Just wanted to remind you that we are having our 'First Annual Public Servants Appreciation Day and Community Safety Event' this Sunday, Sept. 21st, from 11am until 4pm, at Acacia Memorial Park. The event is open to everyone. We are providing free food from Rainin' Ribs for all public servant members and asking for a donation from non members. All donations gathered are going to 'Pennies for Puppies and Ponies' a non-profit organization that provides training and assistance to service animals.

We are also going to be providing free information to people about safety and ways they can protect themselves and their families. This in turn will hopefully make the jobs of public servants that much easier. There will also be music, a fire truck, coffee and donuts, root beer floats, booths for free pictures and fingerprint kits for kids (to make kid safety kits for emergencies), a K-9 officer demo, our Family Alert Program booth (used to be called FERP), and a section for people to bring their dogs and do a 'Dog Walk' .

Acacia Memorial Park, 14951 NE Bothell Way, Seattle, WA 98155

September 19, 2014 will be proclaimed by the President as National POW/MIA Recognition Day. Over the past several years, all or most of the 50 states have proclaimed POW/MIA Recognition Day in conjunction with the national effort.  The League has asked each state to issue a proclamation, view Governor Inslee's proclamation here. See Washington State activities below. Across the country, local POW/MIA ceremonies are encouraged throughout POW/MIA Recognition Week, culminating with countless events and the national ceremony in Washington, DC, on Recognition Day.  Support for these missing Americans and their families is deeply felt.  America’s POW/MIAs should be honored and recognized, rather than memorialized, with the focus on continuing commitment to account as fully as possible for those still missing.  Strong, united support by the American people is crucial to achieving concrete answers. Learn more: Recognition Day-9-19-14

Read the article in the Edmonds Beacon here.

Department of Defense information is located here.

Read the VFW announcement here.

Washington State POW/MIA Recognition Day Ceremony
September 19, 2014
9:45 Motorcade | 10:00 am Ceremony
Washington State POW/MIA Monument
Capitol Campus, Olympia WA
POC:  CPT Joseph Siemandel WAARNG
253-512-8989 or joseph.f.siemandel.mil@mail.mil

POW/MIA Repository Program at Seatac
September 19, 2014 | 3:00 pmWashington Memorial Park Cemetery
16445 International Boulevard, Seatac, WA
The POW/MIA Repository is opened once a year for the public to put broken bracelets, or to place bracelets of POW's who have been returned home.
POC:  Darrell Pilat spilat@q.com or 253-813-8441

Inland Northwest Hiring Heroes Fair
September 19, 2014
10 am - 3 pm
Spokane Fair and Expo Center, 404 N Havana Street, Spokane
WAFLYER
For employers in attendance, check here:
https://www.facebook.com/INWHiringHeroes
509-326-3330
Hiringheroes.inw@redcross.org

Faces of Agent Orange Town Hall
Bellingham
September 19, 2014
1 pm - 4 pm
St. Luke's Community Health Education Center
3333 Squalicum Parkway, Bellingham, WA
Hosted by Whatcom County Chapter 165 of the Vietnam Veterans of America
POC:  Bill Bowen 360-815-6721 | billb@newobgroup.com
Information FLYER
POSTER

Please note that the POW-MIA event is being sent asking your consideration to share it with your contacts and those that may benefit from it. Our hopes are that you will join us on Saturday, September 20, 2014 at Lincoln Cemetery at 5:00 p.m. to remember the sacrifices made and to remember the more than 83,000 comrades that are still unaccounted for.

Please note that the women veterans Stand Down is for women veterans and service women. If you are a woman veteran or still active in the Armed Forces, National Guard and Reserves please RSVP to (312) 458-9130 or email me back. Donations gratefully accepted.

Thank you and please contact me if you have any questions.

Rochelle Crump, President
On behalf of NWVU
Special Events and Right Now Services Committee 

SAVE the Date!
Saturday, September 20, 2014 
5:00 pm - 6:30 pm                              

POW-MIA Ceremony
Lincoln Cemetery 12300 S. Kedzie
Saturday, October 25, 2014
9:00 am - 3:00 pm                                

Stand Down for Women Veterans
Jesse Brown VA 820 S. Damen Av 2nd Floor
Donations and sponsors gracefully accepted!

Rochelle Crump, MS CED, President
National Women Veterans United (NWVU)
P. O. Box 20149 Chicago, IL 60620
E-mail: Vet2crump@gmail.com - Ladyvets2@yahoo.com
(312) 458-9130    www.nwvu.org

Catch the Spirit of NWVU in 2014
"Educating, Advocating & Motivating Women Veterans

Tom Thorleifson of American Legion Post 181 confirmed with District 2 Commander Christopher Brock that there is an American Legion Fall Conference on Saturday 9/13 at Arlington Post 76 located at 115 N. Olympic Ave, Arlington, WA.  

The schedule is as follows:

• 10:00 am Social Hour
• 11:00 am Joint meeting AL & Ladies Aux
• 12:00 noon Lunch
• 1:30 Meeting Hour

Menu: Roast Beef/Turkey Sandwich, Chips & Cookie
Cost : $6

Reservations to be made to : Christian Raboin, 360-926-4412, by 9/10

The full schedule for the Fall Conferences is here.

The way to know about these events is to go to the Dept of WA website at www.walegion.org and look under the Events & Calendar menu.

Please pass this along to any comrades that you think may be interested in attending.

Thanks,
Brian Seguin

Please remember those who were lost in the attacks on our nation on 9/11 and those who sacrificed their lives to serve and protect.  Click here for the President's proclamation.

Locally, a 9/11 Memorial in Edmonds is planned and sponsored by Snohomish County Fire District One Firefighters.

To All Ironworker Veterans:

Helmets to Hardhats is a national, nonprofit program that connects National Guard, Reserve, retired and transitioning active-duty military service members with skilled training and quality career opportunities in the construction industry. The program is designed to help military service members successfully transition back into civilian life by offering them the means to secure a quality career in the construction industry.

Most career opportunities offered by the program are connected to federally-approved apprenticeship training programs.  Such training is provided by the trade organizations themselves at no cost to the veteran.  No prior experience is needed; in fact, most successful placements start with virtually no experience in their chosen field.  All participating trade organizations conduct three to five year earn-while-you-learn apprenticeship training programs that teach service members everything they need to know to become a construction industry professional with a specialization in a particular craft.  And, because these apprenticeship programs are regulated and approved at both federal and state levels, veterans can utilize their Montgomery G.I. Bill benefits to supplement their income while they are learning  valuable skills and on the job training.

In 2007, Helmets to Hardhats supplemented its existing program with a disabled American veteran program known as the “Wounded Warrior” program, which serves to connect disabled veterans with employment opportunities in the construction industry and the careers that support construction.

Below is a link to a video which illustrates the success of the program.  Please watch this video and then distribute to as many public access television stations as possible in the weeks leading up to Labor Day.

You may find contact information for public access TV online or via your local cable provider.

https://vimeo.com/user22211228/review/78565772/c2cf5aade0

Legionnaires,

We need at least eight volunteers to man a table at Albertsons on 212th Street, Mountlake Terrace.  We will run two shifts of four hours from 1000 to 1400 and 1400 to 1800 on Friday, September 12th.  If we get eight Legion members to help then it would only be two hours per shift per person.  We need this fundraiser for the future. For more information or to sign up, contact 1st Vice Commander:  Joseph L. Mingo, 425-670-3790. Please consider helping out. 

In mid-September, the VA Puget Sound will be hosting two town hall meetings for veterans in our region. It will be a valuable opportunity for our dedicated service members and their families to hear about and ask questions regarding the care that our veterans deserve. At both meetings, the VA Puget Sound will present on current wait times and other issues, followed by a question and answer component. This will allow attendees to voice their opinions and questions to a panel of qualified VA experts.

The meeting dates, times, and locations are below:

• Tuesday, September 16, 2014 from 6-8 p.m. at the American Lake VA Campus auditorium, building 9.
• Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2014 from 6-8 p.m. at the Southcenter Doubletree, 16500 Southcenter Parkway, Seattle, WA. 98188

You can call the VA Puget Sound at (206) 764-2589 or emailpublicaffairspugetsound@va.gov with any questions. 

An Unbelievable Life: Agent Orange and One Woman's Fight Against It by Rena Kopystenski