DAVID FARRELL

Department Commander

Dear Comrades,

August has come to a close, what a great and rewarding month. At the National Convention we had Immediate Past Department Commander Joe Johnston running for National 4^Th Junior Vice Commander or higher office. It is my extreme pleasure to inform you that Joe was elected as our new National 4^Th Junior Vice Commander. It has been close to 20 years since we had a Comrade from Ohio on the National Line and ultimately becoming National Commander.

I am also pleased to inform you that Bobby Barrera of Texas was elected as our National Commander. Wally Tyson was elected as Senior Vice Commander. We have supported both of them through their campaign to become National Commander.

We had a changing of the guard as well at the National Convention. Frank Williams passed one of the many hats he had to wear at this National Convention to Past Department Commander Ray Hutchinson who is now our new District 11 NEC. PDC Joe Lenhart will be his alternate.

We had a very good showing at the National Convention in Denver Colorado. It was really nice to have a strong contingency from Ohio. I think that made a good impression in support of our candidate. I would personally like to thank all those who volunteered in helping spread the word and literature for our comrade PDC Johnston in is quest to representing Ohio at the National Level.

Well Gary Sinese and the Lt Dan Band didn’t disappoint anyone this year. They were great as promised. They had a blast from the past tribute to the WW II Veterans. Overall a good time was had by everyone. I hope to see you all at our Fall Convention.

May God Bless you all, God Bless Our Troops serving in the World’s Greatest Military. God Bless the DAV and God Bless America.

David K Farrell

State Commander

IMPORTANT NUMBERS

Nat’l. Hdqrs., DAV (877) 426-2838

NSO Office, Cleveland (216) 522-3507

NSO Office, Cincinnati (513) 684-2676

Washington Office, DAV (202) 554-3501

Cincinnati HSC,

Sheila Clements (513) 475-6443

Jeffrey Riley (513) 475-6443

Dayton HSC, (937) 268-6511

Gene McCorkle Ext. 2962

Wade Park HSC, (216) 791-3800

Walter Dryja Ext. 3395

Chillicothe HSC (740) 773-1141

Larry Queen Ext. 7916

Columbus Clinic, (614) 257-5487

Michael Hackworth

Brecksville HSC, (440) 526-3030

Don Branford Ext. 7353

Warren Clinic (330) 392-0311

Youngstown Clinic (330) 70-9200

Ext. 105

Veterans Administration 1-800-827-1000

DATES TO REMEMBER

September 13, 2009 8^th District Meeting, Bellaire Chapter #117, Lunch at 1 p.m. and meeting to begin at 2 p.m., Bellaire, Ohio

Sept. 17-20, 2009 Forget-Me-Not, Adams County Chapter #71, Peebles Old Timers Day, Peebles, Ohio

September 19, 2009 9^th District Meeting, lunch at 12 noon, meeting to begin at 1 p.m., Victory Chapter #134, Wheelrsburg, Ohio

September 20, 2009 4^th District Meeting, The Buddy Chapter #43, meeting to begin at 2 p.m., Findlay, Ohio

Sept. 24 – 26, 2009 DAV Auxiliary Fall Conference, Drawbridge Inn, Fort Mitchell, Kentucky.

September 27, 2009 6^th District Meeting, Brooklyn-Parma Chapter #116, at 2 p.m., Parma, Ohio

September 27, 2009 5^th District Meeting, American Legion Post 41, meeting at 12 noon with lunch to follow, Norwalk, Ohio

October 9-11, 2009 DAV Department Fall Conference, The Crowne Plaza, Dublin, Ohio.

October 10 & 17, 2009 Forget-Me-Not Drive, The Buddy Chapter #43, Cooper Tire, Walmart Stores, & Great Scott Stores, Findlay, Ohio

October 18, 2009 7^th District Meting, Alliance Chapter #50 at 2 p.m., Alliance, Ohio.

November 7, 2009 Forget-Me-Not, Ross County Chapter #18, Golden Corral, Chillicothe, Ohio.

November 16, 2009 Golden Corral, Military Appreciation Monday Event.

November 11, 2009 Forget-Me-Not, Lloyd C. Ludwick Chapter #123, Various locations in Highland County.

November 21, 2009 Forget-Me-Not, Wayne County Chapter #44, Buelers Milltown, Wooster, Ohio.

Feb. 28 – Mar. 3, 2010 DAV Mid-Winter Conference, Crystal Gateway Marriott, Arlington, VA

June 24-27, 2010 DAV Department Convention,

The Crowne Plaza, Dublin, Ohio.

July 31 – Aug. 3, 2010 DAV National Convention, Hyatt Regency Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia

October 8-10, 2010 DAV Department Fall Conference, The Crowne Plaza, Dublin, Ohio.

NOTES FROM YOUR STATE ADJUTANT

Frank Williams

Thought for September: A government big enough to give you everything you want is strong enough to take everything you have – Thomas Jefferson

Just returned from our National Convention held in Denver, Colorado. During our 2^nd day there, the outside temperature was 98 degrees – felt more like 78 feels here in Ohio as our humidity is much, much worse here.

Roberto “Bobby” Barrera was elected National Commander. You remember him as he was our National Rep at our June Convention. Elected to serve with Bobby:

Sr. Vice Commander Wally Tyson from North Carolina

1^st Jr. Vice Commander Don Samuels from Tennessee

2^nd Jr. Vice Commander Larry Polzin from California

3^rd Jr. Vice Commander Mary Bencivenga from New Jersey

4^th Jr. Vice Commander Joe Johnston – our own man from Ohio!!!

National Judge Advocate Mike Dobmeier from North Dakota

National Chaplain Dr Charles Edwards from Texas

PDC Ray Hutchinson, our Hospital Chairman from Hillsboro, Ohio was elected as our 11^th District National Executive Committeeman PDC Joe Lenhart, from Wapakoneta, Ohio was elected as Alternate 11^th District Executive Committeeman.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF OUR NEW NATIONAL OFFICERS!!

Our troops in Afghanistan, in order to “protect civilians” cannot use their 155mm artillery to shell a target house from kilometers away as in all previous warfare. They have to put themselves in harms way and get close enough to their targets to be able to determine “Taliban or civilian” status. In most of Afghanistan, many of the Taliban are “civilians” – for at least 12 hours a day.

I wonder if the Afghanistan people really appreciate the sacrifices American and British troops are making to help them??? August just tied July for the most deaths of American soldiers in Afghanistan and 4 British soldiers were killed in Helmand

Province while attempting to secure a safe election day there.

WOMEN VETERANS:

A front page article in the New York Times reports that marginal living conditions, scarce job opportunities, post traumatic stress and other injuries add enormous challenges to veterans’ transition to civilian life. But female veterans are confronted with many additional problems, including family reunification and experiences of sexual abuse and rape during their service, which remains a widespread issue in the armed services.

The following information will be helpful for Veterans seeking employment as it contains links to job opportunities & information all over the country:

http://jobsearch.usajobs.gov/getjob.asp?JobID=80504044&AVSDM=2009%2D04%2D16+10%3A57%3A22&Logo=0&pg=2&id=18206&FedEmp=Y&sort=rv&vw=d&brd=3876&ss=0&FedPub=Y

Everyone don’t work too hard on Labor Day while you’re spending time with family and friends. I hope to see representatives from every Chapter at our Fall Conference which convenes October 9, 2009.

As always, keep our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan in your thoughts and prayers as they fight, like we have fought, to keep America free. Never shall we forget that Freedom is not Free!!

DISABLED AMERICAN VETERANS ELECT ROBERTO BARRERA NATIONAL COMMANDER

DENVER—Declaring, “I can think of no finer mission than to build better lives for America’s disabled veterans and their families,” Roberto Barrera was elected National Commander of the 1.2 million-member Disabled American Veterans (DAV) at the organization’s 88th National Convention today.

Commander Barrera is a combat-disabled Vietnam War veteran who served in the U.S. Marine Corps. He suffered serious facial burns and the loss of his right hand at the wrist and his left arm at the shoulder when a bomb was exploded by enemy forces beneath an armored personnel carrier in which he was traveling in 1969.

A life member of Chapter 5 in San Antonio and native of Del Rio, Texas, Commander Barrera earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology at St. May’s University, and later, while teaching at Del Rio High School, a master’s degree at Sul Ross University. Barrera’s career has also included positions of leadership and management as a juvenile probation counselor and Family Support Center Director at Laughlin Air Force Base in Del Rio.

Commander Barrera was elected to national office as National 4th Jr. Vice Commander at the 2004 National Convention in Reno, Nevada, and consecutively elected 3rd Jr. Vice Commander through Sr. Vice Commander thereafter.

Commander Barrera is the recipient of numerous honors and awards. They include: the DAV Outstanding Disabled Veteran of the Year for 1998; LIFE’s (Leaders In Furthering Education Foundation) Presidential Unsung Hero Award for 1998; Disabled Veteran of the Year for the State of Texas in 1990 and again in 1998 and Department of Defense Outstanding Employee with a Disability Award for 1997.

Commander Barrera and his wife, Maricelia, reside in Del Rio. They are parents of three children and grandparents to four grandchildren.

The 1.2 million-member Disabled American Veterans, a non-profit organization founded in 1920 and chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1932, represents this nation’s disabled veterans. It is dedicated to a single purpose: building better lives for our nation’s disabled veterans and their families. For more information, visit the organization’s Web site www.dav.org.

SENATE PRAISED FOR PASSING VETERANS HEALTH CARE FUNDING REFORM BILL

WASHINGTON, Aug 7—The Disabled American Veterans (DAV) applauds the Senate’s passage last night of critical legislation that would authorize Congress to approve medical care appropriations for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) one year in advance of the start of each fiscal year, effectively ending the funding delays that have plagued the VA when Congress has failed to pass an appropriations bill on time.

“The Senate’s approval of the Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act (S. 423/ H.R. 1016) is another major step toward ensuring sufficient, timely and predictable funding for veterans health care programs,” said National Commander Raymond E. Dempsey. The legislation must now be reconciled with a slightly different House version approved in June before it can be sent to President Obama, who has promised to sign it into law.

Key to the bill’s passage has been Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii) who has championed this legislation from day one. “His vigorous and tireless advocacy throughout this process has been much appreciated,” said Commander Dempsey. “The DAV also applauds the dedicated efforts of Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), the Ranking Member of the Committee, who has worked in a bipartisan manner to pass this legislation and ensure that millions of veterans can access VA health care services when and where they need them.”

The effort to ensure sufficient, timely and predictable funding for VA health care generated an unprecedented level of grassroots support among DAV members who urged lawmakers to ensure that veterans, particularly sick and disabled veterans, have access to quality and timely health care.

With 56 bipartisan cosponsors in the Senate, this legislation had a number of important supporters who contributed toward its approval, including Sen. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.), who Chairs the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee that has already approved $48.2 billion in advance appropriations for fiscal year 2011 and Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), who offered a crucial floor amendment to the budget resolution that cleared the way for Senate passage of this legislation.

The DAV and the eight other members of the Partnership for Veterans Health Care Budget Reform, along with a growing coalition of military and veterans groups have made advance appropriations their top legislative priority. A number of former VA officials and hospital directors, and an overwhelming majority of American voters, all support legislation to approve VA’s health care funding one year in advance.

The 1.2 million-member Disabled American Veterans, a non-profit organization founded in 1920 and chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1932, represents this nation’s disabled veterans. It is dedicated to a single purpose: building better lives for our nation’s disabled veterans and their families. For more information, visit the organization’s Web site, www.dav.org.

2009 FALL CONFERENCE

The 2009 Fall Conference will be held at the Crowne Plaza, 600 Metro Place North, Dublin, Ohio on October 9, 10, 11, 2009. Room rates are $85.00 per night plus tax. Enclosed please find a room reservation flyer for your convenience. Please call The Crowne Plaza at (614) 764-2200 to make your reservation, please note that the cut-off date for room reservations is September 16, 2009.

Registration for the conference will cost $25.00 per person and will include a Commander’s Reception Saturday, October 10, 2009.

Please note, if you bring a guest to the Commander’s Reception you must pay $25.00 for them to attend. Tickets will be given to attendees who have paid their registration to be admitted to the reception. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Department Headquarters.

Information Bulletin

IMPORTANT NUMBERS

NOTES FROM YOUR STATE ADJUTANT

Frank Williams