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Veteran Advocates of Ore-Ida
  • Home/Contact
  • Programs/Resources/BOD
  • About Us/ Military/Videos
  • SUPPORTERS;Burn Pits;9/11
  • Gallery/Vets Stories
  • Veteran Articles
    • Veteran Article

THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR SUPPORTERS!! YOU WILL SEE THEM LISTED FURTHER DOWN THIS PAGE.

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.... 

Additional 9/11 information is accessible by clicking on the 'Red Bar' marked 'more on the History, Memorial and Museum.

More on the 9/11 History, Memorial and Museum

How "Burn Pits" in Iraq & Afghanistan put Veterans at risk

"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. 


Burning oil well in field coated in spilled oil in Kuwait in the aftermath of Operation Desert Storm

30 Years After the Gulf War: Veterans Legacy of Toxic Wounds

February 2021 by James H. Bings, Military.com

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.

All Americans should remember the Gulf War as these veterans do

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......

Find out more, read the full article
An Army pickup truck passes  military vehicles, as smoke rises  in a trash burn pit

Benefits for burn pit illnesses, Agent Orange now possible

Nearly all veterans who served in overseas conflicts in the last 31 years would be granted benefits

May 2021By 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......

Under the TCRW Act, that eligible group would include all veterans who served in following locations

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.

Click here to read the full article
Spraying of Agent Orange in Vietnam during the period of 1961 to 1971.

Awareness of Agent Orange & it's effects on Veterans

Information from the US Department of Veteran Affairs

Veterans Exposed to Agent Orange

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.

Eligibility - Service in Vietnam or Korea

VA presumes that Veterans were exposed to Agent Orange or other herbicides if they served:

  • In Vietnam anytime between January 9, 1962 and May 7, 1975, including brief visits ashore or service aboard a ship that operated on the inland waterwaysof Vietnam
  • In or near the Korean demilitarized zone anytime between April 1, 1968 and August 31, 1971

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..

Eligibility - Service Outside of Vietnam or Korea

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:

  • Veterans who served on or near the perimeters of military bases in Thailandduring the Vietnam Era.
  • Veterans who served where herbicides were tested and stored outside of Vietnam.
  • Veterans who were crew members on C-123 planes flown after the Vietnam War.
  • Veterans associated with Department of Defense (DoD) projects to test, dispose of, or store herbicides in the U.S.

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.

Diseases Associated with Agent Orange

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:

Evidence Needed

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:

  • A medical diagnosis of a disease which VA recognizes as being associated with Agent Orange (listed above)
  • Competent evidence of
    • service in Vietnam or at or near the Korean demilitarized zone during the dates shown above, or
    • exposure to herbicides in a location other than the Vietnam or the Korean demilitarized zone.
  • Competent medical evidence that the disease began within the deadline (if any). (See 38 CFR 3.307(a)(6)(ii) for more information on deadlines.)

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:

  • Competent medical evidence of a current disability,
  • Competent medical evidence of an actual connection between herbicide exposure and the current disability, AND
  • Competent evidence of:
    • service in Vietnam or at or near the Korean demilitarized zone during the dates shown above, or
    • exposure to herbicides in a location other than Vietnam or the Korean demilitarized zone.

Compensation Benefit

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.

How to Apply

  • Apply online using eBenefits, OR
  • Work with an accredited representative or agent, OR
  • Go to a VA regional office and have a VA employee assist you. You can find your regional office on our Facility Locator page

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.

More Information

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).

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RESOURCES

  • Appeals Modernization
  • Military Sexual Trauma Coordinators
  • Agent and Attorney Fee Coordinators
  • Appeals
  • Benefits A-Z
  • Federal Benefits Guide
  • Benefit Rates
  • VA Code of Federal Regulations
  • New/Update Military ID Card
  • Claims Adjudication Procedures Manual/Live Manual
  • Link to subscribe to receive email notice of changes to the Live Manual

Learn More

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

Senators Back Agent Orange Benefits. The VA is not convinced
data from a 2020 Annual Homeless Report to Congress

veterans experiencing homelessness rose before pandemic

March 2021, by Leo Shane III, Military Times

The number of veterans experiencing homelessness increased in 2020 even before the effects of the coronavirus pandemic damaged employment prospects and financial resources for the community, according to a new report released by the Department of Housing and Urban Development on Thursday.

The increase is a concerning backslide from improvements in the last decade, since then President Barack Obama announced a federal effort to address the issue....

From 2010 to 2019, the number of veterans without stable housing decreased by more than 50 percent. However, the figure increased slightly in 2020, rising to 37,252 in HUD’s annual point-in-time estimate, up by a few hundred individuals.

Coronavirus complicates efforts to help homeless veterans

The totals mean that of every 10,000 veterans in the United States, 21 were experiencing homelessness at the start of last year. Veterans make up about 6 percent of the population of the United States but 8 percent of the country’s homeless population.

The estimate released Thursday is based on surveys conducted in January 2020, about two months before business closures and other financial impacts of the coronavirus pandemic began.

Find out more

Stars And Stripes Transition Guide 2021

specifically designed to help active servicemembers and veterans navigate into their next stages .

 Each edition of this semi-annual publication provides practical guidance and resources for maneuvering through their next objective, whether it is enrolling in college, finding a job or getting their finances in order.

Read the Full Guide and past Issues. Just 'Click On' "TRANSITION GUIDE"
Team Rubicon co-Founder Jake Wood in the field....

5 Lessons for Veterans Leaving the Military

Team Rubicon co-founder Jake Wood, wasn't out of the Marine Corps 60 days before he felt the pull

Now, in a book that hit shelves Nov. 10, 2020, he details the 10-year journey of building the service-focused organization Team Rubicon to what it is today: 130,000 American military veterans willing to be the first responders to any disaster zone in the world.

Wood sat down with Military.com to talk about transitioning out of the military, the paths open to military veterans and some of the things he thinks we should consider when planning to make that big jump.

Wood would be the first to tell you that he wasn't setting out to create a disaster relief nonprofit when he first left for Haiti 10 years ago. He watched the devastation in the aftermath of the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that hit the island on Jan. 12, 2010. All he knew is that he wanted to do something about it.

Here are the 5 Lessons:

In that time and through all that effort, he has some words of wisdom for separating military members.

1. Know Who You Want to Be

2. Plan How to Get There

3. Don't Rush

4. Be Prepared for the Hard Work

5. Surround Yourself With Good People


CLICK THE "MORE ON THIS ARTICLE" TO READ ABOUT THESE 5 LESSONS !

More on this article

Veterans Transition Survival Guide

By Blake Stilwell, Military Times

So you finally came around to the idea that you might have what it takes to make it in civilian life? What took you so long? You can trudge through mud and rain while training for three days, stand watch through a humid night in the Baghdad suburbs, or maintain the latest in multimillion-dollar aircraft technology, but you weren’t sure if you could commute to an office somewhere for eight hours a day? Son, that might be your only problem.

But there’s a lot of ground to cover before you start writing TPS reports.

Getting out of the military is a big deal, about as big a deal as going in. It’s not something you just want to up and do one day. If all you do is fill out a checklist and then go back to your hometown and think everything is just going to work out, you’re gonna be in for a big surprise. There are actually some things you’ll want to think about before you go back to the block. Starting with what exactly you want to do when you get out of that uniform.

Which, we’re probably going to need back, by the way.

Transition Assistance Program

Will you actually be getting a civilian job? Do you want to do the same thing out there that you did in the military? Or will you go to school? Where will you do these things? How will you prepare to pay for them while you wait for benefits … do you even know how to get into the VA system? You may have it all figured out as an E-4. But the mafia doesn’t teach you about Tuition Assistance, the blended retirement system, or getting a VA home loan. Some of that’s what the Transition Assistance Program teaches. (You did know about the TAP class, right?)

Find out more
Crayons Ready to Eat are every Marine's dream. (Courtesy of Frank Manteau)

Crayon-eating Marine launches edible crayon business

Feb. 27, 2021 by Sarah Sicard, Observation Post

While finishing up a work project, Marine-veteran-turned-carpenter Frank Manteau decided to employ the use of a popular piece of Marine-issued gear: crayons. Switching from one color to another, he absentmindedly stuck one waxy stick in his mouth for safe keeping and continued scribbling. Before he knew it, he was doing what Marines do best: nomming on crayons.

When he finally realized the stereotype he was fulfilling, his next thought was, “Is there something to this?”

And thus, “Crayons Ready-to-Eat” was born.

I know I’ve eaten crayons before when I was a kid, and now Marines are being called crayon eaters,” Manteau told Military Times, “I started researching and figured out that if we’re going to make them truly edible, they’ve got to be made out of chocolate.”

Only, he didn’t know how to do so. Luckily, Cassandra Gordon, one of the team members at the shop where he worked, happened to be a pastry chef. The pair soon went into business together, making edible crayons (that also draw!) out of their San Diego homes.....

Crayons Ready-to-Eat officially launched in 2018,

Manteau said that when he served from 1995 to 2002, Marines were not called crayon-eaters. And while there seems to be no clear origin story for the Marines-eat-crayons legend, Manteau did acknowledge that Marines “have been known to do the weirdest, stupidest things.”

And as such, all good jokes are worth embracing. As the memes about Marines chowing down on Crayola crudités became a mainstay of military culture, Manteau saw an opportunity.

Before long, the duo was including stereotypes about other branches by way of their crayon palette, one that now includes Squid Blue, Flyboy Yellow, Jarhead Red, Dawg Face Green, and Puddle Pirate Orange.

More on Edible Crayons

"Thank You" to our Business and Community Supporters !!

Grocery Outlet, Ontario,Or.

"Love's Travel Stop", Ontario, Oregon - at Exit 374 on I-84

Grocery Outlet, Ontario,Or.

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!

Find out more

Community In Action

"Love's Travel Stop", Ontario, Oregon - at Exit 374 on I-84

Grocery Outlet, Ontario,Or.

http://www.communityinaction.info

Thanks 'CIA' for your programs to assist our Veterans and their Families!!

Find out more

"Love's Travel Stop", Ontario, Oregon - at Exit 374 on I-84

"Love's Travel Stop", Ontario, Oregon - at Exit 374 on I-84

"Love's Travel Stop", Ontario, Oregon - at Exit 374 on I-84

Love's Travel Stop in Ontario, Oregon off exit 374 on I-84

www.loves.com/locations/372

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

Find out more

Waldo Agencies

City of Ontario, Oregon

"Love's Travel Stop", Ontario, Oregon - at Exit 374 on I-84

https://www.waldoagencies.com

For any of your Insurance and Real Estate needs the Waldo Group helps you manage your risks.

Find out more

Oregon Food Bank

City of Ontario, Oregon

City of Ontario, Oregon

https://www.oregonfoodbank.org/about-us/locations/ontario/

Bringing Food Programs to our Veterans and their Families. Thank you to all the folks at Southeast Oregon Services.

Find out more

City of Ontario, Oregon

City of Ontario, Oregon

City of Ontario, Oregon

https://www.ontariooregon.org

A special thanks to all the City Departments and elected Officials for supporting our local Veterans, Military and their Families!

Find out more

"Thank You" to our Business and Community Supporters" !!

Home Depot, Ontario, Or.

Treasure Valley Community College, Ontario,Or.

Home Depot, Ontario, Or.

https://www.homedepot.com/l/Ontario-OR/OR/Ontario/97914/4025

Thanks Home Depot for assisting our area Veterans, and Military!

Find out more

Union Pacific

Treasure Valley Community College, Ontario,Or.

Home Depot, Ontario, Or.

https://www.up.com/index.htm

A special thanks to the Union Pacific Team for their continued assistance to all Veterans.

Find out more

Treasure Valley Community College, Ontario,Or.

Treasure Valley Community College, Ontario,Or.

Treasure Valley Community College, Ontario,Or.

https://www.tvcc.cc

A special thanks to all the Board and Staff at TVCC for their continuing assistance for our Veterans , Military and their Families.

Find out more

VSBM - Veteran Small Business Management

VSBM - Veteran Small Business Management

Treasure Valley Community College, Ontario,Or.

https://bizcenter.org/veterans-mean-business/

Through the Small Business Development Center at TVCC, the VSBM offers Veteran Business Owners excellent assistance! Thanks 

Find out more

Fiesta Farms, Nyssa, Oregon

VSBM - Veteran Small Business Management

Fiesta Farms, Nyssa, Oregon

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fiesta-Farms/134967313267718

Thank You Fiesta Farms for your continuing support of our area Veterans and their Families. Your assistance has made a big difference!!

Find out more

Meadow Outdoor Advertising

VSBM - Veteran Small Business Management

Fiesta Farms, Nyssa, Oregon

https://www.meadowoutdoor.com

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!

Find out more

Ashley HomeStore in Ontario, Oregon

Ashley is a proud supporter of our local veterans, military and their families.

Learn More about Ashley

Find out more

Thank you Community Supporters

The Ontario, Oregon Basque Club is a great supporter of our Military and Veterans.

Ontario, Oregon Basque Club

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.

Elks Lodge #1690, Ontario, Oregon

Elks Members across this Country have and always will be great supporters of our Military, Veterans and First Responders. We thank our local Elks Lodge for their continuing support for our area Veterans. If you click the photo you will see the Elks Facebook page.

Ontario Saturday Market

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.

Albertsons "Nourishing Neighbors" Program helps our Veterans


Thank you Albertsons for welcoming Veteran Advocates of Ore-Ida to your "Nourishing Neighbors" Family. Your assistance will go a long way in helping to feed our many regional Veteran Families in this time of need!!  Your thoughtfulness is very greatly appreciated.

Veteran Advocates of Ore-Ida

Veteran Advocates of Ore-Ida Doing The Right Things for The Right Reasons - Supporting Military Members- Veterans- and Their Families

Lady Jaye from G.I. Joe: Classified (Hasbro)

The First G.I. Joe Action Series, Army Staff Sgt. Lady Jaye

an Airborne- and Ranger-qualified covert operations specialist

February 2021 by James Barber, Military.com

Amazon Prime Video continues its commitment to action series with plans for a show based on the G.I. Joe character Lady Jaye, an Airborne- and Ranger-qualified covert operations specialist. The character previously appeared in the 2013 movie "G.I. Joe: Retaliation," where she was portrayed by Adrianne Palicki.

Amazon just announced a new series based on former Navy SEAL Jack Carr's James Reece novels, with the first season focused on "The Terminal List." Amazon is also home to "Bosch," the series about Iraq War veteran and LAPD detective Harry Bosch; "Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan," starring John Krasinski; and an upcoming series based on Lee Child's Jack Reacher novels.

Lady Jaye first appeared in 1985

If you're confused by this announcement, you're probably on the wrong side of the G.I. Joe generational controversy. Anyone who grew up with the 12-inch-tall action figure whose tools were based on real military gear is bound to be baffled by the universe of weirdness that came with Joe's 3.75-inch relaunch in the 1980s.

Lady Jaye first appeared in 1985, during the era when G.I. Joe was fighting cartoon enemies like the Cobra Commandos, whose ranks included Raptor, Serpentor, Major Bludd and Zartan. His allies were a motley crew that featured Hardball, a former baseball player who insisted on wearing his old uniform as part of his combat gear; Ice Cream Soldier; Metalhead, who blasted a hard rock soundtrack as he went into battle; and Chuckles....

Click here to read the full article..
Gina Elise's 2021 Calendar

PIN-UPS FOR VETS

August 31, 2020 By J. D. Simkins, The Observation Post

Pin-Ups For Vets has released its annual calendar in an effort to raise money to support hospitalized veterans and personnel currently deployed overseas, the non-profit announced.

This year’s edition, which features 12 women decked out in 1940s vogue — veterans representing all five branches of the military — marks the 15th year the company has endeavored to raise morale while shattering stereotypes about women in the armed services.

“In addition to helping these female Veterans embrace their femininity again, many of the ladies have said that being involved with our organization has given them a renewed sense of purpose after transitioning out of the military,” said company founder Gina Elise. “It has given them a community again, and a mission to give back.”

Past issues have included veterans from all walks of life, including Kirstie Ennis, a wounded Marine veteran who received the 2019 Pat Tillman Award for Service at the 2019 ESPYS.

"My Marine Corps uniform will forever be the most prideful.....

“My Marine Corps uniform will forever be the most prideful thing I will ever wear,” Patrow said. “But with the uniform, comes uniformity. And being a female, you can lose your feminine touches. ... Being a pin-up shows that even though we spent years tying our combat boots and twirling our hair into buns to look more masculine, we are still ... gorgeous, classy women with a background that surprises mostly anybody we meet.”

More about 'Pin-ups' for Vets & deployed Troops
A 1917 Memorial Day Poster

A HISTORY OF MEMORIAL DAY

Memorial Day was previously called "Decoration Day"

Memorial Day (previously, but now seldom, called Decoration Day[1]) is a federal holiday in the United States for honoring and mourning the military personnel who had died while serving in the United States Armed Forces.[2] The holiday is now observed on the last Monday of May, having been observed on May 30 from 1868 to 1970.[3]

Many people visit cemeteries and memorials on Memorial Day to honor and mourn those who died while serving in the U. S. Military. Many volunteers place an American Flag on graves of military personnel in national cemeteries.

Memorial Day is also considered the unofficial start of summer in the United States,[4] while Labor Day, the first Monday of September, marks the unofficial start of autumn.

Two other days celebrate those who have served or are serving in the U.S. military: Veterans Day, which honors those who have served in the United States Armed Forces;[5]and Armed Forces Day, an unofficial U.S. holiday (earlier in May) for honoring those currently serving in the armed forces...

Claimed origins of Memorial Day / Decoration Day

The history of Memorial Day in the United States is complex. The U.S. Department of Veterans' Affairs recognizes that approximately 25 places claim to have originated the holiday.[6] At Columbus [Georgia] State University there is a Center for Memorial Day Research, and the University of Mississippi incorporates a Center for Civil War Research that has also led research into Memorial Day's origins.[7]The practice of decorating soldiers' graves with flowers is an ancient custom.[8] Soldiers' graves were decorated in the U.S. before[9] and during the American Civil War. Many of the origination claims are myths, unsupported by evidence, while others are one-time cemetery dedications or funeral tributes. In 2014, one scholarly effort attempted to separate the myths and one-time events from the activities that actually led to the establishment of the federal holiday.[10]

To Read the full article about Memorial Day click here...

Why We Should Always Remember the 9/11 Tragedies

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

Learn More

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.

More on the 9/11 Tragedies

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