It has been a few weeks since my last column, but I always want to make sure each one of these is relevant and timely. Unfortunately, I missed the chance to mark some recent important days for veterans and really for all Americans. The Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act of 2017 designates March 29 as National Vietnam War Veterans Day. The presidential proclamation said, “With conviction, our Nation pledges our enduring respect, our continuing care, and our everlasting commitment to all Vietnam veterans.”
March 25 was Medal of Honor Day, and this year the National Medal of Honor Museum broke ground on that day in Arlington, Texas. The groundbreaking was attended, in person, by 15 Medal of Honor recipients from Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan and our very last living World War II recipient, 98-year-old Marine veteran of Iwo Jiwa, Woody Williams. The museum is set to open in late 2024, and will eventually be accompanied by a Medal of Honor monument in Washington, D.C. Also, April is the Month of the Military Child.
VA vs. Veteran Caregivers update
The VA announced that the department would halt all dismissals from the Veterans Caregiver program until officials can fully review changes made to the eligibility criteria in recent years. The recent review was cutting approximately 90 percent of those who appealed after the program requirements were recently changed. The review, no doubt, caused a great deal of unnecessary stress and uncertainty among over 20,000 severely disabled veterans and their families. Let us hope this whole misguided effort by the VA just quietly fades away, for the sake of those families.
Orlando state Veteran nursing home update
The Lake Baldwin Veterans’ Nursing Home in Orlando, scheduled to open to residents later in 2022, will be renamed in honor of the late Sgt. First Class Alwyn C. Cashe, a Medal of Honor recipient who grew up in nearby Oviedo. An Open House and Flag Raising Ceremony is planned for the morning of May 21 to coincide with Armed Forces Day.
Burn Pit update
Under the Honoring Our PACT Act to address Burn Pit toxic exposures, 23 respiratory illnesses, and cancers, including any type of lymphoma or respiratory cancer, would be considered to have been incurred or exacerbated during military service in the Middle East and Southwest Asia. Affected veterans will immediately be able to receive care and compensation as soon as the House and Senate reconcile the two bills recently passed in Congress.
Save the Date
There will be a Veterans Resource Fair at the Kissimmee Civic Center on June 11 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Mercy Foundation is hosting the fair and will be providing food, clothing, shelter, and jobs to local veterans in need. This event is the kickoff for Mercy Foundation’s Homeless Veterans Program. Osceola County Sheriff ’s Office, Kissimmee Police Department, Congressman Darren Soto’s Office, and several other entities have been participating in the planning to make this a successful event, find more info at https://bit.ly/37od0vW.
“With conviction, our Nation pledges our enduring respect, our continuing care, and our everlasting commitment to all Vietnam veterans.”
—PRESIDENTIAL PROCLAMATION
