The mission of The American Legion is to provide service to veterans, their families and their communities.
Thursday, June 30, 2016
Urgent Request from disabled veteran
URGENT: We have a disabled veteran in need of either an all terrain power wheel chair or someone to help him fix the seat of his current chair. His name is Dale Paulson from Moultonboro NH. His phone number is 603-253-1174. If you are handy, and would be willing to go check out his chiar or you currently have a chair available, he would be forever grateful.
Monday, June 27, 2016
Boys State Starts Sunday !!
BOYS STATE STARTS SUNDAY!!
PLEASE LOOK AT THE SCHEDULE OF EVENTS (HERE) TO SEE WHICH DAYS YOU COULD VOLUNTEER WITH DINNERS ETC. DON'T FORGET GRADUATION!!! EVERYONE SHOULD TRY TO ATTEND.
VA funding vote next week in Senate
Action Alert: VA funding vote next week
VA funding vote next week in Senate
Legion supports VA funding bill, but has concerns
(June 24, 2016) House-Senate negotiators this week reached agreement on the fiscal 2017 Military Construction-Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill, which funds the Department of Veterans Affairs. The House passed the compromise bill yesterday and next week the Senate will vote on it before they recess for the July 4th holiday.
The reason this is important to us is that while The American Legion supports passage of the bill, we are concerned that it is tied to an unrelated funding bill and disappointed it does not meet the Administration's VA funding request.
While the agreement does provide a 4.1 percent funding increase over the 2016 level, including increases for health care, benefit claims processing, the Board of Veterans Appeals, the VA Inspector General, medical and prosthetic research, and information technology; The American Legion is concerned that not meeting the VA's funding request will hinder its ability to meet the expectations for improvement that Congress says it wants from VA. Why would Congress try to undercut VA's efforts to improve its services to our veterans by not providing funding that is so obviously needed?
We are pleased to see, though, that the bill allows VA for the first time to cover fertility services, including in-vitro fertilization (IVF), for veterans with injuries that cause infertility, an issue The American Legion has strongly urged Congress to support. Currently, veterans who have service-related injuries that prevent them from having children naturally must cover the high costs of IVF out of pocket. The Department of Defense offers fertility services to those serving now, so it’s only fair that veterans receive them also.
We also support the reinstatement of the requirement for VA to report its capacity to provide specialized services, to include spinal cord injury or disease, and the authorization of beneficiary travel for non-service connected catastrophically disabled veterans.
For more background and details about the bill, click here.
We need your help to ensure senators are informed of our support and concerns about the bill. Please contact them today.
(If received by email, scroll up and click the Take Action link, otherwise see below and send a prepared message to Congress. Also, Like this on Facebook.)
The reason this is important to us is that while The American Legion supports passage of the bill, we are concerned that it is tied to an unrelated funding bill and disappointed it does not meet the Administration's VA funding request.
While the agreement does provide a 4.1 percent funding increase over the 2016 level, including increases for health care, benefit claims processing, the Board of Veterans Appeals, the VA Inspector General, medical and prosthetic research, and information technology; The American Legion is concerned that not meeting the VA's funding request will hinder its ability to meet the expectations for improvement that Congress says it wants from VA. Why would Congress try to undercut VA's efforts to improve its services to our veterans by not providing funding that is so obviously needed?
We are pleased to see, though, that the bill allows VA for the first time to cover fertility services, including in-vitro fertilization (IVF), for veterans with injuries that cause infertility, an issue The American Legion has strongly urged Congress to support. Currently, veterans who have service-related injuries that prevent them from having children naturally must cover the high costs of IVF out of pocket. The Department of Defense offers fertility services to those serving now, so it’s only fair that veterans receive them also.
We also support the reinstatement of the requirement for VA to report its capacity to provide specialized services, to include spinal cord injury or disease, and the authorization of beneficiary travel for non-service connected catastrophically disabled veterans.
For more background and details about the bill, click here.
We need your help to ensure senators are informed of our support and concerns about the bill. Please contact them today.
(If received by email, scroll up and click the Take Action link, otherwise see below and send a prepared message to Congress. Also, Like this on Facebook.)
Tuesday, June 21, 2016
Contact Info for American Legion - Department of New Hampshire
New digital phone system makes it faster to connect with Department !
Old Soldiers Win New Recruits
Old Soldiers Win New Recruits
The VFW reaches out to a new generation
|Comments: 9
Brittany Bartges, Age 29, U.S. Army,Iraq. John Holland, Age 68, U.S. Marine Corps, Vietnam. John Harry. Age 39, U.S. Air Force, Korea and Middle East. Jim stevens, Age 65, U.S. Army, Vietnam. Murphy Phanhdone, Age 33, U.S. Navy, Afghanistan and Iraq. — Benjamin Rasmussen
As a combat veteran, Brittany Bartges tried to join a Veterans of Foreign Wars post after returning from Iraq in 2007, but had no luck. She filled out an application and never heard back. She tried another VFW post, and while the members welcomed her, she didn't feel a fit. "Anytime I walked into a VFW, I felt so out of place," says Bartges, 29, a former Army intelligence analyst. "People assume you're there to pick up your dad or something."
It's not just the growing population of female combat veterans who aren't stepping through VFW doors these days. Their male counterparts from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan aren't joining either, and that's exacerbating a membership crisis for an organization that has fought for veterans benefits since its inception more than a century ago.
Founded by veterans of the Spanish-American War, the VFW was crucial to forming what is now the Department of Veterans Affairs and beloved programs like the GI Bill, which pays for veterans' higher education. The VFW pushed for benefits for Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange, lobbied for reform after the recent scandals at VA hospitals and helps veterans navigate the VA bureaucracy.
Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Fla.), who chairs the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, lauds the work that is done by veterans groups. "The work of improving the lives of veterans while making the Department of Veterans Affairs more efficient and accountable would not be possible without their support," he says.
But now these groups are fighting to survive. The VFW has lost a third of its members over the past 20 years. A thousand posts have closed in the past decade. Of the organization's 1.3 million members, the average age is 67 — and with more than 400,000 members age 80 and older, numbers will plummet further over the next decade without an influx of new blood. The American Legion, whose members have served in the military in wartime but not necessarily overseas, hasn't fared well either. Founded in 1919, it has lost nearly a million members from the 3.1 million it had in the 1990s.
Many younger veterans don't realize all the VFW has done to benefit them, says Doug Goodman, 72, commander of Post 1771 in Lafayette, Colo. But that clout is in jeopardy. "It's a game of numbers with Congress," he says. "The more you have, the more they listen."
After World War II, VFW membership ballooned from 200,000 to 1.5 million, and the American Legion swelled from 1 million to 3.3 million. Participation rates are similar today — 15 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have joined traditional groups like the VFW and the American Legion — but the number of people fighting today's wars is far smaller. "We are losing the World War II veterans at a faster rate than we're creating new veterans," says Randi Law of the VFW's national office in Kansas City, Mo.
To stay relevant, the VFW needs a larger percentage of veterans like Bartges to join. She gave the organization another chance in 2012 when she tried out Post 1 in Denver, the nation's oldest VFW chapter, formed in 1899 as the National Society of the Army of the Philippines. Immediately, she saw a difference, with several women and younger veterans active in the post's service programs.
Like most chapters, Post 1 had thrived for years, but by the early 2000s, membership had dwindled. "We weren't getting enough people at the meetings for a quorum, which is five people," says Michael Mitchel, 48, the post commander. Mired in debt, the chapter began recruiting younger members.
That reflected a national trend in which veterans groups have sought to arrest decline by reaching out to a new generation — with promising, but not yet conclusive, results.
Some VFW chapters, like Post 4534 in Rockledge, Fla., have gone smoke free, and some have gotten rid of their bars altogether, to focus more on family-friendly activities. Post 3199, in Modesto, Calif., is building a playground, and Post 12153 in Greenwood, Ind., has an exercise room. To promote activities and appeal to younger veterans, many posts have embraced social media.
Denver's Post 1 has been among the most aggressive in changing to survive. In 2014, Post 1 moved into a former gallery in Denver's hip arts district. There are photography and acting classes, yoga and tai chi. "We're the hub of the veteran community in Denver," Mitchel says. "If we can't help you, we'll put you on the right spoke." Membership, which had dropped to 800, has climbed to 1,100. And it's not just younger veterans; many new members served in Vietnam, and are giving the VFW a chance for the first time.
But reinvention isn't easy, as Dan Shoemaker learned when he took over Post 4267 in Gunnison, Colo. After being medically retired from the Army due to injuries sustained in Iraq, he joined the VFW and found quick camaraderie. Within months, a World War II veteran nominated Shoemaker, 36, to lead the post. "We need guys your age to start moving up the ranks," Shoemaker was told.
“Same mud, same blood,” says Vietnam veteran Russell Attema, on the bond between Vets
"I did spaghetti dinners, fish fries, family nights," Shoemaker says. To Iraq and Afghanistan veterans in the area, he pitched the VFW as a relaxed environment where they could have conversations with their brothers and sisters in arms. But just two of 20 young veterans he spoke with joined. The post kept losing money, and closed in 2014.
As VFW posts die off, newer veterans are worse off for it, losing the chance to draw on older veterans' experiences.
Russell Attema served two tours in Vietnam with the Army Rangers. Afterward, he told few people that he had been to war. Only later, when he joined the American Legion in the 1990s, did he realize the benefit of shared experience among veterans. "Same mud, same blood," he says. "There's no way to explain what you're dealing with to someone who hasn't worn the uniform."
Since joining Post 1 six years ago, he's tried to help younger veterans learn from his experiences. "They need to know that things are going to be OK," says Attema, who is 65. "I've had a number of conversations with guys from Iraq and Afghanistan, and I'll be bawling in the corner with them."
The post's Vietnam veterans are among the most welcoming to younger members. "We didn't get any parades when we came home," says John Holland, 68, a Marine Corps veteran of Vietnam. When he joined the VFW in 1984, he wasn't welcomed by the World War II and Korea vets. "We're not going to see it happen again," Holland says. He takes pride in the post's embrace of female and gay veterans. "If you're eligible to be a member, you're welcome here."
Bartges, who now serves as the post's senior vice commander, found camaraderie with older members: "It gives you a sense of where you've been and where you come from."
Ray Starkey, one of Bartges' friends, is Post 1's oldest member at 94. He joined in 1951. Back then, membership topped 2,000. More recently, he worried that the post would just fade away. But now, as he sits in a chair on a recent evening watching younger members in animated conversations, he smiles and says, "It's getting stronger. We need them."
Brian Mockenhaupt is a former Army infantryman who served two tours in Iraq.
Monday, June 20, 2016
Department Adjutant Newsletter - Edition 6
2016 DEPARTMENT CONVENTION
I would like to thank everyone for your participation at the Department Convention this year. It was nice to be in a different location this year as a change of pace, however we also learned we have some work to do in order to improve upon accommodations and support from the hotels. Some things need to be addressed and we will be looking at those issues sooner more so then later.
Through all of the issues it was a good convention and we learned a lot of what to do and not to do for next year. I hope everyone came away with something from this year’s convention.
I congratulate our new Department Commander Tom Wiley and all the newly elected Department Officers on your selections. I look forward to working with all of you. The work of the Legion is never done and with the leadership selected this year we will continue to move forward and carry on the traditions of this Department for the way ahead.
Your Department Officers for 2016-2017 are:
Department Commander: Tom Wiley
National Executive Committeeman: Bill Roy
Alternate NEC: Ken Maynard
Department Vice Commander: Emil Ouellette
Department Vice Commander: Charlie Arkwell
Department Vice Commander: Gerard LeDuc
Department Vice Commander: Sherm Philbrick
Department Adjutant: Daniel Yoder
Department Treasurer: Bob Dionne
Judge Advocate: Doug Micklon
Chaplain: Joe DiChiaro Jr.
Ass. Chaplain: Francis Galvin
Auditor: Mark Vatcher
Sergeant-At-Arms: Mike Consenting
District Officers 2016-2017 are:
District 1 Commander: Charlie Cook
District 1 Vice Commander: Vacant
District 2 Commander: Paul Comeau
District 2 Vice Commander: Ed Laford Sr.
District 3 Commander: Mariann Germain
District 3 Vice Commander: Bill Caron
District 4 Commander: Rick Bickerstaff
District 4 Vice Commander: Dennis Coleman
District 5 Commander: Rick Dube
District 5 Vice Commander: Todd Connor
District 6 Commander: Leo Paquin
District 6 Vice Commander: Wayne Aldrich
District 7 Commander: Bill Firth
District 7 Vice Commander: Steve Bracy
District 8 Commander: Maurice Anderson
District 8 Vice Commander: Vacant
Congratulations to all our newly elected officers.
2016 NATIONAL CONVENTION
Now it is time to turn attention to the work of preparing this Department for the Legion National Convention. This year’s National Convention will be held August 26 – September 1, 2016 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Department will be staying at the Hilton Cincinnati Airport Hotel, 7373 Turfway Road, Florence Kentucky. This hotel is actually across the river from the City of Cincinnati and about 15 to 20 minutes from the convention center. This will make some travel difficult but National will have buses running as they normally do.
The cost per room is 137.00 this year which includes an 11.3% tax. I have 27 rooms available right now, 3 King, 2 ADA, and 22 Queens. I recommend you get your reservation into me sooner than later. I will need one night deposit of $137.00, along with the national convention form you need to fill out giving me the nights and accommodation requests. Additional occupants in a room will be an additional $10.00 per person for (3-4) people. A rollaway will also be an additional $10.00 a night. So if you have more than 2 people in your room make sure you include in your deposit that additional rate.
Parking at the hotel is also free this year which will be a plus for those planning to drive out like me.
There is a restaurant located in the hotel along with a bar/lounge. The breakfast buffet is $16.00 or there is a full menu for lunch and dinner as well. There are also a few other chain restaurants in or around the hotel within walking distance.
National Commander’s Banquet tickets are still available at $46.00 per ticket. Banquet is Tuesday evening, August 30 at the Duke Energy Convention Center. Seating is Rounds of 10. Commander Barnett has selected Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers as the entertainment. Menu is Fresh Spring Mixed Salad, Roasted Beef Short Rib and Stuffed
Chicken Breast, Parmesan Garlic Mashed Potato Cake, Asparagus and Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting. The deadline for getting tickets for this is March 15th. National needs the count and if we wait much longer we run the chance of being split up to other tables around the banquet. The Department does not have the money this year to pay for tickets up front. I am limiting it to 30 right now so get it in to me ASAP.
I would appreciate it is those considering on going to this year’s convention to submit your housing forms as soon as possible so I can see if we will meet our percentages for room reservations and adjust if I need to. However the deadline is July 1.
We only had 11 people sign up to be delegates to the convention this year which is the worse we have ever had for this Department. I understand completely the cost involved but we need to represent this Department the best we can and our voice does count.
Let me know if you have any questions and information will be posted to the website as I get it.
I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend
VA Announces Community Care Call Center to Help Veterans with
Choice Program Billing Issues
WASHINGTON – Veterans can now work directly with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to resolve debt collection issues resulting from inappropriate or delayed Choice Program billing. In step with MyVA’s efforts to modernize VA’s customer-focused, Veteran-centered services capabilities, a Community Care Call Center has been set up for Veterans experiencing adverse credit reporting or debt collection resulting from inappropriately billed Choice Program claims. Veterans experiencing these problems can call 1-877-881-7618 (9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time) for assistance. “As a result of the Veterans Choice Program, community providers have seen thousands of Veterans. We continue to work to make the program more Veteran-friendly,” said Dr. David Shulkin, Under Secretary for Health. “There should be no bureaucratic burden that stands in the way of Veterans getting care.”
The new call center will work to resolve instances of improper Veteran billing and assist community care medical providers with delayed payments. VA staff are also trained and ready to work with the medical providers to expunge adverse credit reporting on Veterans resulting from delayed payments to providers.VA is urging Veterans to continue working with their VA primary care team to obtain necessary health care services regardless of adverse credit reporting or debt collection activity.
VA acknowledges that delayed payments and inappropriately billed claims are unacceptable and have caused stress for Veterans and providers alike. The new call center is the first step in addressing these issues. VA presented The Plan to Consolidate Community Care in October of 2015 that outlines additional solutions to streamline processes and improve timely provider payment.
For more details about the Veterans Choice Program and VA’s progress, visit: www.va.gov/opa/choiceact . Veterans seeking to use the Veterans Choice Program can call1-866-606-8198 (9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time) to find out more about the program, confirm their eligibility and schedule an appointment.
District 7 Fall Joint Conference
Sunday, October 9, 2016. This is the date of the District 7 Fall Joint Conference, to include The American Legion, The American Legion Auxiliary, and The Sons of the American Legion for District 7 which will be held at Post 72-Alton; 164 Wolfboro Highway, Alton, NH. Social hour (coffee and donuts) will be 9 a.m. to 10. Joint meeting begins at 10 a.m.
For The American Legion: casual/comfortable clothing is acceptable...District and Department officers are expected to dress up.
We are especially pleased and fortunate to be having a presentation about Camp Resilience by The Patriot Resilient Leadership Institute. This presentation, which will be given to the full attendance, explains Camp Resilience. Camp Resilience "provides sustained, comprehensive programs to help wounded veterans recover their physical, mental and emotional well being."
This program, for wounded, disabled veterans should interest all of us.
"Camp Resilience, using the scenic beauty of the Lakes Region of New Hampshire as its backdrop and home base, provides sports, adventure activities and life skills for its participants. This program is targeted towards individuals with serious injuries or conditions to include limb amputation, traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress."
After the break and separation for the meetings, The American Legion agenda will include:
> Recruiting discussion by Department Vice Commander Emil Ouellette
>Examples and discussion of good and bad recruiting letters.
>Discussion of recruiting phone calls.
>Discussion of how to get more members to the meetings.
>Discussion of how to get more members actively involved in Post activities
>Discussion of how to get more Posts actively involved in District and Department activities
For more information, contact Bill Firth, Dist. 7 Commander...ph 603-293-8155, email m2aple@aol.com.
More information and posters will be sent to the post via regular mail.
Proposed District 7 Installation schedule for the spring of 2017
Here is the proposed District 7 installation schedule for the spring of 2017. This is not written in stone....if you feel it does not work for you, please get back to me and we will make changes...however, please OH PLEASE-do not wait until just before installations begin to decide it will not work for you...let me know now.
phone 293-8155 or email m2aple@aol.com
You will note there is only one installation in March and that is at the end of March..
Post 1-Laconia, 7 p.m. Monday March 27, 2017
Post 83-Lincoln 6 p.m. Thursday, April 6, 2017
Post 49-Tilton 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 11, 2017
Post 26-Bristol 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 13, 2017
Post 95-North Conway and Post 46 Conway at Post 46-Conway Tuesday, April 25, 2017
Post 58-Belmont and Post 33 Meredith at Post 33-Meredith, 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 2, 2017
Post 72-Alton, Post 102-Gilmanton, and Post 18-Wolfboro at Post 72-Alton, 1 p.m. Sunday, May 7, 2017
Post 15-Ashland, Post 66-Plymouth, and Post 76-Rumney at Post 15-Ashland, Monday, May 8, 2017
Bill Firth
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