vol. 14, no. 1
DESCRIPTION
The Minnesota AMVETS NewsTRANSCRIPT
Volume 14Number 1 Winter, 2011Chartered by Act of Congress, July 23, 1947
Commander’s Column
The MinnesotaAmerican Veterans News
From Commander Kelly
Our SEC (State Executive Committee) is going to be held at Raymond T. Furlong Post 1 in Mendota at 2 p.m. on Saturday, February 5. I am very excited about this meet-
ing for a number of reasons. It is going to be held at my home post, first and foremost. I am also excited to have several dignitaries in attendance. Our Past National Commander (PNC) Ed Kemp, with his entourage, from Iowa will be there. Our National 4th District Commander Arnie Miller and Mike Pugliese from the MN Department of Veterans Affairs, will also be there. It is very nice to have our department be recognized in this way.
SEC in February Plan to attend the SEC in February. I would like to show our
guests what great membership and great posts we have through-out our state. We want every post to be 100% in the reporting of their programs. This does not mean ‘someone else’ is going to report what your post does—it is everyone’s responsibility. It would be great if it was in the hands of your 2nd Vice Com-mander, who is in charge of programs per our by-laws. If the De-partment office gets more than one copy of what is happening in your post, then so be it. It can all be worked out with our office manager and/or myself. I am sure that some of your posts held parades and/or ceremonies on Veterans Day. This is one program you can report, for sure.
National 4th District Meeting I was fortunate to attend the National 4th District meeting
for 4th District Commander Arnie Miller in Appleton, WI at the beginning of November. It was great to visit with several of our Past National Commanders (PNCs) over the weekend. Those in attendance included PNC Duane Miskulin, from last year, who was in attendance at our Department Convention in May, along with our Past 4th Dist Commander Don Barnes and our current 4th Dist Cmdr Arnie Miller. It was great to visit with PNC John Sisler, PNC Ed Kemp, and PNC Jim King. All of these Past Na-tional Commanders are from our National 4th District. For those who do not know, Minnesota is within the National 4th District, which is comprised of nine states: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Indi-ana, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Kentucky, Michigan and Ohio. The meeting was great and the weekend was well attended. Com-mander Miller had his testimonial weekend themed as a ‘tail-gating’ weekend. In the midst of the weekend, of course, I had to wear my colors from Minnesota. Everyone who was there were Packer fans for the most part. I had my Vikings colors on. I
presented a plaque to Commander Miller, from the Department, that let him know how much Minnesota appreciates him and all he has done to help where he could throughout the last couple of years.
Life Membership Dues As per the resolution that was passed on the floor at the Na-
tional Convention in 2009, our Life Membership dues will be increasing to $200 by December 31, 2010. Currently, the Life Membership is only $180. If you are an annual member and would like to convert to a Life member, submit the difference in your dues to the department. Submit full dues if you have yet to pay or wish to become a member prior to December 15, 2010. This will ensure that your membership will be converted at National prior to the December 31 date, as it still needs to be processed through the Department office. If you belong to a post,
Commander Kelly Nguyen
What’s InsideState Officers/Post Meeting Locations .........Page 2
More from Your Commander .......................Page 3
Officers Reports ............................................ Page 4
Military Funeral Honors ...............................Page 5
Taps .................................................................Page 6
Post Reports ....................................................Page 7
Americanism Contests ...................................Page 9
Veteran’s News & Updates ..........................Page 12
Post Officers ..................................................Page 15
“The future of our Armed Services and the future of this country will be integrally linked to how we treat our veterans.” - George Washington
Kelly NguyenCommander AMVETS Department of Minnesota
Continued on page 3
Vol. 14, No. 1 2
Minnesota American Veterans News - - - Spring, 2011
State Officers
Post Meeting Locations
Department Commander Kelly Nguyen648 Marie Avenue W.
Mendota Hts., MN 55118651-216-4200
Dept. 1st Vice Cmdr Allen Elsbury3328 Corliss Trail
Rosemount, MN 55068651-322-7489
Dept. 2nd Vice CommanderJoseph Mauricio2027 Thom Drive
Arden Hills, MN 55112651-631-3312
Finance Officer Tom VogePO Box 81, Nerstrand, MN 55053
NEC/ Judge Advocate Mike Cook6175 132nd Way, Apple Valley, MN 55124
Alternate NEC Dick Volkert2400 Dodd Road, Mendota Heights, MN 55120
651-454-4422
Provost Marshall Greg Davis304 2nd St SW, Hinckley, MN 55037
Finance Man Craig Maehling1082 14th Avenue SE
Minneapolis, MN 55414612-331-2593
Service Officer Chuck Conroy9285 Robert Trail South
Inver Grove Heights, MN 55076651-455-6906
1-Year Trustee Allen Weyaus PO Box 647, Onamia, MN 56359-0647
320-630-2988
2-Year Trustee Ray Rangel2220 Conway St., St Paul, MN 55119
651-698-7273
3-Year Trustee Bill Naseth1009 East Avenue
Red Wing, MN 55066651-388-8230
VAVS/VAVH John Austin 2268 7th Street WestSaint Paul, MN 55116
Dept. White Clover Princess Jayme Conroy
Public Relations Officer Roger Stelter16451 Snake Trail
Waseca, MN 56093507-835-7901
Hospital Service FoundationDennis Reinhold
2565 Hwy 12, Woodville, WI 54028715-698-2739
Chaplain Tammy Schroeder19295 County Hwy 29
Detroit Lakes, MN 56501(605)237-1397
Immediate PDC Mike Cook6175 132nd Way
Apple Valley, MN 55124952-956-2211
Post 11323 Sibley Memorial DriveMendota, MN 55150651-688-7408Last Weds at 7 p.m.
Post 3Ponemah, 56666Saturday 7 p.m.
Post 4302 E SarniaWinona, MN 559871st Tues at 7pm
Post 5Wellstone Center “Neighborhood House”179 Robie St ESt Paul, MN 551072nd Thurs at 6:30pm
Post 820 1st Ave NEAitkin, MN 564312nd Tues at 7pm
Post 10Giant Valley A.L. #23438 Minnehaha Ave SMpls, MN 554062nd Sat at 2pm
Post 11VAMC St Cloud4801 Veterans DriveSt Cloud, MN 563033rd Tues at 10:30am
Post 12704 W 41st StreetHibbing, MN 557461st Tues at 5pm
Post 13233 S Olive StWaconia, MN 553873rd Tues at 8pm
Post 19218 W 4th StRedwing, MN 550664th Weds at 6:00pm
Post 23135 W Oakdale StOwatonna, MN 550604th Mon at 7pm
Post 241247 E Cty Rd BMaplewood, MN 55109Thurs 7pm
Post 26Brainerd A.L.708 Fort St Brainerd, MN 564011st Thursdays @ 11 a.m.
Post 28Carlton VFW3rd Tues at 7pm
Post 31VFW Post 1642113 Elm Ave WWaseca, MN 56093Arranged as needed
Post 33Servicemens Club227 Chestnut StVirginia, MN 55792Last Weds at 6:30pm
Post 47142 N BoradwayAlbert Lea, MN 560075th Mon at 7pm
Post 53777 Grand AvenueOnamia, MN 563592nd Mon at 6pm
Post 101Blackduck Public LibraryBlackduck, MN 566303rd Tuesdays
Post 151448 S MunstermanAppleton, MN 562082nd Mon 7pm/winter 8pm/summer
Post 290507 Pacific AveMorris, MN 562671st Mon at 8pm
Post 556556 SW 12th StForest Lake, MN 55025As Needed
Post 612Frazee VFW120 West Main AveFrazee, MN 565441st Thurs at 7 pm
Post 20007510 Concord Blvd EInver Grove Hts, MN 550761st Tuesdays
If you would like to be added to this list, please send your information to:[email protected]
Vol. 14, No. 1 3
Minnesota American Veterans News - - - Winter, 2011
Commander Kelly’s Message, cont.have your membership chair fill out the necessary forms for you and submit the money to your post.
Enclosed within this edition of the newspaper are the list of SEC meetings for the Department and the list of all the National meetings through next August. I encourage each and every member to be in atten-dance at these meetings. There is a wealth of infor-mation that you may use at your local post. I believe that having more knowledge and more communica-tion between the posts, department and national, is the key to keeping our organization viable. It is very important to maintain a post with as much knowl-edge as possible.
CommunicationAs for the communication, my e-mail is kel-
[email protected] and the Department office e-mail is [email protected] We are starting to send our newsletters out to all members who have submitted an e-mail address to the department office. We are also looking to send an e-copy of our state newspaper. These will also appear on our state web-site as a link. If you have an e-mail address, please e-mail the department or myself, so that you may be on that e-mail group. This will also help in keeping our shipping/postage costs down, not to mention get-ting the information that comes to the office out to you a little quicker.
Post 26 is BackPost 26 in Brainerd is coming back on board. They
are working on getting their charter redone and we are looking forward to seeing them back with us! Under their new leadership and their excitement to get going again, I expect to see many great things coming out of this post.
Commander VisitsThe next several months until our department
convention and the end of our term in office, I am hoping to visit each of the posts throughout our great state. I am looking forward to seeing your programs and events firsthand. In other words, if there is an event, other than just a meeting, I would like to at-tend to see how things are running and meet each and every one of you. If there are no events, then I will visit you on your meeting night.
RevalidationThere are still a couple of posts that have not yet
revalidated. The forms have been sent to your posts several times. At this time, for those posts that have not revalidated, National has suspended your charter. There must be a priority in getting the revalidation into the department office. The office will forward it on to National. There is another way of revalidating your post and that is on-line. Go to www.amvets.org, under membership, click on ‘Members Access’. The commander will be able to get on-line with his information. When you get to the access page, click on ‘Post Revalidation’. You will need membership ID numbers from your post officers. It is very simple and only takes maybe three minutes of your time. Make sure you print three copies for each page. One for your Post records, two to send to the Department office who will then forward a copy on to National. For this, the Post Commander will need to sign each of the pages in the blank areas at the bottom of the printouts. If you also have a copy of your Post Re-
validation Form filled out, please submit that with the on-line printouts, as well. It will contain a complete lists of your post officers, versus certain ones.
If there is any issue in your post, please do not hesitate to contact me or the department office. We will do whatever we can to clarify any issues and/or get the answers to your questions. We will be able to rectify most issues in short order; however, there are always those questions and issues that might need a little more time to investigate. We want to make sure you are informed with the correct information from all levels of this organization. As I said before, with-out communication, we are not running as a whole unit. As they told us in school, no question is a dumb question. If you do not ask, you may never know the correct answer. We would also like to make sure the veterans and people in your community are not mis-informed on anything we might be able to help them with, whether it be benefits from the VA or families’ needs or furthering education.
AMVETS.ORGLook on the AMVETS website for all the benefits
that you as members are entitled to. There are links to colleges throughout the country. AMVETS is part-nered with Kaplan, DeVry and Phoenix Universities. There are benefits to get reduced prices on prescrip-tions and glasses and exams. Discounts are avail-
able on car rentals from many car rental companies. Discounts are also available through Wyndam and Choice Hotels. Other stores, such as on-line shop-ping with Sears, Target, Home Depot, Walmart, Best Buy and Overstock.com also offer veteran discounts. Discounts are often also available for cell phones and accessories, auto and life insurance, etc. Please take advantage of all of these partnerships! A complete list of the benefits is under Member Benefits on the National website. Please note, there are codes that correspond with the different benefits. These codes are listed on-line with the corresponding benefit.
One more great thing about this organization that I would like to share is for those of you who are technology savvy, you can follow AMVETS on Facebook and Twitter! The American Veteran maga-zine is on-line, as well as blogs from our National Commander Jerry Hotop. You joined this great orga-nization for any number of reasons. As you can see, there are many outstanding ways that the AMVETS can give back. Take advantage of these many, many opportunities and discounts.
I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season! We will see you on February 5, 2011 at the SEC in Mendota at 2 p.m.
Veterans for veterans!
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MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS
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AMVETS offers a variety of member benefits. Here is the complete list:
AVIS Car Rental
Good News! Now that the AMVETS have formed a partnership with Avis, you can save upto 25% off your next car rental while experiencing the comfort and reliability that comewith renting from Avis. With 4,800 locations in over 140 countries, there's always an Avisnearby to help you with your car rental needs. To rent a car, visit Avis or call Avis toll freeat 1-800-331-1212, and remember to use your AMVETS/Avis Worldwide Discount (AWD)number: B291003 to enjoy these special savings!
BUDGET Car Rental
Nothing is smarter than getting great deals on great cars. And as an AMVETS member,you get a great deal every time you rent. Because Budget values your business, we'reoffering AMVETS members up to 20% off our great rates. To book your car please visitBudget or call toll free 1-800-527-0700 and mention the AMVETS BCD number R198103to receive your discount. Make the smart choice, rent Budget and start saving today!
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Wyndham Hotels
Contact us:
Phillip A. LedwellMembership DirectorPhone:301-683-4020Email:[email protected]
Carolyn TaylorAssistant To DirectorPhone:301-683-4021Email:[email protected]
Linda HudsonMember DuesPhone:[email protected]
• Eligibility and Dues• Find Your Post• Membership Forms• Riders
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• Members SOP• Special access SOP• Adding new members online
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Vol. 14, No. 1 4
Minnesota American Veterans News - - - Spring, 2011
Combined Adjutant/VAVS/VH Report
by John Austin
By the time you read this the holidays may be over. Posts may be involved with activities from bell ringing to
White Clovers. Skating nights can still go on – selling hot chocolate, donuts, cakes for ideas. As your Department Adjutant, one of my re-sponsibilities is communications, which simply means informing the posts and sharing ideas if needed. I ask all of you to send in your Post Activity Reports or go on-line at AMVETS.ORG. and log-in your time and type of activi-ties. This is very important so I’m asking for your help in this – please get these reports in.
I have no words to express how honored I feel because I am able to fellowship with some great veterans. I truly hope I can live up to your belief in me. Thank you for hiring me as your Department Office Man-ager. Commander Kelly, thank you for your continued assistance and don’t worry, I’m sure the ink will come out. Anyway, let’s finish 2010-2011 in AMVET style by remembering our comrades in harms way. Send cards, and/or letters, for any occasion, to the military Chaplains to be given out to those who need them the most – the one who gets no mail from home. Post 24 sends cases of cider as well as other items. Even golf balls are needed, DVD movies (remember to mark the case “DVDs inside”), powdered bev-erages are also welcomed, to mention just a few. So let’s get busy.
Remember the VA Medical Centers with a donation to their activity programs; sign up your post for bingo nights or card games. Remember, volunteers age 16 and up are needed for all activities. Contact the Volun-teers Office (612) 725-2050 at the Mpls VAMC or call (320) 252-1670 for St. Cloud VAMC. Also remember our Veterans’ Homes which are located in Silver Bay (218) 226-6300, Hastings (651) 438-8500, Fergus Falls (218) 736-0400, Luverne (507) 283-1100 and Mpls (612) 721-0600. Please give one a call and volunteer. Remember if you can’t give your time, please send a check.
And last of all, we are in need of representatives at the following VA Homes: Fergus Falls, Luverne, and Hastings. Contact me at the office if interested (651-293-1212). I look forward to seeing you at the SEC’s and most importantly at our state convention. Until then, be healthy and stay well.
Your DepartmentAdj/VAVS/VH Rep,John R. Austin
2nd Vice Commander
Officer’s Reports
2nd Vice Allen Elsbury
Adjutuant John Austin also serves as Office Manager
A Note from the Chaplain by Tammy Schroeder
Every AMVET is an important member of the Post. Every AMVET member who signs up a new member should introduce them to the AMVET Post. The new AMVET member should be provided a mentor until they are familiar
with rules, regulations, and activities of the AMVETS Post. Each AMVET mem-ber has unique talents, skill sets and contributions to make to the Post. The AM-VETS Post should use these attributes for the good of the AMVETS organization.
Alternate NEC Report
Submitted by Dick Volkert
In the absence of the National Executive Committee Man as Alternate, my duty is to attend the NEC and give my report as to the State of the State of the Department of
Minnesota. My report would be similar to that of our NEC. However, I would take this opportunity to bring to the at-tention of our National Commander and the NEC persons throughout the country, my desire for the National organiza-tion and our 4th National District to put together a uniform public relations (PR) program that we at the Department of Minnesota could use for advertising American Veterans! We need PR in Minnesota. We are not well known in this state.
Previous to being Alternate NEC, I have served as De-partment NEC for six years from 1982-1988. I served as Department Commander in 1988-1989 and again after the death of our Department Commander Fred LaFavre in 04-05 when the SEC asked if I would take command for the remainder of his term. After that, I was elected Alternate NEC for the two year term, where I still serve.
For our members who do not know what the respon-sibility of the office of the NEC is, every state in the U.S. that has an AMVETS Department has one National Ex-ecutive Committee person. That person serves for a two year term. Also, the Alternate NEC person shall serve two years. Each are elected on opposite years at our annual Department Convention. The duty of these officers is to at-tend four SEC meetings per year and report to the National Commander on the State of the State each year. There is a meeting for the NEC at the National level each fall and again in the spring with two meetings at the National Con-vention…one prior to the opening of the convention with the outgoing commander and one at the end of the conven-tion with the incoming commander.
I ask all members of our State of Minnesota to please try to come to our SEC meetings and our Department Con-vention. Our next SEC is scheduled for Saturday, Febru-ary 5 at Post 1 in Mendota at 2 p.m.
Vol. 14, No. 1 5
Minnesota American Veterans News - - - Winter, 2011
4th District Report
4th National District Commander Arnie Miller holding the plaques from NEC Mike Cook and Commander Nguyen at his Tailgate Testimonial.
Above: NEC Mike Cook, National 4th District Commander Arnie Miller and Commander Nguyen. Commander Nguyen is wearing the jacket Commander Miller had presented last August at the National Convention for being number one in the District for Membership.
Left: National 4th District Commander with his wife, Jan.
Military Funeral Honors
Authorized Provider Partnership Program (AP3)
By law, as of January 1, 2000, Congress guaranteed Veterans’ Funeral Honors. All eligible veterans are entitled to military funeral honors signifying America’s
gratitude for their honorable service. Upon request, two service members will fold and present the American flag to surviving family members, and a bugler will sound “Taps.” If a bugler is not available, a high-quality CD or digital bugle will be used. At least one member of the funeral detail will be from the deceased veteran’s parent military service. The other may be from the same service or another military service. Other authorized providers, such as members of a veteran’s organization, may be used to aug-ment the military detail. No particular rank is specified in the law, but the services by tradition have ensured the person presenting the flag to the family is at least the grade of the deceased veteran. Once the family of an eligible veteran has requested Mili-tary Funeral Honors, Funeral Directors or those assisting the family can use the following directory to locate a military point of contact to help arrange for the funeral honors de-tail. The directory link is (www.militaryfuneralhonors.osd.mil). From the home page, click on the Funeral Director button and you will have the option of entering the military branch of the deceased veteran and the state. This provides the Points of Contact to arrange for a Military Funeral Honor. AMVETS posts/members desiring to be an “official” part of the (AP3) program must receive training by a military unit desig-nated to provide the branch specific training. The protocol for establishing/requesting this training is to call the military facility closest to you and go through the Commander’s/HQ office. All base commanders have the responsibility, by law, to support the Military Funeral Honors program and to provide the training op-portunities for those wanting to participate in the (AP3) program. AMVETS Post Honor Guards are providing Military Funeral Honors, less the two active duty service members, at a tremen-dous pace. For the six-month reporting period that ended June 2007, twenty plus posts across all National Districts, 7,248 volunteers provided 34,645 hours conducting Military Funeral Honors. (These services are considered Military Funeral Honors by the majority of the families, but are not technically counted by the DoD as part of the AP3 program because they do not include at least two active duty troops and may not have been conducted specifically with the traditions for the decedents branch of service.)
Vol. 14, No. 1 6
Minnesota American Veterans News - - - Spring, 2011
Eldon Johnson, Post 19
May 7, 2010
Lester Quintney, Post 31
July 16, 2010
Peter L. Matras, Post 2000
September 19, 2010
Marvin (Bud) Bartel, Post 612
August, 2010
Domingo Bernal, Post 5
September 3, 2010
Taps
We must be grateful that by the service of these AVMETS in the Armed Forces of the United States of America, we are truly a free people in a free land. In Flanders Fields
By Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918) Canadian Army
In Flanders Fields the poppies blow Between the crosses row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields.
Vol. 14, No. 1 7
Minnesota American Veterans News - - - Winter, 2011
For membership or program forms, go to www.amvets.org. Don’t forget to submit your programs to Department each month. Let us know what the program was, how many people, hours, cost, and donations made. I know most posts donate to the VA’s and to their communities. Blow your own horn! We want to know what you have been up to! To see the types of programs AMVETS National has already, go to www.amvets.org and
click on Programs. They have material for planning your programs and events. Lots of useful tools. Hope to hear from you soon!
Post ReportsPost #1
Submitted by Mark Kronholm
Post 1 has been doing well these last few months. We are now at three sites for our bingo/pull tabs and we are looking at a fourth soon. We are donat-ing most of our proceeds back to the veterans…the remainder go to com-
munity programs for our youth. On November 11, Veterans Day, we distributed our White Clovers. It was a great time, great weather and had a lot of volunteers throughout the day.
In October, we held our 28th annual membership dinner. Our speaker was a USMC veteran, Jacob Lone Tree. He held everyone in awe with his oration of his experiences in Vietnam and his knowledge of our country’s military history. We were also honored to have Col. Rev. Dr. Kenneth Beale from the Fort Snelling Memorial Chapel Foundation as our Chaplain for the evening. The food, catered by Pat & Bobbi Robinette, was superb. All the members in attendance enjoyed the whole evening.
For the Holidays, we will be once again donating gifts to two families; one through Neighbors Inc and one through the Minnesota Military Families. We have done this program for many years and the families are very much apprecia-tive. Our Ladies Auxiliary goes out and shops for each person in these families, wraps the packages and we deliver the boxes/totes to Neighbors Inc to give to these families in need. It is very gratifying to all involved to know we have helped a family that is unfortunate at this time of year to give their family a great Christmas. Along with the gifts, we also give each of the families a gift card from Cub Foods so they can have a holiday feast. It is an anonymous donation we sponsor, but through the workers and volunteers at Neighbors Inc, we receive the heartfelt “thank you’s” from these families.
On Super Bowl Sunday, we will once again be at the Minneapolis VA Home to bring snacks and goodies to the residents there. They especially like the hot cocoa and hot apple cider we provide. It is always a great time to visit with each of the residents as they come in. They all enjoy a little time out with us and their friends there.
In February, Post 1 will be hosting our SEC. There will be tacos available for $2 from noon to 5pm, so you can eat before or after our meeting. They are delicious and it is a ‘build your own’ fixings type taco. Hope to see you at the meeting!
Post #5
Post #12Submitted by Raymond Pierce
The post remains involved in the community sponsoring and donating to local programs and events as well as increasing membership. Our goal is to help the community as much as possible along with remembering our veterans.
Our “Operation Boo Boo Bear” program was a huge success for family members of deployed soldiers from our local community. The smiles on children’s faces when they were handed a ‘Boo Boo Bear’ were priceless. We continue to honor our veterans and families, our youth, the needy and disabled through local programs.
Lawful purpose expenditures for the months August 1-December 31, 2009 amounted to almost $20,000. Lawful purpose expenditures for the months April-July 2010 enabled us to make donations that include youth sports and school pro-grams, local deployed military unit, Honor Guard, AMVETS and VFW Veterans programs, veteran’s funerals, scholarships and assistance for persons of all ages that are stricken with a rare or terminally ill disease.
Our local youth programs and events spread from one end of the Iron Range to the other, assisting athletic programs, scholarship programs, health and safety, and patriotic programs and events at all grade levels. We encourage our youth to help out by volunteering. On Friday, September 17, 2010 a dinner was held to “Welcome Home” our local troops deployed last year in June.
Post #13Submitted by Commander Guy Streater & Mike Nelson
Our post meetings are held on the third Tuesday of each month at 8pm. We offer the assistance from AMVETS to the community wherever possible. We continue to have a couple of fund raising events each year.
Membership remains about the same. New members are hard to recruit. All of us just need to keep trying and push for new members, as well as renewals.
We are involved with both the Legion and the VFW to enable us to stay more in touch with joint functions in the community. We are participants in local pa-rades, and the community knows who the AMVETS are! Everyone works well together “For God and Country”.
Vol. 14, No. 1 8
Minnesota American Veterans News - - - Spring, 2011
Post Reports
Post # 31Submitted by Commander Roger W. Stelter
A donation was made to support the Waseca County Free Fair again this year. A donation was also made to the Waseca Memorial As-
sociation for armed services flags for the Woodville Cemetery. The post maintains a solid financial base, thanks in part to the watchful eye of the Finance Of-ficer Lyle Cromer. Lyle also continues to assist with military funeral honors in the community. AMVETS newspapers are now made available at the Waseca County Library and over 50 copies have been picked up by patrons. This appears to be an effective outreach for the Post.
Post 31 has decided to meet on an as needed ba-sis to conduct Post business. Commander Stelter is frequently occupied in his spare time with efforts to keep the AMVETS newspaper published.
Post #556Submitted by Commander Jerry Ewald
Comrades, this past September once again was the time for our SEC meeting. I am glad that it did not interfere with 9/11 observances of
that infamous date. We hope everything is going well in your AMVETS posts and that your membership continues to be effective in its support for veterans and whomever.
We have been holding pancake breakfasts here at the VFW club on the first Sundays of June, July and August of this year. The money raised has been used wisely toward veterans concerns, VA Hospitals, cancer research, training and gifting of special dogs to those in need of these wonderful helpers. We also serve free coffee to anyone who would like it in our club rooms.
Our numbers are small but along with the VFW we do manage to keep up with veterans causes. In the long run, this is what all Veterans organizations do!
Post #612Submitted by Tammy Schroeder
We are a new post in Frazee. We have been doing a lot of fundraising events so we can give back to the community. Some of
these events included a chili feed in January; a bike run in April and we are having another one in May on Memorial Day.
A remembrance event for Patriot’s Day, on Sep-tember 11, was planned. We had the houses of wor-ship ring their bells five times. Each toll of the bell represents each of the devastating events of the day in 2001. The first is for the plane that hit the first of the Towers in New York City. The second toll is for the second tower being hit. The third is for the attack on the Pentagon, the fourth is for the plane that went down in PA and the fifth for ALL lives lost to the acts of terrorism.
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MN Dept. of Veterans Affairs - 2010 NewslettersRead the MN Department of Veterans Affairs newsletter for current in-
formation concerning veterans and veterans issues. You can sign up to get notified when the MDVA Newsletter is published on-line and other
topics such as:
• Minnesota Legislative Issues - Newsletters containing information on legislative issues related to Minnesota Veterans.
• Events - Newsletters containing information on events for Minnesota Veterans.
• MDVA Newsletter - A monthly newsletter from the MN Dept. of Veterans Affairs about veteran issues.
• Flag at Half-Staff - Notification when the flags at the Minnesota Capitol are lowered to half-staff.
• News Flash - Press releases and other news items related to Minnesota veterans.
Go to
www.mdva.state.mn.us/newsletter.htm
to sign up
Visit us online at www.mn-amvets.org
Vol. 14, No. 1 9
Minnesota American Veterans News - - - Winter, 2011
AMVETS National Americanism Flag Drawing Contest Rules
Information can also be found online at www.amvets.org under Programs: Americanism
Entry FormApplications and flag drawings should be returned to your local AMVETS Post or State Department. Please print legibly or type.
Student Information:
National Americanism Flag Drawing Contest in the ______ grade category.
Name: _________________________________________ Birth Date ___/___/___
Address: ___________________________________________________________
City, State, Zip: ______________________________________________________
Telephone #: (_______)_______-_____________
Name of Parent/Guardian _____________________________________________
Name of School __________________________________
School Address: _____________________________________________________
City, State, Zip: _____________________________________________________
Telephone #: (_______)_______-____________
Teacher’s Name __________________________________
The following section must be completed and signed by the Department Americanism Officer or Executive Director. Flag drawing entries must
be submitted to the designated Department official. Only 1st place Department entries can be submitted to National Headquarters.
A letter from the appropriate Post Official must state:The attached 1st Place Flag Drawing is submitted for entry by:
AMVETS/Ladies Auxiliary - Department/Post ______________________________
Address: __________________________________________________________
City, State, Zip ______________________________________________________
Telephone #: (_______)_______-__________
_______________________________
Signature Department Americanism Chairman
_____________Date
Who can participate?
All students in kindergarten and 1st grade who attend public, private, parochial schools, are home schooled or are members of a youth group/Sunday school are eligible to enter.
Theme:The theme is the American Flag with 50
white stars against a field of blue, 13 stripes - 6 white and 7 red.
Contest rules:• All students must address the theme.• Entries must be free-hand drawings,
using pen, pencil, crayon, paint or any combination of these media.
• A straight edge may be used to aid in drawing a straight line.
• Gluing stars or other materials to the surface is not permitted.
• Use of stencils or tracing is not permit-ted.
• Entries must be 9” x 12” using construc-tion paper or poster board.
• All national entries must be postmarked by July 1. Local Post deadlines may vary. Entries to Department office dead-line is April 30, 2011.
Criteria for judging of drawings:* Artistic ability* Adherence to the theme * Accuracy of drawingNational Awards - VISA Gift CardsKindergarten: 1st - $75 2nd - $50 3rd - $251st Grade: 1st - $75 2nd - $50 3rd - $25
Co-sponsored by AMVETS and AMVETS Ladies Auxiliary
Vol. 14, No. 1 10
Minnesota American Veterans News - - - Spring, 2011
AMVETS National Americanism Poster Contest Rules
Information can also be found online at www.amvets.org under Programs: Americanism
Who can participate?
All students in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th grades who attend public, private, parochial schools, are home schooled or are members of a youth group/Sunday school are eligible to enter.
Annual Themes:2010-2011 Why is it Important to Vote?
Contest rules:• All students must address the theme.• All entries must be free-hand drawings,
using pens, pencils, crayons, paint or any combination of these materials. A straight edge may be used as an aid to draw a straight line.
• Gluing pictures or other materials to the surface of the drawing is not permitted.
• The student’s description of the poster must be written on the back of the poster in50 words or less. Descriptions that are firmly attached to the back of the poster will also be accepted.
• Entries must be 9” x 12” using construc-tion paper or poster board.
• All national entries must be postmarked by July 1. Local Post deadlines may vary. Entries to Department office deadline is April 30, 2011.
Criteria for judging of posters: * Artistic Ability* Adherence to Theme* NeatnessNational Awards - VISA Gift Cards 2nd Grade: 1st - $100 2nd - $75 3rd - $50 3rd Grade: 1st - $100 2nd - $75 3rd - $50 4th Grade: 1st - $125 2nd - $100 3rd - $75 5th Grade: 1st - $150 2nd - $125 3rd - $100
Co-sponsored by AMVETS and AMVETS Ladies Auxiliary
Entry FormApplications and posters should be returned to your local AMVETS Post or State Department. Please print legibly or type.
Student Information:
National Americanism Poster Contest in the ______ grade category.
Name: _________________________________________ Birth Date ___/___/___
Address: ___________________________________________________________
City, State, Zip: ______________________________________________________
Telephone #: (_______)_______-_____________
Name of Parent/Guardian _____________________________________________
Name of School __________________________________
School Address: _____________________________________________________
City, State, Zip: _____________________________________________________
Telephone #: (_______)_______-____________
Teacher’s Name __________________________________
The following section must be completed and signed by the Department Americanism Officer or Executive Director. Poster entries must
be submitted to the designated Department official. Only 1st place Department entries can be submitted to National Headquarters.
A letter from the appropriate Post Official must state:The attached 1st Place Poster is submitted for entry by:
AMVETS/Ladies Auxiliary - Department/Post ______________________________
Address: __________________________________________________________
City, State, Zip ______________________________________________________
Telephone #: (_______)_______-__________
_______________________________
Signature Department Americanism Chairman
_____________Date
Vol. 14, No. 1 11
Minnesota American Veterans News - - - Winter, 2011
Entry FormApplications and essays should be returned to your local AMVETS Post or State Department. Please print legibly or type.
Student Information:
National Americanism Essay Contest in the ______ grade category.
Name: _________________________________________ Birth Date ___/___/___
Address: ___________________________________________________________
City, State, Zip: ______________________________________________________
Telephone #: (_______)_______-_____________
Name of Parent/Guardian _____________________________________________
Name of School __________________________________
School Address: _____________________________________________________
City, State, Zip: _____________________________________________________
Telephone #: (_______)_______-____________
Teacher’s Name __________________________________
The following section must be completed and signed by the Department Americanism Officer or Executive Director. Essay entries must
be submitted to the designated Department official. Only 1st place Department entries can be submitted to National Headquarters.
A letter from the appropriate Post Official must state:The attached 1st Place Essay is submitted for entry by:
AMVETS/Ladies Auxiliary - Department/Post ______________________________
Address: __________________________________________________________
City, State, Zip ______________________________________________________
Telephone #: (_______)_______-__________
_______________________________
Signature Department Americanism Chairman
_____________Date
AMVETS National Americanism Essay Contest Rules
Information can also be found online at www.amvets.org under Programs: Americanism
Who can participate?
All students in the 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th or 12th grades who attend public, private, parochial schools, are home schooled or are members of a youth group/Sunday school are eligible to enter.
Annual Themes:2010-2011 Why is it Important to Vote?
Contest rules:• All students must address the theme.• All essays may be written in ink, typed or pro-
duced on a computer.• 6th Grade students should submit essays of
200 words or less.• 7th and 8th Grade students should submit es-
says of 300 words or less.• 9th and 10th Grade students should submit es-
says of 400 words or less.• 11th and 12th Grade students should submit
essays of 500 words or less.• All national entries must be postmarked by July
1. Local Post deadlines may vary. Entries to De-partment office deadline is April 30, 2011.
Criteria for judging of essays:
* Originality * Adherence to theme * Literary composition
National Awards - VISA Gift Cards 6th Grade: 1st - $125 2nd - $100 3rd - $75 7th Grade: 1st - $150 2nd - $125 3rd - $100 8th Grade: 1st - $150 2nd - $125 3rd - $10010th Grade: 1st - $375 2nd - $250 3rd - $15011th Grade: 1st - $500 2nd - $375 3rd - $25012th Grade: 1st - $500 2nd - $375 3rd - $250
All 9th Grade Department 1st place win-ners receive an all-expense paid trip to the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge, Penn-sylvania for a long weekend of youth oriented activities. Dynamic speakers and sightseeing are highlights of a trip that is sure to be long remembered.
Co-sponsored by AMVETS and AMVETS Ladies Auxiliary
Vol. 14, No. 1 12
Minnesota American Veterans News - - - Spring, 2011
Veterans News & Updates
Department of Veterans Affairs and Indian Health Service Sign Memorandum of Understanding
WASHINGTON (Nov. 16, 2010) Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Indian Health Service (IHS) have signed a memorandum of understand-ing (MOU) which will help both agencies improve the health status of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) Veterans. The IHS-VA MOU outlines a new plan for enhanced coordination, collaboration, and resource-sharing that will draw on the strengths and expertise of the two agencies.
“This memorandum of understanding is a re-newal of the important partnership between the De-partment of Veterans Affairs and the Indian Health Service. It represents VA’s commitment to American Indian and Alaska Native Veterans through asso-ciations with the Indian Health Service and tribal facilities throughout the nation,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “The partnership further expands VA’s capability to serve those Veter-ans within their communities and provides increased access for Veterans in extremely rural areas.”
The MOU will facilitate greater innovation at the local level between IHS, tribal, urban and VA programs. While recognizing the importance of a coordinated effort on a national scope, the MOU also emphasizes the necessity and importance of tribal consultation for local adaptation. This will be accomplished by increasing available services, improving the delivery of care by sharing pro-grams, developing new models of care using the latest technologies, providing culturally competent care for beneficiaries, and increasing the quality of care though training and workforce development.
“This MOU between the IHS and VA provides a firm foundation for collaboration to meet the needs of the AI/AN Veterans who have served our nation,” said Dr. Yvette Roubideaux, IHS director. “It is an important step forward in our work to better serve all American Indian and Alaska Native people.”
In addition, this agreement will address joint emergency, disaster, and pandemic preparedness and response planning. Implementation Work Groups will be established to address each of the main goals outlined in the MOU. An annual progress report will be produced by the VA and the IHS. The VA
and the IHS are now organizing workgroups to make progress on implement-ing elements in the MOU as soon as possible to benefit veterans.
The MOU expands the partnership ini-tially established through a previous MOU in 2003 that improved communication be-tween the agencies and tribal governments, and developed strategies for sharing informa-tion, services, and information technology.
VA Pilots Expedite Payments to Disabled Veterans
WASHINGTON (Nov. 16, 2010) VA has launched two pilot programs to test new proce-dures that will speed the payment of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) compensation benefits to Veterans with disabilities connected to their military service. These new programs are part of Secre-tary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki’s effort to “break the back” of the disability claims backlog.
“A fundamental goal in the transformation of VA’s claims processing is to make sure that Veterans receive in a timely manner the benefits they earned through their service to our Nation,” Shinseki said. “VA’s ambitious tests of numerous innovations reflect our commitment to constantly improving how we meet our mission of responsive-ness to Veterans, their families and survivors.”
The “Quick Pay” Disability Program at the St. Petersburg, Fla., Regional Office and the “Express Lane” Pilot, based at the Seattle, Wash., Regional Office, are among a number of new initiatives using reengineered and stream-lined claims processes to provide Veterans with faster claims decisions and benefit payments.
Secretary Shinseki established as one of VA’s highest priority goals the elimina-tion of the disability claims backlog by 2015, so that all Veterans receive a quality decision on their claim in no more than 125 days.
The “Quick Pay” Disability initiative is de-signed to speed disability compensation to Vet-erans who provide sufficient evidence at the time of claim submission to decide all or part of their claim. Since program launch, “Quick Pay” has paid more than $2 million in benefits to 1,656 Florida Veterans. These payments averaged $1,236 monthly and were made three months faster than the department’s 125-day goal.
Under the “Express Lane” Pilot pro-gram based in the Seattle Regional Office, staff members are realigned to address dis-ability claims based on claim complexity.
Like a supermarket check-out “express lane,” small employee teams focus on rap-idly processing numerous less complex claims that typically involve only one disability, thus freeing their co-workers to process the more complex and multiple-disability claims that de-mand the greatest level of unilateral effort.
The “Express Lane” Pilot, while managed from Seattle, is also being tested at three additional
VA regional offices: Nashville, Tenn.; St. Paul, Minn.; and Muskogee, Okla. The St. Petersburg and Seattle pilots are among more than three dozen VA initiatives exploring optimal ways to organize and deliver benefits and improve service to veterans.
VA Launching New Personalized Veterans Health Benefits Handbook
WASHINGTON – The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is piloting new, personalized Veterans Health Benefits Handbooks. The handbooks are tailored to provide enrolled Veterans with the most relevant health benefits information based on their own specific eligibility. In essence, each hand-book will be written for the individual Veteran.
“These handbooks will give Veterans ev-erything they need to know and leave out ev-erything that doesn’t apply to them,” said Sec-retary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “Our Veterans will now have a comprehensive, easy to understand roadmap to the medi-cal benefits they earned with their service.”
In addition to highlighting each Veteran’s spe-cific health benefits, the handbook also provides contact information for the Veteran’s preferred local facility, ways to schedule personal appoint-ments, guidelines for communicating treatment needs and an explanation of the Veteran’s respon-sibilities, such as copayments when applicable.
“Enhancing access isn’t just about expanding the kinds of services VA provides. It also includes making sure we do everything we can to ensure Veterans have a clear understanding of the ben-efits available to them so they can make full use of the services they have earned,” Shinseki said.
The new handbooks will initially be avail-able only to certain Veterans in Cleveland and Washington, D.C., areas. Following the pilot phase, full implementation is scheduled to be-gin in the fall of 2011 for across the county.
VA Taking Life-Saving Campaign to the Streets
WASHINGTON (Oct. 19. 2010)- Nearly 1,200 life-saving advertisements have gone up on city buses, bus shelters, rail and subway stations across the Nation displaying a message of hope for those who have served their country and may be facing an emotional crisis. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is advertising its Suicide Prevention Hotline through Jan. 9, 2011. “I know of one Veteran who saw these signs on a bus shelter, called the hotline, and came to VA
Vol. 14, No. 1 13
Minnesota American Veterans News - - - Winter, 2011
for help that same day,” said VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki. “That Veteran had been walking out to the desert to take his own life. There are thousands of other Veterans like him who are still with us today as a direct result of the hotline. It’s important that we get the word out to everyone who put their lives on the line in defense of this Nation.” Since its inception in July 2007, VA’s Suicide Pre-vention Hotline, 1-800-273-TALK (8255), has saved more than 10,000 Veterans and provided counsel-ing for more than 180,000 Veterans and their loved ones at home and overseas. The hotline is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week by trained mental health professionals prepared to deal with immedi-ate crises. The hotline also offers an anonymous online chat feature available at www.suicidepreven-tionhotline.org <http://www.suicidepreventionlife-line.org> . (Look for the chat feature in the upper right hand box.) While implemented for Veterans, any person who calls the hotline and needs help will receive it. VA has marketed the hotline through mass transit campaigns since summer of 2008, increasing the number of calls and lives saved with each city the campaign has reached. VA is partnering with Blue Line Media (www.BlueLineMedia.com) for the campaign, a transit advertising <http://www.blue-linemedia.com/transit-advertising-media_4.html> company that specializes in helping business and government tell their stories through transit advertis-ing media, such as buses, bus shelters, benches, subways, trains, airports, billboards and more.
VA Tops $1B Mark in Recovery Act Distributions: Upgrades Include Energy Projects, Medical Facility Upgrades, and Cemetery Improvements
WASHINGTON (Oct. 15, 2010)- The Depart-ment of Veterans Affairs (VA) has distributed more than $1 billion in funds made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, agency officials have announced. Recovery Act
funding is being used to modernize and replace existing VA medi-cal facilities, make improvements at national cem-eteries and award
grants to states for Veterans homes. “America’s Veterans are getting more modern, ef-ficient and greener facilities that are better suited to provide them the comprehensive care and service they have earned,” VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki said. “These upgrades are possible through Recov-ery Act funds that are not only revitalizing VA’s extensive infrastructure, but also moving needed money into the economy,” he said. The funding is part of President Obama’s economic recovery plan to improve services to America’s Vet-erans. VA committed its total Recovery Act funds of $1.8 billion by July. To help Veterans access their care, Recovery Act projects at VA medical facilities are adding or im-proving more than 26,000 parking spaces. VA is also upgrading nearly 14,000 inpatient bed spaces and 16 pharmacy renovation projects will help Veterans get medicines quicker and more efficiently. More than 14,400 clinical improvement projects, some with multiple exam rooms, are being undertaken. Physical improvements to VA medical facilities include investments in energy efficiency projects; almost $400 million overall is targeted for energy projects and some $90 million for renewable energy studies and projects. VA is installing solar photovoltaic systems at facili-ties in Albuquerque, N.M.; Tucson, Ariz.; Dublin, Ga.; Calverton, N.Y.; and San Joaquin and River-side, Calif. The department is erecting a wind turbine in Bourne, Mass., and constructing a geothermal system at its medical center in St. Cloud, Minn. Additionally, VA is building renewably fueled co-generation systems at five medical facilities: Togus, Maine; White River Junction, Vt.; Chillicothe, Ohio; Loma Linda, Calif.; and Canandaigua, N.Y. It is also installing metering systems at all VA-owned facilities to monitor energy utilities, including elec-tricity, water, chilled water, steam and natural gas consumption. VA is investing $197 million in energy and water infrastructure improvements. Its facilities across the country are upgrading properties and structures to reduce energy consumption and water usage and better manage related costs. Throughout VA’s system of 131 national cemeteries, 392 improvement projects are underway using $50 million in Recovery Act funding. VA is restoring and preserving 47 historic monuments and memori-als, becoming more energy efficient by investing in renewable energy sources (solar and wind), imple-menting nine energy conservation projects, and improving access and visitor safety with 44 road, paving and grounds improvement projects.
Funds are also being used to raise, realign and clean approximately 200,000 headstones and markers, repair sunken graves, and renovate turf at 24 VA national cemeteries. VA Recovery Act grants totaling $150 mil-lion are also assisting states to construct, improve, or acquire nursing home, domicili-ary or adult day health care facilities.
VA Testing Quicker Ways to Access Medical Records
WASHINGTON – The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is working to signifi-cantly reduce the average time needed to ob-tain health-care records from private physi-cians with the help of a private contractor and the Internet to speed claims decisions.
“Innovations that will speed, simplify or im-prove our services to Veterans are receiving rigor-ous tests at VA,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “We are committed to harness-ing the best technology and the brightest minds in the government and private sector to ensure Veterans receive the benefits they have earned.”
One innovation is using a private contractor to assist VA in collecting health-care records. When private medical records support a Veteran’s ap-plication for benefits, a contractor will quickly retrieve the records from the health-care provider, scan them into a digital format and send the ma-terial to VA through a secure transmission.
This pilot project hopes to validate initial estimates that a specialized contract can yield records required to process Veterans’ disabil-ity compensation claims in seven to 10 days in-stead of VA’s average 40 days. In addition, the additional contract frees VA staff to focus on core duties to process claims more quickly.
Exploring economical contract support for time savings is one of more than three dozen initiatives supporting VA’s claims transforma-tion plan, which aims to ensure that by 2015, Veterans’ claims are decided within 125 days.
VA officials emphasize that in all cases Veterans must sign documents approving the release of their medical records to the depart-ment from private health-care providers.
The test is expected to involve about 60,000 records requests among regional benefits offices in Phoenix; New York City; St. Louis; Portland, Ore.; Chicago; Anchorage, Alaska; Indianapolis, and Jackson, Miss. At the conclusion of the test, VA officials will decide whether to cancel, modify, or expand any changes in procedures nationwide.
Veterans News & Updates, cont.
Vol. 14, No. 1 14
Minnesota American Veterans News - - - Spring, 2011
Than
k YO
U CO
RPOR
aTE S
POnS
ORS
08/25/2010 - 12/29/2010
Dear Valued Stakeholders,Over the last several days you may have seen media coverage of alleged retal-
iation at the Hastings Veterans Home. Some of this coverage has been inaccurate, and I wanted to take this opportunity to provide you with correct and up-to-date information.
I want to assure you that the Minnesota Veterans Homes have zero tolerance for any behavior involving retaliation. We take all offenses of this nature very seriously and remain committed to providing the highest care possible for Min-nesota Veterans. Upon learning of this issue, we have taken immediate action and launched our own internal investigation. In addition to making temporary staffing changes during this interim period, we have implemented a comprehensive Cor-rective Action Plan and are working closely with our Residents and staff to create an atmosphere of open dialogue and feedback. Our focus remains on improving operations and making the Hastings Veterans Home a place of honor for this na-tion’s heroes.
To clear up some of the inaccuracies circulating, I have included a detailed timeline below, as well as examples of how we are addressing any issues related to care.
This issue began when a non-Resident sent a letter to US Senator Al Franken, alleging several concerns at the Hastings Veterans Home. Senator Franken asked the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (USDVA) to look into the allegations.
In July 2010, the USDVA responded by conducting a survey where they in-terviewed staff and Residents at the Home. When it was complete, the Home re-ceived a copy of the survey. Although it showed that the survey team interviewed Residents and staff about the concern of retaliation, the survey did not substanti-ate any of those allegations. To address other findings in the survey, the Home responded with a Corrective Action Plan. Below are just a few examples of the changes we implemented at that time:
• Replaced the medical director and added a full-time nurse practitioner, al-lowing contract physicians to spend more time with each Resident.
• Developed a clinic nurse position, allowing increased and easier access to physicians and nurse practitioners.
• Emphasized communication techniques in staff training. • Conducted refresh training for all staff on addiction, chemical dependency
and mental health disorders. • Began implementing a “person-centered care” model. As a result, any chang-
es in medications or care are discussed with the Resident prior to implementation. • Hired a new physician and separated the role of attending physician and
medical director. This allowed the attending physician to focus on Resident care and reduce overall caseloads for each provider.
• Reviewed staffing levels to ensure immediate and full access to care for Residents.
• Improved access to the Bill of Rights and Home policies for all Residents.
In September 2010, the USDVA accepted our Corrective Action Plan and sent the Hastings Veterans Home a letter of full compliance. This letter means that the Home is certified and will continue to receive its Per Diem from the USDVA.
In October 2010, following the implementation of the Corrective Action Plan, the Home received a letter from Senator Franken that included a memo from the USDVA substantiating retaliation. The Hastings Veterans Home and Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs was not aware of and did not receive a copy of this memo from the USDVA, or the results of that investigation, until it was for-warded from Senator Franken. At this time we took immediate additional action by launching our own internal investigation and placing the director of nursing, administrator and his assistant on administrative leave. The investigation is cur-rently on-going and we hope to have it completed in the near future.
To uphold the integrity of the investigation process, we are not able to discuss any specifics until it is complete. However, I want to assure you that our top priority remains providing quality care for our nation’s heroes. We take pride in ensuring our Veterans and staff are treated with the respect and dignity they de-serve. It’s important to remember that this is not just a facility; this is home to our Veterans. Regardless of the outcome of the investigation, we are taking action to improve the quality of care at the Home. Here are just a few examples:
• All staff will complete mandatory special training on Resident rights, the Vulnerable Adult Act and specific facility policies; three mandatory training ses-sions are scheduled this month.
• The Home is rewriting and updating its grievance policy; the new policy will be shared with Residents within 30 days, and staff will receive appropriate training immediately.
• Self-administration of medications has been implemented, and a majority of Residents are pleased with the practice.
• Discharge planning begins on the day of admission and is reviewed at the Residents’ care conferences; Residents are encouraged to attend their care con-ferences and participate in developing their discharge plan with the care team.
• Residents are encouraged to participate in vocational rehabilitation and work therapy programs.
Additionally, the Home’s focus on “person-centered care” has greatly in-creased the number of successful discharges. A Person-Centered Care Committee has been established and will meet weekly to identify areas of improvement and discuss implementation techniques. Goals of the committee include I-Centered Care Plans and fostering independence and communication between staff and Residents to assist them in meeting short and long-term goals.
Thank you for your continued support. Again, the Department takes these findings very seriously and is working to quickly address and resolve them. As I mentioned earlier, we have zero tolerance for any behaviors and actions relat-ing to retaliation. We remain committed to providing quality care and respect for Residents, Veterans and staff at all five of our State Veterans Homes.
Gilbert Acevedo Deputy Commissioner Veterans Health Care Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs
Informational Letter on the Hastings, MN VA Home Investigation from Gilbert Acevedo; Deputy Commissioner Veterans Health Care, Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs
Jacque Nadeau
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Vol. 14, No. 1 15
Minnesota American Veterans News - - - Winter, 2011
Post OfficersPOST 1
COMMANDERMark Kronholm
2184 Schoolmaster Dr.Chaska, MN 55318
612-708-1910
POST 1 ADJUTANTKelly Nguyen
648 Marie Ave.Mendota Hts., MN 55118
POST 4 COMMANDER
David Graves416 Steuben Street
Winona, Mn 55987507-454-1613
POST 4 ADJUTANTDavid Brand
320 1st Ave NLewiston, MN 55952
507-523-2424
POST 5 COMMANDERRaymond J. Rangel
2220 Conway StreetSaint Paul, MN 55119
651-698-7273
POST 5 ADJUTANTMichael Medina
1618 Hague Ave.St. Paul, MN 55104
651-645-0587
POST 8 COMMANDER
John Washtock43656 287th LaneAitkin, MN 56431
218-927-6830
POST 8 ADJUTANTLloyd Gerard
31142 380th StAitkin, MN 56431
218-549-3441
POST 10 COMMANDERCraig Maehling
1082 14th Ave SEMpls, MN 55414
612-331-2593
POST 10 ADJUTANTArchie Webb
4285 Lindsey LaneMinnetonka, MN 55345
POST 11 COMMANDER
Don Gilbert24870 22nd Avenue
St. Augusta, MN 56301612-272-1557
POST 11 ADJUTANTPhilip Landwehr
56 - 33rd Ave S #243St Cloud, MN
56301320-253-0703
POST 12 COMMANDERWilliam Cogger
704 W 41st StreetHibbing, MN 55746
POST 12 ADJUTANTDick Mattson715 E. 39th
Hibbing, MN. 55746218-262-1523
POST 13 COMMANDERGuy Streater
217 1/2 E Lake StWaconia, MN 55387
952-442-5002
POST 13 ADJUTANTWalter Schmakel348 W. 4th St.
Waconia, MN. 55387953-442-4272
POST 19 COMMANDER
Janice Hinz29676 Flower Valley Rd.Red Wing, MN 55066
651-338-2970
POST 19 ADJUTANTJoyce Maldondo
N. 4003 U.S. Hwy. 63 Ellsworth, WI 54011
715-792-5407
POST 20 COMMANDER
Eugene Koopmeiners15722 390th StreetAvon, MN 56310
320-746-7676
POST 20 ADJUTANTT. Joseph Schwab
335 Golfview DriveAlbany, MN 56307
320-845-4848
POST 21 COMMANDER
Eugene Fohs1233 Richard Ave.
Det. Lakes, MN 56501 218-847-4144
POST 23 COMMANDER
Tom VogeP.O. Box 81
Nerstrand, MN 55053507-334-3238
POST 23 ADJUTANTEvelyn Hershberger
422 E VineOwatonna, MN 55060
507-451-6091
POST 24 COMMANDER
Al Busse956 Cook Ave. E.
St. Paul, MN 55106651-276-3899
POST 24 ADJUTANTLawrence Dean
3385B Vadnais Lane, Vadnais Hts, MN 55127
651-484-2837
POST 26 COMMANDERTammy Schroeder
19295 County HWY. 29 Detroit Lakes, MN 56501
605-237-1397 [email protected]
POST 26 ADJUTANTTony Wasserbauer
1009 Third Street SW Crosby, MN 56441-1128
218-838-2659 [email protected]
POST 28 COMMANDER
William J. Warren, Jr.3678 Carlton StreetBarnum, MN 55707
218-389-6014
POST 28 ADJUTANTGary Aho
P.O. Box 35Wrenshall, MN 55759
218-384-4587
POST 31 COMMANDER
Roger Stelter16451 Snake Trail Road
Waseca, MN 56093507-835-7901
POST 31 ADJUTANTLyle Cromer
219 7th Ave. NEWaseca, MN 56093
507-833-7722
POST 33 COMMANDERGeorge Howard
1033 6th Avenue N., #6Virginia, MN 55792
218-741-6474
POST 33 ADJUTANTMike Holter
227 Hampshire RdHoyt Lakes, MN 55750
218-225-3377
POST 47 COMMANDER
Ruth Perry121 Fenton Road
Albert Lea, MN 56007507-373-2245
POST 47 ADJUTANTLes Shaunce
528 Alice Ave.Albert Lea, MN. 56007
507-373-0134
POST 53 COMMANDERKenneth Weyaus
16004 Migizi Dr.Onamia, MN. 56359
320-532-3632
POST 53 ADJUTANTDiane Nickaboine
19100 452nd StreetOnamia, MN 56359
POST 101 COMMANDER
Bob Klug21650 Blackduck Lake RdBlackduck, MN 56630
218-835-4512
POST 101Russ Kunkel
16563 N Blackduck Lake Rd NEHines, MN 56647
POST 151 COMMANDER
Gary Running385 210th Avenue
Appleton, MN 56208320-289-1240
POST 151 ADJUTANTDennis Kohlman
350 Rooney Ave WAppleton, MN 56208
POST 290 COMMANDER
Bob Lubenow1375 90th St SW
Appleton, MN 320-793-6773
POST 290 ADJUTANTErv Krosch
509 E. 9th StreetMorris, MN 56267
320-589-2916
POST 556 COMMANDER
Gerry Ewald 13735 Norellus Lane,
Lindstrom, MN 55045612-257-5791
POST 556 ADJUTANTKeith Hegstrom56 N.W. 4th St.
Forest Lake, MN 55025651-464-2497
POST 612 COMMANDERMatthew Riewer202 Willow Ave
Frazee, MN 56544218-334-2181
POST 612 ADJUTANTHarriet Stech
33723 Peace River Ranch RdFrazee, MN 56544
POST 2000 COMMANDER
Richard B. Salsbury2205 Congress St
S St Paul, MN 55075651-451-1629
Post 2000 AdjutAntDale G. Larson3256 70th St E
Inver Grove Hts, MN 55076651-455-6558
__________________Additions or corrections
to : [email protected]
AMVETS Dept. MN - MN AMVETS News,
Room 302 Veterans Service
Building, 20 West 12th St., St. Paul, MN 55155
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The Minnesota American Veterans NewsRoom 302, Veterans Service Building20 West 12th StreetSt. Paul, MN 55155www.mn-amvets.org
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The History of American VeteransTruly AMVETS was born in the midst of war, for it was in August 1943, with
victory still two years away, that a new organization, later to be known as the American Veterans of World War II, had its beginning. Overseas, the tide of
battle was turning. The Allies had swept through North Africa and Sicily. In the Pacific, fighting raged in New Guinea. Thousands of Americans had made the supreme sacrifice. Hundreds of others were being mustered out of uniform with battle wounds and medi-cal discharges. These men who fought in history’s greatest war found it natural to seek each other’s company. They were united by similar experiences ... in jungles, in the Arctic, in deserts, on mountains, at sea and in the skies. Thus, out of such comradeship, AMVETS came to be formed in Washington, D.C., two independent veterans clubs, one on the campus of George Washington University, the other of veterans employed by the government, joined together to sponsor a servicemen’s party. By September 1944, other such veterans’ clubs organized throughout America—in California, Florida, Louisiana, New York, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Tennessee and Texas.
On November 11, 1944, a Veterans Day article entitled “12,000,000 in Search of a Leader” appeared in Collier’s. This story, written by Walter Davenport, introduced the clubs and outlined their three mutual aims: to promote world peace, to preserve the American way of life and to help the veteran help himself. In December, 18 leaders representing these nine groups met in Kansas City, Mo. There, a national organization was formed and on December 9, 1944, the name “American Veterans of World War II” was chosen. The word AMVETS, coined by newspaper headline writers, soon became the official name. The white clover, a flower that thrives in freedom throughout the world and is symbolic of the struggle during World War II, became the adopted flower of AMVETS.
In October 1945, two months after the end of World War II, the first national convention was convened in Chicago. In 1946, AMVETS petitioned Congress for a federal charter. AMVETS, having displayed dignity and a sound approach to national problems, won the deep respect of Congress and on July 23, 1947, President Harry S. Truman signed the AMVETS charter. The words of the Senate Judiciary Committee echoed throughout the land: “The veterans of World War II are entitled to their own organization” and AMVETS being “organized along sound lines and for worthy purposes ... having demonstrated its strength and stability is entitled to the standing and dignity which a national charter will
afford.” President Truman also commented, “Were I a veteran of this war, I would prefer to have a veteran of World War II looking after my affairs, than a veteran of some other war.”
When the war broke out in Korea and again in Vietnam, AMVETS requested Congress to amend the charter so that those serving in the U.S. Armed Forces would be eligible for membership. On September 14, 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the bill redefining the eligibility dates for AMVET membership, stating “Any person who served in the Armed Forces of the United States of America or any American citizen, as an American citizen, who served in the armed forces of an allied nation of the United States at anytime after September 15, 1940, and on or before the date of cessation of hostilities as determined by the government of the United States, is eligible for regular membership in AMVETS, provided such service when terminated by discharge or release from active duty be by honorable discharge or separation.” On May 7, 1975, President Gerald R. Ford signed Proclamation 4373, terminating the Vietnam era and announcing the cessation of hostilities. Effective May 8, 1975, the armed forces became a peacetime service.
For nearly 10 years, AMVETS did not accept into membership servicemen and women who served after May 7, 1975. On May 31, 1984, President Ronald Reagan signed Public Law 98-304, which amended AMVETS’ congressional charter to open membership to those who served honorably and actively after May 7, 1975. AMVETS is now the only congressionally chartered veterans’ service organization that recognizes the sacrifices of these veterans and service persons by extending membership eligibility to them.
At the 46th and 47th national conventions, the contributions made by the National Guard and Reserve forces were recognized and membership eligibility was extended to include all ready reserves. Membership in AMVETS is now open to any person who is currently serving in the U.S. Armed Forces or who has served actively and honorably at anytime after Sept. 15, 1940, including all National Guard and Reserve personnel who are now serving or have been honorably discharged since that date. At the 49th National Convention in 1993, the eligibility of merchant marines who served this country in time of war was addressed and approved. Merchant marines who are considered veterans and eligible for VA benefits (and have received a DD-214 from either the Navy or the Coast Guard) are eligible for AMVET membership.
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