Veterans organizations in Kissimmee and St. Cloud are hard at work raising funds and organizing for wreath laying ceremonies at Mt. Peace and Rose Hill Cemeteries on Dec. 14, 2024. The goal is to place a wreath on the grave of every veteran interred in the two cemeteries. The wreaths are provided by the national Wreaths Across America organization, which relies on donations to make the wreaths available for local groups to decorate the graves. You can donate and designate wreaths to be used at either cemeteries, and also receive a wreath for your home or to place yourself at a veteran loved one’s gravesite. For more information see https://bit.ly/3TmzJOO
Busy Veterans Day in St. Cloud—Nov. 9
The day starts at 0900 (registration prior) with a Ruck March to benefit the McCormick Research Institute veteran equine therapy program. St. Cloud hosts the annual parade this year, which will start at 10 a.m. There will be awards for Best Band, Best Float and Best Unit. Email the Osceola County Veterans Council at OCVC10@gmail. com to participate in the parade. The Veteran Resource Fair will go from 12-3 p.m. at Veterans Park (U.S. 192 and New York Avenue), There is also a 5K on Monday, Nov. 11 starting at the lakefront at 8 a.m. Whew!
Bob Woodruff Foundation providing disaster relief to veterans Bob Woodruff is a television news reporter that was seriously injured by a car bomb explosion in Iraq in 2006. During his struggle to come back from his injuries, he gained a new respect for the similar sacrifices and challenges faced by injured military, and their families. He created a foundation to serve veterans focused on seven broad areas, including emergency assistance. Currently the Foundation’s Natural Disaster Fund is active to provide emergency financial assistance to veterans impacted by the recent storms and floods. Assistance in the Orlando area is available through the United Way. See https://bit.ly/4hqnryz.
Check your VA ID card for expiration It has been said many times that wisdom comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgement. Let my recently gained wisdom assist you by checking your VA ID card expiration date, and hopefully enable you to renew in a timely manner. I never realized the card expired until I received a timely post card in the mail, from the VA, two weeks after expiration. The expiration date is located just left of your picture, in a nice font registered by the VA as “Sub-Atomic.”
There are two ways to renew. The online system requires you to provide a new photo, within some specifications. The system is “hit and miss” according to various social media comments I have seen, and I was unable to make it work for me. The other method is to visit Enrollments at the Lake Nona facility, which is apparently quite busy these days between the influx of veterans through the PACT Act and the “first wave” of ID cards expiring. More info at https:// bit.ly/3UrJKKl.
