FROM THE COMMANDER

Happy New Year,

Please join us at the Post on New Year's Eve to bring in the New Year, we will be open till midnight! 

Need help shoveling snow? Our very own Post Junior Vice Tracy Wordwood has volunteered to aid in the shoveling of snow for our members in need. We also have supplies and food if needed.  For assistance please contact (253) 766-7171.

We would also like to highlight our newest Comrade and Post Member, Sharon Holley for joining in with Wild West Post 91 to feed the homeless on Christmas Day! 

Post meetings are on the third Tuesday of every month at 7:00pm. All Post members are welcome to attend.

Best Regards, 

Andrea Pace, Commander VFW Post 969 

FROM THE AUXILIARY PRESIDENT

A special thanks to everyone who so generously donated, assisted and supported the Post and Auxiliary during the Holiday Season. We could not have done it without you.

We were able to gather and deliver gifts for 15 residence at the Orting Solders Home and Christmas cards with Buddy "poppies" and flags. It means so much to them considering they are not able to have visitors or play Bingo at this time.

While on our journey to help our veterans in need, Post and Auxiliary 91 and 969 teamed up to gather donations from volunteers. Much needed items for the homeless veterans as well as the residence of the Tiny Homes in Orting.  

So many volunteers came forward to donate and assist in getting the blessing bags filled and delivered. This is one of the many reasons that "no one does more for our Veterans".

Abate Motorcycle organization joined up with Post/Auxiliary 969 and collected over 1000 toys throughout the community for their joint Children’s Christmas Party.

The turnout was over 136 children, the largest in attendance ever. The Post was filled with lots of toys, hot dogs and smiles. We sure look forward to next year's party.

Speaking of parties, Mardi Gras is just around the corner, February 19, 2022. You know what that means, PARTY!!!! This party is a fundraiser to support the USO. A lot of troops have or are coming home, so let's get on board and have a blowout party fundraiser for USO. Remember donations are essential to keep costs down and more money to the USO. More Details to come.

With Much Appreciation,

Eloise Sharp, President Auxiliary Post 969

CHAPLAINS CORNER

May the gifts of believing, loving, giving and gratitude, be yours at this special time of the year.

God Bless and prayers to all,

Dolores Lopez (Mama D), Chaplain Auxiliary Post 969 

VETERAN SERVICE OFFICER

If you are trying to obtain a disability rating with the VA, according to the law there are three elements you must meet.  So, we are all on the same page defining a disability for VA purposes, a disability is any disease or injury incurred in service that causes a decrease in your earning capacity.

The first element is an event in service that could have caused or aggravated a disease or condition.  There are a few exceptions such as presumptions or military sexual trauma (MST).  With presumptions, the VA concedes that certain disabilities were caused by military service. This is because of the unique circumstances of a specific Veteran’s military service.  Some examples of presumptions can include being diagnosed with a chronic disease such as arthritis, diabetes, or hypertension within one year of release from active duty or belonging to a group that has been identified with specific presumed conditions that are prevalent among Veterans of that group such as former Prisoners of War.  For MST, these events often go unreported for several reasons, which VA acknowledges. With these claims, they can be supported by lay evidence such as buddy statements or a review of the Veteran’s behavior through time—before and after the event.

The second element is a current diagnosed disability.  Disabilities incurred in service that have since healed and no longer impair earning capacity are not eligible for VA compensation.  The easiest way to show proof of a diagnosed disability is in your medical records.  In certain circumstances, a Veteran may be eligible for service connection even without a current diagnosis such as dealing with chronic pain if medical evidence supports it or Gulf War Syndrome where several symptoms are difficult to definitively attribute to a specific condition.

The third element is a medical opinion that links the first two elements together.  This medical opinion is generally referred to as a Nexus Letter. The letter must be written specifically for the individual Veteran and explicit to that Veteran’s claim.  A good nexus letter will be written by a doctor who is a neutral party, is board certified in the area of health that is at issue, and has access to your relevant service and medical records.  The letter should be as brief as possible while stating the facts and conclusions. In the letter the doctor should state that they had access to your records and that they were able to review them.  The doctor’s opinion does not have to be absolute, but they should point out whether "it is as least as likely as not" that the current condition was caused by an event during service. This means there is a 50% chance that it is connected to an event in service.  They should also provide their rational for their opinion.  Finally, because the VA does not weight all medical evidence the same when time comes for adjudication, they should provide their qualifications, certifications, or specialties.

If you have questions or need help submitting your VA claim, contact Mel West at 253-376-8216 or vso@vfw969.org.

VETERAN AND COMMUNITY SERVICE

3510 McKinley Ave, Tacoma, WA 98404   |   253-272-1405   |   https://vfw969.orgTo find out more about Club/Special events, please check out the calendar on our website.

For publishing purposes, please submit newsletter comments and fliers to Post Adjutant Leyla Oxford at adj@vfw969. org no later than 7 calendar days prior to the 1st of each month.