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The following statement is by Richard DiFederico, Department Commander of Connecticut’s largest war veterans’ organization, the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States: “Those who served in Vietnam or offshore or in neighboring countries rightfully earned all the belated thanks and appreciation our nation can muster. Those who served in uniform during the Vietnam era also deserve our gratitude, which makes Mr. Blumenthal's claim to be something he is not so outrageous. It diminishes the service of all who served and sacrificed, most especially those whose names are inscribed on the Vietnam Wall. Mr. Blumenthal was considered one of...

With his lie about serving in Vietnam exposed, Connecticut Attorney General and Democratic Senate Candidate Richard Blumenthal went into major damage control mode today trying to explain why he has claimed he "served in Vietnam" when he did not. In a press conference not-so-coincidentally held at a Veterans of Foreign Wars Hall, Mr. Blumenthal surrounded himself with men who actually served in Vietnam, invoked his own son who is currently serving in the Marines and then tried to minimize his lie by stating, "Now on a few occasions, I have misspoken about my service and I regret that and I...

For those who haven't heard the news today........ Washington D.C., Apr 28, 2010 / 01:31 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that a federal court overstepped its boundaries in ordering the removal of a long-standing memorial cross in California's Mojave Desert. A white, seven-foot cross, which was erected as a memorial by the Veterans of Foreign Wars over 75 years ago in the Mojave National Preserve, will be allowed to stay.

"TO KEEP OUR HONOR CLEAN!" Why We Must Oppose the Homosexual Agenda for the Military Written by The American TFP    Monday, 15 February 2010 20:29 “To Keep Our Honor Clean!” Why We Must Oppose the Homosexual Agenda for the Military     As America faces a two-front war and economic fragility, another peril looms on the horizon that threatens the honor and integrity of one of our nation’s most important institutions: our Armed Forces.   President Obama promised in his January 27, 2010 State of the Union Address that he would work with Congress and the military to...

Friday February 5, 2010 Veterans, Former Army Legal Chief Defend “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” By Peter J. Smith WASHINGTON, D.C., February 5, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A Congressional ban on homosexuals serving openly in the military has been targeted by top US military officials this week, but military veterans as well as a former chief of the Army's criminal law division are striking back in defense of a policy they call both sound and essential to the health of the armed services. The Washington Times reports that the United States' two major veterans organizations have come out fighting against attempts by President Barack...

Vietnam veteran robbed, killed on his way to deposit VFW money William Burtner had helped raise money for WWII vets' trip to Washington Army veteran William Burtner survived Vietnam and dedicated his life to helping other veterans. On Monday, Burtner was about to enter a bank in Midlothian to deposit money that the south suburb's Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2580 had raised during a benefit. He never made it inside. Burtner, 65, was assaulted and robbed outside the bank. He died Wednesday night in Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn. An autopsy Thursday concluded Burtner died of hypertensive...

<p>Contact your Senators and let them know what you think!</p> <p>U.S. veterans or subsidies for United Nations (U.N.) bureaucracy.</p>

WASHINGTON, Nov. 9, 2009 – Deployed and hospitalized servicemembers are expected to make about 120,000 calls home this Veterans Day, and it won’t cost them one thin dime. The Veterans of Foreign Wars organization is once again offering “Free Call Day” through its Operation Uplink program. USAA, which offers financial services to servicemembers, is sponsoring the day of free phoning, which is expected to total some 1 million minutes. “We are very pleased to join forces with USAA, an association recognized as a devoted friend and advocate of the military community, to offer a special Veterans Day Free Call Day,”...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. veterans criticized President Barack Obama's lengthy review of Afghan war strategy, saying on Thursday the drawn-out debate in Washington was a direct threat to troops and the nation's defense. The head of Veterans of Foreign Wars, a group representing 1.5 million former soldiers, issued a tersely worded statement urging Obama to follow the advice of his military commanders, who want more troops for the eight-year war. "The extremists are sensing weakness and indecision within the U.S. government, which plays into their hands," said Thomas J. Tradewell Sr., a Vietnam veteran and head of VFW. This was...

Deep in the heart of the Mojave National Preserve in California stands a five foot cross carefully disguised in a plywood box. The U.S. Park Service was forced to cover the cross until the Supreme Court decides whether the cross can remain in its place as a monument to fallen soldiers during World War I, or whether it must come down because its presence violates the Constitution. The case is the latest in a recent flurry of challenges to religious symbols placed on public property. The cross was constructed more than 70 years ago by the Veterans of Foreign Wars....

Expressions on the Vets faces are priceless.

Here is a video report about a "Flag Burner" who was duct taped to a VFW Flagpole as punishment for his having burned an American Flag that flew over the post in Valley Falls, New York. The man had gotten angry because the bartender at the post would not serve the man because he was drunk. In anger, he went outside, took the flag down and burned it. The flag had flown over a fox hole in Iraq where several Americans died. The post commander hunted the man down and "gave him some options." The option the man chose was...

VETERANS RIGHTS ADVOCATES UNDER ATTACK BY SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS AND MEMBERS [Snip]Article... What vets don't know is how the American Legion, VFW and other groups have advised the DVA and Congress, led us, every step of the way, to the total failure and utter disaster we have now. These groups "played" at helping vets but became a home for political extremists or dimwits addicted more [sic] grandstanding than the hard work required by informed veterans advocacy.

Members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, I am honored and humbled to stand before you as Commander-in-Chief of the finest military the world has ever known. And we're joined by some of those who make it the finest force in world-from Luke Air Force Base, members of the 56th Fighter Wing. Whether you wear the uniform today, or wore it decades ago, you remind us of a fundamental truth. It's not the powerful weapons that make our military the strongest in the world. It's not the sophisticated systems that make us the most advanced. No, the true strength of...

Here is video of President Barack Obama speaking today at the Veteran's of Foreign Wars meeting. Obama criticized the "defense establishment" and Congress for creating "exotic projects" that he says drains the defense budget. Obama assured veterans that he will see to it they are taken care of, and said their health care would diminish at all under his plans for Health Care Reform. Obama received polite, but what I would characterize as muted applause from the veterans during his appearance there. . . . . (Watch Video)

Obama is speaking before the VFW now. Except for a dozen people or so, they are sitting on their hands. Vets know who the real Obama is. Occasional applause for apple pie statements. For the most part, silence.

President Barack Obama plans to speak at the annual VFW convention in Phoenix on Monday. A speech before the nation's largest organization of combat veterans is a summertime tradition for presidents. Obama spoke to the group last year as a presidential candidate. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs has said that Obama will discuss the United States' responsibilities to maintain the world's finest military. Gibbs also says Obama will speak about the nation's responsibility to the men and women of the armed services when they return home from combat. The president has been in Arizona since Saturday evening on the final...

VFW: Woodstock Wasn't the Only Thing Happening 40 Years Ago By Colleen Raezler (Bio | Archive) August 12, 2009 - 13:47 ET    While some in the media have been dusting off their love beads, bell-bottoms and broomstick skirts in an effort to wax nostalgic about Woodstock, the VFW has reminded its members that the world did not stop for those four days in August 1969. In fact, for 109 American soldiers, the world ended that weekend.VFW Magazine honored those soldiers in the August 2009 cover story, "While Woodstock Rocked, GIs Died." Much has been made over the "half...

CLEARWATER — Stung by fierce criticism, the Clearwater City Council on Monday canceled a plan to remove about a dozen flagpoles and American flags from city property to save money. "We're going to leave all the flags as is," Mayor Frank Hibbard said after a lengthy and contentious discussion of the topic at a council meeting Monday morning. Council members criticized City Manager Bill Horne for not telling them about the flag removal plan that city staffers had come up with. Instead, the council first learned about it from the St. Petersburg Times. Council member George Cretekos said Horne had...

The Clearwater council on Monday canceled staff plans to take down flagpoles and American flags at some parks and facilities. Clearwater won't lower flags Stung by fierce criticism, Clearwater has canceled a plan to remove about a dozen flagpoles and American flags from city property to save money. After the story appeared on tampabay.com on Friday, nearly 300 readers posted comments, with many calling for Clearwater officials to be summarily fired. City leaders also got what the mayor described as "an unrelenting volume of phone calls." For full story: http: //www.tampabay.com/news/localgovernment/article1024460.ece