June-July2005

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

First of all, I would like to send out a big "Thank You" to all the people who helped with the setting up and the "Reading of the Names"; Outstanding Job! We had a great turn-out for both the "Reading of the Names" and the VAC Memorial Day Ceremony. If you did not have a chance to be involved with something this Memorial Day, there is always next year. Again, thank you for your support. On the 3rd, 4th, and 5th of June was the Spring Family Camp-Out. Not a lot showed up but a good time was had by one and all. I would also like to thank Bill Wagner for a great job cooking. The next event will be the 4th of July Parade in Dutch Flats. I hope we will have a big turn out. I'll be there. Hope to see you at the parade.
Your President, Ted Adams

The "Reading of the Names" 2005 has now faded into the past. Each name was read with reverence, Veterans past and present were honored and remembered, brothers and sisters came together to meet and talk, the healing process began in some cases, and continued in others. Families came to be near the men and women who served with those on the Wall who paid the price for freedom. We want to thank all of the participants in the program, those who helped with the VVA information table, our readers, all those who contributed both monetarily and workwise to getting the Memorial ready for the day and of course, our Community and Veteran leaders for attending, as well as the members of the public.

CURRENT NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

June 21, 2005
Time: 7PM
Place: Roseville Veterans Memorial Hall
(Directions are on Page 4)
Speaker: Colonel Emory "Jack" Hagan, III
Col Hagan is the Director, of the Homeland Security Training & Exercise Program for (Weapons of Mass Destruction) for the California Military Department (CA National Guard). Col Hagan will talk about his job and the Guard's role in protecting the State by preventing and responding to terrorism.

July 19, 2005 General Meeting
Time: 7PM
Place: Roseville Veterans Memorial Hall
Speaker: To be announced. We have not yet confirmed the speaker for July, but we'll announce to all those who have e-mail in plenty of time.

CELEBRATE JULY 4TH WITH CHAPTER 500
COME TO THE PARADE IN DUTCH FLAT

Being in the July 4th Parade that takes place in Dutch Flat is a tradition for Chapter 500. Dutch Flat is a small, historic and very patriotic town who really appreciates our participation. After the parade there is always a gathering of local vendors, food, and plenty of the specialty of the day, Strawberry Shortcake. The Chapter will also have an information table there this year. You can also visit the museum in town, take a walk around viewing the historical buildings or visit some of the shops. You can spend a little time for the parade in Dutch Flat and still have plenty of time for activities later. You will definitely enjoy the hospitality you will receive from the people of the town.

Time: The parade starts at 10AM, so it would be good to get there about 9:15-9:30AM.
How to get there: Just take I-80 East, past Colfax, watch for the Dutch Flat exit, follow the signs to town.
A vehicle or vehicles will be available if you need to ride in the parade.

BENEFITS FOR VETERANS

Note: Received this information via E-mail from the RAO Bulletin. We know a lot of you will be interested in this. However, we've not been able yet to back it up yet from a Federal source the new VA policy re: claims as below. Will update when further information is received.
VA CLAIMS ASSISTANCE UPDATE 01: The Department of Veterans Affairs has begun applying a new standard that works in favor of disabled veterans when deciding whether a disability has been aggravated by military service. Under a revised policy applying to claims pending on or filed after 4 May 05 the VA presumes when making benefits decisions that a service member was physically sound upon entering the military, and can reject claims for disability pay or medical treatment only by proving the disability was a pre-existing condition that was not aggravated by military service. Under the previous policy, a person was presumed physically sound upon entering the military, but if an injury or disease was found to have existed prior to joining the military, the burden was on the veteran seeking benefits to prove that military service made the condition worse. The VA claims system generally favors veterans, but the policy requiring veterans to prove that military service aggravated their disabilities was an anomaly that leaned the other way. Recent opinions from the VA's general counsel and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit have questioned whether Congress intended veterans to be faced with the task of proving service connection for worsening disabilities, which is what led the VA to review its regulations. The new policy, announced in a notice in the Federal Register, presumes a veterans' disability is service-connected unless it was noted at the time of entry into the military. For the VA to deny a claim, it would have to prove the veteran had the disability but that the condition was not noted during the veteran's entrance exams upon joining the military. For a veteran with a pre-existing illness or injury, the new policy presumes the condition was aggravated by military service. In those cases, the VA could deny a claim only by providing convincing evidence the disability had worsened due to natural progression or some other cause not related to military service. [Source: Navy Times Article] 10May05

FROM THE FEDERAL REGISTER 5/10/05 per a recommendation from the VA Claims Processing Task Force Report of October, 2001

"The Department of Veterans Affairs proposes to reorganize and rewrite in plain language its disability compensation and pension regulations relating to the duties of VA and the rights and responsibilities of claimants and beneficiaries. These revisions are proposed as part of VA's rewrite and reorganization of all of its compensation and pension regulations in a logical, claimant-focused, and user-friendly format. The intended effect of the proposed revisions is to assist claimants, beneficiaries, and VA personnel in locating and understanding these regulations."
Note: Comments re: the revisions are due July 11, and will then be up for public review and comment, resulting in the eventual publishing of the new rewritten rules.

LEGISLATION CONCERNING VETERANS

     As of June 5, 2005
     There was a flurry of actions during the past week to complete the floor votes on bills which had originated in the two houses of the Legislature to meet the calendar deadlines. The following bills were passed by the Assembly and sent to the Senate:
     AB 160 - Veterans special License Plates (Cogdill, Modesto) - Extends the authorization for exemptions from payment of vehicle license fees to the surviving spouses of former American Prisoners of War, and recipients of the Medal of Honor.
     AB 306 - Benefits for Military Reserve and National Guard personnel called to active duty (Baca, Jr., San Bernardino) - Provides certain benefits to members of the military reserves and the National Guard when they are called to active duty. The provisions could be considered similar to the federal Soldiers and Sailors Relief Act.
     AB 599 - Mental Health Services, Ca Veterans (Gordon, El Segundo) - Current version would provide that veterans would be eligible for mental health services from local government agencies if they are not eligible for services from the US Dept. of Veterans Affairs, or other federal agencies.
     AB 720 - CA State University: Observance of Veterans Day. (Villines, Fresno) - Veterans Day is one of the holidays currently specified in the State Education Code to be observed by all schools. The bill would require the campuses of the CA State University to observe the holiday by closing on that day.
     AB 985 - Labor: Military Duty. (Torrico, Fremont) - Provides some enhanced job protection for members of the National Guard and Military Reserves who are activated. The bill prohibits an employer from discharging or discriminating against an employee for taking time off to perform active military duty as a member of the militia of this state, and requires an employer that outsources the job of an employee taking time off to perform active military duty as a member of the National Guard, and refuses to reinstate the employee upon return from active duty, to pay the employee upon return from active duty, to pay the employee six-months salary. This bill has become a very partisan issue with all Democrats voting for the bill, in the committees and on the floor, and all Republicans voting against it. Apparently, the Republicans see this bill as anti-business.
     AB 1439 - Cal-Vet program, increasing maximum loan amounts. (Assembly Committee on Veterans Affairs.) Increases authorized limits on Cal Vet home loans from 100 to 125 percent of the federal Fannie Mae loan limits.
     AB 1542 - Crimes by veterans, sentencing (Parra, Bakersfield) - Provides for a diversion program for veterans who suffer from PTSD, or psychological problems, resulting from military services. Extends a state program originally enacted for veterans of the Vietnam War to veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan.
     Bills passed by the Senate and sent to the Assembly:
      SB 612 - Vehicle registration fees exemption for deployed military personnel. (Dutton, Rancho Cucamonga) - Provides for a temporary exemption from payment of registration fees while servicemembers are deployed outside the state.
     Continued on Page 5...................

SUN	MON	TUES	WED	THURS	FRI	SAT
JUNE 19 Father's Day	20 Marine Corps League Meeting Stand Down Task Force	21 VVA500 Gen. Meeting - Meet Col.Hagan First Day of Summer	22	23	24	25
26	27	28	29	30	JULY 1 Siege of Fire Base Ripcord Began 1970	2 Operation Buffalo Began
3	4 VVA500 is in the Dutch Flat Parade	5 VVA500 Bd. Meeting	6	7	8	9 Battle of Minh Thanh Rd 1966
10	11	12	13 VAC Meeting	14	15	16 Purple Heart Meeting Operation Kingfischer began 1967 Young Marines Training
17	18 Marine Corps League Meeting Stand Down Task Force	19 VVA500 Gen. Meeting	20	21	22	23
24 Parent's Day	25	26	27	28	29	30/31

DIRECTIONS to the Roseville Veterans Memorial Hall. From I-80. Take the Douglas West exit. Go to the third light which is Folsom Rd. Turn right, go to the second stop sign, which is Sutter, turn left, follow the curve, you will see a sign on the right and left that says "Royer Park", turn left there. You will immediately see the hall to the right and the parking lot. That's it. In the hall, from the main door, follow the VVA sign to the meeting room. When you leave, the street is one way, so you will go to the right. You will then come up to Douglas Blvd., left will go back to the freeway and whichever direction you need to go from there.

THE CAPITOL VETERAN................JUNE-JULY, 2005........Page 7

Special Thanks to Grace Calles, AVVA member for the pictures for both days and lots of help.

Vietnam Veterans of America, Inc.
           Chapter 500
P.O. Box 255484
Sacramento, CA 95865
916-481-6020
vva500@sbcglobal.net