VA Broadens Grave-Marker Eligibility

Requesting a grave marker from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) just got simpler. A revised application form has new information about expanded eligibility for grave markers; updated instruction sheets should improve communication between the VA and veterans’ families. 

The VA now can furnish a headstone or marker for the graves of eligible veterans buried in private cemeteries whose deaths occur on or after Sept. 11, 2001, regardless of whether the grave already is marked with a nongovernment marker.

The VA handles more than 1,000 requests a day for veterans’ markers and last year furnished nearly 350,000 headstones and markers for veterans’ graves worldwide, generally within 60 days after the application was submitted.

For more information or to obtain an application, visit the VA Web site, www.cem.va.gov, or call (800) 697-6947.

Orlando Resort Salutes Servicemembers

To thank the members of the U.S. military, Holiday Inn Suites is offering discounted vacations in Orlando, Fla., for active duty, reserve, and retired servicemembers.

The Military Salute package includes a private adult bedroom and a semi-private children’s room with TV, VCR, Nintendo 64, and more for $115 a night. The package includes a free hot breakfast buffet, daily transportation to all four Walt Disney World Resort theme parks, and nighttime entertainment. Food and beverage credits, which can be used in the resort’s many dining areas, also are included.

For more information, contact your travel agent, call (877) 387-KIDS (5437) or (800) HOLIDAY (465-4329) or visit www.hifamilysuites.com.

Purple Heart Stamp Recognizes Sacrifices

The U.S. Postal Service has unveiled a Purple Heart postage stamp to honor those “whose sacrifices have given all of us a country that is truly the ‘land of the free and the home of the brave,’” said Postmaster General John E. Potter.

The stamp features a photograph of a Purple Heart awarded to James Loftus Fowler of Alexandria, Va. Fowler, a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Marines, was battalion commander of the 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines, when he received it in 1968, after an action on the border between North and South Vietnam.

In 1782, George Washington created the Purple Heart decoration to honor the soldiers who fought under his command. Known originally as the Badge of Military Merit, it was distinct because it was available to lower ranks at a time when, in European armies, only officers were eligible for decoration. It wasn’t continued after the Revolutionary War, but was reinstated with a new design on Feb. 22, 1932.

The stamp is available at U.S. Postal Service retail stores or by calling (800) stamp24 (782-6724) or visiting www.usps.com/shop.

MOAA’s Annual Meeting

Come to MOAA’s Annual Meeting and take advantage of seminars on benefits information, legislative planning, chapter affairs, financial planning, long term care insurance, and transition challenges and advice for today’s job market. 

The annual meeting will be held at the Portland Marriott Downtown in Portland, Ore., on Nov. 8, 2003. See the ad on page 2 for more information. We hope you’ll join us!

Stars and Stripes Flies on the Web

U.S. servicemembers and their families stationed abroad will find it easier to keep up with one of their favorite daily newspapers. Stars and Stripes has announced it will now offer its publication online, allowing readers outside its distribution area to access it.

“For too long, the constraints of time, space, and cost have kept some faraway servicemembers from fully enjoying what Stars and Stripes has to offer—news from home and news of the military,” says David Mazzarella, editorial director of the newspaper. “Technological advancement will now allow this unique publication to fulfill its mission more universally.”

Readers now can download the publication and read it offline. Stars and Stripes partnered with NewsStand to deliver the electronic version. 

Subscriptions to the electronic version of Stars and Stripes are available for $16.75 a month and can be purchased via www.stripes.com.

Web Site Honors Marines

Anew online memorial honors those U.S. Marines who were killed in action during the recent war with Iraq. The memorial, found at www.foreverhonor.com, allows visitors to submit a tribute to a Marine who died in Iraq or in other past conflicts.

Chris Cortliet, creative director at Periscope, a marketing firm in Minneapolis, created the Web site. He was assisted by U.S. Marine Staff Sgt. Juan J. Rodriguez. Cortliet’s father earned a combat action ribbon with four battle stars while serving with the Marines in the Korean War.

“I have always admired the contributions of my father and the men and women of the United States Marine Corps,” he says.