Michigan Legion Media Room

In accordance with United States Code Title 36, Chapter 1, Section 129, the President of the United States is requested to issue a proclamation (per Flag Code section 7(m)) for the United States Flag to be displayed at half-staff for the entire day on National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, Saturday, December 7.   When issued, the proclamation will be found on the White House WebPages @ http://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions .        

Happy Thanksgiving to All! Things are slowing down now!  Listed below are the events I have for the next 7 days here in the Metro Detroit area.  I have also attached my latest event listing which has 4 new items on it!  You can also go to the Legion 328 website to download any flyer for these future events.  http://www.legionpost328.org/events.html   Clicking on "attached flyer" for each event either below or on the future listing will get you the flyer for that event. You can get a monthly view of events by going to: http://www.michiganveteranresources.com/Events.aspx ANNOUNCEMENTS! "Adopt a Vet Family" The last few years the Brain Injury Association has had success with matching up Veteran or Military Service Member families in need of assistance with groups or individuals looking to adopt them for the holidays. The Veteran/Service Member must be ...

FOR IMMEDATE RELEASE   American Legion fights TRICARE increases   Commander says troops, military retirees and their families should not be targeted in new efforts to cut federal costs.   WASHINGTON (Nov. 19, 2013) – The leader of The American Legion says he strongly opposes White House pressures to raise the cost of TRICARE coverage for some military retirees. TRICARE is the Department of Defense's health-care insurance program for uniformed servicemembers, military retirees and their family members. As Military.com writer Richard Sisk reports, the White House, as part of 2014 defense budget discussions, is urging the Pentagon to slow the growth of TRICARE costs by phasing in an increase in the TRICARE Prime plan's current enrollment fee for working age retirees as well as raising co-pays for military retirees under the age of 65. "We have been down this road before," said Daniel M. Dellinger, national commander of the 2.4 million member American...

Backlog of Disability Claims Reduced by 34 Percent since March 93 Percent of Claims Over One Year Old Completed WASHINGTON (Nov. 7, 2013) –The Department of Veterans Affairs has made significant progress in reducing the backlog of disability compensation claims – from 611,000 to 400,835 or 34 percent -- since peaking in March.  Concurrently, VA improved the accuracy of disability ratings, and provided hundreds of thousands of claims decisions to Veterans who have waited the longest.   "Veterans shouldn't have to wait for the benefits they've earned," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki.  "This has never been acceptable, but we are executing our plans and moving in the right direction to meet our 2015 goal of eliminating the backlog.  We still have more work to do, but we are making clear progress and no one is more committed than our VBA employees, more than half of whom are Veterans themselves."  Since the VA launched the initiative ...

Veteran designation is on track for May 2014 Secretary of State Ruth Johnson said Michigan is on track to begin issuing  a veterans  designation  on driver's licenses and state ID cards in May 2014 for the state's nearly 700,000 veterans. To obtain the designation when it becomes available, veterans will be required to provide proof of past active military service with honorable or general discharge. Johnson said the designation will make it easier for veterans to obtain the services and benefits they have earned and deserve. Noted in the  SOS Express News from Secretary of State Ruth Johnson sent Friday Nov 8th, 2013

Dear Legion Family Members and Friends, As veterans, we have a special bond regardless of when we served. While there are millions of us scattered around this great nation of ours, we represent a tiny percentage of America's population. To many people, Veterans Day is a day off work or school. To some retailers, this day of honor becomes little more than a prop in a patriotic-themed advertisement. As members of The American Legion - America's Veterans Service Organization - it is up to us to deliver the messages of service, sacrifice and patriotism, especially on and around  Nov. 11 . I hope that you will take time out of your busy lives this Veterans Day weekend to help honor all veterans and the families that support them. Many posts and communities have Veterans Day parades or similar events. The Hollywood post, for example,  is hosting a nationwide telethon   on Sunday  night. These are great opportunities to raise awareness of the role that veterans have played. If y...