Members of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Women Veterans Task Force, VA, women veterans, and veteran organizations discussed issues faced by women veterans, its reproductive health survey, and recent site visits. VFW National Legislative Deputy Director Tammy Barlet, a Coast Guard veteran, shared data from the VFW 2022 COVID-19 Health Survey that indicates 52 percent of women veterans report good general health compared to 40 percent of male veterans.
The Pact Act and Your VA Benefits
Following the recent passage of the Honoring our PACT Act, VA is providing responses to commonly asked questions. What is the PACT Act and how will it affect my benefits? What does it mean to have a presumptive condition for toxic exposure? What is the eligibility for veterans of the Vietnam, Gulf War, and post-9/11 eras. For more information or assistance filing a claim, contact a credited Veterans Service Officer.
Important Phone Numbers For Veterans
The Veterans Crisis Line has a new text number, 988, Press 1. You can still use the phone number: (800) 273-8255, Press 1. Veterans must notify the VA when you go to a community emergency department or are admitted to a community hospital. Call (844) 724-7842. It is a good idea to get the name of the person you talked to, and the time and date. You must call within 72 hours of emergency care to be considered for payment. Do not rely on the doctors or nurses to call. Local veterans that use the DAV for transportation to Erie VA that normally call the Meadville DAV for rides, the number is (814) 868-8661. When the recording for the VA comes on, press 6603 to get the DAV.
Important Dates in September
The Month of September is National Suicide Prevention Month.
National Service Dog Month
Sept. 2 – V-J Day
Sept. 5 – Labor Day
Sept. 11 – Patriot Day: American Flags to Flown at Half-Staff from sunrise to sunset.
POW/MIA Update
Army Pvt. John P. Cooper, 37, of Athens, Texas, was assigned to Company B, 778th Tank Battalion, as a crewmember of a M4 Sherman tank. On March 7, 1945, while his unit was engaged in battle with German forces near Lampaden, Germany, his tank was struck by an enemy rocket. He will be buried in Fort Smith, Arkansas, on Oct. 22, 2022.
Army Pfc. Edward J. Reiter, 17, of Northampton, Pennsylvania, was assigned to Company K, 3rd Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on July 7, 1950, after his unit sustained heavy casualties while defending against the North Korean army. Reiter will be buried in his hometown in the fall of 2022.
Army Pfc. Robert L. Alexander, 27, of Tolley, North Dakota, was assigned to 105th Infantry Regiment, 27th Infantry Division. On July 7, 1944, Alexander was killed when the Japanese general on Saipan ordered his forces into a mass suicide attack. He will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, on a date yet to be determined.
Army Air Forces Staff Sgt. Donald R. Duchene, 19, was assigned to 343rd Bombardment Squadron, 98th Bombardment Group, 9th Air Force. On Aug. 1, 1943, the B-24 Liberator aircraft on which Duchene was a tail gunner crashed as a result of anti-aircraft fire. Following the war, his remains could not be identified. Interment services are pending.
Army Pfc. Robert A. Wright, 18, was assigned to Company C, 1st Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on July 16, 1950, while fighting the North Korean People’s Army along the Kum River, north of Taejon, South Korea. Interment services are pending.
Army Pfc. Adelaido M. Solis, 19, was assigned to Company B, 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. He was reported missing in action on Dec. 1, 1950, after his unit’s withdrawal from Kunu-ri, North Korea. Interment services are pending.
Army Staff Sgt. Sanford I. Finger, 29, was assigned to U.S. Army Element Vietnam, Army Air Force Regional Exchange, Pacific Exchange, U.S. Army Headquarters Area Command. On Oct. 26, 1971, Finger was lost when the CH-47B Chinook helicopter on which he was a passenger went down over water in bad weather while flying from Tuy Hoa to Cam Ranh Bay Vietnam. Interment services are pending.
Army Cpl. Joseph J. Puopolo, 19, was assigned to Company C, 38th Field Artillery Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division Artillery, 8th U.S. Army. He was reported missing in action on Dec. 2, 1950, after his unit attempted to withdraw from Kunu-ri, North Korea. Interment services are pending.
Army Pfc. Thomas F. Green, 19, was assigned to 68th Aviation Company, 52nd Aviation Battalion, 17th Aviation Group. On Oct. 26, 1971, he was serving as the door gunner on a CH-47B Chinook helicopter that went down over water in bad weather while flying from Tuy Hoa to Cam Ranh Bay Vietnam. Interment services are pending.
Army Air Force Staff Sgt. David E. Holeman, 39, was assigned to the 17th Pursuit Squadron, 24th Pursuit Group, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December 1941. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula in 1942. Interment services are pending.
Army Air Forces Tech. Sgt. John M. Carroll, 32, was assigned to 328th Bombardment Squadron, 93rd Bombardment Group, 9th Air Force. On Aug. 1, 1943, the B-24 Liberator aircraft on which Carroll was the radio operator crashed as a result of anti-aircraft fire. Following the war, his remains could not be identified. Interment services are pending.
Marine Corps Pfc. Lawrence E. Garrison, 23, was assigned to Company H, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force, which landed against stiff Japanese resistance on the small island of Betio. Garrison was reported killed on the first day of the battle, Nov. 20, 1943. Interment services are pending.
Army Capt. Donald H. Froemke, 33, was assigned to Company B, 326th Airborne Engineer Battalion, 101st Airborne Division. On Oct. 5, 2022, he was reported killed in action during Operation Market Garden when his unit was attacked by German forces. Following the war his remains could not be recovered. Interment services are pending.
Till next week, praying for all service members.
– Charles Castelluccio
