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

On this Memorial Day, today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is dedicated to the 58,318 Americans who gave their lives in service to their country during the Vietnam War. Three years after the Civil War ended, on May 5, 1868, the head of an organization of Union Veterans — the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) — established Decoration Day as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers. Decoration Day started on May 30. [From VAntage Point]

We honor their service.

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Air Force Veteran Ellison Onizuka, the first Asian American to fly in space who later died on the space shuttle Challenger.Ellison Onizuka was born June 24, 1946, in Kealakekua, Kona, Hawaii. [From VAntage Point]

We honor his service.

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Marine Veteran John T. Sparks from Chicago, who was killed in action in Afghanistan on Oct. 8, 2010. John T. Sparks was born Oct. 3, 1987 and graduated from Paul Robeson High School in Chicago, where he played football and wrestled. [From VAntage Point]

We honor his service.

Have you ever found it hard to sit quietly in silence? Do you ever feel your mind wandering during relaxation exercises? These are normal sensations, and many people express similar feelings when they first begin relaxation practices. [From VAntage Point]

Grissett has loved to cook since she was a child. From her kitchen in Washington, D.C., she remembers the cakes at her grandmother’s house. “They had coconut, chocolate layer cake, pies, delicious.” To her, the cakes represented the warmth of her family. And to this day, baking is a source of joy for Yvonne. “I dream of owning my own cake restaurant.” [From VAntage Point]

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Army Veteran Mikio Hasemoto from Hawaii, who posthumously received a Medal of Honor for heroism in World War II. Mikio Hasemoto was born on July 13, 1916 in Honolulu, Hawaii. [From VAntage Point]

We honor his service.

Enlisting in the Army with a childhood friend or relative is a generations-old practice meant to bring familiarity and comfort to an experience fraught with stress and uncertainty. So, does signing up with more than one recruit further ease the difficulties associated with initial military training? [From Radio.com]

Nearly 70 years ago, Latino mothers and wives united with a goal of fighting for recognition for their loved ones who'd served in the military. Rosie Gaytan with the California Mexican-American Veterans Memorial told ABC10 the women wanted their loved ones recognized for their contributions. [From ABC 10]

In September 2018, Master Chief Melvin Kealoha Bell (USCG, ret'd) crossed the bar at the age of 98. He was a patriot whose distinguished career in service of his country spanned 65 years. A native Hawaiian, Bell was born in 1920, in the city of Hilo on the “Big Island.” [From The Maritime Executive]

They are dying virtually every day, and Ed Gor is trying to find them before they do. They are the 20,000 Chinese Americans who fought in World War II. Nobody knows how many are alive. “The youngest who served would be 88 now. The oldest who is still alive is 101,” said Gor, the national president of Chinese American Citizens Alliance (CACA). [From China Watch]

May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, and WGBH is broadcasting compelling programs that celebrate the achievements and contributions of this community. From a new series that looks at how the Asian experience illuminates the larger American story to an award-winning documentary about creators challenging race stereotypes in comics, here are ten programs that chronicle the culture, contributions, and challenges of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the U.S. [From WGBH]

The National Park Service is pleased to announce more than $3.1 million in Japanese American Confinement Sites grants that will fund preservation, restoration and education projects throughout the country. The 22 projects funded will help tell the stories of the more than 120,000 Japanese Americans, two-thirds of whom were U.S. citizens, imprisoned by the U.S. government during World War II following the attack on Pearl Harbor by Japan in 1941. [From The Rafu Shimpo]

Stress is a normal part of life. Learning how to manage it well keeps us healthy. When I asked Veterans in my chronic pain classes what they knew about stress, I heard the same answers repeatedly. “It leads to heart attacks.” “It makes you sicker.” “It causes ulcers.” “It makes you depressed.” “It wears you out.” [From VAntage Point]

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Army Veteran Robert T. Kuroda from Hawaii, who posthumously received a Medal of Honor for his actions during World War II. Robert Kuroda was born on November 8, 1922 in Hawaii, the son of immigrants from Japan. [From VAntage Point]

We honor his service.

During the coronavirus pandemic, Americans have turned to accessing critical health care and financial services online and on their mobile devices. VA’s Office of Information and Technology (OIT) has security tools to protect Veterans’ personal information online. [From VAntage Point]

In time for Memorial Day 2020, VA’s National Cemetery Administration (NCA) has enhanced capabilities on the Veterans Legacy Memorial (VLM) website for family, friends, and visitors to leave tributes or comments on a Veteran’s memorial page. The Veterans Legacy Memorial website is the nation’s first digital platform dedicated entirely to the memory of the 3.7 million Veterans interred in VA national cemeteries. [From VAntage Point]