| Here's the latest CWVA News…
CWVA
Goals
(1)
Build
sustainable
networks
of
altruistic
outreach
to
the
less
fortunate
whom
Cold
War
Veterans
are
dedicated
to
serving,
(2)
Ensure
access
to
quality
VA
health
care
for
honorably
discharged
Cold
War
Veterans,
(3)
Eliminate
discriminatory
treatment
of
Cold
War
Veterans
by
governmental
entities
and
fellow
Veterans'
Service
Organizations,
and
(4) Sustain the
continued
growth of the Cold War Veterans
Association.
______________________
February 17, 2010 Update
(1) On Saturday, February 13, 2010, the CWVI/CWVA and the Greater
Kansas City-area Philosophy Group held our monthly meeting. While
last month's meeting was highly contentious, this month's was our most
engaged and productive session to date. Members discussed numerous
issues ranging from the escalation of troops and launching of a major
offensive in Afghanistan to the recall of Toyota automobiles.
Former CIA agent James Everett addressed recent media
speculation regarding the potential launching of a war against Iran for
(U.S.) domestic political purposes. Also discussed at our
meeting was the calibration shift (within public opinion, within
political circles and within the military itself) regarding the issue
of gays being allowed to serve openly in the military.
Finally, below is a picture from the above-referenced event.

(2) While the economy
continues to take its toll on the CWVA budget, we are nonetheless
able to get by due to the generous support of our Honor Roll members.
For those of you unable to afford your dues at this time, please note that
we will gladly enroll you this year as a non-dues member as your fraternal
support is of equal importance to us.
Please visit one of the following links
to either join the CWVA
or renew your CWVA
membership.
______________________
February 7, 2010 Update
(1) After resolving a maintenance issue with our computer system(s), we
have now processed and mailed the latest batch of
CWVA memberships.
(2) Due to the contentious nature of our January meeting and the
failure to resolve any of our (formal) positions on key national issues,
we are delaying a report on this matter to a subsequent meeting of CWVI/CWVA and the Greater Kansas
City-area Philosophy Group.
______________________
December 24, 2009 Update
(1) On Saturday, December 19, 2009, the CWVI/CWVA and the Greater Kansas
City-area Philosophy Group held their annual Christmas Feast and
Issues Forum. The evening formally began at 6:30 in the evening
and did not wrap up until midnight.
While there were a number of issues discussed, the immediacy of the
pending Senate vote dictated that health care reform played an
outsized role in our discussions. While there was general agreement
that "reform" was in order, a significant number of participants
were concerned with the Senate's mandate of (nearly) all Americans
being required to purchase insurance from private carriers irrespective of
an individual's/family's ability to pay. As was mentioned by a
participant: Candidate Obama likened the health insurance purchase mandate
to requiring homeless people to buy homes as a way to eradicate the
homeless problem.
To both "entertain the troops" and to reflect on the
conflicts involved in making decisions regarding military resource
allocations, we watched an old episode of a British sitcom which dealt
with "turf wars" between the branches of service, institutional
bureaucracies, the Soviet quagmire in Afghanistan, and conscription.
It was surprisingly very relevant and elicited a call for future such
offerings.
Here are some photos from the event.
(2) Based on a number of inquiries regarding the matter, we are
reposting the following excerpt summary extract from our May 18th Issues
Forum:
Vince Milum gave a briefing on why
the Cold War Victory Medal is so difficult to obtain at this
time. Vince stated that while the medal (if issued) would be given
mostly to veterans who are no longer serving on active duty, the cost of
the medal would be borne by the Department of Defense (rather than the
Department of Veterans Affairs). Given that DoD's budget objectives
are driven by fighting concurrent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan (as well as
sustaining America's defense footprint globally), there is no impetus to
drive DoD to divert its budgetary resources to finance a medal for
past-serving veterans.
(3) The latest batch of membership packets has been processed
and mailed.
(4) A big THANK YOU goes out to The Kansas City Star for
publishing a portion of Vince's personal message of December 3rd (see
below).
(5) Another big THANK YOU goes out to everyone who has
offered us words of encouragement recently.
______________________
December 7, 2009 Update
(1) The CWVA is deeply indebted to Gus
Garcia for ensuring that the "monumental" service of Cold
War Veterans is not forgotten. Check out the photos
of a Veterans Monument in Lakeland, Florida which (thanks to Gus)
includes recognition of the Cold War Veterans Association.
(2) Sorry for the long delay in email
responses to so many of you. We have never been busier.
Part of the demand on our time is the fact that many national and
community leaders are actively seeking to hear our voice (for which we are
grateful).
______________________
December 3, 2009: A personal message from Vince Milum, CWVA Chairman
Congressman Dennis Moore, who has
introduced remarks in the congressional
record recognizing Cold
War Veterans and the CWVA, has announced his retirement.
For the past several years, I have had the privilege of serving as
a member of the Military and Veterans Task Force which he created
to provide formal advice to him and to Congress. I wish Dennis and
his family a peaceful transition to "civilian" life.
On a related note, I have recently spent many months serving as a senior
advisor to a candidate for the United
States Senate.
What follows is independent of the above and reflective of only my
personal beliefs.
On December 1st, President Obama announced a major troop increase for Afghanistan.
Given our current overburdening of resources (both human and
fiscal), I believe it is time to reinstitute the draft and to impose an
across-the-board war surtax on every American business and individual.
Given the scale and durations of our conflicts, it is unfair to ask
that risk of death and/or injury be perpetually borne by a small segment
of our society and that the bill for our recent and current policies be
borne so heavily by future generations. In short, it is
time that EVERYONE NOW PAYS for our ongoing wars and to begin making
restitution on the war-incurred debt to date.
The reason I have chosen to speak out on these matters formally is due to
the encouragement I have received these last several months after being
hosted by a number of audiences ranging from political clubs to academic
groups.
America is a great nation but we risk losing our heritage if we forget the
national motto:
E Pluribus Unum.
______________________
November 23, 2009 Update
(1) On Saturday, November 21, 2009, the CWVI/CWVA and the Greater Kansas
City-area Philosophy Group held their annual Thanksgiving Feast and
Issues Forum. The evening formally began at 6:30 in the evening
and did not wrap up until one in the morning. Unfortunately, we
failed to take photos while the majority were in attendance.
Nonetheless, some
photos of the evening were taken and can be found here.
(2) The latest batch of membership packets was mailed about a week ago.
______________________
October 13, 2009 Update
(1) All membership applications that have
been received to date (save for one late email arrival) have been
processed.
(2) CWVI/CWVA and the Greater Kansas
City-area Philosophy Group continue to hold their monthly joint meetings.
The focus of our meeting on Saturday,
September 12th was the breakdown in civility occurring
in our public discourse. As a result, the following question served to
guide our discussion:
Name three specific things
you believe are necessary to usher in a more civil world order.
For our upcoming meeting on Saturday,
October 17th, we have assigned two questions in advance of our
meeting. The first deals with the nation’s economic crisis while
the latter deals with the failure of systems to deliver on their
promises (often with catastrophic results) (e.g., communism):
(a) What measures do you recommend to
improve the (US) national economy that would generate a broad consensus?
(b) Why do utopian dreams (almost)
invariably result in dystopic realities when implemented on a large scale?
______________________
September 2, 2009 Update
(1) On Saturday, August 22, 2009, the CWVI/CWVA and the Greater Kansas
City-area Philosophy Group held their monthly joint meeting.
James Everett (a 17-year CIA veteran) discussed the history, theology and political
influence of two (intertwined) indigenous faith groups. In addition
to speaking to the group about the Latter Day Saints (i.e.,
"Mormons") and Community of Christ (formerly the RLDS), Jim spoke to the group about two recently revealed CIA
controversies: (a) the CIA's contracting of Blackwater (now "Xe")
to carry out assassinations (in violation of U.S. and international law)
and (b) the CIA having engaged in mock executions (also in violation of
U.S. and international law). Vince (who worked for the National Security
Agency) joined Jim in denouncing the CIA's actions with both Jim and Vince
explaining to the group why these disreputable activities are harmful
to the nation's long-term security interests (irrespective of the moral
implications).
Also the group discussed the following question, "What
collegiate education requirements should be instituted for NCOs?"
in response to an Op-Ed by an Army officer attending the Command and
General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth.
(NOTE: Due to time constraints, Vince elected to forego his PowerPoint
presentation on the potential windfall that investment bankers look to
receive should "cap-and-trade" legislation pass in its current
form.)
(2) Over the last several weeks we processed
a number of new/renewal membership cards and quartermaster catalogues.
______________________
July 21, 2009 Update
(1) On Saturday, July 18, 2009, the CWVI/CWVA
and the Greater Kansas City-area Philosophy Group held their monthly joint
meeting. The guest speakers for the
meeting were Andrea and Doug Whitmore who gave a briefing on the
situation in Israel-Palestine (which they have visited numerous
times). As part of their briefing, Doug ad Andrea answered numerous
questions from the attendees.
(2) About ten days ago we processed the latest
batch of new/renewal membership cards and quartermaster catalogues.
(Thanks to everyone who was patient during the longer-than-desired
interval.) Thanks to the able assistance of an intern from the local
Boy Scout troop (who helped us this last time and will continue to do so),
we expect a better service record in the future.
(3) According to The New York Times:
"Defense
Secretary Robert M. Gates [yesterday] announced a temporary increase in
the size of the Army of up to 22,000 troops to meet what he called the
'persistent pace' of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The increase, to
occur over the next three years, will raise the size of the Army to
569,000 active-duty soldiers. An expansion to 547,000 soldiers, announced
by Mr. Gates in 2007, was completed in May… Mr. Gates did not say what
the increase would cost over all, but indicated he would ask Congress for
money to pay for it in 2011 and 2012. He estimated the cost in the fiscal
year that ends in October at 'less than a hundred million dollars' and in
fiscal 2010 at $1 billion. He said he would absorb the costs in 2009
and 2010 into the existing Pentagon budget. 'We will take that money from
some place that we think isn’t as high a priority as more soldiers,
and taking some additional steps to relieve stress in the force,' Mr.
Gates said…
So what dos this mean for Cold War
Veterans? With appropriated funds for our existing wars being
diverted for a troop buildup, there is little to no chance of securing an
appropriation for a discretionary Cold War Medal for a past conflict
(until such time as there is a reduction of demand for finite Defense
Department dollars).
Please note our previous
May 18, 2009 Update on this matter:
Vince Milum gave a briefing on why
the Cold War Victory Medal is so difficult to obtain at this
time. Vince stated that while the medal (if issued) would be given
mostly to veterans who are no longer serving on active duty, the cost of
the medal would be borne by the Department of Defense (rather than the
Department of Veterans Affairs). Given that DoD's budget objectives
are driven by fighting concurrent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan (as well as
sustaining America's defense footprint globally), there is no impetus to
drive DoD to divert its budgetary resources to finance a medal for
past-serving veterans.
______________________
July 6, 2009 Update
(1) Please accept our apologies for the
delay in processing some memberships and emails. Due to the economic downturn,
we have had to restrict the number of hours worked by paid staff. At
present our directors -- who are unpaid -- have been focused on
other equally pressing matters (see below) and have not been able to
backstop to the degree they have in the past.
(2) The
plate of the CWVI/CWVA Board of Directors has been full of late.
Although we had an informal get-together on the Fourth of July, most of
our work has been at the individual level. Over this summer session
two board members are continuing their duties as collegiate educators of
American servicemen and women. Two other directors are involved in analyzing a number of public policy fronts --
many of which are challenging on their own but when combined create
an overwhelming workload. Among the areas being studied are: (a)
national macroeconomic policy, (b) health care financing models, (c)
financial industry regulation, and (d) foreign policy (including the wars
of Afghanistan and Iraq and the crises in Iran and Xinjiang).
(3) Based on feedback we have received
from many of you, we have tested our web site using three of the most
popular browsers. Our testing indicates that the CWVI/CWVA web
site now works with the following browsers: Internet Explorer 8, Safari
4, and Firefox 3.5.
(4) In lieu of our June meeting, CWVI/CWVA
and the Greater Kansas City-area Philosophy Group held a barbecue
in Independence, Missouri on the Fourth of July. (No CWVI/CWVA
funds were expended for this event.)
______________________
June 15, 2009 Update
Several of the 2009
Cold War Victory Day Proclamations are now posted.
______________________
May 27, 2009 Update
As we announced in our May 12, 2008
update: "Like many organizations and millions
of Americans, CWVA has experienced first-hand the downturn in our
economy. In these trying economic times, we are grateful to
everyone who has sacrificed to help us continue operations.
Without your support, activities such as commemorating Memorial Day (by
placing a wreath at to the Tomb of the Unknowns) would not be possible."
Here is what your membership dues helped
to fund:
CWVA
commemorates 2009 Memorial Day at the Tomb of the Unknowns
______________________
May 18, 2009 Update
On Saturday, May 16, 2009, the CWVI/CWVA
and the Greater Kansas City-area Philosophy Group held their monthly joint
meeting.
(1) The guest speaker for the
meeting was James Everett — a 17-year CIA veteran. Jim
covered numerous topics for us, two of which can best be summarized by
these linked articles.
(2) Vince Milum gave a briefing on why
the Cold War Victory Medal is so difficult to obtain at this
time. Vince stated that while the medal (if issued) would be given
mostly to veterans who are no longer serving on active duty, the cost of
the medal would be borne by the Department of Defense (rather than the
Department of Veterans Affairs). Given that DoD's budget objectives
are driven by fighting concurrent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan (as well as
sustaining America's defense footprint globally), there is no impetus to
drive DoD to divert its budgetary resources to finance a medal for
past-serving veterans.
(3) For those who had not previously seen
it, the webcast
of Vince Milum's Cold War Victory Day speech was played. (The relevant
portion begins at the 6:20 mark and ends at 9:17)
(4) In addition to the above, numerous
defense-related topics were covered under our current events agenda.
(5) Paul F. Kisak, another former CIA
Officer, has also submitted an article for the CWVI/CWVA. It is
entitled, Recently
Declassified Soviet War and U.S. Covert Casualties, and
addresses not only recently declassified Soviet and Russian deaths during
the Cold War (thus confirming their participation in specific conflicts
not acknowledged until very recently), but also the unheralded valor of
CIA and NSA Cold Warriors who sacrificed all for their country as well
as the under-recognized attack on the USS Liberty by the Israeli
military.
(6) Once again, we apologize for the
delay in posting the various Cold War Victory Day Proclamations we
have received. (As you can see, things are pretty busy these days
for us!) We estimate that the proclamations will be posted within
10-14 days.
______________________
May 12, 2009 Update
(1) The latest batch of CWVA
memberships was processed over this past weekend and mailed on Monday.
(2) The next joint meeting of CWVI/CWVA
and the Greater Kansas City-area Philosophy Group is scheduled for this
coming Saturday (May 16th).
(3) Due to the resource demands of the
two items above, we apologize for not having posted the various 2009
Cold War Victory Day Proclamations. We will endeavor to get
these posted soon.
(4) An outside consultant (who
volunteered his services) recently performed a feasibility study as to
how best to update the CWVI/CWVA web site to conform to modern web
standards. In short, there are two best paths: (a) a major
re-encoding of the entire web site or (b) a freshly built site from the
ground up. As both of these options are highly time-consuming and
potentially costly, it has been decided to defer a decision on this matter
until sufficient resources (both financial and human) can be secured to
effectuate this goal.
(5) Like many organizations and millions
of Americans, CWVA has experienced first-hand the downturn in our
economy. In these trying economic times, we are grateful to
everyone who has sacrificed to help us continue operations.
Without your support, activities such as commemorating Memorial Day (by
placing a wreath at to the Tomb of the Unknowns) would not be possible.
______________________
May 1, 2009 Update
Today is May 1st, the day we commemorate Cold
War Victory Day. Look for a few proclamations to be posted on
the web site. In the meantime, here is a video
from a ceremony recognizing this day in history. (The relevant
portion begins at the 6:20 mark and ends at 9:17)
______________________
April 19, 2009 Update
On Saturday, April 18, 2009, the CWVI/CWVA
and the Greater Kansas City-area Philosophy Group held their monthly joint
meeting. 17 subject areas were covered on the agenda. In
addition to reading the Cold War Victory Day proclamation recently issued
by Kansas Governor (and current HHS secretary-nominee) Kathleen Sebelius,
some of the matters discussed were (1) the recently released CIA
interrogation memos, (2) NSA warrantless wiretapping, (3) the DHS report
on white supremacists recruiting military veterans, (4) the McClatchy
article "Experts predict Pakistan's collapse," and (5) societal
conflict in Afghanistan.

A photo of the convener (Vince Milum) is
above. Click
here for additional photos from the meeting.
______________________
March 24, 2009 Update
(1) As promised, the latest batch of CWVA
memberships was processed and mailed over this past weekend.
(2) Thanks to the intervention of
Veterans Service Organizations* (and also Comedy's Central's Jon
Stewart), the V.A. has shelved its plan to require disabled veterans to
use their private insurance to help cover service-connected
disabilities. This was frankly a bone-headed idea from the
get-go and as educated analysts pointed out, individual and family
policies have both appreciable deductibles as well as policy limits which
can be exhausted. (*Note the CWVA is a federally recognized VSO and can be
found in the 2008-2009 Directory of Veterans and Military Service
Organizations published by the Office of the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs.)
(3) An item of pride for some and a
disincentive for those who seek power is that the CWVA eschews titles
(e.g., we have no "commanders"). This policy derives in
part from the film legacy of Frank
Capra, in particular, the film "Meet
John Doe." For those of you interested, this film (and
many others) can be viewed (for free) at the following web site (from
which it may also be permanently saved to your personal computer): Internet
Archive
______________________
March 16, 2009 Update
(1) Missouri budget battle negatively
impacts non-wealthy veterans and their families: The entire CWVA/CWVI Board met over the
past weekend to discuss the continuing negative impact of the current financial downturn.
One focus item was the Missouri legislature's unsound declaration that a
veteran who heads a family of four and earns more than $4,410 a year is
considered "too wealthy" to qualify for Medicaid. The four
members of the CWVA/CWVI Board who live in Missouri will look into ways to
remedy this misguided attempt to resolve the state's budgetary battle
between the legislature and the governor.
(2) This coming
weekend (March 20-21) we are scheduled to process and mail the latest
batch of membership packets. (As previously announced, the economic
downturn has meant that we have had to lengthen our membership
processing schedule in order to reduce overhead.) We apologize for the inconvenience
of our revised processing schedule and appreciate everyone's patience and
understanding.
(3) Once again we would like to thank
everyone for your continued support. To reiterate: Because of the support of our Honor Roll members, we are able to accept
members who cannot afford their dues at this time of economic hardship.
______________________
February 26, 2009 Update
The entire CWVA/CWVI Board met over the
past weekend to focus on the financial downturn which is affecting all
sectors of the American (as well as world) economy. Below are
some of the matters relevant to this meeting:
(1) Congressional staff have forwarded to
us the proposed VA budget of the Obama Administration. As you
can see, we are on a trajectory to see a significant increase in gross
benefits to the Cold War Veterans community despite the budgetary
pressures facing American lawmakers.
(2) We will be expanding the processing
window for CWVA memberships from four to approximately 5-6 weeks to
reduce costs. (NOTE: While the entire CWV/CWVI leadership team
volunteer their services, processing personnel receive remuneration in
accordance with production).
(3) At an upcoming Board meeting, we
will endeavor to craft a strategy towards Cold War Medal legislation which
recognizes the plethora of budget constraints facing our nation.
(4) Recognizing the hardships facing our
members, we would like to thank all of you for your continued support.
Because of the support of our Honor Roll members, we are able to accept
members who cannot afford their dues at this time.
______________________
February 6, 2009 Update
Photos are now posted of the CWVA
Commemoration of Veterans Day 2008.
______________________
January 21, 2009 Update
(1) CWVI/CWVA hosted an Open
House on Inauguration Day (January 20th). There were numerous
guests including many (Kansas City-area) Cold War Veterans.
(2) The latest batch of CWVA
membership cards was processed this past weekend and mailed on
Inauguration Day (January 20th).
(3) There is a special
announcement for Pennsylvania veterans.
______________________
December 17, 2008 Update
(1) The latest batch of CWVA
membership cards was processed over the weekend and mailed on Monday
(December 15th).
(2) CWVI/CWVA Board members met this past
weekend and discussed the Colin Powell announcement that he believes the "don't
ask, don't tell" policy (which he helped craft) needs to be
revisited. His announcement coincides with similar statements
emanating from senior officers currently serving in our nation's armed
forces. In light of this likely change in policy, the board has
issued the following statement:
"The CWVA joins with Retired
General Colin Powell in calling for a review of the US Military's "don't
ask, don't tell" policy, regarding gays in the military (which is
enshrined in statutory language). Our only difference with General
Powell is that we believe senior enlisted personnel should play a role in
crafting any revision as they would be responsible for the implementation
of any such revised policy."
(3) The following is a status report
on Cold War Medal legislation:
Until the new Congress takes office in
January, virtually no action can be taken (as pending legislation will
expire and not carry over into the new Congress). Unfortunately, the
two main objectors to the Cold War Medal in the current session —
Senators Carl Levin and John McCain — will still be in a position to
block it. (NOTE: It was announced this week that Levin would remain
as Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.) Further, with
the massive bailout packages and the cost of the pending stimulus package,
it is highly unlikely that a discretionary item such as the Cold War Medal
would survive the appropriations axe.
In short, for the time being our focus
must be on ensuring that the VA is adequately funded. After the
fiscal crisis is addressed and the economy rebounds, we will renew
pleading our case for the awarding and funding of the Cold War Victory
Medal.
______________________
December 11, 2008 Update
(1) On Saturday, December 13, 2009, the
CWVI/CWVA governing board will be meeting. After the meeting,
"the crew" is scheduled to process the latest batch of CWVA
memberships.
(2) The CWVI/CWVA board issued a press
release on December 7th regarding President-Elect Obama's recent
selections of two retired four-star generals to guide the Department of
Veterans Affairs and National Security. We encourage you to
read this release.
(3) The CWVI/CWVA Patriotism Project is
going very well. We recently received THANK YOU LETTERS from about
100 students. Despite what others may say, we believe the younger
folks are going to be the best our nation has ever seen. To all the
young folks out there: Keep up the good work and keep the spirit of
freedom alive!
(4) Yesterday marked the 60th
anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) with
numerous American institutions (including the Cold War Veterans Institute)
calling on the next administration to renew the nation’s commitment to
human rights at home and abroad. The UDHR adopted by the United
Nations General Assembly on Dec. 10, 1948, includes a preamble
and 30 articles declaring human rights for all people.
______________________
November 19, 2008 Update
(1) Now that the 2008 elections are
(nearly*) complete, we are able to provide an update
on the Cold War Victory Medal. (*At the time of committing
this to publication, the Minnesota and Georgia Senate races remain
unresolved as do a number of House races.)
(2) The CWVI/CWVA Patriotism Project is
now underway. CWVA members have begun teaching about Military
Service and the United States Constitution in Kansas City area public
schools. Beginning in 2009, CWVA members will be doing the same for
Kansas City area Boy Scouts.
(3) The CWVA
would like to thank Newsday (one of the nation's largest
newspapers in terms of distribution) for their highlighting of our efforts
in New York and Massachusetts.
(4) Note to Firefox users: We hope to
have your browser problems resolved soon.
(5) Note
to Kansas
Veterans
The Kansas National Guard
is seeking KSNG Scouts & Augumentee's for State Service (only). These
Title 32 Positions work closely with either the Joint Operations Center or
State Emergency Operations
Center in Topeka.
KSNG Scouts must have 10 years Service time, Active or Reserve.
Augumentee's must have a DD 214 reflecting Honorable and Measurable
Service. Those selected, when called to duty receive State
Active Duty Pay and allowances (E-6 over 6 Minimum). The POC for
this program.
SSG (RET) RJ Keeney
KSNG SCOUT
rjkeeney@hotmail.com
913-217-8767
or call-write
KSNG-JFHQ-JOC
1(785)274-1117
ksjoc@ks.ngb.army.mil
______________________
October 18, 2008 Update
The (not-for-profit) Cold
War Veterans Institute was created to help guide the Cold War Veterans
Association. The Board of Directors of
the Institute is comprised of six individuals with significant and
varied national security expertise. To facilitate board meetings,
all live in the Kansas City Metro area.
The following summary of recent board meetings was
prepared by Connie Curts, a Member of the Board of Directors of the
Cold War Veterans Institute:
In the third quarter of 2008, we
discussed various defense-related and international-policy-related topics
including the following:
- The potential impact on U.S. military
responsibilities before and after Russia invaded Georgia in response
to Georgia’s aggressive actions regarding the breakaway-region
Abkhazia and Ossetia.
- Military response came from Russia
into the region after NATO announced it was going to accept Georgia
into its organization, yet before the actual acceptance occurred.
The implications of having Georgia in NATO mean that an attack on
Georgia is interpreted as an attack on each NATO country, including
the U.S. Since each NATO country is bound to align itself and
respond militarily as needed, vigorous discussions ensued regarding
the availability of U.S. troops, the impact on the stumbling U.S.
economy, the U.S. reputation in the Middle East and in the Baltic
Sea areas.
- The strengths and weaknesses of each
U.S. Presidential and Vice Presidential Candidate regarding U.S.
foreign policy abilities, regardless of experience.
- In addition to evoking many pros and
cons for each candidate, the discussion included Constitutional
topics, including the responsibilities and limits of a Vice
President’s role.
- Each discussion participant had good
points and negative points regarding foreign policy, including the
introduction of "new blood" and the knowledge of current
political situations. However, there was no consensus, by far,
regarding any single best candidate. Issues included:
- Who would be the best military
leader
- Who would best reclaim U.S.
reputation with various allies
- Who would best restore U.S.
reputation with countries currently considered enemies
- Who would best protect U.S.
domestic interests from shifting economic strength and influence
away from the U.S.?
- China’s last-minute revocation of
visas for people wanting to travel to the International Olympics.
- China had legitimate security issues
- Was China retaliating due to
political differences?
- With China opening itself to
capitalistic democratic economic development, did other countries,
such as the U.S., have the right to insist China change specific
political policies, such as the Human Rights policies?
- Originally U.S. President Bush said
that that Olympics were non-political, for athletes only. Yet after
he arrived in China, he commented on the need for more human rights
in that country. Discussion participants expressed mixed views on
whether such comments were appropriate or not for international
respect and for the sports venue, regardless of our personal
viewpoints on the subject.
_______
As part of the CWVA's participation on a
congressional advisory task force, Chairman Vince Milum sat in the front
row as Congressman Dennis Moore addressed a media conference in the Kansas
City area. The subject was the unacceptably high rate of veterans'
suicides and what steps (including increased funding of V.A. medical care)
are necessary to remedy this situation. The event took place on
September 2, 2008, at the main Johnson County (Kansas) Library.
______________________
July 21, 2008 Update
(1) The CWVI (see July 3 Update
below) held its inaugural board meeting on July 12, 2008. The
next item is a product of that meeting.
(2) CWVI
Liberty Challenge
The Cold War Era was marked by a
totalitarian suppression of the rights of mankind. The forces of freedom
rose to the challenge and helped liberate much of the world. Today that
liberation effort continues with the CWVI Liberty Challenge.
The Liberty Challenge is a call to each
of us to commit to three personal acts of intervention on behalf of those
whose views do not mirror our own. In other words, we commit
ourselves from this day forward to once again answer freedom’s call and
fight for the rights not (only) of those with whom we agree but,
more importantly, those with whom we disagree.
If you are willing to accept this
challenge, we look forward to hearing from you both as to your goals and
to your results. Please feel free to keep us posted at coldwar@coldwarveterans.com
To all of you: Good luck and may the
spirit of liberty continue to spread its wings around the world!
Sincerely,
The CWVI Board of Directors
(Brian, Vince, Lynn N, Connie, Lynne M, Rusty)
______________________
July 3, 2008 Update
(1) The 2009 Membership Year is beginning
for the Cold War Veterans Association. With this new membership
year comes the introduction of a new partner and a new focus for the Cold
War Veterans Association.
[*NOTE: Memberships received from this
day forward will be treated as 2009 Memberships. We are still processing the
last of the 2008 memberships]
Statement of Purpose
The Cold War Veterans Institute is
an organization dedicated to preserving the legacy of freedom fought for
during the Cold War. At the core of this fight was the underlying belief
in the value of each and every human being. This belief is grounded in the
blood, sweat and tears of countless men and women who served both in and
out of uniform.
In the 21st Century, this
noble effort is best sustained by embracing the key principle upon which
freedom is dependent: an enduring commitment to universal human rights. To
this end, the Cold War Veterans Institute is hereby inaugurated.
__________________
(2) The Cold War Veterans Institute is
seeking essays/monographs on the following topics:
Articulating an American Energy Policy
What do you think should be the energy
policy of the United States for the next ten years? Please be sure to
include a discussion of renewable energy sources as well as fiscal
incentives and penalties using the Internal Revenue Code.
Articulating an American Immigration
Policy
What do you think should be the
immigration policy of the United States for the next ten years? Please be
sure to include a discussion of ethno-demographics in your response.
Integrating Eastern and Western Europe
Discuss the benefits and detriments of
continued integration of Eastern Europe into the Western system including
to what extent Turkey should be integrated.
Did China win the Cold War?
With Western democracies experiencing
stagflating economies and China on the ascendancy, can an argument be made
that the Cold War did not end with the Soviet Union formally dissolving in
December 1991 but with the Communist Chinese riding out the bipolar epic
and on the verge of capturing the banner of the world’s leading
hegemonic power?
Email essays/monographs to coldwar@coldwarveterans.com
__________________
(3) Due to a scheduling conflict of
staff, the 2008 memberships that were due to be processed over the last
weekend of June will now be processed over the July 19-20 weekend. We
apologize for this long delay.
__________________
(4) Like a number of other entities our
email provider is being overwhelmed by spam. Due to its aggressive
efforts to police this situation, a number of legitimate emails are not
being received by us. If you have not received a response from us in
two weeks, we ask that you attempt to recontact us with a very brief email
with no attachments or embedded images (including but not limited to
wallpaper).
______________________
June 9, 2008 Update
(1) Once again Richard Isaac and Nils
Parr represented the Cold War Veterans Association at the annual Memorial
Day Commemoration at Arlington National Cemetery.
(2) All pending CWVA memberships
that were received via mail by June 7th, have been mailed. (THANKS
to Norm for working hard over the weekend to get us caught up!)
(3) A special Honor Roll THANK YOU
goes out to all of you who help underwrite the memberships of those who
are unable to afford the cost of CWVA Membership. Your ongoing
service to your fellow veterans is truly appreciated.
(4)
May 1st
(2008) was once again recognized as Cold
War
Victory
Day
around the nation. Please visit our Cold
War Victory Day home page for more information.
In conjunction with
Cold
War
Victory
Day, a drawing
was held for a brand
new
AM-FM
CD
Player. Cold War Veterans
Lynn
Norris
and Brian
Lawrence
conducted the drawing (see photo below). Eligible for the drawing were all
Platinum, Gold and Silver Honor Roll members. The winner was CWVA Platinum
member
José
Alfaras.
(NOTE: Holding the drawing prize in the photo is CWVA database
administrator
Norm
Kinnaugh.)

______________________
Join
the
CWVA
or
renew
your
membership
today:
Join
/ Renew
Thanks
to
our Honor
Roll
Members
______________________
Special Email Message: The CWVA
recently experienced a number of disruptions to our email service
recently. If you have sent us an email message during the months of
April and May and did not respond, we ask that you resubmit any messages
to the following: comments@coldwarveterans.com
We apologize for the inconvenience.
______________________
The
minutes
for
the
October
15,
2007
meeting
of
Congressman
Dennis
Moore's
Military
and
Veterans
Affairs
Task
Force
are
now
available
______________________
As
previously
announced
by
the
CWVA
(see
the
bottom
of
CWVA
News
below),
an
integrated
(i.e.,
seamless)
disability
system
for
DoD
and
VA
is
in
the
works. The
following
is
the first
formal
announcement
as
to
the
status/progress
of
that
integration:
VA
and
DoD
Pilot
Single
Physical:
One
Exam
Used
for
"Fitness
for
Duty"
and
Disability
Pay
Opening
paragraph:
In a
landmark
agreement
to
simplify
life
for
service
members
with
medical
problems
as
they
leave
the
military
and
return
to
the
civilian
world,
the
Department
of
Veterans
Affairs
(VA)
and
the
Department
of
Defense
(DoD)
signed
a
memorandum
to
pilot
a
single
physical
examination
to
be
used
by
both
Departments.
______________________
Number
of
uninsured
veterans
nears
2
million
By
Gregg
Zoroya,
USA
TODAY
WASHINGTON
—
The
number
of
uninsured
veterans
jumped
sharply
in
the
first
half
of
the
decade
to
1.8
million
in
2004,
a
new
study
shows.
Conducted
by
researchers
at
the
Harvard
Medical
School,
the
study
shows
the
uninsured
veteran
population
rose
twice
as
fast
as
the
uninsured
in
the
general
population.
The
increase
in
veterans
lacking
insurance
coincides
with
Bush
administration
policies
aimed
at
limiting
the
number
of
veterans
eligible
for
VA
coverage,
according
to
the
study
published
online
Tuesday
in
the American
Journal
of
Public
Health.
In
2002,
the
administration
stopped
marketing
veterans
health
care
and,
in
January
2003,
cut
off
access
to
future
veterans
earning
more
than
$30,000
to
$35,000
annually
on
average.
Both
times,
VA
officials
cited
budgetary
constraints
and
backlogs
in
untreated
patients.
Only
a
minority
of
veterans
—
those
disabled
by
military
service
—
are
automatically
eligible
for
VA
care,
the
study
says.
Coverage
continues
for
veterans
already
enrolled,
poor
veterans,
Purple
Heart
recipients
and
former
prisoners
of
war.
"Most
uninsured
veterans
are
low-
to
middle-income
workers
who
may
be
too
poor
to
afford
private
coverage
but
are
not
poor
enough
to
qualify
for
Medicaid
for
Medicaid
or
free
VA
care,"
the
study
says.
Click
here
for
the
complete
story
As
we
have
stated
previously,
addressing
this
issue
is
paramount
on
the
CWVA
legislative
agenda.
______________________
CWVA
Chairman
Vince
Milum
(who
is
an
Army
veteran)
is serving
on a
nine-member
task
force
for
the
third
(U.S.)
congressional
district
in
Kansas.
"The
primary
purpose
of
the
task
force
is
to
look
at
what
Congress
and
the
[Bush]
Administration
are
doing
for
yesterday’s
and
today’s
defenders
of
freedom
[and
to
give
our]
thoughts
and
recommendations
about
how
these
actions
are
affecting
Third
District
residents
and
how
further
actions
can
benefit
[third
district]
residents
and
families."
The
task
force
is chaired
by a
retired
Marine
Corps
(Brigadier)
General.
"The
Task
Force
is
nonpartisan
and
[is]
autonomous
in
that
its
considerations
and
recommendations
[are]
up
to
the
members
to
determine." At
its meeting
on
October
15,
2007,
the
3rd
District
task
force
reviewed
the
report
generated
by
the
Veterans'
Disability
Commission
entitled,
"Honoring
The
Call
To
Duty:
Veterans'
Disability
Benefits
in
the
21st
Century".
Forthcoming
from
the
reviewed
report
will
be
the
implementation
of a
new
VA
Rating
Schedule
along
with
an
integrated
(i.e.,
seamless)
disability
system
for
DoD
and
VA.
On
October
16,
2007,
President
Bush
proffered
new
federal
guidelines
for
implementing
recommendations
from
the
Dole-Shalala
report*
which
had
been
the
previous
subject
of
review
by
the
nine-member
task
force.
(*The
formal
title
of
the
Dole-Shalala
report
is
the "Report
of
the
President’s
Commission
on
Care
for
America’s
Returning
Wounded
Warriors".) For
an
announcement
regarding
the
forthcoming
integrated
disability
system,
see: VA
and
DoD
Pilot
Single
Physical:
One
Exam
Used
for
"Fitness
for
Duty"
and
Disability
Pay
Opening
paragraph:
In a
landmark
agreement
to
simplify
life
for
service
members
with
medical
problems
as
they
leave
the
military
and
return
to
the
civilian
world,
the
Department
of
Veterans
Affairs
(VA)
and
the
Department
of
Defense
(DoD)
signed
a
memorandum
to
pilot
a
single
physical
examination
to
be
used
by
both
Departments.
______________________
Join
the CWVA or
renew your
membership
today!
Thanks to our Honor
Roll Members
for
your
continued
support
|