Some of the 'Services' and 'Programs we have available
We have listed many of the "Supporters"
of Veteran Advocates of Ore-Ida. We are 'Thankful' for their Contributions, for those resources are intergal to helping so many Veterans, Military and Families in need. Thank You....
https://www.facebook.com/OntarioGroceryOutlet/
Thanks to the owners and all the staff for all you do in helping our area Veterans and Military and their Families!
http://www.communityinaction.info
Thanks 'CIA' for your programs to assist our Veterans and their Families!!
Thank's to the Management and Staff of our local Ontario Love's, for their continued assistance for our local Veterans and their Families!
Love's phone= 541-823-8282
1041 NW Washington Ave, Ontario,OR
For any of your Insurance and Real Estate needs the Waldo Group helps you manage your risks.
A special thanks to all the City Departments and elected Officials for supporting our local Veterans, Military and their Families!
https://www.homedepot.com/l/Ontario-OR/OR/Ontario/97914/4025
Thanks Home Depot for assisting our area Veterans, and Military!
A special thanks to the Union Pacific Team for their continued assistance to all Veterans.
A special thanks to all the Board and Staff at TVCC for their continuing assistance for our Veterans , Military and their Families.
https://bizcenter.org/veterans-mean-business/
Through the Small Business Development Center at TVCC, the VSBM offers Veteran Business Owners excellent assistance! Thanks
Meadow Outdoor Advertising has helped promote the Veteran Advocates of Ore-Ida with great Billboard signage! Thank you for continuing to support our Nations Veterans!
Since it's beginnings in 1947, the Basque Club has continuously supported our Countries Military and Veterans. We at Veteran Advocates of Ore-ida thank the Basque Club for their continuing encouragement and support. Please click on the photo to learn more about the Ontario Basque Club.
Here in our Downtown Moore Park, a group of area Farmers and Crafters offer their 'bounty' every Saturday from June thru September. They have always been supportive of our Veterans and their Families, and we thank them all for that support. To see more about the Saturday Market click the photo & see their Facebook page.
Veteran Advocates of Ore-Ida Doing The Right Things for The Right Reasons - Supporting Military Members- Veterans- and Their Families
"It is indefensible that U.S. military personnel, who are already at risk of serious injury and death when fighting the enemy, were put at further risk from the potentially harmful emissions from the use of open-air burn pits," said a report by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction.
The report also said that millions of dollars were spent on incinerators to properly dispose of waste, but that many sat idle next to the active burn pits.
This is by James H. Binns, a Vietnam War veteran, chaired the congressionally mandated Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans Illnesses from 2002 to 2014.
America's memory of the 1991 Gulf War has faded, but we must remember the 697,000 U.S. veterans who drove the Iraqi army from Kuwait 30 years ago this month -- especially the one in four who lost their health to toxic exposures serving their country. That country refuses to care for them.
The inauguration of a president who personally understands the terrible consequences of toxic wounds to veterans and their families inspires hope that help may finally be coming.
The Gulf War was hailed at the time as a great victory, with U.S. casualties limited to 148 dead and 467 wounded. Today, we know that at least 175,000 American servicemen and women returned home with constant pain; fatigue; and gastrointestinal, memory and chronic neurological problems now referred to as Gulf War Illness. They will not be celebrating this anniversary.
This article is from February 2021
American battle casualties in the post-9/11 wars in Afghanistan and Iraq currently total 5,458 dead and 53,250 wounded. More than 213,000 veterans have reported respiratory diseases, cancers and other protracted health problems to the Department of Veterans Affairs' registry for burn pits, the massive fire pits on U.S. bases where waste was incinerated with jet fuel.
In the Vietnam War, 58,000 U.S. service members died and 153,000 were wounded. But more than 650,000 Vietnam veterans suffer or have died from illnesses related to Agent Orange......
By Leo Shane III, MilitaryTimes
Nearly all veterans who served in overseas conflicts in the last 31 years would be granted presumptive benefits status for a host of respiratory illness and cancers under a sweeping proposal to be introduced by Senate leaders next week.
In addition, Vietnam veterans who suffer from high blood pressure would be granted the same presumptive status for their disability claims, potentially handing out billions more in payouts to the aging group.
The legislative package, dubbed the True Cost of War Recognition Act, represents the most ambitious attempt so far by Congress to address the long-term health effects of burn pits and other toxic exposure events on veterans who served in wars overseas, both recent and long past......
in Iraq from August 1990 to March 1991 and from March 2003 until present day;
Outside groups have successfully lobbied in recent years to broaden the number of illnesses linked to the use of the chemical defoliant Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. But hypertension has remained off the list, in large part because Veterans Affairs officials still have not accepted outside scientific studies that have shown a strong link between the two.
Similarly, advocates for years have complained that Veterans Affairs officials have done too little to react to rising cases of unusual, serious illnesses among veterans who worked near burn pit smoke during overseas deployments, or were exposed to other potential chemical poisoning on missions.
Veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange or other herbicides during military service may be eligible for a variety of VA benefits, including disability compensation for diseases associated with exposure. Your dependents and survivors also may be eligible for benefits.
"Agent Orange" refers to a blend of tactical herbicides the U.S. military sprayed in the jungles of Vietnam and around the Korean demilitarized zone to remove trees and dense tropical foliage that provided enemy cover. Herbicides were also used by the U.S. military to defoliate military facilities in the U.S. and in other countries as far back as the 1950s.
In addition, VA has determined there is evidence of exposure to Agent Orange for Air Force and Air Force Reserve members who served during the period 1969 through 1986 and regularly and repeatedly operated, maintained, or served onboard C-123 aircraft (known to have been used to spray an herbicide agent during the Vietnam era). For more information about service qualifications and other eligibility criteria, visit our Agent Orange C-123 web page.
VA and federal law presumes that certain diseases are a result of exposure to these herbicides. This "presumptive policy" simplifies the process for receiving compensation for these diseases since VA foregoes the normal requirements of proving that an illness began during or was worsened by your military service.
A Veteran who believes he or she has a disease caused by Agent Orange exposure that is not one of the conditions listed below must show an actual connection between the disease and herbicide exposure during military service.
VA presumes that Veterans were exposed to Agent Orange or other herbicides if they served:
If you fall into either category listed above, you do not have to show that you were exposed to Agent Orange to be eligible for disability compensation for diseases VA presumes are associated with it. Check the list of U.S. Navy and Coast Guard ships that operated in Vietnam to confirm whether your service aboard a ship allows VA to concede you were exposed to Agent Orange..
Even if you did not serve in Vietnam or the Korean demilitarized zone during the specified time periods, you can still apply for disability compensation if you were exposed to an herbicide while in the military and believe it led to the onset of a disease. This includes:
If eligible, you must prove that you were exposed to Agent Orange or other herbicides during your military service to be eligible for service-connection for disease VA presumes are related to Agent Orange exposure.
Exception: Blue Water Veterans with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma may be granted service-connection without showing inland waterway service or that they set foot in Vietnam. This is because VA also recognizes non-Hodgkin's lymphoma as related to service in Vietnam or the waters offshore of Vietnam during the Vietnam Era.
VA currently presumes that some diseases resulted from exposure to herbicides like Agent Orange. The Veterans Health Administration's Public Health website lists these diseases VA presumes are associated with exposure to Agent Orange or other herbicides during military service:
If you are seeking service connection for one of the diseases VA presumes is associated with exposure to herbicides during service, VA requires the following:
If you believe that you have a disease caused by herbicide exposure, but that disease is not on the list of diseases associated with Agent Orange, you may still apply for service-connection. In these cases, VA requires all of the following:
Monthly payment rates are based on the Veteran's combined rating for his or her service-connected disabilities. These ratings are based on the severity of the disabilities. Additional amounts are paid to certain Veterans with severe disabilities ("special monthly compensation") and certain Veterans with dependents. You can view the current Compensation Rate Tables to determine the amount you may receive.
For more information on how to apply and for tips on making sure your claim is ready to be processed by VA, visit our How to Apply page.
Check VA's Guide to Agent Orange Claims to learn more about how to establish eligibility to disability compensation and how much VA pays. You can also call the Agent Orange Help Line at 1-800-749-8387 or send an e-mail to GW/AOHelpline@vba.va.gov. You must provide your name, e-mail address, telephone and/or fax number, and VA file number/Social Security Number. We will do our best to respond within a reasonable amount of time (usually 3 to 10 workdays).
LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD !!
whether you are a veteran or not, you can contact the 'Senate Veteran Affairs Committee', 'The House Committee on Veterans' Affairs', and the US Dept. of Veteran Affairs.
Just click on their links on our page titled "PROGRAMS/RESOURCES/BOD
The following is a story by 'Teen Kids News'
I found their perspective especially understanding when they acknowledged a deep and historically seeded understanding about 'who we are', and that was: "always remember that we were attacked not for what we do wrong but for what we do right".
The attacks of September 11, 2001, reshaped the face of the nation and the course of history. Our lives and the lives of those to come — not just here in New York or the United States, but around the globe — have changed forever.
The date, September 11, will forever evoke recollections of unimaginable tragedy, of lives callously lost and brutally cut short and of unspeakable horror and sorrow in the hearts and minds of all of us. We must never forget the depths of inhumanity to which terrorist fanatics are willing to sink in the name of their depraved cause as they seek to destroy the very principles of freedom and democracy on which this great nation was founded.
That is why each and every September 11, we as Americans pay tribute to those who lost their lives that fateful day. We gather in unity and dignity to honor the freedoms that we have fought for in the past, the freedoms our loved ones have died for, and those freedoms that we continue to fight for today.
Remembering that day is not a choice but our solemn obligation — on September 11, 2001, there were 2,749 heroes lost; seven buildings destroyed and, with their collapse, 30 million square feet of commercial office space was lost or damaged; 60,000 jobs disappeared; 65,000 commuters were dislocated by the destruction; five subway lines and 12 subway stations were affected or closed; and 1.6 million tons of smoking debris filled the World Trade Center site.
As you recall September 11, always remember that we were attacked not for what we do wrong but for what we do right. Remember the spirit of that day — the day America showed what makes us a great people and a great nation; the day the true character of our nation triumphed over unspeakable evil; the day that freedom and democracy prevailed yet again over oppression and tyranny.
By By George Pataki/ CNN
At 8:45 a.m. on September 11, 2001, an American Airlines Boeing 767, Flight 11, collided into the World Trade Center’s north tower in New York City immediately killing hundreds of people and trapping hundreds more in the 110-story skyscraper. Only 18 minutes later, a second Boeing 767, United Airlines Flight 175, flew into the south tower. Both towers afire, burning debris covered the surrounding buildings and the streets below while hundreds jumped from the towers to their deaths in an attempt to escape. About 30 minutes later, a third plane, American Airlines Flight 77, crashed into the west side of the Pentagon near Washington, D.C. and a fourth plane, United Flight 93, crash-landed into a field in Pennsylvania killing all 40 souls onboard. Meanwhile, both World Trade Center towers collapsed into a terrifying and deadly inferno of rubble.
Share on Facebook Share on X Print this Page Share by EmailWashington, June 12, 2025 | Kathleen McCarthySubcommittees: Health
Today, Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa), the Chairwoman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Health, delivered the following opening remarks, as prepared, at the start of the subcommittee’s legislative hearing to discuss potential legislation to ensure veterans get the care they need no matter where they live, keep senior veterans’ priorities at the forefront of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) policymaking, and more. A full list of bills on today’s agenda can be found here.
Good afternoon.
This legislative hearing of the Subcommittee on Health will now come to order. Without objection, the Chair may declare a recess at any time.
I would like to welcome all the members and witnesses to today’s hearing.
We have 12 important legislative proposals to consider here today. It is important to note that not all of the proposals will move forward in the legislative process.
Congress is responsible for ensuring V.A. stewards its resources effectively. Many of my colleagues’ bills would optimize V.A.’s funding, talent, and capital. Other bills reinforce V.A.’s mission to care for veterans’ mental and physical health.
I am grateful to Representative Hamadeh for introducing the Health Professionals Scholarship Program Improvement Act. One of the greatest resource drains at V.A. is the broken student-to-employee pipeline.
V.A. loses untold investments in student clinicians by offering scholarships in exchange for employment commitments—only for V.A. to not keep its end of the deal. Students are consistently unemployed for months before V.A. gives them a position.
These students have been driven to the point where they cut their losses with V.A. and seek jobs elsewhere, at a great financial cost to them, and opportunity cost to V.A.
Representative Hamadeh’s bill would help end this unacceptable dilemma.
The Representing Our Seniors at V.A. Act by Representative Kiggans would improve the Geriatric and Gerontology Advisory Committee.
Under current law, there is no requirement for input from state veterans homes, even though these homes are key partners in serving aging veterans. Representative Kiggans’ bill would fix this oversight by making sure these homes have a seat at the Committee table.
The Veterans Patient Advocacy Act by Representative Moolenar would increase the rural footprint for V.A. patient advocates. I know all too well how veterans in rural areas struggle to obtain care from V.A. I firmly support the bill’s goal to have patient advocates accessible to rural veterans. I think we can all agree that we can always do more to ensure that V.A.’s resources must keep evolving to reach veterans where they live.
The TRAVEL Act by Representative King-Hinds would also help our veterans living in remote areas. This bill would require a one-year “billet” for V.A. physicians at U.S. territories like the Northern Mariana Islands. Health care is not easy to come by in these remote parts of the world. This bill would place V.A. practitioners in the right places at the right time.
Representative McGuire’s bill, the V.A. Data Transparency and Trust Act, tackles the unending reporting requirements at V.A. and replaces them with a comprehensive and unified report on outcomes and metrics to improve V.A. programs. The laws today incentivize a system where consultants can create a cottage industry to broker reports, which diverts precious time and money away from V.A.’s mission and only makes oversight more difficult.
Congress has gained little from the manner in which it has received information from the numerous current V.A. reporting requirements. Representative McGuire’s bill would pull in the reigns and improve outcomes for veterans.
My bill, the Fisher House Availability Act, would make lodging in Fisher Houses more accessible for servicemembers and their families. Fisher House Foundation is a nonprofit dedicated to providing lodging for veterans and servicemembers in need.