Some of the 'Services' and 'Programs we have available
March 29 Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day
Welcome to Veteran Advocates of Ore-Ida 'a Source for Veteran Resources'
180 W. Idaho Ave, Ontario, Oregon 97914
541-889-1978
BI-MONTHLY ARTICLES AND A FEW STORIES OF INTEREST
Veteran Articles published Bi-monthly
Food Boxed at Veteran Advocates Food Pantry to hand out to Veterans/Military and their Families
Food Boxed at Veteran Advocates Food Pantry to hand out to Veterans/Military and their Families
The Chairman of Veteran Advocates of Ore-Ida, Ronald Verini, writes two articles every month for publication in a Regional Newspaper, this article "TRAVLERS, ALSO A LOCAL COMBAT VET" will be published MARCH 23, 2024. Here is a part of Mr. Verini's article, and you can read the full article by clicking the red bar below.
Travelers, also a Local Combat Veteran…
March 23rd, 2024 Veterans Column by Ronald Verini
We were working the other day at Veteran Advocates of Ore-Ida on a Saturday and this car drives up and a disheveled man and women gets out and walk over and ask if this is the place, they just might be able to get some food? The night before we had extra food left over from the Celebration of Life for our friend and one of VAOI founders Charlene Pelland and we stopped at the Blessed Sacrament church event and picked up the left-over food that was donated by the Knights of Columbus. We thought as hungry they looked, we would invite them in and have a bite.
As we sat there, we learned that the man had served a few years with the Army National Guard in Idaho and the women had a father that served in Vietnam and came back really messed up. The multiple deployments of the man sitting before us has taken its toll on him and both were just trying to get through the day. We were pleased that we could sit and have a meal with them and we loaded them up with a few food boxes to take on their way. I noticed that both of them smoked when we got out to their car to load them up and I started to think about all the folks that come in for food and some of them, obviously a little tipsy on something or smokers. Well getting back to our couple, we sent them on their way on the way to Washington hoping for a better life! Sure, do hope they make it!!
I was thinking the other day, why do some of our poor that are struggling to make ends meet spend money on cigarettes, alcohol, MJ, or even lottery tickets. These all appear to be unnecessary and extravagant, then I realized these items offer a brief moment of relief, obviously at a cost but might offer a short flight from the realities of poverty…
Then I reflected on our military and the men/women that have deployed into war zones and are subject to some of the most violent and horrible atrocities of conflict and understand more about their need to escape the flashbacks or the reality of their war wounds. I really believe that there are times those that have been to war zones and have seen some of the worst that we humans inflict on each other need to find coping mechanisms and hopefully some healthy alternatives to what many of us have done and are doing.
We all need to understand a little more about the mind set of veterans that have served in combat. We need to understand because they are our neighbors. . . TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE PLEASE CLICK THE RED BAR BELOW
Food Boxed at Veteran Advocates Food Pantry to hand out to Veterans/Military and their Families
Food Boxed at Veteran Advocates Food Pantry to hand out to Veterans/Military and their Families
Food Boxed at Veteran Advocates Food Pantry to hand out to Veterans/Military and their Families
MARCH 2024
The Food Pantry at Veteran Advocates of Ore-Ida has really expanded and grown over the last few years. There has been such an increase of our Veteran and Military Families needing help to handle the increasing problems of 'food insecurity'. We do have a 'modest' pantry open every Tuesday and Thursday from 9:30am to 3:30pm. Give a call to 541-889-1978 to let us know you are coming to pick up Food Box. Please let us know how many in your family and about when your coming.
Also, if you are interested in volunteering to help our veterans and the Food Pantry please give us a call or come on in and see what we are doing...
Sometimes the food donations we receive are unable to meet the demands, but we still hand out the product we receive. So if you need a little something to help you get from one paycheck to the other come on down. Each Family can get a Box twice a month.
'WELCOME HOME VIETNAM VETERANS" OFFICIALLY CELEBRATED MARCH 29TH
Food Boxed at Veteran Advocates Food Pantry to hand out to Veterans/Military and their Families
Protect yourself this tax season: Tips for Veterans to avoid scams
Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day – FAQ
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National Vietnam War Veterans Day – Quick Facts
- National Vietnam War Veterans Day recognizes veterans who served in the US military during the Vietnam War.
- President Donald J. Trump signed the Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act of 2017 on March 28, 2017 to officially recognize March 29 as National Vietnam War Veterans Day.
- The act encourages the display of the U.S. flag each year on March 29th.
- The last combat troops were withdrawn on March 29th, 1973 from Vietnam.
- Many veterans who returned home did not receive any recognition for their service.
- These veterans came home to a divided country and many had trouble adjusting to civilian life.
- 45 states and Puerto Rico recognize Vietnam Veterans Day either annually or for a specific year.
- Over 8 million U.S. troops served in Vietnam according to the U.S. Department of Defense.
Protect yourself this tax season: Tips for Veterans to avoid scams
Protect yourself this tax season: Tips for Veterans to avoid scams
Protect yourself this tax season: Tips for Veterans to avoid scams
March 2024
Tax season is upon us, and while it’s a time for many to diligently manage their finances, it’s also a period when scams and fraudsters are on the prowl, targeting unsuspecting individuals, including Veterans and their families. According to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), taxpayers lose millions of dollars each year due to tax-related scams and schemes, making it crucial for everyone—especially Veterans—to stay vigilant and informed to avoid falling victim to these fraudulent activities.
Understanding the threat
Tax frauds and scams come in various forms, from abusive tax providers defrauding clients to schemes involving fraudulent entities and impersonation of IRS officials. Veterans and their families are particularly vulnerable targets, with scammers often exploiting their personal information and circumstances. It’s essential to recognize common tactics used by fraudsters, such as sending fake emails or making threatening phone calls, especially during tax season.
Know your benefits
One crucial aspect for Veterans to remember is that VA benefits are tax-free, and there is no federal income tax on VA insurance proceeds. Additionally, Veterans with a service-connected disability rating may be eligible for local property tax exemptions. Understanding these benefits can help Veterans differentiate between legitimate communication from the IRS and potential scams.
Utilize identity protection tools
The IRS has introduced Identity Protection (IP) PINs as an extra layer of security to combat tax-related identity theft. By enrolling in the IP PIN program, taxpayers receive a unique six-digit number to verify their identity when filing their federal tax returns. This not only helps prevent identity theft but also provides added protection for those who have been victims of tax-related fraud in the past. Taxpayers can request an IP PIN annually through the Get an IP PIN tool by verifying their identity.
Before applying for an IP PIN, review the following information:
- This is a voluntary program.
- Taxpayers must pass an identity verification process.
- Spouses and dependents are eligible for an IP PIN if they can verify their identities.
- An IP PIN is valid for one calendar year.
- Taxpayers must obtain a new IP PIN each filing season.
- Correct IP PINs must be entered on electronic and paper tax returns to avoid rejections and delays.
Unmistakable signs the Grinch is actually a veteran
Protect yourself this tax season: Tips for Veterans to avoid scams
Unmistakable signs the Grinch is actually a veteran
By Sarah Sicard, Observation Post
Since Dr. Seuss first introduced him in 1957, the ultimate Christmas grump has taken the form of the amorphous green meanie known as “The Grinch.”
Depicted as a roughly middle-aged curmudgeon with no family or friends, the Grinch’s past is relatively unknown beyond a brief backstory that suggests he was an orphan.
When the Grinch chooses to steal Christmas, however, his actions happen to be rather consistent with the training and attitude of an angry veteran. Here are a handful of unmistakable signs the Grinch is actually prior military.
The attitude
The Grinch’s mood mirrors that of a classic driver seat-ranting veteran — mad at the world yet rather disconnected from it.
PSYOPS
The choice to steal Christmas is not so much about taking physical gifts as it is about crushing the spirits of the Whos. The recognition that he can destroy the morale of an entire town is extremely top brass.
The service dog
Max is trained to go above and beyond the normal duties of man’s — or green monster’s — best friend. From being an emotional companion to driving the Grinch’s getaway sleigh, he always rises to meet his owner’s challenges.
Explosives knowledge
The Grinch’s use of a makeshift flamethrower to burn down Whoville’s Christmas tree illustrates clear explosive ordnance training. Accidentally blowing up a gas line while driving a mini-car, however, is also the kind of reckless thing a member of the E-4 mafia might do.
The schedule
“4:00, wallow in self-pity. 4:30, stare into the abyss. 5:00, solve world hunger, tell no one. 5:30, jazzercize; 6:30, dinner with me. I can’t cancel that again. 7:00, wrestle with my self-loathing. I’m booked. Of course, if I bump the loathing to 9, I could still be done in time to lay in bed, stare at the ceiling and slip slowly into madness,” notes the Grinch as he ponders his day. The regimen mirrors that of many a veteran home longing for the days of deployment.
He lives in the wilderness
Many veterans prefer an off-the-grid existence, post-service. In the Grinch’s case, it’s a solitary cave-like home on Mount Crumpit. It’s outdoorsy, far from society, and even has a few characteristics of a doomsday prepper’s domicile.
Your 2024 State Veteran Benefits
Protect yourself this tax season: Tips for Veterans to avoid scams
Unmistakable signs the Grinch is actually a veteran
January 2024 by Jim Absher Military.com
Everyone knows about the federal benefits available to veterans, but did you know many states also offer great benefits to their veterans? State benefits range from free college and employment resources to free hunting and fishing licenses. Most states also offer tax breaks for their veterans and specialized license plates, and some states even provide their veterans with cash bonuses just for serving in the military.
We have compiled a handy summary of the benefits each state and territory offers. Each summary page also has a link directly to the specific State Department of Veterans Affairs, so be sure to check it out. There may be a benefit available to you or your family that you didn't know about!. To choose your State click on the Red Bar below
Army major honors fallen soldiers
with Native eagle feathers in hair
Marvh 2024 by Patty Nieberg, Task & Purpose
Granted a religious accommodation to wear eagle feathers, Maj. Patrick Sorensen said each represent a fallen soldier or comrade he has served with.
An Army Major who posted portraits in full uniform while wearing traditional Native American eagle feathers in his hair, said the pictures are a tribute to both his Native identity and fallen soldiers he served with.
“We wear these medals on our chest and they represent the different achievements and deployments and things that we’ve gone through in our military service,” Maj. Patrick Sorensen told Task & Purpose. “For me, I think it’s more important that I recognize and remember my soldiers and so I wear my five feathers to represent the soldiers that I’ve lost.”
Sorensen, a marketing and public affairs officer at the Army’s Training and Doctrine Command, or TRADOC, is one of just a handful of military members granted a religious exemption to wear Native American dress and hairstyles with his Army uniform. When he posted new headshots with the eagle feathers on his personal Facebook page this week, the pictures quickly garnered more than 2,000 shares and 1,000 comments.
Sorensen told Task & Purpose that he has a religious accommodation from the Army based on his Native American heritage and faith. He is authorized to grow his hair according to the Army’s female hair standards, a regulation work-around similar to that given to Senior Airman Connor Crawn last year to allow him to wear his hair in a native braid. Sorensen is also allowed to wear his hair loose and below the collar at native-specific events and for Army ceremonies or memorials that honor the fallen.
Sorensen is still in the process of growing out his hair which will eventually be long enough to braid. Each feather is individually wrapped in leather and the leather cords are used to tie into the hair.
Each feather represents someone that Sorensen deployed with or worked with in his career who died while in uniform.
A white feather represents Spc. Brittany Gordon who was killed in Afghanistan when a suicide bomber. A black feather is for Sfc. Nelson Trent, who was killed in 2012 when his vehicle was struck by an IED.
Three other black feathers represent soldiers and a contractor Sorensen was close to who died by suicide.
“It’s important that we honor the warriors that we served with and remember them,” he said. “We wear them first on our head because – again, it’s no disrespect to the military or anything like that – but remembering others and honoring others is more important than our own achievements that we wear on our chest and we wear the feathers on top of our head for that reason.”
NATIVE BACKGROUND
Native background
Sorensen is a member of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, an alliance of tribes in the Pacific Northwest. His father is of Umpqua and Rogue River descent, while his mother is white.
Sorensen did not join his tribe until he was in his twenties. Membership required a DNA test to prove his ancestry. He is aware, he said, that he can appear “white” and said he’s gotten many comments challenging his identity.
“Your culture and your traditions and your values don’t always match your appearance,” he said. “Eagle feathers are extremely sacred to me and to most native Americans and growing our hair and wearing feathers is not something that should be thrown around or done on a whim.”
The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde is made up of 30 tribes and bands from western Oregon, northern California and southwest Washington. The confederation lost federal recognition in 1954 when Congress passed legislation which stripped its status. It was restored in1983 when former president Ronald Reagan signed the Grand Ronde Restoration Act. Five years later the tribe regained nearly 10,000 acres of its original reservation.
American Indians and Alaska Natives serve in the U.S. military at five times the national average and have the highest military service per capita among recognized ethnic groups.
The importance of Native Americans in the military gaining the right to wear their native hair comes with a troubled history that goes back more than 100 years. In the 19th century, Native Americans children were forced to cut their hair and assimilate to European grooming standards in government-run boarding schools.
Since his post went viral this week, he said more than 30 other service members have reached out to ask for guidance.
Can a veteran go to any emergency room?
Don’t be stubborn about going to the VA because of rumors or having a lack of knowing your benefits.
March 2024, by Joshua Skovlund - Task & Purpose
Whether a veteran can go to just any emergency room is somewhat complicated.The Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers are almost bill-free for any veteran. But it can be a convoluted mess if you haven’t navigated the billing protocols, community care access, and several other factors that can affect how much you, as the veteran, will be billed — if anything.
It’s no secret that the VA’s hospitals have been criticized many times by the veteran community since the first facility was established in 1866. However, reforms have improved the care and accessibility of the VAfor all veterans, though there is still room for improvement.
One of those improvements was the addition of community care access so veterans don’t have to drive two hours for an appointment, passing six different hospitals on the way. That’s especially relevant for someone in need of emergency care.
VA healthcare
Any veteran with a 50% disability rating or higher has free healthcare through the VA and its community care hospitals, which are local hospitals approved to provide care under the VA’s umbrella. Emergency care must be administered in an emergency room to be covered, but treatment administered at an urgent care or clinic is not considered emergency care. There are benefits that specifically apply to Gulf War veterans with their own criteria, and as of March 5, many more veterans can sign up for VA-sponsored healthcare without having to first apply for VA benefits.
Veterans’ healthcare coverage ultimately depends on the priority group to which they are assigned. Groups 1 to 8 have a wide range of coverage for inpatient and outpatient treatment, hospital stays, medication cost coverage, etc.
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Your priority group depends on a couple of factors:
- Military service history
- Disability rating
- Income level
- Medicaid qualification
- Receiving other benefits like VA pension benefits
The weirdest superstitions in the U.S. military
"It’s like sex panther cologne; it worked 60% of the time, every time.”
March 2024 by Joshua Skovlund, Task & Purpose
Superstitions in the U.S. Military can be found in every unit, from the battalion headquarters down to the fire team, the chief’s mess to the flight deck, or the cockpit of a fighter jet to the depths of a nuclear silo. Some are rooted deeply in military history, while others are born from a series of unfortunate events.
Task & Purpose surveyed our audience to hear what superstitions service members carried with them while serving or even after leaving the service — and the stories we heard did not disappoint.
One of the best-known superstitions is that tankers will not allow apricots in their tanks. This belief is prevalent throughout any armor profession in the military, including U.S. Marine Corps amphibious landing vehicles. Having that devilish fruit on board is believed to cause equipment and gear failures, or even death.
But wait, there’s more!
No MRE spoon? Break a leg
Dr. Mike Simpson started his military career in 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, where he spent four years as an Airborne Ranger before moving on to his next unit.
Sometime in 1985, he conjured up a superstition that not having a spoon with your Meals, Ready-to-Eat(MRE) would lead to bad things happening.
“A year later, we were in Honduras training, and one of the guys in the platoon had no spoon,” Simpson said. On their return flight, they executed a static line parachute drop onto Hunter Army Airfield in Savanah, Georgia. “He broke his leg on the jump back into Savannah.”
Simpson had almost forgotten about his little ruse to mess with his fellow Rangers, but ever since that jump, the MRE spoon is a superstition he’s never forgotten.
Dr. Pepper and Security Forces
U.S. Air Force Sr. Airman Austin Malin has been in Security Forces for over three years. He learned early on that you do not open a can of Dr. Pepper within the Base Defense Operation Center.
“If someone opens a Dr. Pepper in the BDOC, then shit hits the fan,” Malin said. “Last time someone did that on my shift, it was completely quiet beforehand, but after the crisp pop of that damn can of soda, we had nonstop 911 calls, among other stupid shit.”
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Anyone who does this will receive the wrath of their fellow airmen. Malin recalled another time someone cracked a can open. They tried to keep thoughts of the curse of the Dr. Pepper can out of their head, but it didn’t take long before the superstition knocked on the front door.
“We didn’t think anything would really happen until the floodgates opened,” Malin said.
Call after call came in for the remainder of their shift. It was the kind of 911 calls that can test your patience: people calling to ask for the pharmacy’s operating hours or drunk people doing stupid stuff. It’s a superstition that reverberates throughout the Air Force’s Security Forces.
Malin said it’s so prevalent that his tech school cadre banned Dr. Pepper for the duration of training. But everyone has that one guy in their unit who likes to tempt fate. For example, Malin said one of his fellow airmen liked to carry an unopened Dr. Pepper in his lunchbox.
“I think it’s more like walking around with a grenade in your pocket,” Malin said. “Given that it’s probably a few years old, it’s a hairpin trigger on that soda.”
We salute the Army crew that named their tank ‘Animaniacs’
Yes, we can have 90s nostalgia even though it was only 10 years ago.
march 2024 by Patty Nieberg, Task & Purpose
Gen Xers and elder millennials, rejoice! A picture of an American M1 Abrams tank named “Animaniacs” — named for the 90s cartoon beloved by many in those generations — has been spotted in Germany’s Grafenwoehr Training Area. Tank crews are known for creative names to adorn their main gun, but this may be the most nostalgic one we’ve seen.
Filled with skits of anthropomorphic cartoon characters, Animaniacs was mostly a goofy kids’ cartoon but sometimes slid into politics.
One episode recreated the Potsdam Conference, the World War II meeting of Soviet Union Premier Joseph Stalin, U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt, and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill deciding the fate of post-war Europe. In one clip, Stalin asks Roosevelt if he can have Romania, to which Roosevelt replies “sure” while he gets just a begrudged “okay” from Churchill.
The eponymous M1 was photographed as American soldiers at the 7th Army Training Command’s Grafenwoehr Training Area showed off their vehicles and answered questions from German students during the German-American Partnership Week, which took place in late February. The Americans appeared proud to show off their beloved Abrams to the students, but of course, Germans know a good tank when they see one.
Naming tanks is a longstanding Army tradition so much so that it comes with its own rules and regulations.
Today's Veterans of the Day are the Buffalo Soldiers of WWI
Buffalo Soldiers Receive New VA Headstones Following Army Decision to Overturn Convictions
February 2024
Military.com | By Patricia KimePublished February 22, 2024 at 5:50pm ET
More than 100 years after they were convicted of mutiny and murder and hanged for the 1917 Houston Riot, 17 Black soldiers have finally received military burial honors along with new headstones reflecting the honorable discharges the Army awarded them last year.
In a solemn ceremony Thursday at the Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio, Department of Veterans Affairs and Army officials gathered with relatives of the soldiers, members of the 3rd Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment, to honor their service and replace gravestones that had marked the men as unworthy of being in a veterans' cemetery.
USS Idaho to be christened
the Navy’s latest nuclear submarine
March 2024 By Joshua Skovlund, Task & Purpose
The USS Idaho (SSN 799) nuclear attack submarine was christened over the weekend. As the U.S. Navy’s 26th Virginia-class fast attack submarine, it is the fifth ship to receive the name of the Gem state.
The christening ceremony occurred on Saturday at the General Dynamics Electric Boat in Groton, Connecticut. While christening a ship is typically done with a bottle of sparkling wine, Idaho was christened with a bottle filled with water from several different Idaho lakes gathered by the submarine sponsor.
“Commander Leslie, and [Chief of the Boat ] Master Chief Skipper, and the wonderful crew of the Idaho, my hat’s off, and my heart goes out to you for all your hard work leading up to today,” said the submarine’s sponsor, Terry Stackley. “But more importantly, to the days and weeks and months that follow to ensure that your boat, Idaho, is the gem of the fleet.”
Raised in a Navy family, she is a strong supporter of the Navy. She is the spouse of Sean Stackley, a former naval officer who served as Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, and Acquisition from 2008 to 2017.
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The Idaho will now proceed to its final checks and testing before it can be commissioned for its official float-off ceremony.
Idaho pays homage to the last ship commissioned under the name Idaho, a World War II battleship, BB-42, commissioned in 1919. It was later updated and sailed through several campaigns, protecting America’s west coast before supporting island operations before decommissioning it in July 1946.
But the latest submarine’s christening doesn’t just pay tribute to the previous ships bearing the name. Its christening ceremony doubled as a call for more shipbuilders to carry out the work needed to maintain the fleet and bolster national security. Shipyards across the country are facing worker shortages, causing project delays.
“We must as a nation do everything we can to continue expanding and strengthening our shipbuilding workforce. It is a noble calling,” said Vice President of Navy Programs at Newport News Shipbuilding, Bryan Caccavale. “As we find more shipbuilders to answer this call, our mission will remain building and delivering submarines unmatched in stealth and strength. Our sailors’ lives depend on it, and it is a responsibility we do not take lightly.”
Army National Guard suspends reenlistment bonuses
The National Guard bureau expects the pause to last at least a month.
March 2024 by Nicholas Slayton, Task & Purpose
National Guardsmen who planned on reenlisting this month won’t get their expected bonus. According to a March 1 memorandum from the National Guard Bureau, the reenlistment bonus for the Army National Guard was suspended as of the start of the month.
The suspension affects all contracts that would be paid in the 2024 and 2025 fiscal years. The National Guard is currently assessing the finances for its incentives program. The memo was shared on social media this week, including the National Guard subreddit. A National Guard official verified the authenticity of the memo to Task & Purpose and elaborated on why the suspension is in effect.. The issue, it seems, is that it is too successful of an incentive.
“The popularity of the Army National Guard reenlistment bonus has exceeded our original budgetary projections,” the official said in a statement to Task & Purpose. “This requires a pause to assess fiscal resources that will determine when we can resume offering new bonuses with the issuance of new reenlistment contracts.”
Currently National Guard members who meet stated criteria and agree to reenlist for two-four years can receive as much as $20,000 in the form of a reenlistment bonus. Existing contracts are not impacted by the suspension.
The exact length of the pause is not set, but the National Guard expects it to last only a month. The March 1 memo said that it anticipates restarting paying reenlistment bonuses in April. The National Guard’s statement to Task & Purpose echoed that, but did not definitively say so. “It is the Army National Guard’s intent to resume issuances of bonus incentives with reenlistment contracts in April, pending the findings of this assessment,” the statement continued.
But as long as the bonus are not in play, anyone who reenlists should not expect a retroactive bonus.
“Reenlistement bonuses only apply when contracted,” a spokesperson told Task & Purpose. “That means no retroactive bonuses for those who elect to sign contracts at this time. But given our intent to resume the issuance of retention bonuses in another month, soldiers who intend to extend with a reenlistment bonus may elect to delay their decision until this incentive becomes available.’
Although it is not the only incentive for retention, the military has been trying to keep its ranks filled through several financial offers. Alongside high enlistment bonuses for new recruits in several branches, some have raised the reenlistment bonus. In October, Military.com reported that at least 9,000 National Guardsmen had not been paid their enlistment bonus, even years after when they should have.
YOU TOO CAN HELP SERVE AND THANK OUR COUNTRIES VETERANS
About Veteran Advocates of Ore-Ida
Veteran Advocates of Ore-Ida was founded by a group of veterans who saw a need for better support and resources for the veteran community. Our organization is committed to providing assistance to veterans in need, whether it's help finding a job, connecting with mental health resources, or accessing affordable housing. We believe that every veteran deserves access to the care and support they need to thrive after serving our country.
Join Our Team
Are you passionate about supporting veterans and giving back to your community? Join our team of dedicated volunteers and make a difference in the lives of those who have served. We offer a variety of volunteer opportunities, from helping with fundraising events to providing mentorship to veterans in need. Contact us today at 541-889-1978 to learn more about getting involved with Veteran Advocates of Ore-Ida.
TIME TO HONOR THE VIETNAM WARS MOST SECRET WARRIORS
Top-secret group operated in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1964 to 1972.
September 2023
by Col. Paris Davis, MilitaryTimes.com
https://www.army.mil/vietnamwar/
The nation is commemorating the 50th anniversary of America’s withdrawal from Vietnam through Veterans Day 2025, per presidential decree. But we cannot allow any lingering ambivalence on the legacy of the war — or anything else — to further delay honoring the extraordinary contributions of our most covert warriors of that era.
When I recently received the Medal of Honor for the 19-hour battle my Army Special Forces unit fought in Bong Son, Vietnam in 1965, President Joe Biden said, “It’s never too late to do the right thing.”
Indeed, we are well past time to do what’s right, and finally honor the elite U.S Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, Studies and Observations Group, or MACV-SOG, with a Congressional Gold Medal.
This revolutionary, top-secret group operated in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1964 to 1972. Its members fought deep within enemy territory to gather invaluable intelligence for the highest levels of government, including the White House. Their tasks included strategic reconnaissance, sabotage, direct-action raids, psychological operations, deception operations, and rescue missions. The group targeted the Ho Chi Minh Trail, a crucial enemy supply line for the North Vietnamese enemy. Aerial reconnaissance was challenging, making the intelligence provided by SOG teams on the ground invaluable.
Casualty rates for SOG reconnaissance teams exceeded 100%, meaning every man was wounded at least once and approximately half were killed. Of the 1,579 Americans missing in action from the Vietnam War, 50 are from the group. At least 11 SOG teams, perhaps more, simply vanished.
The covert operations of SOG remained unacknowledged by military leadership until partial declassification began in the 1990s. Members of the unit had signed confidentiality agreements and their wartime activities remained mostly secret for decades. As SOG member John Stryker Meyer wrote in his book, Across the Fence: The Secret War in Vietnam, “If I died, no one would tell my mother the truth.”
The Congressional Gold Medal for MACV-SOG would help the American public better understand the members’ extraordinary service, sacrifices, and contributions to our nation. The men of this unit battled not only the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese Army, but also the harsh terrain, debilitating climate, and the chaos and uncertainty of guerilla warfare. They served with valor, often in situations where survival was the only measure of success. Let’s face it: The nation can handle the truth of their service.
Photos shed light on food insecurity in post 9/11 Veterans
By Erica Sprey VA Research Communications
"People who are food insecure are making choices on how to spend their last $20 or $50. Usually food is the flexible component, so they apply it to rent."
Photo-elicitation is a research method that combines detailed interviews with photographs taken by study participants. Researchers use it to gain a better understanding of complex topics. Often, the act of taking photographs—in response to questions from the researcher—can summon emotional responses in study participants. It can also help both participants and researchers gain insight into participants’ behaviors.
Dr. Nipa Kamdar is a researcher at the VA Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety (iQUeSt) in Houston. Her focus is food insecurity in Veterans. In October 2021, Kamdar published a commentary, in Public Health Nursing, on her use of photo-elicitation to study food insecurity in low-income, post 9/11 Veterans.
![[This is a picture of what was] in my fridge when I first started the project. You see [there's] hardly anything in there? And see how small the fridge is?](https://www.research.va.gov/images/research-currents/feb22/mini-fridge-sm.jpg)
"[This is a picture of what was] in my fridge when I first started the project. You see [there's] hardly anything in there? And see how small the fridge is?" (Photo taken by Veteran study participant.)
The article discussed the results of an earlier study by Kamdar and colleagues that used photo-elicitation to better understand food insecurity in a group of post 9/11 Veterans with children. The researchers found that food insecurity in Veterans is highly intertwined with physical and mental health, military culture, and lack of basic resources like housing or transportation.
Food insecurity intertwined with other risk factors
![We have the G.I. Bill, the Hazelwood Act, and the 'Voca Rehab' [Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment], but right now, I'm just using the G.I. Bill. It's the money from the G.I. Bill that helps us pay bills and stuff.](https://www.research.va.gov/images/research-currents/feb22/GI-bill-sm.jpg)
"We have the G.I. Bill, the Hazelwood Act, and the 'Voca Rehab' [Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment], but right now, I'm just using the G.I. Bill. It's the money from the G.I. Bill that helps us pay bills and stuff." (Photo taken by Veteran study participant.)
Food insecurity is defined as a limited ability to access food, largely due to financial considerations. In the U.S. population, about 10% of adults experience food insecurity, according to a 2020 report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Veterans have about the same rate of food insecurity as the general population, but differ in their level of food insecurity, according to a 2021 study that looked at working-age Veterans with children. Veterans often experience a greater severity of food insecurity, Kamdar notes. "That severe level means they are cutting down on what they eat, or they are skipping meals."
FOOD INSECURITY?? VISIT OUR VAOI FOOD PANTRY
Those Veterans and Families in the Ontario, Oregon area can reach out to our Food Pantry every Monday through Thursday from 9:30am to 3:30pm.
call 541-889-1978 to come pick up a FOOD BOX.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE FOR US AND OUR GREAT NATION !!!
Some Stories that Inspire, and have 'Positive Energy'
The Army is standardizing how armor crews train and shoot
160th SOAR veteran to build memorial out of CH-47D fuselage
160th SOAR veteran to build memorial out of CH-47D fuselage
March 2024 by Patty Nieberg, Task & Purpose
The Army is standardizing the way crews of Abrams tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles keep up with their combat skills.
Brigades with the 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Georgia have taken the last month to train under a new set of qualification standards, or gunnery tables, against targets set at longer distances for their M1 Abrams tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles.
“What we are trying to do is train our crews to be more adaptable and be more lethal as our adversaries change,” said 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team Command Sgt. Maj. Ryan Roush. “Everyone will go through the exact same validation process. Once these tables are implemented Army-wide, we could receive a new soldier from any unit in the Army and know that the training standard that the soldier has used, are the exact same across the entire Army that we have and then base our performance and expectations off of that.”
Tank crews have to validate their skills twice a year on a unit’s gunnery tables. Under the current integrated weapons strategy there are six gunnery tables that crews must be certified in: Table I gunnery skills test; Table II simulations; Table III proficiency to train with live rounds; Table IV basic skills of the platform; Table V practice and Table VI qualification for crew to participate in live-fire exercises.
Master gunners could previously use their own discretion to create tables with time and distance categories for targets. But with this initiative, there would be set standards that soldiers and crews have to complete, said Sgt. Daniel Blandon, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team Abrams Master Gunner.
Large scale combat operations
Over the last two decades, training for Iraq and Afghanistan was focused on counterinsurgency operations “for a whole career of a soldier,” said Steve Krivitsky, chief of the weapons and gunnery branch at the Directorate of Training, Tactics and Doctrine for the Maneuver Center of Excellence. “There was a series of soldiers that never experienced the long range and then the large-scale, combat-operations-type training.”
Tank crews often were tested only on skills and targets their commanders deemed essential for Iraq and Afghanistan deployments, or that could be shot within the confines of the ranges of their own base.
160th SOAR veteran to build memorial out of CH-47D fuselage
160th SOAR veteran to build memorial out of CH-47D fuselage
160th SOAR veteran to build memorial out of CH-47D fuselage
September 2023
BY JOSHUA SKOVLUND, TASK & PURPOSE
Thibodeaux plans to rebuild the fuselage to resemble an MH-47G Chinook, the same type of helicopter that Arcane 22 was.
Jeremy Thibodeaux was driving back to Hunter Army Airfield, where he was assigned to B Co., 3rd battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR) — known as the “Nightstalkers” — when he heard that a special operations Chinook helicopter had crashed in Afghanistan over the radio. Thibodeaux immediately felt sick — he knew this meant some of his friends had probably died.
His worst fear was realized after arriving on base. Two of his friends, Josue “Sway” Hernandez and Nickolas Mueller, were aboard an MH-47G helicopter, “Arcane 22,” that had crashed during a counter-narcotics raid in Afghanistan on Oct. 26, 2009.
“Upon arriving, I found out exactly who was killed, and I just dropped to my knees, just screaming and crying — kind of pulling my hair out,” Thibodeaux said. “I didn’t really know what to do. You know, two of my best friends were on that aircraft. It was just a really — it was a horrible day.”
On Tuesday, Thibodeaux received approval from the Internal Revenue Service for his newly established non-profit, The Arcane Project.
The idea was born years ago when Thibodeaux was still serving. As older CH-47 models became outdated, he joked that he wanted to acquire one to convert into a private bar for guys from the unit. Years later, Thibodeaux brought up the idea with one of his best friends, Chip Davis, and the idea for a non-profit was born.
We found 4 bottles of whiskey made by airborne paratroopers
160th SOAR veteran to build memorial out of CH-47D fuselage
The origin of the military’s iconic mantra: ‘Embrace the suck’
October 2023
Whiskey has likely been around for some of your most memorable late-night shenanigans in the barracks or downtown. If there’s anything America’s airborne paratroopers know, it’s how to fight and how to drink good whiskey.
So we talked to four Airborne-qualified master distillers who took their well-researched opinions and made some of the best whiskeys out there. Although they make good whiskey, remember that you have gone too far if you find yourself in the brig. Drink responsibly.
First, a brief history of whiskey in America
In the aftermath of the Revolutionary War, America was struggling to pay off its war debt (ah, the good ol’ days when America cared about keeping the nation’s debt under control). Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton proposed a tax in the late 1700s on domestic liquor as a means of paying it off — which was met with opposition from whiskey makers in Pennsylvania.
The Whiskey Rebellion that resulted was short-lived, but it was not the last time whiskey would be involved in war. The brown elixir fueled soldiers throughout the Civil War, especially the North, who were paid better and could afford it.
Gen. Ulysses S. Grant slammed Old Crow whiskey, and President Abraham Lincoln allegedly likened the General’s success on the battlefield to his liquor consumption. The New York Herald reported in a Sept. 18, 1863 edition of the newspaper that Lincoln was approached by a group calling for Grant to be removed from his position, claiming he was a drunk.
The tall hat-wearing president allegedly responded with a quirky quip, asking the group if they knew what Grant was drinking.
“If I can only find out, I will send a barrel of this wonderful whiskey to every general in the army,” Lincoln allegedly said. Historians contest the legitimacy of the quote because of the anonymous sources, but the legend lives on to this day.
Whiskey’s relationship with soldiers, sailors, Marines, and airmen is not a coincidence, in Derek Sisson’s opinion.
The origin of the military’s iconic mantra: ‘Embrace the suck’
The origin of the military’s iconic mantra: ‘Embrace the suck’
The origin of the military’s iconic mantra: ‘Embrace the suck’
by Sarah Sicard, Observation Post
One of the best pieces of advice, for people in careers both in and out of service, is to learn to deal with things or take the bad in stride.
But the military, famed for its ability to turn a phrase or ruin anything with an absurd acronym, came up with its own colloquialism for making the best of any situation: “Embrace the suck.”
Though it’s impossible to trace back the phrase definitively to its first user, it became popularized in 2003 by Marines in Iraq.
Retired U.S. Army Reserve Col. Austin Bay authored a book in the mid-2000s called “Embrace the Suck,” in which he explains the meaning of the phrase.
“The Operation Iraqi Freedom phrase ‘embrace the suck’ is both an implied order and wise advice couched as a vulgar quip,” Bay wrote.
He likens the slang phrase back to legendary military strategist Prussian General Carl von Clausewitz and his views on “friction.”
“Clausewitz went to war when he was 12 years old,” Bay wrote. “Over the last few decades, critics have argued that his treatise ‘On War’ is a bit dated in terms of theory. However, everyone with military experience agrees that Clausewitz understood ‘the suck.’ He called it ‘friction.’”
For Clausewitz, it’s this “friction, or what is so termed here, which makes that which appears easy in war difficult in reality.”
Troops, in their resilience, in effect, mitigate the chasm of difference between training or planning and the often harsh realities they face on the ground. And they do it with aplomb, because they must.
Marines: 0, Samurai sword: 1
The origin of the military’s iconic mantra: ‘Embrace the suck’
Air Force Veteran Finally Graduates 50 Years Later
The U.S. military may be a professional war-fighting organization, but it is also filled with people, and people can be very stupid sometimes. That’s why last week, Task & Purpose put out a call for readers to share the dumbest moments they had in uniform. We were not disappointed.
From drunken samurai sword fights to bored forklift drivers, a clear theme emerged: boredom is one step away from a chewing-out by the nearest platoon sergeant.
The best example of this is a story that one Marine veteran named Mike Betts sent us about the time he and his buddies got drunk on salty dogs (a cocktail of gin or vodka and grapefruit juice) in Vietnam. One of the Marines pulled out “a cheap samurai sword he got in Japan,” Betts recalled. Our reader then took the sword and, as one does while inebriated, “commenced my best samurai impression, slashing at anything and everything in the hooch.”
You can see where this is going: at some point during the demonstration, our brave Samurai smacked something that loosened the blade and sent it flying from the handle, striking the sword owner in the chest “and inflicting a pretty nasty wound.”
Nobody wants to have to explain that kind of trouble to someone in charge, so our reader and his fellows snuck the wounded Marine past the officer and sergeant on duty that night and “hustled him off to the hospital” before anyone could notice. Luckily, he was “stitched up and pronounced fit for duty,” Betts said.
“Needless to say, I felt terrible about hurting him,” he added.
Air Force Veteran Finally Graduates 50 Years Later
The origin of the military’s iconic mantra: ‘Embrace the suck’
Air Force Veteran Finally Graduates 50 Years Later
Vietnam War kept Bob Kroener from walking across stage with USC classmates in 1971.
Having to wait an extra year to participate in his graduation ceremony due to the coronavirus pandemic paled in comparison to the 49 years that had already passed for Bob Kroener, 78, who finally attended his graduate-school commencement on May 17.
The now-retired Air Force lieutenant colonel and civil engineer missed his pomp and circumstance in 1971 due to his deployment during the Vietnam War. So, when he was thumbing through the University of Southern California's alumni magazine a few years ago and saw pictures of that year's graduation festivities he felt it was finally his time to walk across the stage.
"I was sitting there looking at it and I thought, You know, I never got to go through graduation,” he said. “So I picked up the phone, and I called over to the Marshall School of Business."
During the call, USC officials inquired if he had received his diploma and whether he had other information that would help them locate his decades-old records. The school also asked for his student ID number, to which he replied, “I'm too old for that, we only had a Social Security number."
Back to school
The road to Southern California started north of the border. Then a captain in the Air Force after receiving an undergraduate degree from the University of Detroit, Kroener was stationed at a military base in Canada when he learned that he secured one of 26 government-funded spots offered to Air Force officers for graduate school. From a snow-covered mountaintop in Newfoundland he was informed of the schools he could apply to.
"I heard the University of Southern California and I said, ‘I'll take it. I'm going back to sit on the beach after being in 110 inches of snow for a year.’ It wasn't too hard of a decision to make,” said Kroener.
However, it wasn't just the weather that Kroener appreciated about going to school in Los Angeles. He was able to take advantage of the wide variety of corporations that would open doors to students like himself.
"I went to [oil company] Atlantic Richfield to do a paper, I went to Mattel toy company to do a paper, I went to Continental Airlines to basically write a master's thesis, myself and another captain,” he said. “All you had to do was say you're a student doing graduate work at USC. And I mean, they just opened the doors."
Kroener earned his MBA in 1971, but before the graduation ceremony took place he was deployed to Robins Air Force Base in Georgia. As part of his duties, he managed combat engineering teams by setting up their directives and getting them all the equipment needed to prepare for combat in Vietnam. He eventually retired as a lieutenant colonel in 1993.
Some Ongoing Stories of Interest For Our Veterans
Tips to achieve the ultimate dirty Navy-style coffee mug
DoD SkillBridge: The best military transition program you didn’t know existed
Tips to achieve the ultimate dirty Navy-style coffee mug
Feb. 2023 by Sarah Sicard MilitaryTimes
The Navy may have the most complicated rank structure when it comes to its ratings system, but there is another, much more uncouth method for establishing hierarchy among sailors: Filthy coffee mugs.
It is a commonly-held truth in the seafaring service that one can tell a higher-up from a newbie based on the amount of sludge that lives in the bottom of one’s coffee cup.
So, in the interest of salt, here are some professional tips, from Navy veterans, to get an optimally seasoned mug.
1. Always drink black coffee. Milk or creamer curdles and introduces bacteria into the mix. Sour lactose creates a hostile environment — not ideal for going years without washing your mug.
2. Drink the whole cup of coffee. Don’t leave even a drop behind. You want to season the mug with a faint film, not swigging day-old coffee every morning.
3. For extra flavoring, take the leftover coffee grounds from the filter and let them rest in the cup for a few days before dumping it out. Treat your mug like a cast iron skillet.
4. If you need to, rinse it lightly with just a little water. This is only to be done in cases where the buildup is starting to become untenable.
5. Don’t wash the mug with the soap. Ever. You might be tempted every now and again to give it a good soak. Don’t. You will lose all the flavoring, respect from your near-peers and any chance at an honorable discharge from the U.S. Navy.
The history of the HK416 in modern warfare
DoD SkillBridge: The best military transition program you didn’t know existed
Tips to achieve the ultimate dirty Navy-style coffee mug
march 2024 by Joshua Skovlund, Task & Purpose
When the HK416 started showing up on SOF compounds throughout Iraq, people noticed.
In the early 2000s, operators in the U.S. military’s special operations community started using the Heckler & Koch HK416 as one of their primary battle rifles. It was initially meant to replace the Colt M4A1 but never realized that potential.
Not just anyone in SOF had the opportunity to carry this German-made rifle into combat though. Rangers, SEALs, Green Berets, and others in SOF often work in the same areas as their higher echelon counterparts, but still carried the M4A1 or even FN SCAR during that timeframe.
When the HK416 started showing up on SOF compounds throughout Iraq, hanging off the shoulder of operators grabbing a quick bite to eat in the chow hall — people noticed. It was the next new thing, but most never got a chance to use it. Unlike the SR25 sniper rifle, MultiCam uniforms, EOTech holographic sights, and high-cut helmets, the HK416 was one bit of kit that never made it into the wider U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) inventory.
The HK 416 is a step away from the traditional operation of the Colt M4A1. Instead of a gas-operated, direct impingement system, it uses a gas-operated, short-stroke piston-driven operating rod. Ultimately, the piston setup was more reliable in testing, but compared to the M4A1, it’s more expensive and heavier.
The operation of the HK416 is relatively similar to what operators were used to with the M4: the safety selector switch, magazine release, charging handle, and Picatinny rails were all the same or very similar. The cleaning procedures are different though, with the M4’s bolt carrier group and chamber needing to be cleaned more often when compared to the HK416’s piston system, which blows gas forward and away from the bolt carrier group — but still results in a different, but regularly required maintenance.
DoD SkillBridge: The best military transition program you didn’t know existed
DoD SkillBridge: The best military transition program you didn’t know existed
DoD SkillBridge: The best military transition program you didn’t know existed
January 2021 By Harm Venhuizen. MilitaryTimes
When separating from the military, it’s not uncommon for servicemembers to discover gaps between their resume and the civilian job they want.
Worries about putting food on the table can make going back to school, getting on-the-job training, or taking an internship seem like costly ways of filling that gap. Luckily, there’s a way servicemembers can gain the experience required by civilian jobs while still on the military’s payroll.
The DoD SkillBridge Program lets active-duty personnel from all four branches spend the last 180 days of their military service interning at a civilian job with one of more than 500 industry partners.
Participants continue to receive military pay and benefits, whether they’re getting certified by Microsoft in cloud development, learning to weld, or taking advantage of any one of the hundreds of other opportunities available.
As part of the DoD’s requirements, all training programs offer a “high probability of post-service employment with the provider or other employers in a field related to the opportunity,” according to the SkillBridge website.
In his internship with the Global SOF Foundation, retired Navy commander Chuck Neu says he not only tripled the size of his professional network, but also discovered a talent for sales.
“Without that exposure to cold-call sales from doing SkillBridge with the Global SOF Foundation, I likely would have ended up on-base as a contractor or a government civilian, which is really not what I wanted to do,” Neu told Military Times....
For more on this story click the 'Red Bar' below.
"Deflection is a funny thing"
How a WW2 banana shortage changed the course of Twinkie history
DoD SkillBridge: The best military transition program you didn’t know existed
September 2023
Black Rifle Coffee Company
Barrett Carver (top row second from left) served in the US Army for almost seven years and deployed multiple times. He spent his time in 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, and was one of the Rangers involved in the assault on Haditha Dam, a critical structure to capture during the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
During the assault, Carver and his fellow Rangers were holed up inside one of the buildings on “the military side of the dam,” and they were taking indirect fire from the Iraqis. Artillery rounds were impacting close to their building for several hours with barrages of small-arms fire. Carver thought to himself, Well, it’s been a good run.
Suddenly, they all heard a loud twang, and a thick cloud of dust erupted inside the building. Carver looked up to see a horseshoe-shaped indent in the corrugated tin roof over their heads. Everyone burst into uncontrollable laughter — one of the artillery rounds had been deflected by the thin tin roof.
“Deflection is a funny thing,” Carver said. “It could have just as easily been a dud round. Either way, I take a kick where I can get it. Amazing thing is that with the amount they dropped on us, we only had two casualties. Both made it.”
VA's updated list of Agent Orange sites outside of Vietnam
How a WW2 banana shortage changed the course of Twinkie history
How a WW2 banana shortage changed the course of Twinkie history
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) released in January an updated Department of Defense (DOD) list of locations outside of Vietnam where tactical herbicides were used, tested or stored by the United States military.
“This update was necessary to improve accuracy and communication of information,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “VA depends on DOD to provide information regarding in-service environmental exposure for disability claims based on exposure to herbicides outside of Vietnam."
DOD conducted a thorough review of research, reports and government publications in response to a November 2018 Government Accountability Office report.
“DOD will continue to be responsive to the needs of our interagency partners in all matters related to taking care of both current and former service members,” said Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper. “The updated list includes Agents Orange, Pink, Green, Purple, Blue and White and other chemicals and will be updated as verifiable information becomes available.”
Veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange or other herbicides during service may be eligible for a variety of VA benefits, including an Agent Orange Registry health exam, health care and disability compensation for diseases associated with exposure. Their dependents and survivors also may be eligible for benefits.
How a WW2 banana shortage changed the course of Twinkie history
How a WW2 banana shortage changed the course of Twinkie history
How a WW2 banana shortage changed the course of Twinkie history
June 2022 by Sarah Sicard, Observation Post
Is there anything sweeter — literally or figuratively — than biting into the plastic-wrapped chemical compound of luxuriously spongey cake with vanilla cream that is a Twinkie?
Perhaps not. But the original Hostess delicacy was once something else entirely. The preservative-filled dessert that many once believed could withstand nuclear war got its start as a banana cream shortcake, until World War II changed everything.
In 1930, a baker named James Dewar began experimenting while serving as manager of Continental Baking Company’s Chicago area plant in River Forest, according to the Chicago Tribune. He wanted to prove that shortbread could serve a purpose outside strawberry shortcake.
“The economy was getting tight, and the company needed to come out with another low-priced item,” he told the paper. “We were already selling these little finger cakes during the strawberry season for shortcake, but the pans we baked them in sat idle except for that six-week season.”
While in St. Louis on a work trip, Dewar saw a billboard for “Twinkle Toe Shoes,” and thus found the name for his compact confections.
Our Campus Headquarters, Ontario, Oregon
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We thank all the Supporters, Businesses and Friends for giving their time and resources in helping and caring for our Veterans, Military and First Responders and their Families.
We really appreciate your interest too, in 'Who we are and What we do'. If you have any questions or suggestions or would like to 'volunteer' or 'donate', well please contact us with an email, a phone call. Our hours are 9am to 4pm, and with the Covid rules we have, masks are required as are number of people in the Office, so please call.
We are a "No Dues' nonprofit organization with the coffee pot always on and lots of conversation always available. Bring your questions regarding any veteran services you are concerned about, and we will do our best to steer you in the right direction.
Our phone is 541-889-1978, and we are located in Ontario, Oregon at 180 W. Idaho Ave.