 August 30, 2004
Contents of this issue:
n National Personnel Records Center Rumor of Records Destruction n VA Names Director of New National Cemetery n Veterans Prepare for 2004 Creative Arts Festival n No Specific Threats to VA Facility, VA Secretary Says n VA Diabetes Mellitus Care n USCG WWII Veterans Outreach Campaign n Help us build the Florida World War II Memorial! n News You Can Use o Guard and Reserve Personnel Activated During Wartime May Be Eligible For VA Home Loans after 90 Days of Service o State Veterans' Nursing Home Virtual Tour o Volunteers of America’s Florida Veterans Mobile Service Center o Request Florida Veterans’ Benefits Guide o Military Service Automobile License Plates n VA News You Can Use o Concurrent Receipt o Use of VA’s Electronic Health Records Expanding o Facts About the Department of Veterans Affairs o More…. n State Legislation of Interest to Veterans n Federal Legislation of Interest to Veterans n Register for efloridavetsNews
National Personnel Records Center Rumor of Records Destruction
There is a FALSE RUMOR the National Personnel Record Center that is responsible for maintaining archives of our military records is automating their storage and management of our military records. When complete they plan to destroy the hard copies of our records unless requested by the veteran or a deceased veteran's family to send those records to them.
The TRUE STORY provided by Terry , Assistant Director at the St. Petersburg VA Regional Office is: “Sam Jarvis, Director of the Records Mgmt Center in St. Louis. He works very closely with the NPRC. Sam stated there are absolutely no plans to destroy any of the records contained at the RMC, NPRC or the FARC (Federal Archives and Records Centers). As a matter of fact, the NPRC and FARC (where many of our claims files reside) are part of the National Archives and considered very much a part of our nation's history. There are no plans to destroy these records.
They (RMC & NPRC) have discussed scanning of documents. However, the cost is prohibitive. Just for the NPRC the cost is about $2 Billion and would take the current staff 54 years to complete the task.”
VA Names Director of New National Cemetery WASHINGTON -- The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has selected David Wells as the first director of a new national cemetery to be built in South Florida. The national cemetery land is in Palm Beach County, 19 miles northwest of Boca Raton. When the cemetery opens in August 2005, it will provide burials to nearly 438,000 veterans and their families who live within a 75-mile range. Wells has been the assistant director at Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell since 1995. He was previously the director of national cemeteries in Bourne, Mass.; Dayton, Ohio; and Culpeper, Va. Wells joined VA’s National Cemetery Administration in 1983 as a work-study employee at the Knoxville, Tenn., National Cemetery. In 1989, he entered the cemetery director training program. When completed, the cemetery’s 55-acre initial construction phase will contain 23,000 casket gravesites, a 15,000-unit columbarium and 3,100 spaces for in-ground cremated remains. The new cemetery will also include an administration and maintenance complex, four committal service shelters, a public information center with electronic gravesite locator and restrooms, a flag assembly area, a memorial walkway, and infrastructure elements including roadways, landscaping, utilities and irrigation. Construction likely will begin in June 2005, with burials beginning in August 2005 in a small section during construction. The cemetery staff will work initially from a temporary office and committal service shelter until construction is completed. Veterans with a discharge other than dishonorable, their spouses and dependent children are eligible for burial in a national cemetery. Other burial benefits for eligible veterans include a burial flag, a Presidential Memorial Certificate, and a government headstone or marker – even if they are not buried in a national cemetery. In the midst of the largest expansion since the Civil War, VA operates 120 national cemeteries in 39 states and Puerto Rico, 33 soldiers' lots and monument sites. More than 2.5 million Americans, including veterans of every war and conflict — from the Revolutionary War to the current war in Iraq — are buried in VA’s national cemeteries. VA also provides grants to states to build new, and expand existing, state veterans cemeteries. Information on VA burial benefits can be obtained from national cemetery offices or the Internet at http://www.cem.va.gov, or by calling VA regional offices toll-free at 1-800-827-1000. Information on the South Florida-area national cemetery is available by calling the VA Memorial Service Network in Atlanta at 404-929-5899
Veterans Prepare for 2004 Creative Arts Festival
WASHINGTON (August 25, 2004) - More than 120 veterans from across the country who are medal winners in national music, dance, drama or art contests are preparing to attend the 16th annual National Veterans Creative Arts Festival in Salt Lake City from October 9-16, 2004.
The festival is the culmination of a year-long fine arts talent competition with 3,000 participants nationwide that was open to all veterans receiving care at Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical facilities.
"The National Veterans Creative Arts Festival helps demonstrate that real healing goes well beyond a person's physical needs," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony J. Principi. "For many veterans, the festival has been more than a one-week event. It is a stepping-stone to further artistic success."
These talented veterans will come to Salt Lake City for a week of rehearsals and workshops concluding on Friday, Oct. 15, with a visual art exhibit at the Edgar J. Thompson Music Hall, and a gala variety stage show at Kingsbury Hall, both on the University of Utah campus.
The artists will exhibit their work from 6:00 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. in Gardner Hall. At 7:30 p.m., the music, drama and dance performers will showcase their talent in the stage show, backed by a professional orchestra. Renowned actress of Hollywood's golden era, Jane Powell, will be the mistress of ceremonies for the show.
The festival is presented by VA, the American Legion Auxiliary and Help Hospitalized Veterans. It is hosted this year by the George E. Wahlen VA Medical Center in Salt Lake City.
For further information about the festival, contact Kim Byers, public affairs coordinator, at (734) 761-7824, or log on to the festival's website: http://www1.va.gov/vetevent/caf/2004/default.cfm No Specific Threats to VA Facility, VA Secretary Says
WASHINGTON – The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is unaware of any information indicating a specific terrorist threat to any VA facility in our national health care system, according to Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony J. Principi. "We are operating as usual," Principi said. "No VA services have been affected by the recent information bulletin issued by the Department of Homeland Security." The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regularly distributes information outlining a variety of protective measures to increase awareness and provide guidance to law enforcement, state and local officials, as well as the private sector, about potential terrorist threats. The recent "information bulletin" issued by DHS was cautionary in nature. DHS and the Federal Bureau of Investigation stressed in the bulletin that no "credible information" exists about threats to a specific VA facility. VA operates the nation's largest integrated medical system, with 158 hospitals and nearly 860 outpatient clinics.
VA Diabetes Mellitus Care
Diabetic
patients treated by the Department of Veterans Affairs received better care
than diabetics under managed health care plans, according to a study published
17 AUG 04 by Annals of Internal Medicine. Researchers found that diabetics
treated by
USCG WWII Veterans Outreach Campaign
The
U.S. Coast Guard announced an initiative to identify and collect the oral
histories of its World War II veterans. Coast Guard World War II
veterans--including SPARs and Merchant Marine--are encouraged to record their
histories online with the Library of Congress Veterans History Project at www.loc.gov/folklife/vets
. Those
Help Us Build The Florida World War II Monument!
Learn more about Florida's World War II Memorial.
NEWS YOU CAN USE
Guard and Reserve Personnel Activated During Wartime May Be Eligible For VA Home Loans after 90 Days of Service. VA officials report that there has been a large increase in VA home loans to National Guardsmen and Reservists in recent years. Some guard and reserve personnel may not be aware that being on active duty actually reduces the time it takes for them to become eligible for the loans. Normally, guardsmen and reservists must serve six years before becoming eligible for a VA Home Loan, but that requirement changes to only 90 days of service when they have been called to active duty during wartime. The best way to find out if one qualifies would be to submit an application for a certificate of eligibility to one of two VA Eligibility Centers. The Center in Winston-Salem, NC handles states east of the Mississippi River and the Los Angeles center handles states west of the Mississippi. Click here for more information. [http://www.homeloans.va.gov/] Source: VFW Military update
Take a virtual tour of a State Veterans' Nursing Home. The tour includes ten 360 degree fully interactive pictures. No additional software is required to view these images, simply click on the desired picture and the tour begins.
Click here for information about the Florida Veterans Mobile Service Center.
Click here for a copy of Florida Veterans’ Benefits Guide.
Your purchase of the "Florida Salutes Veterans" or one of the recently approved Army, Navy, Air Force or Coast Guard Military Service license plates helps people who need it most, when they need it most. The entire $15 surcharge goes into a Trust Fund for the Operation and Maintenance of critically needed Veterans' Homes in Florida.
VA NEWS YOU CAN USE
For useful information on concurrent receipt, we suggest the following website: http://www.crlegislation.com/.
Use of VA’s Electronic Health Records Expanding - WASHINGTON -- One of the world’s most sophisticated systems for keeping electronic health records will soon be easily available to doctors, hospitals and clinics around the country, courtesy of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the federal Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. (7/21/04)
Facts About the Department of Veterans Affairs -- 2004 -- The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) was established on March 15, 1989, succeeding the Veterans Administration. It is responsible for providing federal benefits to veterans and their families. Headed by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, VA is the second largest of the 15 Cabinet departments and operates nationwide programs for health care, financial assistance and burial benefits.
VA's fiscal year 2004 projected spending is $62.1 billion -- $29.1 for health care, $32.4 billion for benefits, and $143 million for the national cemetery system. President Bush is seeking $67.7 billion in the fiscal year 2005 budget for VA, a $5.6 billion increase in budget authority, primarily for health care and disability compensation. (Word Version)
VA Benefits for Family Members of Military Personnel Involved in Operation Iraqi Freedom (March 2003) The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has a variety of programs to assist survivors of military personnel who die on active duty. (word version)
VISN 8 Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services (CARES) Information
Ask Benefits Questions Via E-MAIL: For specific Compensation and Pension benefits questions and local regional office issues, the contact list is by state and geographical area of jurisdiction.
Federal Benefits for Veterans and Dependents (2003 Edition) - The 2003 edition of this booklet lists the variety of federal benefits available to veterans and their dependents. Selecting the link above will download the booklet as a PDF file.
La versión en Español de el folleto "Beneficios Federales para los Veteranos y sus Dependientes", el cual explica la variedad de beneficios disponibles para los veteranos y sus dependientes, se encuentra disponible en versión PDF al presionar aquí.
VA - 13 Years as a Cabinet Department - Website contains informational material regarding VA's history as a Cabinet Department
STATE LEGISLATION OF INTEREST TO VETERANS
Click here for a list of bills tracked during the 2003 and 2004 Sessions.
FEDERAL LEGISLATION OF INTEREST TO VETERANS
Click here for information on federal legislation.
Issues and Action: Veterans Issues
VA Testimony at Congressional Hearings
VA testimony before Committees of the U. S. House of Representatives:
VA testimony before Committees of the United States Senate:
(Some links require Adobe Acrobat Reader, which can be downloaded here)
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