Friends, Members, Veterans,
I want to call three matters to your attention as our Convention meetings approach—I have already sent an
email to all Chapters and Departments on these matters same issues.
I. CHARTER ACTIONS/INACTIONS. The Congress quit and went home to try to get
reelected (all representatives are running). The following members of the House of Representatives signed on our
Charter Bill, HR3476—if your representative’s name is missing, he/she does not support veterans, NO MATTER WHAT
THEY SAY OR PROMISE OTHERWISE. (State Name in Red indicates 100% support by that state’s Congressional
Representatives—House and Senate).
ALASKA: Young; ARIZONA: Grijalva, Pastor; CALIFORNIA: Baca,
Capps, Calvert, Doolittle, Farr, Filner, Lantos, Lofgren, Sanchez; FLORIDA: Bilirakis, Davis,
Gordon-Waite, Foley, Harris, Hastings, Mica, Miller, Ros-Lehtinen, Wexler; GEORGIA: Bishop; HAWAII:
Abercrombie, Case; ILLINOIS: Emanuel, Evans, Jackson, Manzullo, Schakowsky; INDIANA: Carson;
IOWA: Boswell; KANSAS: Moore; LOUISIANA: Alexander, Boustany, Jindal;
MAINE: Allen, Michaud; *MARYLAND: Bartlett, Cardin, Cummings,
Gilcrest, Hoyer, Ruppersberger, Van Hollen, Wynn; MASSACHUSETTS: Capuano,
Delahunt, Frank, Lynch, Markey, McGovern, Meehan, Neal, Olver, Tierney; MICHIGAN: Conyers, Dingell,
Levin, McCotter; MINNESOTA: McCollum, Peterson; MISSISSIPPI: Pickering; MISSOURI: Clay,
Cleaver; NEBRASKA: Terry; NEW HAMPSHIRE: Bass, Bradley; NEW JERSEY: Andrews, Garrett, Holt,
LoBiondo, Menendez, Rothman, Smith; NEW MEXICO: Wilson; NEW YORK: Fossella, Hinchey, Israel,
Kelly, Lowey, Maloney, McCarthy, Meeks, Rangel, Sweeney, Towns, Walsh; NORTH CAROLINA: Jones; OHIO:
Jones, Kaptur, Kucinich, Strickland; OKLAHOMA: Boren; PENNSYLVANIA: Brady, Dent, Doyle, English,
Fattah, Gerlach, Hart, Holden, Murphy, Murtha, Pitts, Platts, Schwartz, Shuster, Weldon; RHODE ISLAND:
Kennedy; SOUTH CAROLINA: Inglis; TENNESSEE: Gordon; TEXAS: Barton, Burgess, Gohmert,
Granger, Hall, Hensarling, E Johnson, S Johnson, Marchant, Reyes, Sessions; VIRGINIA: Boucher, Moran;
WASHINGTON: McDermott; WISCONSIN: Baldwin, Green, Kind; AMERICAN SAMOA:
Faleomavaega; DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Norton.
* Alaska, Maine, Maryland, and Massachusetts, are 100% states
with ALL Representatives supporting HR3476, PLUS the two Senators supporting S1512, the Senate Bill
corresponding to HR3476. IN ADDITION, the Maryland Legislature passed a resolution supporting HR3476 and S1512
and the Governor signed it. Thus, MARYLAND became the only true all the way 100% State. I extend much
appreciation and commendation to Chapter 33 and Director Robert Banker for this accomplishment. Members Banker
(CID 33), Brodeur (CID 299), Duffy (CID 299), and Buckman (CID 270) personally added more members signing-on to
HR3476--and in several states in addition to their own--than did the rest of our 16,000 plus members combined.
Much appreciation is extended to these men for their hard work for the Charter Bill, and to all other members
who did their best to support this legislative effort.
IT IS UP TO OUR INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT SUCH POOR CONGRESSIONAL SUPPORT—NOT NATIONAL, NOT
LOU DECHERT, NOT SOMEONE ELSE: YOU, THE KOREA VETERAN.
This Congress (the House) had two years to vote on the recognition of the veterans of Korea duty (actually
The House has had over 50 years!). They did not do so. The question before us now is this: “What am I, as an
individual member and voter going to do about it at the ballot box on November 7th?” “What am I, as an
individual member and voter going to ask all of my friends and relatives to do about it?” Millions of Korea
veterans have died waiting for the Congress to do their duty and the right thing. Several hundred a day are now
dying. The Congress shuns them.
II. CODE OF CONDUCT. The
Code
of Conduct written by the Ethics and Grievance Committee is still open for Charter signup through October
11. Contact Chairman Steve Szekely, Telephone 216.381.9080 or email
sxdszek@sbcglobal.net
III. SOLICITATIONS: Several members have justifiably complained about
getting uninvited solicitations from an organization seeming to suggest a connection with Korean War Veterans.
One solicitation states that they are contacting all Chapters and several hundred members. The NATIONAL KWVA
does not indorse or approve of solicitations and has nothing to do with this one. The NATIONAL KWVA does not
release the member database or other materials for any direct solicitations. Use of any member data for
solicitation purposes is a violation of the Bylaws. Only causes and appeals appearing on the NATIONAL WEBSITE,
www.kwva.org and/or in The Graybeards are approved, indorsed and
supported by the NATIONAL KWVA.
For Korea Veterans
National President, KWVA/US
Chairman of the Board