Doc McKelvie's Office A Place For Veterans & Active/Reserve Duty Personnel, Whether Military OR Civilian Services (e.g. - Emergency Services: Fire, Rescue, Police, Medical), To Come Together And Share Information and Experiences
Click here to Request an Invitation
For the time being all requests to join will be handled by Outsider.
Just click link above to send an email the subject line will be added automatically.
Thank you,
The managment
Forum History
Board Founded By: Doc McKelvie
Founded: 09 Aug 2006
Moved to FPB: 29 April 2007
Who is Online
In total there is 1 user online :: 0 Registered, 0 Hidden and 1 Guest
The DAV was formed shortly after World War I along with a few other similar veterans organizations dedicated to ensuring that the United States government keep its promise to it veterans for serving their country and going into harms way when needed.
DAV History:
The beginnings of Disabled American Veterans followed the wake of World War I, when thousands of American doughboys came home to an America that was not prepared to care for the carnage of war. More than 4.7 million Americans served, 53,500 were lost in combat. Accidents and illnesses (mostly from the deadly Spanish flu pandemic) took the lives of 63,000. More than 200,000 soldiers were wounded during the war.
America was not prepared to go to war or face its aftermath, especially caring for the sick and wounded. Months after returning home, half of the 4 million soldiers were released from military service. With the country drained of its economic resources due to the war, there was little funding available to help war veterans in search of employment and medical care. Within a year, 4 million Americans were jobless, broke and past hope. Recession and unemployment crippled the American economy. As a result, veterans were left to fend for themselves, especially those who were disabled. Jobs were almost nonexistent for these men.
The few government agencies charged with responsibility for veterans were under funded, often working at cross-purposes and required veterans seeking help to complete an abundance of bureaucratic paperwork, much to the dismay of veterans. Many gave up, finding themselves having to look to each other for help. It was in this environment that groups of disabled veterans gathered together across the country, some for social purposes, others working to raise money and create jobs for their comrades.
The Ohio Mechanics Institute (OMI), a training school for disabled veterans, asked for help from celebrated disabled veterans. Enter Cincinnati-born Captain Robert S. Marx, a wounded veteran who upon recovery returned to his law practice in Cincinnati, won a Superior Court judgeship and became the champion of the disabled veterans cause. He was an exceptional organizer, a captain of industry and a natural born leader.
In 1920 he was instrumental in the establishment of the Disabled American Veterans of the World War (DAVWW). A year later he called a caucus of disabled veteran groups from around the nation. The caucus of 250 veterans met in Cincinnati and created a national organization which was divided into state and local chapters. Judge Marx traveled to some 32 states to build local chapters.
His tireless efforts in this endeavor earned him the title of the “Father of the DAV.” The history of the DAV is the story of victory and defeat, success and near disaster, but always the commitment to build better lives for disabled veterans and their families. By holding to this single purpose the DAV is today the finest veterans service organization in the world—offering free services to millions of veterans each year.
To Be Continued:
See you ASAP. Meanwhile, take care and all my best to you and yours.
Originaly Posted: Tue Nov 28, 2006 11:59 am
By: DocMcKelvie
Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA)
History of the VVA as taken from its official website via http://www.vva.org/ :
Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) is the only national Vietnam veterans organization congressionally chartered and exclusively dedicated to Vietnam-era veterans and their families.
By the late 1970s, it was clear the established veterans groups had failed to make a priority of the issues of concern to Vietnam veterans. As a result, a vacuum existed within the nation's legislative and public agenda. In January 1978, a small group of Vietnam veteran activists came to Washington, D.C., searching for allies to support the creation of an advocacy organization devoted exclusively to the needs of Vietnam veterans. VVA, initially known as the Council of Vietnam Veterans, began its work. At the end of its first year of operation in 1979, the total assets were $46,506.
Council members believed that if the nation's attention was focused on the specific needs of Vietnam veterans, a grateful nation would quickly take remedial steps. However, despite persuasive arguments before Congress, which were amplified by highly supportive editorials printed in many leading American newspapers, they failed to win even a single legislative victory to bring new and needed programs into creation to help Vietnam veterans and their families.
It soon became apparent that arguments couched simply in terms of morality, equity, and justice were not enough. The U.S. Congress would respond to the legitimate needs of Vietnam veterans only if the organization professing to represent them had political strength. In this case, strength translated into numbers which meant membership. By the summer of 1979, the Council of Vietnam Veterans had transformed into Vietnam Veterans of America, a veterans service organization made up of, and devoted to, Vietnam veterans.
Hindered by the lack of substantial funding for development, the growth of membership was at first slow. The big breakthrough came when the American hostages were returned from Iran in January 1981. It was as if America went through an emotional catharsis that put the issues of the Vietnam era on the table for public discussion. The question was asked why parades for the hostages but not for Vietnam veterans? Many veterans complained about the lack of recognition and appreciation for past national service. Vietnam-era veterans wanted action in the form of programs that would place the latest generation of veterans on the same footing as veterans from previous wars.
Membership grew steadily, and for the first time, VVA secured significant contributions. The combination of the public's willingness to talk about the Vietnam War and the basic issues that it raised, as well as the veterans themselves coming forward, was augmented by the nation's dedication of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in November 1982. The week-long activities rekindled a sense of brotherhood among the veterans and a feeling that they shared an experience that was too significant to ignore.
In 1983, VVA took a significant step by founding Vietnam Veterans of America Legal Services (VVALS) to provide assistance to veterans seeking benefits and services from the government. By working under the theory that a veteran representative should be an advocate for the veteran rather than simply a facilitator, VVALS quickly established itself as the most competent and aggressive legal-assistance program available to veterans. VVALS published the most comprehensive manual ever developed for veteran service representatives, and in 1985, VVALS wrote the widely acclaimed Viet Vet Survival Guide -- over 150,000 copies of which are now in print.
The next several years saw VVA grow in size, stature, and prestige. VVA's professional membership services, veterans service, and advocacy work gained the respect of Congress and the veterans community. In 1986, VVA's exemplary work was formally acknowledged by the granting of a congressional charter.
Today, Vietnam Veterans of America has a national membership of approximately 50,000, with 525 chapters throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Guam. VVA state councils coordinate the activities of local chapters. VVA places great emphasis on coordinating its national activities and programs with the work of its local chapters and state councils and is organized to ensure that victories gained at the national level are implemented locally.
VVA strives for individual and group empowerment and locally originated action to assist veterans and other needy members of their communities. These volunteer programs offer unique and innovative services to an ever-widening population. They include: support for homeless shelters; substance-abuse education projects and crime-prevention campaigns; sponsorship of youth sports, Boy Scouts/Girl Scouts, Big Brothers/Big Sisters; and relief to other communities affected by natural disasters and chronic poverty.
VVA is governed by a national board of directors and by national officers -- 24 women and men democratically elected by VVA delegates, are sent by their respective chapters to biennial conventions. VVA's essential purpose is to promote the educational, economic, health, cultural, and emotional readjustment of the Vietnam-era veteran to civilian life. This is done by promoting legislation and public-awareness programs to eliminate discrimination suffered by Vietnam veterans.
VVA's government-relations efforts combine the three ingredients essential to success in the legislative arena -- lobbying, mobilizing constituents, and working with the media -- to achieve its ambitious agenda. Legislative victories have included the establishment and extension of the Vet Center system, passage of laws providing for increased job-training and job-placement assistance for unemployed and underemployed Vietnam-era veterans, the first laws assisting veterans suffering from Agent Orange exposure, and landmark legislation (i.e., Judicial Review of veterans claims) permitting veterans to challenge adverse VA decisions in court. All were enacted largely as a result of VVA's legislative efforts. The Vietnam-era Veterans in Congress (VVIC), formed in 1978, in part through the efforts of VVA, now boasts a membership of nearly 100 members of Congress.
VVA helps to provide greater public awareness of the outstanding issues surrounding Vietnam-era veterans by disseminating written information on a continual basis. The VVA Veteran ®, VVA's award-winning newspaper, is mailed to all VVA members and friends of the organization. In addition, self-help guides on issues such as Agent Orange, to Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, to discharge upgrading are published and made available to anyone interested.
Originaly Posted: Fri Jan 05, 2007 11:31 am
By: DocMcKelvie
The "Military Chaplains Association of the United States of America" was mandated by Congress to support "military and veterans chaplaincy." To learn more about this organization and what is was designed to do; go to its homepage website at the following URL: http://www.mca-usa.org/ . There you will find links to its history and what it is presently doing.
That's it for today folks. More to come ASAP as regards to other Veterans Organizations. Meanwhile, take care and all my best to you and yours.
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
