Matthew Miller, a 12-year-old Boy Scout from Pike Road's Troop 8, is embarking upon an ambitious Eagle Scout project. According to the Montgomery Advertiser, his goal is to collect at least 100 of the most respected symbol of the United States: the American flag. Miller's family's Air Force background inspired him to begin collecting old, worn-out flags.
Miller has lived all over the world and currently resides in Montgomery, Alabama, where his lieutenant colonel father attends Air War College on Maxwell Air Force Base.
Since my dad is in the military, we move around a lot and I've seen the American flag flying in lots of different places, like Hawaii and Japan…Also the American flag is an important symbol of our nation and we should treat it with respect, just like someone who is serving the nation," Miller told the Montgomery Advertiser.
Not only is Miller close to accomplishing his end goal – as of Feb. 20, he received 81 flags from all over the U.S. – but he has also learned the right way to dispose of it. The American flag is respected because it stands for freedom and symbolizes patriotism. When an American flag is worn-down, it should never be tossed aside or carelessly burned. Properly disposing of an old flag is known as retiring and should be done so with dignity. You can either donate, recycle or burn it, according to Scouting Magazine. When retiring a flag, it must be folded into a triangle and burned until it is reduced to ashes. Miller plans to conduct a ceremony to properly retire the flags he has collected at a ceremony at St. James United Methodist Church in April.
Suicide among veterans is significantly more common than it is for the rest of the U.S. population, and it's a problem that needs serious attention. To that end, a number of veterans in chilly Duluth, Minnesota, took a drastic step on a walk to raise awareness.
Dozens stripped to their underwear for an outdoor walk to raise awareness and money for veteran suicide prevention, according to a report from Duluth television station KBJR. Part of the event, known as the Nearly Naked Ruck March, involved putting weight into the packs of those who raised more money, to symbolize the need to carry more weight for veterans who feel they can't do it themselves.
"It's so important because on average 22 veterans commit suicide today," Carl Huber, a volunteer for the nonprofit 23rd Veteran, told the station. "We will probably have over 120 people marching today. Men, women, children, veterans and non-veterans. It's just here in order to bring that awareness."
This kind of help, as well as other types of support organizations and individuals can provide, will go a long way toward helping reduce suicides among veterans nationwide.
On Feb. 25, over 100 community members attended a funeral for two Louisiana veterans, reported the The Times-Picayune. Neither man had living relatives.
Claudie Ray Shiflett enlisted in the Army in 1959 at the age of 19. According to friends, he was stationed in Europe for two years and during that time worked as a military electrician. Shiflett was honorably discharged in 1965. He died Dec. 15. Shiflett was 74.
John Henry Huber joined the Army in 1964 at the age of 17. Huber served in the Vietnam War and was honorably discharged in 1969. He died Nov. 28. Huber was 69.
Both men lived out their post-service years in the New Orleans suburbs of Slidell and Metairie, respectively.
Friends, community members and local veterans honored the men during a brief service at Southeast Louisiana Veterans Cemetery in Slidell, reported The New Orleans Advocate. Members from a number of nearby veterans groups also showed up to pay their respects. The Women Veterans of Louisiana and the Marine Corps League both sent representatives. Cemetery employees organized the service and collaborated with St. Tammany Parish President's Veterans and Military Affairs Advisory Council to publicize it via social media.
"The turnout was unbelievable," Stephen Austin, a lawyer and one of Huber's friends, told The Times-Picayune. "This is far more than I expected. I think he would have been very pleased."
Members of the Patriot Guard Riders, a local veterans motorcycle club, led the funeral procession. Ex-servicemembers commemorated the men with a three-volley rifle salute while a lone bugler played Taps. Austin accepted his friend's burial flag while St. Tammany Parish President Pat Brister received Shiflett's. She plans to put the flag on display at the St. Tammany Courthouse in Covington, Louisiana.
Finance company JPMorgan Chase & Co. donated $13.8 million to Syracuse University's higher education and employment program for veterans and their families, reported The Post-Standard. The initiative, called The Institute for Veterans and Military Families, provides educational and job support to former servicemembers enrolled at Syracuse University.
This is the second time JPMorgan Chase & Co has contributed to the program. The finance company partnered with Syracuse University to establish the IVMF back in 2011 and offered an initial investment of $7.3 million. This latest donation will fund the program through 2020.
"Partnering with Syracuse University to create the IVMF is a natural extension of our firm's long history of support to military service members," Matt Zames, the company's chief operating officer, told The Post-Standard. "The past five years have seen improvements across the board in how our nation understands and supports veterans and military families, in no small way due to the work of the IVMF."
The program offers services that impact veterans, nationwide. In 2012, the IVMF, in cooperation with Hire Heroes USA, developed VetNet, an online networking portal that helps veterans transition into fulfilling careers in life after service.
According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, nearly 900,000 former members of the military live in New York. In 2014, over 400 Syracuse University students used VA educational benefits.
In the last few years, many veterans have sought assistance in a number of ways from private organizations and government agencies. However, one type of help that these former servicemembers often don't seem to be seeking these days is among veterans' organizations like the VFW and American Legion, and those organizations now say they'd like to see more participation.
The average member of the VFW these days is 70 years old, and enrollment is waning as thousands of World War II veterans die of old age every week, according to a report from Madison, Wisconsin, television station Channel 3000. Indeed, it seems that heavy enrollment really came to an end around the Vietnam era, and many are looking to younger veterans to help fill the gaps.
"I'm not sure what their feelings are," Commander Sonny Swangstu, of American Legion Post 328, told the station. "I think coming out of the situations they've been in they've had enough and they just want to back off until they get themselves ready."
The more veterans can do to look into how these groups might be able to help them in their daily lives, the better off they will be when it comes to having a strong support system whenever they need it.
The Connecticut state legislature, on Feb. 23, held a public hearing to discuss a bill that would designate Veterans Day as an official state holiday. If the legislation passes, public schools would be required to cancel classes for the occasion. The decision to observe the holiday is left to individual school districts.
The holiday originated as Armistice Day on Nov. 11, 1919, celebrating the one-year anniversary of the end of World War I. In 1926 Congress officially recognized the end of World War I with a concurrent resolution calling for an annual commemoration of the day. And, in 1938, Nov. 11 became a national holiday. Today, the day honors all American veterans for their willingness to serve and their sacrifice for the common good.
Joseph Nolan, a Vietnam War veteran and resident of Waterbury, Connecticut, believes that if this holiday is not recognized by local schools, its significance will be lost on future generations.
"I think people need to know what happened," he told NBC Connecticut. "We need to stop having a war every generation. And so I think the more we talk about, the more we discuss this, keeping this holiday a holiday in my mind is paramount."
Currently, some schools stay open on the day but honor veterans with special assemblies and parades, reported the Hartford Courant. In 2014, only about 75 of the 200 school districts in the state held classes on Veterans Day.
The committee has not yet made a decision.
The Florida Legislature, on Feb. 24, passed legislation that will allow disabled veterans to park at all airports in the state free of charge, reported the Miami Herald. The legislation passed unanimously and will soon cross the desk of Gov. Rick Scott. Ex-servicemembers who wish to take advantage this proposed law would have to acquire special-issue disabled veteran license plates. Additionally, the parking would only be free for week-long time spans. This is the legislature's second attempt to give local veterans free parking at local airports.
"It's just another bill to make Florida the friendliest state in the nation for veterans," State Rep. Ken Roberson, R-Port Charlotte, one of the 115 legislators who passed the legislation, said in an interview with the Herald.
According to the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs, 1.6 million veterans live in the state. It is also home to approximately 41,000 former military members with disabled veteran license plates.
Taking another shot
Last year, Gov. Scott signed into law a bill that ostensibly granted ex-servicemembers free parking privileges at metered parking lots throughout the county, reported the Tampa Bay Times. However, area airports, all of which are designated independent districts and invulnerable to local law, refused to allow veterans to park for free. Sarasota County Marine veteran Lou Hockel experienced this firsthand when he attempted to park free of charge at Tampa International Airport.
"They told me, 'We don't have to honor that,'" he said in an interview the Times.
Spokespeople for the transportation hub said it only provided free parking to disabled individuals who drove vehicles with specialized equipment such as wheelchair lifts or ramps.
In light of Hockel's ordeal, state legislators in November of last year moved quickly to introduce stronger legislation that would apply to airports. State Sen. Nancy Detert, R-Venice, volunteered to sponsor the new bill, called Senate Bill 222.
"We're going to fix that," she told the Times. "We should be able to give them the well-earned privilege of some free parking for what they have sacrificed for us."
The legislation quickly passed through the Florida House of Representatives and the State Senate, and now awaits Gov. Scott's signature. If signed, the law would go into effect July 1. Tampa International Airport has already changed its own policy. Disabled veterans can now park at the facility for free.
The Department of Veterans Affairs has disciplined two top administrators in the middle of a recent scandal at the Cincinnati VA Medical Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, reported ABC affiliate WCPO.
Network Director Jack Hetrick , on Feb. 25, retired from his post. The agency suspended Dr. Barbara Temeck, acting chief of staff at the hospital, from all medical duties and plans to take further disciplinary action against her. The VA indicated that both could be subject to criminal investigations, reported Cincinnati.com.
"We are committed to sustainable accountability," Dr. David Shulking, the agency's undersecretary of health, said in a news release. "We will continue to use VA's statutory authority to hold employees accountable where warranted by the evidence. That is simply the right thing to do for veterans and taxpayers."
Earlier this month, over 30 employees from the Cincinnati VA Medical Center told reporters at WCPO and the Scripps News Washington Bureau that Hetrick and Temeck were mismanaging the facility. Further investigations revealed that both administrators had instituted cost-cutting measures that greatly impacted care. Additionally, reporters uncovered documents that showed Temeck was illegally prescribing hydrocodone and Valium to Hetrick's spouse. Temeck does not have a controlled substance license.
Soon after these revelations, the VA launched an internal investigation. The actions taken against Hetrick and Temeck are a result of that probe. The former network director will receive a full retirement package. Temeck will continue to receive a full salary and benefits.
The VA and federal legislators intend to further investigate the conditions at the Cincinnati VA Medical Center.
"Our work is not done," Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, told WCPO. "I look forward to bringing Secretary (Bob) McDonald to the Cincinnati VA to hear directly from whistleblowers, and I will continue pressing for a quick and thorough investigation so we ensure the problems they brought to light do not continue and veterans get the highest quality care."
Many businesses across the country are more than happy to hire veterans, but nonetheless it can sometimes be difficult for former servicemembers to find the right job. To that end, many communities occasionally organize job fairs for veterans in the hopes of connecting employers with very skilled men and women who need the work.
In Eugene, Oregon, just such a job fair was recently held at a large hotel in the city, and attracted a lot of interest from local veterans, according to a report from the Eugene Register-Guard. Of the roughly 80 former servicemembers – of all ages and military backgrounds – who showed up, many were able to file applications and even sit down for job interviews with 10 different companies that wanted to hire veterans specifically.
"I think veterans are an overlooked pocket of people," Linda Wagner, the human resources director at Oregon Supported Living Program, which had a booth at the job fair as well, told the newspaper. "Often vets need employers to be supportive. We understand the transition."
Wagner noted that her group placed more than 9 out of 10 veterans who enrolled in its programs last year into some sort of job, the report said. However, joblessness among veterans remains quite high, roughly 33 percent higher than the unemployment rate for the entire U.S.
Having a job can be crucial to helping veterans keep a sense of normalcy and positive self-worth. For this reason, it is important for employers to get over the unfair stigma that sometimes follows veteran applicants and consider hiring former servicemembers just as they would anyone else. These people can provide may job skills that they learned during their service, even if it's not a "traditional" job.
Nationwide, the fight against veteran homelessness has been under way for some time now, and is generally going well in all states trying to combat the problem. Now, a new measure in Hawaii would turn special attention in this battle to dealing with female veterans, as they are unfortunately among the fastest-growing groups in homeless populations across the country.
Specifically, the bill now being considered in the Hawaii legislature would create and fund a position in the Hawaii Office of Veterans Services for a full-time counselor to deal particularly solely with female former servicemembers who served active duty, according to a report from Stars and Stripes. Originally, this position was built into the budget request for the government agency, but it was denied. Now, with growing recognition of the problem, lawmakers are stepping in.
In addition, now that the military allows women to fight on the front lines, it's expected that the number of female veterans coming home with physical or mental scars will increase, the report said. To that end, adding this position now may help the Aloha State to get out in front of what could become a major issue. Further, anecdotal evidence suggests that female servicemembers don't always know about the veterans benefits they may have available to them.
"They're a growing minority," Ann Greenlee, Hawaii State Director for the Department of Labor's Veterans Employment and Training Service, told the newspaper. "I would hope that in 10 or 20 years, we wouldn't need the position because women wouldn't be considered a minority."
Hawaii is hardly the only state dealing with this issue, and the more that can be done to meet it head on, the better off female veterans are going to be across the country going forward.