Reynolds County VFW Post 6660 Newsletter

Reynolds County VFW Post 6660 Newsletter

Randle Tolliver, Commander

For veterans in crisis, the Veterans Crisis Line’s number is “988” then press “1”.

Homebound veterans requiring assistance please contact any member.

Veterans experiencing or at risk for homelessness, please contact any member or the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at (877) 424-3838.

Reynolds County Cub Scout Pack 3403 meetings are suspended for the summer vacation. For more information, contact Anthony Mann at (803) 924-0608.

We will hold an August Flag Retirement Ceremony at 2:30 PM, on 19 August at the Donald L. Cook / Billy J. Swyres Memorial Veterans Center in Centerville.  If you have an American or Missouri flag, you need to retire please contact us.

The next VFW and VFWA meeting will be at 2:30 PM, on 20 August at the Donald L. Cook / Billy J. Swyres Memorial Veterans Center in Centerville.

Our summer raffle is underway and our prizes this year are $250, $150, and $125 Visa Gift Cards. Look for our booths at various locations around the county until after the Reynolds County Fair.

We have started our annual educational awards programs. Students have the opportunity to compete at the local, regional, state and national levels for various awards and scholarships.  The two student programs are Patriot’s Pen and Voice of Democracy.  The students can be in public, parochial, home schools or private schools. The Patriot’s Pen youth essay contest is for middle school students in grades 6-8. Each first place state winner receives a minimum of $500, and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C.  and the national first place winner wins $5,000.  The contest is a 300 to 400-word essay, expressing their views based on this year’s theme  “What are the greatest attributes of our democracy?”  Established in 1947, the Voice of Democracy audio-essay program provides high school students with the opportunity to express themselves in regards to a democratic and patriotic-theme.  Ninth through 12th grade students across the country enter to win a share of more than $1.3 million in educational scholarships and incentives. The first place winner from each state wins a minimum scholarship of $1,000 and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C. The national first place winner receives a $35,000 scholarship paid directly to the recipient’s American university, college or vocational/technical school. This year’s theme is “America: Where do we go from here?”  For more information, please contact Dr. Charles Laramore at (573) 637-2112, or Randy Tolliver, or email post6660@movfw.org.

We continue to ask for your support to urge congress to pass the:

“Guard VA Benefits Act” to reinstate penalties for “Claim Sharks.” The PACT Act of 2022 opened the door to bad actors, “Claim Sharks”, who prey on veterans through aggressive and misleading advertising. These unaccredited entities charge fees as high as 40% of the retroactive payment and 40% of the first year of entitlement payments. Veterans Service Organizations, like the VFW, do not charge fees for claims services and accredited attorneys and agents fees are “capped” by the VA.

“Major Richard Star Act” to end the current policy of reducing Department of Defense (DoD) military retirement pay one dollar for every dollar of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) disability compensation a veteran receives.  Retired pay and service-connected disability compensation are different benefits, earned for different reasons, yet Congress has refused to fix this long-standing injustice. Tell the senate to adopt Amendment 142 to S. 2226, NDAA, which contains the text of S. 344, Major Richard Star Act into the National Defense Authorization Act.

Please call and/or write: Senator Josh Hawley, 115 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington D.C. 20510/(202) 224-6154, Senator Eric Schmitt, B-11 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510/(202) 224-5721, or Congressman Jason Smith, 2418 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 / (202) 225-4404.

Now let us talk a bit about the Civil War in Missouri. 162 years ago this week, the 6,000 strong Union Army of the West commanded by Brigadier General (BG) Nathaniel Lyon and Colonel Franz Sigel attacked the 12,000 Confederate forces under BG Benjamin McCulloch and Missouri State Guard troops under Major General Sterling Price. The Battle of Wilson’s Creek, also known as the Battle of Oak Hills, was the second major battle of the “Trans-Mississippi” Theater of the Civil War following the 5 July Battle of Carthage was fought near Springfield, Missouri. On August 10, Lyon, in two columns, attacked the Confederates on Wilson’s Creek approximately 10 miles southwest of Springfield. Confederate cavalry received the first blow and retreated from the high ground. Confederate infantry attacked the Union forces three times during the day but failed to break through. Eventually, Colonel Sigel’s column was pushed back to Springfield, allowing the Confederates to consolidate their forces against the Union main column commanded by BG Lyon.  Command fell to Major Samuel D. Sturgis when Lyons, and the other senior officer were killed or wounded. Recognizing his men were exhausted and low on ammunition, Major Sturgis ordered a retreat to Springfield. Although a Confederate victory, the Confederate forces were too disorganized to pursue the retreating Union forces. The casualties were about equal on both sides, 1,317 Union and an estimated 1,232 Confederate /Missourian/ Arkansan soldiers. For more information, I recommend “Wilson’s Creek: The Second Battle of the Civil War and the Men Who Fought It” by William Garrett Piston and Richard W. Hatcher.

Now for a few reminders:

For more for information concerning local VA health care call the Poplar Bluff VAMC at (573) 686-4151 or www.poplarbluff.va.gov/services/index.asp .

The VA one-stop telephone number is 1-800-698-2411 and press “0” for immediate assistance. The VA one stop website is VA.gov Home | Veterans Affairs .

The Missouri Veterans Commission (MVC) one-stop Benefits and Resource Portal is (573) 522-4061 or www.veteranbenefits.mo.gov .

To order military service documents such as a DD 214/Separation Document or Official Military Personnel File (OMPF), contact the National Archives, National Personnel Records Center at https://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records, or call (866) 272-6272.

For more information, call (573) 924-2382, email us at post6660@movfw.org or www.facebook.com/Post6660Reynoldsco .

“Here to Serve”