Fort Bend County Park & Ride to Medical Center

Updated: Monday, 28 Jun 2010, 9:10 AM CDT
Published : Monday, 28 Jun 2010, 9:10 AM CDT

HOUSTON – Starting on Monday, residents in Fort Bend County will be able to travel directly to the Texas Medical Center without having to worry about searching for a parking spot.

The Fort Bend County Express Park & Ride Service will pick up passengers at the Fort Bend County Fairgrounds in Rosenberg, the University of Houston System at Sugarland campus and at the AMC First Colony 24 parking lot near First Colony Mall. Stops in the Texas Medical Center will include the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center and M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.

The service will serve passengers during the morning and through the afternoon.

“This convenient Park and Ride service will undoubtedly benefit employees of the Medical Center, Veterans and others seeking medical treatment by allowing them to park their cars in a location close to their home, and then transporting them to a drop off point convenient to the entrance. This is the perfect way to avoid the hassles of parking and congestion,” said Fort Bend County Judge Bob Hebert.

WASHINGTON (June 29, 2010) – Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki announced today that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is offering bronze medallions to attach to existing, privately purchased headstones or markers, signifying a deceased’s status as a Veteran.

“For Veterans not buried in a national or state Veterans cemetery, or those without a government grave marker, VA is pleased to offer this option that highlights their service and sacrifices for our country,” said Secretary Shinseki.

The new item can be furnished instead of a traditional government headstone or marker for Veterans whose death occurred on or after Nov. 1, 1990, and whose grave in a private cemetery is marked with a privately purchased headstone or marker.

Under federal law, eligible Veterans buried in a private cemetery are entitled to either a government-furnished grave marker or the new medallion, but not both. Veterans buried in a national or state Veterans cemetery will receive a government headstone or marker of the standard design authorized at that cemetery.
The medallion is available in three sizes: 5 inches, 3 inches and 1 ½ inches in width. Each bronze medallion features the image of a folded burial flag adorned with laurels and is inscribed with the word “Veteran” at the top and the branch of service at the bottom.

Next of kin will receive the medallion, along with a kit that will allow the family or the staff of a private cemetery to affix the medallion to a headstone, grave marker, mausoleum or columbarium niche cover.

More information about VA-furnished headstones, markers and medallions can be found at http://www.cem.va.gov/cem/hm/hmtype.asp.
VA is currently developing an application form for ordering the medallion. Until it is available, applicants may use the form for ordering government headstones and markers, VA Form 40-1330. Instructions on how to apply for a medallion are found on the VA Web site at www.cem.va.gov/hm_hm.asp.

Veterans with a discharge issued under conditions other than dishonorable, their spouses and eligible dependent children can be buried in a VA 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 grave marker.

The new medallions will be available only to Veterans buried in private cemeteries without a government headstone or marker. Families of eligible decedents may also order a memorial headstone or marker when remains are not available for interment.

VA operates 131 national cemeteries in 39 states and Puerto Rico and 33 soldiers’ lots and monument sites. More than 3 million Americans, including Veterans of every war and conflict — from the Revolutionary War to the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan — are buried in VA’s national cemeteries on more than 19,000 acres.
Information on VA burial benefits can be obtained from national cemetery offices, from the VA Web site on the Internet at www.cem.va.gov or by calling VA regional offices toll-free at 1-800-827-1000.

We are writing to you to communicate the details of the Pelican for Patriots program and ask for your help. The brochure at http://www.pelican.com/PFP/Pelican%20for%20Patriots2.pdf explains how Pelican is offering a free Protector Case™ to the 900+ courageous men and women of the U.S. Military who have lost a limb while serving in either Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) or Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). The program launched on April 27th, 2010 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and now we’re looking to extend it through word-of mouth and to other military medical facilities across the U.S. Your assistance in getting the word out to the military community would be greatly appreciated. To expedite requests we have created an online form that can be found at www.pelican.com/PFP. We can never repay soldiers who have sacrificed so much in defense of our freedom, but we can offer a small token of our appreciation to help protect the prosthetic devices that maintain their freedom of mobility.The Pelican Marketing Group23215 Early Avenue, Torrance, CA 90505Tel: 310.326.4700 | Toll free: 800.473.5422pelicanmarketinggroup@pelican.com | www.pelican.com

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Desecration of Mojave Desert Cross Does Not Deter

The American Legion in its Fight to Protect Memorials

INDIANAPOLIS (May 11, 2010) – The American Legion vowed to continue its fight to preserve a veterans’ war memorial in the Mojave desert, even after vandals have apparently removed the cross in the middle of the night.

“This was never about one cross,” said The American Legion National Commander Clarence E. Hill. “It’s about the right to honor our nation’s veterans in a manner in which the overwhelming majority supports. The American Legion strongly believes the public has a right to protect its memorials.”

The lawless act is just the latest chapter in a decade-long legal fight pitting The American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Liberty Institute and several other organizations against the American Civil Liberties Union and other groups that find the cross offensive.

According to a statement issued by the Mojave National Preserve, the cross was reported missing on Monday morning by staff of the National Park Service who went to the site to replace the wooden cover that had been removed from the cross sometime earlier. The cross has stood for the last 76 years as a memorial to World War I soldiers. The American Legion and its allies won what was widely believed to be a Supreme Court victory on April 28, when the court ruled that the memorial was not an overtly religious symbol. Moreover, Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote that “the Constitution does not oblige government to avoid any public acknowledgment of religion’s role in society.” The Supreme Court ordered a lower court to reconsider the case.

The desecration of the memorial, did not sit well with Hill. “Reports that the Mojave Cross was illegally removed overnight are very disturbing,” he said. “The American Legion expects whoever is responsible for this vile act to be brought to justice. While the memorial has been attacked, the fight will continue to ensure that veterans memorials will remain sacrosanct.”

“This is an outrage, akin to desecrating people’s graves,” said Kelly Shackelford, president / CEO of Liberty Institute. “It’s a disgraceful act on the selfless act of our veterans. We will not rest until this memorial is re-installed.”

A $25,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest of those responsible. Anyone with information about the crime is asked to call (760) 252-6120.

With a membership of 2.5-million wartime veterans, The American Legion was founded in 1919 on the four pillars of a strong national security, veterans affairs, Americanism, and patriotic youth programs. Legionnaires work for the betterment of their communities through more than 14,000 posts across the nation.

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Media contacts: Joe March or John Raughter, (317) 630-1253, or cell (317) 748-1926 /(317) 441-8847.

Springfield, Virginia (4/13/10) – The Senate unanimously passed legislation championed by Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) to fix a flaw in the recently passed health care reform law. The legislation, called the TRICARE Affirmation Act, passed the Senate without objection last night and follows successful House passage of the bill before the Easter recess. The bill now heads to the President for signature into law.

The Webb legislation explicitly states that all TRICARE plans are now considered as minimal acceptable coverage under the new health care law. Defining TRICARE under law is important because it exempts its enrollees from the required purchase of additional coverage beyond what they already have.

Unfortunately, the new health care bill, called the Patient Protection and Affordability Care Act, did not clarify that the earned coverage of TRICARE programs for servicemembers and military retirees under age 65 provided minimum acceptable coverage. NAUS continued to work toward “explicit protection” and is pleased to see that the NAUS-endorsed Webb bill clarifies these programs and makes sure that they are explicitly included in law under this definition.

“Senator Webb greatly appreciates the National Association for Uniformed Services’ active engagement and support of the troops and their families on this matter in recent weeks,” NAUS was told in the Senator’s announcement of the successful passage of this TRICARE protection measure.

NAUS President Bill Matz said, “The National Association for Uniformed Services congratulates Senator Webb on his success in the passage of legislation that explicitly states in law that TRICARE meets requirements under the new health care bill. The men and women who serve our country in uniform deserve complete assurance that their earned health care benefits are fully protected and this legislation will do just that.”

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NAUS is a nonprofit, non-partisan association dedicated to protecting the interests of – and benefits earned by – members of the uniformed services for themselves, their families and survivors. NAUS provides administrative support to the Society of Military Widows. For more information please contact Steve Hein, Director of Marketing, at 703-750-1342, x1009, or at shein@naus.org, or visit the Association’s web site at www.naus.org.

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This Web site is a collaborative effort between the Departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs (VA) and Labor (DOL), and compiles federal, state, local and non-profit resources for wounded warriors, veterans, family members and caregivers in a single, searchable site.

“We worked closely with users of the National Resource Directory to find out how to make the information they need easier to find,” said Noel Koch, deputy under secretary of defense for Wounded Warrior Care and Transition Policy. “The resulting re-design is easier to navigate and adds useful new features.”

The upgrade makes the latest wounded warrior and veteran issues easier to locate and follow. A new “bookmark and share” application helps visitors alert others to the content they’ve found most helpful through social bookmarking, Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking tools. Visitors can also subscribe to Really Simple Syndication (RSS) or e-mail updates to receive new content, events and features based on their specific interests and needs.

“There are thousands of programs and benefits available to wounded warriors and their families, from healthcare and housing to education and employment assistance,” said Koch. “Our people must have an easy way to sift through it all to find the resources that are most helpful for their circumstances, especially while they’re dealing with what can be overwhelming challenges. That’s why we’ve partnered with the VA and Department of Labor to offer the National Resource Directory. And with the feedback mechanisms we’ve added in the re-design, we’ll be able to keep improving our service to our wounded warriors and families.”

The faster, enhanced search engine ranks information based on the popularity of the sources among other site users, so the most valuable resources rise to the top of the search results. Visitors can tailor searches for resources in specific states and territories, and apply filters to narrow their searches.

The re-designed site also highlights resources to assist homeless veterans. NRD users can also recommend additional resources. All resources are thoroughly vetted prior to inclusion on the National Resource Directory, and as always, content is updated and reviewed daily by a content management team which includes veterans and subject matter experts.

More information is available at http://www.NationalResourceDirectory.gov .

Eneditra M. Johnson-Robinson

Veterans Case Worker

US Representative Pete Olson TX-22

1650 Highway 6, Suite 150

Sugar Land, Texas 77478

Office: (281) 494-2690

Fax: (281) 494-2649

eneditra.johnson@mail.house.gov

www.olson.house.gov

“For veterans with limited insurance, a trip to the emergency room should not result in financial ruin,” said Chairman Akaka, who introduced the bill in the Senate last year. “With this new law, VA will be positioned to help veterans who are enrolled in VA care whose insurance does not cover the full cost of emergency treatment.”

The Veterans’ Emergency Care Fairness Act, signed into law by President Obama last night, will enable the Department of Veterans Affairs to reimburse veterans enrolled in VA health care for the remaining cost of emergency treatment if the veteran has outside insurance that only covers part of the cost. Previously, VA could reimburse veterans or pay outside hospitals directly only if a veteran has no outside health insurance.

In addition to reimbursing veterans for emergency care in the future, the bill allows the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide retroactive reimbursements for care received prior to the passage of this bill. Akaka has received correspondence from veterans who were unable to receive financial assistance under the previous rules, and plans to share their information with Secretary Shinseki.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that this legislation will cover approximately 700 future claims per year and as many as 2,000 veterans retroactively.

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