Contributed photo | www.lakecountyil.gov
Contributed photo | www.lakecountyil.gov
Happy New Year!
January 3, 2022
Happy Back to the Routine!
Did you go out? Did you stay in with friends or family? What did you do to celebrate what absolutely must be a better year than last year?
While we each have different thoughts about all sorts of challenges facing our communities, states and the country, let's pray to make 2022 the year we figure out how to bring all these different perspectives together in a way that helps this great country move forward for the benefit of all its citizens.
Your turn to Fill in the Blanks!
OK, the party's over. Now it is time to get to work planning on how to enjoy the cold and the snow and the blustery winds. If you're like me, we've hunkered down for a year already, so it is time to get out and do something - I recommend adding a little volunteering if you're not already into that. Reach out and provide a caring pair of hands to help - a vet, a senior in need, the hungry or homeless. There are hundreds of ways to help. If you don't know how to find something - call me and we can explore the options.
The VAC Commissioners meetings for 2022 will be held on the following dates:
March 16, 2022
May 18, 2022
September 21, 2022
November 16, 2022
At the Gurnee American Legion Post (749 Milwaukee Ave).
All meetings begin at 10:30 am.
Visitors are welcome to attend.
Veteran Memorials
Around Lake County -
Libertyville Lakeside Cemetery
Thanks to all our
Korean War
Veterans
Each year, the Lake County judicial system musters its resources on a volunteer basis to conduct interviews to record individual veteran's military background and experiences. Each veteran is interviewed by a lawyer or a judge of the county court system. The interview is recorded verbatim by volunteer court reporters. The transcript is then submitted Library of Congress system to contribute to the body of knowledge about veteran experiences and lives. The veteran also receives a copy of the transcript for their own use.
The Veterans participating in the History Project for Veterans Day 2021.
Marine Corps League Detachment 1395 hosts the Veteran History breakfast featuring SOS and all the fixins - eggs, bacon sausage, sweet rolls etc.
All of us who are Veteran Supporters are enormously conscious of the continuing rate of Veteran suicides. We struggle even writing about it with the concern that it will heighten awareness, not only of the situation, but also of those who might be struggling with the challenges that trigger that last action.
As we approach the holiday season, we must recognize that this is an exceptionally difficult time of year – especially for those who are struggling. We encourage you to watch this Outreach video, and be even more aware of the veterans and veteran families close to you than you usually are.
The headline of this article and the content below have been borrowed from WBUR, Boston NPR Radio.
Source – WBUR (Boston NPR Radio) – Cogniscenti - September 28, 2021
For many veterans, the simple act of asking for help is very difficult. Personal responsibility is a cornerstone of military culture. Yet this ethos of self-sufficiency too often prevents many veterans from seeking even basic medical or legal assistance — professional help that all of us occasionally need.
The consequences of this — for veterans, their family members, friends and the communities that care about them — can easily turn tragic. September is National Suicide Prevention Month, and we owe it to our veterans to shine a light on an enduring epidemic.
Veteran suicide is one of the greatest crises of our time. Since Sept. 11, 2001, just over 30,000 veterans have died by suicide — four times more than the number of U.S. military personnel who died in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2019, the most recent year of data available from the Department of Veterans Affairs, 6,261 veterans in the United States took their own lives. That is a 7% decrease from the previous year, but, on average, 17 veterans still lost their lives to suicide every day. That’s a staggering number, particularly when compared to the suicide rate of non-veterans. The VA reports that former service members died by suicide at a rate twice as high as non-veterans, and veterans ages 18-34 died at a rate almost three times higher.
Editor comment: The current information reflects that the latest number of daily suicides exceeds the well-established 22 per day, up from the stated 17 per day in 2019. In Lake County, there have been at least 4 in the last 2 months!
Mental Health First Aid
Mental Health First Aid provides information and resources you can offer to someone to provide emotional support and practical help. There are many professionals who can offer help when someone is in crisis or may be experiencing the signs and symptoms of a mental illness or addiction.
Finally this important need is being added to the first-responder tool kit! This can be a first step in addressing veteran and family emotional issues that can otherwise result in much more tragic outcomes.
The Veterans Assistance Commission has two certified training officers to conduct Mental Health First Aid training. If you are part of a program that would like to learn more about Mental Health First Aid, contact the VAC at 847-377-3344.
An In-Person Training Event
Mental Health First Aid is an early intervention public education program supported by the National Institute for Behavioral Health and SAMHSA. It teaches adults how to recognize the signs and symptoms that suggest a potential mental health challenge, how to listen nonjudgmentally and give reassurance to a person who may be experiencing a mental health challenge, and how to refer a person to appropriate professional support and services.
Date and time
Sat, February 26, 2022
8:00 AM – 5:00 PM CST
Location
Antioch VFW
75 North Avenue
Antioch, IL 60002
This program is conducted as a joint effort of the Lake County VAC and the Lake County Health Department.
November 18, 2021
Today, I ask you to help me with Operation Purple Heart, an unprecedented mission to return 11 Purple Heart medals to their rightful owners.
The military honors were entrusted to my office as part of the Unclaimed Property program after their owners could not be found. It is my duty to find their owners and reunite them with their medals.
These medals personify honor, sacrifice, and duty. They belong in the loving care of families rather than hidden inside our cold basement vault.
We hope attention to the recent Veterans Day celebrations and tributes will spark a memory or provide a clue so that we can return these medals.
Each of these medals was in a bank safe deposit box that had been untouched for years. The last names associated with the safe deposit box, the date in which the medal was recorded with the state treasurer’s office, and the location of the bank:
Cawthon, Received Nov. 1, 1992, Portland, Oregon
Wilson, Received Nov. 13, 1995, Chicago
Burns, Received Nov. 5, 1997, Homewood
Moore, Received Oct. 17, 2001, Peoria
Smith, Received, Nov. 18, 2002, Oak Park
Gorski, Received, Oct. 30, 2003, Darien
Tuttle, Received Oct. 25, 2018, Decatur
Alexander, Received Oct. 26, 2018, Channahon
Isbell or Shayer, Received Oct. 31, 2018, Chicago
Steward or VanHasselaere, Received, Oct. 31, 2018, Round Lake
Wiest, Received Oct. 23, 2019, O’Fallon
We have an unparalleled record in returning these military honors and we will build on this success, with your help. Our ask is simple: Do you know a Veteran? Did he or she live in any of these communities? Bank in these communities? Maybe a son or daughter later moved to one of these communities?
Let’s start that conversation.
Sincerely,
Michael W. Frerichs, Illinois State Treasurer
James R. Thompson Center
100 W Randolph St, Suite 15-600, Chicago, Il 60601
The war is over, but there will be lasting effects for many years to come. In Vietnam we dealt with Agent Orange and new veterans are filing claims for compensation every day.
Now, in Southwest Asia, there are not only the burn pits that are known to be a problem, but there are other toxic airborne contaminants that are being identified throughout the entire Southwestern Asia area that will be affecting veterans returning from that theater for the foreseeable future.
The Southwestern Asia region is enormous. Depending on how you define it, it encompasses 19 countries.
Don't forget to say "Thank You" and "Welcome Home" to Our Vets who served there!
As I was reminded recently, this 20-year war is now the only USA conflict where we haven't celebrated the warriors who have given their time, energy and, in many cases, their limbs and mental stability in service to our country.
Visit our website
The Veterans Assistance Commission of Lake County has recently implemented a new, much improved website. The site is easy to navigate and provides information on how we can support you in different types of services. The site also includes all the documents a veteran or family member might need to get the ball rolling to file for any potential deserved benefits.
Contact the VAC (847-377-3344) for information packets for each of its major categories of support:
The 4% rule, a popular retirement income strategy, may be outdated!
Source - CNBC News
KEY POINTS
- The 4% rule, a popular strategy to gauge withdrawals from one’s retirement portfolio, won’t work as well in coming decades due to lower projected stock and bond returns, according to a Morningstar paper published Thursday.
- The withdrawal rate should instead be 3.3%, the paper said. That can have a big financial impact on retirees.
- However, there are many caveats.
Think - OOOPS! - More Snow!
We were informed by an astute reader that the mailing for the Lynch Foundation Heroes for Veterans Program had a bit of a typo in it. With a very red face, we are correcting the donation levels as shown below. To learn more about Heroes for Veterans, go the the A J Lynch Foundation website.
In case you haven't heard -
While this is "old" news, most folks may not be aware of it, since we don't usually think about cemeteries until we need to.
Fort Sheridan National Cemetery was transferred to the NCA (National Cemetery Administration) at the end of 2019. Administration of Fort Sheridan is now under the jurisdiction of the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Elwood, IL.
New interments at the cemetery will be limited to in-ground burial of cremated remains. Casketed burials will be permitted as subsequent interments in existing gravesites for eligible family members. There is no change in ceremony planning.
For those Veterans and families in the area who desire casketed interment or inurnment in a columbarium, the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Elwood, Illinois, remains the Chicago area's full-service national cemetery.
I recently read an article about the 12 million people who left their jobs over the past 3 months. The article was written from the perspective that everyone is looking to change their relationship with work so they’ll feel more fulfilled. The article was written from a broad-based perspective and related the resignations to the need for more labor to get services flowing again.
I have a somewhat different perspective that I’d like to challenge you with. My reaction was at the individual level – the number of people deciding to quit their jobs before finding another one that would be better for them.
Before you quit, you need to come up with answers to the following questions:
1. What have you done to improve the skills you offer for your new job? Have you earned any new educational credentials? Have you been trained in something new?
2. How will your people relationships change with your next job? (If you move from 1 restaurant or retail store to another, they won’t!) What about if you move from Walmart to Target?
3. How are you going to change your approach to the work itself? Are you preparing to hustle for each work shift, or will you be watching the clock for the next break?
4. If you are going to get into the “gig” world, have you worked out your personal budget – given a variable income – and how you’ll fill in the times with no business (income)?
The bottom line is that it might not be a question of “feeling more fulfilled”, because every job can be tiring at times and have routine elements. But you still need to earn a living, and therefore you need to provide value to a business organization of some kind. Now that the pandemic subsidies are gone, you will still need to pay rent, put food on the table for your family and make payments on your credit cards.
Don’t quit your old job until you have a new one!
Source - THE WEEK October 29, 2021 - Click to see the entire article
Support Dark Horse Lodge
Darkhorse Lodge will be a retreat for combat veterans of all branches of service to come to relax, fish on Kentucky Lake, enjoy area activities and communicate with others who have walked in their boots. All at no cost to our guests.
Once completed, there will be five, 5 bedroom guest cabins, each room named for one of the 25 men lost from the Marine Corps' 3/5, Darkhorse unit.
Click to learn more about Dark Horse Lodge on the web, or open a PDF about them here.
The A J Lynch Foundation Joined the Darkhorse Trek!
Darkhorse Lodge has been named in honor of the 25 Marines in 3/5 (3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment) who died at Sangin, Afghanistan.
Gretchen and Kirk Catherwood-Gold Star Parents of LCpl Alec E. Catherwood, USMC are putting a lot of energy into honoring not only thier son, but the 24 other Marines from 3/5 who died in Afghanistan.
St. Viator's Publishes Fourth
Veteran's Biography Book
St Viator High School in Arlington Heights has, again, published a book of local veterans’ biographies.
The previous three books covered local veterans from World War II, Korean War and Vietnam. They were the result of St Viator history students interviewing local veterans and then writing a paper. The bios were collected and published in book form. The fourth book of local veterans bios includes veterans of the Gulf War (Operation Desert Shield / Desert Storm); Operation Iraqi Freedom; and Operation Enduring Freedom.
All of these books are fascinating reads – not only for the stories of people who served in our military but also for the insights into people who are our friends and neighbors. For many, you would never know how these “quiet heroes” served and sacrificed, then they returned home to a “regular” life.
The book will be available for purchase for $10 by going to this link on the web
The Marine Corps Owns Part of Route 66, so It Made a Special Eagle, Globe and Anchor for It
There's a Marine Corps logistics base in California's high desert outside Barstow where the service's Eagle, Globe and Anchor looks unlike those in any other clime or place.
The symbol, made up of a highway shield superimposed over the service's emblem, is found on signs lining the shoulder of Joseph L. Boll Avenue, an original part of U.S. Highway 66 at Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow.
8 Dec 2021,
We (the VA) are the world's leading research and educational center of excellence on PTSD and traumatic stress.
PTSD is a mental health problem that some people develop after experiencing or witnessing a life-threatening event, like combat, a natural disaster, a car accident, or sexual assault. It's normal to have upsetting memories, feel on edge, or have trouble sleeping after this type of event. If symptoms last more than a few months, it may be PTSD. The good news is that there are effective treatments.
While the holiday weeks are behind us now, PTSD is not. Click to read the VA's link filled holiday message, or
Don't let the Coroners put COVID-19 on Veterans’ death certificates instead of the underlying issues as the cause of death
If you have a veteran death to deal with, be sure to check to make sure that any service related underlying cause of death is properly documented on the death certificate. If not, and Covid-19 is recorded as the immediate cause, and if the contributing service connected conditions are not listed on the death certificate, a surviving spouse may lose their Dependent Indemnity Compensation . See item 5 in RSO Notes for further details.
However, if the death was also caused by Covid-19, the survivor should investigate and apply for the FEMA Covid burial expense assistance discussed in the article to the right
Or,
Think Spring
An Alternative Death Benefit
One of our readers pointed out to me that FEMA also offers a death benefit - IF the death is attributed to Covid-19.
Therefore, if you are dealing with a death caused by Covid-19 and there is no question about veteran survivor benefits, you should apply to FEMA for their death benefit. Here's an extract from the FEMA information.
Who is Eligible?
To be eligible for funeral expense assistance, you must meet these conditions:
- For deaths that occurred after May 16, 2020, the death certificate must indicate the death was attributed to COVID-19.
- For deaths that occurred from Jan. 20 to May 16, 2020, any death certificate that does not attribute the cause of death to COVID-19 must be accompanied by a signed statement listing COVID-19 as a cause or contributing cause of death.
OR, If you are interested in taking your own personal inventory, click here.
For more information about Whole Health at the James A Lovell FHCC, contact:
Rossyvette Harrington, 224-610-1278, or email rossyvette.harrington@va.gov
In all the situations below, you can always contact the VAC (847-377-3344) directly for further assistance. If you are struggling with rent or mortgage payments with the elimination of pandemic forbearance programs, Call the VAC immediately!
- Rent or Mortgage payments or Emergency Housing
- Utility payments
- Food - Northern Illinois Food Bank - See Schedule or
- Midwest Veterans Closet (See the calendar below)Medical Care - Contact VAC when civilian benefits lost - Do not go to VA if not registered with them. Contact the VAC to get you registered.
- Most VA visits are currently by Video Conference
- Family problems - In Lake County, contact 211 for referral to proper resource.
Call 211 for Social Services
in Lake County
Anyone in Lake County who needs help finding health and human service support can call 211 and get quickly connected to available resources. Lake County 211, provided by United Way of Lake County, is a free, confidential information and referral helpline that will enable Lake County residents to get the help they need 24 hours a day, regardless of the language they speak or where they live.
The 211 network also answers dozens of crisis hotlines, including the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
Know Someone Who Can Use Veteran Benefit Assistance?
If you have a veteran parent or know someone who might be eligible for some kind of benefits for their service, we encourage you to mention the VAC to them. We can assist with many different issues:
- Aid and Attendance Assistance
- Emergency Financial Assistance
- Survivor spousal benefits
- Burial arrangements
- Upgrading disability status
- Job skill preparation
- Referrals for services we cannot support.
If you or another veteran you know needs help, give us a call at 847-377-3344.
Your Coin Helps Vets In Need Through the VAC Not For Profit
Coins are $5.00 and you can pick one up when you come into the office, or you can send a check (make the check out to "Lake County VAC - Not-for-Profit - and mail to the address below) and we'll mail it to you. Mail check to:
Veterans Assistance Commission
501 North Route 21, Suite 106
Gurnee, IL 60031
Want to Give a Shout-out to a
Vet Owned Business?
If you are a veteran and have your own business, or if you know of another vet who you think is doing a good job on their business, we’d like to know about it! The VAC is developing a reference directory in conjunction with Lake County Veterans and Family Services consisting of Veteran Owned businesses that come with good reviews. If you are interested or know someone, contact John Murray at the Veterans Assistance Commission (jmurray@lakecountyil.gov or 847-377-3344). The directory will provide room for a business card, or a business card-sized logo or other high resolution image of your business.
If you need help dealing with the current events about Afghanistan, or any other issue
Call us - the VAC - at 847-477-3344
If you're wondering what the VAC and other veterans organizations are doing. Be sure to call first since many of these events and activities have been cancelled or deferred during the Covid-19 pandemic:
Midwest Veterans Closet
Open Monday, Wednesday and Friday - 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM
2323 Green Bay Road, North Chicago, IL
847-354-2108
Midwest Veterans Closet
Mobile Food Pantry and Clothing
Food (Grocery Style selection)
Clothing, Housewares, and
LOTS of Furniture
Mundelein Park District
Healthy Minds Healthy Bodies
1401 N. Midlothian Rd, Mundelein, IL
mundeleinparks.org - 847-566-0650
Lake Zurich American Legion Post
51 Lions Drive
Lake Zurich, IL 60047
Coffee and Donuts - Every Tuesday, 8:30 - 10:30 AM
Check for open operations since new Covid-19 rules
Chicagoland North Chapter, Team RWB
Contact David Christensen
Lots of events scattered around Lake County
Lake County Honor Flight Reunions
Meet 4th Saturday each month (Dec meet 3rd Saturday)
Lunch - Mission BBQ, Gurnee - Dec 18, 11:00
Breakfast Golden Corral, Gurnee - Jan 22, 2022 10:00
Animal Therapy for Veterans
Veterans and their families are invited to
Veterans’ Weekend at the SOUL Harbour Ranch, Barrington, IL
Last Sunday of each month.
TIME: 10:30am to Noon
WHERE: SOUL Harbour Ranch
22093 N. Countryside Lane, Barrington, IL 60010
RSVP: Jodie @ 855-408-SOUL (7685)
QUESTIONS: Contact veteran liaison
USAF Pilot, Lt. Colonel Gina Stramaglio 316-708-9788
Northern Illinois Food Bank
There are three types of resources within NIFB
Pre-register at the link and order from list of items - limited locations and times
See below for the Lake and McHenry locations and times
From ScarryMommy
A basic trainee realizes he made an awful mistake and goes to the DI.
“You can’t keep me here because one of my legs is shorter than the other. I’ll be useless.” The DI smirks, “No one is useless. See that guy down the hill pumping water into a bucket? When the trainee nods, the DI continues, ,”Run down there and tell him when the bucket is full. He’s blind.”
During deployment on the Aircraft Carrier Midway, there was an inspection by a visiting admiral.
All Navy and Marine personnel lined up in formation for the admiral. While walking past several Sailors asking questions and receiving appropriate answers, the admiral stopped in front of a Marine and asked, “What’s the first thing you do after hearing “Man Overboard?” Without hesitation, the Marine asked, “Officer or Enlisted?
Just for Fun!
I
t Helps to Stay In Touch With the
James A. Lovell FHCC
To stay in touch with the James A. Lovell FHCC,
subscribe to the “Launch”, the Lovell Newsletter.
Reminder about C&P Exams
What are C&P Exams? The C&P Exam (short for "Compensation and Pension") is an exam per-formed by a VA salaried or contracted physician to document the current severity of a condition that is being considered for VA Disability or for which you are currently being compensated. These exams are being conducted in person.
_________________________________
Quick Links
I blame my lack of observational skill on my age now, but I just noticed that there are a set of menu tabs on the #VetResources page of the weekly VA News (Vantage Point). These tabs have lots of information and are generally easy to follow.
- Free Entrepreneurial Training for Veterans
- Higher Education Support Available for Veterans with Disabilities
A will covers more than just what happens to your physical assets. What about the guardianship of your children? Or your pets? Providing clarity today will help family members later and your own peace of mind now.
The 2nd Annual Sports4Vets Throwdown empowers Veterans of all ability levels, age and background to improve and showcase their fitness, live healthier lives though adaptive fitness and embrace a sense of a virtual community.
Here're some sample articles I found recently:
- What VA Lenders Evaluate When Reviewing Your Income. Find Out Now.
- 7 Tips for Combating Inflation with Your Personal Finances
- Who Are the Brown Berets? The Air Force's 'Best Kept Secret'
Coming from a Mexican American family, Joshua Williams had always felt fortunate to have been born in America. He graduated from the Air Force Academy in 2007 with a major in foreign affairs studies and an emphasis on Latin America. He knew he wanted to share the skills the Air Force had given him in Latin America, a region he felt rooted in. But he also wanted to fly.
In 2013, with his flying career started, he joined the Air Force's corps of combat aviation advisers, who work inside the 6th Special Operations Squadron at Hurlburt Field, Florida.
Combat aviation advisers are the Air Force's go-to experts for embedding with and teaching the air forces of other nations -- who often have primitive or little flying history -- how to fight. Generally pulled from midcareer NCOs and officers, CAAs are selected from 18 different Air Force career fields -- from police to medics to pilots like Williams -- to train foreign aviation forces or even carry out unconventional warfare missions.
To distinguish CAAs and their unique foreign internal defense mission, advisers began wearing brown berets in January 2018.
+ + + + + + +
There is far too much in the various issues of Military.Com to write or even extract from them. The trick is to find the pieces that are important to you. Therefore, we have provided a graphic that shows the various dropdown choices. As you will see, there is information on general news – with the choice to see the news for your own branch, service benefits, Job and transition support, military life and family issues. I get several versions, and then I’ll scan for titles that seem to be related to me. For example, I decided to try the the Veteran Jobs tab for Lake County. It provided over 400 postings for Lake County and Northern Cook County. See the dropdowns below. Then you can click on military.com to set up a subscription and select versions that you are interested in.
In addition, there are a wide assortment of resource links (including discounts for vets and families) to find other specific information. You might want to give the magazine a look.
Below are the available hot links to some of the various VA Resources available. The actual hot links can be accessed at the bottom of the welcome kit .
How do you get "Veteran" on your driver's license?
Effective January 1, 2020, it will be easier to get "VETERAN" recorded on your driver's license. To get the “VETERAN” designation, veterans can bring their DD214 or other acceptable discharge document directly to a Secretary of State Driver Services facility.
If veterans choose to add the designation prior to their renewal date, they may obtain an updated driver’s license for $5 and an updated ID card for $10. Veterans over the age of 65 can obtain an updated state ID card at no cost.
A special note - If you are an older Vet and your DD214 was lost in the St. Louis fire in the early 1970's, you can obtain a "certificate" that replaces the DD214. However, for one vet we know, the DMV didn't accept that certificate.
If you need a complete set of your military records
If you need a set of your military records for any reason, you can obtain them by faxing or mailing a request to the National Personnel Records Center. While they will accept a letter (if you get all the right information into it) it is best to use the standard form SF-180 to request it. You can download that form at Standard Form 180
Mail the completed form to:
National Personnel Records Center
1 Archives Drive
OR
Fax the form to 314-801-9195
If you need the records in emergency circumstances, contact our office (847-377-3344) and we can help you expedite the process.
Deerfield - co-located with the Illinois Student Assistance Commission
Deerfield Facility
1755 Lake Cook Rd, Ste 1409
Deerfield, IL 60015-5209
847-948-6981 and 847-948-6982
Hours Monday - Friday
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Palatine - located in the Palatine Township offices at:
721 S. Quentin Rd, Room 102
(847) 485-2772
Hours Monday -Thursday
8:00 am - 4:00 pm
Factual Accuracy and Disclaimer:
Accuracy is important to us. if you believe an error has been made, please email the Lake County Veterans Assistance Commission at veterans@lakecountyil.gov. Use of social media does not imply endorsement on the part of the VAC. Content on these sites is not edited for accuracy and may not necessarily reflect the views of the VAC.
Have a good week,
Veterans Assistance Commission, Lake County
Veterans Assistance Commission | 501 N. Route 21, Suite 106, Gurnee, IL 60031
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