The City of St. Cloud and several veterans’ organizations will be hosting a Memorial Day observance on Monday, May 25, at 10 a.m. at Mount Peace Cemetery, 755 E. 10th St.
The Honoring the Brave on Memorial Day event, hosted by Florida State Representative Paula Stark, will also take place on May 25 from 4-5 p.m. at the 65th Infantry Veterans Park in Buenaventura Lakes at 301 Buenaventura Blvd.
Military Environmental Exposure Assessments (MEEAs)
The VA’s Veterans Exposure Team provides Military Environmental Exposure Assessments (MEEAs) via telehealth for Veterans anywhere in the United States or U.S. territories.
If you are enrolled in VA health care and have concerns about environmental hazards you experienced as part of your military service, contact VETHOME to schedule a telehealth evaluation with a clinician specially trained in military environmental exposures.
To learn more or schedule an appointment, contact the VETHOME intake center Monday– Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET by calling toll-free at 833-633-8846 or go to the secure web portal to chat with a live agent at https://bit.ly/4uvgIsU.
Calling Veteran Entrepreneurs
Veteran Social 2026 is an online annual event, happening Sept. 9-10, where “you’ll gain access to a powerful lineup of veteran entrepreneurs, leaders, and industry experts sharing real-world insights to help you grow your business and yourself. From actionable strategies and tactical playbooks to mindset and communitydriven guidance, every session is built to move you forward.”
A tentative schedule is posted on the event website, and it appears you can choose what sessions you want to attend virtually. Tickets are free through July 4 at https://bit.ly/4tcpZoo.
Two Great Local Veterans Groups
I recently had the great pleasure of taking the range on a Friday afternoon with fellow veterans for some “lead therapy” at the Triple N Ranch Shooting Range near Holopaw. The event was organized by Soldier Refuge and Operation TrailSeekers. Operation TrailSeekers is a community of veterans, first responders, and their families dedicated to reconnecting with one another and with nature. Soldier Refuge is a St. Cloud faith-based nonprofit dedicated to restoring Veteran families through the pillars of Faith, Family, and Freedom. They take a holistic approach, offering support for veterans, spouses, and children, including programs such as its Financial Wellness Workshops. To learn more about Ops TrailSeekers, see their Facebook page at https://bit.ly/3P3R9jt. For more about Soldier Refuge, see https://bit.ly/42LekCd.
The Veteran Justice Alliance
This organization is “taking the hill” in passing the Major Richard Starr Act in Congress, which seeks to remove the “wounded warrior tax” paid by combat veterans who received a medical retirement after being wounded and then have to offset any disability payments they later qualified for from the VA. Seems almost every Senator and Representative wanted to cosponsor the bill to correct this injustice, but there has not been a vote on the bill for various reasons, over several years. For more information on the Starr Act and the organization, see https://bit.ly/4ndMtUW.
As always, please send along your veteran-related events, comments, and questions to osceolavets@gmail.com.
