Dear Sgt. Shaft,

I'm a City Councilor in Newburyport, MA. I wanted to share an idea that I had with you in the hopes that you would pass the idea along to others that would be in a position to help make it happen... that is, if you feel that it has merit.

I am suggesting that we set aside a day to recognize the sacrifices of the children of people serving our country. I'm thinking of the hardships the kids endure while their parent(s) are away fighting a war, etc.. I'm not sure how the day would evolve whether it just be acknowledgement or actual help to the kids, but I feel we should do something.

Here is a link to my local newspaper that briefly describes the concept:

I chose February 20th because I also wanted to recognize and honor the passing of Abraham Lincoln's son, Willie, and make the day occur on the day he passed away at The White House while his father was serving as President.  Willie sacrificed his life for our country just as much as his famous father.

If the link above doesn't work or describe it fully, I can also forward a copy of the letter that I sent to my federal elected officials, and Joshua Bolten (The White House Chief of Staff). I have not heard back from anyone since I only just sent it out last week. Not sure how much clout City Councilor has with them...probably not enough...hence the email to you too.

Thanks,
Steve Hutcheson

P.S. Newburyport Mayor (John Moak) is going to help me to make this a local or regional event (if it doesn't happen nationally), but I would like it to happen for the whole country.

Dear Steve

I fully support your great idea to recognize the sacrifices of these wonderful kids.

For your information,

The Armed Services YMCA (ASYMCA), , a nonprofit organization supporting the families of junior enlisted military personnel, has recently announced the scheduled release of MY HERO, a book comprised of entries from ASYMCA’s 2007 Student Essay and Art Contest. Twenty percent of the sales of MY HERO directly benefit ASYMCA programs that provide educational, recreational, social and spiritual support services for our troops and their families.  

Each year, the ASYMCA holds a national contest inviting children of U.S. service members to write an essay about their military hero or to illustrate their military family in a drawing. The entries from the 2007 contest were compiled to create MY HERO which is the first book to tell the stories of military kids and how they are affected by their parents’ deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. The children wrote about the pride they feel for their country and their families and the unique challenges they face. A few children even wrote about the difficulties they faced when a military parent was killed in combat.  
 
In light of the release of MY HERO, U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS) introduced a congressional resolution naming May 15 “Military Kids Day.” The resolution states that, “Whereas the strength of character, humor and honesty offered by these children are a hallmark for all of us to follow as we face the challenges of everyday life… May 15, 2008 is named Military Kids Day across the United States and in our Armed Forces bases throughout the world.”
The ASYMCA, an affiliate of the YMCA of the USA, is headquartered in Alexandria, Va. For more information, please visit www.asymca.org.

Kudos to Joy Ilem for her recent presentation of the DAV views to the House VETERANS’ AFFAIRS SUBCOMMITTEE ON HEALTH.

Her testimony included DAV support for

H.R. 5888 - A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to expand veteran eligibility for reimbursement by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for emergency treatment furnished in a non-Department facility.

This bill would amend subparagraph (b)(3)(C) of section 1725 of title 38, United States Code, by striking the words “or in part” where they appear in current law.  The Veterans Millennium Health Care and Benefits Act provided the authority sought by VA at the time to complete its role as a comprehensive health care system for all veterans who are enrolled, by giving VA authority to reimburse costs of emergency private care under certain circumstances.  Prior to passage of the Millennium Act, VA was essentially without authority to pay emergency expenses in private facilities for its own patients, unless generally they were service-connected veterans.  Under prior law VA was authorized to pay for non-VA emergency treatment for a veteran’s service-connected disability, a nonservice-connected disability aggravating a veteran’s service connected condition, any condition of a veteran rated permanently and totally disabled from a service-connected condition(s), and a veteran enrolled in a VA vocational rehabilitation program. 

The intent of this bill would enable a nonservice-connected veteran, enrolled in VA health care, who otherwise is eligible for VA reimbursement of certain private emergency health care expenses under the Millennium Act authority but for the existence of coverage “in part” by a form of private health insurance (no matter how major or minor such private coverage might be), to be reimbursed as otherwise authorized under the Millennium Act emergency care reimbursement program.  Rescission of the words “or in part” in section 1725 would open the door for a veteran with minimal insurance coverage, such as a small medical rider on a State-required automobile insurance plan, to gain VA reimbursement for emergency care under the existing authority.  Today, that veteran would be denied reimbursement, because he or she is covered “in part.”