Meetings held at:
VFW Post 1371
207 Main St. - Owego, NY 13827
Contact: 607-821-2912
1st Tuesday Each Month @ 7 P.M.
Next Meeting: February 2, 2010

Our Mailing Address:
VVA Chapter 480
PO Box 491
Owego, NY 13827

On The History Channel:
Nothing scheduled at this time.

Photos from Turkey Trot Acres:
Jack Hartzel provided Photos from the Benefit Concert for VVA 480 which was sponsored by Turkey Trot Acres in Candor, N.Y.

NRPS DVD/CD Is Here!:
The New Riders of the Purple Sage: "Wanted: Live at Turkey Trot" DVD/CD is now available. This DVD/CD was recorded live at the Benefit Concert for VVA 480 in July 2006 at Turkey Trot Acres (see Photos from Turkey Trot Acres above).

If you would like to order the DVD/CD go to the Turkey Trot Acres website and scroll to the bottom.


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.

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).
Chapter Officers:
President - Jack T. Hartzel
607-821-2912
Vice President - Rick Deubler
Secretary/Treasurer - Henry Murphy


Membership Application:
You can download a Membership Application here and mail it in with your check. For more information, please contact one of the officers above.



Catfish Derby:
Our 14th Annual All Night Catfish Derby was held on June 6th & 7th, 2009 at Hickories Park in Owego, NY.

Here are the Winners.



Golf Tournament:
VVA Chapter 480 and VFW Post 1371 announce their joint 1st Annual Golf Tournament, to be held on Sunday September 27, 2009.

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.

Cholangiocarcinoma:
Veteran's widow battles killer parasite from Vietnam
By Roger Neumann, The Star-Gazette

In the cruel way that war sometimes works, Vietnam killed Pete Harrison nearly 36 years after he came home.

Elusive as they were, Pete thought he knew his enemies over there. The Viet Cong. The North Vietnamese. Their sympathizers.

Nobody ever warned him about parasites in the water he drank, but they were there. Nobody ever mentioned the parasites could cause cancer, but they could. Nobody ever told him that cholangiocarcinoma might kill him some day, but it did.

Read On ...
Newsletter:
The V.V.A. Chapter 480 November 2009 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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Website Online December 6, 2005
Last Updated: January 20, 2010
Site created & maintained by:
Bob Blakeslee, Webmaster