Upcoming Events!

State Baseball Tournament July 27-Aug 1
RF&P Park, Glen Allen, Virginia

2009 Leadership College August 7-9 Holiday Inn Koger Center
Richmond $89

2009 Fall Conference October 30-November 1 - Holiday Inn, Hampton
$71.00

2010 State Convention July 8-11 - Sheraton Richmond West, Richmond
$99

2010 Fall Conference October 29-31 Holiday Inn, Hampton
$74

2011 State Convention July 14-17 Roanoke Plaza Hotel & Holiday Inn, Roanoke

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Memorial Day Volunteers Recognized!

During the Memorial Day Celebration on the National Mall the following volunteers from the Department of Virginia gave their time to volunteer at The American Legion tent:

Bob Renner, Sr.
Janet Renner
Bob Hatter
Mackenzie Duffy (Jr. Aux)
Bethany Mansfield (Jr. Aux)
Amanda Mansfield (Jr. Aux)
Bosco Jerez
Xong Yang
Alisha Jerez
Makayla Jerez (Jr. Aux)
Cheyenne Taylor (Jr. Aux)
Lillian Miller (Jr. Aux)
Kenny Knight
Jay Edwards
Marion Chirichella
Clint Bolt
Mark Arneson
Scott Williams
Maraya Jerez (Jr. Aux)
Pat Knight
Marv Rodney
Wilma Ranck
John Johnson
Linda Miluszewski
Korri Gregory
Adyson Royall
Casey Royall
Nancy Harting
Loretta Smith
Jim Kampanos
Paula Kampanos
Klaus Dahlke
Betty Ann Dahlke
Cappie Arneson
Morgan Arneson
Ashley Arneson
Reagon Arneson

Steve Smithson, Acting Director, National VA&R Commission commends all of the volunteers who gave their time to our fallen heroes, veterans and their families during the Memorial Day celebration.

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91st Convention Committee!
By: Bill Feasenmyer(284) - Convention Committee Co-Chairman

Our 91st Convention has concluded and it was a great success in my opinion. There are many folks to thank for its success and I wanted to recognize the individuals and groups that made it so. First and foremost is the Convention committee itself who began meeting and planning many months prior to the event. Buster (38) and Madeline (144) Johnson, Don Johnson (84), Chuck Gudis (186), Harold Englert (84), Hodges Hastings (84), Frank Fitz (84), Charlie Brammer (244), Dave Pinelli (284), Rick Oertel (284), and Don Dobrick (284). All of the above continued to keep busy and give of themselves to run the Golf Tournament, man the registration desk, work the door at the events with tickets, and in general be there to do whatever was needed to make the convention an overall success. Thank for your hard work and dedication.

The Golf Tournament was a great time and everyone seemed to have a fun filled day. In addition to Chairman Don Dobrick, thanks to Jim Smith (284) for being there all day to assist with the administrative duties so I could play golf. EVB Bank and EVB Mortgage were corporate sponsors and provided water and goody bags for all the players. In addition, they provided young ladies to drive the beverage cart and sell prize tickets. Thank you Debbie Abbott, Cheryl Thompson, and Rita Feasenmyer (284). This event would not have been a profitable one without our hole sponsors. Thank you Post 284 (2 holes), Squadron 284, Post 368, and The Grey Socks Retirees Club. Congratulations also to the team from Post 368, who were our tournament winners. I am sure they are enjoying the lighted golfer trophies donated by Dept HQ.

The BBQ night was wonderful and Post 244 was a great host. Thank you Charlie, Commander, Auxiliary, and all the members for making this an enjoyable night.

Auxiliary Unit 284 was the work horse for the Karaoke and Scavenger Hunt. They collected and provided almost every one of the prizes given away. The 284 Auxiliary also handled everything the night of the event and made it so much fun for everyone that attended. Thank you, ladies, for everything.

Of course, the Convention Banquet and Dance were equally successfully and everyone seemed to enjoy the final humor of Immediate PDC Andy. If you need a Richmond based florist, please keep Coleman Brothers Flowers in mind as they graciously donated the beautiful fresh flower arrangement for the banquet.

Last but not least, the Department HQ staff. Dale and Erica were in on the long range planning with the hotel, who I might add, did a very commendable job in meeting all the needs for this event. In addition to Linda and Josie, they were always there to assist with whatever issues or surprises came up and to make sure all was right and by the script.

As you can see, there are a lot of folks to thank who made this event so successful. I hope that I have not left anyone out, however, if I did, please know that we appreciate every person's contribution. We look forward to making the 92nd Convention even better.

For God and Country,
Bill Feasenmyer(284)
Convention Committee Co-Chairman

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Continuing VA Endoscope Contamination Problem Unacceptable, Says The American Legion

Legion Leader Calls For Immediate Action To Eliminate Health Risks.

WASHINGTON (June 17, 2009) - The National Commander of the nation's largest veterans service organization is expressing outrage at continuing instances of VA medical personnel exposing their patients to infectious diseases.

The Department of Veterans Affairs Office of the Inspector General (IG) released a report Tuesday detailing a pattern of failure to adhere to cleaning and sterilization procedures involving endoscopic equipment, despite an earlier campaign to rectify the problem. The report, entitled "Healthcare Inspection - Use and Reprocessing of Flexible Fiber optic Endoscopes at VA Medical Facilities" was aired during a House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigation hearing. It documented the results of recent, unannounced inspections at 42 Veterans Health Administration facilities nationwide.

"The report is very disturbing," said David K. Rehbein, national commander of The American Legion. "It demonstrates a pattern of failure among medical personnel within veterans health facilities to acquire simple knowledge and follow uncomplicated procedures, thus possibly exposing vulnerable veterans to serious health risks.

House Subcommittee members have directed the IG to conduct re-inspections of VA health facilities in 90 days. "But these three months should not be construed as a period of time to work on these deficiencies," said Rehbein. "Veterans are being treated at these facilities every single hour of every single day. No matter what the reasons for this laxness in patient safety may be -- inadequate training, poor supervision or lack of accountability -- the problems must be rectified immediately - not tomorrow, but today!

"Traditionally," he continued, "the VA's healthcare system has been lauded as the best in the world, and I believe it still is. It is imperative that this issue not be allowed to compromise that standard," said the commander.

The latest IG report is the result of a nationwide review requested by U.S. Representative Steve Buyer (R-IN) after he learned in March that more than three thousand veterans at the VA Medical Center in Miami, Fla. had been potentially exposed to HIV as well as Hepatitis B and C during endoscopic procedures.

Even before the Miami revelation, inspections had revealed faulty reprocessing of endoscopic equipment at VA medical centers in Murfreesboro, Tenn. and Augusta, Ga. Among the Fla., Tenn. and Ga. Facilities, it is reported, approximately 10-thousand patients were exposed to the inadequately prepared medical implements. In February of this year, the VA instituted an education program to implement what they called "stronger procedures and better accountability at VA health care facilities."

"Apparently, the so-called stronger procedures and better accountability were not strong and better enough," Rehbein said.

With 2.6 million members, The American Legion is the nation's largest veterans service organization. The Legion traditionally works hand-in-hand with members of Congress, leadership of the Department of Veterans Affairs and other key stakeholders to assure appropriate funding and policy making on measures and issues affecting the military's active duty, National Guard and Reserve personnel, veterans, and their families.
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Wounded Warrior Shows Extraordinary Courage
By: Raye Ferrington, Unit 364 President
Post 364, Woodbridge, VA

The term 'hero' is used a lot these days. 9-11 made us reevaluate the way we look at many of the men and women whose jobs we previously took for granted - first responders, firefighters, law enforcement professionals. These heroes are our caretakers - some of the people that keep our children and ourselves, safe, day in and day out. Fortunately, the American public has, for the most part, extended that same hero-status to our uniformed military personnel. There is no doubt that they deserve this status.

American Legion Post 364, Woodbridge, VA was extremely proud to have, among its entrants in the July 4th Dale City, VA parade, Major Louis Dorfman, III, a long-time Post member. Lou is currently attached to the Wounded Warrior Transition Unit out of Ft. Belvoir, VA., the result of serious injuries that he received while serving in Baghdad, Iraq with the 492nd Civil Affairs Battalion, 101 Airborne Division.

Major Dorfman graciously agreed to ride in the parade even though he is still recovering from those injuries. He insisted on wearing his dress blue uniform despite the heat and the fact that being an entrant in the parade often involves a lot of waiting about in the hot sun. That was OK with Lou. To him, it was an honor to be asked to participate and he was proud to represent his Country, his Army and his Post. Lou was proud to be riding in a shiny 1957 Chevy Wayne Hamilton, one of Post 364's Legionnaires.

As is the custom for many in the annual 4th of July parade, American Legion Post 364 throws trinkets to the crowd along the parade route. Fairly early into the parade route, Major Dorfman saw a young girl who was upset because all of the older children around her had grabbed the candy, beads and nerf footballs that had been lobbed in her direction. They had snatched everything before she could catch anything so Lou decided to leave his vehicle and carry something to her personally so she would not be sad. Upon exiting the '57 Chevy in which he was riding, the crowd erupted into spontaneous applause and cheers for Lou. Lou delivered his gift to the young girl and then, completely unplanned, and as a result of the pride that he felt, Lou decided that rather than riding for the rest of the parade, he would walk. So Lou proceeded to walk in front of his ride for the rest of the entire parade route.

What most people did not realize at the time is that one of Lou's injuries was a fractured spinal disk, which causes sever pain and considerable difficulty when walking. We, at Post 364, had seen Lou a number of times when he had come in to visit and he had always walked with the aid of a cane. To see Lou walking tall, with just a slight limp and completely unaided, brought tears to all our eyes. Lou never missed a step for the rest of the 2+ miles of the parade. He waved, walked, smiled and beamed with pride. The crowd continued to cheer for Lou the entire rest of the parade route and we could not have been more pleased with the love and respect that the crowd showed to Lou. They loved him and he loved them right back.

When those of us who had ridden (and walked !) in the parade returned to the Post for our 4th of July picnic and celebration (which, by the way, was dedicated to Wounded Warriors and Blue Star Families), Lou changed clothes and again donned the use of his cane. I suspect, but do not know, that the lengthy walk down Dale Boulevard had caused him significant discomfort. I do not know that, of course, because Lou would never ever complain or bring that to anyone's attention. That's the kind of man he is.

Major Lou Dorfman is a 32 year veteran with 17 personal decorations, including the Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Combat Action Badge that he received as a result of his wounds in Baghdad on November 22, 2007. Major Dorfman enlisted in the Army on January 2, 1976 and rose through the ranks to become a distinguished and decorated Army Officer. He was wounded in a 110mm mortar attack, which resulted in a traumatic brain injury, fractured spinal disk. 70% hearing loss in both ears and nearly cost him his sight in his left eye. Major Dorfman spent months at Walter Reed Army Hospital and is further recovering with the Army's Wounded Warrior Transition Unit out of Ft. Belvoir, VA. Major Dorfman is a 23 year member of American Legion Post 364 in Woodbridge, VA. His father was Life Member of Post 364. He is a proud, dedicated, and decorated American Hero and a proud member of the American Legion Family of Post 364, Woodbridge, VA.

A July 12 article by "Inside NOVA", a Northern Virginia news publication, highlighted Dale City's Annual Fourth of July Parade and ceremonies conducted by American Legion Post 364 in Woodbridge, Virginia. (Link to Article)

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