From: jewell@mace.cc.purdue.edu (Larry Jewell)
Newsgroups: soc.veterans
Subject: 'NamVet Newsletter, Vol.5, no.12 (5/7)
Date: 15 Aug 92 23:47:03 GMT


         some personal type bugs (picked up from local ladies) that 
         there was no cure for...)
     14. He informs each of his girlfriends that the date he is coming 
         home is their day.  No two girls have the same arrival date of 
         the short timer. (Gee I wonder why.???????)
     15. The short-timer, upon arrival in Conus, takes his shower, 
         drops his bonnie boots, showers off (in real hot water) one 
         years worth of dirt and grime, chucks down his "Army Issue" 
     
     NAM VET Newsletter                                         Page 61
     Volume  5, Number 12                            December 17, 1991

         Welcome home steak dinner.  Sits thru a boring briefing by 
         some NCO who has somehow seemed to dodge going to Nam.  He 
         puts on his new "Greens" jumps on a bus and heads to the 
         airport where, awaiting the flight out, gets crocked in the 
         Airport Bar.  He makes a pass at everything in sight, and can 
         not wait to get home.  Once airborne, he still drinks like a 
         fish, makes time with the stewardess, and counts the hours, 
         minutes and seconds till he's home.  Upon arrival at his Home 
         Town AO, goes hog wild in his home town, and tries to retake 
         his home town with all the adventure and gusto known to man.
     16. FINAL Epilog:  The Returning Vietnam Vet takes very little 
         time to readjust and get back into the mainstream of being  
         home and taking care of business...
     
       Note: A lot can be added, good, and bad.  The soldiers returning 
     from Vietnam was and is going to go thru some changes.  It takes 
     along time to readjust. Some returning Short-Timers have never 
     recovered from their trip back home to the World.  Tho the topic 
     is meant to be funny and the wording, it is known that many of our 
     Brothers didn't make it upon their return home to the "World"... 
     Later, much later, we were to hear of PTSD.  
     
                                 -- Jim --
     



































     NAM VET Newsletter                                         Page 62
     Volume  5, Number 12                            December 17, 1991

     .                                                               .
     .                                                               .
     .                                                               .
     .                                                               .
     .                                                               .
     .                                                               .
     .                                                               .
     .                                                               .
     .                                                               .
     .                                                               .
     .                                                               .
     .                  Among the honored and proud!                 .
     .                                                               .
     .                                                               .
     .                                                               .
     .                                                               .
     .                                                               .
     .                                                               .
     .                                     xxxxx  XXXXxxxxx,         .
     .                          xx''xxxxxxX     XX   xX    XXx       .
     .xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXX   x              xX'  x''  XXXx    .
     .                          x   x                 xX  xXX   Xx   .
     .                           'x'                     X      XXxx .
     .                                                       xxx    X.
     .                                                     xX        .
     .                                                   xX          .
     .     VIETNAM           x x x                     xX            .
     .     VETERANS       x xX   X x                  X      IRAQ    .
     .                  X   X   X   X x              <     VETERANS  .
     .                 X   X   X   X   X              Xx             .
     .       xxxxxxxxxX   X   X   X   x                 Xxx          .
     .     XXX''      /__X__ XX__X___xXX                  xXxxxxx    .
     .  xXXX                            'Xxxxx             xX    Xxx .
     .XX             WE SUPPORT YOU           XxxxxxxxxxxxX         X.
     .X     BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN SERVICE                          .
     .                                                               .
     .                                                               .
     .                  "We are with you                             .
     .                     Wherever you may be                       .
     .                   We are sailing                              .
     .                     With you on every sea                     .
     .                   We are standing                             .
     .                     With you on desert sand                   .
     .                   We're your country                          .
     .                     Together we stand!"                       .
     .                                                               .
     .                         Also from                             .
     .                    The Staff of NamVet                        .
     .                                                               .
     .                    and participants in                        .
     .                                                               .
     .       The International Vietnam Veterans EchoConference       .
     .                   and all of VETNet                           .
     





     NAM VET Newsletter                                         Page 63
     Volume  5, Number 12                            December 17, 1991

             "When remembering is too much ... or not enough"
                             by G. Joseph Peck
                         NamVet's Managing Editor
                        VETLink #1 - Pittsfield, MA
                              (413) 443-6313
     
     Tears  traced their crooked fingers down the paraplegic  veterans' 
     face, wrapped themselves around the stylus held in his mouth,  and 
     gently spiraled towards his computer keyboard.  "Finally,"  sobbed 
     the veteran,  "Someone who understands what I'm talking about when 
     I  mention  bouncing betty's,  C-Rats or mad-minutes!   A  brother 
     veteran!"  35-minutes later,  telephone wires from his home jumped 
     to  life  as he connected with a faraway computer  bulletin  board 
     (BBS)  that  was part of FidoNet(tm),  a worldwide network of over 
     11,000  amateur computer operators,  and delivered his reply to  a 
     message  he'd read earlier.   The walls around him slowly began to 
     dissolve  as  the  howling winter wind screamed through  the  dark 
     night outside.  He was no longer alone.
     
     After  working his eighth consecutive 16-hour day,  the tired  but 
     restless veteran found himself again unable to sleep.   Inside his 
     luxurious home, trophies, plaques and civic awards hung on all the 
     walls.   To  all  that  knew him,  he WAS a success  -  but  still 
     something gnawed at,  agitated,  irritated him.   He turned on his 
     computer  and called a local FidoNet BBS to see what new  messages 
     had come in that day.
     
     Reaching  for her cup of tea,  hand brushing a potted  plant,  the 
     nurse  began  to tremble as hot steam and plant  leafs  reawakened 
     memories  of long-ago hurried footsteps from a medevac helicopter.  
     Closed in on all sides by tall jungle grass,  the pathway was soon 
     dotted  with droplets of blood and fluids from the  battle-wounded 
     soldier she helped carry to the field hospital.   A wave of relief 
     came  over her as she saw the familiar characters:  "Please  input 
     your  name-"  appear  on  the  monitor  screen  of  her  computer.  
     Quickly, she signed in and navigated her way to an area of the BBS 
     entitled  "VIETNAM_VETS  International Echo".   (An  "echo"  is  a 
     message base that is shared - echoed - from BBS-to-BBS around the 
     world.)
     
     In  March  of 1987,  G.  Joseph Peck,  a Pittsfield,  MA  service-
     disabled  veteran,  veteran  activist,  and  founder/President  of 
     Berkshire Veterans' Center, Inc. (BVCI) -  a grassroots electronic 
     veteran   service  organization  whose  Board  of  Directors  also 
     includes  members  in Herndon,  VA;  Katy,  TX;  Shady  Side,  MD; 
     Chatsworth,  GA  and  Passaic,  NJ -  came upon the  International 
     VIETNAM_VETS  Echo  Conference (IVVEC)  which had been created  by 
     Todd C. Looney of San Jose,  CA,  and added it to the offerings of 
     VETLink  #1,  a BVCI-sponsored BBS veteran outreach effort.  In  a 
     very  short  time,  BVCI  helped  create the  VETNet  echoes  -  a 
     collection of veteran-oriented file and message bases - which also 
     soon began to be shared throughout the U.S. and Canada.  Veterans, 
     spouses  and  children of veterans,  and those interested  in  the 
     veteran  experience  began  sharing  and  relating  their  various 
     experiences, their nightmares,  their good times and bad,  as well 
     as important veteran information into the message bases.  Veterans 
     who  had  long  ago  lost  contact with  others  they  had  served 
     alongside found long lost friends and service buddies.   IVVEC and 
     the VETNet echoes began to shine with a truly international hue as 
     
     NAM VET Newsletter                                         Page 64
     Volume  5, Number 12                            December 17, 1991

     veterans  from  Canada  and Australia added their  voices  to  the 
     rapidly  growing veteran kaleidoscope,  and VETLink #1 became  the 
     Eastern  hub  of the VETNet echoes -  which now number 21 and  are 
     daily/weekly growing.
     
     On Veterans' Day, 1987 (11/11/87) Looney and Peck,  mindful of the 
     fact that messages on many BBSs get deleted,  created and produced 
     the premier issue of an electronic newsletter called "NamVet" that 
     would  distill  much  of the information from the  VETNet  echoes, 
     include  contributions  from  echo  participants,  and  add  other 
     important information for all veterans, their families,  and those 
     interested and concerned about America's veterans.   Now Averaging 
     90-100  pages in length,  NamVet continues to be produced  monthly 
     and  is  in  high demand by Vietnam and other veterans  and  their 
     families.
     
     With VETLink #1, the VETNet echoes,  and NamVet,  it appeared that 
     the work of BVCI was complete and there was nothing left to do but 
     polish  up and keep adding to the offerings of VETLink #1 -  among 
     them   being  Electronic  Service  Officers  (disabled  or   other 
     house/homebound  veterans who could devote time and energy towards 
     serving  their  fellow  veterans)  and  computerized  versions  of 
     Department  of  Veterans Affairs forms  for  processing/submitting 
     claims.   The  quiet  breeze of support,  camaraderie and  veteran 
     benefit information that had softly begun to rustle quickly became 
     a whirlwind as, zephyr-like, more and more veterans discovered the 
     variety  of VETNet echoes and NamVet and soon others began  asking 
     about becoming a VETLink...
     
     Q - "Do I have to be a veteran to operate a VETLink BBS"
     A - No.  What we generally look for is a proven record of
         dedication and commitment to veterans and an area of expertise 
         and/or interest that will benefit our international audience.
     
     Q - "Is  there a specific type of software required for my BBS  to 
         be functional within the VETNet?"
     A - No.    All   information  and  data  easily  fits  within  the 
         configuration  parameters of many BBSs.   Our BBS of choice is 
         OSIRIS   because  of  its  configurability,   flexibility  and 
         security  provisions.   PLUS,   all  veteran  help  files  and 
         programs  are  done  in OSIRIS  ITP  (Inline-Text-Programming) 
         language which is difficult to modify for other BBS types.
     
     Q - "How do I become a VETLink?"
     A - Generally,  by  sending  NETMAIL  to  VETLink  #1  at  FidoNet 
         1:321/203  with your name,  address,  voice telephone  number.  
         After  receipt of your NETMAIL,  your application is forwarded 
         to the Board of Directors of Berkshire Veterans' Center, Inc., 
         sponsor of VETLink #1 for review and approval.
     
     Q - "Is there anything REQUIRED of me to operate a VETLink BBS?"
     A - Yes.  There are 9 BASIC requirements:
         1.  The VETLink BBS SysOp will commit his/her efforts to aid a
             national audience of veterans for a minimum period of
             one (1) year.
         2.  The  VETLink  BBS  SysOp will,  in some way,  add  to  the 
             aggregate  "veteran  service"  effort  of  VETLink  either 
             through   technical  expertise  and/or  by  creating   and 
             moderating a veteran-oriented echoconference.
     
     NAM VET Newsletter                                         Page 65
     Volume  5, Number 12                            December 17, 1991

         3.  The  VETLink  BBS will be operational 24 hours per day  at 
             rates of 2400bps or higher.
         4.  The  VETLink  BBS  will incorporate  the  VETLink  #  into 
             his/her  BBS  name so that others will be able to  quickly 
             identify where veteran-related BBSs can be found.
         5.  The VETLink BBS will carry all of the VETNet echoes.
         6.  The  VETLink  BBS  will have available the  current  years 
             issues of NamVet - our electronic newsletter for and about 
             veterans.
         7.  There is to be absolutely no charge for user access to the 
             VETNet  echo  areas  nor  for  downloading  NamVet.   (Our 
             veterans have paid enough already!)
         8.  The  VETLink  BBS will collect and transfer to VETLink  #1 
             user contributions for NamVet.
         9.  The  VETLink  BBS will have available  a  veteran-oriented 
             file area. 
     
     The VETNet echoes presently consist of:  VIETNAM_VETS...  by,  for 
     and about veterans -  primarily Vietnam veterans -  and the issues 
     that concern them; ISAW...  International Studies of American War; 
     BROWN_WATER...  Brown  water  Navy;  MIA-POW...   MIA/POW  topics; 
     HOSP_VETS...  hospitalized veterans'  discussions;  KOREAN_VETS... 
     for  veterans  of  the  Korean  Conflict;  VET_REUNION...  veteran 
     reunions;  MILITARY_PEOPLE...  military  discussions;  VETREACH... 
     locate missing service members;  IN_TOUCH...  sharing families and 
     friends  on  The  Wall;  TOUCH_BACK...   reflections  on  IN_TOUCH 
     experiences;  FVVM_NEWS...  news  from the Friends of the  Vietnam 
     Veterans   Memorial;   SKY_PILOTS...   faith   found  in   combat; 
     VETERANS_TOO...  children of veterans;  VETS_FRIENDS...  from non-
     veterans concerned about veterans; JEWISH_VETERANS...  veterans of 
     the  Jewish  faith;  CHRISTIAN_VET...  veterans of  the  Christian 
     faith;  12STEPS_VETS...  veterans and addictions;  VETS_JOBTALK... 
     veteran employment discussions/info; DISABLED_VET...  veterans and 
     disability.
     
     As  each  new VETLink joins,  its SysOp generally contributes  the 
     moderatorship  of  an  echo  or  other form  of  overall  help  to 
     veterans.
     
     "Getting veteran news and information out to the public,  operated 
     with  a  spirit  of dedicated and committed care  and  concern,  a 
     VETLink  is  totally  a volunteer effort on the part  of  all  our 
     VETLink  System  Operators,"  says  Peck.   "I would like  to  see 
     telephone companies provide 800-  numbers to the VETLink's so that 
     veterans, who have already paid so dear a price for the freedom we 
     enjoy  today,   wouldn't  have  to  continue  paying  to  get  the 
     information  and camaraderie they've EARNED;  I would like to  see 
     Berkshire  Veterans'  Center,   Inc.   -   a  nonprofit  501(c)(3) 
     organization, listed in the IRS List of Charitable Organizations - 
     become  the recipient of funding because,  since its creation,  it 
     has  only  been supported by my VA Disability Compensation  check, 
     donations  of  needed equipment and supplies from other  VETLink's 
     and  members of our Board of Directors,  and small donations  from 
     the general public;  and I would really be happy,  deep down in my 
     heart, if I knew that any veteran, no matter where s/he is,  could 
     find the information, camaraderie,  support and fellowship they so 
     well earned by virtue of their military service."
     
     John F. Kennedy once said: "Some men dream dreams and say 'Why?' I 
     
     NAM VET Newsletter                                         Page 66
     Volume  5, Number 12                            December 17, 1991

     dream dreams and say 'Why not!'"
     
     When  all  that remains is a stylus to tap-tap-tap out a  message; 
     when memories of yesterday agitate and annoy, and when life-fluids 
     seem to ebb low, the dream - and hard work -   of G.  Joseph Peck, 
     Berkshire Veterans' Center, Inc., and all VETLink System Operators 
     stand ready for you and those you care about...
     
                  when remembering is too much -
     
                                       ... or not enough.
     
     THIS  holiday season,  if there's a veteran close to you -  or  if 
     you,  yourself  are a veteran wanting to "touch bases"  with  that 
     unique time in your life, call a VETLink BBS - they'd be more than 
     glad to have you share YOU with them...
     
     Season's Greetings from the VETLink family:
     
     VETLink #1  Pittsfield, MA 1-413-443-6313
                 SysOp: G. Joseph Peck - Army veteran
     VETLink #2  Herndon, VA 1-703-471-8010
                 SysOp: Ray "Frenchy" Moreau - Brown-Water Navy veteran
     VETLink #3  Cape Giradeau, MO 1-314-334-6359
                 Mike Bryeans - Technical Support
     VETLink #4  Shady Side, MD 1-301-261-5644
                 SysOp: Jim Hildwine - Army veteran
     VETLink #5  Passaic, NJ 1-201-778-1879
                 SysOp: Fred Sochacki - Marine veteran
     VETLink #6  Seattle, WA 1-206-528-0111
                 SysOp: Donald Kent - Concerned Veteran Activist
     VETLink #7  Portland, OR 1-503-254-6819
                 SysOp: Ed Brant - Marine veteran
     VETLink #8  Manchester, NH 1-603-622-2371
                 SysOp: Henry "Chip" France - Army veteran
     VETLink #9  Merrimack, NH 1-603-424-4915
                 SysOp: Harlow "Bob" Campbell - Air Force veteran
     VETLink #10 Dearborn, MI 1-313-562-0051
                 SysOp: Bruce Bowman - Brown-Water Navy veteran
     



















     NAM VET Newsletter                                         Page 67
     Volume  5, Number 12                            December 17, 1991



     ==================================================================
                     Uncle Sam & NamVet want YOU to know
     ==================================================================

         Veterans Service Organizations Chartered by Congress and
                 Recognized by VA for Claim Representation
                           Input by Jim Hildwine
                 NamVet's Federal Benefits Section Editor
                      VETLink #4 BBS - Shady Side, MD
                              (301) 261-5644
     
     American Ex-Prisoners of War
     3201 E. Pioneer Pkwy Ste 40  Arlington, TX 76010  (817) 275-8044
       Members - 23,500  Established - 1949
     
     American Red Cross
     17th and D Streets, NW  Washington, DC 20006     (202) 639-3586
       Founded - 1881
     
     AMVETS   
       4647 Forbes Blvd  Lanham, MD 20706      (301) 459-9600
       Members - 200,000  Auxiliary members - 50,000   Founded - 1944
     
     Blinded Veterans Assoc 
       1735 DeSales St, NW Ste 600 
       Washington, DC 20036                           (202) 347-4010
       Members - 6,000   Founded - 1945
     
     Catholic War Veterans, USA  
       2 Massachusetts Ave NW 
       Washington, DC 20001                           (202) 737-9600
       Members - 35,000   Auxiliary members- 10,000   Founded - 1935
     
     Congressional Medal of Honor Society of the U.S.A.
       Intrepid Square Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum 
       12th Ave/West 46th St  New York, NY 10036      (212) 582-5355
       Members - 259  Founded - 1948
     
     Disabled American Veterans 
       P.O. Box 14301 Cincinnati, OH 45214            (606) 441-7300
       Members - 860,800  Auxiliary members - 90,930   Founded - 1920
     
     Gold Star Wives of America 
       600 Bethel Street, NE Leeds, AL 35094          (205) 699-8394
       Members:  12,000       Founded - 1945
     
     THE JEWISH WAR VETERAN OF THE U.S.A.
       1811 R Street NW  Washington, DC 20009         (202) 265-6280
       Members - 100,000    Aux Members - 50,000   Founded 1896
     
     Legion of Valor of the U.S.A.
       4221 Bel Pre Road Rockville, MD 20853          (301) 460-4822
       Members - 800   Founded - 1890
     
     Marine Corps League
       933 North Kenmore St. Arlington, VA 22201     (703)524-1137/5026
       Members - 25,000   Auxiliary members - 3,000   Founded - 1923
     
     Military Order of the Purple Heart of the U.S.A.
     
     NAM VET Newsletter                                         Page 68
     Volume  5, Number 12                            December 17, 1991

     54l3-B Backlick Rd  Springfield, VA 22l5l        (703) 642-5360
       Members - l4,000  Auxiliary members - 3,000   Founded - 1932
     
     Non Commissioned Officers Association of the United States (NCOA)
       10635 IH 35 NO  San Antonio, TX  78233         (512) 653-6161
       MEMBERS: 160,000   ESTABLISHED  1961
     
     Paralyzed Veterans of America
       801 18th Street, NW   Washington, DC 20006     (202) 872-l300
       Members - ll,000   Founded - 1947
     
     Polish Legion of American Veterans, U.S.A.
       20 South View Road Lynn, MA 01904              (617) 599-4595
       Members - 25,000   Founded - 1921
     
     The American Legion
       700 No Pennsylvania St. Indianapolis, IN 46206 (3l7) 635-84ll
       Members - 2,591,789 Auxiliary members - 957,584   Founded - 1918
     
     United Spanish War Veterans
       P.O.Box l9l5   Washington, DC 200l3            (202) 347-l898
       Members - 13,000 Auxiliary members 1,950  Founded - 1899
     
     Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States
       406 West 34th Street Kansas City, MO 64lll     (8l6) 756-3390
       Members - 2,000,000  Auxiliary members - 700,000  Founded - 1899
      
     Veterans of World War I of the U.S.A.
       801 N Fairfax St Ste 207 Alexandria, VA 223l4  (703) 836-3060
       Members - l40,000   Auxiliary members - 63,000   Founded - 1949
     
     Vietnam Veterans of America, Inc.
       2001 S St N.W., #700  Washington, DC  20009    (202) 332-2700
       Members - 30,000
     
























     NAM VET Newsletter                                         Page 69
     Volume  5, Number 12                            December 17, 1991

                   "Ask the Veterans' Affairs Counselor"
                      DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
                  Office of Public Affairs - News Service
                    Washington DC 20420  (202) 233-2741
                         Input by: G. Joseph Peck
                       NamVet's Managing Editor East
                        VETLink #1 - Pittsfield, MA
                              (413) 443-6313
     
     (Following  are  representative  questions answered  daily  by  VA 
     counselors.  Full information is available at any VA office.)
     
     Q-- I am a Korean War veteran who recently turned 65.  If I meed 
         the income qualifications, will I be entitled to VA pension 
         benefits?
     A-- As of Nov. 1, 1990, the presumption that a veteran who reaches 
         65 is permanently and totally disabled was eliminated.  You 
         are now required to submit medical evidence that you are 
         unable to work in order to draw pension benefits
     
     Q-- I recently received a letter from the VA saying VA was going 
         to check my income with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and 
         Social Security Administration (SSA).  What should I do?
     A-- The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 gave VA 
         authority to compare income reports with IRS and SSA.  If you 
         have accurately reported your income, the cross-check will 
         have no effect on you.  If there is a discrepancy or 
         clarification is needed, VA will contact you.
     
     Q-- May a veteran qualify for adaptive equipment if he or she 
         cannot qualify for the initial auto grant from VA?
     A-- A veteran entitled to compensation for permanent immobility of 
         one or both knees, or one or both hips, may qualify.
     
     Q-- How much active-duty do I need to apply for a VA-guaranteed 
         home loan?
     A-- World War II, Korean Conflict, Vietnam Conflict and Persian 
         Gulf War veterans must have served on active duty for at least 
         ninety days.  Peacetime veterans must have served at least 181 
         days of continuous active duty.  The only exception is the 
         waiver of the time-in-service qualification for veterans 
         discharged for a service-connected disability.  All veterans 
         must have been discharged under other than dishonorable 
         conditions.
     
     Q-- Will VA guarantee a loan for a residence with a business on 
         the same property?
     A-- A loan will be granted if the business does not exceed 25 
         percent of the space.
     
     Q-- I was granted a waiver of a VA home loan default.  How is my 
         entitlement affected.
     A-- The portion of the entitlement that was used to obtain the 
         loan cannot be restored until the loss suffered by the 
         government has been paid in full.
     
     Q-- I receive VA disability compensation at the 20 percent level 
         for a service-connected injury.  Am I entitled to an 
         additional allowance for dependents?
     
     NAM VET Newsletter                                         Page 70
     Volume  5, Number 12                            December 17, 1991

     A-- Additional allowances for dependents are limited to veterans 
         whose service-connected disabilities are rates at 30 percent 
         or more.
     
     Q-- Will my eligibility for VA medical care be affected by my 
         insurance?
     A-- No.  Eligibility criteria relate only to your military service 
         and, in some cases, to income and type of medical service 
         needed.  Your eligibility for VA medical care does not depend 
         on whether or not you have health insurance.
     
     Q-- Are students receiving VA educational benefits allowed 
         unlimited changes in their educational program?
     A-- Public Law 101-366, The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) 
         Nurses Pay Act of 1990, removed the limit on the number of 
         program changes that can be made.
     
     Q-- I pay my VA insurance premiums every month.  Do I have other 
         payment options?
     A-- Yes.  You can pay your premiums quarterly, semi-annually or 
         annually at reduced amounts.  If you receive VA disability or  
         pension benefits, your insurance premiums can be deducted 
         automatically from your monthly check.  You can also use the 
         new VA Matic option, whereby premiums are deducted each month 
         from your checking account.  Complete information on VA 
         insurance programs can be obtained by calling 1-800-669-8477.
     
     Q-- I have a five-year level premium term insurance plan with VA.  
         I would like to convert to one of the permanent plans.  Will I 
         have to take a physical to meet health requirements?
     A-- A five-year level premium term insurance plan can be converted 
         without meeting health requirements at any time the policy is 
         in force.  If you are totally disabled, however, it cannot be 
         converted as an endowment policy.
     
     Q-- I was called to active duty during the Persian Gulf War.  Can 
         I get my old job back?
     A-- Federal law requires your reinstatement along with seniority 
         and pay rate, plus increases that may have been granted in 
         your absence.  You must apply for reemployment within 90 days 
         of separation.  The law is administered by the U.S. Department 
         of Labor.  Your local chapter of Employer Support of the Guard 
         and Reserve can also be helpful, should you encounter any 
         difficulties.
     
     Q-- What is the current automobile allowance payable by the VA?
     A-- VA will make a one-time payment of up to $5,500 towards the 
         purchase of an automobile or other conveyance for certain 
         severely disabled veterans.  VA will pay for adaptive 
         equipment, its repair, replacement or re-installation on a 
         vehicle purchased with VA assistance or for a previously or 
         subsequently acquired vehicle.  Disabilities entitling a 
         veteran to the allowance include the loss of one or both feet 
         or hands, loss of their use, or blindness.
     
     Q-- My father, a veteran of World War II, recently died and I 
     purchased a headstone for his grave.  Will the government 
     reimburse me?
     A-- For veterans who died after Nov. 1, 1990, the headstone or 
     
     NAM VET Newsletter                                         Page 71
     Volume  5, Number 12                            December 17, 1991

     marker allowance is no longer paid.  Eligible veterans are still 
     entitled to receive a government-provided headstone or marker for 
     the burial site.
     
     Q-- What is the current burial allowance for a service-connected 
         veteran?
     A-- If the veteran's death is service-connected, VA will pay an 
         allowance of up to $1,500 in lieu of basic allowances for 
         funeral and interment expenses.  Cost of transporting the 
         remains to the nearest national cemetery with grave space is 
         also reimbursable.
     
     Q-- My husband is a veteran of the Vietnam War.  Will he be 
         entitled to a flag for his coffin?
     A-- Yes.  A flag is available to drape the casket of a veteran who 
         was discharged under conditions other than dishonorable.  The 
         flag may then be presented to the next of kin or close 
         associate of the deceased.  Flags are available at any VA 
         regional office, VA national cemetery, and most local post 
         offices.
     
     Q-- Is the VA claim number identical to the veteran's social 
         security number?
     A-- A veteran who filed an initial benefit claim before 1974 will 
         have a VA claim number.  A veteran who filed after 1974 will 
         be identified by his or her social security number.  There 
         are, however, two exceptions.  Veterans who file for 
         vocational rehabilitation are always assigned a VA claim 
         number.  Applicants for a VA home loan guaranty are assigned a 
         home loan application number, separate from either the claim 
         or social security number.
     
     Q-- I am attending the U.S. Air Force Academy.  If I am disabled 
         during my schooling, will I be eligible for VA disability 
         compensation?
     A-- Veterans who are disabled by injury or disease during active 
         duty may be eligible for disability compensation.  VA 
         considers attendance at a military academy as active duty for 
         compensation purposes.
     
     Q-- My G.I. insurance policy lapsed three years ago.  How many 
         premium payments must I make up in order to be reinstated?
     A-- You must make two payments; one for the month in which the 
         policy lapsed, and one for the month in which it is 
         reinstated.
     
     Q-- As a widow of a veteran, I draw Dependency and Indemnity 
         Compensation (DIC) based on myself and my daughter.  My 
         daughter will be eighteen this month.  When will she be 
         eligible for DIC benefits in her own right?
     A-- The effective date of eligibility is the first month following 
         the eighteenth birthday, provided your daughter is attending a 
         VA-approved school and is unmarried.  The upper age limit is 
         twenty-three.
     
     Q-- I draw 40 percent disability compensation from VA.  My divorce 
         will be effective this month.  When will my spouse be dropped 
         as a dependent?
     A-- Your spouse will be removed from the dependent's list the 
     
     NAM VET Newsletter                                         Page 72
     Volume  5, Number 12                            December 17, 1991

         first of the month following the effective date of the 
         divorce.
     
     Q-- May I use the tutorial assistance benefit to raise my grade 
         point average?
     A-- No, it may only be used for a subject you are in danger of 
         failing.
     
     Q-- I understand that students enrolled under the G.I. Bill can 
         now verify their registration by computer.
     A-- Soon, but not yet.  A one-year test program will get underway 
         in California beginning in Jan. 1992.  Known as SAVE, Student 
         Automated Verification of Enrollment, the program allows 
         students to confirm enrollment by telephoning a toll-free 
         number monthly instead of submitting forms.  The new procedure 
         is expected to expedite benefit payments as well as reduce 
         administrative costs.
     
     Q-- I have a service-connected disability and receive a monthly 
         compensation check from VA.  My wife and I have separated, and 
         she has requested a portion of the payment.  Can VA apportion 
         an amount greater than that included in the award for 
         dependents?
     A-- VA may apportion any or all of the check based upon the facts   
         of the case.
     
     Q-- What is the maximum tutorial assistance payment?
     A-- Tutorial assistance cannot exceed $100 per month, up to a 
         maximum of $1,200 for certain educational assistance programs.
     
     Q-- Does VA offer scholarships to individuals pursuing careers in 
         the health fields?
     A-- For the 1991-1992 school year, VA is offering scholarships to 
         individuals pursuing a career in nursing, or occupational or 
         physical therapy.  For more information, call 202-535-7528; or 
         write: VA Health Professional Scholarship Program (143B2), 810 
         Vermont Ave., NW, Wash., DC 20420.
     
     Q-- Has VA's clothing allowance for eligible disabled veterans 
         been increased?  What is the amount of the allowance?
     A-- The new allowance is $436 per year.  Depending on the 
         qualifying disability, the aware may be recurring or the 
         veteran may need to apply each year.
     
     Q-- I am the daughter of a deceased veteran and want to become a 
         commercial airline pilot.  Will my Chapter 35 Survivors and 
         Dependents Education Program pay for flight training?
     A-- No.  Only eligible veterans, reservists and active duty 
         servicemembers may receive VA educational benefits for flight 
         training.
     








     NAM VET Newsletter                                         Page 73
     Volume  5, Number 12                            December 17, 1991

     It's here - a patch which acknowledges the other side of the
     Vietnam Veteran:  His wife!
       Hardly needing any explanation, it is multicolor with Red,
     White, Blue, Green and Gold for the Map of Vietnam. 
       While the text drawing below doesn't really do it justice, I
     think if you run it out on your printer, you'll sorta get the 
     idea of how special this unique patch is.
       They are available for $5 each from VETLink #1 - Dept. 65
     P O Box 2056  Pittsfield, MASSACHUSETTS 01202 
         (Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery)
     
                   @@@@@@@@@@              @@@@@@@@@@
                @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@          @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
             @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@      @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
           @@@@@@@@         @@@@@      @@@@@         @@@@@@@@
          @@@@                 @@@    @@@                 @@@@
         @@@@                     @@@@@                    @@@@
        @@@@                                                @@@@
       @@@  V  I  E  T  N  A  M    V  E  T  S     W  I  F  E  @@@
      @@@                                                      @@@
     @@@           :@@@@@@@@@@@:        :@@@@@@@@@@@:           @@@
     @@@          @.............@      @.............@          @@@
     @@@         @...............@    @...............@         @@@
     @@@        @.................@  @.................@        @@@
     @@@       (...................@@...................)       @@@
     @@@       @.............             ..............@       @@@
     @@@       @.............. MAP OF USA ..............@       @@@
     @@@       @.................      .................@       @@@
     @@@       @................. WITH .................@       @@@
      @@@       @..............         ...............@       @@@
      @@@       @............... MAP OF ...............@       @@@
       @@@      (........                       .......)      @@@
        @@@      @......  VIET NAM SUPERIMPOSED ......@      @@@
         @@@      @........                 .........@      @@@
          @@@      @..........  OVER IT ............@      @@@
           @@@   I  @ ............................ @  N   @@@
            @@@      @............................@      @@@
             @@@      @..........................@  A   @@@
              @@@   S  @........................@      @@@
               @@@       @....................@  M    @@@
                 @@@  T   @..................@      @@@
                  @@@      @................@      @@@
                   @@@  A    @............@  Y    @@@
                    @@@       @..........@       @@@
                     @@@  N     @......@   M    @@@
                      @@@         @..@         @@@
                       @@@  D      @@         @@@
                        @@@                  @@@
                          @@@    B   Y     @@@
                           @@@            @@@
                            @@@          @@@ 
                             @@@        @@@
                               @@      @@
                                @@    @@ 
                                 @@  @@
                                   @@
                (c) 1988 VVA Chapter #65  Pittsfield, MA
     

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     Volume  5, Number 12                            December 17, 1991



     ==================================================================
                             Forgotten - again?
     ==================================================================

               Incarcerated Vets: Out of sight, out of mind?
                           Input by: Joyce Flory
               NamVet's Incarcerated Veterans Section Editor
                    Desert Dolphin BBS - Las Cruces, NM
                              (505) 523-2811
     
       The following is a copy of a speech given by Mr.  Lou ("Gunner") 
     Muller on October 6,  1991 before the State Council meeting of the 
     Vietnam Vets of America at State Correction Institution,  Cresson, 
     Pennsylvania. 
       It  so  impressed  those attending that it garnered  a  standing 
     ovation and copies of it were requested by, and given to, Mr.  Jim 
     Brazee,  the National President of the Vietnam Vets of America and 
     Mr. Tom Miller, the State Council President. 
     
       "People don't think about incarcerated Vietnam veterans. If they 
     do, it's well,  they probably deserve it."  These are the words of 
     Wayne  Smith,  while serving as assistant director of the  Vietnam 
     Veterans  of  America back in 1987.  Wayne Smith goes on  to  say, 
     "Incarcerated  veterans are one of the last unturned stones,  with 
     respect  to the Vietnam experience."  Because we are locked  away, 
     society tends not to think of our problems.  Out of sight,  out of 
     mind.  Combat  as well as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder may  have 
     contributed highly to the number of incarcerated veterans.
        The  last  survey  conducted by the  U.S.  Bureau  of  Prisons, 
     estimated  that  in 1979 about a fourth of the prisoners in  state 
     prisons  were  veterans.  Of that group 39,500 served  during  the 
     Vietnam era,  and at least 13,000 of those had served in Southeast 
     Asia. The 1983 survey estimated that about 11% of those in federal 
     prisons  had served in the military during the Vietnam era.  There 
     is  also  evidence  that tens of thousands of  Vietnam  vets,  and 
     perhaps several hundred thousand Vietnam-era vets are on parole or 
     probation, awaiting trial, or confined to some type of psychiatric 
     institution.  These  figures indicate that roughly ten percent  of 
     the  Vietnam  era veteran population has been under some  type  of 
     custody or legal curtailment due to legal, criminal, physical,  or 
     psychological difficulty.  Adding to the trauma of combat and PTSD 
     is  the  fact  that most of those who were  actually  involved  in 
     combat  in  Vietnam were only teenagers at the time and were at  a 
     stage  of life when one is very vulnerable to mental stress.  Many 
     armchair psychologists can tell you that when traumatic events are 
     suppressed,  eventually  they'll rise to the surface.  That's what 
     happened  in  the  early  1970's,  and  continues  today.  In  the 
     beginning the experts called it "Vietnam syndrome."  Today we know 
     it  as  PTSD  (Post Traumatic  Stress  Disorder).  Flashbacks  are 
     probably  the most classic variety,  but startle reaction,  thrill 
     seeking  (living  on  the  edge,  so  to  speak),   sleeplessness, 
     nightmares,  survivor's  guilt,  worsening  of the condition  when 
     exposed  to similar stressful situations,  avoidance of activities 
     that  arouse  recollection of the traumatic events,  all of  these 
     factors add to the problem. 
        Prison   Programs  and  the  VA  are  overcrowded  and  various 
     departments   of   corrections   are  not  budgeted   to   provide 
     rehabilitation  in  any  true sense of the  term.  The  government 
     agency that is supposed to help veterans, the VA, has had,  to put 
     
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     Volume  5, Number 12                            December 17, 1991

     it  mildly,  a-less-than-sterling  record regarding its work  with 
     incarcerated veterans. Emanuel Heard, a Vietnam vet,  and a former 
     prisoner  who now a counselor at the VA-run storefront Vet  Center 
     in  Springfield,  Virginia says "Veterans feel,  when they went to 
     war,  there was no contract stating that if they got into trouble, 
     they wouldn't be able to get their benefits." 
        The biggest VA-related problems facing incarcerated vets is the 
     access  to treatment at VA facilities.  I have in my possession  a 
     letter,  from James E.  Van Zandt Medical Center (VA Hospital)  in 
     Altoona,  PA.,  stating  they  were  in receipt of a  Request  for 
     Physical  Examination  for evaluation of a claim  for  disability, 
     from the VA Regional Office, in Philadelphia, Pa.,  for a veteran, 
     incarcerated at this facility.  Their reply to him was as follows, 
     "This facility (VA Hospital) Altoona, does not have a physician to 
     conduct the exam at the prison,  however,  you may provide us with 
     the name of a physician whom you wish to perform the exam for your 
     disability  claim.  Once we receive the name of the physician,  an 
     Authorization for Medical Services will be issued to you." Here is 
     a veteran in prison;  how much access does he have to a physician? 
     This  veteran requires a neurologist for this examination  because 
     of  possible  nerve  damage.  He  will be examined  by  a  general 
     practitioner,  who works at the institution.  One must wonder,  if 
     the VA will even accept this disability examination as valid.
        As  far  as disability compensation,  vets in prison  may  only 
     receive  a  maximum  of  ten percent,  even if  they  are  totally 
     disabled.  Families  of the incarcerated vets,  who are more  than 
     ten-percent disabled can apply to the VA to receive the balance of 
     the disability, but the VA apportions those funds only if it deems 
     the family is in need of the money.  This policy is a hard pill to 
     swallow,  for  a man who put his life on the line for his country, 
     who is disabled, either from war related injuries or injuries that 
     have happened since his service to his country. A man sitting in a 
     prison  cell  worries about his family's needs,  especially  their 
     financial needs.  Incarcerated vets feel there is a great need for 
     change  in the way the VA handles the disability claim once a  man 
     becomes incarcerated.
        There  is a great need for halfway houses,  set up specifically 
     for vets. First off,  if you take a veteran who suffers from PTSD, 
     and  put  him  in a regular halfway house,  and he  starts  having 
     flashbacks  or  nightmares,  there's a good chance that no one  in 
     that halfway house is going to understand what he's going through. 
     But,  by the same token,  if he were in a halfway house with other 
     vets,  they could talk and help each other through those stressful 
     times.  There  is also more of a need for job counseling for  vets 
     coming  out of prison.  He or she already have one strike  against 
     them  and  if  they are to successfully become a part  of  society 
     again,  job  counseling,  other vets hiring vets,  other vets just 
     taking  an interest in their fellow vets,  are all part of helping 
     an incarcerated veteran come back home into society.
        There  is also a greater need for the awareness of the problems 
     of the Vietnam vets in our state and federal institutions and even 
     for  some type of counseling at our county prison level;  or  just 
     someone  to  talk to;  even if a few vets on the  outside  contact 
     their county prisons and volunteer their services to talk to vets, 
     should the need arise. At the state and federal levels,  more PTSD 
     programs need to be organized.
        In  1987 a class action lawsuit was filed in Pennsylvania by  a 
     group  of  Vietnam  vets at the State  Correction  Institution  at 
     Graterford,   claiming   that   the  Pennsylvania  Department   of 
     
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     Volume  5, Number 12                            December 17, 1991

     Corrections  was  denying  them access to treatment for  PTSD  and 
     access  to Agent Orange-related information.  Before judgement was 
     rendered   by  a  Federal  District  Court,   the  Department   of 
     Corrections  agreed to allow outreach counselors from Vet  Centers 
     to  come  into the Graterford facility to work with Vietnam  vets. 
     "That  was  a  clear victory,  in that the VA set  up  a  training 
     protocol  and  the veterans were recognized by the institution  as 
     (being)  in  legitimate need of treatment or special attention  to 
     their problems."
        Victories  such as this one at Graterford have come very slowly 
     and  have faced tough opposition from many prison systems and  the 
     VA.
        I  and  my  fellow  Nam brothers  incarcerated  here  at  State 
     Correction   Institution  at  Cresson  would  like  to  thank  the 
     administration  here at the Institution for initiating a voluntary 
     PTSD  program on their own,  recognizing that there was a need for 
     such  treatment for Vietnam veterans.  We would like to thank  the 
     Corrections  Officers,  who  work the vets block here,  for  being 
     there  when those occasions arise that we need to talk to  someone 
     other  than those in the PTSD group.  They show an interest and  a 
     willingness  to listen to the problems.  To Bill Mishler,  our co-
     staff advisor, for his time and involvement with the vets.  And to 
     Tim Susengill, our staff advisor, for the unselfish amount of time 
     and  energy  he contributes to the PTSD program as well as  V.V.A. 
     Chapter  359,  while  maintaining his regular duties here  at  the 
     institution.
        And  last but not least,  I want to take the time to thank  the 
     members  of Chapter 364 in Johnstown,  for the unselfish time they 
     give up to come here every month for a joint meeting, and the help 
     and support they gave in helping get Chapter 359 formed.
        I want to thank you all for attending today, and for letting me 
     speak on the behalf of the veterans incarcerated.
     
                            Lou Muller BG 2894
                          Vice President, V.V.A.
                        Maj. James A. Crew Chapter 
               [Joyce's Note: Maj. Crew is one of our MIA's]
                               Chapter #359
                         Drawer A, S.C.I. Cresson
                            Cresson, Pa.  16630 
     




-- 
#Larry W. Jewell (ex-USN)     WWII-L Listowner    jewell@mace.cc.purdue.edu # 
#"Sunday's horoscope is noteworthy because of its strange, sudden and wholly#
#unpredictable and inexplicable occurrences, affecting all phases of life." #
#--"Your Horoscope," L.A. Evening Herald Express, Saturday, Dec. 6, 1941.   #