November 2009

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

Dear Fellow Members!

    I know that many of our attentions have been given to those soldiers who have lost their lives or were wounded in the recent Fort Hood shootings. We send them and their families our deepest condolences and prayers. We pray that they may all have the courage and strength to pass through this terrible ordeal.
     I hope you all had the opportunity to celebrate Veterans Day and Veterans Day week. There were many events to choose from and participate in. I know the activity started with the American GI Forum Annual Dinner. Several of our members attended and Secretary McNeill performed the POW ceremony for the group. Then on Tuesday, the Marine Corps Birthday Ball took place in Folsom. Several of our members, myself and the Marine Cadets really enjoyed the dinner and ceremony. On Veterans Day, there were parades in Auburn, Folsom and Elk Grove. VVA500 participated in the Elk Grove Parade. I sure enjoyed riding in "Darlin", our AVVA Representative's Red Corvette. We were also joined by Al Martin and his Marine Recon Re-enactor group,   Deborah and her "Never Forget Our Fallen" Hummer.
     There was more going on that day, with the annual Veterans Day Ceremony at Mather, attended by our E.D. McNeill, and several members attended the Mexican-American Memorial Veterans Day Ceremony.
     Don't forget to mark your calendars for our first Christmas Party in our new Hall. See page four for all of the details. Happy Thanksgiving to you all!
                                               Your President, Karen Winnett

NEWSLETTER INFORMATION
The newsletter is back to it's full 10 pages, and a few new things added. While the newsletter is monthly, it may not arrive at the same time each month, but will usually have important dates and event you should calendar for future months.

CURRENT NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

NOVEMBER GENERAL MEETING

DATE: November 17, 2009
TIME: 7:00PM
WHERE: 4441 Auburn Blvd. Suite J

GUEST SPEAKER
Todd Stenhouse
Veteran Advocate and Political Consultant

     Todd has worked as an advocate on veteran issues, locally, regionally, statewide and nationally for close to ten years.
     He is a political consultant with his specialty being veteran's issues and veteran's policy. He has managed political campaigns focusing on veteran's needs and issues. He has been with the National Veterans Foundation for years as a Development Director/Policy Advisor.
     Todd was the creator of the Veterans charity program that helped Charlie Brown give close to $100,000. to local veterans service providers.
     Todd's passion in life is to help the veteran's movement and make sure no veteran ever gets left behind. Come to the meeting and enjoy this passionate talk by Todd.

COMPUTER AVAILABLE NOW AT THE HALL

     While we haven't scheduled a computer class yet, for those who do not have computer access at home, we have a computer up and running at the Hall. Come and check it out. You can surf the net, set up your own e-mail access.
     Also check out Page 7 to see what can be planned for activities in the Hall. But, you don't have to wait for special events...you can come in and watch movies, read books in the library and as above surf the net.
     For now, the hours are Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri. 10-4. Closed on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday unless special things are going on or appointments made.

VETERAN BENEFITS, NEWS

RETROACTIVE VA COMPENSATION

     Veterans who submit claims to the VA for disability compensation which are subsequently approved receive retroactive payment back to the date of claim submission. The amount of payment is based on the monthly compensation they are entitled to for the percentile rating they are awarded times the number of months since the claim submission. This is normally a lump sum check after which they start receiving monthly checks. However, if the veteran has died in the interim, federal law mandates the money be reclaimed by the government if the recipient has died. If the veteran has a spouse or children, they could petition the VA to get that money returned to his/her estate. If the veteran is single the VA will reclaim the money from his estate depriving other relatives from benefiting from it and allowing the deceased veterans debts to go unpaid.
     Case in point is Vietnam veteran Daniel Hoeck, a Purple heart recipient, who died at age 62 when a burglar stabbed him to death. Before he was killed and at the urging of family, Hoeck sought medical help from the Department of Veterans Affairs in Baltimore and applied for benefits. About 18 months later, a lump sum retroactive payment finally came in the mail for him and monthly checks were soon to follow, but the problem was, Hoeck was dead. At the advice of an attorney, Hoeck's sister, Davidson deposited the check of $13,694 in an estate account for him at First Mariner Bank. Hoeck never married or had children, so Davidson was considered his legal and personal representative. While she didn't indicate she thought that monthly benefits should be sent to a deceased person, her issue was the retroactive lump sum payment, which would help cover her brother's debts. "They just never managed the affairs to get him the money, she said. The estate attorney Gina Shaffer said, "It was something that was owed to him prior to his death, and whether is was payable to him individually or his estate it was owed."
     But Veterans Affairs officials saw the case very differently. Soon after learning from the family that Hoeck had been killed, they took the benefits check back, demanding First Mariner return the money to the U.S.Treasury Department. No notice was given to the family by the VA who learned of the action via a letter from the bank. After a local TV news team investigated the issue and made an inquiry to the VA, they agreed to pay Davidson more that $2,700. to cover expenses related to Hoeck's death, but they made it clear that is was a one-time payout.
      Chapter Note: Obviously, a couple of issues here. The VA Compensation program is comparable to receiving Social Security when you become age eligible. While the VA "may pay" as in this case some amount for funeral expense and/or benefits to a widow and/or children, once you have died it is not available. With Social Security, you, your spouse may have paid into the system since you began to work. However, if you die before you are able to collect monthly, that money is gone except for the $250. which does not even cover your burial costs. Your spouse will only receive benefits under specific conditions.

LEGISLATION UPDATE

Bills signed by the Governor concerning Veteran issues:
►AB31 - Price - Raises the limits of contracts for certified small, microbusiness and disabled veteran business that do not have to comply with specified competitive bidding requirements from $100,000. to $250,000.
►AB343 - Saldana - Ratifies the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children that will only become effective upon ratification of minimum of 10 states. Will facilitate the enrollment, placement, advancement, and transfer of acade3mic records for military children, thereby removing barriers to their educational success due to the frequent moves and deployment of their parents.
►AB1459 - Davis - Existing law authorizes a sponsor of a supportive housing development, as defined, to restrict occupancy to persons with veteran status if, among other things, the development is located on property that is owned or leased by the US Department of Veterans Affairs of the CA Department of Veterans Affairs and is leased to the sponsor for not less than 55 years. This bill will delete the requirement that the development be located on property owner or leased by the US Department of Veterans Affairs or the CA Department of Veterans Affairs for the specified term.
►AB1568 - Veterans Affairs Committee - This bill would delete references to the 2-year pilot program and, instead, require the department, by July1, 2010, to implement a program to utilize the federal PARIS to identify veterans and their dependents or survivors who are enrolled in the Medi-Cal system and assist them in obtaining federal veteran health care benefits. The bill would eliminate the requirement that the department select 3 consenting counties that have USDVA medical centers to participate in the program.
►AB1330 - Salas - Veterans Cooperative Housing Pilot Project - will authorize the Department of Veterans Affairs to establish a cooperative housing pilot project, which would include a mix of housing types for veterans and their families.
►AB1571 - Veterans Affairs Committee - Will prohibit the Department of Mental Health from approving any county plan that does not include verifiable representation by veteran organizations in the planning process or if the plan does not address the specific mental health issues of veterans.
►SB285 - Wright - This bill would provide that benefits awarded to veterans for service-connected disabilities, as provided, shall be exempt from the claim of creditors, and shall not be liable to attachment, levy, or seizure, as provided.
►SB644 - Denham - Existing civil service law requires that veterans be allowed preference points for civil service employment, as specified. Existing law provides that disabled veterans who become eligible for certification from eligible lists by attaining the passing mark established for an entrance examination held on an open, non-promotional basis are allowed10 additional point. Other veterans are allowed 5 additional points. This bill would instead provide that disabled veterans shall be allowed 15 additional points and other veterans shall be allowed 10 additional points.

THE CAPITAL VETERAN..........NOVEMBER, 2009........Page 4

ACTIVITIES/EVENTS COMING UP

SANTA NEEDS SOME HELP!!

     Deborah Getz, from "Never Forget our Fallen" will be hosting her 2nd Annual Military Children's Christmas Party on Saturday, December 19. Deborah holds this party to make sure that all active duty, reserve, troops children receive a toy if they signed up to attend the party.
     Now, Deborah has been talking with Deborah, and he tells her that he has been checking his list and has determined that he needs lots more toys or donations so that all of those boys and girls wishes will come true. What you can do? Drop off a toy or donation at: the VVA500 Hall, during open hours 10-4, Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri. Call to see if we are here for any other times. You can also bring something to Tuesday, Nov. 17th General Meeting. Other drop off points are: The Green Acres Nurseries located at 901 Galleria Blvd. - Roseville, and the one at 8501 Jackson Rd. - Sacramento. Those hours are 8-6 Sunday through Saturday.
     Deborah could also use some help at toy drives, sorting, baking goodies for the party, etc. If you can help, call her at 916-223-6816. Also check out the "Never Forget Our Fallen" website for information about Gold-Star Mother, Deborah's goals for the non-profit "Never Forget Our Fallen."

VVA500 FOOD DRIVE

     While we are collecting toys at the Hall for the children of the military, at the same time, we will also be collecting non-perishable Food for Hungry Veterans and Their Families. You can bring any non-perishable food to the VVA500 Hall the same times as above.
     The VVA500 Board has decided to make food collection a permanent program for those Veterans who are in need.    We will also accept a limited amount of toiletries and clothing due to space for storage. So, please call before you bring clothing and toiletries to check on what space we have.
     We receive many calls for funding from Veterans. As we cannot possibly financially fund all who call, we will try to help with food, toiletries, clothing and a limited amount of gift cards from Walmart. Recipients will be required to prove they are Veterans and will be advised on any Veteran Benefits they may be eligible for.
     As previously mentioned, this will be a permanent program, so you may drop off food, etc. anytime you are in the neighborhood and of course at any meetings at the Hall.

VVA500 CHRISTMAS PARTY

CHRISTMAS IN OUR NEW HALL/OFFICE
HERE ARE THE DETAILS:

DATE: Saturday, December 19.
TIME: 6:00P.M. Social Hour
              7:00P.M. Dinner
WHERE: VVA500 Veterans Hall
                   4441 Auburn Blvd. Suite "J" - Sacramento
                   Corner of Auburn Blvd. & Orange Grove Rd.
     The Chapter till provide the main dishes of meat, (turkey, ham, etc.) as well as the basic side-dishes. Members and invited guests are urged to bring a favorite pot-luck side-dish or dessert for all to share and enjoy.
     Family members are also invited, including the grandchildren. We're checking with Santa to see if he can make it.
     Members and invited guests are also requested to bring one Dollar Store gift per member or guest attending that will be opened at the party.
     RSVP!!! no later than December 7, so we can have a head count for food.

DUE TO THE CHRISTMAS PARTY THERE WILL BE NO GENERAL MEETING IN DECEMBER!

                                    CHAPTER DONATIONS
     You may wonder, what else does VVA500 do besides hold meetings, act as a resource center for all veterans, and now have a Hall that members can visit outside of meetings and call their own. VVA500 also donates to various deserving non-profit organizations and veterans in need. While not all inclusive, here are a few examples just from the beginning of January of this year:
►►Wreaths across America - Provides wreaths at Christmastime for every grave in the VA Cemetery.
►►Missing in America Project - Organization oversees seeing that every veteran is buried and honored as a veteran.
►►Greater Sacramento Marine Cadets - VVA500 as a sponsor contributes when need arises.
►►VVA Chapter #951 - Help in bringing the Traveling Wall to Lake County.
►►CA Mexican-American Memorial - Toward the completion of the Memorial.
►►Alzheimer's Association.
►►Homeless - Stand Down and Blankets
►►Incarcerated Veterans - Expense in providing resources to Incarcerated Veterans in Folsom.
►►Helping Hands - Various projects, individuals.
►►Never Forget our Fallen - Christmas Party for Military Children.
     These are some of the donations that the chapter has provided during this past year. There are a few others that have been appropriated but not yet funded. In the future we will add this report to our After-Action Reports.

NEW VVA500 HALL

     Now that we are all settled into the new hall and office, it's time to start thinking about some planned activities as well as unplanned activities over and above our regular meetings.
     While we are serving all Veterans for claims and other needs, this is also a home for our VVA and AVVA members where you all can socialize and participate in activities of your choice.
     We will have some survey forms ready for the General Meeting as well as sending some out. If you can, complete them at the meeting, or send them back if you receive them by mail. But here are some ideas to think about for daytime: Cards, Games, Jigsaw Puzzles, TV, Movies, Reading in the Library, Learning Workshops such as Computer Training, Meet-ups for conversation Exercise Programs. For night time, all of the above can apply, and add a Movie Night, Ice Cream Social, Bingo Evening, Special speakers, Veteran Related Workshops. We also need to know what nights would be good for all. We will need to know from you what days and nights are convenient.
     Members have also shown some interest in a Bicycle Club, a Hiking Club, and possibly a Walking Club. There is a large park to roam in within walking distance of the Hall. So, make sure you let us know what you think.

SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS

     Each year VVA500 offers three $500. scholarships in honor of Vietnam Veterans who have passed on and one Scholarship in honor of Sarah Bonnifield, a benefactor of VVA500. The entries must be a relative of a Vietnam Veteran or a Vietnam Veteran him/herself. Winners are based on the quality of the essay written about the chosen topic for the year, and must prove that they will be attending a college, university or vocational school.
     This year's theme was: "Interview three Vietnam Combat Veterans. Tell their stories. Where did they serve and in what branch? What did they think of the war while serving? What did they think of the war in later years? Did they have any injuries or long lasting effects from the Vietnam War?
     The winner of the Sarah Bonnifield scholarship this year was Michelle Schmidt. Michelle lives in Folsom and is a Junior at California State University Sacramento. Her Educational Goal is to obtain a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with a concentration in Accounting. Here is Michelle's entry:
     "Introduction: It is easy to write about military history and patriotic themes for VVA500 essays. It is difficult to write about the experiences of combat veterans. It evokes a lot of feelings, I could see it on the faces and hear it in their voices. Following are their stories: James C. Bogan served in the Army for twenty-one years, retiring as a First Sergeant. He served two tours in Vietnam, Aug1965-Sept 1966 and Jan 1969-Dec 1970 and received the Bronze Star for Valor. He was in the field artillery supporting forward ground troops and was injured both tours. The first time he was hit by shrapnel near his eye, damaging a nerve and requiring eyeglasses. The second tour he and eight other soldiers were injured by explosives in an area that they were told had been cleared the day before. Continued in the next column.....

SCHMIDT SCHOLARSHIP ESSAY, CONT.

    The long-term effect of the war that he notices the most is that he cannot sleep without a light on, and he carries a night light with him when he travels. He feels that this is due to the mortars that went off during the night. He was also exposed to Agent Orange and is concerned about the long-range effects.
     His most vivid memory is a mission to rescue some men who were bringing back purified water. They fell behind enemy lines and had to be rescued.
     Bogan felt he probably viewed the war differently since he was career Army. He did not feel that Vietnam was an unjust war, but did feel that is was not run well. He felt that the men were not properly trained. He used the term "shake and bake" as in the instant coating for chicken. The Military took some men directly from their basic training and tried to prepare them to be leaders, and as a result they were not properly seasoned and were not prepared to lead. Of African-American and American-Indian descent, Bogan has positive memories of the comradery, and stated the unit he served in was very tight.
     After his military retirement, Bogan was supervisor for CA Regional Waste Management.
     He recently served as President and is now on the advisory board of the Monterey Bay Veterans Sport Rehabilitation Center.

MICHELLE'S ESSAY IS CONTINUED ON PAGE NINE....

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 t meeting, or contact him at 916-791-6705, or e-mail: doublekayak@yahoo.com. The Penguin website is: www.penguinpaddlers.com.

VVA500 BOARD MEETINGS

     Recently, VVA members who are not Board Members requested that they be able to attend Board Meetings. Guests have attended the Board Meetings in the past when they have sought to make a presentation regarding possible funding, or possibly a special program for the chapter. The procedure has always been that the guest presents their issue/request, the Board asks any questions or makes any comments and the guest leaves the meeting at that point leaving the Board to continue with their current business.
     As with many other organizations, the VVA500 Board per the VVA Constitution is responsible for the control and management of the affairs, property and interests of the Chapter, etc. Also as per the National VVA Parliamentarian and Robert's Rules of Order, Non-Board Members can be excluded at any time from all or part of any Board Meeting per the rule of the current Board.
     The current Board Members have not declined to answer any specific question put to them, but does feel that it would be unfair to all members if certain members were allowed to attend every and all Board Meetings. If any member wishes to attend every Board Meeting and believes they should be involved in making chapter policy, they should then run for election to the Board.
     The current VVA500 Board has ruled that all Board Meetings are Executive and are Closed Meetings. This ruling is not meant to be exclusionary, or to make the business of the Chapter less transparent. Continued in the next column.....

VVA500 BOARD MEETING ATTENDANCE, CONT.

     However, there are issues that the Board at times must be discussed that can be sensitive in content, along with the fact that Board Meetings are extremely lengthy and additional items not on the agenda can be burdensome to Board members who are already spending several hours attending the meeting along with other duties they perform as Board Members.
    Chapter members are also reminded that at each General Meeting there is a place in the agenda for Regular Members and Associates to ask any questions or make suggestions.
     The Board also realizes that at times there may be issues that members want to bring up or address only to the Board and not to the General Membership, and therefore have initiated a process to facilitate giving them time before the Board .
     At the bottom of this page, you will see a form that is to be provided to the Board in advance of a Board Meeting stating the issue or question the member wishes the Board to address. The issue and request will then be placed on the Board Meeting agenda and the member then can attend the Board Meeting, discuss the issue, question with the Board and then will be excused from the balance of the meeting. With that advance notice, the Board may be able to resolve the issue and/or answer the question at that meeting and time will be saved as opposed to no advance warning, in order to have a resolution, an additional meeting may be required. Without the form being completed and provided to the Board in advance of the meeting, the member will not be allowed to attend.

REQUEST TO ATTEND VVA500 BOARD MEETING

DATE: _______________________

I/WE WISH TO ATTEND THE VVA500 BOARD MEETING OF ________________ (date)

THE ISSUE I WISH TO BRING UP OR QUESTION I WOULD LIKE TO ASK IS AS FOLLOWS:

___________________________________________________________________________________________

SIGNED: _________________________________

Please Mail, Fax, or e-mail request.
VVA500
P.O. Box 255484
Sacramento, CA 95865
e-mail: vva500@sbcglobal.net
fax: 916-481-2609

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BACK TO VVA500

SCHOLARSHIP ESSAY, CONT.

      Don E. Swank was a Chief Warrant Officer who was in special ops and intelligence in the Army for twenty-two years. He served in Vietnam three different periods, Jan-June 1964, Jan-June 1966, and Jan 1968-Aug 1969 and was awarded the Bronze Star and Vietnam Cross of Gallantry. He was in North Vietnam for classified missions and Cu Chi by Saigon, and Doucheng near the Cambodian border. He was injured with shrapnel in the shoulder.
     The long-term effect that Swank has is he still wakes up from nightmares. These nightmares are recurring memories of the fighting and also of escorting three deceased buddies back to the states. Swanks opinion of the war has not changed; he would not change anything about his service and has no regrets. He thought the war was good for pushing back communism and will always hold to that belief. However, as others, he did not care for the way that the Vietnam War was run. He also said "peaceful villages" made attacks.
     On the positive side, he recalls how beautiful the country was. Although he has never kept in contact with people he served with in Vietnam, he does feel a strong comradery with Vietnam and other combat veterans and is a member of the VFW in Folsom.
     After military service Swank worked in various jobs, including an ITT area manager in D.C., the British Air Force in ballistic missiles, and the federal government for eighteen years.
     Donald L. Samuels served in the Marine Corp from 1960-1969. He was a Platoon Sergeant and Commander and in charge of many men. He was wounded while leading a ground assault on Hill 88 North. He has lost some use of his right hand due to AK47 wounds. His awards include the Purple Heart and the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry.
     Although he did not say much about long-term effects, he did admit to having PTSD. One of his triggers is weather since humidity reminds him of Vietnam. He believes his PTSD was manageable because of the work he does in serving veterans. After being discharged he entered into the VA's Vocational Rehabilitation Training and became a National Service Officer Supervisor for the Disabled American Veterans.
     Hw feelings about the war have not really changed; he thought it was a just cause. However he did not agree with the way the war was run. To take a hill, leave the hill, and retake it did not make any sense to him. He thought there were a lot of myths about Vietnam that he heard after he returned home. He also didn't agree with the way the war ended and felt that we deserted the South Vietnamese. His two sons are in the Marines and have served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
     Samuels is currently the Assistant Commissioner for the Tennessee Department of Veterans Affairs. He is their Legislative Liaison, Public Information Officer, and Training Director in addition to supervising the claims office that includes fourteen field offices. He has been professionally and personally active in the veteran's community and is a life member of VVA.
     Michelle's Summary in the next column.....

SCHMIDT SCHOLARSHIP ESSAY CONT.

SUMMARY: The three individuals that I interviewed have physical injuries and PTSD from serving in Vietnam. None of them expressed negative comments on being sent to Vietnam and all were willing to do it again. However they all felt that it could have been fought in a better manner. They all came back to an unsupportive country but supportive family and spent their time working hard and helping others.

►Chapter Note: Next month we will print Scholarship Winner, Johnny Smith's essay.

UPDATE AND MESSAGE
FROM FRAN AND DALE KEHOE

     Fran and Dale are progressing with getting their new house built after fire destroyed their home in the 49r Fire in August.
Their insurance company has provided them with a rental home in Auburn, so they won't have to leave the area.   Dale is back to work at Kaiser and Fran is busy helping Deborah Getz with the Christmas Party for Military children. Their life is getting back to normal.
The chapter donated some funds through our Helping Hands fund and individual members did also. Fran and Dale send this message to VVA500:
     "To our dear family at Chapter 500, Dale and I just want to say "thank you" so much for your generous gifts. We were literally left withy the clothes on our backs, truck and bicycles when we lost our home and dog during the 49r fire. Your gifts will help us tremendously in buying clothes and many other needs.
     Don and Wendy Harper devoted a lot of time to us when we needed family during this awful time. Being with them, calls from many others from our chapter have been a great source of comfort and encouragement.
     Thank you all so very much - Thank God for Chapter 500! Blessings to you all and we hope to see you all soon.
                      Love & Hugs,   Fran and Dale"

                                    CHAPTER INFORMATION
OFFICERS: President: Karen Anne Winnett
Vice President: Ted Adams
Secretary: Gregory McNeill
Treasurer: Jerry Quint
BOARD MEMBERS:Don Harper, Alan Hayashi, Monty Montoya
AVVA REPRESENTATIVE: Tina Haas
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 in the corner.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
NOVEMBER BIRTHDAYS
♫♫♫Bud Lee - Army♫♫♫Hank Davis - Marines♫♫♫Ted Puntillo - Army♫♫♫Jim Armstrong - Air Force♫♫♫Stan Atkinson - Army♫♫♫J. Kent Garman - Navy♫♫♫James Tina Haas -AVVA♫♫♫Pete Conaty - Army♫♫♫Eugene Cirillo - Air Force♫♫♫Gary Fox - Army♫♫♫Clarence Pruitt- Air Force

If your birthday is this month and not listed, we may not have your DD214 on file, or maybe just inadvertently missed it. Let us know and we'll check it out. We are going over all of the files to make sure we enter everyone that we have a DD214 on.

WELCOME HOME NEW MEMBERS!
Michael Binns - Army, Eleno Castaneda - Army, Bruce Council - Navy, Danny Wallace - Army, Paul Thomas - Navy, George Paige, Army, Shelby Deville - Army, William Hays - Army, Ervin Haynes - Army, Wayne Saunders - Marines, Florencio Caballero - Army, Hugh Cowan III - Marines

HELP SUPPORT OUR SCHOLARSHIP FUND
CALL TOLL FREE FOR PICK UP OF YOUR USED HOUSEHOLD ITEMS: 1-866-241-8387

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