Newsletter

Happy Thanksgiving

WELCOM ABOARD

John Novak

Thomas L. Fowler

Carroll E. Prosser

TAPS

Leonard Bednarski of Ohio

Earl Brown of Ohio

Loren W Burkhart of Oregon

James D Carter of Kansas

Charles Koch of Kansas

Charles Lewellen of Kansas

Willard O Wilkins of Arizona

May they Rest in Peace

CHAPLAIN

Please let the Blind Chapter Chaplain know if you are sick, hospitalized or you know of one of our members who is.

Contact Reverend Anthony Martino

25016 87th Street, Unit 2

Salem Wisconsin 53168.

847 736 2111

Deaconmart@wi.rr.com .

SICK & DISTRESS

The Woes of Eddie

Commander Humphrey is currently at home recuperating. Since the National Convention he has experienced some medical problems. While attending a sports event for his grandson he fell as he was departing the bleachers at a sports event. It appears the railing did not go to the ground but ended at the 1^st row of the bleachers. Eddie fell to the ground from there and broke his collar bone, foot and ankle.

Eddie then had a heart attach and ended up having 3 stints inserted. Eddie called me (Adjutant Jim Fox) while in the hospital and he sounded okay but a little on the weak side.

Just recently he went back into the hospital to have his foot reset as it was giving him problems and he is now recuperating from that.

You can contact him at

Harold Eddie Humphrey

217 PARKWAY DRIVE

MOORE, OK 73160

(405) 313-6679

USMC1054@COX.NET

Recent VA News Releases

VA Clarifies Policy on Flag-Folding Recitations "13-Fold"Ceremony, Other Scripts Approved WASHINGTON (October 30, 2007) -- To ensure burial services at the 125 national cemeteries operated by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) reflect the wishes of veterans and their families, VA officials have clarified the Department's policy about recitations made while the U.S. flag is folded at the gravesite of a veteran.

"Honoring the burial wishes of veterans is one of the highest commitments for the men and women of VA," said William F. Tuerk, VA's Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs. "A family may request the recitation of words to accompany the meaningful presentation of the American flag as we honor the dedication and sacrifice of their loved ones." Traditional gravesite military funeral honors include the silent folding and presentation of an American flag, a 21-gun rifle salute, and the playing of "Taps."

The clarification includes the following:

* Volunteer honor guards are authorized to read the so-called

"13-fold" flag recitation or any comparable script;

* Survivors of the deceased need to provide material and request it be read by the volunteer honor guards; and

* Volunteer honor guards will accept requests for recitations that reflect any or no religious traditions, on an equal basis.

Veterans with a discharge other than dishonorable, their spouses and eligible dependent children can be buried in a national cemetery. Other burial benefits available for all eligible veterans, regardless of whether they are buried in a national cemetery or a private cemetery, include a burial flag, a Presidential Memorial Certificate and a government headstone or marker.

NEWS FROM DAV NATIONAL

Recalling Our Roots

Arthur H. Wilson, National Adjutant

Each year as we approach Veterans Day and the onset of the holiday season, I am reminded of our beginnings as an organization. It is a story worth telling again and again a story we must always remember and honor.

On the 11^th hour of the 11^th day in the 11^th month of the year 1918, the tent was struck and the dogs of war again tethered. Peace returned to the world when the Germans signed the Armistice. The war to end all wars, World War 1 was finally over and it was time to rebuild.

While the nation rejoiced at the ending of the war, it was also devastated by more than 200,000 Americans in uniform who were wounded in the carnage of World War 1. The evidence of the destruction of war was all about them men transitioned from the military back into civilian life. Many of these men, mostly young men, had lost arms or legs, were paralyzed, blinded, had lungs seared by toxic gases, and minds shattered by the horrors they had endured. They too had returned to rebuild their lives.

Unfortunately, the efforts to rebuild their lives were more often dashed than not. Recession, a surge of discharged veterans streaming into an already limited workforce reducing production as a result of the war ending, and soaring unemployment drained and eventually crippled the American economy.

With no VA and sadly underfunded programs requiring veterans to navigate excessive paperwork and a nearly impenetrable maze of bureaucracy veterans found themselves in serious need of change to promote the cause and needs of America's disabled veterans and their families.

At the Ohio Mechanic's Institute (OMI) a training school for disabled veterans in Cincinnati the OMI Disabled Soldiers was formed in an attempt to address issues facing disabled veterans. One of the local leaders they sought counsel from was Judge —Elect Captain Robert S. Marx of Cincinnati. Like themselves, Captain Marx was a disabled veteran who had been wounded the day before the Armistice during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive.

It was during a Christmas party hosted by Judge Marx for nearly a hundred OMI veterans that the idea to form an organization to do something about the mess the government had made of its programs for veterans and actually start building better lives for America's disabled veterans and their families. The seed that would grow into the Disabled American Veterans of the World War (DAVWW) and, later, the DAV was sown in that fertile soil.

Just as Armistice Day grew into Veterans Day when President Eisenhower signed a bill proclaiming November 11 as Veterans Day in 1954, the DAV has grown into the premier veterans' service organization in the world. As you honor all veterans on Veterans Day, I ask you to recall what disabled veterans have built over the years and what we are building today and into the future. Recall it with pride because you and others like you are building better lives for America's disabled veterans and their families every day.

2007 NATIONAL POW/MIA RECOGNITION DAY

Observances of National POW/MIA Recognition Day are held across the country at military installations, ships at sea, state capitols, schools and veterans' facilities. This observance is one of six days throughout the year that Congress has mandated the flying of the Nation League of Families' POW/MIA flag. The other days are Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day and Veterans Day. The flag is to be flown at major military installations, national cemeteries, all post offices, VA medical facilities, the WW2Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the official offices of the secretaries of state, defense and veterans affairs, the director of the selective service system and the White House.

THE REASON WE SERVE IN THE DAV

DAV ®, NEWS SERVICE

October 2007

Recalling Our Roots

Arthur H. Wilson, National Adjutant

Enjoy a Healthy Thanksgiving Meal

On July 17, 2007, Nicholas Bakalar reported in the New York Times on a study that showed that "the higher the dietary glycemic index, the more likely a person was to have macular degeneration." The glycemic index measures how quickly carbohydrates are metabolized. Carbohydrates in foods like white bread, cakes, cookies cheese pizza or foods sweetened with sugar or corn syrup have high glycemic indices. The article, "Study Finds Dietary Link to risk of Eye Disorder" also points out that "Heavy consumption of foods with a high glycemic index has been implicated in the development of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some cancers."

While exercising has been advised as being extremely effective in reducing the chances of your getting osteoporosis, eating a diet of foods high in calcium and that are vitamin D-fortified is also highly recommended. Foods that are rich in calcium include milk, cheese, yogurt, greens, dried beans and peas, tofu, and calcium-fortified foods.

Now back to turkey – it is one of the leanest meat protein sources available plus it is rich in niacin, selenium, Vitamins B6, B12 and zinc.

Wishing you and yours a

Blessed Christmas