VFW Action Corps Weekly
VFW Commemorates 30th Anniversary of Operation Desert Storm: Sunday, Jan. 17, 2021, marks the 30th anniversary of Operation Desert Storm. The operation lasted 43 days from Jan. 17 - Feb. 28, 1991, and involved several hundred thousand service members. The VFW and its Auxiliary members will always be thankful for the service and sacrifice of all veterans who served during the Gulf War. Veterans who served in the Persian Gulf during Operation Desert Shield, Operation Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New Dawn are eligible to complete the Gulf War Registry health exam to identify possible long-term health problems that may be linked to their military service.Please contact your local VA Environmental Health Coordinator to schedule an exam. Learn more.
Survey Seeks Women-Veteran Participants: The University of Alabama is seeking women-veteran participants in a survey about your health care experiences. The results of the survey are intended to help assess the needs of women veterans. Take the survey.
VA Launches Fitbit Initiative: Eligible veterans, caregivers, and VA staff who are Fitbit device users have until Jan. 25, 2021, to sign up to express interest in receiving a one-year free membership to Fitbit Premium. VA indicated it will initially provide up to 10,000 memberships. This expanded membership brings access to Fitbit Health Coaching, guided programs, workouts, mindfulness activities, and outcome platforms like a wellness report and a health metrics dashboard. Read more.
VFW National Home for Children: The National Home was founded in 1925 as a place where the families left behind by war could remain together. Today’s families face different challenges, and the National Home has evolved over decades to meet those needs. The community is open to the families of active-duty military personnel, veterans, and relatives of VFW and VFW Auxiliary members. Families can be one or both parents with one or more children. Learn more.
MIA Update: The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced one new identification for a service member who has been missing and unaccounted-for from WWII. Returning home for burial with full military honors is:
-- Army Air Forces Tech. Sgt. Alfred F. Turgeon, 23, was a pilot assigned to the 344th Bombardment Squadron, 98th Bombardment Group (Heavy), 9th Air Force. On Aug. 1, 1943, the B-24 Liberator aircraft on which Turgeon was serving as a radio operator crashed as a result of enemy anti-aircraft fire during Operation TIDAL WAVE, the largest bombing mission against the oil fields and refineries at Ploiesti, north of Bucharest, Romania. Interment services are pending. Read about Turgeon.