WEBWEELKY

Trouble Viewing? View this email in your browser

In This Issue: November 13, 2018

November 14 at the National Archives: Remembering Vietnam Vietnam War Veterans' Kids Say Agent Orange Impact 'a Nightmare' November 15: National Academies Veterans and Agent Orange Report Update 11 Vietnam, U.S. Complete Cleanup of Toxic Chemical from Airport VA Returns Medical Professionals Currently Serving Unions to Serving Veterans VA Secretary Expects Budget Increase despite Trump’s Order to Slash Spending “I Am Not Invisible” Photography Project Spotlights Women Veterans AARP: Operation Protect Veterans Enormous Solar Storm Caused Hidden US Bombs to Detonate During Vietnam War November 14 at the National Archives: Remembering Vietnam  As part of a week-long schedule of activities to celebrate and honor Vietnam veterans, on Wednesday, November 14, at 2:00 pm, at the William G. McGowan Theater, former Senator and Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel will deliver remarks for a program on support and resources for Vietnam veterans. Expert panelists include Rick Weidman, ED for Policy and Government Affairs for VVA, and Dr. Linda Schwartz, VVA Special Advisor. For More Information...   Vietnam War Veterans' Kids Say Agent Orange Impact 'a Nightmare' As reported November 12 by Beatrice Peterson for ABC News, More than 40 years after the end of the Vietnam War, children of the men and women who served say they are battling a new war for benefits as they grapple with the impact of toxic exposure which has wreaked havoc on their lives. Read More... November 15: National Academies Veterans and Agent Orange Report Update 11 The release of the National Academies report Veterans and Agent Orange: Update 11 (2018) will take place at 11am EST on Thursday, November 15, 2018. This update— the result of our years-long grassroots effort which resulted in the passage of the Toxic Exposure Research Act on December 16, 2016—includes the panel’s opinion of the feasibility to study the generational health effect of military toxic exposures. Copies of the report will be available for free download in PDF format from links found at https://www.nap.edu/catalog/25137 (link only available after November 15). A briefing on the report’s content is scheduled for November 15 from 11:00 am to noon EST at the Keck Center of the National Academies (500 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001), Room 101. This briefing will also be broadcast over the web—remote participants will be able to view slides, hear the presentation, and participate in the question-and-answer session that follows. To view the report briefing, join here or through the details below: Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android: https://nasem.zoom.us/j/552288898 Or iPhone one-tap :     US: +16465588656,,552288898#  or +16699006833,,552288898# Or Telephone:     Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):     US: +1 646 558 8656 or +1 669 900 6833 or +1 855 880 1246 (Toll Free) or +1 877 853 5257 (Toll Free)     Meeting ID: 552 288 898     International numbers available: https://zoom.us/u/ad0u6jmmt0 All are welcome; interested persons who are outside the Washington, DC area are encouraged to participate via the web. Vietnam, U.S. Complete Cleanup of Toxic Chemical from Airport Filing from Hanoi on November 7, AP reports that Vietnam and the U.S. said they have finished the cleanup of dioxin contamination at Danang airport. The 74 acres of land, cleansed of the toxic chemical, were handed over to Vietnam at a ceremony. Vice Defense Minister Nguyen Chi Vinh praised the U.S. government's involvement in the cleanup. "It is proof that we are opening a future of good cooperation between the governments of Vietnam and the United States," Vinh said. "Today marks the day that Danang airport is no longer known as a dioxin hotspot, the day that Danang people can be assured that their health will not be destroyed by chemicals left over from the war." Read More... VA Returns Medical Professionals Currently Serving Unions to Serving Veterans On November 8, the VA announced it will be moving nearly 430 medical professionals from taxpayer-funded union work back to healthcare jobs serving veterans. The move will take effect Nov. 15, when VA repudiates certain provisions of master collective bargaining agreements VA accepted during the Obama administration with the following unions: American Federation of Government Employees, National Federation of Federal Employees, National Association of Government Employees, and National Nurses United. Read More... VA Secretary Expects Budget Increase despite Trump’s Order to Slash Spending As reported November 9 by Eric Katz for Government Executive, VA Secretary Robert Wilkie expects his agency will see its largest budget ever in 2020, despite a request from President Trump for all agencies to slash spending by 5 percent. Read More... “I Am Not Invisible” Photography Project Spotlights Women Veterans Women veterans make up ten percent of the veteran population and total roughly two million women veterans. The "I Am Not Invisible" Photography Project aims to instill their joy, professionalism, and service in each photo. Watch Video & Read More... AARP: Operation Protect Veterans The AARP Fraud Watch Network is working with the US Postal Inspection Service to raise awareness of common scams that target America’s military veterans, and as such, is asking that if you encounter suspicious emails, phone calls, or mailings targeting military veterans, you report them to protectveterans@aarp.org or 1-855-800-9023. You can take a picture with your phone or tablet and email it, or call the toll-free number and leave detailed information about the solicitation. You don’t need to have absolute proof that an offer is fraud to report it. More Information... Enormous Solar Storm Caused Hidden US Bombs to Detonate During Vietnam War As reported by Chris Ciaccia for Fox News, the Vietnam War may have been one of the most unpopular wars in U.S. history, but the massive solar event that took place in August 1972, towards the end of the war, may have caused a greater impact than the government let on. According to a new study published in the journal Space Weather, the enormous solar storm may have actually caused old sea mines to detonate unintentionally. Read More...