Research - Rehabilitation - Re-Employment

Sgt. Shaft 07/22/2002

Dear Sgt. Shaft:
Americans always have shown respect and admiration for those who have answered the call to defend freedom. These brave men and women are the national treasure we call veterans.

Many of these unsung heroes receive health care and other services from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). We in the VA strive not only to provide the best care and service, but also to make that care available to more and more veterans. We cannot do that without strong volunteer support.

Close to 100,000 volunteers assist VA employees in providing care and support to those who have served our nation. They range in age from school children to seniors and they come from all walks of life. They volunteer in VA medical centers, community outpatient clinics, regional benefits offices, nursing homes, and national cemeteries. They even serve in veterans’ homes in their communities. They are integral to the quality of care VA provides.

As director of VA Voluntary Service, the largest volunteer program in federal government, I thank our volunteers for their commitment and dedication to veterans. I ask your readers who haven’t made a volunteer commitment to join us in VA. 

We need new volunteers at each of our facilities to help with a variety of assignments – from direct service to advocacy and from short-term jobs to long-term commitment. 

If you believe that every day should be “Veterans Day,” then the VA volunteer program is for you. Find out more by contacting the Voluntary Service Office at the VA Medical Center nearest you.

Jim W. Delgado
Director, Voluntary Service Office

Dear Jim:
Congratulations to you and the thousands of volunteers who bring hope, help, and heartfelt caring to our nation’s veterans. I urge all Americans to not only get involved in your vital program, but also in the new initiative of President Bush to encourage volunteerism. His USA Freedom Corps, which he announced earlier this year in his State of the Union Address, encourages veterans to get involved in volunteerism, such as in the VA system and the Freedom Corps. The president also urged all Americans to devote the equivalent of two years over the course of their lifetimes to serving their communities. The USA Freedom Corps (http://www.usafreedomcorps.gov) is a comprehensive service initiative to provide more opportunities for Americans to serve at home and abroad. The President also proposed expanding the number of AmeriCorps members from 50,000 to 75,000, and increasing Senior Corps by 100,000 volunteers next year.

"Increasing opportunities for all Americans to participate in meaningful service activities is a priority of this Administration,” said President Bush. "Programs such as Learn and Serve America, Senior Corps, and AmeriCorps offer Americans a variety of ways to help meet important community needs through service.”

One purpose of the USA Freedom Corps will be to strengthen homeland security. The Corps will be responsible for the emergency mobilization of retired health care professionals and the recruitment of volunteers to help police, fire, utility, and transportation personnel. Organizations such as The American Legion stand ready to help accomplish the homeland-security mission through its volunteers in nearly 15,000 local posts. Said American Legion National Commander Richard J. Santos, “The September 11 terrorist attacks and subsequent outbreaks of anthrax on American soil have made Americans painfully aware of their vulnerability to violence from terrorism. We agree with President Bush's underlying premise that a viable and credible deterrent to terrorism will require the vigilance of grass-roots communities.”

Shaft Kudos
Special kudo to Ralph de Toledano, American Legion Press Club Post 20 member, for sharing his love of stamp collecting with hospitalized veterans. The 85-year-old Legionnaire showed how one can also help these veterans productively fill lonely hours in a medical environment. 

A pat on the back to the Commandant of the Marine Corps, General James Jones, for his unique initiative to improve Marine base housing. This Public Private Venture (PPV) allows the Corps to buy many more homes than it could on its own. The Marine Corps provides funding to the contractor who then supplements these funds. The Corps is thus able to acquire more houses than it could on its own. In some cases, the government contributes no money at all. The private contractor bears the same responsibility for the housing units as it would in any private subdivision, performing routine maintenance, upgrades as necessary, renovating and rebuilding on a set schedule to keep the homes up to standard. The Corps avoids the hassle of providing everyday maintenance such as plumbing, remodeling, etc. To recoup their costs, the contractor collects rent from their Marine tenants. The rent is equal to the Marine¹s monthly housing allowance, which Marines don¹t normally receive if they live in on-base housing. The contractor makes money, the Corps rids itself of the maintenance backlog, and the Marine family receives better quality housing with efficient upkeep of their dwellings at the same affordable price.

The Sarge is looking forward to joining emcee and Korean War veteran Ed McMahon on July 27 for a concert and military tribute to Korean War veterans and their families for their service and sacrifice during the Korean War. The date marks the Armistice of the Korean War. The 75-minute concert, which begins at 7:00 p.m. at the Daughters of the American Revolution – Constitution Hall will reflect on the music of the Korean War era both played by the United States Marine Band, with a special guest artist appearance by Ms. Rita Coolidge. Hosting for the event will be the Office of the Secretary of Defense, DOD 50th Anniversary of the Korean War Commemoration Committee. Tickets for this event are free to all veterans and the general public. For additional information, contact Alvin Cunningham either by phone, (703) 604-0820, or e-mail, Alvin.Cunningham@hqda.army.mil 

Send letters to Sgt. Shaft, c/o John Fales, P.O. Box 65900, Washington, D.C. 20035-5900; fax to 301-622-3330; call 202-462-4430 or email sgtshaft@bavf.org.

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