Veterans! Here’s your Top 10 News stories of the day compiled from the latest sources

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1.      Obama To Sign Bill Monday. 
2.      Military’s effort to cut red tape for wounded warriors backfires. 
3.      How will latest budget battle affect the military? 
4.      War-torn marriage: Family shattered by TBI, PTSD picks up pieces. 
5.      Esquire names Army captain one of its ‘Patriots of the Year’.  Monday Briefs.
6.      Monday Briefs. 
7.      Veterans deserve support. 
8.      Wyoming considers veterans’ nursing home. 
9.      Knights of Columbus Donate Wheelchairs and Lap Robes for Veterans at the VA. 
10. State looks to hike maintenance fees at Illinois Veterans Home. 

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• Obama To Sign Bill Monday. Bloomberg News  The White House released a statement Saturday saying President Obama will sign the bill into law on Nov. 21. “No veteran who fought for our country should have to fight for a job when they come home,” Obama said in a Nov. 16 statement, the day before HR 674 (pdf) was unanimously approved by the House. The Senate passed the bill on Nov. 10.

•   War-torn marriage: Family shattered by TBI, PTSD picks up pieces.  The breaking point came when Sandra Rivera found their 9-year-old son backed against a wall with his arms over his face, shielding himself from her husband’s screaming.

•   Esquire names Army captain one of its ‘Patriots of the Year’.  The enemy wasted no time taking its best shot at D.J. Skelton. Weeks into his 2004 deployment, an RPG ambush in Fallujah left him a broken soldier. Shrapnel tore through his face, crushing his jaw and exiting out his left eye socket, taking his eye with it.

•  Veterans deserve support.  Palladium-Item  Roses also to volunteer drivers who give of their time and talents to take veterans for their appointments. The veterans council received a US Department of Veterans Affairs’ grant to acquire a new 12-passenger van in February. …

•  Wyoming considers veterans’ nursing home.  MSN Money  Wyoming, one of two states without a state-funded nursing home, had a veteran population of 55510 as of Sept. 30, according to the US Department of Veterans Affairs. Of that number, 39 percent are older than 65, and that percentage is expected to climb …

•   Knights of Columbus Donate Wheelchairs and Lap Robes for Veterans at the VA.  PR Web  The Maryland State Council Knights of Columbus donated more than 65 new wheelchairs for Veteran patients at the Veterans Affairs (VA) Maryland Health Care System on Nov. 12, 2011 to mark this year’s Veterans Day. The wheelchairs, totaling more than $13 …

•    State looks to hike maintenance fees at Illinois Veterans Home.  Quincy Herald Whig Residents in the homes in Quincy, Anna, LaSalle and Manteno now pay a maximum of $929 a month in maintenance fees, which is in addition to state and federal payments. State Director of Veterans Affairs Erica Borggren said the average cost of care is …

•   Congress Clears Vets Portion Of Obama’s Job Proposal; Bill Will Also Repeal Withholding Rule For Contractors. , CQ  “The House last week cleared legislation to establish programs aimed at decreasing unemployment among veterans.” The bill would provide “tax credits to companies that hired veterans with service-connected disabilities who had been unemployed for at least” six consecutive months. It would provide “smaller tax credits to those that hired vets who were not disabled or had been unemployed for shorter periods.” The measure would also “extend existing credits for hiring veterans through 2012” and it would mandate the VA to “establish a retraining program by July 1, 2012.” To pay for the veterans’ provisions, the measure would “postpone scheduled decreases in fees charged to veterans obtaining VA-guaranteed mortgages until fiscal 2017.”

• Bill Would Give Veterans A Boost In Working For Transportation Projects.  Washington Post  “A bipartisan bill introduced in the House Friday would require that contractors building federally funded transportation projects give hiring preference to recent veterans.” The bill introduced by Aviation Subcommittee Chair Tom Petri (R-WI) and Rep. Nick J. Rahall (D-WV), the “ranking Democrat on the transportation committee, would require that state agencies and public transit operators enforce the mandate.” According to an AP (11/19) story carried by four news outlets, the Mobilizing Opportunities for Veterans Employment Act is “supported by the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Veterans.”

•  VFW: Review Of Jobs Programs A Welcome Change.  Army Times  “One of the best things” about the Vow to Hire Heroes Act, which Congress passed Wednesday, is a “requirement to monitor whether employment programs result in people finding work,” said Ryan Gallucci, an Iraq War veteran and “deputy director of the Veterans of Foreign Wars’ national legislative service.” For example, there is a “requirement for the Labor Department to track what happens to veterans who receive counseling, training and placement.” Additionally, Gallucci said the bill’s impact will be felt “almost immediately, whether it’s through the ability to apply for federal jobs earlier, having a baseline of civilian workforce knowledge through mandatory [Transition Assistance Program] participation, individualized assessments of military job skills, or extension of veterans’ tax credits.” The Act comes “at a time when almost 1 million veterans” are unemployed.

•   Legislators Introduce Bill To Save Jesus Statue Commemorating WWII Vets. KECI-TV  Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-MT) formally introduced legislation today to save the Jesus statue on Big Mountain. House Veterans Affairs Chair Jeff Miller (R-FL) is co sponsoring the bill. Controversy broke out earlier this year when a Wisconsin group said it violates the Constitution. Rehberg and Miller say the statue is a historically significant veterans memorial built to honor WWII vets. Their measure allows for a land exchange between Whitefish Mountain Resort and the federal government. The swap would cover 625 square feet of land where the monument stands.

• Entrepreneurship For Veterans.  Chicago Tribune  Women’s Business Development Center Co-President Hedy M. Ratner writes that the “Chicago Tribune’s front-page story on Veterans Day, about the ‘homefront battle’ veterans face to find jobs, was heartbreaking, (‘Vets’ homefront battle: Finding jobs’ Nov. 11).” But a feasible alternative to finding a job “could be business ownership, and there are resources through the US Small Business Administration that can help, not just for veterans and the service-disabled but also for their wives or partners. The work skills, perseverance, discipline and courage that many returning service members possess can be a perfect springboard into entrepreneurship.”

•  Aggression May Follow Moderate To Severe TBI.  Internal Medicine News  “A traumatic injury to the brain can cause even the most mild-mannered person to act like a hostile, aggressive sociopath,” according to neuropsychiatrist at the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law meeting. “Agitation and aggression, often lumped together as ‘socially inappropriate behavior,’ are common after a traumatic brain injury (TBI), said Dr. Hal S. Wortzel, director of neuropsychiatric consultation services at the Denver VA Medical Center. … ‘Mild traumatic injuries are different from moderate and severe traumatic brain injuries in terms of outcomes, expected recovery, and the likelihood that neuropsychiatric symptoms, whether [they] be aggression or others down the road, are directly referable to neuronal injury from that event,'” Dr. Wortzel added.

•  Christian Alliance Of America Praises Progress On WWII Memorial Prayer Act.  Christian Post  “The Christian Alliance of America lauded Congressional members of the House Committee on Natural Resources for recently supporting a bill that would ensure the inclusion of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s D-Day landing prayer at the World War II Memorial” in the District of Columbia. By “unanimous consent, the Committee ordered the bill-HR 2070, known as the World War II Memorial Prayer Act of 2011, to be reported to the full House on Thursday to the displeasure of the Obama Administration.” Opponents note that American veterans “came from many different religious traditions or no spiritual path at all” and argue that Congress “should not belittle the monument by using it as another ploy in the culture wars.”

• Military Healthcare Reform Leaves Wounded Warriors Entangled In More Red Tape.  Washington Post  “Reforms meant to streamline military healthcare for severely wounded service members have in many cases worsened the bureaucracy, causing duplication, confusion and turf battles, according to families, congressional overseers and advocates for veterans.” After reports that troops “recovering from catastrophic wounds at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and other facilities were getting lost in the military’s system, a high-profile commission recommended in 2007 that every severely wounded service member be assigned a federal recovery coordinator.” But at least 12 VA and DOD programs have since emerged to “coordinate the care. The proliferation of programs…intended to better manage healthcare, ‘may actually have the opposite effect,'” Government Accountability Office Healthcare Director Debra Draper “told a congressional committee last month.”

•    GAO Eyes VA LTC Quality Efforts.  LifeHealthPro  VA provides long-term care “for about 46,000 elderly and disabled veterans through a network of 132 nursing homes, and it is having trouble with handling care quality problems,” according to an assessment by the GAO. Officials found problems with “infection control at 59% of the nursing homes,” many of which did not “follow hand washing policies and procedures,” wrote Randall Williamson, a GAO director, in the report. The GAO is advising the VA to “require more reporting on how well the nursing homes are adhering to corrective action plans and to come up with a process” for verifying information “reported by the nursing homes.”

• VA Pittsburgh Takes Top Fine Award.  Pittsburgh Business Times  “The VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System was among five institutions that received Fine Awards for Teamwork Excellence in Healthcare on Thursday. The Fine Foundation and Jewish Healthcare Foundation sponsor the Fine Awards, which were established to recognize the critical role that teamwork plays in healthcare.” The VA won a “platinum award for its work in reducing the number of readmissions due to congestive heart failure.” Members of the VA healthcare team “received a $25,000” award; and the VA received “another $5,000 for its support.”

•    Vets Praise Care At Miami VA Hospital.  OpEdNews   “Veterans treated at the Miami VA hospital rate their care as outstanding, a survey by this reporter finds. Although the sampling was small, when asked to grade the hospital on a scale of one to ten, the combined ranking was 9.2. In fact, only one veteran rated the care as low as 6.” Notably, nearly 50 percent of the respondents “gave the hospital a perfect 10.” The survey was conducted on Nov. 16 and 17.

•  1,500 Workers To Be Hired.  Houston Chronicle  “Oil field services giant Halliburton Co. began work Thursday on $50 million base of operations in San Antonio for which it will hire 1,500 workers to support its operations in the Eagle Ford shale.” Halliburton officials “said they hope to fill 75 percent, or more than 1,100 positions, by hiring locally”; and the company is encouraging “military veterans to apply. ‘Their leadership skill set and what they’ve learned are transferable to what we do,'” said Halliburton spokesperson Marisol Espinosa.

• Companies Are Finding It More Difficult To Find And Retain Qualified Commercial Truck Drivers.  Ventura County (CA) Star  Although finding a job “continues to be a challenge for many people locally and across the country, companies are finding it more difficult to find and retain qualified commercial truck drivers,” according to American Trucking Association officials. Those interested in a career in the truck industry, however, “need to fork up thousands of dollars for the classes.” Whereas most “larger companies that hire licensed drivers sometimes reimburse training costs, smaller companies often do not,” said ATA Economist Bob Costello. But veteran Lex Prange “said he was able to afford the tuition cost through the Post 9-11/GI Bill,” which became effective in October.

•   Hire A Vet Helping Idaho Veterans Find Jobs. KXLY-TV  “Hire One Vet is exactly what it sounds like: Asking businesses to say yes we will hire one veteran to help with the unemployment problem. It’s a joint effort between several agencies, including the Idaho Department of Labor and the Idaho National Guard.”

•  “Military Clean” Putting Veterans To Work. CBS News  “Michelle Michael was barely of age when she enlisted in the Navy. Her parents had died during High School.” Michael: “I had my guardian sign me up at age 17.” Kauffman continued, “She encoded cryptic submarine messages for four years. But her experience didn’t mean to potential employers when she got out. So out of her tiny Seattle apartment, Michelle launched her own business, ‘Military Cleaning.’ … The company has given new hope to former warriors like Marine veteran Jeremy Cleaver. He was among those who fought the Battle of Fallujah and stormed Saddam Hussein’s palace. But as a veteran back home, he has struggled to find work. Now in a different uniform but with the same service member’s discipline, he gets the job done. And it’s that attention to detail…that has clients singing their praises.”

• Showcasing Jobs For Veterans.  NBCLA-TV  “When Lynette Jones returned from serving in Iraq, she, like most veterans, struggled to find work.” But on Saturday, veterans were “honored and aided in Los Angeles during Operation Confidence, a job fair and veterans’ resource event that brought out more than 100 companies looking to hire.” Job opportunities ranging from “sales to community service were showcased for L.A. veterans. ‘There’re resources here, this is what you want to see,'” said veteran Charles Whitehead. The event followed the “Joining Forces Initiative, created by First Lady Michelle Obama and Second Lady Dr. Jill Biden, which encourages support of veterans and military families through community service.”

•  Ocotillo Author Talks About Her New Book At The Holtville Library.  Imperial Valley (CA) Weekly-Chronicle  “Ocotillo resident and author Mary Rincon stopped by the Holtville library last week to talk to a handful of residents about her new book ‘Dead or Alive Agent Orange’, a fictionalized version of events that Rincon took from her own life.” Rincon said the book’s “main character is based on her father who died years after being exposed to agent orange in Vietnam.” She said the “military denied that her father was exposed to the toxic substance and tried to send him back to Vietnam, but he went AWOL

•  WWII Veteran Inspires Pasco Teens, Encourages Them To Vote.  St. Petersburg (FL) Times  “Frank Falgout was one of the first soldiers to hit the beaches at Iwo Jima in February 1945, and he stood out like a sore thumb.” The Navy corpsman was “injured twice in the month-long battle that saw nearly 7,000 Americans and 20,000 Japanese killed. He also received a Gold Star for his efforts to save his fellow soldiers. But on Wednesday, the retired doctor shared stories of the war with a group of ROTC students to remind them about another patriotic duty: voting.” Falgout was “one of several veterans who spoke to about 700” youth across “six high schools.”

•   Iraq Vet Says Being Double Amputee Does Not Hold Him Back.  Lakeland (FL) Ledger  “Being a double amputee is not stopping him, Michael Fradera, a retired Army and Marine Corps veteran, told six companies of Army Junior Reserve Officer Corps cadets at Ridge Community High School on Nov. 11. He was injured in Iraq in 2007 when an improvised explosive device exploded next to him. ‘When they got me out of the truck my left leg was missing and the right one didn’t look very good,’ he said at the school’s Veterans Day ceremony. … ‘After seeing the photos of the scene, I realized I was lucky to be alive,'” Fradera said.

•   History Channel Sponsored ‘Take A Veteran To School Day.’  Coronado (CA) Eagle & Journal   “On Thursday, November 10, students at Coronado Middle School (CMS) joined thousands around the country for ‘Take a Vet to School Day,’ sponsored by the History Channel in a joint venture with Time Warner Cable. The effort was once again spearheaded by teacher Amy Steward who oversees the middle school’s broadcast journalism and digital media programs.”

• Sentence Reduced For Iraq Veteran.  Peoria (IL) Journal Star  “A decorated Iraq war veteran will not go to prison, a Peoria County judge ruled Friday, six months after a four-year stint was handed down in connection with a shots-fired incident outside a South Peoria tavern last year. Circuit Judge Steve Kouri changed his mind and sentenced Kendal D. Robinson to four years probation after hearing” about his struggle with PTSD. Defense attorney Joel Brown said Robinson was a “career soldier who earned a Bronze Star during his 2006 deployment to Iraq when a Humvee he was in struck an improvised explosive device. Three were killed,” leaving Robinson the sole survivor. “It came out during the hearing Friday that Robinson…had swapped shifts with someone in an infantry unit on the day the Humvee exploded.”

•   Graphic Arts Help Veteran Cope With PTSD.  Middletown (NY) Times Herald-Record  “Among the 150 people contemplating the multi-artist exhibit opening at the Lynx at River Bend Golf Club last weekend was Port Jervis artist Roger Gottlieb, for whom the conjunction of Veterans Day weekend and displaying his photos was particularly apt.” A Vietnam veteran, he said his PTSD emerged in “1997, decades after his service in the 101st Airborne Division infantry unit. … The particular incident, he recalled, was an outdoor concert where Japanese musicians sang Crosby, Stills, and Nash songs. When the attacks began, he said, ‘I remember going into an underground bunker.'”

•   Vets Returning To College Face Unique Challenges.  St. Louis (MO) Post-Dispatch “With wars in Iraq and Afghanistan winding down and enhancements to the G.I. Bill, colleges and universities are expecting a surge in veteran enrollment.” But experts warn that many colleges are “unprepared to deal with the unique needs” of new veterans, ranging from “readjustment issues to recovery from physical and mental injuries. … ‘If colleges are not prepared to help transition soldiers from combat, you do run the risk of losing an entire generation,'” said Tom Tarantino of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. Still, studies indicate that some strategies “to keep veterans in school” do work, including “specialized orientation” sessions, program that connect veteran with other veterans, establish training programs for faculty on “challenges veterans face” and offering “counseling and financial aid.”

• Women Veterans Dedicate And Add Stories To Collection.  Albert Lea (MN) Tribune The Women Veterans of Freeborn County “added two more stories to the existing ‘Collection of Stories of Women in Military Service’ being maintained by the Freeborn County Historical Museum.” In one story, Delight Lees recalls “enlisting in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corp” and then being “reassigned to the Women’s Army Corp a few months later. She tells about her time in service during World War II and some of the obstacles she had to overcome” while stationed in England “during a time of frequent bombing.” The other story about the late Lissa Parrish is by her parents, “James and Kathe Grodhaus, and sister, Beverly Jackson.” Parrish enlisted in 1981, and her story “shows how far women have come in the service.”

•  Veteran To Receive Cancer Treatment At Inflated Price. KING-TV  “Marine Veteran Richard Hernandez is being treated for a testicular cancer and wanted the most aggressive therapy; and his doctor agreed. The VA pharmacy was able to find a supply, but at a price.” A VA pharmacist was shown saying, “Normally, what would have cost us around $200 for a course of treatment was now in the $3,000 to 4,000 range from this other company. And that’s what’s happening with other medications. … Companies are taking advantage of the shortages and increasing their prices.” Hernandez said, “He came back later that day and said they ended up getting some in…so I lucked out.” Enersen added, “Richard may have lucked out, but doctors and pharmacists worry other patients won’t be as fortunate if the crisis gets even worse.”

•  Susan Tidwell: Understanding Veteran Benefits For Seniors.  Gwinnett (GA) Daily Post  The National Alliance for Caregivers says most caregivers are “unable to retain a job while providing adequate care for their veteran.” But according to VA, only “36 percent” of eligible veterans are currently receiving benefits. Plantation South Duluth Director Susan Tidwell “often sees” veterans and veterans’ spouses at the senior residential community she manages who “are unaware” of options such as the VA’s Aid and Attendance benefit, which “helps to offset the cost of rent” in assisted-living communities. She said another important initiative is the “Veterans Non-Service Connected Improved Pension Benefit Program,” which provides “financial assistance to veterans over the age of 65 who have served for at least 90 days.” Additionally, Tidwell said veterans are eligible for “patient and family” driving education.

• For Job Hunters, Digital Merit Badges.  New York Times  “John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation is putting millions of dollars into a competition to spur interest in a new type of badge — one that people can display” on a website, blog or Facebook “page while they are looking for a job.” To develop prototypes for “these alternative credentials,” foundation Director Dr. Connie M. Yowell said MacArthur “started a ‘Badges for Lifelong Learning’ competition that will culminate in March 2012, when the foundation will award a total of $2 million to several dozen winners.” In addition, the Departments of VA and Education “will jointly award $25,000 for the best badge concept and prototype that serves veterans seeking jobs.”

•   VA Life Insurance Program Scores Big. LifeHealthPro  “The Veterans Affairs’ Life Insurance Program has received high marks from their policyholders and beneficiaries.” In the American Customer Satisfaction Index “independent survey, conducted via phone through June of 2011,” the VA Insurance customer service center “received a score of 87 on a scale of 100, nearly 20 points higher than the aggregate of all federal call centers and 10 points higher than the aggregate of for private-sector call centers. ‘According to the ACSI and the CFI, VA Insurance Program’s score of 87 is the highest ever seen for a government call center,’ said Under Secretary for Benefits Allison A. Hickey.”

•  Death Came Just As US Was About To Honor Morton Grove Man.  Chicago Sun-Times  “Akira ‘Casey’ Hoshizaki, 88, was excited about traveling to Washington, D.C., this month to attend a ceremony honoring him and other Japanese Americans who served the US in World War II.” The Nisei veterans were to receive Congressional Gold Medal replicas. The medal is an “enormous and historic honor,” said VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki, during his speech at the event. But Hoshizaki “died in his room just a couple of hours before he would have received his medal.” The family asked a chaplain if she could “fold the medal in their father’s hand. … ‘We had it put in his hand because that is what he came for,'” said his son Dr. Robert Hoshizaki.

•   Powwow An Outreach To Indian Veterans.  Topeka Capital-Journal  “Westley Banks, a US Marine and Kickapoo Nation native…faces a long recovery from the brain and body trauma he incurred in an IED attack” in Afghanistan. His grandfather, Korean War-era veteran James Keo worries Banks will not “take full advantage” of VA services. James Floyd, a Native American who “oversees nine VA hospitals in six Midwestern states, fully understands that sentiment.” Thus, bridging that gap was “one of the purposes behind Friday’s Native American Veterans Powwow at Colmery-O’Neil. Sponsored by the American Indian Chamber of Commerce of Kansas” and hosted by the VA, the celebration was part of November’s “National Native American Heritage Month” but it also served to introduce “new veterans to the vast Topeka VA campus.”

• A Run For Heroes, Inspired By A Son.  Wall Street Journal   In 2007, James P. Regan founded the Lead the Way Fund to help Army Ranger veterans who have been wounded — as well as the families of those who are currently serving — with costs the government does not cover. Regan also started the charity to honor his son, Sgt. James J. Regan who was killed during combat in Iraq in 2007. Sgt. Regan was a member of the 75th Ranger Regiment. Regan said the Manhasset, New York-based non-profit typically raises an average $500,000 annually through sundry various events, such as the yearly “Run Down Hero Highway” meet, which will be held Sunday in Manhattan.

•  Update: Wounded Soldier Hailed On Return To Vancouver.  Vancouver (WA) Columbian  “A Vancouver soldier got a hero’s welcome Friday afternoon, complete with a motorcycle honor guard that escorted Pfc. Cory Doane past flag-waving neighbors along his route home. After taking in all the ‘Welcome Home’ signs, Doane walked a few paces up his driveway with his prosthetic right leg and told the people gathered in the cul-de-sac: ‘Thank you guys. I appreciate it.'” Doane also offered comments for “soldiers he left behind in Afghanistan, as well as 200 other amputees” who were with him at the “Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.”

•  “No Turning Back” For Soldier Injured In Iraq.  Jeffersonville (IN) News and Tribune “For Bryan Anderson, a major hurdle is an injury that resulted in the loss of both legs and his left hand. In 2005, while serving in the US Army in Iraq, he was injured when an Improvised Explosive Device hit his vehicle.” Anderson was able to gather his “strength at Walter Reed Army Hospital, and determination to not let it get in the way of life. … ‘People don’t like making changes, but that’s what you do,’ Anderson said at the book signing for his first book, ‘No Turning Back.’ Signings were held at the Louisville and Clarksville locations of Gould’s Discount Medical earlier this week.”

•  Vietnam Vet Talks About Struggles At American Legion Stand Down. WBNG-TV “You know it takes incredible courage to fight in the Armed Services. But it also takes courage to ask for help and maybe just as much to tell the story of the struggle.” Vietnam veteran Jack Burnett said, “I was in a war where they hated us when we got back to this country.” WBNG continued, “Burnett encountered some challenges — a brain injury, finances, divorce. He ended up homeless, and almost gave up on everything.” Burnett said, “I struggled hard with ending my life. … Family members and the VA have given me a little hope that there’s some more of the road ahead.” WNBG added, “And the next stop on it is the Stand Down at the American Legion Post 1645.”

• Springfield Veterans Group To Disband.  Springfield (MO) News-Leader  “A longtime veterans organization in Springfield has disbanded, putting next year’s Veterans Day Parade in jeopardy. The Greater Ozarks Veterans & Patriotic Organization, which was responsible for the parade and the Memorial Day services at the Springfield National Cemetery, folded Tuesday, largely because of a lack of participation and interest. ‘My version of it is GOVP outlived its usefulness,’ said Nolan Moody, past first vice president. ‘The organizations that went to it gradually slowed down and stopped coming,'” Moody explained.

•   National Leader Of Veterans Support Group Here For Two-day Visit.  Tacoma (WA) News Tribune  The “national president of the Ladies Auxiliary to the Veterans of Foreign Wars is coming to the South Sound for two days to help promote the theme of her tenure: ‘Step Up – Leave No Veteran Behind.’ Gwen Rankin is leading the 522,875 members of the national VFW Ladies Auxiliary for the 2011-2012 term. She is from Sacramento, and has held leadership posts for the Auxiliary back home in California.”

•  Wounded Warrior Program Cares For Injured Airmen.  American Forces Press Service

•    `New Memorial In France For NY-based Rainbow Div.  AP

•  `Blue Star Mothers Shine Warmth On Needy Kids.  Catskill (NY) Daily Mail