AMERICAN LEGION SOUTH HOUSTON POST 490

AMERICAN LEGION POST 490 VIP

ROBERT HILES

Gunny was born in Connellsville, Pennsylvania. His parents worked for NASA since its inception at Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio. He went to school at Archbishop High in Akron, Ohio. After High School he joined the Marines in 1955 and would serve a distinguished, 20 year career with the “Leathernecks”. He trained as a combat engineer but as a former drill instructor he taught military subjects wherever he was stationed.

Gunny had many interesting experiences with the marines such as serving in Atsuge, Japan where the U-2 flights originated. Other Duty stations included The Philippines, Vietnam, Cuba, Spain and Greece. He retired in 1975 from Marine Barracks Key West.

After retiring from the Marines, Gunny went to work at Amoco, Texas City where he worked for a number of years before retiring the second time.

Gunny remarried in 1980 and he and Carol have a daughter, granddaughter and two great grandchildren. He first joined the Legion in 1975 and two years ago joined Post 490. He has begun to spearhead our Americanism Program and is working very closely with Mike Fortune on Children’s and Youth’s activities.

Thanks Gunny, for your efforts to help get our Americanism Program on track to be a force in our community and for your commitment to Post 490.

Submitted by: Parks Davis Photos by: Jackie Davis

VA Simplifies PTSD Access to Benefits

WASHINGTON (July 12, 2010) - Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced a critical step forward in providing an easier process for Veterans seeking health care and disability compensation for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), with the publication of a final regulation in the Federal Register.

"This nation has a solemn obligation to the men and women who have honorably served this country and suffer from the often devastating emotional wounds of war," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. "This final regulation goes a long way to ensure that Veterans receive the benefits and services they need."

By publishing a final regulation in the Federal Register to simplify the process for a Veteran to claim service connection for PTSD, VA reduces the evidence needed if the trauma claimed by a Veteran is related to fear of hostile military or terrorist activity and is consistent with the places, types, and circumstances of the Veteran's service.

This science-based regulation relies on evidence that concluded that a Veteran's deployment to a war zone is linked to an increased risk of PTSD.

Under the new rule, VA would not require corroboration of a stressor related to fear of hostile military or terrorist activity if a VA doctor confirms that the stressful experience recalled by a Veteran adequately supports a diagnosis of PTSD and the Veteran's symptoms are related to the claimed stressor.

Previously, claims adjudicators were required to corroborate that a non-combat Veteran actually experienced a stressor related to hostile military activity. This final rule simplifies the development that is required for these cases.

VA expects this rulemaking to decrease the time it takes VA to decide access to care and claims falling under the revised criteria. More than 400,000 Veterans currently receiving compensation benefits are service connected for PTSD. Combined with VA's shorter claims form, VA's new streamlined, science-based regulation allows for faster and more accurate decisions that also expedite access to medical care and other benefits for Veterans.

PTSD is a medically recognized anxiety disorder that can develop from seeing or experiencing an event that involves actual or threatened death or serious injury to which a person responds with intense fear, helplessness or horror, and is not uncommon among war Veterans.

Disability compensation is a tax-free benefit paid to a Veteran for disabilities that are a result of -- or made worse by -- injuries or diseases associated with active service.

For additional information, go to www.va.gov or call VA's toll free benefits number at 1-800-827-1000.

Post 490 Calendar for August 2010

Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
1	2	3	4	5	6	7
2 p.m. TX Hold-em Tourney $1.00 draft $5.00 pitchers	$1.00 draft $5.00 pitchers 7 p.m. Dart Tourney 6:30 to 9 p.m. Swing Band in Hall	7 p.m. TX Hold-em Tourney 5 to 7 p.m. Burgers	6 p.m. Board of Trustees 7 p.m. Executive Committee	7 p.m. Shuffle Board Tourney	11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Special Lunch Menu 7 p.m. Pool Tourney $1.00 draft $5.00 pitchers	$1.00 draft $5.00 pitchers 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Will Lopez
8	9	10	11	12	13	14
2 p.m. TX Hold-em Tourney $1.00 draft $5.00 pitchers 2-5 p.m. Steak Dinners	$1.00 draft $5.00 pitchers 7 p.m. Dart Tourney 6:30 to 9 p.m. Swing Band in Hall	7 p.m. TX Hold-em Tourney 5 to 7 p.m. Burgers	6:00 p.m. Unit Exec. Board Mtg 7 p.m. Gen Mbr Mtg. 7 p.m. Unit Mbr Mtg.	7 p.m. Shuffle Board Tourney	11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Special Lunch Menu 7 p.m. Pool Tourney $1.00 draft $5.00 pitchers 1 p.m. CPO Luncheon	$1.00 draft $5.00 pitchers 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Terrance Wilburn 10:30 a.m. Sub vets
15	16	17	18	19	20	21
2 p.m. TX Hold-em Tourney $1.00 draft $5.00 pitchers 2 p.m. 22^nd DEC Post 594	$1.00 draft $5.00 pitchers 7 p.m. Dart Tourney 6:30 to 9 p.m. Swing Band in Hall	7 p.m. TX Hold-em Tourney 5 to 7 p.m. Burgers	6 p.m. S.A.L. EXE. MTG 7 p.m. BUNCO 7 p.m. S.A.L. General Membership Mtg.	7 p.m. Shuffle Board Tourney	11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Special Lunch Menu 7 p.m. Pool Tourney $1.00 draft $5.00 pitchers 7 p.m. Riders Gen Mtg	$1.00 draft $5.00 pitchers 11 a.m. 82 Airborne Mtg 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Will Lopez
22	23	24	25	26	27	28
2 p.m. TX Hold-em Tourney $1.00 draft $5.00 pitchers	$1.00 draft $5.00 pitchers 7 p.m. Dart Tourney	7 p.m. TX Hold-em Tourney 5 to 7 p.m. Burgers 6:30 to 9 p.m. Swing Band in Hall		7 p.m. Shuffle Board Tourney	11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Special Lunch Menu 7 p.m. Pool Tourney $1.00 draft $5.00 pitchers National Convention Milwaukee, WI	$1.00 draft $5.00 pitchers Noon 101^st Airborne Mtg 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Terrance Wilburn S.A.L. Fund Raiser “Cajun Fest”
29	30	31
2 p.m. TX Hold-em Tourney $1.00 draft $5.00 pitchers National Convention Milwaukee, WI	$1.00 draft $5.00 pitchers 7 p.m. Dart Tourney National Convention Milwaukee, WI 6:30 to 9 p.m. Swing Band in Hall	7 p.m. TX Hold-em Tourney 5 to 7 p.m. Burgers National Convention Milwaukee, WI

POST INFORMATION

ADDRESS: AMERICAN LEGION POST 490 , 11702 OLD GALVESTON ROAD HOUSTON, TX. 77034–4845

PHONE NUMBERS; (Club Room: 281-481-5686) (Office: 281-481-1179)

CLUBROOM HOURS: Monday – Friday -Noon to midnight, Saturday-Noon to 1 a.m. Sunday- Noon to 9 p.m.

E-mail: AL0490@att.net Remember that the zeros in our Post email are numerical zeroes not the letter “O”.

LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE AMERICAN LEGION

FOR THE 22^ND DISTRICT GO TO: www.legiondist22.com

FOR THE 2^ND DIVISION GO TO: www.legiondiv2.com

FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF TEXAS GO TO: www.txlegion.org

FOR NATIONAL GO TO: www.legion.org

The American Legion Auxiliary go to: www.legion-aux.org

American Legion Auxiliary, Dept of TX go to: www.alatexas.org

sons of the american legion, Dept of TX go to: www.txlegion.org/sal

AMERICAN LEGION RIDERS GO TO: www.legion.org/programs/legionriders/about

Post 490 Calendar for September 2010

Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
			1	2	3	4
		7 p.m. TX Hold-em Tourney 5 to 7 p.m. Burgers	6 p.m. Board of Trustees 7 p.m. Executive Committee	7 p.m. Shuffle Board Tourney	11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Special Lunch Menu 7 p.m. Pool Tourney $1.00 draft $5.00 pitchers	$1.00 draft $5.00 pitchers 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Karaoke
5	6	7	8	9	10	11
2 p.m. TX Hold-em Tourney $1.00 draft $5.00 pitchers	LABOR DAY 7 p.m. Dart Tourney $1.00 draft $5.00 pitchers	7 p.m. TX Hold-em Tourney 5 to 7 p.m. Burgers 6:30 to 9 p.m. Swing Band in Hall	6:00 p.m. Unit Exec. Board Mtg 7 p.m. Gen Mbr Mtg. 7 p.m. Unit Mbr Mtg.	7 p.m. Shuffle Board Tourney	11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Special Lunch Menu 7 p.m. Pool Tourney $1.00 draft $5.00 pitchers	$1.00 draft $5.00 pitchers 2 p.m. 22^nd DEC Post 319 Parrot/Puppy Expo in Hall 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Will Lopez
12	13	14	15	16	17	18
2 p.m. TX Hold-em Tourney $1.00 draft $5.00 pitchers	7 p.m. Dart Tourney $1.00 draft $5.00 pitchers 6:30 to 9 p.m. Swing Band in Hall	7 p.m. TX Hold-em Tourney 5 to 7 p.m. Burgers	7 p.m. BUNCO	7 p.m. Shuffle Board Tourney	11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Special Lunch Menu 7 p.m. Pool Tourney $1.00 draft $5.00 pitchers	$1.00 draft $5.00 pitchers 11 a.m. 82 Airborne Mtg 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Will Lopez
19	20	21	22	23	24	25
2 p.m. TX Hold-em Tourney 2-5 p.m. Steak Dinners $1.00 draft $5.00 pitchers	7 p.m. Dart Tourney $1.00 draft $5.00 pitchers 6:30 to 9 p.m. Swing Band in Hall	7 p.m. TX Hold-em Tourney 5 to 7 p.m. Burgers		7 p.m. Shuffle Board Tourney	11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Special Lunch Menu 7 p.m. Pool Tourney $1.00 draft $5.00 pitchers	$1.00 draft $5.00 pitchers Noon 101^st Airborne Mtg 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Terrance Wilburn
26	27	28	29	30
2 p.m. TX Hold-em Tourney $1.00 draft $5.00 pitchers	7 p.m. Dart Tourney $1.00 draft $5.00 pitchers 7 p.m. 40/8 Mtg.	7 p.m. TX Hold-em Tourney 5 to 7 p.m. Burgers 6:30 to 9 p.m. Swing Band in Hall		7 p.m. Shuffle Board Tourney

VA response to the war

Recent media reports have declared that timely, dignified care should be provided to returning servicemen and women. At the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, we completely agree.

America's soldiers, Marines, airmen, sailors, and Coast Guardsmen deserve the very finest medical care. Earned at enlistment, it is America's sacred promise to them. Nationally, and here in southeast Texas, VA works hard to honor that promise.

Since 2003, more than 1.5 million military personnel have served and returned from Iraq and Afghanistan. Roughly 40% have enrolled for care in a high-tech, quality-focused VA system, including more than 8,500 southeast Texas sons and daughters.

In the 1970s, some Vietnam War returnees were critical of VA care. But a major transformation in 1994 brought significant improvements, including extensive performance measurement, evidence-based clinical practice, state-of-the-art technology, comprehensive patient safety programs, and conversion to an electronic medical record system.

VA patient outcomes now exceed those of Medicare patients for many conditions. University studies indicate Veterans are happier with their care than nonveterans. This "new VA" has been praised by Harvard, The New England Journal of Medicine, Washington Monthly, Business Week, New York Times, The Washington Post, NBC, Time, Newsweek, AARP, and others. Many experts now consider VA among America's best health-care systems.

The war has presented numbers and types of injuries that could not be predicted when it began. But VA adapted as quickly as possible. Some examples:

Traumatic brain injury: Improvised explosive devices often result in multiple devastating injuries. VA physicians are trained to screen every returning Veteran for TBI. In August 2005, the DeBakey VA added an extremely important and timely program to our array of available health care services, a Network Polytrauma Program. In 2009, we received a five-year $5 million grant from to establish a new VA Rehabilitation Research Center of Excellence focusing on mild to moderate traumatic brain injury.

Mental health conditions including post-traumatic stress disorder: Many returnees present some type of diagnosed mental health problem, including post traumatic stress disorder, a condition caused by exposure to severe threat. A world leader in PTSD treatment, VA operates 160 specialized hospital-based PTSD programs and 207 community Vet Centers. Houston has both.

In addition, all Veterans are screened for depression at the VA. Those in emotional crisis can be admitted immediately. To meet the growing workload, almost 100 mental health providers have been added to VA operations in southeast Texas since 2005. The DeBakey VA opened two new nursing units in 2009 to provide specialized inpatient mental health services for returning combat troops and for women Veterans.

Access to health care: In 2009, the DeBakey VA opened a new Post-Deployment Clinic to serve as a “Welcome Center” for returning combat Veterans. The Post-Deployment Clinic is a “One-Stop” center performing multi-disciplinary evaluations tailored to the individual's physical, mental, and social needs. Assistance and information regarding non-medical VA benefits and community resources are also available. This past May, we opened our fifth outpatient clinic, located at 22001 Southwest Freeway in Richmond.

Suicide prevention: Eighteen Veterans commit suicide each day in this country, the majority not under VA care. To combat this tragic situation, here and nationwide, VA hired on-site suicide prevention coordinators and established peer support/recovery teams. In 2007, VA opened a 24/7 National Suicide Prevention Hotline, toll-free 1-800- 273-8255. It has received more than 245,000 distress calls.

Prosthetics: Veterans, who have lost limbs to blast injuries or required amputations, have access to the latest prosthetic technologies. These include microprocessor components such as the RHEO knee, Adaptive knee, Proprio “Bionic” Foot, and the C-Leg. These computer-controlled rheomagnetic, pneumatic, and hydraulic systems are regulated by internal feedback.

Women's health: More than 7 percent of Veterans receiving care are women. VA has progressively expanded women's services. The Women’s Health Center at the DeBakey VA opened almost 14 years ago. This clinic provides routine primary care, gynecological services, patient and family education, and preventive medicine. In August, the clinic will move to a new, completely renovated space with its own private entrance. It will have more exam rooms and additional health care providers and ancillary staff. Counseling and treatment is available at the VA for survivors of military sexual trauma. Group counseling sessions and support groups are available at the Women’s Health Center and at the three Vet Centers in Houston.

Homelessness: VA offers a wide array of special programs and initiatives specifically designed to help homeless Veterans live as self-sufficiently and independently as possible. The DeBakey VA opened a 40-bed domiciliary residence for homeless Veterans in 2008. VA, working the Department of Housing and Urban Development and local community agencies, provides permanent independent housing for eligible homeless Veterans in areas surrounding Beaumont, Galveston, and Houston under the HUD-VASH Program. Recently, a National Homeless Veterans Hotline, toll-free 1-877-4AID-VET, was established to ensure homeless Veterans or Veterans at-risk for homelessness have free, 24/7 access to trained counselors. The 10th Annual Houston Area Stand Down for homeless Veterans will be held October 21-22, 2010 at the Emancipation Park Community Center.

Rural health: VA provides many rural Veterans with "Health Buddy" monitoring devices, linking them to clinicians in Houston. We are investing money in telehealth programs connecting our outpatient clinics to VA eye and mental health specialists, and other medical experts in the future. In addition to our outpatient clinics in Beaumont, Conroe, Galveston, Lufkin, and Richmond, we plan to open new clinics in Lake Jackson and mainland Galveston County this winter. New VA outpatient clinics are also planned for Katy and Tomball and expected to open in 36 to 48 months.

The DeBakey VA will continue expanding and changing to meet the needs of returning service members. Across the Nation and in southeast Texas, it is an honor to do so. We, more than 4,500 VA staff and volunteers, believe the VA does not provide free health care. The care we provide has been paid for a thousand times over by our country’s heroes and by the sacrifices they have made to keep our Nation free. What we do here at the VA, and the only reason for our existence, is pay back a portion of the debt this Nation owes to these heroes.

Adam C. Walmus, M.H.A., M.A., F.A.C.H.E.
Director, Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center

Walmus was appointed director of the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center on August 2, 2009. He has been with the VA since 1981 and serves as the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center’s chief executive officer charged with management of one of the most complex VA medical centers in the country with more than 3,500 employees and an annual budget of approximately $585 million. In addition to caring for more than 120,000 Veterans in southeast Texas, the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center also serves as a regional and national referral center for many services including cardiac surgery, liver transplant, traumatic brain injury, epilepsy and other neurological disorders, radiation therapy, and spinal cord injury care.