-The Point-

Vietnam Veterans of America, Inc.

Chapter 172

17 N. Liberty Street

Phone 1-777-7001            Cumberland, Maryland 21502-2316               FAX 1-301-777-7041

1-800-482-VETS                                                                      Email vva172@atlanticbbn.net

The First Chapter in the State of Maryland – The Gold Standard

 

 

 

Member Dies in Plane Crash

 

Through the course of the year the Chapter will lose a few members, although the number is increasing every year. I have to admit that I have been lax about putting the names of the departed in the newsletter. I will make an effort to see that this is done in the

future.

 

This February 22, 2008 Chapter member Dave Summerfield died tragically when the plane he was piloting went down on Irons Mountain, just three and a half miles from the Cumberland Airport.

 

I have read all of the nice things written about him in the local paper this week and he was a man of accomplishment. A husband, father, grandfather, retired Air Force, business man, civic and church leader, Vietnam veteran and a friend and mentor to many.

 

Unfortunately I didn’t know Dave. Oh I would speak to him when he came into the Chapter, usually on Friday’s, but I never really got to know him. I never took the time to go over and sit down with him and shoot the bull.- - -my loss. But, I know that many of you who are reading this are in the same boat. Life is short, tragically so sometimes.

 

Think about this the next time you are at a Chapter function. Look around and see how many members and guest that you see every week and you have never spoken with them. How many of them are there that you have no idea what there name is? So what are you going to do about it?

 

As for Dave Summerfield, he has touched the face of God. So long pal.

WHAT ARE YOUR CHANCES OF GOING BROKE IN YOUR GOLDEN YEARS?

A friend of mine recently told me that he read that the average person in the U.S. ran out of money by the time he or she was 75 years old. Last year I read in a brokerage news letter that a for a married couple, the man should plan his finances to last to the age of 93, the woman to the age of 96. Obviously everyone is not going to live into his or her 90's but some of us will. Even some in country vets will probably make it into their 90's.
In my opinion several things are acting together to cause a real decline in the purchasing power and therefore the standard of living of older Americans especially older veterans:
1. One definition of the cost of living index, also called the consumer price index, is: an index of prices used to measure the change in the cost of basic goods and services in comparison with a fixed base period. . The cpi-w is the index used to compute your cost of living increases for social security and federal FERS pensions. It is for the urban wage earner and clerical workers. From Dec. 1990 through Dec. 1995 this index rose 14.1%. The government also has a cpi-e index used to figure inflation for those 62 and older. During this same period this index rose15.9 %. So, while the government via these indexes admits that the older citizen has a higher inflation rate, he or she gets COLA increases based on a lower inflation rate. The point, it costs more for older Americans to live and the government does not give them more to live on even though it is aware of this. Note: health care is a big piece of this increase in the cost of living..
2. Once you reach 65 years of age the social security people currently remove $96.40 a month from your social security for Medicare coverage. For a couple on social security this adds up to $2313.60 a year. This figure is normally raised on an annual basis. This means, in effect, that the vast majority of your cost of living increases, from your primary source of retirement funding ,is gone. This loss of income is compounded annually, further diminishing your purchasing power each year you continue to live.
3. Also, once you reach age 65 medicare pays for 80% of your health care problems, after you meet the deductibles. If you are lucky enough to be able to afford supplemental health insurance, you get to deal with the medical cost created by the donut holes in your supplemental policy. Your insurance company now picks up no more than 20% of your insurance bill and in most cases charges you the same price you paid before you went on medicare. In other words they now get the donut and you get the hole in your financial pocket.
4. As time goes on, in many cases your medicine bills may be more costly due in increases in both cost and frequency of need for care. In many cases you are going to pay for this via increases in insurance premiums, and through out of pocket co-pay costs. Health care costs are even more critical if you are a veteran, for as a general rule veterans, especially in country veterans, are not as healthy as the general population. Agent orange is just one of the reasons for this.
5. Usually the first half of the statement, "all gave some - some gave all", refers in part to financial matters. While my civilian job was paying about $7,000 dollars a year Uncle Sam was paying me a grand total of $3180 a year during my last year of active duty which included my combat pay. I was fortunate enough to have made E-5 by this time. Many vet’s got out as E-3's or E-4's after 4 years so their differential in wages was even greater than mine.

2.
6. If you didn’t have a job when you went in the service you lost any seniority you would have gained had you went to work at a civilian job instead of for Uncle Sam. This translated into less pension and less overall lifetime wages and therefore less opportunity to save for retirement i.e. a smaller retirement check. Any disability you incurred as a result of your service time normally also handicapped you with regard to finding higher paying and more rewarding employment opportunities. But cheer up you did get to take the blame for the politicians losing the war.
Our elected officials are responsible for this system, which by the way is a phenomenon which has occurred in your lifetime. So you should be very selective about where the people you vote for in the next election stand, with reference to services such as social security and Medicare which you have already paid for. You should be even more attuned to where these people stand on issues key to veterans. You have the choice of getting involved or of moving to the poorhouse to live out your golden years. Politics only becomes a dirty word when honest, decent, patriotic, hard working, deserving, veterans, don’t get in and stay involved in politics. Do more than vote, know the issues, and make sure the candidates know that you know the issues. Then follow that politician’s career from the time he or she is elected, write him or her, and campaign for veterans issues. Let him or her know when you are displeased at how vets are being treated and let him or her know that this displeasure will be translated to a vote for his or her opponent the next election . Also it is very important to let politicians know that you know that they are responsible for the laws that allow the bureaucracy to make rules that harm you and your country. Tell them that you expect them to change those rules and laws when they need to be changed. Make it perfectly clear to them that if these issues are not resolved in the veterans favor you will voting for and campaigning for some one in the next election who is committed to resolving them.

Next month: FIGHTING BACK PHASE I
Jim Feagles

 

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2 way mirrors

How can you tell when you are in a room, restroom, motel etc. with a Mirror or a 2-way glass?

Here's how:

I thought it was quite interesting! And I know in about 30 seconds you're going do what I did and find the nearest mirror....

Do you know how to determine if a mirror is 2-way or not?

This is not to scare you, but to make you aware. A policewoman who travels all over the U.S. and gives seminars and techniques for businesswomen passed this on.

When we visit toilets, bathrooms, hotel rooms, changing rooms, etc., how many of you know for sure that the seemingly ordinary mirror hanging on the wall is a real mirror, or actually a 2-way mirror ( i.e., they can see you, but you can't see them)?

There have been many cases of people installing 2-way mirrors in female changing rooms.

It is very difficult to positively identify the surface by just looking at it.

So, how do we determine with any amount of certainty what type of mirror we are looking at? Just conduct this simple test:

Place the tip of your fingernail against the reflective surface and if there is a GAP between your fingernail and the image of the nail, then it is a GENUINE mirror.

However, if your fingernail DIRECTLY TOUCHES the image of your nail, then BEWARE, FOR IT IS a 2-WAY MIRROR!

"No Space, Leave the Place" So remember, every time you see a Mirror, do the "fingernail test." It doesn't cost you anything.
Remember: "No Space, Leave the Place"
Ladies: Share this with your girlfriends, sisters, daughters, etc.

diabetes and will need to eat, also most of if not all of the veterans using the van have no other choice, not to mention some of them are hard pressed financially.

 

For years veterans riding the van to Martinsburg were given a free lunch. This was done because of the length on time the round trip takes and the fact that if you ride the van you will be at the hospital during lunch hour.

 

So after fifteen years of the free lunch policy the director of volunteer services has suggested that this policy be discontinued.

 

Let’s be clear here the money for this benefit does not come out of any part of the hospital’s funds.  Go ahead now ask the question----why? Good question, I guess the only answer is there ain’t no free lunch. Shit!

 

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Editorial Non-Opinion

 

Since this is the last newsletter you will receiVe before the chapTer elections I have decided to write a non-opinion just for the purpose of keeping it non-partisan I wanted to talk about the scallywags and carpetbaggers and muckrakers.

Etc. But, I decided that just about anything that wrote would be interpreted as trying to influence the Chapter elections and I certainly do not want to do that so I’ll just say good luck to all the candidates and "The Point" will return in April with the election results.

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Men: Share this with your wives, daughters, daughters-in-law, mothers, girlfriends and/or friends.

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1000 Veteran March???

Just in case you have seen the sign up at the CBOC about an upcoming 1000 Veterans march and the 1000 veteran motorcycle ride, don’t get too excited it’s probably not going to happen. Please speak to an officer in the Chapter.

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If it ain’t broken, screw it up.

Back to our (it’s always something) category.

 

“You don’t get old laughing, you get old not laughing”