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TRANSCRIPT
1 Paid for by the Michigan Republican Party with Regulated Funds.
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
520 Seymour Street, Lansing, MI 48933
Veterans & Military
Families Monthly News
June 2013 Vol. 4 No. 6
In This Issue
P.2-Update From Sec. Ruth
Johnson
P.3-D-Day 70th Anniversary
P.5-Vietnam Records
P.6-Medicare iPad
P.7-Military Appreciation Golf
Outing
P.8-Michigan Military History
P.9-Vet Toxic Exposure
P.12-Military Humor From
Hank
P.13-Cpt. Jeff Haney Memorial
Golf Scramble
P.14-VA Data Breaches
P.16-ESGR
P.17-National Veterans Art
Museum
P.18-Honor Flights
P.19-Gold Star Registry
P.20-WWII Memories From
Cpt. Smith
P.22-VA Adult Daycare
Program
P.26-Thunder Over Michigan
And much more…….
Good afternoon and thank you for reading, this
month’s edition of the newsletter. We appreciate your
involvement and continued support.
Remember, we have two online sources where
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source for the newsletter works in the same fashion as the
Facebook page.
Please let us know what you think, or if you have
any questions about the online sources. For those of you
who enjoy just receiving the email each month, we will
continue to send it out. But we want to build the online
presence as a way to reach out to more people.
As always, thank you very much for reading. Our
hope is to continue to expand the newsletter. For that, we
need your input. So, again, if anyone has any suggestions
for topics to cover or wants to write their own piece, we
will gladly try to work it in. We hope you enjoy, and
please share your feedback with us.
Thank you very much!
We would like to express our appreciation to all of the
fighting men and women in the United States Military.
Thank you for your service to this country.
69th Anniversary of
D-Day June 6th 2013
2 Paid for by the Michigan Republican Party with Regulated Funds.
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520 Seymour Street, Lansing, MI 48933
LANSING, Mich. – Calling it a good day for
Michigan veterans, Michigan Secretary of State Ruth
Johnson watched as Gov. Snyder signed bills that will put
a special veteran designation on the driver's licenses of
honorably discharged veterans.
"I hope every store clerk, every bank teller and
every wait staff who notices the veteran designation will
take a moment to just thank that veteran," said Johnson,
who worked closely with lawmakers and bill sponsors
Rep. Nancy Jenkins, R-Clayton, and Senator Darwin
Booher, R-Evart. "This will be easy, clear-cut proof of
their service that they can use to more easily access the
services they've earned and deserve."
The designation will be available on driver's
licenses and personal state IDs beginning May 2014. "I
would like to thank Representative Jenkins and Senator
Booher for sponsoring these bills and Secretary Johnson
for her support," said Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency
Director Jeff Barnes. "The veterans designation is a great
way for Michigan to honor those who have served and
makes it easier for veterans to access discounts and offers
from retailers, restaurants and hotels who offer special
opportunities to veterans. It's another great step that
improves the quality of life for Michigan's veterans."
Michigan, home to some 680,000 veterans, is the
28th state to put a veteran's designation on state-issued
IDs and driver's licenses. "This common-sense legislation
eliminates hassles that our veterans continually go through
when trying to prove their service for benefits or
discounts," said Jenkins, R-Clayton. "We can never thank
our veterans enough for the sacrifices they have made for
this country, but this is another way we can make their
lives easier and eliminate obstacles they may face."
"In appreciation of America's veterans, many
places offer discounts to veterans and their families," said
Booher, R-Evart. "I sponsored this measure after hearing
from veterans in my district about finding a simpler way
to prove their military service. Instead of having to carry
around their discharge forms, veterans can now have a
special insignia appear on their driver's license and state
ID that verifies their status."
Garth Wooten, president of the Michigan
Association of County Veterans Counselors and division
manager for Oakland County Veterans Services, said
veterans are looking forward to carrying the new driver's
licenses.
"Veterans are very proud of their service and this
will give them a source of pride when they do have to
show that identification," Wooten said. "We're very
excited that we'll be able to use this as an opportunity to
reach out to veterans to make them aware of benefits they
may be eligible for."
Johnson, who personally visited troops in the
Middle East last year as part of her efforts to make voting
easier for overseas military members, is also leading other
initiatives aimed at helping veterans.
Those efforts include a new law passed last year
to ensure absentee ballots are sent overseas to troops by
the required deadline, giving them ample time to return
those ballots in time to be counted on Election Day.
Also planned is a new fundraising license plate
that will raise money directly for Michigan veterans and
their families.
In addition, her office is working with the state's
Department of Military and Veteran Affairs to put veteran
benefit information in each of the state's 131 Secretary of
State branch offices.
Johnson was also a leader on legislation that
passed last year to cut government red tape and help
veterans rejoin the workforce more easily once they get
home. Under that new law, the road test for veterans
applying for a commercial driver's license is waived if
they have verified proof of heavy truck driving experience
during their military service.
Johnson celebrates signing of bills to put
special veteran designation on driver's licenses
3 Paid for by the Michigan Republican Party with Regulated Funds.
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
520 Seymour Street, Lansing, MI 48933
The 70th Anniversary of D-Day in 2014 is fast
approaching and the Lakeshore Lancers band of
Stevensville Michigan has been invited by the “D-Day
70th Anniversary Commemoration” and “American Musi-
cal Salute” Committee to join as an official representative
of Michigan in Normandy France in June of 2014. Our
kids will join the American Liberation Victory Parade that
will step off on the actual anniversary day, June 6, 2014 in
the French village of Sainte-Mere-Eglise, the first village
to be liberated by American troops.
A 3-time State Champion, the band already
represented the State of Michigan in 2004 at the
inauguration of the World War II memorial in
Washington DC. At the time, our students honored each
living World War II Veteran of Michigan by wearing an
epaulette that was eventually mailed back to them with a
card to thank them for their service and provide them with
a token of appreciation and gratitude.
With an invitation of such historical significance,
we feel our mission should be meant for this generation to
remember forever the meaning of D-Day and those
Michigan citizens who made the ultimate sacrifice to
preserve our freedom as well as the significant role the
State of Michigan played in this war effort.
In particular, we are planning on honoring each of
the 419 soldiers of Michigan resting at the Normandy
American Cemetery by pouring a little bit sand from
Michigan on their grave as a symbol of our remembrance
of their sacrifice. The Michigan sand will be collected
from high schools of Michigan as an educational program
and in return, we will bring back sand from Omaha Beach
that will be presented back to each participating school as
a token of appreciation and a symbol of remembrance. In
addition, we plan for our marching students to wear a
ribbon in honor of each of the last living WWII veterans
of Michigan that will eventually be mailed back to them
as a mark of our gratitude. Finally, our students will
research the history of leading companies of Michigan
during World War II and build boards that illustrate the
amazing contribution of our State to the war efforts.
To accomplish this extraordinary invasion, the
allied forces relied on American manufacturing
companies to produce military equipment such as the
Sherman Tank, bombers like the B-24, gliders such as the
Waco CG-4A, amphibious vehicles like the DUCW, and
military transport vehicles like the GMC CCKW350, the
Dodge WC, or the iconic Jeep.
Continued...
We would like to express our appreciation to all of the
fighting men and women in the United States Military.
Thank you for your service to this country.
4 Paid for by the Michigan Republican Party with Regulated Funds.
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
520 Seymour Street, Lansing, MI 48933
What do all these have in
common? They were all manufactured
by leading companies from Michigan. In
fact, the whole State of Michigan and its
business leaders threw themselves in
support of the war effort like no other as
the backbone of what was once called
“the arsenal for democracy”. One can
argue that never in the history of
Michigan, has our State had such a
leading impact on the world as during
World War II.
Our band is quite large for
a high school of less than 1000
students. As a matter of fact, our
band has never travelled overseas.
Most band parents simply do not
have the means to pay for such a
large expense. For this event, we
started a comprehensive
fundraising program. We are
reaching out to numerous leaders
of Michigan to gather support::
from local businesses, corporate
leaders, private donors,
foundations, the French American
Chamber of Commerce of Detroit,
The Michigan Department of
Military and Veterans Affairs, the
Michigan Department of Education,
as well as our State and
Congressional representatives. The
response is consistent and
overwhelmingly supportive as
everyone shows their patriotic
support and desire to ensure that
such a project gets accomplished.
As we live in these
difficult economic and political
times, wouldn’t it be extraordinary
if we could celebrate in 2014 our
glorious past while looking for-
ward to a bright future that we
owe to all those who served? I
think you will agree that we owe it
to the past generations, to the fall-
en, to our last surviving veterans,
and to the future generations.
For more information and for con-
tribution interest, a website will be
available soon: come visit us at
www.ddaymichigan.com!
5 Paid for by the Michigan Republican Party with Regulated Funds.
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
520 Seymour Street, Lansing, MI 48933
Some Useful Links Air Force Times
www.airforcetimes.com
Navy Times
www.navytimes.com
Marine Corps Times
www.marinecorpstimes.com
Army Times
www.armytimes.com
Military Times
www.militarytimes.com
TRICARE
www.tricare.mil
American Legion
www.legion.org
Veterans of Foreign Wars
www.vfw.org
AMVETS
www.amvets.org
The DAV
www.dav.org
Department of Defense
www.dod.gov
Military/Veterans Report
www.militray.com
The Pentagon Channel
www.pentagonchannel.mil
Veterans Administration
www.va.gov
Military Order of the Purple Heart
www.purpleheart.org
If anyone has a site
they would like to have
added to this growing list
please let us know!
Contact us anytime
Also check out the
complete list of links that
appear in this newsletter
on the last page.
Thank you for
your Support!
From: Gene Simon
Records of Vietnam For More information
please visit the site by Clicking Here
6 Paid for by the Michigan Republican Party with Regulated Funds.
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
520 Seymour Street, Lansing, MI 48933
Medicare IPAD From: RAO Bulletin May 2013 (Lt. James ―EMO
Tichacek, USN (Ret) Associate Director, Retiree Assis-
tance Office, U.S. Embassy Warden & IRS VITA Baguio
City RPPSC 517 Box RCB, FPO AP 96517 Tel: (951)
238-1246 in U.S. or Cell: 0915-361-3503 in the Philip-
pines. Email: [email protected] AL/AMVETS/
DAV/FRA/NAUS/NCOA/MOAA/USDR/VFW/VVA/
CG33/DD890/AD37 member)
The Independent Payment Advisory Board, or
IPAB, is a fifteen-member United States Government
agency created in 2010 by sections 3403 and 10320 of the
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act which has the
explicit task of achieving specified savings in Medicare
without affecting coverage or quality. Under previous and
current law, changes to Medicare payment rates and pro-
gram rules are recommended by MedPAC but require an
act of Congress to take effect. The new system grants IP-
AB the authority to make changes to the Medicare pro-
gram with the Congress being given the power to overrule
the agency's decisions through supermajority vote.
Beginning in 2013, the Chief Actuary of the Cen-
ters for Medicare and Medicaid Services will determine in
particular years the projected per capita growth rate for
Medicare for a multi-year period ending in the second
year thereafter (the "implementation year"). If the projec-
tion exceeds a target growth rate, IPAB must develop a
proposal to reduce Medicare spending in the implementa-
tion year by a specified amount. If it is required to devel-
op a proposal, the Board must submit that proposal in Jan-
uary of the year before the implementation year; thus, the
first proposal could be submitted in January 2014 to take
effect in 2015. If the Board fails to submit a proposal that
the Chief Actuary certifies will achieve the savings target,
the Secretary of Health and Human Services must submit
a proposal that will achieve that amount of savings. The
Secretary must then implement the proposal unless Con-
gress enacts resolutions made to override the Board's (or
the Secretary's) decisions under a fast-track procedure that
the law sets forth.
Critics of IPAB have charged that the board's cost
-cutting mandate will inevitably bring about a reduction in
care, despite the anti-rationing language in the bill. Con-
gressman Phil Roe from Tennessee, a medical doctor,
warned that IPAB will ration care through payment poli-
cy. American Medical News charged that the bill gives
IPAB "unprecedented, dangerous authority to cut Medi-
care pay rates and strangle access to care. IPAB has fre-
quently been denounced by its critics as a Death panel.
On 25 APR NAUS President Jack Klimp signed and sent
a letter to Congress urging the repeal of the Independent
Payment Advisory Board (IPAB). President Klimp of-
fered the following statement:
Empowering a board of unelected officials to de-
termine Medicare policy completely undermines the criti-
cal role of Congress. Charged with cutting health care
costs for seniors when spending hits an arbitrary cap, the
IPAB would operate with very little oversight yet wield
tremendous power over how Medicare operates. This will
not only jeopardize the delivery of health care for seniors,
but also inhibit research and innovation into new and im-
proved medical procedures and treatments down the road,
many of which could help save the lives of future service
men and women.
On behalf of the service members and supporters
across the United States that we represent, we urge the
repeal of IPAB to ensure that our veterans, who sacrificed
for our country, can rely on quality health care without
the uncertainty that comes with an unelected board mak-
ing cuts to vital services. Instead of handing over the criti-
cal role of protecting the health care of millions of Ameri-
cans to an unelected board, we urge Congress to take re-
sponsibility for these difficult decisions and repeal IPAB
without delay." NAUS urges you to contact your elected
officials and let them know how you feel about this issue.
[Source: NAUS Weekly Update 26 Apr 2013 ++]
Veterans Radio is dedicated to all of the men
and women who have served or are currently
serving in the armed forces of the United States
of America. Our mission is to provide all veter-
ans with a voice, to give them a forum where they are able to discuss their issues…and tell their stories. You can
listen to the show on: WDEO (990-AM Ann Arbor/Detroit), WMAX (1440-AM, Saginaw), WDEO-FM (99.5 FM,
Naples FL), KAGY (1510-AM Port Sulfur/New Orleans LA), KIXW (960-AM, Apple Valley CA) and KMRC (1430-
AM Morgan City, LA). Or, listen to our Webcast and archives at: www.veteransradio.net.
7 Paid for by the Michigan Republican Party with Regulated Funds.
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
520 Seymour Street, Lansing, MI 48933
8 Paid for by the Michigan Republican Party with Regulated Funds.
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
520 Seymour Street, Lansing, MI 48933
The Tumultuous 1960s From: www.michigan.gov
The Cuban Missile Crisis, 1961
On October 1, 1961, the 156th Signal Battalion
was federalized at its home stations in response to the
Cuban missile crisis. It reported to Fort Benning, GA., on
October 13th for one year of service. This marked the
Michigan National Guard's last call to federal duty for
service outside the state for almost 30 years.
Macomb Country and Hillsdale, 1964
A disastrous tornado touched down in Macomb
County on May 7, 1964 and 377 Guardsmen were called
to duty from May 8 to 13. They patrolled the area to pre-
vent looting and cleared roads so utility service could be
restored.
Later that month, employees of the Essex Wire
Corporation walked off their jobs in Hillsdale and threat-
ened property damage to the company. Six-hundred and
sixty-eight Guardsmen were called to duty in a situation
that resembled the 1937 General Motors sit down strike in
Flint. The Guardsmen remained on duty from May 28
until June 10. They prevented strikers from destroying
company or private property.
Benton Harbor, 1966
Michigan did not escape the the middle 1960s as
they turned hot and violent in many U.S. cities. Street vio-
lence erupted in Benton Harbor on August 30, 1966 and
Governor George Romney ordered out 1,790 Guardsmen
to quell the riot. By September 5th, Benton Harbor was
quieted and the Guardsmen returned to their armories.
The experience they had gained would pay off in 1967,
1968, and 1969.
Detroit, 1967
Widespread protest rioting broke out following
the Detroit Police raid on a "blind pig" in the early morn-
ing hours of July 23, 1967. The protests became so violent
that neither the Detroit or Michigan State Police could
contain them. Mayor Jerome Cavanaugh appealed to the
Governor. Governor Romney called out the Guard on July
24th by ordering the 2nd Brigade, 46th Infantry Division
to state actual duty. The other two brigades of the 46th
were at Camp Grayling conducting annual training. Their
training was cancelled and the troops quickly moved to
Detroit.
The situation worsened and by July 26th, twelve
square miles of Detroit were burning. Mayor Cavanaugh
and Governor Romney consulted with U.S. Vice Presi-
dent Hubert H. Humphrey; they decided to commit more
troops to Detroit. At the same time, the Michigan Nation-
al Guard was federalized and placed under command of
the U.S. Army's XVIII Airborne Corps from Fort Bragg,
N.C.
One brigade each from the 82nd and 101st Air-
borne Divisions were flown to Selfridge Air National
Guard Base and joined Task Force Detroit under the com-
mand of Lt. Gen. John Throckmorton. The task force
cracked down on the rioters. By July 29th, the situation
was calm enough to pull regular army troops out and
leave the city in the hands of the federalized Michigan
National Guard. The Guard returned to state control and
demobilized on August 2nd.
During the Detroit rioting, 42 fatalities occurred,
including one Guardsman--Corp. Larry L. Post of the
182nd Field Artillery. In all, 8,500 Michigan National
Guardsmen were involved in quelling the rioting.
Dr. King Assassination, 1968
Following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr., the Michigan National Guard quickly mobilized
8,397 Guardsmen on April 5, 1968. Deployed to streets of
major Michigan cities, the Guardsmen's presence and
alertness helped prevent rioting in Michigan during the
period of national sadness and rage that followed King's
murder. The Michigan Guard stood down on April 10th.
We would like to express our appreciation to all of the
fighting men and women in the United States Military.
Thank you for your service to this country.
9 Paid for by the Michigan Republican Party with Regulated Funds.
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
520 Seymour Street, Lansing, MI 48933
We would like to express our appreciation to all of the
fighting men and women in the United States Military.
Thank you for your service to this country.
Vet Toxic Exposure ~ Ft Gillem
From: RAO Bulletin May 2013 (Lt. James ―EMO
Tichacek, USN (Ret) Associate Director, Retiree Assis-
tance Office, U.S. Embassy Warden & IRS VITA Baguio
City RPPSC 517 Box RCB, FPO AP 96517 Tel: (951)
238-1246 in U.S. or Cell: 0915-361-3503 in the Philip-
pines. Email: [email protected] AL/AMVETS/DAV/
FRA/NAUS/NCOA/MOAA/USDR/VFW/VVA/CG33/
DD890/AD37 member)
In the early 1990s the U.S. Army discovered haz-
ardous chemicals dumped at Fort Gillem seeping into resi-
dential wells in neighboring Forest Park. The finding
prompted the military to pass out bottled water and con-
vert many residents to a county water system from their
private wells. But two decades and a base closure later,
state officials say the Army still hasn’t done enough to
clean up known and suspected carcinogens that are mi-
grating from groundwater into surface water and, poten-
tially, into the air residents breathe. State environmental
officials worry that dangerous concentrations of toxic in-
dustrial solvents could be present in nearby Joy Lake,
where many fish and eat their catch. They fear that the
underground concentration of one volatile solvent is so
high that toxic vapor may be accumulating inside homes.
They’re not convinced the source of the contamination is
contained. And they say the Army hasn’t done enough to
warn residents of potential danger.
Earlier this year, state officials grew so impatient
that they turned to the environmental equivalent of the
nuclear option: They asked the U.S. Environmental Pro-
tection Agency to weigh the possibility of making Fort
Gillem a Superfund site. That outcome could effectively
kill a plan to transform the abandoned post into something
Clayton County desperately needs, a job-creating industri-
al hub. “We’re frustrated that it’s taken this long,” said
Jim Ussery, assistant director of the Georgia Environmen-
tal Protection Division. “They’ve done a lot of good
things, but we don’t feel the pace is rapid enough and
there are a lot of areas we have concerns about.” Instead,
state officials say the Army has placed too much focus on
preparing to transfer the land to Forest Park, which pur-
chased 1,170 acres of the base last year for $30 million.
Because of the pending sale, the state has asked for — but
thus far not received — a plan outlining who will be re-
sponsible for the clean-up after the land is in the city’s
hands.
Army officials say they are committed to cleaning
up the base. They deny that they are placing economic
objectives over human health. They say they haven’t
dragged their feet but that environmental clean-ups are
complicated, lengthy and rely on all parties to meet cru-
cial deadlines. “We’re never satisfied. We want it to be
faster. But that doesn’t necessarily equate to that occur-
ring,” said Glynn Ryan, the Army’s site manager for Fort
Gillem and Fort McPherson, both of which were closed as
a result of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure pro-
cess. Ryan said the military is clear on its legal responsi-
bility to manage contamination problems in perpetuity,
and the Army plans to have the site cleaned up by 2018.
“We’re all interested in the same thing,” he said: “the pro-
tection of human health and the environment.” Army offi-
cials say they plan to do a vapor intrusion study in May.
The last one was performed in 2003.
Opened in 1941 during World War II, Fort Gillem
began as the Atlanta Quartermaster Depot and later be-
came the Atlanta Army Depot. It earned its current name
in honor of Lt. Gen. Alvan Gillem Jr. in the early 1970s
when it became a sub-installation to Fort McPherson. His-
torically the base was used to ship supplies around the
world. At different times Gillem was home to the First
U.S. Army, military police and even the Federal Emer-
gency Management Agency. Though the base officially
closed in September 2011, the military retained 257 acres
which house a forensic lab, as well as Army, Navy and
Georgia National Guard units. The bulk of the base, how-
ever, is a reminder of years past, with abandoned ware-
houses and overgrown brush. As on many military bases,
parts of Gillem became dumping grounds for all sorts of
chemicals and other materials. In addition to engine oil,
solvents and rubber, the base is home to a German mus-
tard gas bomb that was leaking when it was buried in the
1940s. That World War II nerve poison has been decon-
taminated three times, Army officials say, and there’s no
evidence it remains a threat. [Source: The Atlanta Jour-
nal-Constitution | Katie Leslie & Shannon McCaffrey |
April 14, 2013 ++]
10 Paid for by the Michigan Republican Party with Regulated Funds.
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
520 Seymour Street, Lansing, MI 48933
Special Thanks To Lest WE Forget For Their Support!
They meet the first Wednesday of everything month and 10am. For more information Click Here.
I would also like to thank Mr. Kenneth Mckeown for the great photos.-Matthew X. Hauser
We would like to express our appreciation to all of the
fighting men and women in the United States Military.
Thank you for your service to this country.
11 Paid for by the Michigan Republican Party with Regulated Funds.
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
520 Seymour Street, Lansing, MI 48933
Need a Ride Form: www.dav.org
Because so many sick and disabled
veterans lack transportation to and from VA
medical facilities for needed treatment, the
DAV operates a nationwide Transportation
Network to meet this need.
Through the Transportation Network,
DAV volunteers drive sick and disabled vet-
erans to and from VA medical facilities for
treatment. The Transportation Network is a
clear example of veterans helping veterans.
The DAV stepped in to meet a substantial
community need when the federal government terminated
its program that helped many veterans pay for transporta-
tion to VA medical facilities. The DAV has 189
Hospital Service Coordinators around the country who
coordinate the transportation needs for
disabled veterans.
Use the DAV Hospital Service Coor-
dinator Directory to contact your nearest
HSC for information or assistance. Please
remember that the DAV Transportation
Network is staffed by volunteers; therefore, it
is unable to cover every community. We hope
we can help you. Locate your nearest VA
Medical Center
From Gene Simon-Picture of Lake Michigan's Only Aircraft Carrier
The USS Wolverine (IX-64) lies at anchor in Lake Michigan 1943 with Chicago skyline in background
12 Paid for by the Michigan Republican Party with Regulated Funds.
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
520 Seymour Street, Lansing, MI 48933
Military Rules...
A Little Humor From
Hank Fuhs Marine Corps Rules:
1. Be courteous to everyone, friendly to no one.
2. Decide to be aggressive enough, quickly enough.
3. Have a plan.
4. Have a back-up plan, because the first one probably
won't work.
5. Be polite. Be professional. But have a plan to kill eve-
ryone you meet.
6. Do not attend a gunfight with a handgun whose caliber
does not start with a '4.'
7. Anything worth shooting is worth shooting twice. Am-
mo is cheap. Life is expensive.
8. Move away from your attacker. Distance is your friend.
(Lateral and diagonal preferred.)
9. Use cover or concealment as much as possible.
10. Flank your adversary. When possible, protect yours.
11. Always cheat; always win. The only unfair fight is the
one you lose.
12. In ten years, nobody will remember the details of cali-
ber, stance, or tactics. They will only remember who
lived.
13. If you are not shooting, you should be communicating
your intention to shoot..
Navy SEAL Rules:
1. Look very cool in sunglasses.
2. Kill every living thing in sight.
3. Adjust Speedo.
4. Check hair in mirror.
US Army Rangers' Rules:
1. Walk in 50 miles wearing 75 pound rucksack while
starving.
2. Locate individuals requiring killing.
3. Request permission via radio from 'Higher' to perform
killing.
4. Curse bitterly when mission is aborted.
5. Walk out 50 miles wearing a 75 pound rucksack while
starving.
US Army Rules:
1. Curse bitterly when receiving operational order.
2. Make sure there is extra ammo and extra coffee.
3. Curse bitterly.
4. Curse bitterly.
5. Do not listen to 2nd LTs; it can get you killed.
6. Curse bitterly.
US Air Force Rules:
1. Have a cocktail.
2. Adjust temperature on air-conditioner.
3. See what's on HBO.
4. Ask 'What is a gunfight?'
5. Request more funding from Congress with a 'killer'
Power Point presentation.
6. Wine and dine ''key'' Congressmen, invite DOD and
defense industry executives.
7. Receive funding, set up new command and assemble
assets.
8. Declare the assets 'strategic' and never deploy them op-
erationally.
9. Hurry to make 13:45 tee-time.
10. Make sure the base is as far as possible from the con-
flict, but close enough to have tax exemption.
( And I Love This Next One)
US Navy Rules:
1. Go to Sea.
2. Drink Coffee.
3. Deploy Marines
Go Navy!
We would like to express our appreciation to all of the fighting men and women in the United States
Military. Thank you for your service to this country.
13 Paid for by the Michigan Republican Party with Regulated Funds.
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
520 Seymour Street, Lansing, MI 48933
14 Paid for by the Michigan Republican Party with Regulated Funds.
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
520 Seymour Street, Lansing, MI 48933
MICHIGAN AIR NATIONAL GUARD
HISTORY BOOKS The Michigan Air National Guard Historical Association created a three volume set of history books covering the
periods 1926-1996. A fourth volume covering the years 1996 to 2006 is in production and should be available soon.
Volume 1 covers the period 1926 to 1976-Cost: $1.00
Volume 2 covers the period 1976 to 1986-Cost: $4.00
Volume 3 covers the period 1986 to 1996-Cost: $1.00
Volume 4 covers the period 1996 to 2010-Cost: $6:00 Full color $35.00
If you wish to purchase one or more of these volumes or are interested in more information, please contact MAGHA at
Phone: 586-239-6768, Fax: 586-239-6646, Email: [email protected]
MANGBANG From: Eugene (Gene) A. Simon- Command Chief Master Sergeant USAF (Retired) & Matthew X. Hauser
As you may have seen in past editions of the newsletter, MANGBANG has been one of our sources. We are
thankful for the source and so we just wanted to pass the information along for MANGBANG in case anyone is interest-
ed in joining the Michigan Air National Guard Historical Association.
You can contact Lou Nigro if you are interested. We think it is a worthwhile investment-it supports the history
of the Michigan Air National Guard and his monthly publications are very informative.
For those who want to view it on our website (www.selfridgeairmuseum.org,
http://www.selfridgeairmuseum.org ), Lt Col Lou Nigro, MI ANG (Ret) Executive Director, Selfridge Military Air
Museum Email: [email protected]
VA Data Breaches From: RAO Bulletin March 2013 (Lt. James ―EMO
Tichacek, USN (Ret) Associate Director, Retiree Assis-
tance Office, U.S. Embassy Warden & IRS VITA Baguio
City RPPSC 517 Box RCB, FPO AP 96517 Tel: (951) 238
-1246 in U.S. or Cell: 0915-361-3503 in the Philippines.
Email: [email protected] AL/AMVETS/DAV/FRA/
NAUS/NCOA/MOAA/USDR/VFW/VVA/CG33/DD890/
AD37 member)
The VA inspector general has reported that VA
has been sending sensitive data – including electronic
health records – over unencrypted networks, making them
vulnerable to theft or misuse. According to the IG Report,
which is available at http://www.va.gov/oig/pubs/VAOIG
-12-02802-111.pdf, it has been common practice for the
agency to send the unencrypted data to outpatient clinics
and private contractors, contrary to federal rules that
require a higher level of security. The information
included veterans' and dependents' Social Security num-
bers, dates of birth and other private health data. No
known security breach occurred. The inspector general is
recommending the agency put in place the necessary
controls and train its personnel on understanding the
importance of encrypting sensitive information. VA
officials say they agree with the report's recommendations
and will take corrective action. [Source: NAUS Weekly
Update 8 Mar 2013 ++]
15 Paid for by the Michigan Republican Party with Regulated Funds.
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
520 Seymour Street, Lansing, MI 48933
16 Paid for by the Michigan Republican Party with Regulated Funds.
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
520 Seymour Street, Lansing, MI 48933
We would like to express our appreciation
to all of the fighting men and women in the
United States Military.
Thank you for your service to this country.
A Note From: Lest We Forget
Speakers Bureau This notice from
LWF is to inform the reader
of the development of a
“Lest We Forget” Speaker’s
Bureau. Since our organiza-
tion has conducted three
yearlong courses at Lake
Michigan College, we have
many topics and many quali-
fied speakers to present
information from WWII, Korean War, Vietnam War, and
our involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan.
We have developed formats for school children
of all ages, and for veteran’s organization. Whatever the
event we will gladly produce the correct format We
would be glad to present any topic of interest to any
group.
As coordinator, I will be glad to help with the
choices of presentations and help with planning.
Gary C. Lulenski
Coordinator Speaker’s Bureau
269-428-3442
STEP UP AND LEAD From: The USO
In 2012, we're calling
on the brave men and women
of our armed forces to make
some incredible sacrifices in
Afghanistan, Iraq, and remote
locations around the world.
That means you and I need to
make an extra effort to show
our support.
One of the best ways to let our troops know
that you've got their back is by supporting the work of
the USO. Step Up and Lead -- support our troops by
signing up to be part of the USO today.
What is ESGR From: www.esgr.mil
ESGR, a Department of Defense agency, was
established in 1972 to promote cooperation and under-
standing between Reserve Component Service members
and their civilian employers and to assist in the resolution
of conflicts arising from an employee's military commit-
ment. ESGR is supported by a network of more than
4,800 volunteers in 54 committees located across all 50
states, the District of Columbia, Guam-CNMI, the U.S.
Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Volunteers, hailing from
small business and industry, government, education and
prior military service bring a vast wealth of experience to
assist in serving employers, service members and their
families. Together with Headquarters ESGR staff and a
small cadre of support staff for each State Committee,
volunteers work to promote and enhance employer
support for military service in the Guard and Reserve.
ESGR has served our country for 40 years, devel-
oping and promoting a culture in which all American
employers support and value the military service of their
employees serving in the Guard and Reserve. These
citizen warriors could not defend and protect us at home
and abroad without the continued promise of meaningful
civilian employment for themselves and their families.
ESGR has continued to adapt to meet the needs of our
Reserve Component members, their families and Ameri-
ca’s employers by joining forces with a network of other
national, state and local government and professional
trade organizations as together, We All Serve!
Click the Michigan Flag to access the ESGR Michigan Page
17 Paid for by the Michigan Republican Party with Regulated Funds.
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
520 Seymour Street, Lansing, MI 48933
National Veterans Art Museum From: Gene Simon
The National Veterans Art Museum, formerly the National Vietnam Veterans Art Museum, located at 4041 N.
Milwaukee Avenue in Chicago's six corners neighborhood, is dedicated to displaying and studying art produced by
veterans from the Vietnam War and other wars and conflicts. Originally a traveling exhibition, while in Chicago it was
viewed by Mayor Richard M. Daley, who was so taken by the power of the art that he immediately insisted that the city
provide a permanent home for it. The entrance hall has 58,226 dog tags hanging from the ceiling, representing the US
soldiers who died in Vietnam. It and the other exhibits have been described as deeply moving.
When visitors first enter the National Vietnam Veterans Art museum, they will hear a sound like wind chimes
coming from above them and their attention will be drawn upward 24 feet to the ceiling of the two-story high atrium.
Dog tags of the more than 58,000 service men and women who died in the Vietnam War hang from the ceiling
of the National Vietnam Veterans Art Museum in Chicago on Veterans Day, November 11, 2010. The 10-by-40-foot
sculpture, entitled Above & Beyond, was designed by Ned Broderick and Richard Steinbock. The tens of thousands of
metal dog tags are suspended 24 feet in the air, 1 inch apart, from fine lines that allow them to move and chime with
shifting air currents. Museum employees using a kiosk and laser pointer help visitors locate the exact dog tag with the
imprinted name of their lost friend or relative.
18 Paid for by the Michigan Republican Party with Regulated Funds.
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
520 Seymour Street, Lansing, MI 48933
19 Paid for by the Michigan Republican Party with Regulated Funds.
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
520 Seymour Street, Lansing, MI 48933
National Gold Star Registry
From: Wendy Lynn Day
(www.goldstarfamilyregistry.com)
The National Gold Star Family Registry is the
first comprehensive database of the United States’ fallen
Heroes and their families ever developed. The Registry
not only affords family members the opportunity to
publicly remember their loved one, but serves as a
historical log of our Nation’s true Heroes. By providing
educational resources and personal accounts, the Registry
ensures that future generations may know who these
brave Americans were—not only how they died, but,
more importantly, how they lived.
The information in the Registry is compiled from
a number of different public sources including the
Department of Defense and the National Archives.
Adhering to Department of Defense guidelines for
families who receive the ‘Gold Star Pin,’ the Registry
only includes the names of Heroes who have given their
lives on the battlefield.
From the Vietnam Wall in Washington, DC, to
the countless war memorials on courthouse lawns, the
United States is peppered with stone monuments honor-
ing those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. These
treasures are powerful, but access is limited by
geography, and names inscribed in stone don’t tell the
Heroes’ full story. The National Gold Star Family
Registry serves as a 21st Century monument, utilizing the
latest in internet technology to memorialize those same
men and women in a whole new way.
How the Registry Began The National Gold Star Family Registry is a
project of Military Families United, a not-for-profit 501
(c)(3) charitable organization whose mission is to Honor
the Fallen, Support Those Who Fight, and Serve Their
Families. Through various events held for Gold Star
Family members, Military Families United recognized a
need for families to be able to share the stories of their
Heroes with the world. In the beginning, families
attending these events wrote their stories in a notebook to
share with other Gold Star families, this concept
eventually took the form of the virtual memorial.
First launched in 2010, the Registry has been
continually upgraded with the latest in technology and
resources. This 21st Century memorial ensures that
anyone anywhere can honor and remember the Heroes
who have laid down their lives in defense of freedom.
Whether they gave their life in Iraq, Afghanistan,
Vietnam, Korea, WWII, or another conflict, the Registry
is a place to ensure their memory will live on.
About Military Families United Military Families United is a not-for-profit 501(c)
(3) charitable organization whose mission is to Honor the
Fallen, Support Those Who Fight, and Serve Their
Families. We are a national coalition of Gold Star and
Blue Star families, veterans, and patriotic Americans who
share a deep appreciation for our men and women in
uniform and support them in their mission to keep
America safe. Founded in 2005 to provide an avenue for
military families to remind the nation of the importance
of supporting our military and the mission they have been
given , the organization expanded to provide charitable
programs offering families direct support. Through a
portfolio of unique services, events, and advocacy
programs, the organization seeks to ensure that future
generations of Americans will never forget the sacrifices
of our courageous military.
The MPVA Mission From: www.michiganpva.org
MPVA is celebrating its 50th year of service in Michigan. It
is a chapter of the national Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA), operating according to the standards and practices
established by the PVA.
MPVA is, however, a separate 501(c)(3) charitable organization. The Michigan programs, services, education,
and outreach conducted here are made possible by local volunteers, partners, sponsors, and donors.
The mission of Michigan Paralyzed Veterans of America is to enhance the lives of veterans with spinal cord
injury or disease as well as all citizens with disabilities, by advocating for civil rights, assuring quality health care,
supporting continued research and education, and encouraging independence and healthy living through various health,
sports and recreational programs. MPVA shall continue striving to remain at the forefront of both veterans’ benefits
services and disability rights, while working toward a better quality of life for all American citizens.
20 Paid for by the Michigan Republican Party with Regulated Funds.
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
520 Seymour Street, Lansing, MI 48933
On July 4th 2012 Mr. Franklin Smith passed away. In Decem-
ber of 2011 I received a letter with a story attached. Since
then I have been working on obtaining a copy of his full
story. Don Alsbro the President of Lest We Forget SW MI
provided me with the document. Mr. Smith wrote over 50
pages in his account of World War II. Over the next few
months we will publish the whole story. I thank Lest We
Forget for their support with this project.–Matthew X. Hauser
World War II Memories
From Captain Franklin
H. Smith-Part VIII By: The Late Cpt. Franklin H. Smith
RHEIMS On August
29th I was standing by
with my company to
move to the assembly
area to cross the Maine.
The crossing was being
made behind the 2nd
Infantry which had
already gone across. I
finally crossed with my
company at approxi-
mately 1:00 a.m. on
August 30th. On
August 31st my notes said that I rode with my company to
Beins and went on a defensive position. “K” Company
was nearby. Captain Altman contacted me and said that he
would like to go back to Rheims that night. I said that I
would like to see Rheims because I had read a lot about it
and the Cathedral. We went back to talk to our command-
er, Major Birdsong and see whether he would give us per-
mission. The major said that he would like to see the Ca-
thedral so he would go with us and turn the Battalion over
to his Executive Officer. We had to go see Colonel Yuill
and request permission. The major had a captured car so
we piled in and went to regimental headquarters.
We had to report to Captain Bruce Campbell who
was the adjutant and we told him we wanted permission,
if possible, from Colonel Yuill to go to Rheims. The Cap-
tain said he wanted to go too so he went back into a tent to
talk to the Colonel and he came out with a long face. He
told us that Colonel Yuill had given permission for the
three of us to go, but not for him. We took off for Rheims
and arrived at the Cathedral which was locked. Some of
the windows had been removed and it was sandbagged
very high. All we were able to do was to walk around it
and look. We saw a hotel that had a small restaurant so we
decided to go in and see what was going on. We were
hoping to have a sandwich and some coffee. We were in
this little restaurant and some Frenchmen came over very
quickly to tell us that there were some snipers outside and
some shooting was going on. We said we were off duty
and he would have to get someone else to handle the situ-
ation. This was sort of pea‐ nuts to us and we did not
want to get involved. In fact, if I remember correctly,
there were some other soldiers who seemed to be rear
echelon troops that were in the restaurant. We told the
Frenchmen they should talk to those guys and let them
handle it.
VERDUN As the Germans retreated across France, they
would usually defend an area at a time. We would attack
them and put the pressure on them and they would fire at
us. We would catch artillery and mortar fire and we would
respond. Usually during the night the Germans would
start a withdrawal to the next little village or town and
take up their defense again. We would have to catch up
with them and start the same thing all over again. This
was the picture as we moved across France. Our combat
team’s next objective was the town of Verdun. Some of
our troops had already moved in and occupied Verdun. I
was moved by truck to an area call Regret about one and a
half miles west of Versailles. I had loaded on 21st Field
Artillery trucks at 5:30 p.m. and arrived around midnight.
I went into a defensive position in the rear of the regimen-
tal command post, which now was in the hotel in the cen-
ter of Verdun. I had set up my headquarters in the yard of
a big farm in that area. On the morning of Sept 1st a
farmer came out of his house and told me that he would
be willing to run warm water from his house by hose to
his horse trough to let me soldiers wash up. I told him that
it would be very nice because the soldiers had not had any
opportunity to use warm water to clean up with.
A number of my soldiers were standing around
listening to the conversation and the farmer told me that I
could come into his house and use his bathtub. Of course
it was impossible for all these guys to take a bath so I said
that I would wash up at the trough with my men. The men
near me told me to go in and wash up and they made a big
deal of it so I said that if they thought I needed a bath that
bad I would go in and take one. The farmer ran the hot
water out and the men came a few at a time. Some of
them were making the most of the hot water and were
shaving and cleaning up. It was the first bath I had since I
arrived in France and I felt like a million bucks after en-
joying such a luxurious experience. The farmer wanted to
take me to one of the cemeteries of WWI. He was very
proud of it even though the American government paid
for the up keep; the French had to do it for us. He said it
was a beautiful cemetery, but I had to stay with my com-
pany in case something happened.
21 Paid for by the Michigan Republican Party with Regulated Funds.
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
520 Seymour Street, Lansing, MI 48933
We had moved into the Verdun area very quickly
and the Germans were coming from the south to shut us
off. They started shooting up our trucks to our rear. “K”
Company was sent back to a town called Clermont to
clear out the Germans and make it safe for our trucks.
They were getting their tires shot up and some of the
trucks were running around with one tire when there
should have been dual tires because the other one had
been hit by bullets. “K” Company moved back and that
was where Captain Altman was shot. He had been lying
on the ground and someone had managed to get a bullet
under him. He was not badly wounded but he did have a
permanent wound.
As I remember the day of September 1st was a
fairly quiet day for us but that night German planes came
over and were bombing the area around Verdun. It made
the soldiers nervous. There is not much you can do about
it except remain calm yourself. Verdun was being hit pret-
ty good. Fortunately the bombs were not dropping right in
our area. September 2nd I was called to headquarters and
told that I was to move out about ten miles east of Verdun
to outpost the area with my company. In the meantime my
driver had been down to the kitchen and found that they
were cooking steaks and chicken that had been taken from
the German headquarters. They also had a large supply of
liquor and wine. Our staff people had taken possession of
this entire larder and I was told my share was ten cases of
wine. I asked how I could move ten cases and someone
said take it or leave it. I said I would take it but didn’t
know what I would do with it.
When I left headquarters, my driver said he had
arranged for us to have chicken dinner right here in the
kitchen. I told him I was sorry but we couldn’t do that, we
had to get moving. He grabbed a couple of pieces and we
had a bite anyway. I still didn’t know what to do with the
wine so I got in touch with Captain Johnny Mitchell of the
19th Field artillery. I told him that I had ten cases of wine
in the hotel and if he could pick it up he could have two
cases for his men and I would get the rest later. He said he
would take care of it. I got my company and moved out to
the outpost line. My men thought they were getting a bum
deal as they were being shoved out in front and I agreed
with them. At 12:14 a.m. on September 3rd German
planes flew over again and were bombing Verdun and all
surrounding areas. We could hear the bombing and really
could see what was going on for we were on a high ridge.
I told my men that we were lucky to be out of there. If we
were back in Verdun we would be getting bombed. One
of the German planes dropped his bombs in our area and
really gave us a scare. I remember that I looked at the sky
and said, “You coward, you are supposed to go over
Verdun and drop your bombs and you dropped them here.
You will go back and say that you dropped over Verdun.”
The night of September 2nd, I must have been especially
tired for I find in my notes that I said I had a particularly
good night’s rest. It must have been quiet on September
2nd. Usually we were quite tired and did not have much
trouble sleeping. It usually didn’t take long after I had my
company organized with our defenses set that I would fall
asleep. It had to be something special that I would make
that note that I had a good night’s rest. I was told to make
contact over in a small town with a company from the 2nd
Infantry Regiment. I had previously met the officer in
Iceland so I went over to this town to find him. The town
was primarily houses on one street and they had been bad-
ly bombed on the night of September 1st. It seems to me
that this was a Sunday morning and these people were out
cleaning up the rubble of their wrecked homes. I could not
figure out why they were bombed because there were no
Americans there to my knowledge. Maybe the 2nd
Infantry Company moved in, but as my driver and I drove
down through the street the people did not look at us, they
did not wave, they were not glad to see us. I think they
probably figured we caused them to be bombed. We
drove to the end of town and there were not any Ameri-
cans there so I told my driver to turn around and get out of
town. There was so much destruction and the people were
not friendly and we were the only Americans there. If
there were other Americans there, they had left. I never
did find out.
The people in that area were almost afraid to be
friendly with us because they were afraid of the Germans
returning. In fact, I remember in some areas the people
said the Germans told them not to be too cocky because
they would be coming back. They kept them frightened.
I had started to move east with my company
spread out along quite a long line. I didn’t know exactly
where the Germans were at that point. I got a call from
Major Birdsong who told me to stop our advance and not
go farther. He told me that he wanted me to move back to
the high ground behind us and he would give me further
orders. We started moving back and as we were moving
back to the west, I came upon a small grouping of tents.
My company was about two hundred yards east of the
tents and I told them to hold up and stay because I was
going to walk over and check the tents out. I went over
and saw that the tents were a small field hospital. I went
inside and talked to one of the soldiers and asked who was
in charge. He told me that major so and so was and I
asked to see him. When the major came out I asked him
how long he was planning to stay in this position. He told
me that they would be okay because the 11th Infantry was
out in front. I asked him if he could see the line of soldiers
in that field about two hundred yards to the east. I told
him that was the front line of the 11th Infantry and when I
walk past his hospital it will be the front line of this area
because I was going to the high ground behind us. He
asked if I minded staying until he could call on the radio.
22 Paid for by the Michigan Republican Party with Regulated Funds.
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
520 Seymour Street, Lansing, MI 48933
We would like to express our appreciation to all of the
Fighting men and women in the United States Military.
Thank you for your service to this country.
Michigan Republican
Party Facebook Page Along with building the
newsletter’s Facebook page,
which can be found by the
link above, the Michigan
Republican Party is building
their page. If you would like
join, please click here.
They must have told him that the 11th Infantry
would be out in front of him because he replied that he
was talking to the captain of the 11th Infantry and he is
telling me that he is the front line and they are moving to
my rear. So he came back and asked if we would stay
there while they took down tents and moved. I told him
that we were not in any particular hurry and would stay
until he got the tents down and moved their small field
hospital out of the area. Then I moved on back to the high
ground. There I met Major Birdsong who told me that
they were short of gasoline and were going to have to
hold up on our advance. We went into a defensive posi-
tion with the rest of the battalion. Looking at my notes I
apparently found some French woman to wash some
clothes for me. My notes also say that on September 5th
we had a little rain and I led my company to an area
around Marchville. Around 5:30 p.m. I went into defen-
sive position and my command post was in a barn. I had
been given an order for September 7th because my notes
said that I had a big mission for the next day.
VA Adult Day Care
Program From: RAO Bulletin May 2013 (Lt. James ―EMO
Tichacek, USN (Ret) Associate Director, Retiree Assis-
tance Office, U.S. Embassy Warden & IRS VITA Baguio
City RPPSC 517 Box RCB, FPO AP 96517 Tel: (951)
238-1246 in U.S. or Cell: 0915-361-3503 in the Philip-
pines. Email: [email protected] AL/AMVETS/
DAV/FRA/NAUS/NCOA/MOAA/USDR/VFW/VVA/
CG33/DD890/AD37 member)
The VA’s Adult Day Health Care is a program
Veterans can go to during the day for social activities,
peer support, companionship, and recreation. It is for Vets
who need skilled services, case management, and assis-
tance with activities of daily living such as bathing and
getting dressed or instrumental activities of daily living
such as fixing meals and taking medicines; are isolated or
their caregiver is experiencing burden. Adult Day Health
Care can be used in combination with other Home and
Community Based Services. Health services such as care
from nurses, therapists, social workers, and others may
also be available. This program can provide respite care
(short-term, temporary relief ) for a family caregiver and
can also help Veterans and their caregiver gain skills to
manage the Veteran's care at home. It may be provided at
VA medical centers, State Veterans Homes, or communi-
ty organizations. For a list of State Veterans Homes loca-
tions, visit the National Association of State Veterans
Homes at http://www.nasvh.org/StateHomes/
statedir.cfm . You can also use the Helpful Websites
(http://www.va.gov/
GERIATRICS/Guide/
LongTermCare/
Helpful_Websites.asp)
listed in the Guide to
Long Term Care at to
locate Adult Day Health
Care programs.
Adult Day Health
Care can be a half-day or
full-day program. Usual-
ly, you would go to an
Adult Day Health Care center 2 to 3 times per week, but
you may be able to go up to 5 times a week. Based on
availability and need, you can create a regular schedule
that works for you and your family caregiver. You may
be able to get assistance with transportation to and from
the center. To help you figure out what long term care
services or settings may best meet your needs now or in
the future you can use a Shared Decision Making Work-
sheet at http://www.va.gov/GERIATRICS/Guide/
LongTermCare/
Shared_Decision_Making_Worksheet.pdf. . All enrolled
Veterans are eligible if they meet the clinical need for the
service and it is available. A co-payment may be charged
based on the veteran’s eligibility status and means test
criteria. To apply contact your VA social worker/case
manager to complete the Application for Extended Care
Benefits (VA Form 10-10EC). [Source: http://
www.va.gov/GERIATRICS/Guide/LongTermCare/
Adult_Day_Health_Care.asp# Apr 2013 ++]
23 Paid for by the Michigan Republican Party with Regulated Funds.
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
520 Seymour Street, Lansing, MI 48933
The World War I Memorial
Foundation
From: www.wwimemorial.org
In March 2008, Frank Buckles, the last surviving
American veteran of World War I, visited the District of
Columbia War Memorial, on the National Mall in
Washington DC. He observed that this peaceful, secluded
memorial, dedicated in 1931 as a memorial to the 499
residents of the District of Columbia who gave their lives
in that war, sits neglected and in extreme disrepair, and
that there is no national memorial to World War I. Mr.
Buckles issued a call for the restoration and re-dedication
of the D.C. memorial as a National and District of Co-
lumbia World War I Memorial.
The World War I Memorial Foundation was
formed to make Frank Buckles’ dream a reality. The
mission of the Foundation is to advocate and raise funds
for the re-dedication of the DC War Memorial as a
national World War I memorial, dedicated to all those
Americans who served in the Great War.
In 2014 the world will mark the centennial of
World War I. Nearly 5 million Americans served during
the war, and 116,516 Americans died in defense of
democracy overseas. America’s support of its allies in
World War I marked the first time in this nation’s history
that American soldiers went abroad to defend foreign soil
against aggression -- and it marked the true beginning of
“the American century.”
Yet while the later conflicts of the 20th century -
World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War --
rightfully have national memorials on the National Mall,
there is no such memorial to “the Great War,” even
though more Americans gave their lives in World War I
than in Korea or Vietnam. The D.C. memorial, which is
already located adjacent to those other memorials, is the
most fitting site for a national World War I memorial.
Photo: The Late Frank Buckles during his 2008 visit to
the Washington D.C. World War I Monument.
Freedom is never more than one generation
away from extinction.
We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream.
It must be fought for, protected,
and handed on for them to do the same.
~Ronald Reagan
Dear Honored US Veterans and Your Families,
My name is Dr. Jack Grenan and I am a
psychologist and hypnotherapist who helps Veterans
their families and anyone else who asks for help. I will
be writing a column is this newsletter and I will be
answering questions sent to me at
[email protected]. I have counseled many
veterans with PTSD and I encourage any veteran who
may have a question to email me.
As far as PTSD any Veterans out there who
thinks that you may have PTSD probably does and
should speak to someone. Anyone who served their
country is a hero for sacrificing time away from home
and family to serve our Country and your fellow
servicemen and women! I look forward to
communicating with you every month! God Bless our
Veterans, troops currently serving, their families and
GOD BLESS AMERICA!
Sincerely,
Dr. Jack Grenan
Please Support and listen to “Frontlines
of Fredom” Military Talk Radio Hosted
by Lt. Col. Denny Gillem. You can hear
it every Saturday at 1p.m. on 1260 AM
the Pledge (Zeeland, MI), or by visiting
the website at www.frontlinesoffreedom.com.
Or on Facebook by clicking here.
Thank you for your Support!
24 Paid for by the Michigan Republican Party with Regulated Funds.
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
520 Seymour Street, Lansing, MI 48933
We would like to express our appreciation to all of the fighting men and women in the United States Military.
Thank you for your service to this country.
Veterans Health
Benefits Handbook From: www.va.gov
The Depart-
ment of Veterans
Affairs (VA) is com-
mitted to informing the
Veteran community
about VA health bene-
fits and services.
Currently, VA is pro-
ducing personalized
Veteran Health Bene-
fits Handbooks for
Veterans who are
enrolled in VA health
care. The new hand-
books are tailored
specificfor each Veter-
an and provides detailed information about the VA health
services the Veteran may be eligible to receive.
The Veteran Health Benefit Handbook provides
answers to common questions such as contact infor-
mation for the Veteran's local facility, instructions on
how to schedule appointments, guidelines for communi-
cating treatment needs and an explanation of the
Veteran's responsibilities, such as co-pays, if applicable.
Veterans enrolled in VA healthcare will receive
their personalized handbooks via mail as part of a nation-
al rollout campaign starting in February 2012 based on
Priority Group, beginning with Priority Group 1 and
ending with Priority Group 8. In the near future, VA will
develop an online version of the handbook for Veterans
to access via MyHealtheVet. This will allow Veterans to
access their up-to-date health benefit information
anywhere, anytime.
Click the link below for additional information
about the Veterans Health Benefits Handbook or call VA
at 1 877-222-VETS (8387).
Spirit of the
American Flag By: Dale Hemphill-Designer, Spirit of America Flag
The Spirit of America Foundation is a non-profit
organization founded in 2001 by a naval veteran realizing
the need for historical recognition of American's heroes
and the sacrifices they made for our country.
The "Spirit of America" insignia shown above
was designed to recognize our men and women of the
military forces and the battles they fought.
As the Spirit of America Foundation continues its
mission to promote patriotism and the appreciation of our
veterans, it has expanded its reach to help veterans in
need in today's tough economy.
FORGOTTEN HEROES USA, LTD, supports
the missions of the Spirit of America Foundation by
offering patriotic products honoring America’s hardships
in history dating back to the Revolutionary War to
present day Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation
Iraqi Freedom. With each purchase, a percentage is
donated to the Spirit of America Foundation.
If you would like to help our cause by making a
purchase or donation please know that your generosity
will reach many others in their time of need. Please
review our web site for more information. If you have
any questions or comments please contact us via the
"Contact Us" page. Thank you!
Video: The Raising of the Spirit of America flag. At the
American war cemetery in Margraten in The Netherlands
on Sunday the 3rd of July 2011. Made by: RALPH84
Click Here to view the video.
25 Paid for by the Michigan Republican Party with Regulated Funds.
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
520 Seymour Street, Lansing, MI 48933
For more information please visit www.supportamericanvets.org and
www.grassrootsationteam.org. More details coming soon. The Grassroots Action Team was created in order to advocate for Veterans and others about issues
concerning mental health parity and physical health. We will be doing this first and foremost by educating
people and making sure they are aware of the issues. Then we will make sure our leaders in Washington and at
the State level are aware of the issues and vote in favor of our Veterans. We will keep the pressure on to make
sure programs that are already in place as well as any new programs helping veterans are in fact implemented.
If you would like to make a donation or have ideas and/or suggestions for us please write to our
President, Hank Fuhs, Lt. Col., United States Air Force/ANG/USAF Reserves (ret.) at 3848 Leonard St. NE,
Grand Rapids, MI 49525 or email him [email protected] or [email protected].
We would like to express our appreciation to all of the fighting men and women in the United States
Military. Thank you for your service to this country.
26 Paid for by the Michigan Republican Party with Regulated Funds.
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
520 Seymour Street, Lansing, MI 48933
Dear Thunder Fans,
We wanted to reach out and let you know that we
have decided to change this year's dates of the Thunder
Over Michigan Air Show back to our traditional early
August time frame (August 10-11) to help accommodate a
bigger show, number and quality of performers, and an
overall better time for our loyal fans.
We have traditionally held the show in early
August but, we initially moved this year's show to
mid-June in order to accommodate the scheduling of the
United States Air Force Thunderbirds. With the Thunder-
birds' entire 2013 season, including a scheduled weekend
at Thunder Over Michigan, grounded due to the federal
budget sequestration, we sought to move the show back to
its usual August dates.
Early August is what our fans have come to
expect for Thunder and we are pleased that we can move
back to our normal dates. The August dates now allow us
to secure additional world-class performers, statics, and
displays; the weather is historically much better than in
June; and there is less conflict with other events then.
We recently announced the addition of a very rare
aerial demonstration by the North American Aviation
F-100 Super Sabre. The show will also feature
world-renowned civilian aerobatic performer Michael
Goulian, a demonstration by the only single-seat flyable
German Me-262 jet in the world, crowd-favorites WWII
and Vietnam battle reenactments, two specially-restored
Vietnam-era UH-1 Huey helicopters, and a special
"Vietnam Homecoming" celebration for Veterans. Click
Here to Learn More!
We have just begun releasing what is going to be
a very thrilling, unprecedented air show lineup. With the
change in dates, we will be announcing more exciting
lineup additions in the next several weeks. We thank you
for your ongoing support for the 2013 Thunder Over
Michigan Air Show.
We would like to express our appreciation to all of the fighting men and women in the United States
Military. Thank you for your service to this country.
27 Paid for by the Michigan Republican Party with Regulated Funds.
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
520 Seymour Street, Lansing, MI 48933
28 Paid for by the Michigan Republican Party with Regulated Funds.
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
520 Seymour Street, Lansing, MI 48933
Rep. Ray Franz talks about the new Veterans
program "Hire Heroes" that can be found
online at - http://www.hireheroesusa.org/
For the link to the interview with Rep. Ray
Franz please Click Here
A Little Information about Hire Heroes From: www.hireheroesusa.org
Mission:
Hire Heroes USA (Hire Heroes) is dedicated to creating job opportunities for US military veterans and their spouses
through personalized employment training and corporate engagement. As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, Hire
Heroes’ services are provided at no cost to the veteran.
“Creating the Opportunity.”
Headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia, Hire Heroes USA has built a national reputation of excellence for its success at
helping unemployed veterans find jobs – currently at the rate of one veteran confirmed hired every business day.
Our team is comprised of military veterans – many with combat experience in Iraq and Afghanistan– and business veter-
ans. That mix of military and civilian experience has proven essential to effectively training veterans in the skills of
self-marketing and then networking them into good jobs with great companies.
The hallmark of the program is a personal approach where each veteran receives dedicated assistance from a highly-
trained staff member in order to help them overcome barriers to employment. To become part of this program, click on
the tab above that best suits your interest.
We would like to express our appreciation to all of the fighting men and women in the United States
Military. Thank you for your service to this country.
29 Paid for by the Michigan Republican Party with Regulated Funds.
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
520 Seymour Street, Lansing, MI 48933
Rep. Jim Stamas
Committee Chair
Welcome to the Military and
Veterans Affairs and Homeland
Security Committee. The committee's
regularly scheduled meeting time is
Wednesday at 9:00am in room 308 of
the House Office Building in
Lansing. I welcome citizens to
contact me or other committee members regarding bills
or proposals our committee is addressing. Individuals
needing special accommodations to participate in a
committee meeting may contact my office to request the
necessary assistance.
Military and Veterans Affairs
and Homeland Security
Committee Members
Jim Stamas (R) Committee Chair, 98th District
Ray Franz (R) Majority Vice-Chair, 101st District
Gail Haines (R) 43rd District
Kenneth Kurtz (R) 58th District
Tom Hooker (R) 77th District
Dale Zorn (R) 56th District
Joseph Graves (R) 51st District
Harvey Santana (D) Minority Vice-Chair, 9th District
George Darany (D) 15th District
Dian Slavens (D) 21st District
Brian Banks (D) 1st District
Henry Yanez (D) 25th District
Phil Cavanagh (D) 10th District
Ben Cook, Committee Clerk
517-373-2002
Two Great Sources for Veterans/Military Legislative Updates in Washington D.C.
Simply click the images to view the site.
30 Paid for by the Michigan Republican Party with Regulated Funds.
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
520 Seymour Street, Lansing, MI 48933
Brain Injury
Association of
Michigan From: Rick Briggs, Major, USAF (Ret)
The Brain Injury Association of Michigan
(BIAMI) Veterans Program utilizes numerous types of
outdoor activities to gather Veterans and currently
serving military personnel together for a little R&R.
These special events are almost always free for the
troops depending totally on the kind donations of spon-
sors and donors. In addition to being a great way to say
“Thank you” for their service, these activities serve as
the mechanism to get the troops to open up a little if
they are having post-deployment issues. “Frequently
we find that in the comfortable confines with others
who have “been there, done that” they tend to be more
receptive to learn about Invisible Wounds” says Rick
Briggs the Program Manager, “both PTSD and TBI are
treatable if they seek the proper help.” To find out
more about these activities, or to donate to their
Veterans Program, please make out checks to “BIAMI
Veterans Program” and send them to 7305 Grand River
Suite #100, Brighton, MI 48114 or contact Rick
Briggs at [email protected] or call him (810) 229-
5880 or visit www.biami.org.
About the Brain Injury Asso-
ciation of Michigan (BIAMI):
BIAMI is celebrating its 30th Anniversary as it
continues to strive to provide persons with a brain injury
and their families, healthcare professionals, and the
general public with the resources necessary to enhance
brain injury awareness, education, prevention, and
support. BIAMI is also fields the first and only dedicated
Veterans Program staff within the Brain Injury Associa-
tion of America.
Legal Help for Veterans From: James G. Fausone
Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC is a law firm
located in Northville, Michigan. We have a national
practice representing veterans on veterans disability
claims. This representation occurs at the United States
Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, the Board of
Veterans’ Appeals and regional offices. We have helped
veterans collect over $10,000,000 in retro and future
benefits. Over the last decade, LHFV has become a
trusted name in the legal community for providing legal
services to veterans and lecturing at law schools, bar
associations and community events.
Members of the Legal Help for Veterans practice
group are former service members who bring not only
legal expertise but an understanding of service and duty.
The members of the group have medical and administra-
tive backgrounds as well as finely honed legal skills
developed over twenty years of practice and experi-
ence. We have represented thousands of veterans and
currently have over 650 active clients.
For more information about the organization and
about legal help for veterans and for contact information
www.legalhelpforveterans.com and found on Twitter,
Facebook and YouTube. Our telephone number is
800.693.4800. Our blog discusses current issues facing
veterans and the VA.
Typically our clients are enlisted men and
women who served post Korea. The Vietnam vet is still
the one with the most common problems. These include
Agent Orange related disabilities, PTSD, psychiatric
or orthopedic injuries. Other vets often have hearing loss,
military sexual trauma or tinnitus. We are now seeing
Iraq and Afghanistan vets with TBI. Many vets do not
even begin the disability claim process until many years
after service. The trigger may be unemployability and
the need for benefits. With a million claim back log at
VA, it is a slow and confusing process and many people
need professional help establishing the proper diagnosis
and service connection. That is what Legal Help for
Veterans, PLLC has been doing for clients for years.
We would like to express our appreciation to all of the
fighting men and women in the United States
Military. Thank you for your service to this country.
31 Paid for by the Michigan Republican Party with Regulated Funds.
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
520 Seymour Street, Lansing, MI 48933
Stand Up For Veterans-They Stood Up For US -The DAV
In Closing Thank you for your service
to our country. It is truly the men
and women like you who make this
nation great, and we must never
forget that.
Thank you to everyone for all the help you
have given us with the newsletter. We have been able
to reach more people because of your help. Compared
to when we first started, the amount of input and ideas
we receive has increased greatly. For that we are very
thankful. If you have anything you would like to share,
any questions, or have an article idea, please let me
know.
You may contact us anytime at [email protected].
Sincerely,
Matthew X. Hauser and Lt. Col Hank Fuhs
We would like to express our appreciation to all of the
fighting men and women in the United States
Military. Thank you for your service to this country.
Lest We Forget-A Clip from Hank Fuhs
Lt. Col., USAF, Ret, ANG
(Just Click the Link Below) I Fought For You
News From American Legion Post 341 American Legion Post
341 is seeking the names of
troops that are deployed to a
combat zone so that we can
send them large package of
goodies and that their names
and address should be sent to
the address below.
Also post 341 is always
seeking new members please
contact Robert at the same address if interested.
American Legion Post 341
Sr. Vice Commander
Robert P. Goulet
6130 Nicholas
West Bloomfield, MI
Coordinator-
Matthew X. Hauser
Contributors-
Don Alsbro
Rick Briggs
Helen Budd
Sen. Patrick Colbeck
Sam Cottle
Rep. Kurt Damrow
Matt Davis
David Duenow
Vicki Dunlop
Mark Eddy
Keith Famie
James G. Fausone
Rep. Ray Franz
Sean M. Furr
Denny Gillem
Robert Goulet
Dr. Jack Grenan
John Haggard
Larry Harr
Dan Heckman
Dale Hemphill
John Hess
Norma Housey
Sec. of State Ruth Johnson
James Julian
Adrian Keogh
Adele Krovsky
Bill Langbehn
Merridy Lewis
Gary C. Lulenski
Claude McManus
Chad Miles
Louis Nigro
Roger Rosenberg
Sid Rubin
Eugene (Gene) A. Simon
Phil Smith
Sherry Swann
Tim Pascarella
Bob Tidmore
Rep. Fred Upton
Maureen VanHooser
Publisher-Hank Fuhs
Staff & Contributors
American Legion Post is in looking for current military members to send care
packages to. Please contact Robert Goulet if you know of any military member
who might like something. Please see “News From American Legion Post 341”
below for more information. Thank you very much!
In Memory of Gary Lillie
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Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
520 Seymour Street, Lansing, MI 48933
Hope you enjoyed the Newsletter!
Please let us know what you
thought.
Contact Matthew X. Hauser at
We need your help to grow the
Newsletter
We are looking for any contact information
of individuals or groups that you think
would either be interested in receiving our
newsletter or interested in writing articles.
If you know of anyone please let us know.
Sincerely,
Lt. Col. Hank Fuhs & Matthew X. Hauser
Freedom is never more than one generation
away from extinction.
We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream.
It must be fought for, protected,
and handed on for them to do the same.
~Ronald Reagan