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By Don Irelan, GCVF Volunteer and Son of a WWII Navy Veteran On Nov. 11, the National Museum of the United States Army celebrated its grand opening. The museum project was a joint effort between the U.S. Army and the Army Historical Foundation. The Army Corps of Engineers built the infrastructure, roads and utilities, and […]
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By Andy Ostroth, 30-year Navy Veteran and GCVF Volunteer Nine months ago, I hoped this coronavirus would be over by now, but that was wishful thinking. Many of our events and traditional celebrations are scaled down, live-streamed or canceled to reduce the spread. For example, Monday marks the 79th anniversary of the attack on Pearl […]
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By Vince Gangi, U.S. Air Force veteran and GCVF volunteer. “And the winner is…” Those are the words the 25 finalists in the Ms. Veteran America Competition had worked so hard over the past year to finally hear. Many of them wondered if all the efforts of fundraising, physical conditioning and speaking engagements had been […]
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On Tuesday, Sept. 29, Eldon L. Knuth, 95, of Thousand Oaks will receive the Bronze Star Medal in recognition of his military service 75 years ago for his service in France during World War II. The medal will be presented by Major General Laura Yeager, the first woman to command a U.S. Army infantry division. […]
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By Donna Lockwood, GCVF “Mobile Veteran Outreach” Support Specialist and Daughter of a Korean War Combat Veteran Kathryn Steffen, mother of Marine Gunnery Sgt. Diego Pongo of Simi Valley, received this memorial necklace on Mother’s Day. This necklace contains a Gold Star, topped with a glass purple bead with Diego’s portrait etched inside. Sgt. Pongo […]
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By Alexander G. Deraney, U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.) and GCVF “Mobile Veteran Outreach” Team Member During this unprecedented time of unrest, defined by a deadly and growing pandemic, powerful and pervasive social unrest, an uncertain economy and sharp political divisions, Americans could be excused for being distracted from the Nation’s observation of Purple Heart […]
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WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs’ (VA) National Cemetery Administration (NCA) announced today it will commemorate Memorial Day this year with solemn wreath laying ceremonies. Another offering is a new online memorial feature allowing the public to pay tribute to Veterans interred in VA national cemeteries across the country. “This year, by necessity, will be different […]
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Author: Vince Gangi, U.S. Air Force veteran and GCVF volunteer. In 1999, Congress selected May as Military Appreciation Month. Each year, the president issues a proclamation for Americans to take time to participate in an event to honor the men, women and families of the armed services past and present. May was chosen because of the […]
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National Vietnam War Veterans Day is March 29. Organizers canceled or postponed many events to slow the spread of COVID-19 through social distancing. Veterans are encouraged to stay connected and participate in virtual events. Here’s a list of some of those events. On VA Social Media For Veterans with a Facebook account, they can download […]
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With the New Year came changes in veteran benefits along with a push from some veteran advocacy groups for research into help for service-connected illnesses that are currently not covered or deemed by Veterans Affairs as “presumption of service-connected illness.” Here’s a short list of some of the changes. As always, it’s best to check […]
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