Our Lehigh County Veterans Affairs Office compiled this listing of Memorial Day events within the Lehigh Valley and Upper Bucks area, based on organizational submissions. It is current as of 12 May:
[Editor’s Note: Also see our Special Events page for additional information or other events not listed here.] (more…)
Are you aware that as part of the 50th Anniversary Commemoration Program, living veterans who served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces at any time during the period of November 1, 1955 to May 15, 1975, regardless of the location at which they served, are eligible to receive a lapel pin? The Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) wants you to know.
The hitch is these lapel pins must be presented during public events held in their communities by Commemorative Partners (those organizations which signed up to conduct at least two commemorative events a year till 2018. In the rare instance when an honoree cannot attend a public event, the pin may be presented during a private ceremony. (more…)
The Lehigh County Veterans Affairs Office is seeking donations of interment (casket) flags to be flown on the Avenue of Flags at the entrance to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ Indiantown Gap National Cemetery located in the vicinity of Annville. The donations of these flags has dwindled over the years and the continuous need has not been well known. (more…)
The Lehigh Valley Military Affairs Council’s annual “Salute to the Troops” dinner will be held on 13 May, starting at 6 p.m., at a new location this year: the Holiday Inn at 7736 Adrienne Drive in Breinigsville. Our member organizations are strongly encouraged to attend, but the event is open to any member of the community wishing the recognize the service of the current military and recently returned veterans. Now the the time to reserve your seat(s). We ask that you do this no later than 4 May. (more…)
On March 29 at 11 a.m. in Harrisburg, the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs is conducting a Vietnam War 50-year commemoration ceremony in the Rotunda of the State Capitol.
Besides the eight Vietnam-era, state legislators and a part of the National Guard establishment who will be there, the President of the Pennsylvania State Council of Vietnam Veterans, Tom Haberkorn and a color guard from VVA Chapter 542 will be in attendance. (more…)
Berks County Seeks Deputy Director of Veterans Affairs
We’ve just heard the Berks County’s Director of Veterans Affairs has announced he is seeking a Deputy Director of Veterans Affairs to assist him. He seems to be wisely developing a succession plan to ensure continuity of operations in Berks County. (more…)
VA Announces Community Care Call Center to Help Veterans with Choice Program Billing Issues
The joy of encountering the American private medical systems’ debt collectors has been taken on by the Department of Veterans Affairs in effort to make right with their veterans. On 14 March 2016, the VA announced the opening of yet another call center – this time to resolve debt collection issues resulting from problems created by the Veterans Choice [Card] program. Veterans have been experiencing adverse credit reporting or debt collection resulting from inappropriately billed Choice Program claims. The VA is now acknowledging that delayed payments and inappropriately billed claims are unacceptable and have caused stress for veterans and providers alike. (more…)
In a past articles we have written about the current abortion of a program known as Veterans Choice which Congress itself helped to create in trying to make the VA’s healthcare system more responsive to veterans living in the current era (In the coming year we should expect to see major improvement.) Ironically, an immediate good has resulted from this failure because funds were transferred from the program to overcome a critical budgetary crisis, partially caused by the cost of a certain breakthrough, hepatitis drug. Furthermore, the issue of hepatitis care was not then forgotten. This is important news to those among the estimated 200,000 veterans who heretofore have been awaiting the lifesaving medicine now available – sofosbuvir, sold as Sovaldi and Harvoni. (more…)
According to a 4 March 2016 posting by Northampton Community College (NCC), a grant from the United States Department of Transportation has enabled the college to offer free commercial truck driver training to current and former members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their spouses (including current members of the National Guard and Reserves) who reside in Northampton, Monroe, Pike, Wayne, Carbon, or Lackawanna counties. [Editor’s Note: It is unfortunate such a course offering does not exist for Lehigh County residents.] (more…)
Homes on the Homefront, a program of Operation Homefront, is once again offering another renovated home in our vicinity. This one is in East Stroudsburg, PA. Deadline for application is 19 March. For details on the home, the program and how to apply, click here. Nice digs for a family! Read more…