Bill Pilger, an artillery spotter who fought in the Battle of the Bulge, talks to Veterans United Network about his extraordinary life this Memorial Day.
The VA budget for fiscal year 2012 is $58.5 billion. However, the federal budget plan also apportioned a mandatory $63.8 billion for veterans programs, such as the VA home loan program.
Kevin Wallace, an Air Force master sergeant, is adept at military combat, but his main weapon, as a photojournalist, is a camera. So, in April 2011, when he was embedded with a small team of Marine Special Forces and Army Scouts from 7th Brigade, 10th Cavalry who were working to secure one of the most dangerous valleys in Afghanistan, he expected to take a few pictures.
As the enemy came closer, and the fighting continued, he alternated between his weapon and camera. Then came the unthinkable.
Though they may not have the size or notoriety of some other branches, the Coast Guard has been hard at work defending the shores of the United States for over 200 years.
And that’s not the only facet of Coast Guard history that’s under-appreciated. Here’s your chance to learn a little bit more about the “coasties,” one of the oldest branches of the military.
Skateboarding, while typically reserved for the baggy-pants set, is a fun, healthy way to get around town for people of all ages. But elongating that same skateboard journey into a cross-country journey is a task that only a veteran could conquer.
Veteran Skate Trek is a 900-mile skateboard trip along the California coastline organized to raise funds and awareness of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA). Andrew Goldsmith and Bob Harrington, both Army veterans who served in Iraq, will be skating from the Oregon border to the Mexico border.
“G.I. Joe was an icon. Between the action figures and the cartoon, there was no chance that I wanted to do anything else but be a soldier,” said Jared Reichel, Army veteran and Veterans United assistant loan officer.
If you’re a child of the 1980s or 90s, then Reichel’s sentiment might harmonize with yours. G.I. Joe didn’t just entertain and inspire boys like Reichel. The action figure — it’s not a doll — has a rich history of fascinating children ever since it first appeared in 1964.
Rear Admiral Grace Murray Hopper was an intriguing woman whose knowledge and passion for some of the most complicated computing systems of her time essentially created the personal computer.
According to Elizabeth Dickason of CHIPS, a Department of Navy magazine, “[Hopper] was described … as a ‘feisty old salt who gave off an aura of power.’ This held true in her dealings with top brass, subordinates and interviewers – always interested in getting to the bottom line.”
In her 60-some odd years as a mathematician and computer programmer, Hopper’s work built the foundation for digital communication as we know it today.
Levi Newman is a 10-year U.S. Army veteran that served in multiple overseas assignments. He is currently finishing his degree on the G.I. Bill. He has covered veteran benefits and news as chief writer for the Veterans United Network and VA Benefit Blog. Levi enjoys traveling and spending his free time with his wife and three children.
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