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On behalf of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Medal of Honor recipient Brian Thacker presents AMVETS National Commander John C. Hapner with a copy of “Medal of Honor: Portraits of Valor Beyond the Call of Duty” signed by living Medal of Honor recipients.
AMVETS HOSTS MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS FOR INAUGURAL BREAKFAST Nation’s heroes celebrate historic inauguration with veterans’ community WASHINGTON, Jan. 21, 2009— AMVETS, along with the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, hosted dozens of living recipients of the Medal of Honor, this nation’s highest combat award, for a breakfast at the Hilton Washington on the eve of President-elect Barack Obama’s historic inauguration. READ MORE
(Video courtesy of Veterans Affairs)
VA RECOGNIZES CLEVELAND STATE’S SERV PROGRAM Student veterans program continues to help young heroes earn their college degree
WASHINGTON, January 29, 2009—Supportive Education
for the Returning Veterans, or SERV, was recently featured
in the Department of Veterans’ Affairs “American Veterans” series. The video, which is available on the VA Web site, highlights the unique program for veterans at Cleveland State University, which AMVETS continues to promote nationwide.
Founded at CSU in 2007 by chemistry professor John Schupp, SERV provides a “one-stop shop” for student veterans seeking to take advantage of their earned
education benefits and effectively transition into academic life.
READ MORE
NATIONAL COMMANDER DISAPPOINTED WITH ARMY'S JOHN DOE LETTER Calls on U.S. Army to show more compassion for families of the fallen WASHINGTON, Jan. 8, 2009- On Wednesday, the U.S. Army acknowledged it accidentally sent nearly 7,000 letters to families of fallen soldiers addressed to "John Doe."
The letters were supposed to inform family members of organizations that provide assistance to those whose loved ones had made the ultimate sacrifice. The letter was printed and distributed by a subcontractor and the master copy was signed by the Army's director of casualty and mortuary affairs. READ MORE
VA SURVIVING SPOUSES HOTLINE SEEKS TO DELIVER DELAYED BENEFITS VA hopes to find spouses who may be eligible under 1996 federal law WASHINGTON, Jan. 6, 2009-Shortly before the New Year, the Department of Veterans Affairs discovered an estimated $24 million discrepancy in unpaid survivor's benefits. The clerical error is the result of a 1996 federal law allowing surviving spouses to collect their loved one's VA benefits for the month of their death.
At the time, the VA failed to properly implement the new law, leaving spouses who were unaware of the benefit locked out from receiving proper compensation.
Payments to 11,000 spouses were issued on Dec. 29, but the VA continues to search for more eligible family members. A new Survivor Call Center for spouses was established by the VA at 1-(800) 749-8387.
The benefit is only available to veterans' spouses whose loved ones passed away after Dec. 31, 1996.
AMVETS encourages all surviving spouses who believe they qualify to call the VA hotline to ensure delivery of
their entitlements.
AMVETS AWARDS VETERANS’ SCHOLARSHIPS
TO ATTEND UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX Forty service members, veterans, and their immediate family members honored with educational
opportunities on Veterans Day AMVETS and the University of Phoenix announced the 40 recipients of the 2008 AMVETS scholarships. The scholarships, valued at $4,000 each toward a degree from the University of Phoenix, were awarded to active-duty members of the military, veterans, and their family members. The 40 scholarships were awarded to candidates worldwide. READ MORE
BASS PRO SHOPS SUPPORTS VETERANS THROUGH AMVETS ORGANIZATION Program to Make Difference in Lives of All Veterans
Bass Pro Shops, America’s #1 Outdoor Retailer, will kick off a special program at all their stores across the country on Saturday, November 15th to benefit the AMVETS organization. READ MORE
ONLY 240 SETS OF BAGHDAD BATTLE MAPS LEFT! AMVETS receives a
donation
with every purchase
AMVETS is offering 240 sets of four museum-quality prints which comprise the same high-resolution satellite imagery used by U.S. military and coalition forces for tactical planning in Iraq.
Each 26x31 print portrays a quadrant of Baghdad, complete with Military Grid Reference System (MGRS) coordinates, at a scale of 1:25000. If you are a veteran who served in Baghdad, this is a rare opportunity to own a stunning set of battle-accurate maps that chronicle your experience in Iraq. READ MORE
AMVETS SUPPORTS VA OUTSOURCING TO IMPLEMENT G.I. BILL AMVETS supports decision by VA; new G.I. Bill must roll out on time
AMVETS, one of the nation’s leading veterans’ service organizations, supports the VA’s decision to outsource the initial implementation of the post-9/11 G.I. Bill to a government contractor. Breaking with other major veterans’ organizations, AMVETS agrees that the only way to develop and administrate a delivery system for the new landmark education benefits in time for the August 2009 deadline is through the temporary use of an outside firm specializing in IT infrastructure. READ MORE
VA INCREASES COMPENSATION FOR TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY AND BURNS
Veterans already rated for TBI and burn injuries may be eligible for new benefits WASHINGTON – The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced changes in the way VA will evaluate traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and burn scars for purposes of determining the appropriate level of compensation veterans receive for these injuries.READ MORE
CONGRESS INTRODUCES LEGISLATION FOR ADVANCE VA FUNDING Amvets, Partnership for Veterans Health Care applaud Chairmen Akaka and Filner for introducing
bipartisan bill WASHINGTON— Nine of the nation’s largest veterans service organizations, representing a combined 8 million members, today praised Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii), House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Bob Filner (D-Calif.), and a group of bipartisan cosponsors for introducing legislation (S. 3527 / H.R. 6939) to reform the budget process to assure sufficient, timely and predictable funding for veterans’ health care programs. READ MORE
AMVETS NATIONAL COMMANDER'S
SEPT. 11TH MESSAGE At 8:46 a.m., on Sept. 11, 2001, American Airlines flight 11 crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. At that moment, we were under attack.
As the morning progressed, we can all remember feeling uneasy, vulnerable, scared, as we tried to make sense of the situation. Somebody had come onto our doorstep and wrought unimaginable havoc on the innocent. For the first time in many of our lives, our nation was the victim of a devastating act of war on
our soil. However, it did not take long for Americans to show our courage and our resolve. When passengers aboard United Airlines Flight 93 learned of their impending doom, they took it upon themselves to ensure that more American lives would not be lost. READ MORE
AMVETS National Commander John C. Hapner meets with former Sec. Def. Donald Rumsfeld following the dedication of
the Pentagon's September 11 memorial.
AMVETS, LOWCOUNTRYDIRECT PROVIDE ONLINE ACCESS FOR ALL
MEMBERS, POSTS, AND DEPARTMENTS
Veterans’ group and Web hosting firm sign long-term deal offering access to veterans WASHINGTON—AMVETS and LowcountryDirect Web hosting have agreed to provide low-cost, user-friendly Web opportunities to all AMVETS posts and departments across the country. The deal, which will allow all AMVETS to easily update their Web sites, will provide hosting and individual site management through LowcountryDirect’s EasySite system. READ MORE
On behalf of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Medal of Honor recipient Brian Thacker presents AMVETS National Commander John C. Hapner with a copy of “Medal of Honor: Portraits of Valor Beyond the Call of Duty” signed by living Medal of Honor recipients. 
