Top 10 Veterans Stories in Today’s News

From The VA

2010 National Veterans Golden Age Games a Success

The 24th National Veterans Golden Age Games wrapped up over the weekend, having set a record for attendance. Watch video of the event.

Top Veterans Stories in Today’s News

1. VA medical center a locus for research into traumatic brain injury Martinez, California – The young ex-Marine may never forget the explosions from his first tour, in Fallujah, but he can’t seem to recall much else. He probably blacked out when his military truck overturned five years ago outside Baghdad, though he can’t be sure. Not until he left the Marines in 2007 did he, or anyone else, consider that he might have suffered a lasting brain injury.
2. VA said to fall behind on verifying veteran-owned businesses The Veterans Affairs Department is struggling to verify the ownership of a growing number of small businesses supposedly owned by veterans, a new report says. To date, the VA has verified roughly 2,900 businesses in its Vetbiz.gov database of companies described as veteran-owned or service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses. That’s about 14 percent of businesses in the database, according to a Government Accountability Office report released May 28.
3. More help for Vt. guard members and families About 1,500 hundred Vermont National Guard members are deployed in Afghanistan, and Tuesday it was announced that more federal funding is coming our way to help those guard members and their families. Senator Bernie Sanders and Major General Michael Dubie announced continued funding for programs to help guard families.
4. Expanded program aims to return unclaimed property to Kansas veterans Topeka, Kansas – State Treasurer Dennis McKinney is expanding a program that he hopes will help return unclaimed property to thousands of Kansas veterans. McKinney’s office is renewing a partnership with the Kansas Commission on Veterans Affairs. The treasurer has a list with some 10,000 names of veterans with property held by the state totaling about $4.5 million.
5. Webb brings veterans fundraising issue to feds’ attention Following a multistate investigation into the legitimacy and fundraising practices of the U.S. Navy Veterans Association, Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., has brought the organization’s questionable activities to the attention of the Internal Revenue Service and requested a full report of its findings. A 501 (c)(19) registered organization, the U.S. Navy Veterans Association has been under scrutiny since March, when the St. Petersburg Times, later joined by The Roanoke Times, began investigating the organization’s fundraising, its lobbying to relax laws covering VSOs in states such as Virginia, and the authenticity of its national and local leaders.
6. WVU adding more classes for veterans Morgantown, West Virginia – Incoming military veterans at West Virginia University soon will have the chance to take more classes tailored to their needs thanks to the efforts of the college’s veterans advocate. Terry Miller, who works with veterans in the Office of Student Affairs, spoke out during a May 10 Faculty Senate meeting, asking its members to consider looking into adding more specific courses for returning service members.
7. Texas Veterans Commission grants available Over one million dollars in grants have been made available by the Texas Veterans Commission. The Commission has made those grants available to organizations that provide services to veterans and their families needing assistance with housing, transportation, counseling, and other essential services. The maximum amount of funding a single organization will receive during the grant period is $1 million, with a minimum amount of $10,000.
8. List of deceased veterans grows with each passing Memorial Day Monday’s Memorial Day and 142nd Annual Memorial Day Service at the Odd Fellows Cemetery were among the best attended events in recent years. Although more and more civic and school organizations are becoming involved in the parade every year, there may be another more sobering cause for the increase in attendance. “The thing that is upsetting is that every year, our list of World War II veterans and Korean veterans is getting larger,” said parade organizer Jon Zizlemann, referring to the roll call of deceased veterans that is read every year during the service. This year’s list had 66 names on it and many of their family members were in attendance to hear their loved one’s name read and remember their service to our country.
9. Albert Snyder’s supporters against Westboro file briefs with court Forty-two U.S. senators, 48 states, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and schools of law and psychology have filed briefs with the U.S. Supreme Court supporting Albert Snyder in his case against Westboro Baptist Church. The amicus curiae briefs argue the Fourth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals was wrong to overrule a jury’s verdict that the Rev. Fred Phelps and his followers intentionally inflicted emotional distress on the Spring Garden Township man and defamed his family.
10. US Navy Veterans Continue to Seek Justice for Israeli Attack The Israeli military has attacked a flotilla of international peace activists, killing as many as 19 innocent civilians while they were carrying ten tons of aid to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza. This is not the first time the Israeli military has attacked a nonthreatening entity in international waters. On June 8, 1967, while sailing in international waters, the US Navy intelligence ship USS Liberty was attacked by air and naval forces of the state of Israel. Of the Liberty’s crew of 294, more than half were killed or wounded. More than 40 years later, survivors are still seeking justice.