Meetings held at: VFW Post 1371 207 Main St. - Owego, NY 13827 607-687-1371 VVA 480 Contact: Bill Chandler 1st Tuesday Each Month @ 7 P.M. Next Meeting: February 7, 2012 Our Mailing Address: VVA Chapter 480 PO Box 491 Owego, NY 13827 Asbestos and Veterans: Information from the Mesothelioma & Asbestos Awareness Center. Additional information and a great resource is the Mesothelioma Website, sister site of the Mesothelioma and Asbestos Awareness Center. Here is another source of information on Veterans and Mesothelioma, from The Mesothelioma Cancer Center. And here is The Mesothelioma Library with a ton of information. The Online Asbestos, Asbestos Cancer, & Mesothelioma Authority, is a highly informational site for your use. The Mesothelioma Web is another site for those looking for info on the disease. A website with a comprehensive list of Doctors and Treatment Centers specialized in treating mesothelioma all around the United States. Veterans & Chemical & Biological Testing: The GAO report (Feb 2008) on the DOD and VA need to improve efforts to identify and notify individuals potentially exposed during Chemical and Biological tests. "Before You Go": I came across this Tribute and Thank You to Veterans of the Vietnam War and thought you might enjoy it as much as I did (make sure your sound is turned on). "Call for Photos": HISTORY is proud to join the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund’s (VVMF) Call for Photos, a nationwide campaign to collect a photograph for each of the 58,272 men and women whose names are inscribed on The Wall. Interestingly, when you go to the above link at History.com, the composite showing photos of those lost in Vietnam, shows the photo of a local (Harpursville) soldier, Lester Stone, Medal of Honor recipient. Lester's photo is the 2nd in from the left, top row. Lester Stone is buried in the Chenango Valley Cemetery in Hillcrest, not far from the resting place of Lawrence Peters, another Vietnam Medal of Honor recipient.

Chapter Officers: President - William G. Chandler Vice President - Ron Traue Secretary - Jack Hartzel Treasurer - Henry Murphy Membership Application: Join VVA Chapter 480 today ... your first years dues are on us! You can download a Membership Application here and mail it in with your check. We are all Vietnam Era Veterans, some were in Vietnam, some stationed elsewhere, and some never left the states. We all served Honorably, so don't let not going to Nam stop you from joining our chapter! Semper Fi!.....Jack For more information, please contact one of the officers above. Catfish Derby: Stayed tuned for information coming on our 2012 Catfish Derby. VA Info: (Posted Oct. 30, 2007) VA COLA Update here. More good news from the VA (Not!), Procedures for Handling Extraordinary Awards from Pres. Hartzel. New PTSD Rule: Congressman John Hall (NY-19), Chairman of the House Veteran's Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs, applauded the news today that the Veterans Administration (VA) will adopt a rule next week granting presumption of service connection to any veteran who served in a combat zone and has been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Newsletter: The V.V.A. Chapter 480 April 2010 Newsletter is now online. Newsletter Archives: Visit the Chapter 480 Archives to read past newsletters. Note: You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view and/or download the file (PDF format). Need Adobe Acrobat Reader? Click on the icon below and download the free Reader. Link to: V.V.A. National Website V.V.A. N.Y.S. Council Vietnam Veterans Home Page VFW Post 1371, Owego, NY N.Y. State Division of Veterans' Affairs Finns Site - 'A Place for Vietnam Veterans' Notice from President Hartzel: Please read the new January 2007 Newsletter for important information on the "Aid and Attendance Benefit" available from the VA. Semper Fi! ... Jack Veteran's Suicide Prevention Hotline Begins Operation: The Suicide Prevention Hotline for U.S. Veterans, announced by the Department of Veterans Affairs on July 2, is now fully operational. By calling the toll-free hot line at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), veterans can get direct, round-the-clock access to mental health professionals. "The hot line will put veterans in touch “ any time of the day or night, any day of the week, from anywhere in the country“ with trained, caring professionals who can help," stated VA Secretary Jim Nicholson in a press release. "This is another example of the VA's commitment to provide world-class health care for our nation's veterans, especially combat veterans newly returned from Iraq and Afghanistan." Veteran's suicide rate doubles others - A study conducted by Portland State University concluded that US war veterans are twice as likely to kill themselves as ordinary civilians. Suicide rates among men who had served in the military were found to be 2.13 percent higher than among men with no military service.

Thousands of Vietnam Veterans earned medals for bravery every day ... a few were even awarded.

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