GENERAL INFORMATION

Bits and Pieces

 

 

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ATTENTION ALL   
The next VA STAND DOWN will be held on the 30th of October from 7:30 am till 3:30 pm at the Atlanta VAMC located at 1670 Clairmont Road in Decatur
If you  have served in the Military, we want you for this Stand Down.
FREE: Food/Shelter/Benefits assistance/Medical Services/Diabetes Testing/Employment/Legal services/and More
Preregister today at the following locations
Gateway 24/7
Women Day Shelter
VA Homeless program
Jefferson Shelter
Salvation Army
Peachtree & Pine Street
Atlanta Union Mission
Central Presbyterian Church

For more information contact the Atlanta VA Homeless Veterans Program at 404-321-6111 ex7436

For those of you that might want to assist in this event, there will be several planning sessions at the VAMC in Decatur in the Pete Wheeler Auditorium.
Sept 10 - 1p till 2:30p
Sept 17 - 1p till 2:30p
Oct 1 - 1p till 2:30p
Oct 8 - 1p till 2:30p
Oct 15 - 1p till 2:30p
Oct 21- 1p till 2:30p for a walk thru
Try to attend some or all of these sessions and see what you can do to  help our veterans.

Don't forget that on the 8th of Sept (Tomorrow) they will be having the Pedestrian Breezeway Dedication & Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the newly renovated inpatient 8th floor at 10:00 am.
and
Sept 17th there will be the ceremony in the Chapel from 10:00 am till 11:00 am in recognition of:
NATIONAL POW/MIA RECOGNITION DAY.
"Lest we forget, Lest we forget"

May God Bless all, our veterans, our flag and our country.

Rick Conn, MSA VA Hospital Visitation Program
Georgia State Coordinator
"Still serving our Veterans"

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

VA: We’ll Run Arlington If Asked

MILWAUKEE (Aug. 28, 2010) -- The Department of Veterans Affairs’ National Cemetery Administration would take over control of scandal-rocked Arlington National Cemetery if asked. But the NCA also wants the funding it will require to properly run the nation’s most heralded and cherished cemetery.

        That’s what David Schettler, director of Communications Management Service for NCA told The American Legion on Saturday during the Legion’s 92nd national convention in Milwaukee. The Legion has recommended in testimony to Congress that Arlington be placed under NCA’s control. NCA and VA currently are working with Arlington to correct some of the problems at the cemetery, which included hundreds of unmarked or misidentified graves, and a dysfunctional management system.

        “My boss, (VA under secretary for Memorial Affairs) Steve Muro, has said openly that, ‘If it’s offered to us, yes, we’ll take it, but you have to give us the funding for it,’” Schettler said. “There also would have to be some memorandums of agreement because Arlington is very unique. It would require an agreement with the Army Military District of Washington with the memorial stuff they do.”

        Schettler said that any talk of NCA taking over Arlington is, to his knowledge, premature.

        “I am not aware of any detailed talks. If there are, they’re at higher level than I know about,” he said. “But we would be prepared to take (Arlington) on if given to us and funded properly.”

        The American Legion National Convention runs through Thursday, Sept. 2 in Milwaukee.

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Subject: Extra SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFIT DD FORM 214 -- SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFIT

 

You qualify for a higher social security payment because of your Military service, for active duty

any time from 1957 through 2001 (the program was done away with 1 January 2002).  Up to

$1200 per year of earnings credit credited at time of application - which can make a substantial

difference in social security monthly payments upon your retirement.  You must bring your

DD-214 to the Social Security Office and you must ask for this benefit to receive it!

 

Soc Sec website: http://www.ssa.gov/retire2/military.htm

 

This is something to put in your files for when you apply for Social Security down the road..

It is NOT just for retirees, BUT anyone who has served on active duty between

January 1957 to December 31, 2001.