mary Louise Webster, WW II
10 Dec 2005: USA SGT Julia V. Atkins, 22, IRAQ
12 Dec 1985: USA SPC Christine McCleery, 21, Gander, Newfoundland Plane crash
12 Dec 1985: USA SPC Virginia Word, Gander, Newfoundland plane crash
12 Dec 1985: USA SPC Cathleen Ziegler, Gander, Newfoundland plane Crash
12 Dec 1985: CIVILIAN Stacy Cutler (Cutlar), Cabin Crew, Gander, Newfoundland plane crash
12 Dec 1985: CIVILIAN Maia Matasowski, Cabin Crew, Gander, Newfoundland plane crash
12 Dec 1985: CIVILIAN Desiree McKay, Cabin Crew, Gander, Newfoundland Crash
12 Dec 1985: CIVILIAN Ruthie Phillips, Cabin Crew, Gander, Newfoundland plane crash
12 Dec 1985: CIVILIAN Jean Sarafin, Cabin Crew, Gander, Newfoundland Plane crash
12 Dec 2006: USA MAJ Gloria D Davis, 47, non-combat gunshot, IRAQ
13 Dec 2004: USAR SGT Tina S. Time (pronounced Tee-may), 22, IRAQ
14 Dec 1990: USA CWO2 Carol L. McKinney, 36, helicopter crash near Cleveland, TX
14 Dec 2003: USA SSG Kimberly A. (Fahnestock) Voelz, 27, IRAQ
14 Dec 2007: USMC L/CPL Maria Lauterbach, 20, murdered by US marine at Camp Lejeune, NC
14 Dec 2008: USA PFC Moneeka Mayo, 29, collapsed and died during a German Armed Forces Badge for Military Proficiency march at Fort Huachuca, AZ
18 Dec 2007: USAR SFC Carolyn Farrar-Johnson, 58, murdered at Fort Belvoir, VA
22 Dec 1952: USAF AN Virginia May McClure, non-hostile air crash, KOREA
22 Dec 1952: USAF AN Margaret Fae Perry, non-hostile air crash, KOREA
23 Dec 2005: USAR SGT Regina Reali, 25, IRAQ
24 Dec 2005: USAR SGT Myla Maravillosa (pronounced Mar-RA-vi-OS-a), 24, IRAQ
31 Dec 2006: USN DCFA Sandra S (Grant) Fry, 23, natural causes, USS Eisenhower, Arabian Sea
Veterans Benefits
VA Statement about 2010 Benefits and Programs
WASHINGTON (Jan. 7, 2010) - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) wants to inform Veterans and other beneficiaries of the following changes that will take effect in 2010:
VA will Freeze Increase in Prescription Copayments: Any increase in Veterans out-of-pocket payments for pharmaceuticals will be delayed until June 30, 2010. This means the department will delay a scheduled $1 increase - to $9 - in the copayments facing Veterans for each 30-day supply of medicine for the treatment of conditions not related to military service. During this period, VA will also keep $960 as the maximum, annual out-of-pocket payments for pharmaceuticals for non-service-related conditions. The $960 cap will not apply to Veterans in priority groups seven and eight. The yearly maximum out-of-pocket payment was scheduled to increase to $1,080. There are no co-payments associated with the treatment of conditions related to military service.
VA will Distribute Insurance Dividends: Approximately 900,000 Veterans are in line to share $286.4 million in annual insurance dividends during 2010. VA operates one of the nation's largest life insurance programs, providing more than $1 Trillion in coverage to seven million service members, Veterans, and family members. These payments will be made to insurance policy holders on the anniversary date of their policies. Payments will be sent automatically through different payment plans and the amounts will vary based on the age of the Veteran, the type of insurance, and the length of time the policy has been in place. Consistent with private mutual insurance company practice, the VA is returning a portion of premium payments back to policyholders because the agency had strong financial results.
Veterans who have questions about their policies may contact the VA insurance toll-free number at 1-800-669-8477 send an email to VAinsurance@va.gov. They may also visit the Internet at www.insurance.va.gov.
No Adjustment in COLA for Disability Compensation + Pension Benefits:
As a result of negative inflation and the consumer price index going down over the past year the Social Security Administration has announced there will be no COLA this year for Social Security recipients. Under federal law VA's COLAs cannot exceed the Social Security COLAs. Therefore, VA is barred from making a COLA increase for recipients of its benefits.
VA provides compensation and pension benefits to over 3.8 million Veterans and other beneficiaries. Presently, the basic monthly rate of compensation paid to Veterans ranges from $123 to $2,673. Annual income limits for disability pension begin at $11,830 for a Veteran without dependents and increase for Veterans who have dependents, who are housebound, or who need regular aid and attendance.
Veterans who have questions about their benefits may contact the VA's financial benefits toll-free number at 1-800-827-1000 or go to www.vba.va.gov/VBA.
Web Site
www.vva266.org
The website is constantly being updated. Please check out the Benefits News section to stay informed.
New Events are always being added. If you know of any Veteran related events for our website, please email Sandy Wright the information.
The ALL PHOTOS page now contains the Christmas Children’s party with Fred Rosso playing tablecloth Santa. The annual event took place with 2 feet of snow outside, so unfortunately a lot of volunteers were not able to get to the party to help out.
Also remember to check out the shirts on our For Sale page and get back to Len Johnson if you would like to purchase any of them.
Birthdays
December
1-David McGuigan
2-Allen Whitlock
4-Joseph Lankelis
7-Joseph Price
8-Raymond Jeffery
11-Tony Cavacini
11-Bill Mead
13-James Harris
13-James McClellen
13-Robert Rivers
14-Thomas Murtha
15-Lester Richards
16-James Thomson
16-Christopher Brower
17-James Chappelle
17-Joseph Jordon
18-Ken Mabe
18-Roman Pavielka
23-Ronald Powell
23-Cliff Jeffries III
24-Frank Obermeier
25-Chuck Moffett
26-Richard Coulter
26-Leroy Giles
27-Marie Smith
28-Ralph Himes
28-Robert Shearer
29-William Miller
January
3-Mike Allen
5-Christine Marino
6-Raymond Somers
9-James Jamen
12-Harry Trotman
12-Augustus Lover
16-Samuel Anderson
21-Jim Boyle
21-George Bembishew
22-Paul DeCosta
22-Richard Espenshade
23-Herbert Benson
23-Thomas Lovera
25-Jimmy Johnson
25-Richard Dougherty
27-George Barr
29-James McFarlane
31-Benjamin Carter
31-Mike Lentz
February
2-Frank Marshall
2-William Eves
4-Francis Sullivan
5-Thomas Graziosetta
8-Pat Coniglio
10-John Cameron
12-Jesse McClendon
13-Ira Baker
13-James LeVere
13-Charles LeVere
13-Jim Morse
16-Peter Wichowski
17-Edward Miller
17-Delano Stones
18-Gerald Ney
21-Janet McManus
23-Nina Chychula
23-Frank Ujfalusi
25-Mark Lupkin
27-Gladys Bukowski
Veterans Chat – Suicide Prevention – 1-800-273-8255 (TALK)
The Suicide Prevention campaign at the Department of Veterans Affairs is expanding its outreach to all Veterans by piloting an online, one-to-one ‘chat service’ for those who prefer reaching out for assistance using the internet. Called ‘Veterans Chat”, the new service enables Vets, their families and friends to go online where they can anonymously chat with a trained VA counselor. If a ‘chatter’ is determined to be in a crisis, the counselor can take immediate steps to transfer the person to the VA Suicide Prevention Hotline, where further counseling and referral services are provided and crisis intervention steps can be taken.
The chat line is not intended to be a crisis response line. Chat responders are trained in an intervention method specifically developed for the chat line to assist people with emotional distress and concerns. Since becoming operational in July 2007, VA’s Suicide Prevention Hotline has received more than 150,000 calls, resulting in 4,000 rescues.
VA SUICIDE PREVENTION COORDINATORS IN PA
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Gates, Nathan |
Altoona |
814-943-8164 x7572 |
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Albert, Peter |
Butler |
724-285-2737 |
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Sonnen, Carol |
Lebanon |
717-272-6621 x4366 |
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Sessions, Tim |
Coatesville |
610-384-7711 x6843 |
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Schwartz, Lisa |
Erie |
814-860-2986 |
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Roundtree, Iris |
Philadelphia |
215-823-4505 |
|
Heider, Anita |
Pittsburgh |
412-954-4312 |
|
Garavaglia RN, Eleanor |
Willes-Barre |
570-824-3521 x7977 |
ALL GAVE SOME….SOME GAVE ALL
YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN |
Newsletter
