Top 10 Veterans Stories in Today’s News

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Top Veterans Stories in Today’s News

1. Obama Asks Americans to Honor Legacy of Military Veterans Washington – President Barack Obama, speaking to military personnel after a storm delayed earlier remarks, asked Americans to honor the legacy of war veterans. “In this time of war, we pay special tribute to the thousands of Americans who have given their lives during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq,” Obama, 48, said in Memorial Day remarks at Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington today. “We find comfort knowing that their legacy shines bright in the people they loved.”
2. Memorial Day history: Country honors fallen U.S. veterans Putting flowers or flags on a grave, visiting memorials or flying the American flag at half-staff are all actions that many Americans observe on Memorial Day or during the holiday weekend. The significance of the holiday, however, may not be fully understood by some children — as well as adults — who are the beneficiaries of those who have given the ultimate sacrifice.
3. Names Added to Vietnam Veterans Memorial Washington – The U.S. National Park Service and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund say six names have been added to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, bringing the total number of names on the wall to 58,267. These additions were recognized officially during Monday’s annual Memorial Day Observance at the memorial wall.
4. Steve Muro, the man in charge of looking after U.S. military cemeteries Washington – Steve Muro serves as acting undersecretary for the Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemetery Administration, putting him in charge of 131 national cemeteries in the United States and Puerto Rico. Military veterans honorably discharged from the Armed Forces, their spouses and dependents are eligible for burial at the national or state military cemeteries at no cost to their families. Muro’s team oversaw more than 106,000 burials last year and assisted with 27,000 burials at private cemeteries. The office also cut and shipped more than 352,000 headstones and markers.
5. Quality healthcare? It’s the Veterans Administration Journalist Phil Longman at the New American Foundation recently updated his book “Best Care Anywhere,” which documents the 1990s rejuvenation of the Veterans Administration’s health care system. Between editions, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan placed strains on the VA not seen since Vietnam. Here’s his thoughts on the current state of the system, and the lessons its transformation holds for other delivery systems in the U.S. How does contact with the VA healthcare system compare in terms ofmedical outcomes for its patients? How about in other measures ofquality?
6. Many Vets Missing Out On Thousands Of Dollars El Paso, Texas – The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has a program for veterans over the age of 65 called Aid and Attendance. Despite some being able to receive more than $23,000 a year through the program, officials with Veterans Financial said only one in three eligible vets are enrolled.
7. Veterans battling bureaucracy to get medical benefits Los Angeles – John Lamie survived six roadside bombings in Iraq, only to have the Department of Veterans Affairs refuse to accept three months’ worth of medical tests he underwent for jaw and shoulder wounds – tests performed by VA-approved doctors at VA facilities. Casey Elder, who says she suffers migraines and memory loss from a roadside bomb in Iraq, has been told by the VA that the bombing did not cause those problems – despite a VA doctor’s diagnosis that she suffered a traumatic brain injury.
8. Filipino War Veterans Celebrate U.S. Compensation Win As the Filipino and American flags were raised side by side at the annual Memorial Day celebration at Manila’s American Cemetery, World War II veterans like Ernesto Lopez stood extra proud. At the age of 83, he could finally stop fighting. For more than 60 years, Filipino World War II veterans have been lobbying to receive benefits promised to them by the U.S. government during the war. But it was only with the signing of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in 2009 – decades after many of them fought battles in places such as Bataan and Corregidor – that Filipino veterans were formally recognized for fighting alongside the U.S. armed forces, and were slated to receive financial compensation for their sacrifice. (Watch a video about WW II vets in Washington.)
9. Justice delayed is justice denied San Francisco – While there are many political issues that deeply divide our country, there is one thing we all can agree on: the necessity and importance of caring for our veterans, who have devoted a portion of their lives to protecting our nation.As President Obama has said, “When our fellow citizens commit themselves to shed blood for us, that binds our fates with theirs in a way that nothing else can.”
10. Reintegration Problems and Treatment Interests Among Iraq and Afghanistan Combat Veterans Receiving VA Medical Care The objectives of this study were to describe the prevalence and types of community reintegration problems among Iraq and Afghanistan combat veterans who receive U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical care, identify interests in interventions or information to promote readjustment to community life, and explore associations between probable posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and reintegration problems and treatment interests