From: jewell@MACE.CC.PURDUE.EDU (Larry Jewell)
Newsgroups: soc.veterans
Subject: 'NamVet Newsletter, Vol.5, no.6, (6/7)
Date: 6 Sep 92 02:45:29 GMT


     traits on the battlefield.  About one year later, she stood before 
     the President of the United States as he awarded her son the Medal 
     of Honor (posthumously).  He died courageously saving the lives of 
     his fellow Marines.
       I recall the apathy of a town in Delaware (south of Dover)  that 
     would  not lower the flag at City Hall to half mast for a 24  hour 
     period  on  the day of the funeral for one of its  fallen  heroes.  
     After  much persuasion,  they agreed to lower the flag for only as 
     long  as the funeral lasted.   This native Delawarean was  awarded 
     the Silver Star medal for his valor in combat.
       We've  come a long way since Vietnam and I suppose much of  this 
     outpouring  of patriotism has been boxed up inside many  Americans 
     
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     Volume  5, Number  6                                 June 10, 1991

     for a long time.   I would hope that those fallen heroes and their 
     families, some of whom I have mentioned, from a generation ago can 
     now rest a little easier.
       One  of  the  prouder moments of my military  career  was  being 
     entrusted  with the bringing the Battalion standard (the  American 
     Flag  and  the colors of the 2nd Battalion,  7th Marine  Regiment) 
     back from Vietnam to Camp Pendleton,  Calif.  There was no fanfare 
     involved  in this,  but I can attest that in the nearly six  years 
     those  flags  were in Vietnam they were not disgraced in any  way, 
     nor  did those that served under those banners bring discredit  to 
     the  military  forces or the Marine Corps.  Nor did the  men  that 
     served  in that battalion perform any less heroically or honorably 
     than those that had served in that unit in any previous war.   I'm 
     sure  this was the case in the overwhelming majority of the  other 
     units  that served in Vietnam.   The men and women that fought  in 
     Vietnam did so under the most adverse and trying conditions in the 
     history of warfare.
       The  President,  Congress and our military leaders have tried to 
     put  the Vietnam syndrome behind us by our recent military success 
     in the Persian Gulf.  The memory of the Vietnam War for those that 
     served, and their families, will never go away and nothing that we 
     do or say will ever change that.  Many hard and tough lessons were 
     learned  from  Vietnam.   I believe that our resolve and  will  to 
     insure  that  this world be shut out to tyrants and  dictators  is 
     stronger  now  than  ever,  partly because of  our  sacrifice  and 
     commitment in Vietnam when we stood up for the basic principles of 
     freedom and democracy.
       I  can  only  say without reservation that I am proud to  be  an 
     American  and live in this land that is a symbol of what is  right 
     and  just.   I have never been one to want for patriotism,  it has 
     always come natural for me.   Thank God for this country and those 
     that have always been there to answer the call.
     


























     NAM VET Newsletter                                         Page 78
     Volume  5, Number  6                                 June 10, 1991



     ==================================================================
                      Concentrated IVVEC/NamVet Service
     ==================================================================

                          A NEW American "Bush"?
                            By: G. Joseph Peck
                         NamVet's Managing Editor
                        VETLink #1 - Pittsfield, MA
                              (413) 443-6313
     
                                21 April 91
     
     Shirley M. Green
     Special Assistant to the President
       for Presidential Messages and Correspondence
     The White House
     1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
     Washington, D.C.  20500
     
     Dear Shirley M. Green:
     
       Thank  you for your letter dated 12 April 91 (Copy enclosed)  in 
     which  you  so graciously expressed the appreciation of  President 
     Bush  for  constituent input concerning those Americans  who  have 
     defended the spirit of freedom in all parts of the world.
     
       As  you  will perceive by the also-enclosed copies,  there  have 
     been two letters recently sent to President Bush.  The first, sent 
     regular  mail,  both thanked and invited the President and any/all 
     of  his  staff  to  "tune in"  to  VETLink  #1,  NamVet,  and  the 
     International Vietnam Veterans Echo Conference.  The second,  sent 
     Priority, Certified Mail, Return Receipt Requested (#P-171-444-925 
     - Reported RECEIVED by the WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENCE SECTION on 1 
     Apr 91), contained a 115-page printed copy of NVET9901 - a SPECIAL 
     EDITION  of  NamVet  which partially painted the  composite  word-
     picture   of   todays  Vietnam  veteran.   Your  letter  did   not 
     specifically address to which correspondence you were replying.
     
       In the ethers of yesterday, memories of blast furnace heat,  red 
     sand,  ants  crawling on one's neck,  and droplets of sweat making 
     too  much  noise as they fell on nearby palm fronds  and  elephant 
     grass promptly add a meaning to the word "bush"  that is unique to 
     today's  Vietnam and other veterans.   Upon returning  home,  many 
     often  found an "American Bush"  that oftentimes was more hostile, 
     punitive, and ungrateful for the sacrifices each had made than was 
     a  little country tucked far away in SouthEast Asia;  an "American 
     Bush"  that  made each proud soldier pay and pay and pay again for 
     living  their allegiance to America and her ideals;  an  "American 
     Bush"  that continuously had to be prodded -  sometimes by drastic 
     action - to help release her soldiers from the lonely, dark prison 
     called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
     
       To the fatherless child huddled tightly against his widow-of-an-
     Agent-Orange-exposed-Vietnam-veteran  mother  under  an  ice-laden 
     bridge  while they plan tomorrow's search for housing and a home - 
     and  maybe even some food,  the long-unemployed decorated  veteran 
     unable  to care for his/her family -  while civilians who have had 
     no   military   experience  or  involvement  are  the   successful 
     applicants  for  federal employment positions,  and  the  service-
     
     NAM VET Newsletter                                         Page 79
     Volume  5, Number  6                                 June 10, 1991

     connected  disabled  veterans who sometimes have had to wait  many 
     months  for  medical  attention from the  Department  of  Veterans 
     Affairs  -  where  earned services are often doled out in a  less-
     than-charitable, less-than-Medicaid, less-than-Welfare manner with 
     blind  reference to purple and blue ID cards by civilian employees 
     seemingly concerned more about their bi-weekly paychecks than they 
     are  about  the services they have been employed  to  render,  the 
     specter  of Vietnam is much more than an apparition:   it is real, 
     debilitating,  degrading  and demeaning -  and often a disgrace to 
     the  proud service all veterans have given our great America.   It 
     is  a  nightmarish  phantasm that quickens  the  heart,  increases 
     adrenal  gland production and often places the veterans'  thinking 
     process  into  "fight-or-flight"  mode  -   overwhelming  many  of 
     America's heroes in its magnitude.
     
       In  the  time-ticks  of today,  pledging to replace  the  hollow 
     promises of yesterday with substantial positive actions of now and 
     the  future,  a  new "American Bush"  is  clearly  apparent:  U.S. 
     President   George  Bush,   sincerely  urging  that  he  and   his 
     Administration  do  all possible to make of America "a kinder  and 
     gentler  nation".   In Operations Desert Shield,  Desert Storm and 
     Provide  Comfort,  the sincerity of intentions and promises of the 
     Bush  administration  brightly  shine -  while  the  warriors  and 
     dependents  of Operation America-Wants-To-Forget almost  cynically 
     watch  as this nation prepares to say WELCOME HOME to ALL veterans 
     on the 4th of July - half-knowing that, on July 5th,  it will more 
     than likely be business-as-usual in the eye of the storm.
     
       I feel certain that all veterans and their dependents throughout 
     the  nation  hope that the American Bush with which they now  find 
     themselves  surrounded will be one that quickly takes action  when 
     situations affecting family stability occur (where did the Veteran 
     Housing  Projects  of yesteryear go?),  when medical treatment  is 
     requested  by  a  veteran  (a Retired  veteran  may  use  Military 
     facilities -  known for their promptness and effective care -  for 
     treatment  of his/her medical conditions,  while a service-injured 
     or medically discharged veteran must go to the DVA -  and have Fee 
     Basis  cards  denied when they seek the better,  more  caring  and 
     concerned service which they earned while serving), and the hiring 
     policies  of  federal  agencies  are reviewed  (in  1988  the  DVA 
     reported  that 29 percent of its employees were veterans.  Of that 
     29  percent,  only 5 percent were disabled veterans!   Is THIS the 
     way America says "Thank You" to those disabled in her defense?).
     
       I feel certain,  too,  that the President and his administration 
     would  wish  the  word  "bush"  to  be  synonymous  with  "caring, 
     compassion and empathy" -  and that the new American Bush would be 
     a  significant  catalyst  in  the restructuring of  a  strong  and 
     determined America.
     
            Yours, in Service to America ... and my fellow man
                   In kindness, honesty, and good faith
     
                         G. Joseph Peck, President
                     Berkshire Veterans' Center, Inc.
     
     GJP/jct
     cc    Files
     Encl's
     
     NAM VET Newsletter                                         Page 80
     Volume  5, Number  6                                 June 10, 1991

     


























































     NAM VET Newsletter                                         Page 81
     Volume  5, Number  6                                 June 10, 1991

          Blind Veteran Requests Appointment With DVA's Derwinski
                         Submitted by: Ray Walker
                     The Homestead BBS - Nashville TN
                               (615)385-9421
     
     I  have  taken  the liberty of copying a letter  from  a  service-
     connected blind veteran who sent it to me. It speaks for itself. I 
     think  maybe  if enough of us get behind the idea of the  Medicare 
     solution  for  disabled  vets it might fly.  I have  included  his 
     address.  He  would appreciate hearing from any who are interested 
     in helping. I think it is a pretty good idea.
     
     March 23, 1991
     
     Mr. George Bush, President
     United States of America
     The White House
     Washington, D.C. 20500
     
     Dear Mr. President:
     
     I  find  the  task  of  writing  this  letter  both  grievous  and 
     repugnant,  for  I  should not have to bring this matter  to  your 
     attention,  but  all alternatives have been pursued and exhausted. 
     However,  I  must first thank you for a magnificent job done  with 
     the issues and conflicts in the Gulf.  Unfortunately.  I can think 
     of  no  other words to describe your performance as  Commander-in-
     Chief. I would serve this country and you anytime, anywhere.
     
     The  attached  letter speaks for itself and describes a  situation 
     which  has  and still exists.  I have had many conversations  with 
     other  service-connected  veterans and find the situation  getting 
     worse,  not  better.  I am sure I need not bring to your attention 
     the  decreasing  population of service-connected veterans and  the 
     spiraling  V.A.  budget.   Administrative  and  medical  cost  per 
     veteran is increasing, while the veteran population is decreasing.
     
     Personally  I  feel  the V.A.  health care system can  and  should 
     perhaps be eliminated.  Veterans medical care can be replaced with 
     the  already operating Medicare system.  Premiums deductibles  and 
     residual  costs  can  be waived for the treatment  of  a  service-
     connected condition.
     
     Returning to the purpose of this letter, and again referencing the 
     attached,   I   would   like   an  appointment  to   discuss   the 
     aforementioned  problem as well as the situation described in  the 
     attached  letter,  with  the Secretary of  Veterans  Affairs,  Mr. 
     Edward Derwinski, as soon as possible.
     
     Semper Fidelis;
     
     Respectfully,
     
     Paul Duke
     Founder/President
     100% Service Connected
     P.O. Box 4 SVS
     Binghampton, N.Y. 13903-0004
     
     
     NAM VET Newsletter                                         Page 82
     Volume  5, Number  6                                 June 10, 1991

     P.S.  It  appears  that  both the Senate and House  Committees  on 
     Veterans  affairs  are  not  listening  to  the  service-connected 
     veterans  at the grass roots level.   There are also solutions  to 
     this  problem.  It  strikes me as odd that a state with a  veteran 
     population  as  large as New York has no representation on  either 
     committee.
     




















































     NAM VET Newsletter                                         Page 83
     Volume  5, Number  6                                 June 10, 1991

                    Program for homeless vets struggles
                      --- Fresh Start pinches pennies from bingo
                              By Dave Ranney
                            Harris News Service
            Submitted by: Todd Looney - NamVet Editor Emeritus
                         APECS BBS - San Jose, CA
                               (408)298-2740
     
       While   Wichita   organizers  prepare  a  spectacular   Saturday 
     celebration to welcome home Kansas soldiers from the Persian Gulf, 
     a  local  program for homeless veterans is pinching  pennies  from 
     monthly bingo games.
       The  two-year-old program,  called Fresh Start,  operates  three 
     shelters that house 33 veterans.  Each veteran pays $25 a week for 
     a bed, a chair on the front porch, and a seat at the dinner table.
       Meals  are  free,  but  the menu is limited  to  freight-damaged 
     canned  goods  and  day-old fried chicken donated by a  fast  food 
     restaurant.
       "Nobody  complains  much because they know if they weren't  here 
     they'd be on the street," said Fresh Start director Don Andrew,  a 
     Vietnam  veteran who later reenlisted for a 13 years in the Marine 
     Corps.
       Andrew,  43,  spends  more than 50 hours a week at the shelters, 
     but  he  isn't paid.   He lives off a student loan he's  using  to 
     complete a master's degree in counseling.
       Resident  payments, bingo receipts,  and sporadic donations from 
     veterans  organizations  financed a $27,500 budget last  year  for 
     Fresh Start.  The Vet Center, a counseling program for Vietnam era 
     veterans, donates office space and a telephone.
       "Basically,  we  need money.   If it wasn't for bingo,  we would 
     have closed a long time ago,"  Andrew said.   He admits that Fresh 
     Start  may spend too much time on the day-to-day needs of homeless 
     veterans and not enough on fundraising.  But there's a reason.
       "When  we've  gone out looking for money,  we end  up  competing 
     against  other homeless programs.   We don't want to do that,"  he 
     said.
       The  program  also  is  shortchanged by the  recent  upsurge  in 
     patriotism  sparked by U.S.  military success in the Persian Gulf, 
     he   said:   Homeless   veterans  dampen  the   festivities,   and 
     consequently get little attention.
     
       Most  Fresh Start participants are en route to or from substance 
     abuse programs at Veterans Administration hospitals.  Fresh Start, 
     they say, offers a place to sort things out.
       Their recovery, however, often is complicated by "post traumatic 
     stress  disorder,"  a  psychological  term  that  applies  to  the 
     difficulty  of accepting life after prolonged confrontations  with 
     death.
       Thirteen  Fresh  Start  participants served  in  Vietnam.   Many 
     experienced combat.
       "Most  of our gus come in due to alcohol problems,  but a lot of 
     them suffer PTSD.  They've spent years trying to figure out what's 
     wrong  with  themselves.   We tell them,  "Hey,  that's  perfectly 
     normal.  Alcoholism,  PTSD,  and Vietnam go hand in hand,"  Andrew 
     said.
       Fresh Start is not a sophisticated counseling program.  Instead, 
     it  offers sound advice and provides transportation to  counselors 
     and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.
       It  succeeds,  Andrew  said,  because it creates an  environment 
     
     NAM VET Newsletter                                         Page 84
     Volume  5, Number  6                                 June 10, 1991

     where  veterans deal with veterans.   "There's a commonality  that 
     makes them  feel more at home,"  He said.   "It's awfully hard for 
     these guys to fit in programs set up for non-veterans."
     
       Steve B., a Vietnam combat veteran, is at Fresh Start awaiting a 
     July  24  opening in the PTSD unit at the Veterans  Administration 
     hospital in Topeka.  He's gone through nine alcohol rehabilitation 
     programs in 20 years.   Sobriety,  he said,  only seemed like half 
     the answer.
       "Before I came here,  I'd never heard of post traumatic stress," 
     Steve said.  "I'm hoping it'll explain some things."
       He  declined  to  talk about his Vietnam experiences  but  later 
     added, "I wish people would drop the baby-killer stigma."
       As  for  public  opinion that many of today's  troubled  Vietnam 
     veterans  had psychological problems before entering the military, 
     Steve said, "If they haven't shared the experience, they shouldn't 
     say  that.   I  joined the Marines when I was 18 and I wasn't  any 
     different  from  any other 18-year-old kid.   Hell,  I  never  saw 
     marijuana until I got to Vietnam."
       Andrew said the future of Fresh Start is uncertain.  His student 
     loan ends this summer.
       "I'm  comfortable working with these guys and it's what I'd like 
     to  do.   But at this point I can't say whether the money will  be 
     there," he said.
     
     DIRECTOR--  While  Kansas prepares to welcome home troops from the 
     Persian  Gulf,  Don  Andrew wonders if three Wichita shelters  for 
     homeless veterans will have enough money to stay open.
     






























     NAM VET Newsletter                                         Page 85
     Volume  5, Number  6                                 June 10, 1991

                       Soldiers & Sailors Relief Act
                          Input by: Charlie Revie
                    Desert Dolphin BBS - Las Cruces, NM
                              (505) 523-2811
     
     Item paraphrased from Assn US Army News, Mar 91--
     
       The  House  cleared  legislation  to aid members  of  the  Armed 
     Services  called to active duty in the Persian Gulf War.   By vote 
     of 414 to 0, the 50-year old Soldiers'  and Sailors'  Civil Relief 
     Act was amended  to update many of its vital protections.
       AUSA urged adoption of several of the approved amendments in
     testimony  before  a  joint  hearing  the  the  House  and  Senate 
     Veterans'   Affairs  Committees  last fall.   We expect  that  the 
     Senate will act  on this very soon.
         Major provisions include:
         * Increases  from  $150  to $1200 the monthly  rent  threshold 
           protection against eviction.
         * Provides  for  reinstatement  of  employer  provided  health 
           insurance immediately upon return to civilian life.
         * Delays  until  July  1,  1991,  any  civil  actions  against 
           members.
         * Suspends   medical   malpractice  insurance   premiums   for 
           physicians  called  to  active  duty.    Also  provides  for 
           reinstatement  of  coverage  upon their return  to  civilian 
           practice.
         * Clarifies existing reemployment rights for reservists called
           to active duty for periods of 90 days or longer.
       Other legislation strongly supported by AUSA is on a fast track.
     Congress  sent to the President for signature a bill that broadens 
     an  earlier order by President Bush granting military personnel in  
     the  Persian Gulf an extension for filing and paying their  income 
     taxes.   The  House  passed the bill on Jan 23 by 413 to  0.   The 
     Senate  acted  the  very next day voting approval 99  to  0.   The 
     President is expected  to sign the measure.
       An  earlier  Presidential executive order designated  Iraq,  the 
     entire  Arabian Peninsula and surrounding waters as a combat zone.  
     This  meant troops serving in the Desert Storm operation would not 
     have to file  their 1990 tax returns or pay any balance owed until 
     180 days after  returning from the combat zone.
       Congressionally approved legislation goes beyond the President's
     order  in several respects.   First,  it applies to personnel  who 
     have served in the Persian Gulf any time after Aug 2,  rather than 
     only those on duty after Jan 16, when combat started.
       Additionally,  interest  on income tax refunds would accrue from 
     Apr 15, even if the military taxpayers have not filed their income  
     tax returns by then.  Notably,  the measure also grants tax relief  
     up  to five years to soldiers who are hospitalized as a result  of 
     wounds received in the gulf.
         The  President's  order  also triggered an existing  law  that 
     exempts enlisted personnel from income taxes on pay received while 
     serving in a combat zone.  Commissioned officers must pay taxes on 
     pay in excess of $500 per month, the level established in 1966 for 
     those serving in Vietnam.   Lawmakers stated budgetary constraints 
     precluded raising the exemption to $2000 per month, the level that 
     would  be needed to compensate for inflation since then.   A Joint 
     Tax  Committee estimate puts the cost of the approved bill at  $10 
     million per year.
     
     
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     NAM VET Newsletter                                         Page 87
     Volume  5, Number  6                                 June 10, 1991

                VETNET LAUNCHES NEW ERA IN OUTFIT REUNIONS
                 June 1991 Edition of The American Legion
                        Submitted by: Fred Sochacki
                        VETPoint #75 - Passaic, NJ
                              (413) 443-6313
     
     =*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=
     
     VETNET  is  a  telecommunications  service  for  veterans,   their 
     families  and  friends.  The system provides a  fast,  simple  and 
     economic  way to help military groups get together...  and stay in 
     touch.  VetNet  is  the product of Softguard  Systems,  Inc.,  the 
     company  that  helped develop the very successful  Family  Support 
     Network of The American Legion that was established to help Desert 
     Storm families.
     
     You  can  call the VetNet number from most touch-tone  telephones. 
     You  will  need the VetNet number of the group you want to  reach. 
     These  five-digit  numbers  are published in THE  AMERICAN  LEGION 
     MAGAZINE.   are  provided  by  group  coordinators  and  are  also 
     available from VetNet Directory Assistance by calling toll free:
     
                              1-800-348-VETS
            To find out information on a particular group, dial
                              1-900-773-VETS
                             (1-900-773-8387)
     
     VetNet  will  tell  you  the price of the  call  and  other  basic 
     instructions. After the greeting you will be asked to enter the 5-
     digit  VetNet  group number.  You may also elect to hear a  VetNet 
     demonstration message.
     
     After  entering the 5-digit number,  you will hear a message  from 
     the  reunion  coordinator  of the group you  selected.  When  this 
     message  is  completed,  you will be asked if you want to use  the 
     group's  MailCall  feature  or return to the main menu  to  select 
     another group.
     
     VetNet  guides you through the entire process.  You may hang up at 
     anytime. In MailCall, you can skip over messages,  record and edit 
     your  own  message  or simply listen to news from  other  callers.  
     NOTE: VetNet cannot be reached from some touch-tone phones because 
     local   phone  companies  do  not  have  the  necessary  switching 
     equiptment.  We  are  working with the phone companies to  correct 
     this  situation.  Also  be aware that pay phones and some  company 
     switchboards will not process VetNet calls.
     
     =*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=
     
     AT&T's  slogan "reach out and touch someone"  takes on new meaning 
     this  month  with  THE  AMERICAN LEGION  MAGAZINE'S  launch  of  a 
     telephone information system to help veterans keep in touch.   The 
     new veterans telephone network - VetNet<tm>  -  operates on 1-900-
     773-VETS (1-900-773-8387).
     
     National  Commander  Robert  S. Turner hailed  VetNet  as  another 
     example of how the Legion uses modern technology to serve veterans 
     and their families.
     
     
     NAM VET Newsletter                                         Page 88
     Volume  5, Number  6                                 June 10, 1991

     "VetNet  uses combinations of telephones and computers to create a 
     nationwide information service for anyone to use, 24 hours a day," 
     Turner  said.  "VetNet  is  a logical expansion of  our  excellent 
     experiences  with  the Family Support Network and  the  magazine's 
     successful VetVoice polling service."
     
     VetNet  callers do not have to be members of The American  Legion. 
     VetNet  is available to all veterans,  their families and friends. 
     The  users of VetNet pay reasonable fees for the service,  all  of 
     which is used for Legion projects,  VetNet is an excellent way for 
     non-members to help support our programs.
     
     Our old method of announcing outfit reunions was severely hampered 
     by  our  magazine printing schedule,  which required  five  months 
     advance submission of notices.  Many times your reunion plans were 
     not finalized and notices were late in being submitted. Because of 
     the heavy volume of notices  and space limitations,  we also could 
     publish  your  reunion or Let's Get Together notice only one  time 
     each year.   All we could offer is a few lines of type,  providing 
     the  barest information.   With VetNet,  reunion coordinators  can 
     update  reunion plans as often as they want and provide  detailed, 
     up-to-the-minute information around the clock.
     
     VetNet  will  also eliminate the nuisance of having to  write  for 
     reunion  forms  and include SASEs every time you want to  announce 
     your reunion.
     
     VetNet  provides  group coordinators a voice bulletin board  which 
     can  be  updated  as  often as once a  day.  This  feature  allows 
     coordinators  to  speak directly to all their members  when  plans 
     change or new information is available.
     
     "Getting  information to everyone,  especially at the last minute, 
     has  always been the toughest job a reunion planner  faces,"  said 
     Douglas Foote, a World War II veteran of the 6th Air Force.  "Some 
     of  us miss out.  I'm sure it takes a lot of postage and  personal 
     efforts  when plans change quickly.  Now one phone call can do the 
     job!"
     
     VetNet  is built on an outfit reunion format so callers can always 
     hear  the  most current reunion information.  For groups  with  no 
     reunion  plans,  VetNet can be used to plan a  get-together.  With 
     MailCall,  a  second VetNet feature,  veterans can share  messages 
     with each other on a daily basis.
     
     The  VetNet  concept  has  received  rave  reviews  from  selected 
     individuals and test groups.
     
     "If VetNet had been around, it might not have been 43 years before 
     I  met  the fellow who helped save my life at Omaha  Beach,"  said 
     Harry Gentry,  a 56th Field Artillery Battalion veteran.  "I could 
     have  left a message on VetNet that I was looking for this unknown 
     guy, instead of meeting him by chance at our last reunion. He said 
     it  was  his  first  reunion and didn't know for sure  who  I  was 
     either... or that I'd been looking for him at every reunion."
     
     To  reach  VetNet,  callers dial 1-900-773-VETS from a  touch-tone 
     phone  and when asked,  enter the VetNet number of the group about 
     which  they want information.  Each outfit has a different 5-digit 
     
     NAM VET Newsletter                                         Page 89
     Volume  5, Number  6                                 June 10, 1991

     VetNet number. This issue of the magazine lists nearly 600 outfits 
     and their special VetNet number.  Calls cost $1 per minute and are 
     included on local phone bills. The system begins June 1.
     
     Former  Marine  Harry  Todd reviewed VetNet plans in  January  and 
     liked what he saw.  "I would certainly spend a few dollars a month 
     to  keep in touch with my former outfit and hear some current news 
     from some of my old buddies."
     
     The  Legion  has  identified  nearly 10,000 groups  to  enroll  in 
     VetNet, and enrollment packets are being sent out.
     
     It  will take several months to enroll all groups,  but we want to 
     hear  from  group  coordinators  who have not  received  a  VetNet 
     enrollment  packet.  For best results,  coordinators are asked  to 
     write VetNet at P.O. Box 1055, Indianapolis, IN 46206.   Please do 
     not call, since we'll already be handling thousands of calls a day 
     for  those groups that are already enrolled.  The Legion hopes  to 
     have every group identified by July 4, and enrolled by Labor Day.
     
     Enrollment  is  free,  but must be done on special  VetNet  forms. 
     There  are  no  annual fees and no need to  re-enroll  each  year. 
     VetNet  groups are required to provide information about the group 
     coordinator when a new individual assumes the role.
     
     VetNet  operates  a directory assistance service to  help  callers 
     find  the correct VetNet group numbers to use in the  system.  The 
     VetNet  directory  call is toll free  at  1-800-348-VETS.   VetNet 
     numbers  have  been assigned to all groups whose  reunion  notices 
     have appeared in 1991 issues of the magazine.
     
     About  95 percent of the nation's phones can call VetNet,  but  to 
     use  the  system  requires a touch-tone phone.  When  local  phone 
     companies  upgrade their switching equipment,  VetNet will  become 
     available  to  callers  everywhere.  For those  who  cannot  reach 
     VetNet,  the  magazine will continue to print the name and address 
     of the group coordinator.
     
     "There's one guy in my old outfit I tried to find recently,"  said 
     former  Army  pilot  James T.  Jones.  "We were in  flight  school 
     together. As soon as our squadron enrolls, I'm calling VetNet with 
     a message for him."
     
     While personal messages are encouraged, no unauthorized commercial 
     messages are allowed on VetNet.  Profanity and other inappropriate 
     commentary  is prohibited.  MailCall messages remain on the system 
     for approximately one month before being removed.
     
     The  VetNet system is easy to operate,  and people are invited  to 
     call 1-900-773-VETS and listen to a demonstration of how a typical 
     group  uses  VetNet to communicate.  They'll hear about  reunions, 
     hospitalizations, buddy searches, travel plans and parties...  and 
     hopefully get some interesting ideas of all the things VetNet can
     do.
     




     NAM VET Newsletter                                         Page 90
     Volume  5, Number  6                                 June 10, 1991

                      ADF Foundation Promotes Concert
                              By: Dale Malone
                      Freedom Line BBS - Orlando, FL
                               (407)423-2111 
     
     (Note from Joe:  At press time, we've learned that the date of the 
     concert mentioned below has been changed to 11 Nov 91.)
     
                 AMERICA'S DEFENDERS OF FREEDOM FOUNDATION
                              P.O. Box 568795
                          Orlando, FL  32856-8795
                    (407)872-1211  (407)423-2111-(BBS)
     
     May 27, 1991
     
     United States Veteran
     USA Veteran Family & Friends
     Anywhere, World
     
     Dear Vet, Family, and Friends:
     
     The  time is  here for us  to help  each other  around the country  
     and the world.  The "Veterans for Veterans" BENEFIT  Concert is at 
     Tampa Stadium in Florida,  Saturday,   June 29  at 5  PM.    We've 
     asked   Bruce  Springsteen  to headline the   concert.    Proceeds 
     benefit local  organizations.   Give your support today.
     
     Here's what to do:
     
          1.   Write ADF a letter supporting the idea, referring to 
               your veteran connection if you have one.  It only takes 
               a minute.  It can change a vet's life.
          2.   Tell your local vet organizations.  Tell them to write a 
               letter of support and include a LIST OF THEIR VET 
               PROGRAMS WITH THE NEEDS.
          3.   Save your pennies.  Join the ADF PENNIES FOR FREEDOM 
               campaign.
          4.   Join ADF.
          5.   Pass the word.  Tell TEN friends to tell TEN friends.  
               Together, as veterans we CAN get results.
     
     As the Officer told his men in Desert Storm, "You put your life on 
     the line for your buddy."  Bring  that sentiment home, too.   It's 
     time  to heal old wounds.   The time is now to recognize and honor 
     ALL  veterans.   Let's  put  money back into  your  local  veteran 
     organizations who know and help veterans every day.
     
     Let's  teach  the  world about freedom  and preserve its  history.   
     Education  through  entertainment is the key.    Proceeds  benefit 
     this  effort too.    The ADF Park will pass on to our children the 
     lessons  learned in our defense of freedom since 1776.   Let's put 
     freedom in the limelight.  It belongs there.
     
     Act today.  Write,  call, help.   The results depend on you  and I 
     and  every  other  person  who  enjoys  the  fruits   of  freedom.   
     Remember  those who  have died.    The  sacrifices must  never  be  
     in  vain.    One   letter  WILL   make  a  difference.    ALL  THE 
     DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD!
     
     
     NAM VET Newsletter                                         Page 91
     Volume  5, Number  6                                 June 10, 1991

                       Believing in freedom for all,
     
     
                      Charles Richard "Woody" Woodson
                                 President
                 AMERICA'S DEFENDERS OF FREEDOM FOUNDATION  
     




















































     NAM VET Newsletter                                         Page 92
     Volume  5, Number  6                                 June 10, 1991

                 VA URGES VETERANS TO REFINANCE HOME LOANS
         (Department of Veterans Affairs - For Immediate Release)
                         Input by: G. Joseph Peck
                         NamVet's Managing Editor
                        VETLink #1 - Pittsfield, MA
                              (413) 443-6313
     
       With  VA  home loan interest rates at their lowest in more  than 
     four  years,  the Department of Veterans Affairs is instituting an 
     outreach program encouraging veterans and lenders to work together 
     to refinance existing, higher rate VA-guaranteed home loans.
       The  VA  encourages  veterans to refinance loans  with  interest 
     rates  that  are two points or more higher than the  market  rate.  
     For  lesser differences in rates,  refinance costs eat up much  of 
     the  savings.   The current interest rate on a VA-guaranteed  home 
     loan is 9 percent.
       Under VA's Interest Rate Reduction Refinancing Loans initiative, 
     regional  offices will first identify outstanding home loans  with 
     relatively high interest rates, beginning with those at 12 percent 
     or higher.
       Veterans with the outstanding mortgages are then informed of the 
     potential  savings that could be realized through refinancing  and 
     are  provided  a list of lenders willing to refinance  the  loans, 
     with no out-of-pocket cost to the veteran.
       Nationwide,  more  than  218,700 VA-guaranteed  loans  currently 
     carry  interest  rates of 12 percent or higher,  and at the  least 
     another 196,400 loans are in the 11- to 12-percent range.
       During  the  past  six years,  more than 394,400  veterans  have 
     refinanced  VA-guaranteed  home loans,  and in the process  earned 
     more than $13.5 billion in long-term personal savings.
       The  potential individual and collective savings to veterans are 
     substantial.  A $70,000, 30-year loan at 11 percent,  for example, 
     has  a  monthly payment of $666.63 but would result in savings  of 
     $103.39 a month if the loan were changed to 9 percent.
     
       Veterans   considering  refinancing  should  contact  a  private 
     lending agency.  If there are questions concerning eligibility for 
     a VA-guarantee of the refinanced loan,  the veteran should contact 
     the  nearest VA Regional Office.   Toll-free numbers are available 
     in all states.
                                - - - -
     Number  and  Value  of VA-guaranteed home loans  outstanding  with 
     interest rates 11 percent or higher (As of Dec. 30, 1990)