Last updated on 10/26/2022. The engraving company began the first round of engraved pavers. The engraving continues pending weather conditions. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
We have sold ~400 of 6,000+ pavers available for purchase. Sales continue as we're accepting donations to purchase an engraved Paver. Paver Bricks sponsored will be etched on-site in groups as they come in for ongoing engraving periods.
As more information becomes available, updates are posted on the website Patriots Courtyard page at https://vfwpost3137.org/pavers/.
These meetings are key opportunities to be involved and have your Voice Heard.
Commander Stallings respectivley accepted the resignation of Diz Gilliard as our Jr. Vice Commander and thanked Diz for his years of Service to The Post on the Coast. Diz has other duties which does not permit the time needed for the committment of the position. We will be accepting nominations and voting on a new Jr. Vice Commander the the November meeting.
The post belongs to You, the member and every meeting is where the decisions are made.
The Auxiliary support and partnership with Comrades is crucial. Meetings provide the opportunity to be part of something special in all we do at post 3137. Your support for our fellow veterans, families, and the mission of the VFW is appreciated. You make things happen!
Comrades:
Per the attached guidance, VA must still process claims with PACT Act related conditions if the claim can be granted under current authority/regulations (Direct Service Connection, Secondary Service Connection, Aggravation, etc.).
If the claim cannot be granted under current regulations, but is a newly established presumptive condition, VBA has been instructed to begin developing the claim by retrieving and uploading Service Treatment Records (STRs), Official Military Personnel File (OMPF), and current treatment records. Once pertinent records have been uploaded and both qualifying service and a diagnosis of a new presumptive condition have been confirmed, VSRs are instructed to order Compensation and Pension (C&P) exams to evaluate the severity of the condition. VSRs have specifically been instructed NOT to request medical nexus opinions for newly presumptive conditions. Once development has been completed RVSRs have been instructed to hold the claim until VBA begins processing PACT Act decisions in January 2023.
If a claim cannot be granted under current regulations and the conditions claimed are based on toxic exposure, but not one of the new presumptive conditions, VSRs must still begin to develop the claim by retrieving STRs, OMPF, and current treatment records, but they are not to order C&P exams. The claim will then be held pending future guidance.
As a reminder, VFW has a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the law firm Bergmann & Moore (B&M), LLC. If you are contacted by a claimant that meets the eligibility to pursue a lawsuit related to the Camp Lejeune Justice Act (CLJA), please recommend the claimant contact B&M through their website's landing page. B&M is working with a national mass tort law firm and will review each proposed settlement to see if the Veteran is maximizing both VA and CLJA benefits.
John Johnson, Command Sergeant Major, USA (Retired)
VFW Department Service Officer Columbia, South Carolina
Office: (803) 647-2442 / 2443, Fax: (803) 647-2313 6437, Email: John.Johnson34@va.gov
Garners Ferry Rd, Suite 1124 Columbia, SC 29209
The VFW never stops advocating for veterans.
Testifying at hearings. Interacting with Congress. Winning vital legislative battles. Fighting for justice. To date, the VFW has played an instrumental role in nearly every major piece of veterans' legislation enacted into law in the 20th and 21st centuries, including the Post-9/11 GI Bill, establishment of suicide prevention programs, compensation for Agent Orange and other toxic exposures, eliminating the Widow's Tax and many others.
You can help by being a part of our Action Corps!
Text "VFW" to "50457" to sign up for the Action Corps or use your camera to scan code
Summer is over so parking should be easier to find.
To recap September to present:
P.S. Sept. Fish Fry 87 dinners sold, Oct. Fish Fry 125 dinners served.
In Comradeship,
