“Working Together to Share Records Safely, Improve Care”
Washington (Nov. 25, 2009) – The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Kaiser Permanente today announced an exciting program designed to improve care and services to our Nation’s heroes.VA and Kaiser Permanente are launching a pilot program to exchange electronic health record (EHR) information using the Nationwide Health Information Network (NHIN) created by the Department of Health and Human Services.
“The ability to share critical health information is essential to interoperability,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Eric K. Shinseki. “Utilizing the NHIN’s standards and network will allow organizations like VA and the Department of Defense to partner with private sector health care providers to promote better, faster and safer care for Veterans.”
This week, VA and Kaiser Permanente will send a joint letter to Veterans in the San Diego area who receive care from both institutions, to invite Veterans to participate in this first-ever pilot program.Veterans, who respond and ask to participate, will enable their public and private sector health care providers and doctors to share specific health information electronically, safely, securely and privately.This initial pilot is planned to begin in mid-December 2009.
“This partnership demonstrates the power of a large-scale EHR that safely connects several care systems.Securely digitizing American’s health care information is only the first step in realizing the cost saving and improved quality benefits possible with health care technology,” said Andrew M. Wiesenthal, MD, associate executive director of The Permanente Federation. “The reality is that most people receive care from multiple providers.Without the ability for caregivers and patients to have access to their data, all of the time, there is the possibility for wasted time and resources duplicating tests and procedures.Exchange of current health record data at the point of treatment also improves quality, allowing medical decisions to be made quickly, with the relevant background.”
The pilot program connects Kaiser Permanente HealthConnect(r) and the VA’s electronic health record system, VistA, two of the largest electronic health record systems in the country.
The program puts the highest priority on patient privacy and data security, and no exchange of information will occur without the explicit permission of the individual patient. Explicit policies and technologies to safeguard patient information are part of the NHIN. Patient information will not be shared without first obtaining their consent.
Veterans’ access to care will in no way be affected at either institution if they choose not to participate.Patients who do choose to participate will benefit by allowing their doctors at any one of the institutions to obtain key health record information from other participating institutions.
VA, DoD, and HHS have been working closely to create a system that will modernize the way health care is delivered and benefits are administered.DoD will be included in the next phase of the pilot program in early 2010.
“Working Together to Share Records Safely, Improve Care”
Washington (Nov. 25, 2009) – The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Kaiser Permanente today announced an exciting program designed to improve care and services to our Nation’s heroes.VA and Kaiser Permanente are launching a pilot program to exchange electronic health record (EHR) information using the Nationwide Health Information Network (NHIN) created by the Department of Health and Human Services.
“The ability to share critical health information is essential to interoperability,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Eric K. Shinseki. “Utilizing the NHIN’s standards and network will allow organizations like VA and the Department of Defense to partner with private sector health care providers to promote better, faster and safer care for Veterans.”
This week, VA and Kaiser Permanente will send a joint letter to Veterans in the San Diego area who receive care from both institutions, to invite Veterans to participate in this first-ever pilot program.Veterans, who respond and ask to participate, will enable their public and private sector health care providers and doctors to share specific health information electronically, safely, securely and privately.This initial pilot is planned to begin in mid-December 2009.
“This partnership demonstrates the power of a large-scale EHR that safely connects several care systems.Securely digitizing American’s health care information is only the first step in realizing the cost saving and improved quality benefits possible with health care technology,” said Andrew M. Wiesenthal, MD, associate executive director of The Permanente Federation. “The reality is that most people receive care from multiple providers.Without the ability for caregivers and patients to have access to their data, all of the time, there is the possibility for wasted time and resources duplicating tests and procedures.Exchange of current health record data at the point of treatment also improves quality, allowing medical decisions to be made quickly, with the relevant background.”
The pilot program connects Kaiser Permanente HealthConnect(r) and the VA’s electronic health record system, VistA, two of the largest electronic health record systems in the country.
The program puts the highest priority on patient privacy and data security, and no exchange of information will occur without the explicit permission of the individual patient. Explicit policies and technologies to safeguard patient information are part of the NHIN. Patient information will not be shared without first obtaining their consent.
Veterans’ access to care will in no way be affected at either institution if they choose not to participate.Patients who do choose to participate will benefit by allowing their doctors at any one of the institutions to obtain key health record information from other participating institutions.
VA, DoD, and HHS have been working closely to create a system that will modernize the way health care is delivered and benefits are administered.DoD will be included in the next phase of the pilot program in early 2010.
“Working Together to Share Records Safely, Improve Care”
Washington (Nov. 25, 2009) – The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Kaiser Permanente today announced an exciting program designed to improve care and services to our Nation’s heroes.VA and Kaiser Permanente are launching a pilot program to exchange electronic health record (EHR) information using the Nationwide Health Information Network (NHIN) created by the Department of Health and Human Services.
“The ability to share critical health information is essential to interoperability,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Eric K. Shinseki. “Utilizing the NHIN’s standards and network will allow organizations like VA and the Department of Defense to partner with private sector health care providers to promote better, faster and safer care for Veterans.”
This week, VA and Kaiser Permanente will send a joint letter to Veterans in the San Diego area who receive care from both institutions, to invite Veterans to participate in this first-ever pilot program.Veterans, who respond and ask to participate, will enable their public and private sector health care providers and doctors to share specific health information electronically, safely, securely and privately.This initial pilot is planned to begin in mid-December 2009.
“This partnership demonstrates the power of a large-scale EHR that safely connects several care systems.Securely digitizing American’s health care information is only the first step in realizing the cost saving and improved quality benefits possible with health care technology,” said Andrew M. Wiesenthal, MD, associate executive director of The Permanente Federation. “The reality is that most people receive care from multiple providers.Without the ability for caregivers and patients to have access to their data, all of the time, there is the possibility for wasted time and resources duplicating tests and procedures.Exchange of current health record data at the point of treatment also improves quality, allowing medical decisions to be made quickly, with the relevant background.”
The pilot program connects Kaiser Permanente HealthConnect(r) and the VA’s electronic health record system, VistA, two of the largest electronic health record systems in the country.
The program puts the highest priority on patient privacy and data security, and no exchange of information will occur without the explicit permission of the individual patient. Explicit policies and technologies to safeguard patient information are part of the NHIN. Patient information will not be shared without first obtaining their consent.
Veterans’ access to care will in no way be affected at either institution if they choose not to participate.Patients who do choose to participate will benefit by allowing their doctors at any one of the institutions to obtain key health record information from other participating institutions.
VA, DoD, and HHS have been working closely to create a system that will modernize the way health care is delivered and benefits are administered.DoD will be included in the next phase of the pilot program in early 2010.
Soldiers come out in numbers for a vigil held at the North Fort Hood training site in remembrance of comrades and loved ones who were killed and wounded in the shooting tragedy at the military installation. U.S. Army photo
The American Legion’s Operation Comfort Warriors program is donating gift cards to the men and women who were wounded during the shooting at Fort Hood earlier this month.
“Americans everywhere have reached out to these victims. It’s only appropriate that The American Legion family does its share,” American Legion National Commander Clarence Hill said. “We have sent $3,800 so each of the 38 wounded can receive $100 gift cards to use at the Fort Hood AAFES (post exchange). This is on top of the $10,000 of electronic games and instruments we sent in Operation Comfort Warriors donations to Fort Hood just prior to the shootings. These gifts won’t make the injuries go away, but they do show that we care.”
Hill said Operation Comfort Warriors meets needs for wounded servicemembers that often go unfulfilled.
“The government does a good job of providing the necessities,” he said. “Through Operation Comfort Warriors we have been able to provide gifts to troops in military hospitals everywhere. These are items that usually don’t appear in government budgets, such as personal sweat suits, iPods, DVDs, phone calling cards and other comfort goods. The American Legion is challenging its members and friends to continue giving to those who have already given us so much.”
The American Legion has already raised more than $217,000 for Operation Comfort Warriors since its inception last December. Upon taking office in August, Hill set a goal to raise an additional $100,000 by year’s end. Donors can make online contributions at http://www.legion.org/ocw or by sending a check to Operation Comfort Warriors, P.O. Box 1055, Indianapolis, IN 46206. The American Legion, allowing 100 percent of the donations to be spent directly on the troops, pays administrative and promotional costs for Operation Comfort Warriors.
“Some people think that expecting $100,000 during an economic recession is too lofty a goal. I don’t,” Hill said. “Americans are generous, and what better way is there to show our holiday spirit than to remember those who have served and are still serving?”
In less than four days, nearly 9,000 votes were tallied in the poll, which was delivered last Thursday to more than 197,000 subscribers of The American Legion Online Update, a weekly e-newsletter. The question – “Should the victims of the Fort Hood shooting receive the Purple Heart?” – drew an all-time record for number of responses in the “Big Q”, a weekly poll that asks a question pertaining to a hot topic in the military community.
Forty-four percent (3,826 as of Nov. 23) of the votes opposed issuing the medals “because the Purple Heart should only be awarded for those wounded on the field of battle in a combat theater.”
Thirty-six percent (3,094) voted that the victims deserve Purple Hearts “because they were victims of an enemy attack in the war on terror.” Another 15 percent (1,309) supported Purple Hearts for the Fort Hood victims as an exception to standard policy for the prestigious medal, which is awarded for battle wounds received in a combat theater.
Visitors of The American Legion Burn Pit blog site weighed in on the issue. “I think we all need to come to terms that this was a terroristic attack,” one commenter wrote on the site. “We are charged with defending the United States against all enemies … foreign and domestic. This one just happened to be a domestic enemy within our ranks who committed an act of terror.”
Maj. Nidal M. Hasan, a Fort Hood Army psychiatrist who went on a shooting rampage that left 13 dead, is paralyzed from the chest down after receiving gunshot wounds during the Nov. 5 attack. He will remain confined until his court-martial for 13 counts of pre-meditated murder.
Another contributor to the Burn Pit wrote that the 13 fatalities were victims “of a crime committed by one of their own who had severe mental issues. I think this would cheapen this medal down to a personal-award status (like a Good Conduct Medal) where whoever gets a paper cut or splinter can whine and get one. Let us not undermine the intent of this award, based on a tugging of the heartstrings.
The issue continues to smolder in the Burn Pit blog site, which received more than 200 comments on the matter in just four days.
Rep. John Carter, R-Texas, introduced legislation last week that would make Fort Hood massacre victims eligible for benefits and honors – such as the Purple Heart – similar to those received by any U.S. servicemember killed or wounded by enemy attack in a combat zone. Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., who has described the Fort Hood attack as the worst terrorist assault on U.S. soil since 9/11, introducedcompanion legislation.
“Let The American Legion know what you think in the comments.”
November 19th, 2009 by MOTHAX
First, two important caveats that need to be clear before we proceed.
1) The American Legion does not have a position on the awarding of the Purple Heart Medal to the wounded and dead of the Fort Hood attacks. I’m going to be as neutral in discussing the facts and legal issues involved as much as humanly possible, but should any of my biases intrude in this largely objective discussion, they are mine and mine alone.
2) I am not a lawyer, I do not play one on TV, and I did not sleep in a Holiday Inn Express last night. While I have graduated from a law school, I have not as yet taken that little quiz offered, passage of which allows you to pay an exorbitant fee each year to be a member of a bar which serves no Guinness. So, if you are looking for legal advice, I advise you to contact someone who knows the law, and not this blogger. You wouldn’t contact an astronomer to work on your car, so don’t contact me if you are incarcerated.
Now, let’s begin with the “facts” as we currently perceive them, which is not to say they are facts, anymore so than the earlier “facts” that the shooter(s) was/were three people, one of whom had assumed room temperature on account of severe lead poisoning.
On November 5th at roughly 1:30 in the afternoon, Major Nidal Malik Hasan is alleged to have entered the Soldier Readiness Processing (SRP) Station on Ft Hood just outside Killeen, Texas, and opened fire on soldiers and civilians present. 13 people were killed (one of which was pregnant) and at least 30 people were injured. It is further alleged that before he opened fire Major Hasan jumped on a desk and yelled “Allahu Akbar!” which means “God is Good.” Subsequent reporting from various news sources (by way of leaks in the investigation) suggests that Major Hasan had contacted Anwar al-Awlaki, a Muslim imam who had previously been linked to several of the 9/11 conspirators. Additionally, colleagues of Hasan’s have gone public with various allegations that he uttered words that might be construed as extremist in nature in forums both public and private.
Now, some of those facts may be debatable, but for the purposes of our discussion, let us accept for now their validity.
Representative John Carter of Texas represents the district, which Fort Hood is located in. He has introduced a bill, which among other things calls for:
For purposes of the laws specified below, a member of the Armed Forces or civilian employee of the Department of Defense who was killed or wounded by gunfire in the shootings that occurred at Fort Hood, Texas, on November 5, 2009, shall be deemed—
(1) In the case of a member, to have been killed or wounded in a combat zone as the result of an act of an enemy of the United States; and
(2) In the case of a civilian employee of the Department of Defense, to have been killed or wounded while serving with the Armed Forces in a contingency operation or to have been killed or wounded in a terrorist attack.
Covered Laws
1) Would make the military service members injured by gunfire on November 5, 2009 eligible for the award of the Purple Heart (Executive Order 11016).
There are other financial issues involved, but to avoid too much confusion, let’s just stick to this. Now, for those who don’t know, Executive Order 11016 setting forth the criteria for the Purple Heart contains a subsection, which authorizes the award:
(6) After 28 March 1973, as a result of an international terrorist attack against the United States or a foreign nation friendly to the United States, recognized as such an attack by the Secretary of the Army, or jointly by the Secretaries of the separate armed Services concerned if persons from more than one service are wounded in the attack.
So, that is the appropriate place to start. Now, most people probably wonder why a bill to award the Purple Heart is needed. Fair enough. Two problems arise. First, was this event an “international terrorist attack”? The more important problem though is that in order for the award to be authorized, the SecArmy needs to “recognize” this as an “terrorist attack.”
Major Hasan has been charged in a military court with 13 counts of murder. The possible penalty for this includes corporal punishment. (The Death Penalty.) It is generally accepted that Hasan will be convicted, and the real question that exists now is whether the jury will give him the death penalty. If the SecArmy were to declare this a terrorist attack, the prerequisite for the Purple Heart award, then Major Hasan would have grounds to appeal any conviction by virtue of what is known as “unlawful command influence.” As one military law website aptly stated:
Unlawful Command Influence (UCI) has frequently been called the “mortal enemy of military justice.” UCI occurs when senior personnel, wittingly or unwittingly, have acted to influence court members, witnesses, or others participating in military justice cases. Such unlawful influence not only jeopardizes the validity of the judicial process, it undermines the morale of military members, their respect for the chain of command, and public confidence in the military.
That leaves us in a bit of a quandary. In order to award the Purple Heart it must be deemed terrorism, and yet deeming it terrorism would jeopardize the trial. Put another way, the only person who can speak up also happens to be the one person who cannot speak. You see the problem inherent in this.
Now, this is not the first instance of such an attack-taking place. On 23 March 2003, Sgt Asan Akbar rolled a grenade into an officer tent, and in the ensuing chaos, opened up with his rifle on those fleeing. On 21 April 2005 Akbar was found guilty of two counts of premeditated murder (RIP: CPT. Christopher Seifert, 27, US Army, and Air Force Maj. Gregory Stone, 40) and subsequently sentenced to die by lethal injection. That case is currently on appeal.
Now, there are several things that might happen, and I will list them here for you.
1) No award of the Purple Heart is issued to the wounded or those killed.
2) No award of the Purple Heart is issued to the wounded or those killed, however there is financial remuneration equal to what the soldiers and civilians would have received had they received the Purple Heart;
3) Representative Carter’s bill becomes a law, and the soldiers and civilians receive both the Purple Hearts and the money they are entitled to, potentially setting a precedent by which the Congress provides exceptions to the current formulation of the awards process;
4) The mechanism for determining whether an attack is in fact related to terrorism is changed from resting with SecArmy to one outside the chain of command, whether it be with Congress or some other entity;
5) The SecArmy just says screw it and awards the medals, and worries about the legal machinations later.
Now, I am sure there are others I haven’t listed here, and please feel free to enumerate them, but this is what I see as the most likely conclusions.
As I said, The American Legion has no position at this time. It is a more difficult situation than appears at first blush. Some think that TAL should embrace the position that these men were killed as a direct result of the Global War of Terror, and that common sense and justice demand that they be awarded the Purple Hearts, despite there being some potential legal pitfalls and problems stemming from this precedent.
Others have acknowledged that while these troops certain should get all the benefits, it is a scary proposition to allow that determination to be made by Congress. After all, the military is apolitical, while Congress might use their discretion to award such things in the future based on things, which are not entirely altruistic in nature. For instance, do we want Congressmen and Senators dictating who gets awards like the Medal of Honor?
There are a host of positions in between as well. I haven’t run into anyone yet who doesn’t think these guys are entitled to everything we can get for them. The sticking point seems to be the precedent that would be set, and whether to in any way alter a process that has worked well up until now.
I have also heard told of some who do not believe that soldiers injured somewhere other than a battlefield should receive the Purple Heart. I would like it noted, however, that not a single person I have talked to believes this to be the case, but perhaps someone would like the unenviable task of arguing that point.
So, as The American Legion entertains discussion internally as to what our position will be, the National Commander and National Adjutant have authorized me to make this post, and give you, our Legionnaires and interested parties, the opportunity to speak your mind.
Now, before I set you free to comment, a few points. The right to speak freely does not necessarily imply a right to be heard. By that I mean if I see any comments outside the scope of this discussion, which are improper in some way, you may find them relegated to the dustbin of cyberspace. For instance, no President is involved in this discussion. Anyone saying we should “Try Bush for War Crimes First!” or “Our President is a Muslim and not an American!” will be deleted. Let’s stick to the facts of the case. Also, religion is not a discussion item either. This is legal and political, not religious. So please do not engage in any conversation that might be construed as racial, bigoted or prejudicial. I know you all are better than that, but it needed to be said.
So, I grant you the floor, what say you My Readers? While you are at it, go vote on the Big Q today, which deals with this issue.
To participate in this discussion go to http://burnpit.legion.org/2009/11/the-legal-issues-involved-in-the-fort-hood-purple-heart-medal-discussions/
Imagine you spend the better part of your adult life with your soul mate. You marry and have children, and your spouse completes his/her military service. Your spouse was always very responsible, so during service sets aside a portion for the Survivor Benefits Plan. Then your spouse dies from a service-connected condition.
Now imagine that there is a law that says you have to marry again after age 57, or risk losing some of the money put into the savings plan. I know, too absurd to even think about, right? Unfortunately, that is the law of the land.
Nona Chubboy’s husband, an officer in the Navy, paid the premiums on a government insurance policy for years, expecting it to help his wife if he died.
Her husband, Louis, died of cancer linked to military atomic testing. But the only way Chubboy can collect the benefit is to do something she finds disloyal to her spouse’s memory.
The Tierra Verde woman would have to remarry. In a seemingly absurd quirk of federal laws on death benefits, up to 54,000 military widows and widowers around the nation are losing up to $13,000 a year in death benefits unless they take another walk down the aisle after age 57.
I don’t generally like to include too much of an article in a post, but this time I need to do so in order to more fully explain it.
The dispute involves monthly payments from two government programs that pay benefits to the surviving spouses or children of veterans: the Survivor Benefit Plan and the Dependency and Indemnity Compensation program. The DIC is administered by the VA and pays the spouse of a veteran who dies on active duty or of a service-connected illness or injury after retirement from the military. The SBP, administered by the Pentagon, is akin to a life insurance annuity paid to the spouse or children of active-duty troops or veterans who die for any reason.
Active-duty troops are automatically covered by SBP. But when they retire, they must opt to stay in the program and pay premiums. The government, however, has long barred spouses from collecting both benefits at the same time, regardless of age or marital status. So Uncle Sam subtracts whatever a spouse was owed under the DIC from the payment owed under the SBP — a loss of $1,154 a month for most spouses.
Here’s where it gets even more confusing. Congress passed a law in 2003 that said the surviving spouses of veterans could collect both SBP and DIC at the same time. But there was one condition: Spouses could only do so if they remarried after age 57.
Congress was trying to fix an unrelated problem: DIC payments stopped if a spouse remarried.
The bottom line: The only way to get both benefits is to find a new spouse after your 57th birthday.
SBP and DIC are two separate things, for two separate purposes. The offset is an abomination that needs to end. And this little loophole really makes me mad. If I spend my life with someone, and I suddenly lost that person, I doubt I could find it in me to marry someone else. I haven’t even gotten to the point where I can get a new dog after my last one. I’m just not strong enough to risk further loss. But to punish someone for that doesn’t seem a legitimate goal of our Gov’t. Tell me I’m wrong, but it seems to me the height of absurdity.
To join this discussion go to http://burnpit.legion.org/2009/11/absurd-the-sbpdic-offset-and-re-marriage/
By Andy Romey – The American Legion – November 19, 2009
Linda Wieck’s Camo Quilt Project started in April 2006 when her son-in-law, Todd, asked her to sew him a quilt that he could take to Iraq. His request was simple: just a blanket that was small, camouflage, made with cotton batting and ideal for a first deployment.
That summer, when Todd was training in Camp Shelby, Miss., the 48 soldiers in his unit noticed the quilt and expressed interest in having one. Wieck promptly made a quilt for all of them and shipped them to Camp Shelby before they deployed in July 2006. It was a modest beginning for the Camo Quilt Project, which started as a small volunteer effort in Plymouth, Wisc, but ballooned into something much greater as media of all sizes began reporting on it. Three and a half years later, Wieck and hundreds of volunteers have sent out an estimated 2,175 quilts to servicemembers from as far away as Germany. They’ve received financial backing and donations from all over, and a local company – Glacier Transit & Storage – gave office space to her and her volunteers to use.
“I really enjoy doing this,” Wieck said. “I love to sew. When my son-in-law asked for one and I found there was a demand for them, I decided this is what I’m going to do.”
Servicemembers from all branches can request a quilt. They’re told how much it costs to produce and can choose to donate whatever amount they want. Costs are kept low because of donations and because Wieck buys fabrics from a thrift supplier on the east coast.
“Some (servicemembers) give a little bit because that’s all they have. Some give hundreds of dollars,” Wieck said.
Donations for quilts are sent to Franklin Post 387 in Plymouth. The American Legion facilitates the funds to Wieck and her volunteers, and the quilts are produced and shipped out. Many of the project’s volunteers are from the Legion family.
“The American Legion is my sponsor,” Wieck said. “All my funds go through The American Legion. They have been on board with me since day one.”
Last week, it was discovered that a soldier killed in the Fort Hood shooting tragedy received a camo quilt in September. Sgt. Amy Krueger, who was from the nearby town of Kiel, Wis., had sent in a request for quilts for the other 45 soldiers in her unit shortly after she received hers.
When Wieck and her volunteers realized Krueger was one of the 13 servicemembers slain in the tragedy, they set out to fulfill her request. On Saturday, the Camo Quilt Project will ship out 45 specially tailored quilts to Krueger’s comrades. The blankets will have ribbon and card sewn into them, recognizing that they were produced in Krueger’s honor.
By James V. Carroll – The American Legion – November 19, 2009
Blue caps, blue and white caps, white caps, and red caps are familiar headgear worn by members of The American Legion that signify hierarchy within the organization.
But what’s with those purple berets and garrison caps Legionnaires sport during Washington Legislative Conferences and national conventions? And who is authorized to wear them?
The select few Legionnaires donning the colorful chapeau are members of ANAVICUS, – Army, Navy and Air Force Veterans in Canada, United States – an offshoot of ANAVIC, a Canadian veterans organization first authorized by Queen Victoria in 1840. It was Queen Victoria who granted permission for the members to wear berets of Royal purple.
ANAVIC members were originally recruited from veterans of the War of 1812-14, Wellington’s Army and the Royal Navy of the Napoleonic Wars. Veterans of the Indiana Mutiny and other engagements filled the ranks until those of the South African War, World Wars I and II and Korea swelled the ranks to its present total.
In 1917, the Canadian Parliament chartered the Army and Navy Veterans in Canada and in 1946 amended the Act to include the Air Force. In 1948, Sir Jack Wilkins, Dominion President of ANAVIC, visited the Legion’s National Convention in Miami. At the behest of National Chaplain Frank L. Harrington, Wilkins presented an honorary life membership to National Commander James F. O’Neill. During the ensuing five years, 59 Legionnaires were presented Honorary Life memberships in ANIVIC, including President Harry S. Truman, a charter member of Legion Post 8 in Kansas City, Mo., and life member of Post 21 in Independence, Mo.
The honorary U.S. members began to meet informally, and during a dinner meeting at the 1952 Legion National Convention in New York, they asked the Canadian officers for permission to found a U.S. unit. Under power of the Canadian Parliament, ANAVIC presented a charter to ANAVICUS during the 1953 National Convention in Saint Louis where the first ANAVICUS convention meeting was held. Lt. Gen. Lewis B. Hershey was elected president, a post he served until his death in 1977. The first annual Washington Conference breakfast meeting was organized by then-National Commander Charles L. Bacon.
In the following years, most American Legion founders, past national commanders and other distinguished Legionnaires were inducted into ANAVICUS – a tradition that continues annually at the national convention and Washington Conference. New members are installed by the Dominion President. Today, more than 1,100 Legionnaires wear the ANAVICUS Royal purple beret or cap.
In 1982, the ANAVICUS executive committee voted to establish and fund a memorial to Past National Commander Harry W. Colmery, who authored the original GI Bill. The memorial is located at American Legion National Headquarters in Indianapolis. At that meeting, the committee also established its first scholarship, a cash award to a cadet at the Royal Canadian Military College.
In addition to the RCMC award, ANAVICUS presents nine other scholarships. The cash awards are based on compassion, athletics, leadership and scholarship. Each scholarship is presented in memory of prominent ANAVICUS members.
The scholarships are:
• The Army, Navy and Air Force Veterans in Canada, United States Unit Scholarship presented to a cadet at the Royal Canadian Military College, Kingston, Ontario.
• The Father Edward J. Carney Scholarship given to a sophomore or junior at Merrimack College, North Andover, Mass. Carney was Past National Chaplain and long-time chaplain of ANAVICUS.
• The Rev. Frank L. Harrington Scholarship given to a sophomore or junior at Carroll College, Helena, Mont. Harrington was a past national chaplain.
• Gen. Lewis B. Hershey Scholarship presented to a sophomore or junior at Tri State University, Angola, Ind. Hershey was a leading force in establishing ANAVICUS and its first president.
• The James F. O’Neil Scholarship is given to a sophomore or junior at Saint Anselm College, Manchester, N.H. O’Neil was a Past National Commander and Past President of ANAVICUS
• The Gen. Frank R. Schwengel Scholarship is given to a sophomore or junior at Iona College, New Rochelle, N.Y. Schwengel was a leading force in the formation of ANAVICUS and a member of its executive committee.
• E. Roy Stone, Jr. Scholarship is given to an ROTC Cadet student at Furman University, Greenville, S.C. Stone was past national commander and longtime distinguished member of ANAVICUS. He was an alumnus of Furman University.
• The Daniel F. Foley Scholarship is given to an outstanding student in Canada who is a direct descendent of a member of Army, Navy and Air Force veterans in Canada. Applications are reviewed by ANAVIC. Foley was American Legion national commander and a longtime ANAVICUS president.
During its 55-year history, ANAVICUS has had four presidents. Gen. Hershey served for 24 years from 1953 to 1977. American Legion Past National Commander O’Neil (1947-48) presided from 1978 through 1980. Past National Commander Daniel F. Foley (1963-64) was president from 1981 to 2002. Past National Commander John P. Jake Comer (1987-88) has served since 2002.
November 16, 2009 – In early November, the Department of Veterans Affairs acknowledged three more diseases as li
ked to Agent Orange exposure. B cell leukemias (like hairy cell leukemia), Parkinson’s disease and ischemic heart disease are now officially recognized by VA as connected to Agent Orange – the herbicide used by the U.S. military during the Vietnam War.
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Since the 1980s, the controversial defoliant has been associated with a number of diseases and afflictions. VA formally acknowledges a list of them. It’s i
portant that Vietnam veterans become familiar and stay up-to-date with this list, as studies are still ongoing into the affects of Agent Orange.
•Acute and subacu
e transient peripheral neuropathy
•AL amyloidosis
•Chloracne
•Chronic lymphocytic leukemia
•Diabetes mellitus (Type 2)
•Hodgkin’s lymphoma (Hodgkin’s disease)
•Multiple myeloma
•Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
•Porphyria cutanea tarda
•Prostate cancer
•Respiratory cancers, and soft tissue sarcoma (other than osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, Kaposi’s sarcoma, or mesothelioma)
