Ozaukee County Veterans Service Office

Veterans News And Views 121 West Main Street Port Washington, WI 53074 Located in the “Old Courthouse” Building Room A 105 Hours: M-F 8:30 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Serving Those Who Served America

We have come upon the beginning of yet another new year. Full of opportunities, full of potential challenges (and I don’t mean the legal variety, I hope).

As we move forward into this new year, we are presented the opportunity to once again re-dedicate ourselves to supporting our fellow veterans, and challenged to continue to educate not only those around us, but also our elected representatives, who are in a position to insure the continuation of existing benefits, as well as the enhancement of those benefits.

I trust that this newsletter finds all of you in good health and in better spirits.

I also hope that you had the opportunity to share the holiday season with your families and others close to you.

Speculation is that these veterans were exposed in connection with the destruction of Iraqi weapons depots immediately following the formal end of hostilities in the Gulf. This is just one of a number of studies to try to determine a cause for these “undiagnosed illnesses” experienced by Gulf War Vets. Please see the attached article for more information.

How do you view Vietnam Veterans?

If you knew nothing of the war in Vietnam, and you had to rely on the information, or mis-information, presented in films and books, how would you view them then?

This is part of the challenge that confronts our Vietnam era vets.

Some movies and books portray the “average” Vietnam vet as a drug-crazed baby killing animal. Or as a homeless individual who was so traumatized by his experiences, that he/she can no longer function normally.

This does not mean that there are not individuals who served in Vietnam, who are not severely impaired because of their experiences, but they are not the norm.

Part of the challenge unique to Vietnam Veterans, is to try to correct this misinterpretation of reality.

Look around you, there are Vietnam veterans in virtually every aspect of professional life, most are doing quite well ...thank-you.

War is never a pretty thing, but the Vietnam Vet is stigmatized because of the period in our nations history when that conflict was fought.

Hindsight is 20-20, and the news media rarely publishes a story that is about the good that people do, this is especially true of Vietnam Vets.

The annual salute to the legislature is scheduled for Thursday, February 8, 2001.

The event will be held in the same location as last year, that is the Manona Terrace Ballroom.

As is the norm, the event rotates hosts, with this year’s host being the American Legion.

The event was attended by nearly 2000 Veterans last year.

The program begins at 4:00 P.M. with speeches by several dignitaries, usually including the governor, as well as several members of the Assembly and Senate.

Heavy hor-devours follows, with a cash bar.

Here’s your chance to come out and talk face-to-face with your elected representatives, and make sure they understand your concerns.

The VA will be phasing in their new patient ID Cards, or “Smart Cards”, as they call them.

These new cards will hold some of the patients’ critical medical information on a magnetic strip on the back of the cards. This information will only be accessible to VA Medical Personnel with the proper “clearance”. The cards are designed to work in conjunction with the VA’s revamped computer systems, so that your clinical information can be accessed from any VA Medical Center in the country, where you may be seeking treatment.

Hopefully, we will see the VA Medical Center in Milwaukee begin issuing the cards beginning in 2001.

Laos has recently turned over the remains of what it believes to be 4 Americans listed as MIA.

Of the 1,992 Americans still listed as missing in action, 421 of those are listed as missing in Laos.

Clinton Administration finally gets serious about the POW/MIA issue

The North Koreans have been unusually helpful during the past year. This has resulted in the return of the largest number of remains being returned to the United States since the end of hostilities in 1953.

After receiving a good deal of pressure from the Marine Raiders Association, a 3rd search was conducted on Makin Atoll for a group of Marine Raiders that lost their lives in a raid conducted in 1942.

Please read the attached article, several of the missing were from Wisconsin.

The Marines may be Looking for You !!!

It would seem that a dry-cleaning company located just outside the military family housing area of Camp Lejuene, N.C. was not too careful in its disposal of dry cleaning fluids during the 1960’s through the 1980’s. Because of their negligence, some of these chemicals could have gotten into the drinking water for the base.

The Marine Corps is trying to get in touch with any military families who may have lived in base housing from 1968 through 1986.

The attached article explains the Health Survey and the telephone number to contact if you or a relative falls into this category.