VFW Action Corps Weekly - 05-09-22

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VFW Action Corps Weekly - 05-09-22
Re: https://www.vfw.org/advocacy/grassro...n-corps-weekly

Note: On site each topic has a link you can to for more information:

1. Take Action Now on Toxic Exposure:

Thanks to your action in March, the Honoring our PACT Act passed the House with a broad bipartisan vote. Now it is time for the Senate to do its job. This historic legislation would ensure toxic-exposed veterans receive the VA health care and benefits they need. It would provide a list of presumptive conditions associated with burn pits and establish a permanent presumptive framework to address any toxic exposure, foreign or domestic, past, present, and future. It would help Post-9/11 veterans, Persian Gulf War veterans, K2 veterans, Atomic veterans, and Vietnam veterans, including those who served in Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos. Contact your Senators and tell them to vote YES when the Honoring our PACT Act is brought to the Senate floor. Click to take action!

2. Student Veteran Enrollment Verification:

Students receiving Post-9/11 GI Bill housing payments are required to verify enrollment to VA by the end of each month. Students may opt-in to text message verification to ensure seamless receipt of their Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) payments. Learn more about the enrollment verification process.

3. Mental Health Awareness:

To spotlight mental health in May, VA encourages veterans to make the connection. Learn how veterans with issues like your own have worked through them to achieve a better quality of life or find other mental health resources. Caregivers can connect with VA mental health resources by contacting the Caregiver Support Line (855.260.3274). For any veteran in crisis you are not alone, you can contact the Veteran Crisis Line at 1.800.273.8255, press 1.

4. Military Appreciation Month & Discounts:

National Military Appreciation Month is celebrated in May as it is distinguished with six national observances and several events that honor those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces and their families. Check here for a few stores, restaurants and attractions offering free meals and discounts throughout the month. Find events to participate in or learn more.

5. MIA Update: The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced four burial updates for service members who have been missing and unaccounted-for from World War II and Korea. Returning home for burial with full military honors are:


01- Army Pfc. William J. Sharp, 18, of Osborn, Ohio, was assigned to Company C, 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. He was reported killed in action on July 24, 1950, after his unit sustained heavy casualties while defending against the North Korean army’s advance near Hwanggan, South Korea. Following the war, his remains could not be recovered. He will be buried in Dayton, Ohio, on May 20, 2022. Read about Sharp.

02 - Army Pvt. Walter G. Wildman, 20, of Bristol, Pennsylvania, was assigned to Company M, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division. On Nov.13, 1944, his unit was part of the Hürtgen Forest offensive in Germany, when he was reported killed in action. Following the battle his remains could not be recovered. He will be buried in Newton, Pennsylvania, on May 23, 2022. Read about Wildman.

03 - Army Pfc. Jack E. Lilley, 19, of Wadsworth, Ohio was assigned to Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on July 20,1950, after his unit was forced to retreat from the vicinity of Taejon, South Korea. Following the battle, his remains could not be recovered. He will be buried in Westerville, Ohio, on June 14, 2022. Read about Lilley.

03 - Army Air Forces 1st Lt. Newell F. Mills Jr., 21, of St. Petersburg, Florida, was assigned to the 354th Fighter Squadron, 355th Fighter Group. On April 7, 1945, Mills was piloting a P-51D Mustang fighter escorting a formation of B-24 Liberator bombers to a target in Geesthacht, Germany. The formation encountered German fighters near Bremen, where he and the other escort pilots engaged the Germans. Following the mission, Mills and his wingman never returned to base or were reported as prisoners of war. The War Department issued an administrative Finding of Death on April 8, 1946. He will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, on a date yet to be determined. Read about Mills.

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Personal note: Welcome home men may you now rest in peace on American soil and may you familes finally have closure knowing your back home!