Disabled
American Veterans
Blind
Veterans National Chapter #1
WEB
SITE: http://www.davbvnc.com/
Editor: Dennis O’Connell
"IF I CANNOT SPEAK GOOD
OF MY COMRADE,
I WILL NOT SPEAK ILL OF HIM
OR HER."
OFFICERS
OF THE BLIND CHAPTER
Commander
Richard Bugbee
Phone 480 986-0304
Email:
dadbug37@gmail.com
Senior
Vice Commander Joe Wallace
1st Junior Vice Commander Stephen Moffitt
2nd
Junior Vice Commander William Burgess
3rd Vice Commander James Hogan
4th
Junior Vice Commander Junior Farley
Judge
Advocate Dennis O’Connell
Chaplain Rev. Tony Martino
Phone
847 736 2111
email: Deaconmart@wi.rr.com
Phone
904 291-0576
email: pkjax@kaminsky.com
Immediate
Past Commander Dennis O’Connell
If
you know of any member who is sick or deceased please inform one of the
officers whose contact information is listed above.
DELEGATE
ELECTION RESULTS FROM PAUL KAMINSKY
Below
is the final tally of the Delegate vote count. Bill Burgess may not be
able to attend for wife's medical reason. Gerry Boucher had to back out
and I have a letter from him that will be read at the convention. If Bill
is unable to attend I move up to fill his alternate spot. Richard Bugbee and I
will not receive the stipend as Alternate Delegates since both of us are
already stipend as Commander and Adjutant.
Delegates:
Denis O'Connell, James Hogan, Gary Traynor, Steve Moffitt
Alternate
Delegates: Tony Martino, Joe Wallace, Richard Bugbee, Bill Burgess
Standby Alternate
Delegate: Paul Kaminsky
WEBMASTER PAUL
KAMINSKY also SAID
I received a CD with photos of the 2011 DAV BVNC 1 Installation of Officers
Breakfast and just finished posting them to the website. Pass it on if
people would like to see them.
ARMED FORCES DAY
On 31 AUG 49, Secretary of
Defense Louis Johnson announced the creation of an Armed Forces Day to replace
separate Army, Navy and Air Force Days. The single-day celebration stemmed from
the unification of the Armed Forces under one department -- the Department of
Defense. Each of the military leagues and orders was asked to drop sponsorship
of its specific service day in order to celebrate the newly announced Armed
Forces Day. The Army, Navy and Air Force leagues adopted the newly formed day.
The Marine Corps League declined to drop support for Marine Corps Day but also
supports Armed Forces Day. In a speech announcing the formation of the day,
President Truman "praised the work of the military services at home and
across the seas" and said, "it is vital to the security of the nation
and to the establishment of a desirable peace." In an
excerpt from the Presidential
Proclamation of 27 FEB 50, Mr. Truman stated: Armed Forces Day marks the first
combined demonstration by America's defense team of its progress, under the
National Security Act, towards the goal of readiness for any eventuality. It is
the first parade of preparedness by the unified forces of our land, sea, and air
defense.
The theme of the first Armed
Forces Day was "Teamed for Defense." It was chosen as a means of
expressing the unification of all the military forces under a single department
of the government. Although this was the theme for the day, there were several
other purposes for holding Armed Forces Day. It was a type of "educational
program for civilians," one in which there would be an increased awareness
of the Armed Forces. It was designed to expand public understanding of what
type of job is performed and the role of the military in civilian life. It was
a day for the military to show "state-of-the-art" equipment to the
civilian population they were protecting. And it was a day to honor and
acknowledge the people of the Armed Forces of the United States. According to a
New York Times article published on 17 MAY 52: "This is the day on which
we have the welcome opportunity to pay special tribute to the men and women of
the Armed Forces. to all the individuals who are in the service of their country
all over the world. Armed Forces Day won't be a matter of parades and
receptions for a good many of them. They will all be in line of duty and some
of them may give their lives in that duty."
The first Armed Forces Day
was celebrated by parades, open houses, receptions, and air shows. In
Washington D.C., 10,000 troops of all branches of the military, cadets, and
veterans marched pass the President and his party. In Berlin, 1,000 U.S. troops
paraded for the German citizens at Templehof Airfield. In New York City, an
estimated 33,000 participants initiated Armed Forces Day "under an air
cover of 250 military planes of all types." In the harbors across the
country were the famed mothballed "battlewagons" of World War II, the
Missouri, the New Jersey, the North Carolina, and the Iowa, all open for public
inspection. Precision flying teams dominated the skies as tracking radar was
exhibited on the ground. All across the country, the American people joined
together to honor the Armed Forces. Armed Forces Day is celebrated annually on
the third Saturday of May which this year will be the 19th. Armed Forces Week
begins on the second Saturday of May and ends on the third Sunday of May, the
day after Armed Forces Day. Because of their unique training schedules, National
Guard and Reserve units may celebrate Armed Forces Day/Week over any period in
May.
ARTICLE ABOUT GARY TRAYNOR
APPEARS IN RICE LAKE PUBLICATION
The Chronotype, a Rice Lake
publication, includes an extensive feature story about Gary Traynor. Click on the link below to access it:
http://www.ricelakeonline.com/main.asp?SectionID=25&SubSectionID=209&ArticleID=23450
NEW
VA FORM AVAILABLE FOR ORDERING VETERANS Grave MARKER MEDALLION
The
Department of Veterans Affairs has streamlined the process for families of
deceased Veterans to receive a medallion which can be affixed to grave markers
at private cemeteries and indicates the Veteran status of the deceased.
“This
new form streamlines the ordering process, making it easier for families to
order the medallion,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “The
families want everyone to know that their loved one was a Veteran. We should help them do that in any way we
can.”
Previously,
families ordered the medallion using the form to order a government headstone
or marker. VA has introduced a new form
– VA Form 40-1330M – for use solely to order a medallion. The older form, VA Form 40-1330, remains in
place to order a traditional government headstone or marker.
The
medallion is a device furnished in lieu of a traditional Government headstone
or grave marker for Veterans whose death occurred on or after Nov. 1, 1990, and
whose grave in a private cemetery is marked with a privately purchased
headstone or marker. Under federal law,
eligible Veterans buried in a private cemetery are entitled to either a
government-furnished grave marker or the medallion, but not both.
The
medallion is available in three sizes: 5 inches, 3 inches and 1 ˝ inches in
width. Each bronze medallion features
the image of a folded burial flag adorned with laurels and is inscribed with
the word “Veteran” at the top and the Veteran’s branch of service at the
bottom.
Next
of kin receive the medallion, along with a kit that allows the family or the
staff of a private cemetery to affix the medallion to a headstone, grave
marker, mausoleum or columbarium niche cover.
The
medallion is available only to Veterans buried in private cemeteries without a
government headstone or marker. Families
of eligible decedents may also order a memorial headstone or marker when
remains are not available for interment.
More
information about the medallion or headstones and markers can be found at
www.cem.va.gov/cem/hm/hmorder.asp. To download the VA Form 40-1330M, Claim for
Government Medallion, go to www.va.gov/vaforms/va/pdf/VA40-1330M.pdf.
VA
operates 131 national cemeteries in 39 states and Puerto Rico and 33 soldiers’
lots and monument sites. Nearly four
million Americans, including Veterans of every war and conflict — from the
Revolutionary War to the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan — are buried
in VA’s national cemeteries on more than 19,000 acres.
Veterans
with a discharge issued under conditions other than dishonorable, their spouses
and eligible dependent children can be buried in a VA national cemetery. Other burial benefits available for all
eligible Veterans, regardless of whether they are buried in a national cemetery
or a private cemetery, include a burial flag, a Presidential Memorial Certificate
and a government headstone, grave marker or medallion.
Information
on VA burial benefits can be obtained from national cemetery offices, from the
VA Web site on the Internet at www.cem.va.gov or by calling VA regional offices
toll-free at 1-800-827-1000.
On August
25, 2011, the Commission released a Report and Order to adopt rules requiring
video description for certain television programming. Video description
is narrated descriptions of a television program’s key visual elements inserted
into natural pauses in the program’s dialogue. Video descriptions improve
access to television programs for millions of Americans who are blind or
visually impaired.
The
Commission adopted rules requiring video description in 2000, but those rules
were struck down by a federal court in 2002. In 2010, Congress enacted the
Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA), which
required reinstatement of those video description rules, with certain
modifications.
These video
description rules require ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC affiliates in the top 25
market areas and cable and satellite television providers with more than 50,000
subscribers to provide video description. ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, USA, the
Disney Channel, TNT, Nickelodeon, and TBS are each required to provide 50 hours
of video-described prime time or children’s programming per calendar
quarter. Full compliance with the rules is required on July 1, 2012.
Report and
Order:
http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2011/db0825/FCC-11-126A1.doc
http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2011/db0825/FCC-11-126A1.pdf
http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2011/db0825/FCC-11-126A1.txt
While
the most recent release was about hearing impaired, we have along with AFB,
ACB, and other organizations for the blind ensured that the Federal
Communications rules include video description and other improvements for the
blind.
It
is taking longer than anyone wanted, but the slow train is being moved along as
these policy’s are issued to television stations and cable networks.