SGT E5, Jan to Aug 1968, C Troop
Lives in San Antonio, TX
E-Mail: betterman12@msn.com
Operational Report on Lessens Learned
I. Significant Organization and Unit Activities
1. Introduction:
The Quarterly Command Report submitted by the 1st Infantry Division in Feb 1966, accounts for the preceding six month period 1 July through 31 Dec 1965. During this period the Division, , minus the 2nd Infantry Brigade, deployed from Fort Riley, Kansas, arriving in the republic of Vietnam in October. Throughout the remaining months of 1965, the division was established in base camps and began operations to extend its influence into the tacticval areas of responsibility. Three decisive engagements were fought at Bau Bang, Trung Loi and Nha Mat which gave a clear indication that the division was prepred to accomplish its mission.
Throughout the period 1 Jan to 30 Apr 1966, the 1st Inf Div has continued to conduct operations to locate and destroy Viet Cong forces and installations and return contested areas to control of the Government of Vietnam. When the enemy forces have chosen to fight, they have been decisively defeated. Elements of six VC main Force units suffered heavy losses in the four major battles fought during the period. Operations have varied in size from squad patrols to two-brigade (reinforced) search and destroy operations. Although many of the operations have been conducted in assigned Brigade areas of responsibility, major opersations have been conducted throughout the III corps Tactical Zone (CTZ) when lucrative targets are defined by Intelligence. Many areas of III CTZ were entered for the first time by free world ground forces, with Viet Cong Safe areas losing immunity in War Zones C and D and along the Cambodian border. Full cooperation between US Forces and other Free World forces was experienced in all combined operations.
Civic action has continued to have a high priority and projects performed under this program have been numerous and varied.
2. Organization:
The 1st Infantry Division continued to occupy five major base camps at DI AN, PHU LOI, LAI KHE, PHUOC VIHN, Bein Hoa and Bear Cat. The 2nd Brigade base camp was relocated from Bien Hoa (YT 055110) to Bear Cat (YT 165000) (Incl 3). This move was required to relocate the brigade from the center of the Long Binh Logistics area to better contribute to the defense of the southern sector of the logistics area. Relocation was completed 22 April, with the closure of the 2d Battalion, 16th Infantry.
At the beginning of the reporting period, operational control was exercised over the following units:
173rd Airborne Brigade (Separate)
2nd Battalion, 13th Artillery (105 T)
11th Aviation Battalion
The 2nd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division arrived from Hawaii and became operational on 29 January, at which time it came under operational control of the CG, 1st Inf Div. With the assumption of OPCON, 2nd Bde, 25th Inf Div, command and operational control were exercised over approximately 29,000 personnel.
On 15 March 1966, command of the 1st Inf Div was passed to BG William E. DePuy by MG Jonathan O. Seaman, who assumed command of II Field Force, Vietnam. Concurrently, HQ, II Field Force, Vietnam assumed the responsibility of providing the senior advisor to the CG III Corps (ARVN) and assumed direction of the US Army advisory group in III CTZ. The 2nd Bde, 25th Inf Div, 173rd AB Bde (Separate), 23rd Artillery Grp, 11 Aviation Batt, and 145th Aviation Batt were released from the operational control of the 1st Inf Div on 22 March 1966. The subsequent delay between activation of Hq, II Field Force, Vietnam, and assumption of operational control of these organizations was to avoid a change in central Headquarters of operations currently being conducted.
Division organization is shown at Inclosure 1.
3. Intelligence:
a. Enemy Order of Battle. The enemy forces in the 1st Inf Div area of influence numbered over 61,000 confirmed personnel based on MACV estimates. The units included seven main force regiments and 12 other battalions. The total number of confirmed battalions in the III Corps was estimated at 35. In addition there were 32 confirmed separate companies and 28 separate platoons. Regiments and their last reported location in the area were:
DT@ (XS 4496) 5th (YS 8194)
Separate battalions listed were:
Qugot Thang (XT 6520).....C230 (XT 0261)
Z35 Arty (XT 6939).....Z41 Arty (XT 7433)
*Local Forces.
Of the above units contact was made with elements of the 271, 272, 273, 94th Regiments and the 506th Local Force Batt during the reporting period by the 1st Inf Div or units under the operation control of the division.
b. Although many reports have been received of low morale due to sickness, hunger and shortages of equipment and personnel, there have been no major indicators that the VC forces in the III corps are any less determined than before. The combat efficiency of some of the VC units encountered had been impaired by actions against the division.
However, captured documents indicate plans to mount new offensive actions on a large scale, indicating that the major main force units have been built up to strength again.
c. VC initiated incidents in the division areas of operations during the reporting period consisted of harassing small arms and mortar, small uni actioins, road sabotage, hamlet and political agitation and tax collection. Main Force units withdrew farther into their base areas due to division operatons and in some instances have been permanently denied the use of base areas due to their proximaty to the divisional base camps.
d. The VC units can be expected to fight when they feel their important base camps are being threatened or when they feel they have the tactical advantage. They retain the capability of attacking any one of our base camps at any time with a reinforced regiment and reinforcing with at least two more regiments within 72 hours. They can conduct large scale ambushes along lines of communication and can direct high angle fire into our installations with relative ease using small well-trained mortar or artillery crews. The VC antiaircraft capability is growing and the use of explosive projectile AAA would not be unexpected in the III CTZ if the VC consider it advantagesus.
e. There were continuing indications throughout the reporting period that the VC had fairly accurate intelligence concerning 1st Inf Div Operations. However it appears that they underestimated the division capability to aggressively close with their forces and to call in massive amounts of air and other means of fire support.
f. During the reporting period, the VC made extensive use of mines and booby traps. Command detonated mines are used effectively against US Vehicles. Many of these mines use dud 105mm and 155mm artillery shells. Booby trapped avenues of approach into VC base areas are the rule and the VC are becoming ingenious in their use. Command detonated Claymore type mines are used extensively against personnel. These anti-personnel and anti-vehicular activities are supplemented by LOC harassment utilizing snipers.
g. The operations of the division have seriously curtailed some of the VC administrative and logistical activity. The presence of the Phuoc Vihn base hinders the VC transport of supplies along the established routes from Zone C to Zone D. Additionally operations in the Long Nguyen, Tay Ninh, Phuoc Tuy, and other areas have uncovered and destroyed important VC caches of arms, food, ammunition, medical supplies and other critical items. This continuous degradation of the VC logistic capability will have a serious, prolonged effect on the ability of the VC main force units to conduct sustained operations.
h. VC Losses during the reporting periodincluded 1,590 KIA (BC), 216 VCC, and 2,313 VCS.
4, Combat Operations:
a. General. The 1st Inf Div continued military operations to extend RVN control throughout the III Corps area. As areas contiguous to base camps were cleared, operations were conducted beyond TAORS as the situation required. The number of operations conducted in War Zones C and D and the losses inflicted on the VC in men and material, further substantiage the
Strategic locations of the 1st and 3rd Bdes. Combat operations have varied from squad ambushes and patrols to operations involving two bdes (reinforced).
b. January. The 1st Inf Div (reinforced) conducted 18 major operations (battalion size or larger), with all operations resulting in VC contact. From 8 to 11 Jan, the 3rd Bde conducted Operation Crimp (Incle 14 in the HO BO woods area of Binh Duong province. The mission of the operation was to destroy the Saigon – Gia Dinh – Cholon VC political headquarters. The operations commenced with a B-52 strike followed by air and artillery preparations. The infantry battalions were then landed by an airmobile assault. Operation Crimp disrupted the VC organization in the HO BO woods and deprived the VC of the unrestricted use of their elaborate, tunnel infested operating base.
Upon completion of Operaton CRIMP, the 3rd Bde, commenced Operaton BUCKSKIN (Incl 15) on 12 January in conjunction with ARVN forces. The objective was to clear the area north and west of CHU CHI (XT 643155) to assist in the establishment of a base camp area for 2nd Bde, 25th Inf Div.
During the CRIMP and BUCKSKIN operations, a large number of trench installations and tunnel complexes were destroyed or action taken to deny further use to the VC. This was the first encounter by the division with tunnel complexes ofthis magnitude and presented a problem in methods to prevent further use. Many of the tunnels and reinforced concrete entrence covers which were completely covered with secondary growth and were discovered when knocked ajar by an air strike or when personnel exposed the handle. Because the tunnel complexes were so extensive and difficult to destroy, the time phasing of the operations were affected. The amount of explosive necessary for complete destruction, made this method prohibitive. The method which proved most fesible was the seeding of the tunnel with CS crystals and either blowing the entrance with explosive or caving it in with the use of a tank dozer. VC tunnels, fortifications, and caps of the variety discovered during Operation CRIMP and BUCKSKIN are at Inclosures 8 and 9, The destruction of these fortifications and the presence of ARVN and US Forces in this area were initial major steps in the spread of GVN influence into territory which previously had been VC dominated.
The 1st Bde conducted a series of operations to the south and southwest of PHUOC VINH. These operations were significant in that large numbers of VC logistical concentrations wee destroyed and large amounts of captured supplies were extracted or destroyed. Operation QUICK KICK I (3 – 8 Jan) was a search and destroy operation conducted approximately three miles west of PHUOC VINH. All three battalions were involved in the operation that netted 45 tons of rice. During the period 11 through 14 January, Operation QUICK KICK II (Incl 16) was conducted southeast of PHUOC VINH. Approximately 1300 tons of rice were included in the materials captured and destroyed. 1st Bde conducted operation QUICK KICK III (11 – 14 Jan) south of the SONG BE River. Two battalions were landed in an airmobile assault and conducted search and destroy operations in the zone.
2nd Bde commenced Operation MALLET, (Incl 17) a major search and destroy operation in the LONG THANH District.
Close Air Support sorties in January increased 722 to a total of 1,546. One hundred eighty-three TAC airlift sorties were flown in support of operations. During January, a total of 71,113 rounds of artillery were expended in support of grund operations.
c. February. Operations MALLET and MASTAFF were the
major operations conducted in February. Sixteen operations of battalion or larger size were initiated, of which 14 resulted in VC contact.
2nd Bde continued Operation Mallet (Incl 17) in the Long
Thanh and Nhon Trach Districts. The three Battalion operation disrupted the Viet Cong organization and was the first in a series of operations designed to regain control of Route 15. VC Tunnels, bunkers, and command post complexes in Long Thanh District east of Route 15 were destroyed. This operation destroyed Viet Cong Bases which Posed a threat to Saigon.
The 1st BDE continued its attack on VC supply installatons in
the Phuoc Vinh area through execution of Quick Kick IV (Incl 19) 3 – 9 February. The operation, conducted in an area approximately six miles southeast of Phuoc Vinh, netted 322.7 tons of rice, 96.6 tons of peanuts, 9 trucks, and 4,600 gallons of fuel.
On 10 February 1966, the 1st Bde initiated Operation Rolling Stone (Incl 19 and 20) in conjunction with the 1st Engineer Battalion and 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment. The mission of the operation was construction of a road between Routes 13 and 16 in conjunction with pacification and search and destroy operations. Construction of the 30 feet wide laterite road was accomplished by the 1st Engineer Battalion, using 455 personnel and 50 pieces of major construction equipment. Although the road has military significance to US Forces (two forward bdes are connected by this road and thus have alternated MSR’s), the primary objective was to open the area to RVN economic and military influence. Infantry not involved in the security of Work parties accomplished the search and destroy and pacification missions. The armored cavalry troop provided the rapid reaction force. On the morning of 24 Feb, a VC main force estimated between 1,500 and 1,800 personnel attacked the Bde forward area near Cau Dinh (XT8536). During the five hour attack, the Bde received fire from 60mm and 81mm mortars, 57mm and 75mm Recoilless rifles, Claymore mines, automatic weapons, and assorted small arms. Fire was returned by all available weapons. Six hundred rounds of artillery were expended in the defense of the perimeter, with the 1st Batt, 5th Artillery, executing 167 direct fire missions. VC Main Force units believed to have conducted the attack were elements of D800, 763 Regiment, and 761 Regiment in which the enemy suffered 135 KIA (Body Count), with an addition 150 KIA estimated and resulted in a decisive victory for the US Forces.
The 1st Infantry Division committed the 2nd and 3rd Bdes on Operation MASTIFF (Incl 19) during the period 21 through 27 February. The operation was an attack against a repoted VC stronghold in the Boi Loi Woods of Tay Ninh Province. Free world military forces has not been in the Boi Loi woods for several years and the 1st Infantry Division troops rapidly dominated the area and disrupted VC use of the area. The operation, designed o locate and destroy VC forces and base camps in an area five miles south of the Michelin Rubber Plantation, was preceded by air and artillery preparations. Five of the six infantry battalions participating were landed in an Airmobil assault, supported by 142 helicoptors. Operation MASTIFF sharply reduced VC influence and demonstrated that the reported VC stronghold could not stand against Free World Military forces.
During February, close air support sorties totaled 1,589. TAS airlift sorties totaled 90 and carried 519.8 tons of cargo and 730 passengers. Artillry expended 71,470 rounds in support of ground operations.
The QUICK KICK operations revealed another problem that occurs when large supply caches are discovered. This problem is a method of destroying rice. When possible and feasible, rice is extracted and turned over to Civic Action Agencies. However, due to the nature of the terrain in which storage areas are discovered, this is not always possible. The rice must be moved to a suitable landing zone where the extraction is made using CH-4 helicopters. The cost of an operation of this nature makes it prohibitive. The rice must be destroyed to prevent it from falling into the hands of VC again. Herein lies the problem since there is no suitable destruction method, particularly during the dry season when streams are drid up. Efforts have been made to burn it with fuel or powder, but neither method has proven successful. Several instances have also occurred whrere the VC booby trap rice caches. Photographs of rice captured and conditions under which it was extracted are at Inclosure 12.
d. March. During March the division continued to strike hard at the
VC. VC lines of infiltration and supply were cut, large enemy logistical bases and safe areas were destroyed, and a hard-core regiment was engaged and defeated. Seventeen of the twenty-one Battalion or larger size oprations made contact with the VC.
Operation R OLLING STONE terminated on 2 March. Enemy losses included 173 KIA (BC), 62 individual weapons, 11 crew served weapons, and 33 bunkers.
2nd BDE commenced Operation HATTIESBURG (Incl 22) on 1 March, in Tay Ninh Province, within a few thousand meters of the CAMBODIAN Border. During the operation, the VC organization of the TO LU Secret Zone was disrupted and major east-west infiltration and communication routes were cut. Assets lost to the VC as a result of this operation included 242 tons of rice, 400 pounds of TNT, and 40 120mm mortar rounds. Operation HATTIESBURG terminated 5 March.
Intelligence reports of increasing VC activity in the 3rd BDE TAOR caused the BDE to plan and launch a series of battalion size sweep and destroy operations north of Lai Khe in BINH DUONG Providence. The 2nd Batt, 28th Inf, executing Operation COCOA BEACH (Incl 23) in support of the Brigade plan, fought the divisions major battle of the month on 5 March near the village of LO KE (XT 7745) (Incl 1). Upon occupation of its perimeter, the Batt had dug in, constructed excellent defensive fortifications, and put out three 15-man ambush patrols during the hours of darkness. First contact with the hostile force occurred at 0615 when a VC company was ambushed 600 meters northwest of the battalion perimeter. This action prematurely tripped and disorganized the VC attack. Enemy assaults against the perimeter failed and the battle terminated at 1250 hours with the linkup of 16th and 28th Infantry and the complete rout of the Q272 main force regiment. The defense of the LO KE perimeter was supported by 103 artillery missions and 66 TAC air sorties. Viet Cong losses included 199 KIA (BC) with an additional 300 KIA estimated.
Operation SILVER CITY (Incl 24) was initiated by the 1st BDE on 7 March in conjunction with 173rd AB BDE (Sep), 10th ARVN Division and CIDC forces. The operation was directed at a VC tactical stronghold and safe area in vicinity of the SONT PE River in BANH DUONG Province. Units participating destroyed major VC supply installations, interdicted VC main communications and supply lines and demoralized VC forces by denying them another safe area for training, hospitalization, and logistical activities. Intelligence was collected on the political, domestic, ad administrative aspect of Military Region Seven. Material Losses inflicted on the VC included 165 tons of rice, 14 vehicles, and one field hospital. The operation terminated on 23 March.
Operation WAYCROSS (Incl 25), was a 1st BDE operation conducted in conjunction with ARVN forces to locate and destroy VC sorties which had raided an ARVN compound and to recover captured equipment. The operation was initiated on 24 March and terminated 25 March.
On 30 March, the 1st Infantry Division initiated Operation ABILENE (Incl 26) in LONG KHANH and PHUOC TUY Provinces, involving the 2nd and 3rd BDES and 1st Batt, Royal Australian Regiment.
e. April. The 1st Inf Div continued operations to find and destroy VC forces and installations and disrupt enemy lines of communications. Extensive use was made of the saturation patrol technique. Company size patrols were conducted which kept the VC constantly on the move and off-guard and interrupted his plans to re-establish his influence in brigads TACRs and along friendly lines of communications. Additional objectives were achieved through coordination of saturation patrols with passage of resupply convoys. The 2nd BDE completed the relocation of its base camp to vicinity of BEAR CAT, adding greater security to Route 15 and extending the division’s area of operations further into contested areas. Twelve separate military operations (battalion size or larger) were conducted against VC Forces in III CTZ. D800 VC main force Batt was identified through an engagement in the division area of operation.
The 1st Inf Div conducted two large scale division controlled operations. Operations ABILENE and BIRMINGHAM were conducted in LONG KHANH/PHUOC TUY and TAY NINH Provinces, respectively, and represented the first time US forces had operated in these areas in such a large scale. Operation ABILENE (OPORD 7-66) which commenced on 30 March, deprived the enemy of large caches of supplies and resulted in the destruction of many base camps. The area of operations included rubber plantations and dense jungle. The 2nd and 3rd BDEs were reinforced by the 1st Batt, Royal Austrialian Regiments, and 161st New Zealand Artillery Battery. The mission of the operation specified that units wuld conduct search and destroy operations in the provinces to locate and destroy element of the 9th and 94th Regiments, their base camps and the MAY TAO Secret Zone. Although neither regiment was in the area during the operation, many supply caches were destroyed and VC influence and propaganda suffered a major setback by operations of a friendly force in the area previously considered under strong VC Domination. Significant contact was heavily engaged in the dese jungle by D800 Main Force battalion. The VC suffered 41 KIA (BC) during the fighting which occurred. On the morning of 12 April, engineers and medical personnel descended laddes suspended from hovering CH-47 aircraft to get down through the jungle canopy. The engineers cut down trees to construct a landing zone large enough to receive aeromedical evacuation helicopters. Material losses inflicted on the VC included 1,241 tons of rice, 59 tons of salt, 54 base camps, 3 tractors, and 5,500 gallons of kerosene. Operation ABILENE terminated 15 April.
Operation LEXINGTON commenced in the NHON TRACH District on 17 April. 2nd BDE elements conducted extensive patrols, ambushes, and search and destroy operations by company size units. VC movement, propaganda lectures, and evidence that VC were trying to rebuild base camp and fortifications previously destroyed by the BDE during Operation MALLET, prompted the selection of this area of operations. ARVN forces participated by evacuating villages and repairing roads and bridges. 2nd BDE units inflicted the loss of 17 KIA (BC) and 7 base camps on the enemy.
Operation BIRMINGHAM (OPORD 8-66) commenced on 24 April 1966 in the previously VC safe area of War Zone C north of TAY NINH. The operations near the CAMBODIAN Border further complicated VC freedom of movement through this area. His infiltration routes were cut, base camps and fortifications destroyed, and his control of and support by the population in War Zone C was countered. Phase I was initiated by a massive air assault involving Air Force and Army fixed-wing aircraft and CH 47 and UH-1 helicopters . The 1st and 3rd BDES controlled the maneuver elements, which consisted of battalions from all three BDEs. ARVN III Corps participation included 3 Ranger battalions, one infantry battalion from the 25th Division and 3 battalions from the Airborne Division. Severd CIDS companies participated along with their Special Forces Advisors. Intensive Search and Destroy operations were conducted with only light contact being made initially. On 26 April, three large VC supply base camp complexes were discovered. It was becoming apparent that major VC supply installations were located along the CAMBODIAN Border and the eastern bank of the CAI BAC River, removed from the areas of previous B-52 strikes by several thousand meters. Four Infantry Battalions were deployed to the west to search the jungle areas and likely lending sites along the river. VC Contacts continued to be with groups ranging from squad to platoon size with the VC fleeing after exchanges of fire. On 30 April, a battle was fought by the 1st Batt, 2nd Inf and 2nd Batt, 16th Inf with an estimated VC battalion in vicinity of the village of LO CO (WT 9775). The engagement was supported by artillery, close air support, and helicopter gunships. As the six-hour battle developed, a great volume of automatic weapons fire was received from CAMBODIA. Fire was returned by the infantry and a heavy volume of artillery fire was directed into the target area. These fires silenced the enemy weapons and the VC broke contact and fled. A major discovery during the operation was a VC Hospital complex. The complex measured 100 X 300 meters and contained hospital wards, modern laboratory facilities, surgical facilities, 1000 pounds of medical supplies, and administrative and storage areas. VC losses through 30 April included; 82 KIA (BC) 113 KIA (Est), 7 VC Captured, 84 VC suspects, 24 weapons, 24 base camps destroyed, and 1,359 tons of rice and 184.5 tons of salt captured. Operation BIRMINGHAM continues.
During April, 1, 336 close air support sorites were flown in support of the division. Artillery expended 84,104 rounds in support of ground operations.
5. Training:
a. The status of training in te division is excellent. Training was conducted from the squad to company level, stressing combat lessons learned as a result of participation in operations. With the issuance of M-16 rifles to infantry battalions, required training, zeroing, and range firing was completed. The replacement detachment conducts range firing for newly arrived personnel. With the introduction of the Starlight Scope, training was conducted in its use and experiments were made of its use from OH-13 helicopters.
Classroom training and ractical work has been conducted on the subjects of patrolling and ambush techniques. This has developed a positive defense capability among support units stationed at all base camps in order to reduce the number of personnel of infantry units remaining behind to provide base security during major operations. Infantry brigades are utilizing the time between major operations to conduct small unit operations with the primary objective being training and acclimatization of replacements.
Training in airmobile assault techniques is continuous. The programs includes planning procedure, displacement of artillery, use of slings and nets. And the use of ladders as a means to descend from hovering CH-47 aircraft. Techniques are refined through habitual association of a specific airmobile company with a certain brigade.
Base camp support units have been provided 81mm mortars and instructed in their use by qualified personnel.
Training has been integrated into operations on the tactics and techniques peculiar to swamp and river warfare. This training included the use of small boats and construction of field expedients.
“Operation BROTHER” was a program whereby approximately 20 personnel from the 5th and 10th ARVN Divisions were integrated with the division staff sections for a week of orientation and training.
6. Psychological Operations and Civic Actions:
During the four-month period of this report, the Civic Action and PayOps activities of the division have had a noteworthy increase. Their value to the counterinsurgency warfare has proven to be of great benefit.
a. Civic Action. The Community Relation Councils in each disision base camp area are considered to be the backbone of Civic Action. In most cases the progress achieved in bettering the relationship between the US and local CVN officials stems from the friendly, congenial attitude on the part of all council members.
(1) MEDCAP continues to be the most active and beneficial Civic Action program. The results of medical treatment plus the multitude of people that are personally affected by te program enhances a true feeling among the people that the government honestly desires to assist with their problems. PayOps is so closely interrelated with Civic Action that it is hard to distinguish where one terminates and the other begins. Medicine is wrapped in a PayOps leaflet and distributed to patients. Vietnamese nationals receiving medical treatment during an operation are subsequently passed through a C-2/MI facility for questioning. During the reporting period in excess of 25,000 patients were treated.
(2) The completion of the school in the DI AN and THU HOA area reduces the current school projects to four under construction. In equipment installed, latrine facilities were installed in existing schools, dispensaries, hospitals and orphanages. Division units are assisting the AN LOC Orphanage by the construction of the foundation for a dining hall, repairs to fences and buildings, hauling loads of firewood, providing security for the delivery of water, and providing food stuffs and clothes. The construction of wells is programmed for the near future. The project supporting the orphanages has contributed a great deal towards the overall sanitation situation.
(3) Assistance was given to the PHU CIA) District Chief in the relocation of 55 families in the village of THUOC VINH . New lots were surveyed and staked out. Roads were graded and culverts prepared through the new area. VC terrorists action on 22 Mar 66 resulted in the destruction of the village market house. Assistance was given in the planning and layout of the new facility. Construction material was given to the people through the District Chief. Other projects conducted by the division are:
(a) Oil was applied to the main route from the town of DI AN to the DI AN base camp for the control of dust.
(4) Refugees have not posed a problem to the division. The Relocation of villagers is accomplished through close coordination with the appropriate province and/or district officials. Assistance in relocating families has been provided in the form of transportation, food stuff, clothing, yardgoods, soap and construction material. CARE, CRS, USAID and captured enemy supplies are the main source of items required. During this period approximately 450 tons of commodities were distributed to the people and/or activities requiring assistance. An additional 220 tons of captured rice and peanuts were turned over to the ARVN Airborne Division.
b. Payops. The attachment of PayOps teams to the division early in January 1966 provided the capability to react and exploit situations advantageous to PayWay activities. The teams were attached from the 246th PayOps Company stationed in BIEN HOA. In the early planning status of combat operations, the PayOps personnel are of great value in sesigning a program tailored to fit the need of the specific operation area. Information obtained about local civilians is of assistance in formulating the appropriate themes to be used. The attitude of the local civilians towards the VC as well as gaining friendly forces assistance if of the utmost importance in planning the campaigns. The target audience ranges from the hard core VC to the friendly villager in the field. The success of the division PayOps program is based on cleverly worded themes utilized in the appropriate situation and released at a time when the audience is most vulnerable.
(1) Leaflets. A variety of methods were utilized in delivering over 9,000,000 leaflets. The ones most commonly used were the C-47 and U-10 Aircraft. Drops were made by UH-1 and OH-13 helicoptersas well as Air force FAC planes. Leaflets were thrown out of vehicles as convoys moved into operational areas. The individual soldier dropped them on the trails in the jungle. For the first time the division delivered leaflets by 105mm shell. Leaflets dropped were in support of Civic Action Projects as well as Combat Operations. MEDCAP leaflets and school dedication leaflets were examples of the type utilized. The school dedication leaflets (10,000) were dropped in the vicinity of XT 9605 announcing that their District Chief was formally opening the new school in the BINH AN hamlet, a joint CVN and US Project, and stating the time and inviting everyone to attend. Sampliing of the leaflets used during combat operations is attacked. The MEDCAP leaflet is best employed by dropping them along the roads leading to the area where MEDCAP will be conducted. Handing them out to patients to pass around to other Vietnamese can also be of value.
(2) Tapes and Loudspeakers. The capability of producing tapes and direct broadcasting was afforded the division by the receipt of four 1000-watt airborne loudspeaker sets. In addition to the standard tapes available, tapes were made utilizing information from captured VC, ralliers, and defectors, and replayed to their former unit or in the vicinity of their suspected locations. Mounting of loudspeaker equipment on vehicles provided the means of roving through areas exploiting situations as they developed. Load speakers, both aircraft and vehicle mounted, were used by GVN officials for issuing instructions to the local people during the searching of villages and hamlets. During Combat Operations, the U-10 Aircraft for loudspeaker missions was used extensively. The C-47, “No Doze” flight, was requested and utilized when available on virtually all operations.
(3) Posters were produced and used in support of the reward program for turning in weapons, equipment and information. Another poster was prepared to exploit the shooting of two Americans while trying to construct a school for the children of BINH AN. VC treatment was the theme for another poster. In excsss of 25,000 posters were used by the division during the period covered by this report. Samples of leaflets and posters are at Inclosure 6.
c. The support rendered by Mr. Spencer, JUSPAO representative, and Mr. Saynton, JSAID representative, assisted greatly in the division CA/PayOp efforts. The direct and ultimate offset that the division PayOps Program has had is difficult to determine. It is believed our efforts have contributed measurably to the number of ralliers and defectors.
7. AVIATION:
The 1st Aviation Batt supported the division by planning and conducting airmobile operations and aerial resupply, providing an airborne command and control capability, conducting administrative and aeromedical evacuation flights, and executing short patrols by the Pathfinder Detachment. Generally, execution of airmobile operations went according to schedule. However, deviations were made when necessary due to weather or a change in the ground commander’s plan of action.
During the period the battalion flew 42 combat assaults/extractions. Rotary wing aircraft flew 25,596 sorties and 9,873 combat hours. Fixed winig ()V-1) flew 2,596 missions and 903 combat hours, Organic aircraft transported 29,575 passengers and 1,063 tons of cargo. Three rotary wing aircraft were lost, on to enemy action. Forty helicopters and one OV-1 were hit by enemy fire.
The following constructioin projects were completed at the PHC LOI Airfield:
Aircraft Control Tower
Airfield Operations Building
Improvement of the OV-1 revetment and ramp
Airfield Weather Building
Helipads in the A company ramp area
Construction continues on the B Company ramp and maintenance hanger for both companies.
(TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK. BB)
American Forces Press Service Abu Ghazwan, a key link in the network operations for al-Qaeda in Iraq, was killed during the cache-site raid in the Tarmiyah area, north of Baghdad, officials said.
Coalition officials said Ghazwan commanded numerous terrorist cells in the Taji and Tarmiyah areas, and advised and financed other terrorist cells throughout northern Iraq and was responsible for building and facilitating vehicle bombs in the Baghdad area.
Additionally, officials said, he was responsible for other terrorist groups that recruit and train children and females to conduct suicide attacks against Iraqi and Coalition forces.
Based on tips from local citizens about possible enemy activities and caches at three locations, the combined forces moved to the areas to investigate. They found nothing at the first location and moved on to the second location, where they detained a suspected Ghazwan associate who was wanted on an Iraqi warrant. The patrol also found a cache consisting of various ammunition rounds, knives, gun powder and a small amount of plastic explosives.
The patrol then moved to a house in a third location. An explosion detonated behind it, followed by small-arms fire. The patrol returned fire. Two Sons of Iraq members were wounded in the explosion, officials said.
While searching the area, a Sons of Iraq member found a trail booby-trapped with grenades and an unidentified man hiding in grass. The man showed no movement or response to the patrol's commands, and it was later determined he was Ghazwan and that he was killed by Sons of Iraq and Iraqi Army small-arms fire, officials said.
Coalition forces positively identified Ghazwan, and his body was turned over to the Iraqi Army.
"[The combined force's efforts] show the strategic partnership and commitment to providing a safe and secure environment for the Iraqi people," Army Col. Bill Buckner, a Multi-National Corps - Iraq spokesman, said. "This terrorist and those who work for him have no regard for human lives and don't care about the welfare of Iraq or its people."
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Tip #2: Go Online ********************************************************
Tip #3: Get Someone Else to Pay For It
Next Step: The first step to getting your degree is to find a school that matches your personal schedule and education goals. Request free information from Military-Friendly schools today to (http://edu.military.com/gibill?ESRC=mr.nl) find the perfect school and degree program.
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New Exchange Catalog Now Available ********************************************************
Center Provides Free Support for Severely Injured ********************************************************
New COLA Increases Announced ********************************************************
Holiday Mailing Guidelines Set ********************************************************
USPS to Offer Military Discount on Packages
Advice from Snopes.com
1) Any time you see an E-Mail that says forward this on to '10' of your friends, or sign this petition, or you'll get bad luck, good luck, or whatever, it almost always has an E-Mail tracker program attached that tracks the cookies and E-Mails of those folks you forward to.
The host sender is getting a copy each time it gets forwarded and then is able to get lists of 'active' E-Mails to use in SPAM E-Mails, or sell to other spammers.
2) Almost all E-Mails that ask you to add your name and forward on to others are similar to that mass letter years ago that asked people to send business cards to the little kid in Florida who wanted to break the Guinness Book of Records for the most cards.
All it was, and all any of this type of E-Mail is, is a way to get names and 'cookie ' tracking information for telemarketers and spammers - - to validate active E-Mail accounts for their own profitable purposes.
You can do your friends and f amily members a GREAT favor (PLEASE) by sending this information to them; you will be providing a service to your friends, and will be rewarded by not getting thousands of spam E-Mails in the future!
If you have been sending out (FORWARDING) the above kinds of E-Mail, now you know why you get so much SPAM!
Do yourself a favor and STOP adding your name(s) to those types of listings regardless of how inviting they might sound! You may think you are supporting a GREAT cause, but you are NOT in the long run. Instead, you will be getting tons of junk mail later! Plus, we are helping the spammers get rich! Let's not make it easy for them!
Also: E-Mail petitions are NOT acceptable to Congress or any other organization. To b e acceptable, petitions must have a signed signature and full address of the person signing the petition.
Read the full story here:
http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/petition/internet.asp or ********************************************************
'Someone asked the other day, 'What was your favorite fast food when you were growing up?'
'We didn't have fast food when I was growing up,' I informed him. 'All the food was slow.'
'C'mon, seriously. Where did you eat?'
'It was a place called 'at home,'' I explained. 'Grandma cooked every day and when Grandpa got home from work, we sat down together at the dining room table, and if I didn't like what she put on my plate I was allowed to sit there until I did like it'.
By this time, the kid was laughing so hard I was afraid he was going to suffer serious internal damage, so I didn't tell him the part about how I had to have permission to leave the table. But here are some other things I would have told him about my childhood if I figured his system could have handled it:
Some parents NEVER owned their own house, wore Levis , set foot on a golf course, traveled out of the country or had a credit card. In their later years they had something called a revolving charge card. The card was good only at Sears Roebuck. Or maybe it was Sears AND Roebuck. Either way, there is no Roebuck anymore. Maybe he died.
My parents never drove me to soccer practice. This was mostly because we never had heard of soccer. I had a bicycle that weighed probably 50 pounds, and only had one speed, (slow). We didn't have a television in our house until I was 11, but my grandparents had one before that. It was, of course, black and white, but they bought a piece of colored plastic to cover the screen. The top third was blue, like the sky, and the bottom third was green, like grass. The middle third was red. It was perfect for programs that had scenes of fire trucks riding across someone's lawn on a sunny day Some people had a lens taped to the front of the TV to make the picture look larger.
I was 13 before I tasted my first pizza, it was called 'pizza pie.' When I bit into it, I burned the roof of my mouth and the cheese slid off, swung down, plastered itself against my chin and burned that, too. It's still the best pizza I ever had.
We didn't have a car until I was 15. Before that, the only car in our family was my grandfather's Ford. He called it a 'machine.'
I never had a telephone in my room. The only phone in the house was in the living room and it was on a party line. Before you could dial, you had to listen and make sure some people you didn't know weren't already using the line.
Pizzas were not delivered to our home. But milk was.
All newspapers were delivered by boys and all boys delivered newspapers I delivered a newspaper, six days a week. It cost 7 cents a paper, of which I got to keep 2 cents. I had to get up at 4 AM
every morning. On Saturday, I had to collect the 42 cents from my customers. My favorite customers were the ones who gave me 50 cents and told me to keep the change. My least favorite customers were the ones who seemed to never be home on collection day.
Movie stars kissed with their mouths shut. At least, the y did in the movies. Touching someone else's tongue with yours was called French kissing and they didn't do that in movies. I don't know what they did in French movies. French movies were dirty and we weren't allowed to see them
If you grew up in a generation before there was fast food, you may want to share some of these memories with your children or grandchildren. Just don't blame me if they bust a gut laughing.
Growing up isn't what it used to be, is it?
MEMORIES from a friend:
My Dad is cleaning out my grandmother's house (she died in December) and he brought me an old Royal Crown Cola bottle. In the bottle top was a stopper with a bunch of holes in it. I knew immediately what it was, but my daughter had no idea. She thought they had tried to make it a salt shaker or something. I knew it as the bottle that sat on the end of the ironing board to 'sprinkle' clothes with because we didn't have steam irons. Man, I am old.
How many do you remember?
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.Here's an excellent article for Veteran's Day sent in by Joe Birindelli. BB
The Crying War Veteran
I wonder how many of you have viewed a tribute to war veterans be it a Memorial Day ceremony, a Veteran’s Day parade, or just watching an interview with a veteran recalling his memories of his long ago war experiences, and more often than not, we will see the elderly veteran breakdown and begin to cry. Examples of that can be found in most any program interviewing elderly combat veterans, whether they were at Normandy, Iwo Jima, the Chosin Resevoir, or Da Nang.
Recently, there was a live television show that had a large studio audience with the main programming paying tribute to the veterans of our Armed Forces. When each branch of service, such as the Army, Marine, Air Force and Navy were called, they would ask the veterans of that branch of service to stand. As the infantry song played, one elderly Army veteran stood and with the camera zeroed in on him - he began to cry. I have seen this happen repeatedly over the years and especially during these types of functions. I would always ask myself the question, why?
At my present ripe old age, I remain without a complete answer, but I feel that I am closer to solving that long-time question. I think the answer has a lot to do with the triggering and seepage of long ago suppressed memories of unpleasant actions that these veterans have experienced in their particular war. You rarely see a younger veteran have this tearful reaction. It may be that the older veteran, who once had control over these emotions, but through aging, has lost that control and releases a post-traumatic experience through these tearful breakdowns.
Whatever it is, it is a very heartbreaking sight to see this reaction of men my age and older, in losing control over being recognized for their military service to their country – or in just speaking about their wartime experiences.
Currently I find myself at the age where just listening to Taps, a good gospel song, or reflecting back on the memory of my homecoming from the war, will have me reaching for the tissue box. Added to that is seeing other veterans tearfully breaking down is also a major cause for me to reach for the tissues.
On this Veteran’s Day there is a chance that you might see an elderly veteran who has a loss of control over his emotions and tears. My suggestion is that you shy away from comforting him and just let him unload his pent-up memories through his tears. If anything, a silent prayer for him might suffice because that veteran is trying his hardest to hold those tears inside – and I am fairly certain that he has been doing exactly that for the many years of his now long life.
It was once said, that in war there are no unwounded soldiers – and truer words could not have been said.
God bless the veterans who are no longer with us, and God bless the “wounded” that survive.
by: ********************************************************
. This is an excellent article about Ben Stein sent in by Jim Dempsey. BB
The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary.
My confession:
I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees.. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are: Christmas trees.
It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready t o put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrati ng this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu If people want a cr$BC/(Beche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.
I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.
Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that' s a sign that I'm getting old, too.. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to.
In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.
Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her 'How could God let something like this happen?' (regarding Katrina) Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?'
In light of recent events... terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.
Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said OK.
Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they
don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.
Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.'
Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.
Are you laughing yet?
Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on
your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it.
Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.
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Heres a response from my traveling from Michigan to Florida comment about Gas prices. I have to add....The prices went down again down here in Florida this last week. I got it in Ft. Meyers for $2.02. and it's 85degrees!!Hallalujah!! How's the cost of gas where you are at? Let us know.BB.
Bill around here is $1.90gl, the only problem.....Cold weather.
Jorge/Ellen
Jorge sent these in also. I hope everyone had an enjoyable Veteran's Day. You all earned it. BB
Is a Blessing to be Alive,
Jorge
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Dan Thompson sent this website in. Several of us have signed onto the website. I think you will enjoy looking around this site. BB
Shortcut to:
I thought some of you might be interested in something like this.
Dan
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An old man goes into a drug store to buy some Viagra.
"Can I have 6 tablets, cut in quarters?"
"I can cut them for you," said the pharmacist, "but a quarter tablet
will not give you a full erection."
"I am 96", said the old man.
"I don't want an erection!"
"I just want it sticking out far enough so I don't pee on my slippers!"
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Dave Snavely checks in the week with this one.
I recently picked a new primary care doctor. After two visits and
exhaustive lab tests, he said I was doing 'fairly well' for my age.
A little concerned about that comment, I couldn't resist asking him, 'Do you
think I'll live to be 85?'
He asked, 'Do you smoke tobacco, or drink beer or wine?'
Then he asked, 'Do you eat rib-eye steaks, barbecued ribs or sausage?'
'Do you spend a lot of time in the sun, like playing golf, boating, hiking,
or bicycling?'
He asked, 'Do you gamble, drive fast cars, ride a Harley, or have a lot of
sex?'
He looked at me and said, 'Then, why do you even give a shit?
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Here's one from "Grouchy".
A wife was making a breakfast of fried eggs for her husband. Suddenly, her husband burst into the kitchen. 'Careful,' he said, 'CAREFUL! Put in some more butter! Oh my gosh! You're cooking too many at once. TOO MANY! Turn them! TURN THEM NOW! We need more butter. Oh my gosh! WHERE are we going to get MORE BUTTER? They're going to STICK! Careful. CAREFUL! I said be CAREFUL! You NEVER listen
to me when you're cooking! Never! Turn them! Hurry up! Are you CRAZY? Have you LOST your mind? Don't forget to salt them. You know you always forget to salt them. Use the salt. USE THE SALT! THE SALT!' The wife stared at him. 'What in the world is wrong with you? You think I don't know how to fry a couple of eggs?' The husband calmly replied, 'I just wanted to show you what it feels like when I'm driving.'
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Jeff Kramer seems to ge taking "Getting older" in stride.
The 60s hits are being revised with new lyrics to accommodate aging baby boomers.
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By Golly, Dan Horn comes thru again.
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Heres a good one from George villanuea.
The Korean War, in which the Marine Corps fought and won some of its most brutal battles, was not without its gallows humor. During one such conflict a ROK ( Republic of Korea ) commander, whose unit was fighting along with the Marines, called legendary Marine and then Colonel Chesty Puller of the 1st Marine Division to report a major Chinese attack in his sector.
"How many Chinese are attacking you," asked Puller.
"Many, many Chinese," replied the excited Korean officer.
Colonel Puller asked for another count and got the same answer, "Many, many, many Chinese."
"Goddammit," swore Puller, "Put my Marine liaison officer on the radio."
In a minute, an American voice came over the air, "Yes sir."
"Lieutenant," growled Chesty, "exactly how many Chinese you got up there?"
"Colonel, we got a whole shitload of Chinese up here."
"Thank God," exclaimed Puller, "At least there's someone up there who knows how to count."
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Good point here from Rob Ferguson.
Just think ********************************************************
Heres a keeper from Tom Heckman.
A man goes to his doctor for his physical and gets sent to the urologist
as a precaution.
When he gets there, he discovers the urologist is a very pretty female
doctor.
The female doctor says, 'I'm going to check your prostate today, but
this new procedure is a little different from what you are probably used
to. I want you to lie on your right side, bend your knees, then while I
check your prostate, take a deep breath and say, 99.
The guy obeys and says, 99. The doctor says, 'Great. Now turn over on
your left side and again, while I repeat the check, take a deep breath
and say, 99.
Again, the guy says, 99.
The doctor said, 'Very good. Now then, I want you to lie on your back
with your knees raised slightly. I'm going to check your prostate with
this hand, and with the other hand I'm going to hold on to your penis
to keep it out of the way. Now take a deep breath and say, 99.'
The guy begins, 'One .. Two ... Three'.
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I like this one sent in by Dan Thompson.
A guy checked into a hotel on a business trip recently and was a bit lonely so he thought he'd get one of those girls you see advertised in the phone books under 'Escorts and Massages'. He opened the phone book to an ad for a girl calling herself Erotique, a lovely girl, bending over in the photo. She had all the right curves in all the right places, beautiful long wavy hair; long graceful legs all the way up. You know the kind... So he is in his room and figures, what the hell, he gives her a call.
'Hello?' the woman says.
God she sounded sexy!
'Hi, I hear you give a great massage and I'd like you to come to my room and give me one. No, wait, I should be straight with you. I'm in town all alone and w hat I really want is sex. I want it hard, I want it hot, and I want it now. I'm talking kinky the whole night long. You name it, we'll do it. Bring implements, toys, everything you've got in your bag of tricks. We'll go hot and heavy all night; Tie me up, cover me in chocolate syrup and whip cream, anything you want baby. Now, how does that sound?'
She says, 'That sounds fantastic; but for an outside line you need to press 9.'
Insulin resistance, in which normal amounts of insulin are insufficient to lower blood sugar (glucose) levels, is a precursor to diabetes.
"The effects of apelin appear to be similar to insulin," although they operate in different ways, said Isabelle Castan-Laurell of Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale and Université de Toulouse.
Earlier studies had suggested a link between apelin and insulin, Castan-Laurell said. Apelin levels were shown to parallel insulin levels in mice and humans. Apelin levels in the blood also rise in those who are obese and in those with type 2 diabetes.
Those findings led the researchers to suspect that apelin and insulin might have other similarities.
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Novel Leukemia Vaccine for High-Risk Patients
The experimental therapy is being offered to patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) whose cancer did not respond or was resistant to initial treatment or harbors a particular chromosomal abnormality called a 17p deletion. In most of these cases, the cancer has failed to respond to further conventional therapy.
In this clinical trial, patients will receive a vaccine of an immune-boosting molecule, ISF35 (Immune Stimulatory Factor 35) followed by three courses of rituximab, a monoclonal antibody, and the chemotherapy drugs fludarabine and cyclophosphamide (FCR). The trial is termed Phase I, meaning that it is aimed at testing the safety of the combination of repeat infusions of ISF35 and FCR, the latter being considered the standard and best possible CLL treatment.
"This approach - activating immune cells followed by chemotherapy - may lead to new strategies that could be applied to other cancers," said Januario E. Castro, M.D., assistant clinical professor of medicine at the UC San Diego School of Medicine and the Moores UCSD Cancer Center, who leads the work. The vaccine therapy approach makes it possible to target the cancer cells and activate the immune system by making the cancerous leukemia B cells more visible. The activated immune system can then find and eliminate the cancer cells.
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Researchers Find New Path To Antibiotics In Dirt
Now researchers at The Rockefeller University have extracted that genetic material from a lump of earth and turned it into an environmental DNA "megalibrary" that may provide access to many previously unknown organic compounds. The library has already led them to the genetic code for two potential antibiotics; the scientists also used enzymes from one set of cloned genes to produce new antibiotic derivatives as powerful as the strongest drugs we have today.
The research could recharge interest in the search for new compounds in the environment that has flagged over the past decade because of lackluster results. The new findings suggest that all sorts of useful and unknown products are being manufactured by bacteria in the soil that we routinely trample underfoot. And it shows a promising way to get at them. The work was published online Wednesday in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Early Edition.
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New Chemical Key That Could Unlock Hundreds Of New Antibiotics
With bacterial resistance growing researchers are keen to uncover as many new antibiotics as possible. Some of the Streptomyces bacteria are already used industrially to produce current antibiotics and researchers have developed approaches to find and exploit new pathways for antibiotic production in the genome of the Streptomyces family.
For many years it was thought that the relatively unstable butyrolactone compounds represented by "A-factor" were the only real signal for stimulating such pathways of possible antibiotic production but the Warwick and John Innes teams have now found a much more stable group of compounds that may have the potential to produce at least one new antibiotic compound from up to 50% of the 1000 or so known Streptomyces family of bacteria.
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Off-Label Promotion, On-Target Sales
Once a drug is approved for at least one indication, it may be prescribed off-label for a different condition, a different population, or in a different dose than what the drug is approved for. However, off-label uses have not been subject to the testing and review that is a precondition for marketing approval. The scientific review of evidence of effectiveness and safety that regulators weigh prior to approval for a labeled indication protects the patient. With off-label use, this protection often does not exist.
Off-label prescription of a drug is generally legal, but promotion of off-label uses by a drug manufacturer is usually illegal. This paper addresses public health issues associated with off-label use, and describes techniques by which pharmaceutical companies covertly promote off-label use even where such promotion is illegal.
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Researchers Discover New Risk Factor For Cardiovascular Disease, And A Way To Control It
Researchers associated with the international JUPITER Project have demonstrated that high levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) leads to increased risk of cardiovascular disease. This risk decreases by up to 44% if the patients are treated with statin medications.
Dr. Jacques Genest, of the Research Institute of the MUHC and McGill's Faculty of Medicine led the Canadian component of the JUPITER clinical study, which was initiated by Dr. Paul Ridker of the Harvard University Faculty of Medicine.
"The risk of cardiovascular disease due to increased hs-CRP levels has been greatly underestimated until now," according to Dr Genest. "Our results show that this is an extremely important indicator that doctors will have to consider in the future."
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Drinking Milk to Ease Milk Allergy?
Despite the small number of patients in the trial - 19 - the findings are illuminating and encouraging, investigators say, because this is the first-ever double-blinded and placebo-controlled study of milk immunotherapy. In the study, the researchers compared a group of children receiving milk powder to a group of children receiving placebo identical in appearance and taste to real milk powder. Neither the patients nor the investigators knew which child received which powder, a rigorous research setup that minimizes the chance for error and bias.
The findings of the study are reported online ahead of print, Oct. 28, in the Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology.
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Believe it or not
Ark. woman arrested for huffing asks for can back
Officers arrested the 46-year-old woman on Monday after officers received a call about a woman "huffing a can of air" inside a car parked at a Wal-Mart store. Police say the woman was slow to react to questions from officers.
When the officer again asked her what she was doing, he said "she wouldn't say anything except that she wanted her can back so she could finish getting high," according to police.
The woman was booked on the charge and later released.
As Director, I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself. I am an active duty Navy Commander, with over 15 years on active duty. During this period I was the Supply Officer on two Amphibious Ships and a forward deployed Amphibious Staff. I have five overseas deployments in support of numerous operations, including an individual augmentation deployment on the ground in Iraq. Read more at http://www.dfas.mil/rna-news/october2008/directorscorner.html
Special Survivor Indemnity Allowance:
Section 644 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2008 created the Special Survivor Indemnity Allowance (SSIA). This allowance is payable to all Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) annuitants whose annuity has been offset for receipt of Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) from the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA). Read more at http://www.dfas.mil/rna-news/october2008/specialsurvivorindemnityallowance.html
Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC) and Concurrent Retirement and Disability Payments (CRDP) Open Season:
If a retiree is eligible for both CRDP and CRSC, he/she may participate in the CRDP/CRSC Open Season. Read more at http://www.dfas.mil/rna-news/october2008/crscandcrdpopenseason2009.html
Keeping Your Account Updated:
It is important that all retirees periodically review your military retirement pay account status to ensure all information is up-to-date. Read more at http://www.dfas.mil/rna-news/october2008/keepingyouraccountupdated.html
Paid-up Retired Serviceman's Family Protection Plan (RSFPP) and Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP):
There is some good news for retirees who elected coverage under the Retired Serviceman's Family Protection Plan (RSFPP) or the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP). Read more at http://www.dfas.mil/rna-news/october2008/paid-uprsfppandsbpupdate.html
Security Concerns and myPay Advantages:
The Defense Finance and Accounting Service is dedicated to helping to protect against identity theft and fraud. In the continued effort to ensure privacy and security, myPay has some valuable information to protect personally identifiable information. Read more at http://www.dfas.mil/rna-news/october2008/securityconcernsandmypayadvantages.html
DFAS Museum:
Corporate Communications has embarked on a treasure hunt of sorts - rummaging through warehouses, attics, and other imaginable and unimaginable places in search of artifacts to be put on display in a new Defense Finance and Accounting Service museum that will be created in Indianapolis' Maj. Gen. Emmett J. Bean Federal Center. Read more at http://www.dfas.mil/rna-news/october2008/dfasmuseum.html
Tax Statements Available on myPay:
Below is the schedule for viewing your tax statement on myPay for the tax year 2008:
December 10, 2008 Retiree Account Statement
NOTICE:
Please do not reply to this e-mail with questions or problems with pay issues. For information on who to contact, please see the Web site: http://www.dfas.mil/retiredpay/contactus.html
NEW NEWSLETTER FEATURE:
http://www.dfas.mil/rna-news/october2008/RetiredPayOct08Newsletter.pdf
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Thanks to Gary Chenett for this article and comments. BB
Great job!!!
These sick and dying Veterans who need the VA are reaching epidemic numbers, so please follow through!!!
We need help badly for our Veterans who are sick and dying and receiving no help from any of the National Veterans group and of course little from the VA.
Mp>
Now this is a joke; Right???????? I mean you can't bluff the VA, they have more cash for Attorneys than we do members.....
Maybe the VVA will use the 50 Grand they never gave the VMW to motivate these legal Eagles to bash the VA.
Has anyone looked at the VVA's financials?
Of course 2009 is really a great year for budgeting for the VVA, The total approved budget and net profit for the VVA is $5,987.00..Now that is cutting it slim and the let's hope the economy does not crash or they maybe gone.
I would be careful with who you work with and twist your trust in with...
There is a total of maybe $32,000 to work on and nail the VA in the VVA budget and that would leave them almost broke.....with good Attorneys from the VVA.
Unless you have some Volunteer people.
You are playing with fire...Good luck if you think you can trust these people.!!!!!!at the VVA...
It's tragic that the VVA promised to "Never leave another Veteran behind" yet this quote from it's President John Rowan has never been lived up to..in over 8 years!!!!
Not a dime has been spent on their 8 year old National Agent Orange Committee, ( it has been in limbo for this entire time and never been organized for formal regular meetings), As we all know AO that's the nice Dioxin that's killing Vietnam Veterans faster than we can count them is one of the major reasons the VA has so many claims.
PTSD is the same issue for funding,
The VVA has spent a according to their 2008 financials a approved budget for all standing Committees $135,863.00..
Let me say this according to IRS law a non profit group is supposed to see to it that at least 30% of it's gross income is spent directly on it's membership and aiding them....Hmmmmmmmmm
It does make you wonder and possibly understand why their are thousands upon thousands of Vietnam Veterans being left behind because of the failure of the support of the VVA being given as was promised over 8 years ago, yet it has never happened.
I am not trying to rain on your day but I thought you might want to know how financially stable the VVA is before you get yourself extended out on costs to fight this battle and then you get stuck with the bill.
Gary Chenett
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Historic Lawsuit Challenges Unacceptable Delays in Delivering Benefits to America's Veterans by Department of Veterans Affairs
Vietnam Veterans Of America & Veterans Of Modern Warfare Fight For
Faster Benefit Decisions And Interim Benefits 'Lifeline'
WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, two groups
representing thousands of American veterans, Vietnam Veterans of America
(VVA) and Veterans of Modern Warfare (VMW), announced that they have filed
a lawsuit against the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The lawsuit,
which was filed in the United States District Court for the District of
Columbia, seeks to end the unconscionable delays experienced by veterans
when applying for disability benefits. VVA and VMW seek immediate action to
prevent further irreparable harm to our nation's veterans.
The lawsuit demands that the VA provide an initial decision on every
veteran's claim for disability benefits within 90 days and resolve appeals
within 180 days. Additionally, the veterans groups ask that the Court grant
further relief in the form of interim benefits awards in the event that the
VA exceeds these minimum standards of constitutionally-guaranteed due
process. These interim benefits will provide veterans with a lifeline of
support when it is most needed to facilitate reintegration into their lives
back home.
"The failure to expedite veterans' compensation claims creates, at
best, the impression that the nation does not respect its veterans," said
John Rowan, National President, Vietnam Veterans of America. "America's
veterans deserve more, and the VA's failure to fulfill its responsibilities
brings dishonor to our nation and can only make the call of military
service more challenging."
The VA acknowledges that it takes an average of at least six months to
reach an initial decision on an average benefits claim; the actual delay is
closer to a year. Appeals of these initial decisions, which are reversed
more than 50 percent of the time, take, on average, more than four years,
with some stretching 10 years or more. In contrast, private healthcare
plans - which process more than 30 billion claims a year - process claims
and related appeals in less than three months.
"As a matter of both policy and practice, the VA subjects veterans to
long delays before receiving any of the benefits to which they are
entitled," said Donald Overton, Executive Director, Veterans of Modern
Warfare. "Our hope is that this lawsuit will compel the VA to process
veterans' benefits claims more quickly and honor our nation's commitment to
those that have defended and served."
"All veterans will benefit significantly from the legal action of VVA
and VMW," said Robert Cattanach, Partner, Dorsey & Whitney. "The
intervention of VVA and VMW is necessary because under federal law
individual veterans are not allowed to access the judicial system. Dorsey &
Whitney is committed to helping America's veterans quickly secure the
benefits they have earned from the VA."
There are approximately 25 million veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces
alive today. More than 7 million of those veterans are enrolled in the VA's
healthcare system, and approximately 3.4 million veterans receive benefits.
More than 600,000 VA benefits claims are backlogged - this number will only
increase as the 1.7 million troops that have served in Iraq and Afghanistan
continue to return home.
"A soldier's transition to civilian life is challenging. The VA's
failure to diagnose PTSD promptly and accurately, and the corresponding
delay in the award of benefits, plainly results in veterans being denied
this critical lifeline," said Dr. Charles R. Figley, PTSD expert and
author, of Tulane University. "VVA and VMW's lawsuit will help to reduce
this additional and, in many cases, unmanageable stress for veterans."
According to the VA, the suicide rate among individuals in the VA's
care may be as high as 7.5 times the national average. Delays in awarding
benefits to America's veterans increases the suffering of individuals
already struggling with an inability to cope, as the seemingly endless wait
for the VA to make a final decision on a claim magnifies the alienation and
anxiety that they experience. For example, the inability to provide basic
subsistence support significantly impacts a veteran's ability to maintain
economic stability, seek and gain employment, provide and sustain a home,
or care for a family. As a consequence, there is a substantial increase in
the number of broken families, cases of homelessness and depression caused
by the failure to provide disability benefits on a timely basis.
Vietnam Veterans of America
Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) is the nation's only congressionally
chartered veterans service organization dedicated to the needs of
Vietnam-era veterans families, as well as to the needs of other veterans
and their families. VVA's founding principle is "Never again will one
generation of veterans abandon another." Visit the VVA online at
http://www.vva.org/.
Veterans of Modern Warfare
Veterans of Modern Warfare (VMW) is a veterans service organization
dedicated to serving our nation's most recent war veterans. Our purpose is
to support veterans and their families by providing education and
information about the benefits America's veterans have earned, assistance
in obtaining benefits, advocacy in issues important to our generation, and
camaraderie through locally based, national chapters. Visit the VMW online
at http://www.vmwusa.org.
********************************************************
New Cemetery for South Carolina ********************************************************
VA Now Accepting Online Claims Applications ********************************************************
VA to Fund First Alabama National Cemetery ********************************************************
New Grant Programs to Help Aging Veterans ********************************************************
Veterans Benefits Act to Expedite Claims ********************************************************
Vets Help Open New D-Day Museum Exhibit ********************************************************
Medicare Premiums Remain Steady ********************************************************
DoD May Raise Co-Pay for Some Medications ********************************************************
We Are One
I pray we, all children of the earth,
no matter our path to enlightenment,
come to realize that we are one. We
may walk our own paths, but we are
not alone, for we walk at the same
time, toward the same end/beginning.
From our individual perspectives,
be we Pagan, Christian, Muslim, Jew,
Buddist, Taoist, or Hindu, are the
same. I pray that we all feel the
love of our Creator(s) and by example
learn to see each other as brothers
and sisters, allowing the boundary
lines of religion to fade away. May
the Lord and Lady bless your path.
May you always have enough, and may
you give enough in return.
Amen
Thats all the news for this week. Check back next Saturday. Thanks, Ole' Bill
20Nov1966: Operation Atteboro Ends.
20Nov1965: Battle of Trung Loi.
20Nov1996: Municipal elections in Bosnia.
21Nov1995: Dayton Peace Agreement Signed.
22Nov1965: Operation Bushmaster ends.
BETTERMAN, ALAN
1st Infantry Division
1 January – 30 April 1966
23rd Artillery Group consisting of:
6th Battalion, 27th Artillery (8”/175 SP)
2nd Battalion, 32nd Artillery (8”/175 SP)
145th Aviation Battalion
US Army Advisory Group (III CTZ)
271st (YT 1858) 94th (YS 3684)
272nd (XT 6137) 165th (XT 6130)
273rd (XT 5065)
Z39 Arty (XT 3764).....165B (Ukn)
*Phu Loi Batt (XT 8625).....Z37 Arty (XT 3870)
Z43 Arty (XT 8649).....*C320 (XT 5443)
*306th (XS 5299).....*360th (YS 5281)
(b) Fire Wood was provided to families who could not affod to purchase it.
(c) Currently 1608 children are participating in the milk program whereby each receives a glass of milk per day.
(d) English classes are given to a local Vietnamese Teacher.
(e) Funds have been donated to worthy activities such as churches, the BEN SAN Lepresarium, Orphanages, schools, one hospital. A total of 55,720 CVN have been donated, usually through division chaplains.
Combined Operation Kills Senior Al-Qaeda in Iraq Leader
Saturday, 08 November 2008
BAGHDAD — A senior al-Qaeda in Iraq leader was killed Nov. 6, during a combined cache-clearing operation by Iraqi security forces and a ‘Sons of Iraq’ citizen security group, supported by Coalition forces, military officials reported.
The Army Emergency Relief's (AER) Stateside Spouse Education Assistance Program is now available to surviving spouses and spouses of retired Soldiers living stateside. Financial assistance is awarded based on financial need, and scholarships are awarded annually for up to four academic years. Students must re-apply every year and be registered in DEERS. For (http://www.military.com/benefits/tricare/defense-enrollment-eligibility-reporting-system) DEERS registration verification, call 1-800-538-9552. Applications for financial aid are available at the (http://www.aerhq.org/) Army Emergency Relief website until March 1, 2009.
The new National Guard and Reserve Debt Relief Act of 2008 (public law 110-438) will ease bankruptcy rules for Guard and Reserve members who have served as active-duty Soldiers. The law was drafted after complaints from guardsmen and reservists whose small businesses and personal finances dwindled due to recurring combat deployments. The law prevents courts from dismissing bankruptcy cases based on means-testing if the Guard or Reserve member has been on active duty since Sept.11, 2001 and was active for more than 90 days. The law is effective through the first year and a half following the Soldier's return home. The full text of the new law is available at the Library of Congress' Thomas website at () http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:s.03197:.
The cost of getting a degree is expensive and the costs can sometimes by over $50,000. Here are 3 tips to get your degree faster and cheaper.
Online courses offer the advantage of allowing you to take a course from anywhere; all you need is access to the Internet. (http://education.military.com/timesaving-programs/3-tips-for-getting-degree-faster-and-cheaper?ESRC=mr.nl) More.
Tuition Assistance (TA) is available to all active duty personnel. TA will pay up to 100% of all tuition fees, special fees, and lab fees. (http://education.military.com/timesaving-programs/3-tips-for-getting-degree-faster-and-cheaper?ESRC=mr.nl) More.
The premier issue of the 2008 Small Wonders Exchange catalog features 48 pages of the latest electronics. The catalog is available at all main stores and online at the Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) website at (http://www.aafes.com/) aafes.com. Prices in this all-services catalog are valid from Oct. 22, 2008 through Jan. 1, 2009, for any authorized exchange customer. Orders can be placed by mail, fax or phone. Toll-free orders can be placed from the U.S., Puerto Rico or Guam at 800-527-2345. The Exchange Catalog center is open around the clock, seven days a week.
The mission of the Military Severely Injured Center is to prepare severely injured servicemembers to return to duty or to reintegrate successfully into their hometowns. Services include: medical care and rehabilitation; education, training and job placement; personal mobility and functioning; and home, transportation and workplace accommodations; personal, couple and family issues counseling; and financial resources. To obtain service from the Military Severely Server Center, day or night, call 1-888-774-1361, and worldwide at no cost to the severely injured and their families. Regional ombudsmen/advocates are prepared to talk with and support severely injured servicemembers and their families.
Based on the increase in the U.S. Consumer Price Index, there will be a cost-of-living adjustment increase for retired pay and Survivor Benefit Plan annuities effective Dec. 1, 2008. Retirees being paid on an account where the retiree first became a member of the uniformed services before Sept. 8, 1980 and retired before Jan. 1, 2008 will receive the full COLA increase of 5.8 percent. Retirees being paid on an account where the retiree first became a member of the uniformed services before Sept. 8, 1980 and retired Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2008 will receive a COLA increase of up to 5 percent. For more information, contact the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) at (800) 321-1080, or visit the (http://www.dfas.mil/index.html) DFAS website.
The U.S. Postal Service has set guidelines for mailing holiday mail and packages overseas. Mail and packages for troops that are serving in the Iraq and Afghanistan area should be sent by Dec. 4, 2008. Holiday mail, including packages and cards, going to military bases in other parts of the world should be shipped by Dec. 11. Priority mail flat-rate boxes are the best value when shipping to military members serving at home or anywhere overseas. The largest flat-rate box costs $10.95 to ship to an APO or FPO address. That is a $2 discount, and the boxes are free. Include the mailing address, return address and the contents of the box on a slip of paper with the other contents. For more information, visit the (http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123122365) U.S. Postal Service website.
The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) is currently giving a military discount for packages being shipped to APO or FPO addresses. In order to receive this discount, customers must use the free Priority Mail Large Flat-Rate Box. You can obtain these boxes at your local post office, online at the (http://shop.usps.com/) U.S. Postal Service website or by calling 1-800-610-8734.
http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/petition/internet.asp
Head lights dimmer switches on the floor.
Ignition switches on the dashboard.
Heaters mounted on the inside of the fire wall.
Real ice boxes.
Pant leg clips for bicycles without chain guards.
Soldering irons you heat on a gas burner.
Using hand signals for cars without turn signals.
Older Than Dirt Quiz:
Count all the ones that you remember not the ones you were told about . Ratings at the bottom.
1 Blackjack chewing gum
2. Wax Coke-shaped bottles with colored sugar water
3. Candy cigarettes
4. Soda pop machines that dispensed glass bottles
5. Coffee shops or diners with tableside juke boxes
6 . Home milk delivery in glass bottles with cardboard stoppers
7. Party lines
8. Newsreels before the movie
9. P.F. Flyers
10. Butch wax
11. Telephone numbers with a word prefix (OLive-6933)
12. Peashooters
13. Howdy Doody
14. 45 RPM records
15. S&H greenstamps
16 Hi-fi's
17. Metal ice trays with lever
18. Mimeograph paper
19 Blue flashbulb
20. Packards
21. Roller skate keys
22. Cork popguns
23. Drive-ins
24. Studebakers
2 5. Wash tub wringers
If you remembered 0-5 = You're still young
If you remembered 6-10 = You are getting older
If you remembered 11-15 = Don't tell your age,
If you remembered 16-25 = You're older than dirt!
Gunnar Osterberg
Thank to God, for the Blessing.
Kansas City, Mo,,,raining and Cold,
The parade was on time,
http://army.togetherweserved.com/army/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=Home
'Oh no,' I replied. 'I'm not doing drugs, either!'
I said, 'No, my former doctor said that all red meat is very unhealthy!'
'No, I don't,' I said.
'No,' I said.
They include: Herman's Hermits
Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Walker ..
Ringo Starr
I Get By With a Little Help From Depends.
The Bee Gees
How Can You Mend a Broken Hip
.
Bobby Darin
Splish, Splash, I Was Havin' a Flash.
Roberta Flack
The First Time Ever I Forgot Your Face.
Johnny Nash
I Can't See Clearly Now.
Paul Simon
Fifty Ways to Lose Your Liver.
The Commodores
Once, Twice, Three Times to the Bathroom.
Marvin Gaye
Heard It Through the Grape Nuts.
Procol Harem
A Whiter Shade of Hair.
Leo Sayer
You Make Me Feel Like Napping.
The Temptations
Papa's Got a Kidney Stone.
Abba
Denture Queen.
Tony Orlando
Knock 3 Times On The Ceiling If You Hear Me Fall.
Helen Reddy
I Am Woman, Hear Me Snore.
Leslie Gore
It's My Procedure, and I'll Cry If I Want To.
And an all time favorite:
Willie Nelson
On the Commode Again.
- if the Indians had given the Pilgrim fathers a donkey instead of a turkey,
we all would be having a piece of ass for thanksgiving.
By injecting a hormone produced by fat and other tissues into mice, researchers report in the November Cell Metabolism that they significantly lowered blood sugar levels in normal and obese mice. The findings suggest that the hormone known as apelin might be a promising target for managing insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
Researchers at the Moores Cancer Center at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) are conducting clinical trials of a novel therapy aimed at revving up the immune system to combat a particularly difficult-to-treat form of leukemia.
A teaspoon of dirt contains an estimated 10,000 species of bacteria, but it's only one percent of these microbial bugs - the ones that can be grown easily in a lab - that have brought us antibiotics, anticancer agents and other useful drugs. The odds favor the other 99 percent for clinical promise, too, but scientists have had little success in tapping this unknown majority for new medicines because of the difficulty of analyzing the bugs' DNA.
Chemistry researchers at Warwick and the John Innes Centre, have found a novel signalling molecule that could be a key that will open up hundreds of new antibiotics unlocking them from the DNA of the Streptomyces family of bacteria.
For prescription drugs, demonstrated benefits define the parameters of acceptable risks. For example, liver toxicity may be acceptable in a drug approved for cancer, but unacceptable in a drug approved for acne. Government regulatory bodies review laboratory, animal, and human data to confirm that a drug has the claimed efficacy and safety prior to approving its release in the market for specific approved ("labeled") uses.
A team of international researchers - including scientists from the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) and McGill University - have discovered that having high levels of particular protein puts patients at increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease. The results of the study were so conclusive that the clinical trial had to be stopped before its scheduled completion date.
Police arrested a woman for public intoxication after she reportedly demanded an officer return the can of compressed air she was inhaling "so she could finish getting high."
December 15, 2008 Retired 1099R
December 15, 2008 Annuitant Account Statement
December 15, 2008 Annuitant 1099R
***In order to download the entire October 2008 Retired Pay Newsletter in .pdf format, click here ***
and I say Thanks if you can pull it off.
Who is writing the check for the Attorneys?????
I notice the VVA sure has not said they were.
The approved budget net profit for 2008 is $26,609.00. Now we will see what the true numbers are once the books are closed.
By the way The VVA had to use it's cash reserve fund of $25,000 for this year (2008) or their true net profit would have been a whopping $1,609.00
These Attorneys must be willing to work cheap.
I have watched them for 30 years or so do nothing and follow through with little that they promise.
It's not PTSD, even though it's numbers of sick Vets are very high but again they dwarf the number of AO victims by thousand upon thousand.
We have probably one of the best qualified Professionals in America Tom Berger leading this committee but his hands are tied with the mere $20 or $30,000 that is allocated to help the many mentioned in this article that are so sick....
Now if we factor in the true fact that they are going to gross $6,538,864.00 and yet we have only the $135,000 and change left it for actually hands on helping Vets and their families it does make you wonder where did the rest of the money go?
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recently dedicated its newest national cemetery, Fort Jackson National Cemetery, in Columbia, S.C. The cemetery's 92-acre initial construction area will contain 5,649 full-casket gravesites, including 4,224 pre-placed crypts, as well as 1,084 in-ground sites for cremated remains and approximately 2,000 columbarium niches and will become fully operational in late 2008. Information on VA burial benefits can be obtained from national cemetery offices, from the Internet at (http://www.cem.va.gov) http://www.cem.va.gov or by calling VA regional offices toll-free at (800) 827-1000. For information on the Fort Jackson National Cemetery, call the cemetery office at (866) 577-5248. To make burial arrangements at the time of need, call the national cemetery scheduling office at (800) 535-1117.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is now accepting online applications (VONAPP) for initial applications for disability compensation, pension, education, and vocational rehabilitation and employment benefits. VONAPP allows users to apply without the hassles of location, postage costs and time delays through mail delivery. VONAPP also provides a link to apply for VA health care benefits. For the application, visit the (http://www.va.gov/onlineapps.htm) Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) website. For more information about VA benefits, visit the (http://www.va.gov/) VA website or call 1-800-827-1000.
A contract of more than $3.7 million was awarded by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to a Birmingham firm to build the first, small burial area of the Alabama National Cemetery in Montevallo. Construction is scheduled to be completed in the spring of next year. Information on VA burial benefits can be obtained from national cemetery offices, from the Department of Veterans' Affairs (VA) (http://www.cem.va.gov/) Burial and Memorials website or by calling VA regional offices toll-free at (800) 827-1000. For information on the Alabama National Cemetery, call the cemetery office at (205) 665-9039. To make burial arrangements at the time of need, call the national cemetery scheduling office at (800) 535-1117.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced $36 million in new grant programs to help keep older Americans, veterans, and those with Alzheimer's disease in their communities and homes. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will receive more than $19 million of those grant programs. HHS' Administration on Aging (AoA) and the Veterans Health Administration will administer the new programs, which are designed to reach people who are not eligible for Medicaid, but who are at high risk of nursing home placement and the spend-down to Medicaid that often occurs when private-pay individuals enter a nursing home. For more information, (http://www.emaxhealth.com/2/28/25105/hhs-helps-older-americans-veterans-remain-independent.html) read the article.
The new Veterans Benefits Improvement Act of 2008 (public law 110-389) pushes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to use electronic filing and processing of claims to help expedite claim findings, reduce inconsistencies in decisions involving similar issues, and decrease the number of claims that end up being overturned. The law also creates a new authority to provide a temporary disability rating for those veterans who have severe and multiple disabilities that are not fully healed. The full text of the new law is available at the (http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:s.03023:) Library of Congress' Thomas website.
More than 40 World War II veterans who participated in the D-Day Invasion gathered recently to help open an exhibit recounting their wartime experiences on D- Day, June 6, 1944. The new 6,000 square-foot "Down to Earth: The 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment and the Air Invasion of Normandy" exhibit at the Museum of Aviation at Robins Air Force Base, Ga. is one of the most comprehensive exhibits ever built at the Museum. "Down To Earth" is a permanent, walk-through, sight-and-sound interactive exhibit that is now open free to the public every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. For more information, visit (http://www.museumofaviation.org/) Museum of Aviation website.
For the first time since 2000, out-of-pocket costs for doctor's visits, outpatient services, medical equipment and other services covered under Medicare's Part B Premiums will not increase in 2009. The outpatient services premium will stay at $96.40 per month, and the one-time Part B deductible will also stay flat at $135 per year. Out-of-pocket premiums for hospital visits and nursing homes will rise, but most beneficiaries do not pay premiums for hospital visits. For more information, (http://www.webmd.com/medicare/news/20080919/medicare-outpatient-premiums-stay-flat) read the article.
The Department of Defense (DoD) pharmacy panel proposed moving certain blood glucose test strips and overactive bladder medication to a $22 co-pay from the current $9 copay. DoD will notify all beneficiaries currently taking the medications of the increase so alternative medications can be considered. For more information, (http://www.tricare.mil/) contact TRICARE
Lead Me to Peace
Lead me from death to life,
from falsehood to truth.
Lead me from despair to hope,
from fear to trust.
Lead me from hate to love,
from war to peace.
Let peace fill my heart,
my world, my universe.
Amen.
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