Michigan Legion Media Room

The White House distributed the news release below today.   THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the First Lady FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 23, 2014   Obama Administration Launches Online Veterans Employment Center One-Stop-Shop Connects Veterans, Transitioning Service Members, and their Spouses to Employers   At today's anniversary celebration of Joining Forces, First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden announced the launch of a new integrated employment tool to connect veterans and service members with employers, and to help translate military skills into the civilian workforce.  The Veterans Employment Center, an integrated, online tool connecting veterans, transitioning service members and their spouses with both public and private-sector employers, is the result of an interagency effort to improve, simplify and consolidate the current array of employment resources for veterans.  Additionally, this will provide one comprehensive database of resumes for employers who are s...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   Legion: VA secret list "abhorrent"   Report says at least 40 patients died while waiting for appointments at Phoenix VA medical center that was hiding information.     WASHINGTON  (April 24, 2014) -- The Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in Phoenix has been keeping a secret list of patients with long-delayed appointments, a practice which has been linked to the deaths of at least 40 veterans, according to an April 23 report by CNN.  The secret list kept by the Phoenix Veterans Affairs Health Care System was part of a cover-up created by VA managers to hide the fact that more than 1,400 veterans were forced to wait many months to see a doctor, according to CNN's interview with a retired VA doctor, Sam Foote, who worked at the facility for 24 years. American Legion National Commander Daniel M. Dellinger said if the allegations are true, the secret list in Phoenix "is one of the most abhorrent acts ever committed in ...

VA offers no answers on Phoenix allegations   Legion attends meeting with VA in Washington that produces no explanation for hospital's secret list   American Legion officials met with a top Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) official in Washington on April 24 to address allegations made against the VA medical center in Phoenix, and how the department is responding to them.   Specifically, CNN reported April 23 that the Phoenix facility has been keeping a secret list of patients long-overdue for medical exams, which has been linked to at least 40 preventable deaths at the facility. The report also said the list was kept secret to conceal appointment delays.   Thomas G. Lynch, M.D., VA's assistant deputy under secretary for health for clinical operations, responded to questions posed by Peter Gaytan, the Legion's executive director; Jacob Gadd, the Legion's deputy director for health; and other attendees.   Lynch offered no useful answers. When a...

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 8 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    You can get a monthly view of events by going to: http://www.michiganveteranresources.com/Events.aspx ANNOUNCEMENTS! "Red Cross Items for Veterans" The SE Michigan Chapter of the American Red Cross has several programs to assist veterans, and their families, with free programs & grants. See the associated flyer for each to get the full details. (1) Certified Nurse Assistant Training . (2) Boots to Business . (3) Emergency Financial Assistance . For questions regarding any of these programs contact Anne at 313-576-4126 . "Weekend Marriage Retreat" ...

Air Force Awards Distinguished Flying Cross to Michigan WWII Veteran On every mission, there were holes. Thirty-five times, nine men went out on a bomber so big they called it the Flying Fortress. Each and every time they came back in a plane peppered with bullet holes. Sometimes, many times, the guys flying in the plane next to them didn’t come back at all. On Monday, April 21, 2014 – more than 69 years after he flew his final mission – the U.S. Air Force presented former Technical Sgt. Alfred P. Murphy with a Distinguished Flying Cross after an official review determined that he earned the medal in World War II, while flying as a radio operator/mechanic/gunner on a B-17 Flying Fortress bomber in Europe. “It was only the skill and courage of the entire crew that allowed us to live through that,” said Murphy, now a few weeks shy of his 92nd birthday and living in retirement at an American House community in Rochester Hills, Mich. “No one man could have done that. You h...

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 6 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    You can get a monthly view of events by going to: http://www.michiganveteranresources.com/Events.aspx ANNOUNCEMENTS! Happy Easter! "Red Cross Items for Veterans" The SE Michigan Chapter of the American Red Cross has several programs to assist veterans, and their families, with free programs & grants. See the associated flyer for each to get the full details. (1) Certified Nurse Assistant Training . (2) Boots to Business . (3) Emergency Financial Assistance . For questions regarding any of these programs contact Anne at 313-576-4126 . ...

This is a Veterans Career Night Thursday May 1 st  from 530pm-7pm.  We will present information on the Information Technology field - from entry level to Intermediate/Advanced positions open that require certifications. Careers like:  Cyber Security, Network Administration, Server Administration, Cisco Networking, and IT Project Management are in large demand with Cyber Security expecting a 37% growth in the next 5 years according to the Department of Labor.  Our programs are eligible for both Chapter 31 Vocational Rehabilitation and Chapter 33 GI BILL funding.  Our short-term Nationally Vendor Certification programs are available during the day or in the evening.  All certification programs include:  Books, practice exams, and National certification exams.  We have ONSITE Instructor Led classes and Connected Remote Instructor Led classes to fit anyone’s schedule. If a veteran would like to register, the information is on this l...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   Legion to Congress: Hold VA accountable for preventable deaths   WASHINGTON (April 9, 2014) --The American Legion's national commander, Daniel M. Dellinger, told Congress at a hearing today that Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) leaders must be held accountable for mistakes that result in needless deaths at its medical facilities.   "Patient deaths are tragic -- preventable deaths are unacceptable," Dellinger told the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs. "But failure to disclose safety information -- or worse -- to cover up mistakes, is unforgivable, and The American Legion will not sit quietly by while some VA employees cover up the truth – and the VA shouldn't, either."   Dellinger recalled the deaths of six patients from an outbreak of Legionella bacteria at the Pittsburgh VA medical center. When a team from the Legion's System Worth Saving (SWS) Task Force visited the facility last November, administra...

LANSING – Marine veteran Lindell Holm has been appointed to oversee the Michigan Veterans Trust Fund, announced Mic higan Veterans Affairs Agency Director Jeff Barnes. Holm will oversee day-to-day operations for the Trust Fund, which awards emergency grants to Michigan combat veterans. “Lindell’s passion, energy and commitment to his fellow veterans make him a great addition to our team. He has worked extensively on behalf of wounded service members and veterans as part of the Marine Corps’ Wounded Warrior Regiment, and we are fortunate to be able to put that expertise to work for Michigan veterans,” Barnes said. “I look forward to working with him to strengthen and grow the Trust Fund as an important resource for Michigan veterans.” Holm served 25 years in the United States Marine Corps, where he earned numerous medals, including the Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal (twice), Navy-Marine Corps Commendation Medal (four ti...

Columbia, Mo. Youth Sweeps to Victory, Earns $18K Scholarship in American Legion Oratorical Contest   INDIANAPOLIS (April 21, 2013) – A senior from David H. Hickman High School in Columbia, Mo., capped a busy weekend of competition in Indianapolis by earning an $18,000 college scholarship and first place in The American Legion  High School Oratorical Scholarship Program – “A Constitutional Speech Contest.” His winning oration was titled “This Great House.” Ashwath Kumar started the weekend as one of 53 state or territorial champions in the 77th annual contest. He advanced to the championship through three rounds of intense competition. Brandon Posner, a high school senior from Doylestown, Pa., earned a $16,000 college scholarship with a second place finish, while Ellen Joy Densmore of Denver, Colo., earned a $14,000 scholarship and finished third.  The scholarships account for a small portion of post-...

See original post here  http://www.legion.org/serviceofficers/220649/ask-service-officer-beware-va-pension-scams Q. Are there scams that I should watch out for with VA pensions? A.  As a veteran, beware of pension advance products that offer to pay military retirees a lump-sum payout in return for their monthly retirement payments. The products may amount to payment of only pennies on the dollar and the advances are reported to carry interest rates from 27 percent to 106 percent, which can threaten a safe retirement. There are many pension advance companies on the Internet, often with patriotic-sounding names and logos. If you’re offered a pension advance, stay away from arrangements that allow a creditor to access the account where you get your benefits. Instead, get trusted financial expert advice if you need emergency funds. Additionally, some individuals and companies use VA’s Aid & Attendance pension benefit as a hook to sell services. The Aid & Attendance...

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 12(!) 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    You can get a monthly view of events by going to: http://www.michiganveteranresources.com/Events.aspx ANNOUNCEMENTS! "Veteran Survey" Congressman Kerry Bentivolio is requesting that all veterans take a moment and complete a survey. He states, "Dear Honored Veteran, I am in dire need of your input! As a former military serviceman, caring for the men and women who have sacrificed so much for the good of our country is a task near and dear to my heart. However, without feedback from veterans like you, I can only operate on hearsay regarding the difficulties you ...