VFW Post 7446 Addison IL

03/15/2025

Today is our annual St. Patrick's lunch which is from 1pm- 3pm and dinner is from 4pm -7pm. Please come and join us for good food and good company. Plus we do have gaming machines, so try your luck ☘️and give them a spin. We would love to have you. Have kids? We also.have hotdogs and chips for the kiddies.

03/15/2025

Apply for Military Records, Request Discharge Upgrades, Correction of Military Records

REQUEST MILITARY RECORDS

https://www.va.gov/records/get-military-service-records/

ARCHIVES - SEARCH HISTORICAL MILITARY RECORDS

https://www.archives.gov/

REQUEST DISCHARGE UPGRADES

https://www.va.gov/discharge-upgrade-instructions

APPLICATION FOR CORRECTION OF MILITARY RECORD

https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/forms/dd/dd0149.pdf

https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/forms/dd/dd0293.pdf

03/15/2025

VFW Launches 79th Annual Youth Scholarship Contests
Middle and high school students compete for share of awards totaling nearly $2.4 million
March 12, 2025


KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) is now accepting entries for its 79th annual Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen youth scholarship competitions. The 2025-2026 theme asks America’s students “How Are You Showing Patriotism and Support for Our Country?”

Established in 1947, the VFW’s Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen essay competitions were created to encourage a better understanding and appreciation for America and to foster patriotism among the nation’s youth. The programs also offer friendly competition as well as reward success in the form of individual scholarships and awards totaling nearly $2.4 million at the national, state and local levels.

The Voice of Democracy audio-essay competition is open to high school students in ninth through 12th grades and comes with a national first place prize scholarship totaling $35,000. More than 26,000 high school students worldwide compete in the competition each year for their share of more than $170,000 in national awards.

First place Voice of Democracy Department (state) winners will also receive an all-expenses-paid trip to attend a Founding Forward Spirit of America Youth Leadership program at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. Through this inspiring four-day program, students experience mock congressional debates, participate in a free enterprise challenge, visit historical sites, and engage in interactive educational activities.

The VFW’s Patriot’s Pen essay contest is open to eligible sixth, seventh and eighth grade students, with middle schoolers competing for their share of nearly $1 million in local, state and national awards and prizes. The national first place winner receives a $5,000 award. More than 60,600 students participate annually in the competition.

Student entries may be submitted (along with a completed entry form) to their local participating VFW Post. The deadline for both contests is Oct. 31, 2025.

Read more about the contests, or submit your essay and entry form at your local participating VFW Post.

03/15/2025

VFW Leaders Prepare for Diplomacy, Troop and DPAA Site Visits

Commander-in-Chief and Auxiliary leaders depart for East and Southeast Asia



WASHINGTON (March 14, 2025) — On the heels of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Washington Conference, two official delegations comprised of senior VFW and Auxiliary leaders and supporting staff depart this weekend for separate command visits in East and Southeast Asian countries.



Accompanied by VFW Washington Office Executive Director Ryan Gallucci, and together with VFW Auxiliary National President Brenda Bryant, Commander-in-Chief Al Lipphardt will embark on a six-day tour of Taiwan to meet with government leaders and the Veterans Affairs Council to bolster our longstanding friendship grounded in shared democratic ideals, mutual learning and a commitment to caring for those who sacrificed in defense of our respective nations. Among the activities planned is a diplomatic engagement with the President of Taiwan, Lai Ching-te, as well as tours of the PanChiao Veterans Home and Taipei Veterans General Hospital.



"The VFW has long enjoyed a robust relationship with our veterans' affairs counterparts in Taiwan," said Lipphardt. “And this year, I am honored to meet with President Lai Ching-te to discuss our nations' common pursuit of and dedication to freedom, peace and democracy. It's through the selfless acts and courage of our nations' defenders, and the fulfilment of our duty to honor and care for them, that these ideals are able to be realized.”



Meanwhile, Junior Vice Commander-in-Chief Tim Peters, together with Assistant Adjutant General Brian Walker and VFW Washington Office Public Affairs Director Rob Couture, will spend two weeks traveling to Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) field sites in Thailand and Vietnam and meeting with U.S. military personnel, veterans and VFW members in South Korea and the Philippines.



"DPAA's mission has always been near and dear to my heart," said Peters, "that's why I'm excited to meet with the teams in Thailand and Vietnam to see their work firsthand. Their dedication to accounting for every service member missing in action is truly remarkable."



The VFW’s annual overseas missions fulfill critical organizational national security and foreign affairs objectives. Travel missions abroad enable senior leadership to strengthen ties with host nation governments, witness field operations and understand the needs of the DPAA and gauge the welfare of U.S. troops and veterans stationed and living outside the United States and its territories. Leveraging the VFW’s powerful advocacy platform in Washington, D.C., lessons learned from each visit are brought to administration officials and members of Congress to ensure the DPAA is fully funded each year and troops and veterans, including those working as Department of Defense (DOD) civilians, are properly taken care of, able to execute their missions, and can access the benefits and services afforded to them.

Thanks to VFW advocacy after past overseas visits, legislation to overhaul the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Foreign Medical Program was introduced by Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.) during the 118th and current Congresses, while the DOD decided in 2024 to continue providing mail privileges to military retirees living abroad.

For updates as the missions kick off and throughout, be sure to follow the VFW on LinkedIn, X, and Instagram under and on Facebook under .

03/14/2025

03/14/2025

One of your neighbors posted in Neighbor News. Click through to read what they have to say. (The views expressed in this post are the author’s own.)

03/14/2025

Join us for our annual flower show.

03/14/2025

Please join us this Saturday we would love to have you! The food is always great.

03/01/2025

Buddy Poppy
Before Memorial Day in 1922, VFW conducted its first poppy distribution, becoming the first veterans' organization to organize a nationwide distribution. The poppy soon was adopted as the official memorial flower of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, as it remains today.

During our 1923 encampment (convntion), VFW decided that VFW "Buddy"® Poppies would be assembled by disabled and needy veterans who would be paid for their work to provide them with financial assistance. The next year, disabled veterans at the Buddy Poppy factory in Pittsburgh assembled VFW Buddy Poppies. The designation "Buddy Poppy" was adopted at that time.

In February 1924, VFW registered the name Buddy Poppy with the U.S. Patent Office. A certificate was issued on May 20, 1924, granting the VFW organization all trademark rights in the name of Buddy under the classification of artificial flowers. No other organization, firm or individual can legally use the name Buddy Poppy.

The VFW Buddy Poppy program provides compensation to those who assemble the poppies, provides financial assistance in maintaining state and national veterans' rehabilitation and service programs and partially supports the VFW National Home. Show your support today. Host a Buddy Poppy drive in your town, or have your local government issue a special proclamation.

Hear from those who assemble the mighty little flowers in our "Behind the Buddy Poppy" video.

Poppy Order Form (New Price effective 10/1/2023)
https://vfwil.org/uploads/documents/Resources/PoppyFormOct2023.pdf
In Flanders Fields
by John McCrae
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you, from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow,
In Flanders fields.

03/01/2025

VFW Calls on Administration, Congress to Stop Indiscriminate Firing of Veterans

The following is a message from VFW National Commander Al Lipphardt



WASHINGTON (Feb. 24, 2025) —Ten days ago, I shared the Veterans of Foreign Wars’ (VFW) concerns for the news of mass lay-offs coming out of our nation’s capital. Since then, it has become clearer that the veteran community has been hit hard as probationary federal jobs are being axed across the country, to include the latest announcement of 1,400 more just let go from the VA.

With veterans making up approximately 30% of the more than 2.2 million employed by the federal government, the potential of losing thousands of veterans from the government work force is troubling. A lot of these aren’t brand-new, off-the-street employees. These are employees who have been serving the American people for years, in uniform and in civil service, and at least some of whom have been or are being caught by a formality in administrative statuses. There are bigger ramifications in firing veterans than just faceless workers being let go. The American people are losing technical expertise, training and security clearances already bought and paid for by taxpayers. These veterans are now being told their skills are no longer useful to the government. We’re losing people who are genuinely committed to the mission and find a continued sense of purpose in what they do. On top of all this, studies show having gainful employment is a social determinate of health and gets ahead of arguably one of the root causes of veteran su***de. Since the federal government is the single largest employer of veterans in the nation, it’s veterans who are being indiscriminately harmed in this bull-"DOGE"-ing of the federal work force.

I was wounded in combat during the Vietnam War. I am thankful that the medics who treated me chose not to take my whole arm for the sake of efficiency. It took a trained eye, a skillful hand and human intuition to fix me up and get me back in the fight. In my experience, those operating with a scalpel have a better chance at saving limbs than those who operate with a chainsaw.

Unfortunately, it appears humans have been taken out of what is a human capital issue. It has been reported to us from veterans who have lost their jobs that the emails they received letting them go were disjointed, and inconsistent across the board. This leads us to believe they were automated with little to no oversight or thought. When it comes to complex problems, we rely on humans to make the right choices at the right times. We should never leave the hard decisions that impact people’s lives and livelihoods to an algorithm or an email distribution list.

On Tuesday, March 4th, I will testify before a joint session of the congressional veterans’ affairs committees to deliver the VFW’s priorities and call on Congress and this administration to put an end to the indiscriminate firing of veterans in the government workforce. I am also calling on VFW members to “march forth” and join me on that day. I want to see hats in the hallways of our Capitol as our legislative committee members engage with lawmakers in demanding that they “Honor the Contract” the government made with those who have already served and sacrificed so much for America and their fellow Americans. It's time to apply pressure and stop the bleeding.

03/01/2025

VA processes one million disability claims faster than ever before
For immediate release
February 25, 2025
10:55 am

Department claims-processing productivity is at record levels

WASHINGTON — The Department of Veterans Affairs announced today it has processed more than a million disability claims in Fiscal Year 2025, reaching the milestone nearly two weeks faster than it did in FY24.

Despite receiving 15.6% more claims than last year, the department completed its one millionth FY25 claim Feb. 20 — faster than at any point in the department’s history.

In fact, the 10 highest claims processing days in VA’s history occurred within the last month, and the department’s highest claims processing day ever was Feb. 12, when VA processed more than 12,000 claims.

Of the more than one million claims VA has processed in FY25, over 60% were granted.

Through January, VA has provided $62 billion in compensation and pension benefit payments to 6.9 million Veterans and survivors. VA’s claims accuracy rate has risen to more than 92%. To date, VA has completed 375,961 PACT claims in FY25.

“Under the leadership of President Trump, we are strengthening the department so it works better for Veterans, families, caregivers and survivors,” said VA Secretary Doug Collins. “VA’s claims processing productivity is the highest it has ever been, and we look forward to continuing to provide record levels of service to Veterans and VA beneficiaries.”

03/01/2025

RECENT VFW CONGRESSIONAL TESTIMONY
with Respect to:
Pending Legislation
Statement of Patrick Murray,
Director, National Legislative Service
Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States

Before the United States House of Representatives
Committee on Veterans' Affairs

Statement of Patrick Murray, Director, National Legislative Service, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, Before the United States House of Representatives, Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, With Respect To Pending Legislation

03/01/2025

Hines Outreach at Judd Kendall VFW #3873 - Tuesday (March 4, 2025)

Come visit on Tuesday and get your VA Healthcare, VA benefits, and mental healthcare questions answered in person. This certainly beats email or text tag.

03/01/2025

VA Secretary Doug Collins Highlights Accomplishments in First 30 Days
image.png

February 21, 2025
VA Digital Media Engagement

VA Secretary Doug Collins outlined key accomplishments at VA during the first 30 days of the Trump administration, emphasizing the department’s commitment to prioritizing Veterans.

“The Veteran is back first at the VA,” Collins stated. “We’re putting the Veteran first in everything we do.”

A key change includes eliminating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, reallocating $14 million toward Veterans’ health care and caregiver programs. Additionally, the department has identified and redirected $98 million to further support health care benefits for Veterans.

VA has also revised its flag policy, now exclusively flying the American flag and the POW/MIA flag at its facilities. “For all of us who served in uniform, that American flag…it’s what unites us,” Collins said.

Efforts to combat waste, fraud, and abuse are also underway. The department has assigned employees to scrutinize contracts, ensuring funds are spent efficiently. As a result, $178,000 previously allocated for Politico newsletters has been redirected to Veterans.

“30 days in, Donald Trump hasn’t let up. Guess what? We haven’t let up here at the VA either.” Collins concluded.

For more updates on VA policies and initiatives, visit news.va.gov.

Watch on youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNC85KSLbVM&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fnews.va.gov%2F&source_ve_path=OTY3MTQ

Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins outlined key accomplishments at VA during the first 30 days of the Trump administration, emphasizing the departmen...

03/01/2025

How to file a VA disability claim:

Find out how to file a claim for disability compensation or increased disability compensation.

https://www.va.gov/disability/how-to-file-claim/

What happens after I file my VA disability claim?
Find out what happens after you file

You don’t need to do anything while you’re waiting unless we send you a letter asking for more information. If we schedule exams for you, be sure not to miss them.

Check your VA claim status

How long does it take VA to make a decision?
146.4 days (was 134.4 days prior to 12/31/24)
Average number of days to complete disability-related claims in January 2025

Find out how to file a claim for disability compensation or increased disability compensation.

03/01/2025

The following bills will be considered at an upcoming Committee hearing the week of Feb 24th. Request that you submit a Witness Slip for the bills. For House Bills, you have until the end of the hearing to submit a witness slip, for Senate bills you have until the end of the day of the hearing to submit a slip. Please submit your witness slip at your earliest convenience. Please see the instructions following the bill list.



Proponent for the following 2 bills

HB 1187 Toll Hwy-Tollrates_Free - Transportation: Regulation, Roads & Bridges committee, Feb 25, 2025 2:00pm



SB 32 SNAP Benefits-Veterans - Health and Human Services Hearing Feb 25 2025 3:30PM

___

Oppose the following three bills

HB 1059 Veterans Assistance-Definition - Veterans' Affairs Committee, Feb 25, 20205 4:00pm

HB 1273 Veterans Assistance-Definitions - Veterans' Affairs Committee, Feb 25, 20205 4:00pm

Suggested change in veterans definition, above bills not in accordance with 38 USC 101 definitions, and takes no action to change definition of other veteran acts

HB 1352 Multi-County Vet Assistance - Veterans' Affairs Committee Hearing Feb 25 2025 4:00pm Oppose in current form

___

Oppose 1280 as written, Needs to address federal protections of veterans who are deployed and other legal aspects of parental custody

HB 1280 Deployed Parent Custody/Visit - Judiciary - Civil Committee Hearing Feb 26 2025 8:00am

Proponent for 1319

HB 1319 Athletic Org-Military Conflict - Education Policy Committee Hearing Feb 26 2025 8:00am



Proponent for 1119 and 1312

HB 1119 School CD-Teacher-First Responder - Elementary & Secondary Education: Administration, Licensing & Charter Schools committee, Feb 26, 2025, 2:00pm

HB 1312 POW/MIA Recognition Day - State Government Administration Committee Hearing Feb 26 2025 2:00pm

Proponent

SB 1675 Military Justice-Offences - Judiciary Hearing Feb 26 2025 3:30pm (Updates definitions of offences in the Illinois Code of Military Justice.)

___

Proponent

HB 1027 Property Tax-Veterans Spouse - Revenue and Finance Committee, Feb 27, 2025 8:00am

HB 1115 Property Tax Gold Star Parent - Revenue and Finance committee, Feb 27, 2025 8:00am

HB 1308 Prop TX-Veterans - Revenue and Finance Committee Hearing Feb 27 2025 8:00am

HB 1503 DCEO-Veterans Pilot Program - Revenue & Finance Committee Hearing Feb 27 2025 8:00am

For the bills above that are going to committee hearings for consideration, I encourage all to create an account on the ILGA Dashboard (https://my.ilga.gov). When you wish to submit a witness slip, you would need to log in with your account, find the bill under the assigned committee, and when logged it, the witness slip will be filled in with your identifying information, you will only need to enter your position on the bill and you will be able to complete a witness slip without having to enter your name and address for each one. Submitting your slips this way, rather than clicking a link in an email, allows you to manage your witness slips and change position if necessary.

03/01/2025

Software designed to provide diabetic patient education
Gulf Coast VA enhances Veteran health education & hosted an innovator who is developing a virtual reality software designed to provide interactive diabetic patient education.
February 21, 2025
Sheena Strong
Innovation Specialist

As part of the VHA Innovators Network (iNET) Greenhouse Opportunity, Gulf Coast VA hosted an external innovator who is currently developing a virtual reality software designed to provide interactive diabetic patient education.

Using virtual reality headsets

The VHA Innovators Network is a national VA program that strives to improve care and enhance the experiences of both employees and Veterans through innovation.

The Greenhouse Initiative, a unique aspect of this program, allows external health care innovative communities to collaborate with VA, ensuring that the voices of Veterans and VA employees are used to develop future health care innovative solutions.

“Greenhouse collaborations provide VHA employees, Veterans and health care innovators with the unique opportunity to contribute to health care innovation right from the initial concept phase. This involvement ensures that new ideas are shaped and refined with direct input from those who will benefit the most,” said Elizabeth Williams, innovation specialist.

Software designed for diabetic patients
In December, the hospital welcomed an on-site visit from House Call VR. This visit was part of the collaboration with VA to gather essential user feedback on House Call VR’s virtual reality platform aimed at improving patient education. Participants had the chance to experience the first software modules specifically designed for diabetic patient education.

House Call VR’s quest is to develop patient education modules that go beyond traditional written and verbal methods, making learning more engaging and effective. Its goal is to help patients make better health care decisions and take control of their health.

Veterans and employees used virtual reality headsets to experience the House Call VR software firsthand and provided valuable feedback to help shape the final product. By using the virtual reality devices, House Call VR aims to provide patients with a completely new perspective of understanding their health.

The insights collected from this session were crucial for refining the technology, with the final product expected to be completed later in 2025.

“As a Veteran that has been diagnosed with diabetes a long time ago, this technology would have really helped me learn more about my health care condition and how to better care for myself. I believe Veterans are really going to benefit from this type of patient education,” said a Veteran participant.

Learn more about VHA Innovators Network and the Greenhouse Initiative.