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Veterans Voice Fall 2019

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Veterans Voice Fall 2019 A PUBLICATION OF THE UTAH DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AND MILITARY AFFAIRS veterans.utah.gov • Fall 2019 VETERANS DAY 2019 WVC WINS FREEDOM AWARD 8 Find ceremonies and celebrations City wins prestigious award from 13 across the state the Secretary of Defense BLUE STAR FAMILIES Nonprofit launches chapter to 7 support Utah’s military families DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE 3 VBA IN THE COMMUNITY 17 B-29S FORTRESS GETS MAKEOVER 4 VA IN THE NEWS 18 BENEFITS AND CAREER FAIR 6 VETERANS SERVICES & OUTREACH 19 NEW RALLYPOINT FOR VETERANS 15 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 21 INVESTING BASICS FOR THE MILITARY 16 RESOURCES & ORGANIZATIONS 22 2 Fall 2019 Veterans’ Voice WE SERVE THE VETERANS WHO HAVE SERVED AMERICA Military Banking In the field you served with loyalty, honesty and commitment. You should expect the same from your bank. Zions Bank is proud to offer value-added military banking products and services. It’s our way of saying Thank You for the amazing service you provided to our country. For more information, visit any Zions Bank financial center; call Military Banking Customer Service at 888-673-3380; Military Lending at 800-510-4598; or visit zionsbank.com/military. A division of ZB, N.A. Member FDIC 1705-052 Military Ads.indd 1 6/1/17 5:04 PM Veterans’ Voice Fall 2019 3 DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE Gary Harter, Executive Director Utah Department of Veterans & Military Affairs HONORING AND ADVOCATING FOR OUR VETERANS very year on Veterans Day, we take a moment to recognize the veterans Ewho have served and sacrificed for our country. This Veterans Day, the 101st anniversary of Nearly 150,000 veterans reside in Utah, Armistice Day, and every day, the Utah and over 300 soldiers, airmen, sailors and Department of Veterans & Military affairs marines from Utah are currently deployed is committed to providing our veteran’s, across the globe serving our national service members and their families with security interests. the support they deserve. Every day, our veterans service officers work diligently to The Utah Department of Veterans & connect you to your earned benefits and Military Affairs humbly thank our service ensure that you are advocated for and members, veterans, and their families for supported by the State of Utah. your selflessness and love of country. Your sacrifices are valued and appreciated. Whether active-duty, Reserve, or the National Guard, we commend you for your Nothing could be greater than to work service and sacrifices. Whether veteran with all of those who ensure our freedoms or current service member, the Utah are preserved each and every day. Department of Veterans & Military Affairs is privileged to advocate for you and your family. GARY HARTER VETERANS DAY EVENTS WEST VALLEY RECEIVES 8 13 FREEDOM AWARD 4 Hill Air Force Base Veterans’ Voice HILL AEROSPACE MUSEUM’S B-29 SUPERFORTRESS GETS HISTORICAL MAKEOVER by Todd Cromar, 75th Air Base Wing Public Affairs one of the primary objectives for the museum. “Because of our museum mission, we felt it was static display at the Hill Aerospace prudent that this static display represents a Museum received a major makeover historically significant aircraft, with direct ties to Athis summer. Wendover Field, Hill Air Force Base, and World War II to educate the public on this rich local Museum staff, volunteers and contractors story,” Clark said. completed an exterior restoration of a B-29 Superfortress to preserve the airframe, as well The previous paint scheme on the B-29 as display markings and insignia to accurately represented a different mission, unit, and represent the famed B-29 nicknamed “Straight airframe. It took more than three years to Flush” that trained for top-secret operations restore the aircraft. Exterior work included from Wendover Field during World War II. sanding the aircraft to the bare aluminum, extensive corrosion control, sheet metal work, Aaron Clark, Hill Aerospace Museum director, and more. said the aircraft’s new appearance is intended to reflect the museum’s collection Clark said the majority of the unique markings tie to Hill Air Force Base and the state of Utah, exhibited on Straight Flush for the restoration Veterans’ Voice Hill Air Force Base 5 were stenciled and painted by hand to the Pacific Ocean and the airfield from which replicate the application and look of the the B-29s dropped the atomic bombs on original airframe. mainland Japan. The storied history surrounding Straight Flush From June to August, Straight Flush flew 11 began in 1944 when the U.S. Army Air Force training missions and six combat missions activated the 509th Composite Group, a dropping bombs on Japanese targets. unit assigned the duty of providing training in atomic warfare and nuclear weapons. On the morning of Aug. 6, Eatherly flew Soon after, the 509th received fifteen of the Straight Flush on a weather reconnaissance distinctive Silverplate B-29s and trained at mission over Japan and radioed that the Wendover Field, Utah – once a satellite of Hill weather appeared sufficiently clear. Then at Field. 9:15 a.m. local time, the Enola Gay dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. The term Silverplate was assigned to B-29s that were modified to carry and deliver the atomic After World War II ended, the Army Air bomb. Force assigned Straight Flush to a number of locations before it was then sent to the 3040th One of the Silverplate B-29s, later nicknamed Aircraft Storage Squadron at Davis-Monthan Straight Flush, arrived at Wendover Field AFB, Arizona, where it was retired in July 1954. April 2, 1945, and had an integral part in the Enola Gay’s mission to drop the bomb on “The Sliverplates’ time at Wendover Field Hiroshima. The aircraft earned its nickname for training for the atomic bomb drops led to the its pilot Capt. Claude “Buck” Eatherly and his 509th Composite Group playing a decisive affection for gambling. role in ending World War II and was the reason the museum restored the exterior of its B-29 to Upon completion of testing and training, resemble Straight Flush,” Clark said. “We feel Eatherly flew Straight Flush from Wendover this story is one everyone should encounter Field to Tinian, one of the Mariana Islands in while visiting this museum.” 6 DWS Veterans’ Voice Military & Veteran Friendly VETERANS CAREER AND BENEFITS FAIR Free for All Guard and Reserve Service Members, Active Duty Military Members, Veterans and Military Spouses Wednesday, October 30, 2019 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Mountain America Exposition Center, 9575 S State, Sandy,Utah (formerly South Towne ExpositionCenter) Employers and Service Providers Job Seekers Register Today must register at onlineat www.jointservicessupport.org/Reg/10P671 https://bit.ly/2m7tGjA For registration questions, please call Mark Harrison at801-432-4536. Job Fair preparation workshops for resumé writing and interviewing skills available at your nearest Workforce Services offices statewide. SPONSORED BY T HE FOLLOWING AND MANY OT HER LOC AL PARTNERS: Veterans’ Voice Community 7 BLUE STAR FAMILIES NONPROFIT LAUNCHES UTAH CHAPTER STRENGTHENING AMERICA’S MILITARY FAMILIES THROUGH COMMUNITIES by Emily Harrison, Blue Star Families Salt Lake City Chapter Director ore than 105,000 service members, families and Mveterans call Salt Lake City home. For that reason, Blue Star Families (BSF), a national nonprofit that serves more than 1.5 million military and veteran family members nationwide, brought its support here with the launch of the Salt Lake City Chapter earlier this year. Founded in 2009 by a group of military spouses, Blue Star Families Mariah Morse, careers manager— underemployment, two critical works to build communities to seeks to put their experience issues affecting our community not empower military and veteran in Family Readiness and Family only here in Utah but also across the families to thrive by delivering Programs to good use for Salt Lake country. evidence-based programs such City’s military, veterans and their as career development tools, families. More than 900 residents have already local events for families, caregiver tapped into the various programs support and civilian engagement. Since its launch in July, the Chapter and events the BSF Salt Lake City has implemented many of Blue Chapter offers. Membership is free The Salt Lake City Chapter serves Star Families’ signature programs and open to active, guard, reserve, a 50-mile radius around the capital including Blue Star Parks, Blue Star veterans and their families located city, covering just about the entire Museums, Corporate Engagement, within 50 miles of Salt Lake City. Salt Lake Valley and Wasatch Front. and Spouse-force, the Blue Star With that expansive reach, it aims careers platform. These programs Additionally, civilian supporters of the to carry out Blue Star Families’ help military and veteran families military can sign up to be a Blue Star mission, while joining the ranks get out into the communities Neighbor, which provides access to of San Diego, Chicago, Missouri, in which they live to bridge the events and volunteer opportunities. Tennessee, Jacksonville, D.C., civilian-military divide and establish To become a member or a neighbor Baltimore and New York City. a sense of connectedness and today, visit bluestarfam.org/join. belonging. Moreover, the careers The duo behind this particular program aims to reduce military community—Emily Harrison, Salt spouse unemployment and Lake City chapter director, and 8 Veterans Day Veterans’ Voice CELEBRATIONS AND CEREMONIES ACROSS THE STATE n Veterans Day men and women who to veterans at events and Oand Veterans Day have sacrificed in service ceremonies across Utah. Weekend, communities to our country. The Utah across the state will join Department of Veterans & For a full list of events, visit Americans around the Military Affairs invites you veterans.utah.gov. world in recognizing the to join us to pay respect For a full list of community events visit veterans.utah.gov.
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