U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs CMV - News Update

“It is only the five of us left,” said former Cpl. Lena Derriecott Bell King as she grabbed the hands of her fellow 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion members during a meet and greet upon their arrival Nov. 28 at the Installation Holiday Inn Express.  King, former Pfc. Elizabeth Barker Johnson, former Pfc. Delores Ruddock, former Pvt. Maybelle Rutland Tanner Campbell, and former Pvt. Anna Mae Wilson Robertson are five surviving members of the World War II battalion. [From Ft. Leavenworth Lamp]

Dr. Olivia Hooker, who became the first African-American woman to serve active duty in the United States Coast Guard in 1945 and helped lay the groundwork for the civil rights movement, died this week at age 103.  Sunday TODAY’s Willie Geist remembers a life well-lived. [From Today]

“Don’t say no, no to my lolo.  We want equity now!”  The sound of cars passing and honking in the streets of Los Angeles was quickly drowned out by the dozen student and community organizations coming from MacArthur Park. [From The Guardian]

The rhythm of steady beating drums and people on their feet dancing and chanting, describes the Tonkawa way of honoring our Veterans.  “Back in the day, we had a scout dance that we honored our Veterans with,” said Miranda Nax Cemyer, tribe member and event organizer. [From KSN.com]

The Seattle City Council honored Filipino and American World War II Veterans with a proclamation during the Nov. 13 council meeting, a few days after Veterans Day.  During World War II, 250,000 Filipinos were called into service. [From Northwest Asian Weekly]

The family of railroad baron James J. Hill started a charitable foundation in 1934 with the wealth it accrued after the railroad swept westward through American Indian lands.  Today, that Northwest Area Foundation is trying to make amends, giving 40 percent of its $16 million in annual grants to Indian-led organizations. [From Star Tribune]

Nearly 77 years after the attack on Pearl Harbor, local veterans ensure the day of infamy will never be forgotten.  AMVETS Post 172 held its 45th Pearl Harbor program Sunday to remember the Japanese strike on the Hawaiian naval base on Dec. 7, 1941. [From Gettysburg Times]

Vibrant dances and powerful drum circle performances marked an event yesterday featuring members of the Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas.  The special event was hosted by the VA Texas Valley Coastal Bend Health Care System in honor of Native American Heritage Month and those who served. [From Valley Star]

Every year, each member of the California State Assembly recognizes a “Veteran of the Year” from within their respective districts.  Assemblymember Jose Medina, in June, named Perris resident Grace Williams the 61st Assembly District’s 2018 Veteran of the Year. [From The San Diego Union-Tribune]

With the help of President Donald Trump and Congress, the federal Department of Veterans Affairs is about to undergo the greatest change in the agency’s history, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert Wilkie said Wednesday.  “I do think that we are on the cusp for a great transformative period,” he said. [From The Ada News]

MotionPoint, a leader in technology and services for website translation, localization and optimization, announced today that Wounded Warrior Project [®] (WWP) has launched its website in Spanish using MotionPoint’s solution.  The site will help WWP, a charitable organization that offers a wide variety of programs, services and events for wounded U.S. Veterans, to better reach Spanish-speaking Veterans, donors and the U.S. Hispanic community at large. [From Market Watch]

The remains of a New York pilot killed during World War II are the first of the 27 Tuskegee Airmen listed as missing in action to be identified, the Pentagon announced Thursday. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, the agency charged with recovering and identifying the nation’s war dead, said the remains accounted for earlier this year are those of Capt. Lawrence Dickson of Manhattan. [From Military Times]