Congratulations to all that won! The Rehab Raffle Winners were picked at a live drawing at Department Headquarters on December 17, 2011. And the winners are …
Jemes McMillen, Pittsburgh PA — $200
Herman G Siever Jr., Pottstown PA — $200
George R Winkler, Gettysburg PA — $200
Fred D. Hormel, Oakdale PA — $200
David A Priebe, West Grove PA — $200
Willard W Phoenix, Souderton PA — $200
Wallace Frenchak, Butler PA — $200
Larry M Heinly, Albrightsville PA — $200
George Coan, Scranton PA — $200
Harry C Miller Jr., Summit Hill PA — $200
Raymond L Carl, Cleveland GA — $250
William N Gibboney, Tyrone PA – $250
Barry L Schleig, Coal Township PA — $250
Nancy L Stockley, Dillsburg PA – $250
George Novotny Jr., Perkiomenville PA — $500
Bruce V Gardner, Little Genesee NY — $1000
Raymond A Robinson, Butler PA — $2500
Walter W David, Frankenmuth MI — $10,000
Click Here for a printer friendly version of the winners and the winning tickets
The annual fund fraising dinner for the Housing for Homeless Veterans will be held January 14, 2012 at the Holiday Inn Pittsburgh Airport. This is normally an event that sells out early and we are encouraging you to get your tickets now. The cost is $25.00 per person.
The HFHV also produces a sponsorship ad book. Please place your ads and ask your community leaders, businesses, and other non-profits to support our program and place an add. A full page ad is $70, 1/2 page is $50 and 1/4 page is $40. This is a great way to support the homeless program!
Please include payment with the dinner ticket and/or ad order. Make your check payable to PA American Legion Housing for Homeless and mail it to:
Ron Conley 709 Hope Street Pittsburgh, PA 15220 412-279-3982Deadline for the ads are December 23, 2011 and the deadline for dinner tickets are January 5, 2012
Thank you for your support!
Click Here for ticket information
Click Here for donation letter
Top 10 Cities for Veterans - According to Livability.com, these were the Top 10 best cities for retired military veterans.
1. Fayetteville, N.C.
2. Colorado Springs, Colo.
3. San Angelo, Texas
4. Carlisle, Pa.
5. Madison, Wis.
6. Topeka, Kan.
7. Syracuse, N.Y.
8. Kenner, La.
9. Tuscon, Ariz.
10. Cheyenne, Wyo.
Livability.com announced that it included Carlisle in its selection of the 10 best places for military veterans to live. The website created the list in honor of Veterans Day and listed cities for veterans looking to retire or start a second career.
Carlisle, the smaller part of the Harrisburg-Carlisle Metro Area, was founded in 1751 and offers a quaint downtown, a collection of technology-based firms and a strong service industry. The city is home to the Carlisle Barracks, which hosts the U.S. Army War College. The college ranks among the oldest and most senior military educational institutions in the country. The state of Pennsylvania doesn’t tax federal pensions, and there’s a VA medical center about 30 miles away.
Carlisle is located in the Cumberland Valley, an area lush with forests and mountains. Across the Cumberland Valley there are a variety of recreational and cultural attractions that appeal to both tourists and residents. These attractions include the Williams Grove Speedway, several golf courses, art galleries, wineries, hiking, hunting and much more.
Population: 18,159
Median home price: $144,200
Unemployment rate: 7.4%
55 and over: 31%
According to Livability, cities were chosen based on quality-of-life attributes, including moderate climate, low cost of living and unemployment rate, as well as availability of outdoor recreational opportunities and cultural amenities. There was some additional consideration given to cities with close proximity to military installations and VA hospitals.
The website’s editors also looked at cities close to military bases, which give veterans access to other resources, such as free legal advice and counseling, discounted food and household goods as well as equipment
rentals.
Carlisle made the list in part for its close proximity to the Carlisle Barracks and the U.S. Army War College.
Youngwood, PA
On Wednesday November 9, 2011- The American Legion Post #401 West Newton, Co-sponsored the Westmoreland County Community College (WCCC) Veterans Salute and Outreach. Teaming up with the campus veterans group Student Veterans of WCCC, service officers and representatives from several veterans’ service offices and groups were on hand to provide information and outreach to the campus’s growing veteran’s population. Many of the campus students, staff and faculty who are veterans or current active duty, guard and reservist provided their uniforms for display. The event also marked the start of the 2011 Toys for Tots campaign on campus, sponsored by the Student Vets of WCCC supporting the local USMC Reserves and Marine Corps League.
Pictured
Top Row (l-r) Thomas Steiner WCCC Counselor/Professor Student Vets Group Advisor, Walter Eichelberger Student Veteran of WCCC - U.S. Air Force, Dean Petrillo President Student Veteran of WCCC - USMC Reserves
Middle Row (l-r) Rodger Campbell Veterans Representative PA Career Link Westmoreland County, Raymond Luther Student Veteran of WCCC - PA Army National Guard, James Sims Adjutant Post 401 American Legion West Newton
Bottom Row (l-r) Scott Pigeon Student Veteran of WCCC - U.S. Army, Dalton Smith Student Veteran of WCCC - U.S. Army Reserve
JEFFERSON - As a young boy, retired Lt. Col. Richard Harris, a 1969 graduate of Jefferson-Morgan, watched the annual Veterans Day Parade in Jefferson each year with his mother. He remembered the impact the veterans in their crisp uniforms had on him as they stopped to perform the 21-gun salute.
“We were standing on the corner of the Gallatin Bank and Acklin’s Dairy Bar,” he said. “I collected a shell casing and kept it for many years. It left a lasting impression on me, these young men from the greatest generation of World War II and Korea.”
Harris grew up in a strong military family. He spoke of the uncle who didn’t weigh enough to be accepted so he ate ice cream, almost daily, to earn the right to serve.
Harris paid attention to the veterans in his community and the way that community responded to them.
While the response across the country was typically unwelcoming to returning Vietnam veterans, Harris said the climate in Greene County was just the opposite. In Clarksville, Jefferson, Mather, Waynesburg and all over the area, there was support for the veterans, he said.
It was perhaps even more so in Clarksville, where a young Army private, Brent McClellan, didn’t make it home from Vietnam in 1966.
“I didn’t know Brent McClellan personally, but I knew of him,” he said. “Years later, I saw his name etched on the Wall in Washington, D.C.”
Harris went on to name many of the prominent veterans from each of the wars since World War II.
He talked of his own service in Operation Dessert Storm and how much it meant to receive the care package sent from Jefferson Filer-Sadlek Post 954 of the American Legion.
Harris recognized Pfc. Richard Kowalewski Jr. of Crucible, who was among 18 Ranger and Delta Force members killed in action Oct. 3, 1993, in Mogadishu, Somalia; U.S. Army Spc. Gregory Cox, 21, of Carmichaels, who died in 2004; and Marine Lance Cpl. Steven Phillips of Spraggs, who died in 2006. Both Cox and Phillips were casualties of Humvee accidents in Iraq.
“Please, never forget our heroes, our warriors, our veterans,” he said. “I know you won’t. You are a community of patriotic, loyal citizens who have supported them time and time again. You are here today.”
Among the other speakers at the event was Post 954 Cmdr. Paul Medlick Sr., who presented an honorary life membership to the post chaplain, Thomas Keys, for his dedication to the organization.
Special recognition was also given to former post commander John E. Titus, 90, of Jefferson, who has been with the Legion for 67 years.
As is tradition at the annual Veterans Day remembrance in Jefferson, Post 954 conducted its Post Everlasting Service to recognize their members who passed away in the preceding year.
Those members were: World War II Army veteran PFC Wallace Meyers; World War II and Korean War veteran Army Technical Cpl. and Merchant Marine Mario “Mike” Santelle; World War II Army veteran T-4 Dale M. Hockenberry; World War II Navy veteran Spc. 2 Orlando “Chick” Virgili; and World War II Navy veteran Seaman 2nd Class John Topolosky.
Legion family members;
Small games of chance legislation has been introduced and passed by both the Pennsylvania State House of Representatives (HB-169) and The Pennsylvania State Senate (SB-444) These bills are very similar the attached press release gives further explanation on HB-169.
As the old adage states “All Politics Is Local” Posts should contact their respective legislators to urge passage of this legislation which is needed by our posts who are reliant on small games of chance.
Yours in comradeship,
Kit D. Watson
Department Adjutant Pennsylvania American Legion P.O. Box 2324 Harrisburg, PA 17105-2324 kit@pa-legion.com 717-730-9100 Fax 717-975-2836
Dear Supporter of the Pennsylvania American Legion Housing for Homeless Veterans
Did you know that one-third of the adult homeless population is veterans? Is this how we support the brave men and women who have served our country with honor and dedication? I believe this is a disgrace. We have an obligation to ensure they have the support necessary to live a productive life after their military service. About 1.5 million other veterans, meanwhile, are considered at risk of homelessness due to poverty, lack of support networks, and dismal living conditions in overcrowded or substandard housing.
Why are veterans homeless? In addition to the factors influencing all homelessness - extreme shortage of affordable housing, livable income and access to health care - a large number of displaced and at-risk veterans live with lingering effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance abuse, which are compounded by a lack of family and social support networks. A top priority for homeless veterans is secure, safe, clean housing that offers a supportive environment free of drugs and alcohol.
What seems to work best? The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans states that “The most effective programs for homeless and at-risk veterans are community-based, nonprofit, ‘veterans helping veterans’ groups. The programs that seem to work best feature: transitional housing with the camaraderie of living in structured, substance-free environments with fellow veterans who are succeeding at bettering themselves.” This is exactly what Housing for Homeless Veterans provides for the men and women who participate in our program.
What can I do? Support programs like The Pennsylvania American Legion Housing for Homeless Veteransprogram. We are a nonprofit ‘veterans helping veterans’ organization that partners with the VA’s program for homeless veterans. Our program is designed to enhance the quality of life for the veteran and their families by providing clean transitional housing; help them become productive taxpaying citizens again by securing a good, decent job. Our homes are located in Moon Township, a suburb of Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Ephrata, Pennsylvania. Our vision is to give homeless veterans a second chance at the American dream.
In order for the American Legion to finance this program, we are asking for your support. We will be sponsoring a dinner on January 14, 2012 at the Holiday Inn Pittsburgh Airport, Moon Township. There will be a cash bar beginning at 5:30 pm with dinner following at 7:00 pm. Dinner tickets are $25.00 per person and include a program book. Ads can be placed in the program book at the following prices:
Full Page - $70 (of which $50 can be used for a tax write off)
1/2 Page - $50 (of which $30 can be used for a tax write off)
1/4 Page - $40 (of which $21 can be used for a tax write off)
Please make checks for dinner tickets and ads payable to: PA American Legion Housing for Homeless. Mail to:
Ron Conley 709 Hope Street Pittsburgh, PA 15220The remodeling and upkeep of these homes is the responsibility of the American Legion Housing for Homeless Veterans, Inc. We need your support! Thank you in advance for your consideration and support.
Sincerely,
Ronald F. Conley, President
PA American Legion Housing for Homeless Veterans, Inc.
Just an idea - Take this letter to the company you work for and ask for a donation. Or, you could take the letter to companies that you patron asking them to support this cause.
The First Lady has requested that military children from around the globe create holiday cards supporting their parent and send them to The White House to be displayed with the holiday decorations no later than Nov. 16.
The White House is honoring American heroes this holiday season and would like to include the personal contributions in their finishing touches on the White House decorations.
“We are asking kids like you, from military installations around the world, to create a holiday card that represents your parent who is serving our nation,” said First Lady Michelle Obama in a personal letter to military children. “I encourage you to use your imagination, and include words, pictures, and drawings to create a holiday card that honors your brave mom or dad.”
Military children should submit 5″ by 8″ handmade holiday cards with words of appreciation for their military parents, as well as pictures and drawings. The child should be sure to include their mother or father’s name, branch of service and command in the card.
Participants are asked to send holiday cards to the following address, along with information from where they are sending it: Reservation 1, Attn: Social Office, P.O. Box 8070, Washington, DC, 20032.
“Thank you for helping with this fun project, and most of all for your family’s courageous service to our nation,” added Obama. “I look forward to seeing the results of your creativity!”
SEOUL, Oct. 27, 2011 — While U.S. troops are concerned about how the country’s budget issues will affect them and their families, service members take their profession seriously, the nation’s top military officer said. Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, joined Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta and Gen. James D. Thurman, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, for a press round table with reporters accompanying Panetta’s visit.
Asked about the preponderance of pay-and benefit-related questions service members have asked during town hall meetings with the secretary both here and in Japan, Dempsey said troops are naturally keeping an eye on the nation’s economic issues. “I think it puts them exactly in line with their fellow citizens around the United States,” the chairman said. “I think they’re very well-informed. They recognize the issues facing us as a nation economically, and wonder what it’s going to mean for them.”
The chairman said the secretary and he have been clear in telling the troops that changes to benefits such as retirement will be grandfathered and will not change for those now in uniform. “These young men and women who have signed up under a certain set of circumstances and commitments — we’ll meet those commitments,” Dempsey said. Troops’ financial concerns don’t detract from their professionalism, he added. “They also recognize they’re over here to make sure they are as well-prepared as they can be for whatever we might ask them to do,” Dempsey said. The chairman added when troops get the chance to speak with their senior leaders, they also ask “all the questions you’d want them to ask” — including what lessons have been learned from 10 years of war and how the force structure will change.
On his way here, Dempsey stopped at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska to meet with troops. The first question they asked, he said, were on benefits. “But if you stick around long enough, the questions get around to what it means to be a Soldier, a Sailor, an Airman, a Marine,” he said. Thurman said based on what he sees here daily, troops’ concerns about budget cuts don’t seem to be affecting morale. “We’ve got a threat to the north. We have a well-defined mission. And I don’t detect anything that degrades any morale and our willingness and readiness to fight,” he said. Thurman added he couldn’t be more proud of the combat-seasoned force he commands. “I think, as General Dempsey said, they’re very smart, intelligent, and they’re asking some of the key questions that they see [from] the news,” he said. Both generals will join the secretary today in the 43rd Security Consultative Meeting here, an annual gathering of U.S. and South Korean senior military leaders. The meeting will conclude the secretary’s week-long visit to Asia, during which he has engaged with military leaders from Indonesia, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Japan and South Korea.
Karen Parrish, American Forces Press Service 2011-10-28
Watch this amazing PSA on honoring veterans. Veterans Day is coming soon 11/11/11