May 2011

VETERAN BENEFITS, NEWS

This month we will continue our series on the VA Health System Benefits. In our last issue we covered Geriatric Care and Long Term Care along with services related to that care. If you are new to the newsletter and maybe missed some of the issues on VA Health care, you can check out the newsletter archives online to catch up and see what you may be eligible for. This month we will take up Extended Care Services and other specific benefits.
►►EXTENDED CARE SERVICES - Veterans may be subject to a copay determined by information supplied by completing a VA Form 10-10EC - Application for Extended Care Services. VA social workers are available to assist veterans in interpreting their eligibility and copay requirements if indicated. The copay amount is based on each veteran's financial situation and is determined upon application for extended care services and will range from $0. to $97. a day. Unlike copays for other VA health services, which are based on fixed charges for all, long-term copays charges are individually adjusted based on each veteran's financial status. Veterans are obligated to pay copays for extended care services to the extent the veteran and veteran's spouse have available resources. Formulas exist for payment of extended care services of 180 days or less and for 181 days or greater.
Currently $89,280. in liquid assets is set-aside for spousal resource protection. This permits the spouse to maintain some liquid assets while they live in the community.

MORE VA HEALTH SERVICES
►►GULF WAR ILLNESSES - Gulf War veterans from Operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm, and Iraqi Freedom, are eligible for a complete physical exam under the Persian Gulf Registry Program.
►►HOME HEALTH SERVICES - Skilled home care is provided by VA or through contract agencies to veterans that are homebound with chronic diseases. Available home health services includes nursing, physical/occupational therapy, and social services.
►►HOME IMPROVEMENT AND STRUCTURAL ALTERATIONS - VA provides grants to assist in making certain home improvements or structural alterations that are medically necessary.
►►HOSPICE AND PALLIATIVE CARE - A hospice program is a coordinated program of palliative and supportive services provided in both home and inpatient settings for persons in the last phases of incurable disease so that they may live as fully and as comfortably as possible. The program emphasizes the management of pain and other physical symptoms, the management of the psychosocial problems and the spiritual comfort of the patient and the patient's family or significant other. Services are provided by a medically-directed interdisciplinary team of health care providers and volunteers Bereavement care is available to the family following the death of the patient. Hospice services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Continued on Page seven...............

VETERAN LEGISLATION/NEWS

SACRAMENTO COUNTY AGAIN PROPOSING
CUTS TO THE SACRAMENTO COUNTY
SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE PROGRAM

     Well, we thought the battle was won last year. The legislature and Governor Schwarzenegger provided more funds for the CA Department of Veterans Affair to be used for the County Service Officer Program and the members of the Sacramento County Supervisors realized that funds used for this program is actually an investment that pays for itself in the long run.
     But, here we are again. The legislature or some of them at least still have not realized that the funding of this program is an investment that brings federal money into the state and local communities, so they have reduced the funds for the CDVA again, and DHA management has indicated they will recommend reducing the County Service Representatives to only two. It is difficult at this time for the existing Service Representatives to handle the existing case load, let alone do the outreach necessary to reach all Veterans that might be eligible to receive benefits. If anything, the number of Service Representatives should be increased, not decreased.
     There are thousands of Veterans, both new Veterans coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan as well as Veterans from the WWII, Korean, Vietnam and Gulf War who are still unaware of the benefits they may be eligible for. That relates to millions of dollars and more of federal money that is not coming into our community. and will not come into our community if this reduction in Sacramento County staff is decided upon by our Sacramento County Supervisors. The investment of just a few hundreds of thousands per year for salaries and overhead results in millions in return dollars for Sacramento County.
     CVSO's not only assist Veterans with filing claims, they have a myriad of other functions they assist with from housing and assistance to the homeless to helping the elderly with entrance into the CDVA Veterans Homes, Educational Assistance, Burial Services and much more.
     In many cases, federal dollars earned for the Veterans and in many cases their families translates into reducing the County expenditures for healthcare and other Human Assistance programs. One of the problems with analyzing whether there are benefits or not by continuing or increasing the number of Sac County CVSO's is the fact that the services which produce funds for the County for financial purposes are thrown in with all of the Department of Human Services expenses. And yes, while some of the non-Veterans DHA services may ultimately help clients to become productive citizens, there is no direct indicator of funds coming into the community. The Veteran Services provided should not be lumped in with all of the DHA functions. It should be analyzed on a stand alone basis so the financial benefits would be clearly defined. If that were the case, there would be no question as to whether the CVSO workforce should be reduced or not.
     So, where are we, and what do we do next???
                Continued on Page Seven......................

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

"A Continuing Tradition"

Rebecca Lee 916-501-8788
Call Rebecca for the Special Discounts available for Veterans
Many East Lawn locations in the Sacramento area
Pre-Arrangement Plans are also available.

43rd & Folsom Blvd., P.O. Box 19334, Sacramento, CA 95819
East Lawn Insurance Services, Inc. License #0747585
www.eastlawn.com

Navy League of the United States
“Citizens in Support of the Sea Services”

Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, & Merchant Marine
Please join us for dinner & speaker in 2011
Sacramento Council Dinners 1730 1st Tuesdays
Plaza Hof Brau, 2500 Watt Ave. (at El Camino)

Contact: Phelps Hobart, NLSAC@cwo.com
Website: http://www.navyleaguesacramento.org

HELP YOUR BUSINESS AND SUPPORT THE VVA
Advertise in the Capitol Veteran. Reasonable Rates!!!
One issue, business card size is $5.00. Get one month free by advertising for 6 months at $25.00. Call the office for more information or submit your copy with a check to VVA by mail.

Fees are $25 through May 26^th; $30 thereafter. $16. for Kids 15 and under. All levels of runners and walkers are encouraged to participate in this fun-filled Memorial Day event. Age-grading format, free t-shirts, refreshments, music, awards, random prizes.

Register online and for more information at the Capital Road Race Management site:

The Beneficiary of the 5k No Excuses race is: The Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 500, a non-profit Veterans organization serving all Veterans from the VVA500 Hall on 4441 Auburn Blvd., Ste. J, Sacramento.

VETERANS BENEFITS, CONTINUED

Hospice care generally requires the acknowledgment of the patient, the family and the physician that the illness is terminal, that the primary focus of treatment is on comfort rather than cure, ad that aggressive attempts at curative treatment are relinquished. Palliative care also has the primary objective of comfort, while limited aggressive treatment may be applied across a continuum at the discretion of the patient or surrogate. There are no copays for hospice care provided in any setting.
More benefits detailed in the next newsletter.

A BRONZE STAR AND THEN AN
OTHER THAN HONORABLE DISCHARGE?????

     A Vietnam veteran who received the Bronze Star and later was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder filed a federal lawsuit April 21 trying to get the Army to modify his other-than honorable discharge so that his sacrifice will be recognized and he can get disability benefits. John Shepherd, 63, says he battled alcoholism and struggled to stay employed for 40 years, but was not diagnosed with PTSD until 2004. "My other-than-honorable discharge has made me feel deeply ashamed for many years," Shepherd said in a statement. "I hope this lawsuit can finally change that." In 1969, Shepherd served a combat tour in the Mekong Delta, participating in patrols and search-and-destroy missions. The Army awarded him with a Bronze Star after his unit came under intense fire and Shepherd rushed toward an enemy bunker, entered it and threw a grenade that killed several enemy soldiers, according to the lawsuit.
     Shepherd developed symptoms of PTSD after blowing up the enemy bunker and later witnessing the gruesome deaths of several comrades, according to his lawsuit. Shepherd also witnessed the killing of his commanding officer, who was reaching down to pull Shepherd out of a ditch when he was shot multiple times.
     Shepherd began to act strangely and at one point was found wandering around a base in a confused state. He eventually reached a breaking point and refused to go back out into the field. He was charged with failure to obey an order and discharged.
     Shepherd's other-than-honorable discharge has barred him from numerous veterans' compensation benefits programs for which he is otherwise eligible, impaired his employment opportunities, grossly devalued his military service and imposed upon him a lifetime of stigma and shame.
      At the time, medical authorities did not recognize PTSD as a psychological disorder and Shepherd's symptoms went untreated as a result.
     After the attacks of September 11, 2001, Shepherd's mental state deteriorated further. He became more and more tortured by his Vietnam memories and he felt intense shame about his less-than-honorable discharge. He had trouble holding down a job and began living in his truck. Continued in the next column.....

OTHER THAN HONORABLE, CONT.

      Shepherd sought counseling in 2003 at the New Haven Veterans Center, leading to his PTSD diagnosis. A Veterans Affairs therapist concluded his refusal to obey an order stemmed from his PTSD, describing him as shell-shocked. The Army said Shepherd missed a deadline for filing such claims and cited earlier incidents of failing to report to duty. The lawsuit asks that a judge upgrade Shepherd's discharge status or overturn the Army's decision that his application came too late.
     The lawsuit acknowledged Shepherd was convicted of being absent without leave before he was deployed to Vietnam but says he was still deemed an outstanding soldier. The discharge was based on an incident related to PTSD and the Army only did a cursory review of the merits of the claim without considering Shepherd's 40 years of suffering, said Rebecca Kraus, a Yale Law School student representing him.
     Other veterans suffering from PTSD are coming forward seeking discharge upgrades. "During the Vietnam era, people did not understand when service members like John Shepherd developed PTSD," said Dr. Thomas Berger, executive director of Vietnam Veterans of America's Veterans Health Council. "Honoring our commitment to veterans means making sure that all those with PTSD get the recognition and benefits they deserve, including an appropriate discharge upgrade." The Connecticut Bar Association and other groups announced this week they will train volunteer lawyers and other advocates to help veterans apply for discharge upgrades. The process is complicated and time-consuming for many veterans, the bar association said. "Decorated Vietnam-era combat veterans who are still suffering from PTSD have asked us for help because they received less than honorable discharges for impulsive acts that were likely the symptom of a mental health issue that wasn't well understood at the time." said Margaret Middleton, executive director of the Connecticut Veterans Legal Center.     from the RAO Bulletin
     Chapter note: This will be an interesting case to follow as this is not an uncommon case where less than honorable, etc. type discharges due to PTSD were regularly given out.

COUNTY PROPOSED CUTS TO CVSO'S, continued

The County Executive will consider all department's recommendations and will release his countywide budget recommendations to the Board of Supervisors on May 27. The Board of Supervisors will hold budget hearings beginning June 6 to make final decisions.
If the County Executive's recommendations are still to cut the two CVSO's, then we will all need to contact our County Supervisors and let them know that we need the CVSO employees to at least stay at the current level. Since one is retiring, we need to add one more to keep the current level. You will be asked to attend the Budget Hearings of the County Supervisors to impress upon them how important the CVSO's are to our community as a whole. We will let you know when it's time for action.

GOVERNOR BROWN CHOOSES NEW
SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS and
ADJUTANT OF THE NATIONAL GUARD

Peter James Gravett has been appointed Secretary of the California Department of Veterans Affairs.. A retired Major General, Secretary Gravett has served in the National Guard with more than 35 years of commissioned service in ten countries.
He began his commissioned service as a military police platoon leader and an armored cavalry troop platoon leader in 1968. In years that followed, he served in many capacities consistently being promoted. Secretary Gravett ultimately was promoted to Major General in 2002, becoming the first African-American division commander in the 225 year history of the United States National Guard. Secretary Gravett is a resident of Rolling Hills Estates and currently a principal business associate at Traiden Global Solutions.

Brigadier General David S. Baldwin was appointed as the 46th Adjutant General of the California Military Department. Governor Brown recalled General Baldwin from his second deployment to Afghanistan where he served as Deputy Commander of the 101st Airborne Division Tactical Commander of the 201st Afghan Army Corps to assume command of the California National Guard.
General Baldwin began his military career when he enlisted as a medic in the CA Army National Guard in 1982. Serving in many capacities during his military career, he earned the Legion of Merit, a Bronze Star with two Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters, Meritorious Service with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Army Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, and many others. As the Adjutant General he leads the largest, most tasked National Guard force in the United States with an authorized strength of 23,000 personnel.

TRANSPORTATION NEEDED

We have several members that would like to attend meetings and events held here at the hall, but do not have transportation, whether it be due to physical problems, vehicle problems, etc. So, they are missing out on not only the events but also being able to get together and communicate with other members. If you would be willing to give a ride to one of your brothers or sisters so they are able to join us for meetings and events, please call the office and we will match people with areas and members.

EVENTS, CONTINUED

►►Event: Free Admission for Armed Forces Day at the
              CA State Military Museum in Old Town Sacramento
Date: Saturday, May 21, 2011
Time: 10AM - 5PM
►►Event: Armed Forces Day "Salute to the Troops"
             "Wine and Dine" Tickets $25.@ or 2 for $40.
              Roseville Veterans Memorial Hall - 916-632-6000
Date: Saturday, May 21, 2011
Time: 6PM-10PM
►►Event: "Honoring our Veterans Memorial Service"
               Sacramento Historic City Cemetery - 10th & Broadway
Date: Saturday, May 28, 2011
Time: 10:30AM
►►Event: "Reading of the Names" - See flyer on Page 4
Date: Sunday, May 29, 2011
►►Event: "5 K No Excuses Race/Walk" See flyer on Page 5
Date: Monday, May 30, 2011
►►Event: Memorial Day Ceremony at the Veterans Plaza at
                Mather Hospital
Date: Monday, May 30, 2011
Time: 10AM
►►Event: "A Salute to Service" - Jazz Festival Event
               Old Town Sacramento - Firehouse Lot, on 2nd Street
Date: Monday, May 30, 2011
Time: 10AM
►►Event: Memorial Day Ceremony at the Mexican-American
                Memorial on 10th between L & N - Sacramento
Date: Monday, May 30, 2011
Time: 1PM
►►Event: Free Admission for Memorial Day at the CA
                State Military Museum - also hosting a Health
                Fair and Resources for Veterans
Date: Monday, May 30, 2011
Time: 10AM-5PM

CHAPTER TO MEMBER COMMUNICATION

     While we try to list everything going on in the newsletter, changes, updates and new things come up in between. So, we must rely on e-mail to communicate any necessary alerts.
     We do NOT forward every e-mail we receive, so we do not clutter up your mailboxes unless we feel it is something important that you need to know about, is an update re: a planned event, etc.
     In the case of events....if you have signed up for something, be sure to check your e-mail close to the time of the event to see updates, changes, etc. We will remind you of upcoming meetings, events, etc. by e-mail because we all forget dates and many want to be reminded.
     If you haven't received an e-mail from VVA500 in awhile, possibly your e-mail address has changed. We have several now that are bouncing back, so we may need your new e-mail address.
     Also, check your junk mail as some of our mail has ended up there. If so, take the VVA500 address out of your junk mail box.

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BACK TO VVA500

GO TO PAGE 9 of 10

PLEASE PATRONIZE OUR ADVERTISERS

SUPPORTING OUR TROOPS, ONE CARE PACKAGE AT A TIME. THE DEFENDERS OF FREEDOM, CALIFORNIA CHAPTER IS A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION (501c 3)FORMED SOLELY TO SUPPORT OUR TROOPS ACTIVELY SERVING OUR COUNTRY TO KEEP AMERICA SAFE.

ACTION BUYS MILITARY ITEMS!

Sea Kayaking is a great, low-stress, outdoor recreation. After kayaking on the East Coast for many years, Steve Keller, Chapter 500 member, and wife Mary, discovered Penguin Paddlers, right in their town of Rocklin. The owner of Penguin Paddlers is a USAF Pararescue Veteran. Penguin Paddlers has an active, friendly club, with the average age in the 60's. They have local and road trips, with clinics and demonstrations. So it's an ideal recreation for VVA members. You can ask Steve at a meeting, or contact him at 916-919-3991, or e-mail: doublekayak@yahoo.com. The Penguin website is: www.penguinpaddlers.com.

                                    CHAPTER INFORMATION
OFFICERS: President: Charles W. Peterson
Vice President: Ted Adams
Secretary: Hank Davis
Treasurer: James Singleton
BOARD MEMBERS: Monty Montoya, "Easy" Smith, Marty Snezek State Delegate: Gregory McNeill
                Alternate State Delegate: Mike Callison
AVVA Representative: Vacant at this time.
ADDRESS: Vietnam Veterans of America, Inc., Chapter 500
                                            P.O. Box 255484
                                           Sacramento, CA 95865
TELEPHONE:                 916-481-6020 FAX: 916-481-2609
E-MAIL:                          vva500@sbcglobal.net
CHAPTER WEBSITE: www.norcaltrav.com/vva500.htm
FOR INFORMATION: Call or e-mail, Executive Director,
                                           Mary Lou McNeill
NEWSLETTER SUBMISSIONS: Mail to Chapter address or e-mail information. Please send pictures in jpeg form.
VVA Chapter 500 is a non-profit organization, #68-0208305, CT#75945, United Way #12583. All donations to support our projects such as our Scholarship Fund, Helping Hands Fund, Events for Veterans, and Honor Guard will be gratefully appreciated. You may earmark your donation to the project you wish to support.
VVA500 HALL PHYSICAL ADDRESS: 4441 Auburn Blvd., Suite J
Hall is located at the corner of Auburn Blvd. and Orange Grove Ave. There are several ways of reaching the hall, Auburn Blvd. exits off I-80, Madison exit to Auburn Blvd., Watt Ave. to Auburn Blvd. When you get to the complex, the Hall is on the far end off Auburn Blvd.. Just look for the flag pole in the back corner.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
MAY BIRTHDAYS
♫♫♫Francis Staley - Marines♫♫♫Rodolfo Rodriguez - Marines♫♫♫Martin Snezek - Air Force♫♫♫Frank Soto, Jr. - Army♫♫♫Michael Simmons - Army♫♫♫W♫♫♫Robert Lowe - Marines♫♫♫Lowell Anderson - Navy♫♫♫Gerard Fields - Army♫♫♫Martin Fjelstrom - Air Force♫♫♫Bruce Thomas - Army♫♫♫Thelma Warren - Army♫♫♫David Shockley - AVVA♫♫♫
If your birthday is not here, data is incorrect, submit the correction and/or addition to the office. Contact information is in column on the left. We are not required to list birthday information, but do it as an extra service for our members. Again, National may have your DD214, we may not have received it, it could be misfiled. Resubmit!

               CHAPTER REMINDERS REQUESTS, ETC.
     Reminder....we have pins and patches for sale at the VVA500 Hall. Many in stock, or we can order for you.
     We can always use prizes for our General Meeting drawings. Re-gifting is definitely accepted.
      Due to a donation of 1000+ books related to Vietnam that is coming from Machine-Gun Kelly, author and artist, we are in need of additional shelving for books. We could also use some help in picking up the books. Call if you are available.
      We are serving more Veterans in need so we could use more non-perishable food and limited amount of fresh food for the pantry.

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

         ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED