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Post 27 News |
THE AMERICAN LEGION |
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08/22/2010 |
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This year, lets all work together and make Post 27 the place to be a member. We are the biggest Post in Arizona and together we will be the best. For God and Country, ....Felix Gonzalez, Commander 2010-2011 Officers elected at the April meeting Commander - Felix Gonzalez Executive Board - Riley Dobberstein Post 27, SAL, Auxiliary and Legion Riders
Officers For Pictures
Post 27 Family 2010 -2011 Leaders
Left to right: Felix Gonzalez. Post Commander, Max Wood SAL
Commander, Who is GI Josh?
Click Here to Find Out
April 10th 2010 - Auxiliary Members pack boxes
Cindy Queen presents award to NJrROTC Student 5/12/2010
For more Auxiliary pictures and news
SAL Sqdn 27 Extends submission dates
REMEMBER, |
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Processes more than
600 disability claims appeals per month for veterans trying to get
their VA medical benefits.
Urges Congress to
provide enough VA funding to take care of veterans' medical needs
and provide it in advance.
Volunteers about one
million hours every year at about 160 VA medical facilities
nationwide.
Donates about
100,000 pints of blood annually to the American Red Cross.
Sponsors more than
5,000 American Legion Baseball teams, which are made up by more than
100,000 ballplayers.
To find out much
more about what The American Legion does, please visit
www.legion.org
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MILITARY HISTORY-
Korean War:
The invasion of South Korea by North Korea came as a complete surprise to the US; Dean Rusk of the State Department had told Congress on June 20 that no war was likely. However, a CIA report in early March had predicted a June invasion. US officials had previously publicly stated that America would not fight over Korea, and that the country was outside of American concern in the Pacific. This attitude may have encouraged the North or given Syngman Rhee in the South a motive to gain US support. On hearing of the invasion, Truman agreed with his advisors to use US airstrikes, unilaterally, against the North Korean forces. He also ordered the Seventh Fleet to protect Formosa. The US gained a United Nations mandate for action because the Soviets were boycotting the Security Council while the (Nationalist controlled) Republic of China held the Chinese seat. Without the Soviet veto and with only Yugoslavia abstaining, the UN voted to aid South Korea. The US would have fought whatever the outcome, and Douglas MacArthur later told Congress "I had no connection with the UN whatsoever". US forces were eventually joined during the conflict by troops from fifteen other UN members: Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, France, Canada, South Africa, Turkey, Thailand, Greece, the Netherlands, Ethiopia, Colombia, the Philippines, Belgium, and Luxembourg. (Truman would later take harsh criticism for not obtaining a declaration of war from Congress before sending troops to Korea. Thus, "Truman’s War" was said by some to have violated the spirit, if not the letter, of the United States Constitution.) The US forces were suffering from demobilization which had continued since 1945. Excluding the Marines, the infantry divisions sent to Korea were at 40% of paper strength, and the majority of their equipment was found to be useless. The Americans organized Task Force Smith, and on July 5 engaged in the first North Korean/American clash of the war. In initial stages of the war, North Korea’s troops overwhelmed South Korean forces and drove them to a small area in the far South around the city of Pusan. This became a desperate holding action called the Pusan Perimeter. Upon the entrance of US and UN forces, American General Douglas MacArthur, as UN commander in chief for Korea, ordered an invasion far behind the North Korean troops at Inchon. United Nations troops drove the North Koreans back past the 38th parallel and continued on toward the Yalu River border of North Korea and China. This brought the communist Chinese into the war. The communist Chinese had issued warnings that they would react if the UN forces encroached on the frontier at the Yalu River. Mao sought Soviet aid and saw intervention as essentially defensive. "If we allow the US to occupy all of Korea... we must be prepared for the US to declare... war with China", he told Stalin. Zhou Enlai was sent to Moscow to add force to Mao’s cabled arguments. Mao delayed his forces while waiting for Russian help, and the planned attack was thus postponed from 13 October to 19 October. Soviet assistance was limited to providing air support no nearer than sixty miles (96 km) to the battlefront. The MiG-15s in PRC colors were an unpleasant surprise to the UN pilots; they held local air superiority against the F-80 Shooting Stars until the newer F-86 Sabres were deployed. The Soviet role was known to the US but they kept quiet as to avoid any international and potential nuclear incidents. A Chinese assault beginning on October 19, 1950, under the command of General Peng Dehuai with 380,000 People’s Liberation Army troops repelled the United Nations troops back to the 38th parallel, the pre-conflict border. The Chinese assault caught US troops by surprise, as war between PRC and the United States had not been declared. The United States XX Corp retreat was the longest retreat of a US unit in history. The Marines, on the northern side of the peninsula, faired better, mainly due to better training and discipline. On January 4, 1951, communist Chinese and North Korean forces captured Seoul. The battle of Chosin Reservoir in winter was a terrible defeat for the United Nations troops, who were mainly American Marines. The situation was such that MacArthur mentioned that atomic weapons may be used, much to the alarm of American allies. MacArthur was removed from command by President Harry S. Truman in 1951. The reasons for this are many, and well documented. They include MacArthur meeting with Chiang Kai-shek in the role of a US diplomat. MacArthur also was wrong at Guam when President Truman asked him specifically about Chinese troop buildup near the Korean border. Furthermore, MacArthur openly criticized the Commander in Chief during press conferences. He also was rude, and flippant when speaking to Truman. The rest of the war involved little territory change and lengthy peace negotiations (which started in Kaesong on July 10 of the same year). A cease-fire established a demilitarized zone (DMZ) around the 38th parallel, which is still defended today by North Korean troops on one side and South Korean and American troops on the other. No peace treaty has yet been signed, fifty years later. Newly-elected US President Dwight D. Eisenhower on November 29, 1952 fulfilled a campaign promise by traveling to Korea to find out what could be done to end the conflict. Korea was officially a police action, not a war, in US parlance. 600,000 Koreans had died and perhaps a million Chinese. US troops suffered about 50,000 fatalities, roughly equal to the Vietnam conflict, but in a much shorter time. Later neglect of remembrance of this war, in favor of the Vietnam War, World War I and II, has caused the Korean War to be called the Forgotten War or the Unknown War. [Source: www.korean-war.info/history Apr 2010 ++] |
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Military Trivia: [Source:www.triviacountry.com/19_Military_Trivia.htm Apr 2010 ++]
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Federal Tax Law Changes Update 01: Many of the tax breaks in recent tax-relief bills were designed to be phased in over a number of years, or are indexed to inflation. To help you determine how these tax laws affect your long-term plans, the following explains the changes scheduled to come into effect in 2010 through 2017. Estate Tax Repealed - The federal estate tax is scheduled to be eliminated for estates of individuals who die in 2010. It is expected that Congress will act to keep the tax alive. Roth IRA Conversions - Starting in 2010, individuals with more than $100,000 of modified Adjusted Gross Income are free to switch a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA. For conversions in 2010, taxpayers can spread the tax due over two years. Half the tax will be due in 2011, and the remaining half will be payable in 2012. Removing the limit on conversions effectively eliminates the income limit on contributions to Roth IRAs. A taxpayer with income too high to use a Roth will be able to contribute to a traditional IRA (which does not have income limits for contributions) and immediately convert to a Roth. Domestic Production Activities Deduction - In 2010, this deduction increases to nine percent of qualifying business net income. This deduction applies to businesses engaged in construction, engineering or architectural services, film production, or the lease, rental or sale of equipment you manufactured. However, the rate remains 6% for oil and gas companies. State and Local Sales Tax Deduction - The opportunity for itemizers to choose to deduct their state sales tax payments instead of deducting their state and local income taxes ends after 2009, unless Congress acts to extend it. Educators’ Deduction - This deduction for up to $250 of classroom supplies purchased by educators lapses after 2009, unless Congress acts to extend it. Nontaxable Combat Pay Allowed for Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) - The election to include nontaxable combat pay in the calculation of earned income for the Earned Income Tax Credit is not available after 2009, unless Congress acts to extend it. Tuition and Fees Deduction - The deduction for up to $4,000 of college tuition and fees expires after 2009, unless Congress acts to extend it. Direct Donations of IRAs to Charity - Beginning in 2010, the opportunity for IRA owners age 70˝ to directly donate part of their IRA balance to charity will disappear, unless Congress acts to extend it. Additional Standard Deduction for Property Taxes - Starting in 2010, non-itemizers will no longer be allowed to increase their standard deduction by up to $1,000 of property taxes paid, unless Congress acts to extend this break. Limits on Deducting Farm Losses - Beginning in 2010, the amount of farm losses you can enter to offset nonfarm income is capped at the greater of $300,000 or your net farm income over the past five years. But this limit will apply only if you get federal farm payments or Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) loans. You can take suspended losses in later years. The caps will also apply to partners and S firm owners. Exemptions for the Alternative Minimum Tax - For 2010, the exemption levels drop to $45,000 for married filing jointly, $33,750 for singles and heads of household, and $22,500 for married couples filing separately. Congress is likely to act in 2009 to prevent this from happening. Otherwise, more than 20 million filers will be added to the AMT rolls. Partial Exclusion for Unemployment Benefits - For 2010, the first $2,400 of unemployment benefits you receive is no longer tax-free. Sales Tax Deduction for New Vehicles - Beginning in 2010, buyers of new vehicles no longer get a tax benefit for sales tax paid on new vehicles, unless they itemize and elect to deduct sales taxes instead of state income taxes. [Source: Military.com Taxes Jan 2010 ++] |
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For details
Things you need to know-
BURIAL BENEFITS
DoD expands Purple Heart eligibility to POWs
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Reminder! |
White House Greetings Requests US citizens can request Presidential greetings for the following:
Special Extra Earnings for Military Service Please share this with anyone who's had active duty service prior to January 2002 and planning for retirement. In a nutshell it boils down to this:
You qualify for a higher social security payment because of your
military service, for active duty any time from
1940 through 2001
(the program was done away with in January 2002. In January 2002,
Public Law 107-117,
the Defense Appropriations Act, stopped the
special extra earnings that have been credited to military service
personnel. Military service in calendar year 2002 and future years
no longer qualifies for these special extra earnings.).
Up to $1200 per year of earnings credit (see below website for more
detail) credited at time of application - which
can make a
substantial
difference in social security monthly payments upon your retirement.
You must bring your DD-214 to the Social Security Office - and you
must
ask for this benefit to receive it!
Click here for the full article and the link
to Social Security PRESIDENTIAL MEMORIAL CERTIFICATE A Presidential Memorial Certificate is available to honor the memory of honorably discharged deceased veterans. This is an engraved paper certificate, signed by the current President, and expressing the country's grateful recognition of the veteran's service in the United States Armed Forces. Eligibility for this award includes the deceased veteran's next of kin and loved ones. More than one certificate may be provided, if desired. You may apply for a Memorial
Certificate in person at any VA regional office, or by U.S. Mail only.
Requests
cannot be sent via e-mail. There is no form to use when
requesting the certificate. Include your mailing
address with your
request and a copy of the veteran's discharge documents. Don't forget to notify the Post if you have a change of address
Please include: Your name, Membership number,
You may be eligible for
Click here for more info. Request Copies of Military http://www.archives.gov/veterans/evetrecs/
Monday - Saturday
8:30 AM - midnight |
FROM THE POST COMMANDER.........
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