Remembering the Tampa 4- 6 - Auxiliary Membership Workshop in Indianapolis
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Inside: ■ Message from the National Commander page 2 “NOW IS THE TIME FOR CONCURRENT RECEIPT" ■ National Adjutant’s column page 3 “SINGLE POST MAKES A DIFFERENCE” ■ Legion celebrates 82nd anniversary page a ■ On the road: A look at Post success stories page 5 A National Headquarters Publication ■ Tracking flag-protection support in House page 6 March 9, 2001 Vol. 10, No. 13 ■ Dateline: Capitol Hill page 7 ■ Patrick H. Brady’s column page s Up & Coming: MARCH Community Service Month 10- 11 - Auxiliary mid-year NEC Meeting in Washington, D C. 11- 14 - Washington Conference and Auxiliary Awareness Assembly in Washington, D.C. 23-25 - National Information Conferences in Nashua, N.H. (Region 1) and Indianapolis (Region 5). 30-31 - National Information Conferences in Macon, Ga. (Region 3) and Las Vegas (Region 7). APRIL Children & Youth Month 1 - National Information Conferences in Macon, Ga. (Region 3) and Las Vegas (Region 7). 1 - Eagle Scout of the Year applications due to National Headquarters. 6- 8 - 64th Annual National Oratorical Contest in Indianapolis. 8-14 - Child Welfare Foundation Week. 13 - Good Friday. 15-Easter. 20-22 - National Information Conferences in Cherry Hill, N.J. An oil painting by John Wisinki depicts the German U-boat attack on the USCGC Tampa at about 8:45 p.m. Sept. 26,1918. (Region 2) and Sioux City, Iowa (Region 6).. MAY 1 - Child Welfare Foundation grant application available. Remembering the Tampa 4- 6 - Auxiliary membership workshop in Indianapolis. 5- 6 - SAL Spring National Executive Committee Meetings in Indianapolis. 2 Florida Posts named after destroyed WWI 6 - Child Welfare Foundation Board of Directors meeting in Indianapolis. Coast Guard cutter awarded Purple Hearts. 7- 10 - National Executive Committee Spring Meetings in Indianapolis. By Jeff Stoffer Purple Hearts were awarded until a 1999 ceremony 19-Armed Forces Day. Contributing Editor in Washington, D.C., followed by a dockside presen¬ 25-28 - Race to the Top activities in Indianapolis. When the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Tampa was tation Jan. 24 in the cutter's namesake city. Tampa's 28 - Memorial Day. torpedoed by a German U-boat on Sept. 26, 1918, all American Legion Posts 5 and 167 - both chartered in 31 - End of Child Welfare Foundation Award year. 130 people aboard perished in the Bristol Channel of memory of the ill-fated cutter - were among those the Irish Sea. No other World War I maritime battle who accepted the medals. claimed more lives. In the 1920s, USCGC Tampa Post 5 - one of Press conference scheduled So complete was the destruction that only two Florida's earliest American Legion charters - com¬ A press conference has been scheduled for 12:15 p.m. bodies and scant wreckage from the 270-foot vessel missioned a large stained-glass panel containing the March 13 to announce the reintroduction of flag-protection were recovered after a three-day search by Navy vessel's image, The American Legion emblem and amendments in both the U.S. Senate and House of Repre¬ destroyers and British aircraft. the names of those who died in the attack. For many sentatives. The Tampa's grim end nearly 82 years ago has years, it served as a front window of the Post, sur- The press conference will take place at the Senate been memorialized from Gibraltar to Coast Guard Swamp at the northeast corner of the Capitol Building. It will Hill in Arlington National Cemetery. However, no SEE TAMPA, PAGE 5 be moved to Dirksen 226 (Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing Room) in case of inclement weather. Legionnaires attending the Washington Conference March 11-14 are encouraged to attend the press conference, Smith: VA budget not good enough then visit their Senators and Representatives to urge con¬ National Commander Ray G. such as hepatitis C treatment and during his campaign. gressional support for the amendment. Smith says the Bush administra¬ long-term care mandates con¬ "As a candidate, Mr. Bush said tion's Fiscal Year 2002 budget for tained in the Veterans' Millen¬ he would improve VA health The American Legion the Department of Veterans nium Health Care and Benefits care, modernize the VA claims National Headquarters NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION Affairs is not good enough and Act," Smith said. "It's not good process and reactivate VA facili¬ P.O. Box 1055 U.S. POSTAGE PAID Indianapolis, IN 46206 PERMIT NO. 354 fails to live up to campaign enough to hire enough claims ties that have been unoccupied, FRANKLIN, IN 46131 promises made by the President. adjudicators to expedite the due to scant funding, so that they Smith criticized the funding delivery of benefits; it takes may provide services that many after President Bush outlined his months, sometimes years, to get a veterans lack," Smith said. budget to a joint session of Con¬ claim processed. It's not even "Frankly, this budget is insuffi¬ gress Feb. 27. good enough to simultaneously cient to fulfill the campaign "It's not good enough to pro¬ offset inflation and universally promises George W. Bush made vide quality health care to those extend homeless, dental, mental Sept. 6 at The American Legion who provided honorable military health, spinal cord, and other ser¬ 82nd National Convention in service to our nation. It's not vices systemwide." Milwaukee." good enough to address emerg¬ Smith said the budget falls ing veterans' health care concerns short of what Bush promised SEE VA, PAGE 3 2 Dispatch March 9, 2001 A message from the national Commander: Now is the time for concurrent receipt Military retirees have been getting short end of compensation stick for too long. Two U.S. soldiers are riding in a tage to this provision is that while mili¬ In the past decade, many veterans' Retirement Equity Act of 2001. Under Humvee. They are in an accident tary retirement pay is taxable income, programs have been pared to the bone the provisions of this measure, service- and both sustain identical veterans' disability compensation is to help balance the budget. With the connected military retirees would re¬ injuries. Both are now eligible to not subject to federal income taxes. current national debate over how to ceive both military retired pay and VA receive disability compensation from For example, if a retired E-7 is get¬ handle the sizeable budget surplus, disability compensation. However, the Department of Veterans Affairs. ting $1,200 a month in retirement pay The American Legion believes the time their retired pay would be reduced by One soldier leaves the service and from the Department of Defense and is has come for retirees to receive full a percentage equal to their disability takes a federal job. The entire time he awarded a 50 percent disability rating compensation for both their honorable rating. works, he ($600) from VA, he can waive $600 of military service and their service-con¬ Bilirakis also introduced HR 303, the receives his full his retired pay and receive $600 from nected debilitating injuries or illnesses. Retired Pay Restoration Act of 2001. government VA. As a result, a retiree who receives Fairness demands it. This bill allows military retirees with at salary and his veterans' compensation and the bal¬ Military service rendered in defense least 20 years of service and a service- VA disability ance of the retired pay has a smaller tax of and on behalf of the nation deserves connected disability to receive both payment. When burden than a retiree who receives, special consideration when determin¬ military retired pay and VA disability he retires, he only taxable retired pay. Current law ing policy toward such matters as ben¬ compensation without reduction of receives his full bars concurrent receipt of military re¬ efit offsets. The American Legion isn't either. federal retire¬ tired pay and VA disability compensa¬ asking for preferential treatment for Rep. Lane Evans, D-IL., House VA ment benefits in tion. these veterans, just what is fair and Committee Ranking Member, intro¬ addition to his Certainly, PL 78-314 is better than what is provided to every other federal duced HR 609, the Veterans' Compen¬ full VA disabili¬ the law originally passed by Congress employee and retiree. sation Equity Act of 2001. This bill, ty compensa¬ in 1891. But veterans are still being A provision in the Fiscal Year 2000 cosponsored by Bilirakis, would elimi¬ tion payment. treated unfairly. National Defense Authorization Act nate the reduction in military retire¬ But the other Each payment is for a distinct rea¬ authorized special compensation for ment benefits for veterans who are soldier, the one son: longevity of honorable military the most severely disabled retired vet¬ entitled to both military retirement pay who decided to serve 20 more years in service and service-connected disabili¬ erans, those who have served for at and service-connected compensation the military, doesn't fare so well. He ty. Military retired pay is compensa¬ least 20 years and who have disability benefits when the retiree reaches age can't receive his VA disability compen¬ tion for longevity of honorable military ratings of between 70 percent and 100 65. sation until he retires from the military, service. VA service-connected disabili¬ percent. Specifically, it authorized Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., introduced and then his earned retirement pay will ty compensation is for medical condi¬ monthly payments of $300 for totally S 170, the Retired Pay Restoration Act be reduced dollar for dollar by the tions incurred or aggravated while on disabled retired veterans, $200 for of 2001. This bill would end the current amount of his VA disability compensa¬ active duty. Disabled veterans have retirees rated as 90-percent disabled practice of deducting disability benefits tion payment.