Welcome to the October 2021 edition of the Forward March Veterans’ Newsletter and a very happy birthday to Navy Veteran Gov. Ron DeSantis and his fellow U.S. Navy Veterans on the 246th anniversary of the service’s founding.
I started the month in Safety Harbor addressing the annual County Veteran Service Officer training conference. Our department trains and accredits all county veteran service officers on the latest updates in federal and state benefits for our veterans, their families and survivors. These county employees are wartime veterans, and along with FDVA’s Veterans’ Claims Examiners, provide boots on the ground service to our local veteran community. It was nice seeing everyone in person again after postponing the 2020 conference due to COVID-19. You can find a list of all county veteran service offices by visiting https://www.floridavets.org/locations/
Our expanded outreach to Florida’s more than 160,000 Women Veterans continued in October with Town Hall Meetings in Jacksonville and Pensacola. A final Town Hall Meeting takes place in Fort Lauderdale on Thursday. For more information on how to attend in person or virtually, visit https://www.floridavets.org/our-veterans/women-veterans/. A report detailing the findings of these meetings will be presented to me before the end of the year.
On the legislative side, we continue to gear up for the 2022 Florida Legislative Session. I provided an update on the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs to the Senate Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security, Oct. 12 and provided a veteran suicide prevention update to the House Veterans, Military and Local Affairs Committee, Oct. 20. Joining the Florida Veterans Foundation, we honored our state legislators who served or are serving in the Armed Forces with a reception at the Capitol, Oct. 12. I also had the honor of representing Florida’s Veterans on the floor of the Senate during the designation ceremony for Senator Kathleen Passadomo.
Our focus on Veteran Suicide Prevention continues. Earlier this month, I taped a segment for the American Warrior Partnership Veteran Suicide Prevention Symposium, which will air Oct. 26. We encourage Veterans in need to call the Florida Veterans Support Line at 1-844-MyFLVet (693-5838) or the National Veteran Crisis Line at 1-800-273-8255 (Press 1). You can find out more about Florida’s Veteran Suicide Prevention efforts by visiting www.SaveFLVets.org.
As you may recall, we talked last month about how September’s Gold Star Family Day gave us an opportunity to keep the memory of our deceased service members alive. Those opportunities continued into October. I had the honor of speaking to a crowd of more than 1,400 at Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell for the dedication of a Gold Star Families Memorial Monument, Oct. 6. On Thursday afternoon at 1:30, I’ll be the keynote speaker at Jacksonville National Cemetery as the 3.4 mile parkway between Interstate 95 and the national cemetery will be designated the Gold Star Family Parkway. I appreciate everyone who had a role in making this happen.
I’ll finish the month later this week addressing the Florida Leaders Program of the Florida Health Care Association, reflecting on my years as both a U.S. Marine Corps Major General and executive in the Health Care Industry.
As always, if you want to contact us, our Veterans’ Claims Examiners are available at (727) 319-7440 or via e-mail at VSO@fdva.state.fl.us. All services are free to the Veteran.
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Happy Halloween!
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 FDVA Executive Director James S. “Hammer” Hartsell, a retired Marine Corps Major General, cranks out 50 regulation push-ups in Orlando Sept. 29 as part of the Veterans Association of Real Estate Professionals’ “Challenge 22” Veteran Suicide Prevention awareness effort. For more information on Florida’s Veteran Suicide Prevention campaign, visit www.SaveFLVets.org.
 FDVA Executive Director Hammer Hartsell and Deputy Director Bob Asztalos speak before the Senate Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs, Space and Domestic Security, Oct. 12. FDVA is the premier point of entry for Florida Veterans to access earned services, benefits and support.
 We salute U.S. Marine Corps Veteran Duane Edgar Dewey, a Medal of Honor recipient from the Korean War, who passed away Oct.12 in St. Augustine at the age of 89.
 FDVA Executive Director Hammer Hartsell and VA Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs Matt Quinn dedicate the Gold Star Families Memorial Monument at Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, Oct 6.
 FDVA Suicide Prevention and Research Specialist Lauren Stentz led discussions on veteran suicide rates, available resources and statewide prevention efforts, Oct. 20 at the House Veterans, Military and Local Affairs Committee meeting.
Military retirees and Veterans receiving disability payments from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs will see their paychecks go up by 5.9% for 2022, triggered by an annual adjustment to the federal Cost of Living Allowance.
 The Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs is a proud sponsor of American Veteran,
a four-part PBS documentary series, tracing the Veteran experience across the arc of American history and exploring the present-day divide between civilian and Veteran communities. Set your television to record this series, which premieres Oct. 26 at 9 p.m. To view the preview, click here: https://to.pbs.org/2XwLcAJ.
The Florida Veterans Support Line (1-844-MyFLVet) received an “Exceptional” rating during a recent survey by the VA Sunshine Healthcare Network. The team of veteran peers at MyFLVet is dedicated to helping Florida Veterans connect to emotional support and community resources.
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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. David K. Dunning as the new director of the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital and Clinics, Tampa. To read more, click on the News Release.pdf
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