A Day to Honor Our Veterans

This Veterans Day, a day to honor all those who served honorably in the military, in wartime or peace, our nation will pay tribute to members of the “greatest generation,” those who have fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, and those who have aided in the hurricane relief efforts along the Gulf Coast.

Each year Veterans Day is observed at the Arlington National Cemetery. At 11 a.m. at the Tomb of the Unknowns, a combined color guard representing all military services executes present arms at the tomb. The nation’s tribute to its war dead is symbolized by the laying
of a presidential wreath, and a bugler plays taps.

National Veterans Awareness Week, Nov. 6 through Nov. 12, encourages all Americans to observe the week with appropriate educational activities. The VA Web site offers a number of materials, including a Veterans Day Teacher’s Guide, a Veterans Day poster, and a list of officially recognized ceremonies around the nation.

Hurricane Relief

Those affected by hurricanes Katrina and Rita can turn to a number of military resources as recovery efforts continue.

Information for veterans and the families of VA patients in the affected areas is available by calling (800) 507-4571 or visiting www.va.gov/opa/katrina.

Military servicemembers or family members in need of services can call the Military One Source number, (800) 342-9647, or obtain financial assistance from Army Emergency Relief, (866) 878-6378. The hot line operators also assist families in getting help and services from federal, state, and local agencies.

For more information on military resources, MOAA member emergency services, and frequently asked questions, visit MOAA’s Hurricane Resource Center at www.moaa.org/katrina.

Before Disaster Strikes

Recent natural disasters are reminders that you should update your property and casualty insurance on a routine basis. This is especially true if you have real estate that has appreciated significantly in value over the past several years. Be sure to take these steps:

■ If the coverage on your property is more than 10 percent below the current fair market value, discuss changes with your agent.

■ Consider carrying as large a deductible on your coverage as you can afford, such as $1,000 on real estate and $500 on everything else. You want the insurance for catastrophic loss, not nickel-and-dime claims.

■ If you live in a federally designated flood plain, make sure you have flood insurance.

In Review

Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed By Jared Diamond. Viking, 2005. $29.95. ISBN 0-670-03337-5.

Jared Diamond, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Guns, Germs, and Steel (W.W. Norton & Company, 1997), adds to his gloomy and provocative diagnosis of the future with this lengthy, scholarly analysis of the geographic and environmental reasons why some societies fail while others thrive.

He offers scientific studies of ancient and modern societies, focusing on how they develop and use resources and exploring decisions that have led to ecological suicide. Diamond stresses how overpopulation, resource depletion, climate change, pollution, lack of food and water, and political and environmental apathy have led to wars, famine, genocide, and sudden collapses of wealthy and poor civilizations.

He claims to be a cautious optimist, but his arguments present a profoundly scary forecast.

Armageddon: The Battle for Germany, 1944-1945 By Max Hastings. Alfred A. Knopf, 2005. $30. ISBN 0-375-41433-9.

Prolific writer Max Hastings joins the list of other notable historians (Cornelius Ryan, John Erickson, Antony Beevor) telling the dramatic and savage story of the last eight months of World War II in Europe. Hastings combines the human tragedy of war with a stunning battlefield saga, a writing style he has used very well. He covers bloody action on the western and eastern fronts, as the western allies and the Russians batter the Germans on the ground and in the air. He describes the plodding, unimaginative leadership in the West and the ruthless orgy of killing and destruction in the East.

Also, Hastings includes numerous stories about American, British, German, and Russian soldiers, refugees, POWs, and hapless civilians. He discusses the controversies over national jealousies, leadership rivalries, who should capture Berlin, and the dangerously blurry line between a military war and a political one.

—William Bushnell

Oldies But Goodies

Ever wonder what happened to Bosco and B & M Baked Beans? And now that you think about it, Nehi sends you on a trip down memory lane, and you get choked up thinking about Bubble Gum Cigars.

Those old-fashioned food favorites still are being made, though nowadays they are tough to find. But if you miss your Mallomars, don’t fret. Colleen Chapin, owner and founder of Hometown Favorites of West Palm Beach, Fla., will track them down and ship them to your door.

“We send a lot of products overseas to the military, especially the really basic grocery items,” says Chapin, whose Web site, www.hometownfavorites.com, carries more than 2,000 products from your past. “Golden Griddle syrup is popular, and we’re inundated with requests for Big John’s Beans ’n Fixin’s.”
 
Chapin’s biggest sellers are the $29.95 “Decade Boxes,” crammed with memory-evoking favorites harking back to the ’50s, ’60s, ’70s, or ’80s, from Necco Wafers and Clark Bars (which World War I soldiers received in their rations) to Wax Lips and Pixy Stix.

Some items have passed on to favorite foods heaven, but Chapin helpfully lists such passings under the Web site’s “Boy They Were Good” page. Goodbye, Good & Fruity. Adieu, American Beauty Dumplets. You will be missed, York Wintergreen Patty.

— Maryann Hammers

Spouses Get a Helping Hand

The Army has announced a new spouse employment Web site containing more than 26,000 job vacancies. Military Spouse Job Search provides spouses employment opportunities while fulfilling America’s demand for skilled workers. On the site, spouses can access career tools, help building résumés, labor market information, training and education opportunities, and information on colleges and technical schools.

The site also has a financial aid center for those spouses considering going back to school and a relocation center for families considering

a permanent or temporary move. The site is a joint venture between the Army Spouse Employment Partnership, the U.S. Community and Family Support Center, and the Department of Labor.

Dog Tags

Vietnam veteran Gary Havener and Ethan Siegel have come up with a new way to show their support for American servicemembers killed and disabled in the war on terrorism: dog tags.
The military-style embossed dog tags bear the name, service, rank, hometown, and date of death of servicemembers killed in operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.

You can purchase a set of dog tags for $14.95. Part of the proceeds goes to Operation Family Fund, a nonprofit organization that helps the families of servicemembers killed or wounded.

For more information about the dog tags, visit www.ourheroes.org.

Active Duty Spotlight

Maj. Gen. Kenneth L. Farmer Jr., USA, is the commanding general for the North Atlantic Regional Medical Command and Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., a historic military treatment facility that’s currently on the base realignment and closure (BRAC) list
.
How many servicemembers have been treated at Walter Reed since the war on terrorism began? We’ve treated about 4,666 patients from Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. About 1,286 of them were battle casualties.

What do you think about the BRAC plan to establish a larger joint medical center in Bethesda, Md.? I think if it’s done right, it would be a very good thing. The BRAC plan would integrate Walter Reed and National Naval Medical Center to form the Walter Reed National Medical Center in Bethesda. A large community hospital also would be built at Fort Belvoir, Va.

Will the Military Amputee Training Center still be built at Walter Reed? A final decision hasn’t been made, but I think we’ll build the center at Walter Reed because it’s needed right now.

You’ve received many awards during your 30-plus-year career. What’s next for you? I think putting together an integrated health care system in the national capital area will be one of the final contributions I’ll make before I retire.

— Kris Ann Hegle

Attention!

Check out these military-related entertainment offerings.

Forever A Soldier: Unforgettable Stories of Wartime Service (National Geographic, 2005): This book draws from the more than 35,000 stories in the Library of Congress Veterans History Project to chronicle veterans’ experiences in current and past wars.

Islands in the Sky/The High and the Mighty (Paramount, 2005): Never before released on home video, these two John Wayne American movie treasures are available in magnificently restored and remastered special collector’s editions. For more information, visit www.paramount.com/homeentertainment.

In Harm’s Way: Help for the Wives of Military Men, Police, EMTs & Firefighters (New Harbinger Publications Inc., 2005): Aphrodite Matsakis, a psychologist, discusses how women can cope with the fear, anger, and loneliness they feel because of their partner’s high-risk profession.

Say No to Part D

Medicare-eligibles can expect a barrage of mail from insurance carriers asking if they want to sign up for the Medicare drug program, Medicare Part D. TRICARE For Life-eligibles don’t need Part D. Your TRICARE pharmacy benefit provides better coverage than Part D, and it doesn’t cost you any monthly premiums. Consider Medicare Part D only if you lose TRICARE eligibility or are Medicaid-eligible. Those losing TRICARE eligibility must enroll in Part D within 63 days of losing TRICARE or face a late enrollment penalty for Part D. Medicaid-eligibles (that’s Medicaid, not Medicare) will automatically be enrolled in Part D and will have Part D premiums waived. TRICARE will be second-payer to Part D for those beneficiaries.