VFW District 8 Newsletter
CWO5 Randle M. Tolliver, USN (Ret)
Commander
For veterans in crisis, the Veterans Crisis Line's number is "988” then press "1”.
Homebound veterans requiring assistance please contact any member.
Veterans experiencing, or at risk of homelessness, please contact any member or the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at (877) 424-3838.
Buddy Checks! Please call or go visit elderly or homebound veterans and see how they are doing and if they need help.
Veterans News:
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has requested $488 billion for fiscal 2027, including $123 billion for medical care and services, nearly $4 billion to construct new facilities and $4.2 billion to continue rolling out the department’s new electronic health records system.
Legislative news:
The Missouri Legislative session ended on 15 May and again the Missouri legislature passed no bills to support Missouri Veterans. HJR 115 would have placed a constitutional amendment on the November ballot to provide ‘Disabled Veterans Property Tax and Homestead Exemption” for 100% service-connected disabled veterans. The House voted 152-2 to pass HJR 115 and died in the Senate. Also, neither HB 3029, "The Veterans Benefits Protection Act” which would have protected veterans from unaccredited "Claim Sharks” predatory business practices nor HB 2276 he "Missouri Disabled Veterans Homestead Exemption" which would provide a tiered property tax exemption system for veterans with disabilities had a floor vote. Unfortunately, the Missouri Veterans Commission (MVC) is still underfunded. If your Senator and/or Representative supported the Veterans Community, please thank them. If not, remember that when they want to keep their job.
At the federal level please support the "Major Richard Star Act” (H.R. 2102 and S. 1032) to stop the reduction of medically retired veteran’s Department of War retirement pay is to offset their VA disability compensation. These are fundamentally different benefits, earned for different reasons, yet Congress has refused to act. During recent fiscal 2027 budget testimony, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth joined the 79 Senators and 323 House members in their support of this legislation. We thank Senator Hawley and Congressman Smith for co-sponsoring the bill. Please contact Senator Schmitt at (202) 224-5721 and ask him to do the right thing
Local events:
The time and place of these and local post meetings and other events are provided on each post’s Facebook site; come join us!
Every Tuesday, Post 5331 in Cedar Hill host "Veterans Coffee Talk” at 9 am at 1 Lynn Lane in Cedar Hill. If you have questions or would like more information, please call EverTrue @ (314) 446-2539, Col. (retired) Ted Hodgson @ (314) 221-2096 or Mark Newton @ (636) 222-3521.
Every Wednesday, Post 5896 is hosting an "all-you-can-eat” breakfast at 814 E Karsch Blvd, Farmington. Food service is 7 to 9:30 am and the cost is $8 and children under the age of 10 eat for free.
Every 3rd Sunday of each month, Post 6516 in High Ridge will host "Meat Shoot” at 2220 Gravois Rd, High Ridge. Rain or shine, shooting starts at noon. Ages 12 and up are welcome and they provide shells. Nothing smaller than a .678 choke tube and no scopes, optics, bull barrels. For more information call (636) 677-1772.
On Sunday May 23 and 24th, St Francois County VFW Post 2426 will a host a Memorial Day BBQ and Luau. The event will start at 11 am each day at W Oak St, in Desloge. The event will feature food and beverages, a DJ, children’s activities and raffles. For more information call 573-431-3915.
On Sunday May 24th at 2 pm, VFW Post 6660 will hold a public Memorial Day Remembrance Ceremony at the World War I Memorial at the Reynolds County Court House in Centerville The guest speaker will be Representative Tony Harbison of the 144th District. For more information call (636) 677-1772.
On Monday May 25th at 11:00 am VFW Post 5896, American Legion Post 416 and Elks Lodge 1765 will host a public Memorial Day Ceremony and on June 5th the post and the American Legion will serve as grand marshals for the country days parade, in recognition of or 250th national anniversary.
On Monday May 25th, VFW Post and Auxiliary 2210 will hold their annual Memorial Day services at 852 Memorial Dr, Ste. Genevieve.
Now let us talk a bit about our history:
83 years ago this week, the crew of a 324th Bomb Squadron, 91st Bomb Group, 8th Army Air Force B-17F Flying Fortress named "Memphis Belle” landed at RAF Bassingbourn in England after completing their 25th combat mission. The average was ten missions before being shot down. The story of the "Memphis Belle” inspired two motion pictures: the 1944 documentary "Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress”, and the 1990 film "Memphis Belle”. After completing his tour with the "Memphis Belle” the Commander, Army Air Forces Captain Robert K Morgan flew another 26 missions against Japan in the B-29 Superfortress. A fully restored Belle is at the National Museum of the Air Force, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. For more information, I recommend "Memphis Belle: Biography of a B-17 Flying Fortress” by Brent William Perkins.
85 years ago this week, a single event changed the outcome of WW II when a convoy of Allied cargo ships steamed into the coordinated attack of a "wolfpack” of German U-boats comprised of type IXB U-boats U-110 and U-201. During U-110’s capture and boarding by HMS (H91) Bulldog, Sub-Lieutenant David Balme’s boarding party captured the Enigma cipher machine and German codebooks. The German naval codes were "broken” by Bletchley Park cryptographers, resulting in reduced merchant ship losses. This pivotal event changed the course of the battle of the Atlantic and greatly contributed to England’s ability to survive and continue to fight. For more information, I recommend "Secret Capture: U-110 and the Enigma Story” by Captain S. W. Roskill, USN.
I offer this from President Theodore Roosevelt "Americanism means the virtues of courage, honor, justice, truth, sincerity, and hardihood - the virtues that made America”
Bulletin Board:
The VA one-stop telephone number is 1-800-698-2411 and press "0” for immediate assistance. The VA one stop website is VA.gov Home | Veterans Affairs .
For more for information concerning VA "End of Life” benefits and services see www.va.gov/initiatives/end-of-life-benefits/
Veteran employment opportunities! Please visit https://news.va.gov/138283/hiring-veterans-job .
The Missouri Veterans Commission (MVC) one-stop Benefits and Resource Portal is (573) 522-4061 or www.veteranbenefits.mo.gov .
To pre-certify for burial in a Missouri Veterans Cemetery, apply at https://my.mo.gov/gsp?id=vcp_preapplication . For information on burial eligibility, visit https://mvc.dps.mo.gov/cemeteries .
The Missouri Job Center offers no-cost employment assistance for veterans and spouses. Contact (417) 257-2630 or visit jobs.mo.gov/vets.
To order military service documents such as a DD 214/Separation Document or Official Military Personnel File (OMPF), contact the National Archives, National Personnel Records Center at https://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records, or call (866) 272-6272.
For more information, follow us at https://www.facebook.com/groups/967395123712841 or visit movfw.org
"Here to Serve”
