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 are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.
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Posted on 12/12/2002 5:39:05 AM PST by SAMWolf
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are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.
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| Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. We hope to provide an ongoing source of information about issues and problems that are specific to Veterans and resources that are available to Veterans and their families. In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should feel free to address their specific circumstances or whatever issues concern them in an atmosphere of peace, understanding, brotherhood and support.
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When the troops came home from World War I, some 300,000 carried grim reminders of war: disabling injuries, battle scars, gas-seared lungs, and prolonged illnesses. Following a tumultuous hero's welcome, America wiped the horror of war from its mind almost as quickly as the ticker tape was swept from the streets of New York City. As a result, the needs of the nation's disabled heroes were swept aside as well. Prejudice kept capable and qualified--but disabled--veterans from gaining employment in a job market with few enough opportunities to offer anyone. Veterans benefits programs were administered by three separate government agencies with conflicting and overlapping responsibilities, leaving disabled veterans with massive confusion and red tape. Without a medical system dedicated to their needs, many disabled veterans found themselves sleeping on cots--or even on floors--in the halls of America's overwhelmed hospitals. Some just gave up the struggle, sitting on street corners with tin cups and signs reading: "Help Me. I'm a Disabled Veteran."  Angered by the negligence and incompetence of the federal government in dealing with their problems, disabled veterans began forming local self-help groups in cities across America. In 1920, leaders from 250 of these groups gathered in Cincinnati, Ohio. Under the charismatic leadership of Judge Robert S. Marx, himself a veteran disabled in France, they federated into a national body named the Disabled American Veterans of the World War (DAVWW). Judge Marx's public life took him to cities across the country, affording him the opportunity to use his superior organizing skills in the new DAVWW's behalf. The new organization also attracted some very high-powered supporters from society at large. For example, our first corporate sponsor was Henry Ford, who supplied a caravan of 50 Model-T Fords to carry needy disabled veterans to San Francisco for the organization's second national convention in 1922. At that convention, the famed Rudolph Valentino became the DAVWW's first celebrity sponsor when he threw a benefit concert on the organization's behalf.  Early on, the DAVWW also opened a Washington, D.C., office to help veterans file claims for disability benefits. By the mid-1930s, the DAVWW had veterans' benefits experts stationed in Veterans Bureau hospitals across the country. When the specter of World War II raised its head, the DAVWW dropped the reference to the First World War from it's name, becoming simply the Disabled American Veterans, or DAV. Among those who led the DAV in the era following World War II were two famous generals. One was General Jonathan M. Wainwright, well known for his defense of Corregidor and his 39 months as a prisoner of the Japanese. The other was General Melvin J. Maas, who became known as the "blind general" when he remained on duty after combat wounds suffered on Okinawa took his sight.  The World War II and Korean War generation built a DAV that could never have been imagined by those who founded the organization back in the 1920s. Their efforts to open up employment opportunities for disabled veterans and other handicapped people are legendary. They built a volunteer network that now contributes nearly 2 million hours annually to patients in VA medical facilities. Using a formula provided by Independent Sector, an organization that provides oversight to American nonprofits, this time is valued at $30.5 million. Most importantly, they prepared an organization that was ready to serve the veterans of the next generation, those who returned from the Vietnam War sick and wounded. In doing so, they resolutely stood in opposition to a society that often shunned these younger veterans. In the belief that Vietnam veterans should be treated with the same respect enjoyed by earlier generations of veterans, they worked hard on behalf of the Veterans Readjustment Act of 1966. In the years following the war, they worked with younger veterans to establish a treatment model for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a model later adopted by the VA Vet Center program. The DAV's Vietnam generation continued that tradition of advocacy, among other victories winning recognition of the needs of veterans exposed to radiation in the post-World War II era and Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. They also won establishment of the U.S. Court of Veterans Appeals, which affords veterans the right to gain judicial review of unfavorable VA decisions.  If the DAV's World War II and Korean War veterans were quick to respond to the needs of Vietnam veterans, the Vietnam generation proved just as ready to respond to the veterans of the Persian Gulf War and other post-Vietnam military conflicts. They have been outspoken in their advocacy on issues like the unexplained illnesses that plague the lives of so many Gulf War veterans. In addition, they're actively recruiting a new generation of DAV National Service Officers from disabled veterans now in their twenties and thirties, a generation that will lead the DAV into the 21st century. It is important to note that the DAV has had a quiet partner as the organization built this substantial record of achievement. It takes funds to field the kind of services, programs and advocacy the DAV offers to disabled veterans and their families--more funding than could possibly be supplied by the dues paid by disabled veterans for membership in the organization. The American people--good and loyal people like yourself--have stood by our organization, providing nearly all of the funding necessary to field our extensive network of services. We are not exaggerating one bit when we say we are eternally grateful to you. Your generosity has allowed us to touch the lives of literally millions of disabled veterans and their families. Thank you for such great kindness. 
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You're welcome J
Her grandfather was killed in 1944 in WWII.
Home Page: Piquant Rants and Sassy Impudence
From her site: Rachel is a 30-year-old gun-totin' capitalist oppressor who loathes Al Gore. And don't mess with Texas, because that's where Rachel lives with John, who's also a gun-toter but loathes Hillary Clinton more than Al Gore.
I love her site!
Today's classic warship, USS Panay (PG-5)
Panay class river gunboat
Displacement. 474
Lenght. 191'
Beam. 29'
Draft. 5'3"
Speed. 15 k.
Complement. 59
Armament. 2 3", 8 .30 cal. mg.
The USS Panay (PR-5) was built by Kiangoan Dockyard and Engineering Works, Shanghai, China; launched 10 November 1927; sponsored by Mrs. Ellis S. Stone; and commissioned 10 September 1928, Lt. Comdr. James Mackey Lewis in command.
Built for duty in the Asiatic Fleet on the Yangtze Patrol, Panay had as her primary mission the protection of American lives and property frequently threatened in the disturbances the 1920s and 30s brought to China struggling to modernize, to create a strong central government, and, later, to meet Japanese aggression. Throughout Panay's service, navigation on the Yangtze was constantly menaced by bandits and soldier outlaws of various stripes, and Panay and her sisters provided the protection necessary for American shipping and nationals, as other foreign forces did for their citizens. Often parties from Panay served as armed guards on American steamers plying the river. In 1931 her commanding officer, Lt. Comdr. R. A. Dyer, reported: "Firing on gunboats and merchant ships have (sic.) become so routine that any vessel traversing the Yangtze River, sails with the expectation of being fired upon." and "Fortunately, the Chinese appear to be rather poor marksmen and the ship has, so far, not sustained any casualties in these engagements."
As the Japanese moved through South China, American gunboats evacuated most of the Embassy staff from Nanking during November 1937. Panay was assigned as station ship to guard the remaining Americans and take them off at the last possible moment. They came on board 11 December and Panay moved upriver to avoid becoming involved in the fighting around the doomed capital. Three American merchant tankers sailed with her. The Japanese senior naval commander in Shanghai was informed both before and after the fact of this movement.
On 12 December 1937, Japanese naval aircraft were ordered by their Army to attack "any and all ships" in the Yangtze above Nanking. Knowing of the presence of Panay and the merchantmen, the Navy requested verification of the order, which was received before the attack began about 1327 that day and continued until Panay sank at 1554. Three men were killed, 43 sailors and 5 civilian passengers wounded.
A formal protest was immediately lodged by the American ambassador. The Japanese government accepted responsibility, but claimed the attack unintentional. A large indemnity was paid 22 April 1938 and the incident officially settled. However, further deterioration of relations between Japan and the United States continued, as did provocations, many of them stemming from the Japanese Army whose extremists wished war with the United States.
Thank you Getgoing for your concern for our hospitalized Veterans.
Dear Friends of Vet to Vet and Sitrep with Charley Jones (KRLD Radio),
Christmas is almost here and I am taking this morning to write you a letter.
I was a combat medic in Vietnam and know the trauma and suffering our frontline combat troops experienced. Veterans who fought and sustained permanent disabilities have spent years in ongoing treatments and surgeries at Veterans Hospitals across the United States. These men and women sacrificed their futures for the freedoms our general population takes for granted.
We have had the opportunities to travel, go to school, raise a family, and attend family gatherings during the year especially Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Most disabled Veterans in wheelchairs or in spinal cord injury units do not have the luxury of family or friends during the holiday season.
These men and women who are in cold, and almost empty federal hospitals on December 23rd, will be there on December 25th.
"Alone" takes on a whole new meaning when you are in a hospital bed on Christmas Eve with just thoughts and memories of those wonderful times we had as children with our parents or with our children who now have their own lives and responsibilities. These "back-burner" Veterans need our help.
I will be serving Christmas meals and giving gifts to our Veterans on the 22nd of December, 2002 at the Veterans Hospital in Bonham, Texas @ 13:00 and at the Veterans Hospital in the Transitional Care unit, Dallas, Texas on the 23rd @ 13:00.
I want your help. Let us find the money, time, food, and gifts for those that have no where to go on Christmas. We all have friends with many talents gifts and abilities, ask them for their help. These individuals have or can obtain the items we need for our Veterans for Christmas Day.
I am asking you for all the support we can muster to make Operation Santa Claus-2002 very successful.
My email address is jjo550@aimail.net
Vet to Vet is the organization and all contributions are tax deductible (501 (c) 3)
My address is 25 Highland Park Village, Suite 100-427, and Dallas, Texas 75205. Phone 214-352-2505 or (Fax) 214-352-2095
Website is www.sitreponline.com
Let's get to work for our Veterans and I would suggest that we forward this email to as many of our friends can assist. I will update the progress of this project on my website. Thanks for your time and have a great day.
Your friend,
Jess Johnson
Good for you LJ. The DAV is a great veterans service organization.
I see you found your way here without a trail of bread crumbs this morning! It's great to see you.
Check out his profile page for his email address, or freepmail Larry if you are interested in his FRee services.
I too am grateful for the assistance I recieved in filing for my disability claims about a year ago. The guys manning the local office at the Houston VA have been a lot of help with that. They however thought they were being helpful when they steered me to what they said was a local active chapter in my neck of the woods.
Went by the address they supplied me and the building (an old canteen/dancehall/gameroom) was all boarded up and appeared to have been for sometime. I visited a web site for the national DAV and only found mention of a Forth Worth, TX chapter as being the supposedly only other chapter near me.
I live about 40+ miles north of Houston (just barely due south of Cleveland, Tx) and the Porter, Tx chapter was the nearest to me supposedly. How can I find out what chapter really is nearest me in the 77372 zip code?
Gotta love that famous American "can do" spirit. Thanks, I got a good chuckle out of your post here AntiJen.
Kind of like chasing ones tail.
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