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CANNON NEWSCANNON March 2014 NEWS Page 1 Francis Cannon VFW Post 7589 Manassas, Virginia March 2014 February 23: 8th District Commander Rick Raskin observes as Peter MacLeod, District 8 Youth Chair, presents an award to Peter Nosal, winner of the District 8 Patriot’s Pen contest for 2013/14. Peter is a 6th grade student at Auburn Middle School and was submitted through Post 9835, Warrenton. In This Issue: COLA Penalty Removed for Most VFW Statement on Military Retiree COLA Vote Benefits Fights Not Over GMU to offer course on Vietnam this summer Celebrity Soldiers Upcoming Events New VFW Store website CANNON NEWS—2013 Clair B. Poff Public Relations Award for Most Outstanding Post Publication/Newsletter, VFW Department of Virginia CANNON NEWS March 2014 Page 2 From the Editor Have you visited your Post website They are available to view online . lately? www.vfw7589.org Take a look... Its the best place to keep current with what’s going on at your Post. We Please contact me if you have any- update it at least once a week, and thing you’d like posted or have any often more frequently. comments or suggestions. Recent additions include 14 new Rick Raskin episodes of “Operation Freedom” the [email protected] monthly veteran interview show broadcast on Comcast Cable and hosted by our own Steve Botello. Commander’s Report Most are not veterans and have never if warranted and not eliminated be- experienced the long period of sepa- cause another social program; not to ration from family and friends. The have their retirement entitlements long nights awake on an outpost, eroded; and most importantly, not listening, thinking you hear some- just being ignored. thing—to have your mind play tricks on you. Sleeping, eating and existing Look at the list of candidates. Do not in a half water-filled foxhole. We vote because they are in office or a were there… nice person, but because they will protect the veterans of yesterday, the ...THEY WERE NOT!!!! young men and women of today, and those of the future. This year is an election year, it is If it not Congress, then it the DoD! If time to hold those who are in office Thanks for listening, it is not the Federal Government, accountable to protect the rights of then it is the Commonwealth of Vir- the veteran; to have their service- Ron ginia! related medical conditions properly diagnosed and treated in a timely Eliminating Veteran’s entitlements is fashion; to have the financial needs an easy task for the elected officials. Francis Cannon Post 7589 P.O. Box 10206 Manassas, VA 20108 CANNON NEWS March 2014 Page 3 Auxiliary President’s Report Setup for Yard Sale 4:00 – 8:00 pm sition in your Auxiliary. The new April 26 officers will take their new positions Yard Sale 7:00 am – 2:00 pm after the Department Convention in April 27 June. We do want you to come to District 8th Convention – Culpeper the meetings and be a part of a great (2524) 1:00 pm – Elections organization. The Auxiliary is planning another Yard Sale for Saturday April 26th. Donations can be received every Wednesday from 9-12 during Bingo and on the Friday during set up on April 25th from 4-8pm. As always, please keep collecting the Campbell’s soup labels for the We have four months before the end VFW National Home for Children. of the current Auxiliary year. We are very happy to receive any Please assist us with some of the The Young American Creative Pat- labels from the public. Please bring events we have planed. The sched- riotic Art contest is under way. labels to the Post. ule below will have additional Brochures for this National contest events as they come before the have been distributed to the local The Department President Laine floor. If you have any ideas for High Schools. The deadline for Beckwith has been ill and I’m re- fundraisers we can do, please let me entries March 31st. We welcome questing each of you sent her a Get know. Also, if you know of any Home Schooled students as well. Well card. Her address is 41 Kings military family that needs assis- This is a Scholarship program and if Point Dr., Hampton, VA 23669. tance, we want to know about it. the student places first at the nation- We are here for them. al level, they will receive a $10,000 And as always, for individuals or scholarship. If you would like more family members who are ill or hos- March 31 information, please contact me at pitalized, you are in our prayers. Deadline for Arts and Department 703/361-8950 or by email at: Program reports [email protected]. April 7 All high school students are wel- Post/Auxiliary Meeting – 7:30 pm - come to particulate. Elections April 19 I would like to remind the members Commander & President Home- of the upcoming election in April coming at Mechanicsville at Post for the 2014-2015 year. We have 9808 several positions that needs to be April 25 filled. Please consider taking a po- CANNON NEWS March 2014 Page 4 Service Officer’s Report Your Service Officers exist to help 703-659-0849 or just pull one of us you and your dependents receive aside and tell us a suggestion of ser- every benefit you are entitled to. vice that we can provide. Please do feel free to contact and speak any of us so we can provide Our number one goal is providing you with the help and assistance you the best service to our veterans and may need. their families. Please do not hesitate to speak to any of our Veteran Ser- If you know of anyone being provid- vice Officers and find out just what ed home care of any type please con- they can do for you! They are: sider advising them to contact us. They could be entitled to “Aid and Wayne Moore 1-703-361-5554 Attendance”. If you are a veteran Email: [email protected] in a care facility where you must have direct care or if perhaps you are Stephen Meade 1-703-408-0875 As we have all seen recently out of home bound and receiving direct Email: [email protected] Washington our pay, benefits and care please consider filing for this retirement is being seen as some- benefit. Our goal is simple here. We want to thing that can be taken away bit by take care of all our veterans with the bit by those in Washington. Please seek out and contact any of greatest level of service that our re- our Service Officers here at Post sources will allow. Thank you for Please take note of this and if you 7589 and ask about this. We will your service! can contact your representative, Con- assist you in filing for this benefit gressman or Senator, and tell them with the DVA and see if you qualify If you have any questions please feel not to take away any veterans bene- for it. free to reach us at our VSO phone fits. line of: 1-703-659-0849 or Email: Please also feel free to contact our [email protected]. We must fight together to keep what Service Officer Team at any time for we have earned and that nothing is questions, suggestions or other needs Thank you, taken from us. you may have at: Steven M. Botello [email protected] or call us at 1- Post Service Officer Need help with filing VA claims? VA DVS AGENT SERVICE 2nd & 4th THURSDAYS 0900 - 1500 Post 7589 9304 Centreville Rd. Manassas, Virginia APPOINTMENTS PLEASE Walk-ins Accepted 703-359-1210 CANNON NEWS March 2014 Page 5 Youth News and Notes the MCAT exams Matthew’s Junior struggled a bit during his just com- year at college. He has set his sights pleted first semester at college. But on Penn State’s Hershey Park Medi- what I liked, he tackled his hardest cal School and wants to become a subject, Calculus II and got a 92 on medical doctor and he wants to in- his final exam. corporate his computer knowledge into his medical expertise. For in- And in the last paragraph of his letter stance, he has visions of designing to the Post he thanks us for his and programming robots for use in $200.00 scholarship award and says surgery. He also has looked at the that as an Eagle Scout he will contin- medical profession in different ways ue to uphold the Scout Oath and Law through his involvement in the Na- and continue to give back to society. tional Youth Leadership Forum. You know what? I believe him and Pete MacLeod, Youth Chair By now, you might be thinking that wish him all the luck in the world! this guy is a hopeless nerd who does nothing but sit in the library and study and dream up grand plans. It is not that often that young people Well, as far as I’m concerned , if this remember to send a thank you letter guy is a nerd, I want to be one too! after receiving an honor, prize or He not only has academic and medi- recognition from VFW Post 7589. cal ambitions, he is maintaining his A big exception arrived in the mail religious convictions at Penn State. last month from local Scout of the He joined the Pasquerilla Spiritual Year Matthew Zackschewski , now Center where on campus masses are a student at Penn State.