APRIL 2013 QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER
Disabled American Veterans
Ocean County Memorial Chapter #24 New Jersey
P.O. Box 1806
Toms River, NJ 08754-1806
2013-2014 Chapter Officers
Commander: Gerry Mulligan
732-270-2265 / C 732-570-1128
Chief of Staff: Frank Dascoli
732-821-5416 / C 732-718-4223
Sr. Vice Commander: Phil Hartrum
848-992-4199
st
1 Jr Vice Commander: Frank Williams
732-657-6004
2nd Jr Vice Commander: Tony Rios
732-642-9370
3rd Jr Vice Commander: Walter Applegate
732-608-9480
Sgt-at-Arms: Phil Dourand
732-977-4668
Officer of the Day: Nick Bernardi
732-575-8474
Chaplain: George Wilson
732-505-9711
Treasurer: Tim Fanning
908-910-7797
Judge Advocate: Mary Bencivenga
732-232-5570
Adjutant: Nick Sansevero
732-779-6484
Trustees:
Jim Hulick
732-557-4337
Don Jupa
732-281-1633
Mike Jupa
732-286-0130
Jim Kimmel
732-421-6337
gemull@msn.com
frankied1@comcast.net
Philip.Hartrum@va.gov
record18@hotmail.com
echoco2082@yahoo.co
dolphins_112@hotmail.com
No Email
Nicholas.Bernardi@va.gov
gwilson210@comcast.net
timfan50@aol.com
mbenga@ymail.com
nicksans@aol.com
luckylucia@comcast.net
donaldjupa@hotmail.com
jupamichael@hotmail.com
James.Kimmel1@gerdau.com
Auxiliary Contact: Patrick Argabright
Chapter Webmaster: Dave Lake
patrick.argabright@gmail.com
dlake16@hotmail.com
732-961-7881 / C 908-670-0232
609-661-0461
Visit our web site at: http://www.davmembersportal.org/chapters/nj/24/default.aspx
Newsletter: Karen Argabright
732-961-7881 / C 908-670-0235
kmargabright@gmail.com
2013 DAV CALENDAR OF EVENTS
MAY
1
6
7
8
9
13
14
19
24-27
27
31
Wednesday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Monday
Tuesday
Sunday
Fri-Mon
Monday
Friday
JUNE
12
Wednesday
Veteran Outreach Visit to Bey Lea Village, 1351 Old Freehold Rd, Toms River @ 2pm
DAV Mobile Service Office (MSO) Van, 8 Veterans Plaza, Bergenfield,NJ @ 9am-3:30pm
DAV MSO Van, VFW #809, 100 Main Street, Little Ferry, NJ @ 9am-3:30pm
Chapter #24 Auxiliary Monthly Meeting @ 6pm & DAV Monthly Meeting @ 7pm
DAV MSO Van, 232 E. Union Ave., American Legion #12, Somerville @ 9am-3:30pm
DAV MSO Van, VFW#4703, 54 Magnolia Drive, Jackson, NJ @ 9am-3:30pm
DAV MSO Van, American Legion Post 129 @ 9am-3:30pm
Chapter 24 Fishing Trip! Call Gerry Mulligan or Phil Hartrum for details
‘Forget Me Not’ Drive; Seaside Heights Boardwalk (Alternate location may be chosen)
Toms River Memorial Day Parade; 0900 (Meet @ The Office Restaurant to join us)
Mobile Vet Center Van, One Stop Career Center, Neptune, NJ
Chapter #24 Auxiliary Monthly Meeting @ 6pm & DAV Monthly Meeting @ 7pm
JULY
6
10
Saturday
Wednesday
Mobile Vet Center Van, Wall Speedway Race Track, Rt 34, Wall, NJ
Chapter #24 Auxiliary Monthly Meeting @ 6pm & DAV Monthly Meeting @ 7pm
PLEASE KEEP THIS PAGE FOR REFERENCE
D I S A B L E D A M E R I C AN V E T E R AN S A U X I L I A R Y
Comrades,
Making a difference for disabled veterans and their families
First of all, I would like to congratulate our new
officers and wish them well in their new positions. With
that said, I’d like to thank last year’s officers for a job well
done! We have a great chapter and our officers are
instrumental in helping it stay that way.
April’s meeting was, by far, the largest turn out
ever! We had over 35 members and 12 Auxiliary
members plus spouses. Our meeting room was full of
people and energy. "Quite Impressive".
John Camera spoke to the membership informing
us that the Community Center in Seaside Heights is
ready for us if we chose to move back. However, he also
stated the chapter is welcome to use the Boardwalk for
our Forget Me Not drives even if we chose not to meet in
Seaside Heights. Whether or not to return to Seaside for
our meetings will have to be decided upon by the
membership. My concerns about returning are future
storms and lack of space. Each meeting we have higher
attendance. If we have larger attendance than April the
Community Center would be too small. The Toms River
American Legion Post #129 fits our needs more
completely and they too would like us to stay.
Moving along I would like to thank Pat Argabright
for all his work in organizing and getting our Auxiliary
started. The paperwork has been sent in and they
should be receiving their charter shortly.
The chapter programs are moving along. The
Mobility Project distributed a manual and a power chair
last month. The Outreach Project is going to Magnolia
Gardens shortly. Our new Chapter Transport Service
has been taking a disabled veteran to dialysis three
times per week. Your Chapter is doing a fine job helping
veterans and their families and you should all be proud.
The "Forget Me Not" drive will start Memorial
Day Weekend. The plan is to work the Boardwalk as
usual and include other locations as well. Don't forget
Toms River's Memorial Day parade on Monday the 27th.
In closing, I would like to thank the membership
for re-electing me as your commander. My Mission is to
expand our chapter and programs and to service
Disabled Veterans and their families to the best of my
abilities.
Commander Gerry
CHAPTER 24 DAV
RIDERS
We’re looking for DAV riders. If you have a bike, like to RIDE, and would be
interested in joining us call Tony Rios at 732-642-9370 for more information.
Let’s put our DAV Colors together.
Vision Statement: The DAV Auxiliary is committed to
supporting the principles of the Disabled American Veterans
and fulfilling the purpose and goals to which our organization
is devoted. As advocates for the well-being of disabled veterans
and their families, we are dedicated to the pursuance of
veterans’ legislative initiatives, instilling patriotism in our
fellow Americans, promoting youth involvement in all
programs, and encouraging voluntary service.
---------------------------------Our newly formed auxiliary is well on its way to being
chartered by National and we have our work cut out for
us! We are currently working on a couple of projects:
A
YARD SALE
to raise
funds for our new auxiliary so, ALL proceeds will go to
Chapter #24. We are looking for donations! So, when
your spring cleaning is done and you don’t know what
to do with all that stuff, THINK OF US and call for drop
off points or to arrange a pick up.
THE
MSO VAN
will
be at the American Legion Post #129 on Church Road in
Toms River on Tuesday, 14 May and your auxiliary will
be on hand to provide blood pressure checks, giving
away books, coffee and donuts. Come out and see us!
Commander Gerry requests that our meetings remain at
6pm so we can all join the DAV meeting at 7. For those
of you, who cannot make 6pm, please join us when you
can and we will catch you up to speed. REMEMBER,
eligible members include ANY family member of a
disabled veteran.
For more information on any DAVA matter, contact
Patrick Argabright at 908-670-0232, or email
at patrick.argabright@gmail.com.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAM
Our Outreach Committee is keeping busy. We
are planning another visit with our friends at
Magnolia Gardens Assisted Living and Bey Lea
Village in the next couple of weeks (see the
calendar of events). If you’re interested in
joining us, contact Karen Argabright @ 908670-0235.
Veteran’s
Volunteer
Transportation
System
DRIVER’S NEEDED!
We are in need of volunteer drivers who can
transport veterans to and from medical
appointments at various VA Medical facilities in
the Ft Dix / Monmouth and Ocean County area.
Drivers must possess a valid New Jersey driver’s
license and must pass a background check as
well as a physical exam.
If you’d like to help a veteran, have time to
volunteer, and enjoy driving please contact Karen
Argabright at 908-670-0235 to set up your
orientation.
Burn-Pit Registry
for Veterans
Signed into Law
President Obama signed legislation requiring the
Veterans Affairs Department to establish a registry for
troops and veterans who lived and worked near open-air
burn pits used to dispose waste in Iraq, Afghanistan and
elsewhere overseas.
In addition to including new requirements for providing a
casket or urn for veterans with no known next of kin and
establishing care for a military cemetery in the
Philippines, the Dignified Burial and Other Veterans
Benefits Improvement Act, S. 3202, aims to pinpoint the
number of veterans who may have been exposed to
burn-pit smoke so VA can track their medical histories
and keep them apprised of new treatments for associated
conditions.
Troops deployed in support of contingency operations
and stationed at a location where an open burn pit was
used will be eligible to register.
Veteran’s advocacy groups and families of service
members who have become ill since their deployments
hailed passage of the law as a “victory.”
“It validates the truth behind every death, every illness
associated with exposure,” said Rosie Lopez-Torres, cofounder of Burn Pits 360 and wife of former Army Capt.
LeRoy Torres, who developed a rare lung disorder known
as constrictive bronchiolitis after serving in Iraq.
“The new registry will enhance VA’s ability to monitor the
effects of exposure and keep Veterans informed about
studies and treatments,” VA wrote on its burn pits
military exposures web page.
Some feel the legislation did not go far enough to address
war-zone environmental toxins. The list of pollutants
troops may have come in contact with in Iraq and
Afghanistan is long, ranging from chemicals inhaled by
soldiers who fought a sulfur fire near Mosul in 2003, to
dust and fine air particulates inhaled during daily
operations, depleted uranium and more.
“I fear everyone is going to say the health conditions seen
in our troops are only a consequence of burn pits and
now we can stop worrying,” said Dan Sullivan, president
of the Sgt. Thomas Sullivan Center, a nonprofit group
named for his brother that raises awareness of postdeployment health concerns.
“But there are so many environmental exposures, it’s
important to focus on them and how they might affect one
another,” said Sullivan, whose brother died in 2009 of
heart, lung and digestive tract diseases that his family
thinks were related to environmental exposures, including
insecticides and phosphates.
VA has acknowledged troops may suffer from illnesses
related to environmental exposures. According to VA, it
has established a surveillance program for service
members exposed to hexavalent chromium, a known
carcinogen, at a water treatment facility near Basrah in
2003, and it lists nine infectious diseases found in the
Middle East as service-related conditions.
If you are concerned about your exposure, talk to your
health care provider or local VA Environmental Health
Coordinator.
Books, Books, &
More Books!!
Like to read but can’t make it to the library? Let
the library come to you or your facility. We’ve
got lots of books donated by various
organizations and we’re ready to deliver them to
you! Contact Chapter Auxiliary member Patrick
Argabright at 908-670-0232 for more
information and to set up your delivery.
Tony Rios and Casey Sharkey are happy to announce the birth of their
daughter
Elizabeth Theresa Rios
Born on Wednesday, 20 March at 5:43.
6lbs 14oz and 20 inches long!
CONGRATULATIONS!
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has
joined with the Department of Veterans Affairs and
the Department of Defense to launch a training
program for transitioning service members and
veterans called "Operation Boots to Business:
From Service to Startup," to help them become
entrepreneurs and create jobs.
Through the Boots to Business initiative, service
members will learn the nuts and bolts of how to
start and grow a business. They will also be
introduced to the SBA's nationwide Resource
Partner network for support throughout the lifecycle
of their new business.
For more information on the Operation Boots to
Business training program, and on how to take part
as a transitioning service member, visit the SBA's
Operation
Boots
to
business
website
at www.sba.gov/bootstobusiness.
VA Seeks to
Expand List of
Service-Connected
TBI Effects
The Veterans Affairs Department is publishing a
proposed regulation in the Federal Register that would
change its rules to add five diagnosable illnesses that
are secondary to service-connected traumatic brain
injury.
“We must always decide veterans’ disability claims
based on the best science available and we will,”
Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki said.
“Veterans who endure health problems deserve timely
decisions based on solid evidence that ensure they
receive benefits earned through their service to the
country.”
VA proposes to add a new subsection to its
adjudication regulation state that if a veteran who has a
service-connected TBI also has one of the five illnesses,
then the illness will be considered service-connected as
secondary to the TBI. Service connection under the
proposed rule depends in part upon the severity of the
TBI -- mild, moderate, or severe -- and the period of time
between the injury and onset of the secondary illness,
officials said.
The proposed rule also clarifies that even if those
time and severity standards are not met, it does not
preclude a veteran from establishing direct-service
connection. It also defines the terms mild, moderate, and
severe, consistent with Defense Department.
VA’s decision is based on a report by the National
Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine, in which the
IOM's Committee on Gulf War and Health concluded
that "sufficient evidence of a causal relationship" - the
IOM's highest evidentiary standard - existed between
moderate or severe levels of TBI and diagnosed
unprovoked seizures, officials said.
The IOM found sufficient evidence of an association
between moderate or severe levels of TBI and
Parkinsonism; some dementias, depression and
diseases of hormone deficiency that may result from
hypothalamo-pituitary changes. The report also
associated depression with mild TBI.
Visit http://www.polytrauma.va.gov/ to learn more
about Traumatic Brain Injuries or contact your health
care provider.
VA for Vets facilitates the reintegration, retention
and hiring of Veteran employees at the Department
of Veterans Affairs (VA). We offer career-search
tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career
development services for our existing Veterans, and
coaching and reintegration support for military
service members. VA for Vets is your gateway to a
rewarding career serving our nation's Veterans.
Veterans who wish to have their resumes reviewed
should follow the directions below. VA for Vets has
career coaches and veteran representatives ready to
provide assistance once the veteran has registered and
uploaded their resumes.
If you have not already done so, register with the
website www.vaforvets.va.gov. Registering with this site
is a vital step toward arranging a career coach to provide
resume and career assistance.
Additionally, registering will allow you access to the
Career Center. In the Career Center you can complete
skill assessments, search for careers within the VA and
federal government agencies, create a resume in the
federal resume format and apply to careers that interest
you in the location of your choosing.
Once you have registered with the website and uploaded
your current resume, call 1-855-824-8387 and a Veteran
Representative can make the arrangements to have a
career coach contact you.
Additionally, explore the careers section or conduct a
search on www.usajobs.gov so that when you are
speaking with the coach, your resume and career
considerations can be discussed.
-------------------
THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday which
occurs every year on the final Monday of May. Memorial
Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died
while serving in the United States Armed Forces. Formerly
known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American
Civil War to commemorate the Union and Confederate
soldiers who died in the Civil War. By the 20th century
Memorial Day had been extended to honor all Americans
who have died in all wars.
The "Memorial" in Memorial Day has been ignored
by too many of us who are beneficiaries of those
who have given the ultimate sacrifice. Often we do
not observe the day as it should be, a day where
we actively remember our ancestors, our family
members, our loved ones, our neighbors, and our
friends who have given the ultimate sacrifice.
Here are some suggestions you can consider to
properly observe this Memorial Day:






visit cemeteries and place flags or flowers on
the graves of our fallen heroes
visit memorials
fly the U.S. Flag at half-staff until noon
fly the 'POW/MIA Flag' as well (Section 1082 of the
1998 Defense Authorization Act)
participate in a "National
Remembrance". At 3 p.m. pause
Moment of
and think upon
the true meaning of the day
pledge to aid the widows, widowers, and
orphans of our fallen heroes and aid the
disabled veterans
… the
victims,
Cleaners Plus and Rand’s Camera are to be
commended for their support to our chapter.
Hurricane Sandy damaged our flags and the frame for
our charter was broken. Cleaners Plus dry cleaned and
pressed our flags and Rand’s Camera re-framed our
charter in a beautiful frame. Their services were
performed free of charge! In return we are putting
their business cards in our newsletter and encouraging
our members to use their veteran-friendly services.
their
families
and the
Boston
community!
4th Annual Fishing Trip
on the
7:30AM-1:00PM
Sunday, May 19th, 2013
30 Broadway Point Pleasant Beach, NJ
FLUKE FISHING
$30 Includes Rod, Rig, & Bait
- All
are welcome -
Contact Phil Hartrum...………848-992-4199 or
Gerry Mulligan…………732-570-1128
Advertise in our newsletter for a tax-deductible donation
of $40 to Chapter 24. Call Karen at 908-670-0235 for
more info.
RAY BILLEMEYER
CONSTRUCTION
25+ YEARS EXPERIENCE
QUALITY WORKMANSHIP
(732) 260-2262
Non Profit U. S. Postage
DISABLED AMERICAN VETERANS
Ocean County Memorial Chapter #24
P.O. Box 1806
Toms River, NJ 08754-1806
Do you know a Veteran who needs a walker,
wheelchair, scooter, etc.? We have items on hand
NOW and they are ready for you! Please give us a
call and let us know what you need.
Come & join us at 7:00 pm every 2nd
Wednesday of each month at American
Legion Post #129 at 2025 Church Road in
Toms River, NJ
PAID
Toms River N.J.
Permit #89
Made up exclusively of men and women disabled in
our nation’s defense, the Disabled American
Veterans is dedicated to one, single purpose —
building better lives for all of our nation’s disabled
veterans and their families.