For several months, The American Legion has been pressing VA to publish its final regulations for the three new presumptive diseases: ischemic heart disease, Parkinson’s disease, and B-cell leukemia.

“Veterans can’t collect their earned disability benefits until VA publishes final regulations on these diseases,” said Barry Searle, director of the Legion’s veterans affairs and rehabilitation division. “And that’s a process that has been dragging through the bureaucratic mire since last October.”

While veterans across the country are still waiting for those regulations to be published – so they can start to collect earned disability benefits – another delay will be created by provisions of the Congressional Review Act of 1996.

That legislation grants Congress 60 days to review regulations published by federal agencies and possibly disapprove them. If that happens, regulations for the three presumptive conditions will be cancelled and veterans won’t be able to claim those new benefits.

VA estimates it will spend more than $42 billion over the next decade on Agent Orange claims stemming from the new regulations.

“We can certainly understand why Congress wants to be fiscally responsible in this matter,” Searle said. “But the scientific studies that support these new claims – that link these three diseases to Agent Orange exposure – are thorough in their research and unequivocal in their findings.”

Searle said The American Legion wants Congress and VA to work together quickly in resolving any lingering doubts about the three new presumptive conditions.

“Thousands of veterans who suffer from these diseases have waited too long already. The findings are valid. The connections to Agent Orange exposure are real. Let VA and Congress hash it out together, but we urgently recommend that they do it without further delay,” Searle said.

The ‘American Heroes’ Vignettes Premiere During Military Channel’s Live Coverage of the National Memorial Day Parade on May 31st

INDIANAPOLIS and SILVER SPRING, Md., May 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ – The American Legion and Military Channel have teamed up to honor troops who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, including three soldiers who never made it back home.  A series of ten, one-minute vignettes, “American Heroes” premieres Memorial Day on the Military Channel, which co-sponsored the production with The American Legion – the country’s largest veterans service organization with about 2.5 million members worldwide.

Produced by Creative Street Entertainment, “American Heroes” includes the dramatic and poignant stories of those who fell in battle, suffered severe injuries, helped repair war-torn communities, or made it home to help other wounded warriors.  Each American hero is honored with a Norman Rockwell Moments portrait at the close of the vignette.  The profiles will air on the Military Channel for an entire year, starting with the network’s live coverage of the National Memorial Day Parade on Monday, May 31 from 2 to 4 p.m. EDT.

“The ‘American Heroes’ stories are a collection that encompasses several different aspects of what it means to be a hero in wartime.  First and foremost, we think of those who gave their lives – those whose memories we will honor forever,” said Clarence Hill, national commander for The American Legion.

“Then there are those who return home with severe injuries, yet go on to succeed in the civilian world. We have American heroes who take care of wounded troops at VA hospitals, who have helped Iraqi children in their devastated cities, or who have taught their own families how to be heroes,” Hill said. These vignettes really highlight the sacrifices of our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, and how veterans of those wars continue to serve our country.”

“Partnering with The American Legion to create these ‘American Heroes’ vignettes is emblematic of Military Channel’s commitment to sharing compelling stories of heroism from within the U.S. Armed Services,” said Henry Schleiff, general manager and president of Military Channel, Investigation Discovery and HD Theater.  ”And what better day to launch these poignant stories than Memorial Day, a hallowed day for our country to recognize the accomplishments and sacrifices of the men and women serving in uniform, who have preserved our freedom and liberties while bringing security to the world.” Read More »

INDIANAPOLIS, May 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — In letters to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Minority Leader John Boehner, the head of the nation’s largest wartime veterans organization stated his group’s opposition to repealing the military’s ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ (DADT) policy.

“We feel strongly that the current policy has served the U.S. military well for 17 years and it would not be wise to make a major cultural change in the middle of two wars,” The American Legion National Commander Clarence E. Hill wrote. “Moreover, the Department of Defense has already directed a study on the policy and it would be premature to act before the commission conducting the study releases its findings.”

The American Legion was concerned with reports that members of the House might seek an amendment to the FY11 defense authorization bill, which would repeal the law.

“Under current policy, men and women are already allowed to serve their country regardless of their sexual preference. Allowing homosexual members to announce their preference within the ranks could jeopardize the unit cohesion which is so essential to military success,” said Hill, a retired U.S. Navy captain and veteran of the Gulf War.

“The military is a unique environment, in which DADT has worked well, without diminishing our nation’s war-fighting capability,” Hill continued. “Indeed, the core purpose of our military is to fight and win our nation’s wars. Enacting any law that does not enhance the military’s ability to accomplish that mission would be detrimental to the security of our nation. We believe that the repeal of DADT would be such an action.”

With a current membership of 2.5-million wartime veterans, The American Legion was founded in 1919 on the four pillars of a strong national security, veterans affairs, Americanism, and youth programs. Legionnaires work for the betterment of their communities through more than 14,000 posts across the nation.

WASHINGTON, May 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Practicing what they preach – helping to make a real difference in veterans’ lives – members of The American Legion spent nearly one million hours volunteering at VA medical facilities in fiscal 2009.

The nation’s largest veterans group is also one of America’s largest volunteer organizations, its ranks populated by what VA Secretary Eric Shinseki recently described as “people who are regularly, habitually and deliberately kind.”

Shinseki highlighted the critical importance of volunteerism when he addressed graduates May 15 at the University of Maryland-University College. Last month, Adm. Mike Mullen told the Council on Foundations that community non-profit groups are the answer to meeting veterans’ needs, once they’ve left the federal system. Mullen is chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

“Lately, Secretary Shinseki and Admiral Mullen have been placing an exclamation point on what we’ve been doing for a long time – volunteering to help out veterans and their families,” said Clarence Hill, national commander of The American Legion.

“Lobbying Congress on veterans issues is something we do extremely well, but The American Legion isn’t centered on Capitol Hill. We’re a huge grass-roots organization that does most of its good work at the local level.

“Everywhere you find a VA hospital or clinic, you’re bound to find an American Legion post, too – and Legionnaires from that post spend a lot of their time visiting disabled and wounded veterans,” Hill said.

About 6,300 members of The American Legion volunteered 916,598 hours of their time in FY 2009 to visit with veterans. Although that effort saved VA $18.5 million, Shinseki said that monetary value was only part of equation when it came to veterans reaching out to other veterans.

“There are some things they do that we can’t put a price on. What’s the price of a ‘thank you’? What’s the going rate for dignity and respect for a combat veteran? Such values cannot be calculated,” he said.

While The American Legion makes a strong contribution every year to VA’s Voluntary Service Program and Suicide Prevention Program, its outreach Read More »

WASHINGTON, May 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Testifying before a House subcommittee today, The American Legion said that veterans’ preference in the federal job market “is being unlawfully ignored by numerous agencies.”

“The reality is that employment opportunities are not being properly publicized,” said Joe Sharpe, the Legion’s economic division director, in his written testimony. “Federal agencies, as well as federal government contractors and subcontractors, are required by law to notify the Office of Personnel Management of job opportunities.

“But more often than not, these opportunities are never made available to the public,” he said.

Sharpe testified before the House Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies, chaired by Rep. David Obey, D-Wis.

Sharpe said that such behavior on the part of some federal agencies makes the Veterans Employment and Training Service (VETS) a critically important program, since it investigates violations of veterans’ preference policy and corrects unlawful practices.

“The mission of VETS is to promote the economic security of America’s veterans,” Sharpe said. “The American Legion is eager to see this program grow, and especially would like to see greater expansion of entrepreneurial-based, self-employment opportunity training.”

The American Legion has recommended about $340 million for fiscal 2011 to fund five Dept. of Labor programs created to serve veterans:

• Veterans Employment and Training Service (VETS): Offers employment and training services to eligible veterans through non-competitive “Jobs for Veterans” state grant programs.
• Transition/Disabled Transition Assistance Programs (TAP/DTAP): Help servicemembers who are separating from active duty with their return to the civilian world and work force. ($267M, including VETS funding)
• Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP): A competitive state-grant program for agencies and organizations that offer jobs to homeless veterans. ($50M)
• National Veterans’ Employment and Training Services Institute (NVTI): Ensures that staff for federal and state employment services are highly trained and proficient in dealing with veterans’ needs. ($6M)
• Veterans Workforce Investment Program (VWIP): Provides training and support services to veterans to lead to higher wages and long-term careers – especially those with service-connected disabilities, are recently separated from active duty, or have significant barriers to employment. ($20M)

Sharpe also recommended $61 million in funding for the Office of Personnel Management to improve compliance with veterans’ preference rights in the job market. He reminded the subcommittee that employment rights of veterans and servicemembers are covered by the Veterans’ Employment Opportunity Act of 1998 and the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994.

The TAP and DTAP programs need to be expanded quickly, The American Legion says, to include many National Guard and reserve members whose businesses have suffered –or have been lost – while they were serving their country. While DoD estimates that 79 percent of active-duty troops attend TAP seminars, only 35 percent of reserve components do the same.

“These attendance numbers are a disservice to all transitioning servicemembers,” Sharpe said. The American Legion wants DoD to make its TAP and DTAP sessions mandatory for all servicemembers leaving active duty.

Discussing the VWIP program, Sharpe noted that current funding allows it to operate in only 15 states. “The problem is clearly a lack of adequate funding. The budget baseline needs to be increased to … train eligible veterans in all 50 states in FY 2011,” he said.

At the start of the hearing, Rep. Obey – who chairs the House Appropriations Committee – expressed frustration over congressional reluctance to fully fund programs favored by The American Legion and other veterans service organizations.

He said he favored almost all of the programs proposed by the score of testifying witnesses, but noted the combined cost would increase President Obama’s proposed FY 2011 budget by $14 billion. But in light of the massive federal deficit, Obey said, Congress is being asked to trim $3.5 billion from the president’s figure.

“Congress needs to realize that there are deficits that need to be considered other than federal budget deficits,” Obey said, “like deficits in jobs and opportunities and care.”  With that prologue, he opened the morning round of testimony.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Calling the decision of the Sussex Square Homeowners’ Association Board in Va. to withdraw legal action against a WWII hero, “a great decision,” the leader of The American Legion congratulated all parties involved.

“This is a victory for reason and I applaud the board for making the correct decision to permit this American hero to honor Old Glory in such a fitting way, every day, on his property,” said National Commander Clarence E. Hill. “I also commend Legionnaires and all Americans across the country who flooded Col. Barfoot, the association and The American Legion with letters, emails, phone calls and messages of support and tribute.”

Because of the controversy involving the 90-year-old Medal of Honor recipient, Rep. Howard P. “Buck” Mckeon (R-CA) and Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) introduced a resolution, H. Res. 952, allowing Congressional Medal of Honor recipients to properly display the United States flag on their property at all times.

“I thank the law firm of Marchant, Honey & Baldwin for their pro-bono efforts in resolving this issue. There is always room for discussion and solutions to be achieved within the system,” Hill added. “In this case, the homeowners’ association recognized the remarkable sacrifice and devotion of this true hero and acted wisely within the boundaries of their authority to do the right thing. We understand and appreciate the important role homeowners’ associations play in local communities. The American Legion encourages all homeowners to continue to properly display Old Glory.”

With a current membership of 2.5-million wartime veterans, The American Legion was founded in 1919 on the four pillars of a strong national security, veterans affairs, Americanism, and youth programs. Legionnaires work for the betterment of their communities through more than 14,000 posts across the nation.

Contacts: Washington – Marty Callaghan or Craig Roberts, (202) 263-2982; Indianapolis – Joe March, (317) 630-1253. A high resolution photograph of Cmdr. Hill is available at www.legion.org.

‘We will pay his legal bills if necessary,’ says National Commander

WASHINGTON, Dec. 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The American Legion has joined the fight being waged by a Medal of Honor recipient against a Virginia homeowner association’s demands to remove a flagpole.

Col. Van Barfoot, 90, a World War II and Vietnam veteran, was ordered by the Sussex Square Homeowner’s Association to remove the flag pole from his front lawn after he flew the U.S. Flag on Labor Day and Veterans Day. The association is claiming that the flag pole is not “aesthetically appropriate.”

“The association underestimated the fight left in this elderly veteran and now they have to contend with the determination and persistence of Col. Barfoot’s 2.5 million friends in The American Legion,” said National Commander Clarence E. Hill. “Col. Barfoot has hired legal counsel. The American Legion is prepared to help with the expenses and fight these disgraceful actions by the association. Where is the common sense here? Is this anyway to treat any American, much less a true hero like Col. Barfoot?”

Fighting for the flag is not new to The American Legion, the nation’s leading authority on flag etiquette. Since 1989, The Legion has been fighting for a constitutional amendment that would grant Congress the authority to protect Old Glory from desecration.

“The flag is a symbol of our country,” Hill said. “People should fly it proudly. That’s all Col. Barfoot wants to do. If he were desecrating the flag, instead, the association couldn’t do a thing to stop him. We proudly stand with Col. Barfoot and say ‘enough already!’ Let him keep the flagpole and fly the flag as often as he wants. He certainly earned that right.”

“What the association is doing is especially disgraceful given the fact that our president has ordered another 30,000 troops to Afghanistan in defense of our freedom,” added Joseph Caouette, The American Legion’s Chairman of Americanism. “I wonder what they think of all of this.”

With a current membership of 2.5-million wartime veterans, The American Legion was founded in 1919 on the four pillars of a strong national security, veterans affairs, Americanism, and youth programs. Legionnaires work for the betterment of their communities through more than 14,000 posts across the nation.

INDIANAPOLIS (November 23, 2009) – The American Legion’s Operation Comfort Warriors program is donating gift cards to the men and women who were wounded at Ft. Hood earlier this month.

“Americans everywhere have reached out to these victims,” American Legion National Commander Clarence E. Hill said. “It’s only appropriate that The American Legion family does its share. We have sent $3,800 so each of the 38 wounded can receive $100 gift cards to use at the Ft. Hood AAFES (post exchange). This is on top of the $10,000 of electronic games and instruments we sent in Operation Comfort Warriors donations to Ft. Hood just prior to the shootings. These gifts won’t make the injuries go away, but they do show that we care.

“The government does a good job of providing the necessities,” Hill continued. “Through Operation Comfort Warriors we have been able to provide gifts to troops in military hospitals everywhere. These are items that usually don’t appear in government budgets, such as personal sweat suits, I-Pods, DVDs, phone calling cards and other comfort goods. The American Legion is challenging its members and friends to continue giving to those who have already given us so much.”

The American Legion has already raised more than $217,000 for Operation Comfort Warriors since its inception last December. Read More »