Washington, DC: House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton (D-MO) delivered the following remarks during the consideration of H.R. 2990, the Disabled Military Retiree Relief Act of 2009. The bill includes a one-year fix to relieve the disabled veterans tax by expanding concurrent receipt, which would make more disabled veterans eligible to receive both military retired pay and veterans disability compensation.  H.R. 2990 was approved in the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 404 to 0.

In order to ensure the availability of quality and timely health care to veterans with service connected conditions, special authority based on military service, low income, and those with special health care needs, in January 2003 VA made the difficult decision to stop enrolling new Priority Group 8 (high income) veterans whose income exceeded VA income thresholds.

111 Years ago the U.S. Navy Hospital Corps was founded.  June 17, 1898.  Since that time generations of Marines have been saved and treated by your skills that were backed by unbelievable courage.

Tonight at the Holocaust Museum, children had prepared a play which spoke of peace and understanding and the need for our world to change. The play was a conversation between Anne Frank and Emmett Till, a 14 year-old, African-American boy who left his home in Chicago in 1955 just to visit relatives in Mississippi. Less than two weeks later, this young boy was lynched. Ann Frank was a young heroine in WWII who wrote an incredible diary with words we still remember until she was finally taken, like cattle with her family, to a concentration camp and never made it out alive. Her father, the only survivor would grieve his loss- the demise of his beloved wife and family especially his little girl with so much faith in humanity. Emmet and Anne...two futures stolen by those who hated.

Tonight the play will not happen. There will only be eerie silence.

WASHINGTON, DC: From parades to somber ceremonies and a moment of silence, Americans will recall the sacrifices of military members who paid the ultimate price for freedom on Memorial Day, Monday, May 25.

HEADQUARTERS MARINE CORPS: The United States Marine Corps launched its inaugural Marine Week in Chicago, May 11-17, 2009 when the city opened its doors to the nearly 2,000 Marines who  participated in various community activities throughout the Chicagoland area.

All should read this, but we ask that Webmasters please take note of the full story and please link to it on your individual Websites.

Washington, DC: Congressman Jones speaks on the floor of the House of Representatives to recognize the Marine Corps League's support for redesignating the Department of the Navy as the Department of the Navy and Marine Corps.

FALLS CHURCH, VA.: Since launching Aug. 5, 2008, Afterdeployment.org has grown to provide more information and resources for service members returning from deployment - as well as for their families.

Marines, we are into a new year and I want wish every one good health and prosperity in 2009. As with all “New Years”, I would like to share with you my resolutions for the up-coming year. First and foremost is my resolution to continue to grow our membership. My second resolution is continue to promote the Marine Corps League as the premier Marine Corps Veterans Organization.  And my third resolution for this New Year is to continue to improve our many veteran and community programs.

During a meeting of the National Board of Trustees at the Midwinter Conference, there was an open discussion with regards to the change in federal law authorizing Veterans and active-duty military not in uniform to render the military-style "hand salute" during the playing of the National Anthem, during the raising, lowering or passing of the flag. Soon after there was an ALMAR from CMC which seemed to indicate a different interpretation. There have been many questions from Marine Corps League members across the country, asking for direction.

Marines and Friends of Marines:

Received notification from Congressman Walter Jones’ office notifying me that Senator Roberts (a Marine) from Kansas has dropped (presented) a companion bill to HR 24 (a bill to redesignate the Department of the Navy as the Department of the Navy and Marine Corps).  The Senate bill is S.504.

WASHINGTON: Service-disabled and low-income veterans who are reimbursed for travel expenses while receiving care at Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities will see an increase in their payments beginning January 9.

Of Potential Benefit to Those in Financial Distress
WASHINGTON: Veterans with conventional home loans now have new options for refinancing to a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) guaranteed home loan.  These new options are available as a result of the Veterans’ Benefits Improvement Act of 2008, which the President signed into law on October 10, 2008.

Arlington, VA: For Veterans Day, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has released a new 14-page brochure on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), treatment and recovery.

WASHINGTON: Instant electronic medical information from the Department of Defense (DoD) about severely wounded troops soon will be transferred to four Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) special treatment centers.  The two departments completed a successful pilot project sharing patient information between Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the Polytrauma Unit at the Tampa, Fla., VA Medical Center.

My name is Cpl Richard D. Penedo, and I would like to share with you the story of my visit back home, and all of the things that followed. I joined the USMC May 4th, 2004, and I'm currently serving my second term, or reenlistment, stationed in Quantico, VA. a month ago, I fell into a deep slump, and even though being a Marine is something to be very proud of, I didn't quite feel happy and proud with myself, that is until my visit back home.

Dear Colleagues, As an army grunt in August of 1967, on a mission with the ROK Marines in central I Corps, I had an experience that created a lifelong bond for me with the United States Marine Corps. Recently I authored a book for our troops, their families, and friends who are dealing with post traumatic stress.

I enlisted in the Navy in June 1975 attended Boot Camp in Great Lakes Ill., from there I went to Basic Electronics School and then on to Fire Control School. I thought Fire Control was something to do with Fire Fighting, but it was to fix guns and I was the type of person that was not interested in Killing someone, I was use to saving lives.  You see before entering the service I was a member of a Rescue Squad in Northern VA where I was from and so, I dropped out of school. I went to see a Navy Classifier, and he asked me why didn't I go into the Hospital Corps and I said that I wanted to follow in my fathers footsteps as a Sonar Tech, and instead I thought someone in the Navy had read my profile and saw that I was an Emergency Medical Technician from the state of Virginia.

The Defense Department announced today the establishment of a new Physical Disability Board of Review (PDBR) to review disability ratings of wounded warriors and provide another avenue of administrative recourse for our wounded veterans. The Air Force has been designated as lead DoD component for operation and management of the PDBR.

My name is Chris Ott.  My son is LCPL John Doody.  He was shot several times in the leg last March while serving as a Marine in the Al Anbar province.  He was recovering at the NMCSD when he suffered from a stroke caused by an infection in his heart related to his gunshot wounds.  He was unconscious for a number of hours and then suffered from anoxic brain injury - lack of oxygen.