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Original Works by Pat J. Schulz :From her book: Metamorphosis: A Life Journey

Author’s Note Excerpt:   “Growth is not an easy thing – we have growing pains. But, when you come into your knowing, each experience of pain, joy, love and disillusionment can be placed into its proper perspective. What you gain from it all is yours. What you gain is uniquely you …”

Excerpt from:

A Pedal is Formed

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We pretend he does not exist

Society names him an outcast

Yet, his spirit remains in our midst.

He feels like you and I

His blood flows and flesh is real

Though because of our ignorance

His identity he must conceal.

This man without a face

Whose kindness generates fear

What a pity he is

To those who lurk and lear.

They know not the man

Nor the knowledge he holds

It is society’s loss

For his riches are sealed untold.

Be careful how you treat a stranger

For within a friend may lie Beyond

the vacancies of those

Unidentified, distant eyes.

© 1996 Pat J. Schulz :: Metamorphosis: A Life Journey

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Order :: Metamorphosis: A Life Journey by Pat J. Schulz http://www.enheartpublishing.com/book_shelf.html#Metamorphosis

BLOG Commentaries by P. Schulz http://familyempowermentmodel.brighterplanet.org/

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By Ron Jones

Editor of The Bugle

Newsletter of the Los Angeles, CA Chapter of the Ninth and Tenth (Horse) Cavalry

Letter to the Editor: To whom it may concern: I am writing to let you know that the Buffalo Soldiers have not been forgotten. My son attends a charter school in the Los Angeles area that strongly promotes the learning of African and African-American history. This past October (in place of traditional Halloween celebrations), the school held their annual Fall Festival. As part of the festival, students were encourage to create their own costumes which honored any real person or fictitious character of African and/or African descent. The school was flooded with the likes of Obama, Oprah, Mohammed Ali, Egyptian Kings, Prince, Rosa Parks and so on.

After some research, my son proudly dressed as a “Buffalo Soldier”. We created the costume mostly from thrift store items and items we had at home. He won first place in the costume contest for his grade level. He was so proud.

I am glad he had the chance to pay tribute the brave Buffalo Soldiers.

I have attached a picture of him in his “uniform”. Enjoy!

Signed: A proud parent

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OFFICER CALL

Letter to the Editor – follow-up Last month I posted a letter from a young mother, Ms. Ramona Partee-Sims, who was very proud of her son, Joshua. The school Joshua attends, the Culture and Language Academy of Success, held a Fall Festival in place of a Halloween celebration. As part of the festival, students were encourage to create their own costumes which honored any real person or fictitious character of African and/or African-American descent. Joshua and his mother sat down and went through history books and other material until Joshua came upon some pictures of Buffalo Soldiers.

Immediately Joshua told his mother, “That’s what I want to go as,” pointing to the pictures of the troopers. To prepare for his role, his mother told me that Joshua watched the movie, Buffalo Soldiers. After hearing his story and seeing the results of his transformation, I felt that I had an obligation, as a member of the Ninth & Tenth (Horse) Cavalry Association, to honor this young man. I contacted the principal of the school, Mr. Andrew Jackson, and told him I would like to make a presentation to Joshua. Mr. Jackson thought it was a great idea. Joshua is in the 3rd grade and I was able to meet with all his classmates.

After giving the class a brief background about the Buffalo Soldiers, I called Joshua to the front of the room and made my presentation. I awarded him a Buffalo Soldier certificate of appreciation, a B u f f a l o S o l d i e r commemorative coin, a Buffalo Soldier Stamp pin and a 10th Cavalry Crest pin. I don’t have to tell you how proud and honored he was to have an adult acknowledge his efforts and it goes without saying that Joshua was the hit of the 3rd grade class. I want to thank Joshua, Ms. Sims, Mr. Jackson, and all the teachers at the Culture and Language Academy of Success. You are all doing an outstanding job. Keep up the good work!!

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December 21, 2011

VA Launches Facebook Pages for All 152 Medical Centers

Strategy Enables Returning Vets to Engage with VA at the Local Level

WASHINGTON – The Department of Veterans Affairs announced today that all of its 152 medical centers are now actively represented on Facebook, the world’s largest social networking site.

“This event marks an important milestone in the overall effort to transform how VA communicates with Veterans and provide them the health care and benefits they have earned,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki.  “Veterans and their families told us from the beginning that they want to engage and they want relevant information delivered at the local level.  By leveraging Facebook, the Department continues to expand access to VA, and embrace transparency and two-way conversation.”

The process that began with a single Veterans Health Administration Facebook page in 2008 has now produced over 150 Facebook pages, 64 Twitter feeds, a YouTube channel, a Flickr page, and the VAntage Point blog.  Additionally, in June 2011, VA produced a Department-wide social media policy that provides guidelines for communicating with Veterans online.  The overarching strategy is designed to help break down long-perceived barriers between the Department and its stakeholders.

“Veterans of all eras are depending on us to get the right information to the right person at the right time,” said Brandon Friedman, VA’s director of online communications, and a veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan.  “With more troops returning home, we also have a responsibility to connect with the thousands of Servicemembers who have been—and will be—entering our system.  They’re using social media, so that’s where we need to be.  Facebook helps us do that.”

“We are very pleased to have pioneered social media in VA, and now our VA medical centers across the nation are all engaged,” said Dr. Robert Petzel, under secretary for health.  “We are committed to helping Veterans understand their benefits and receive the health care their service has earned them.”

VA clinicians can’t discuss the specific health concerns of individual Veterans on Facebook, but that doesn’t prevent staff from monitoring VA’s sites closely each day—and providing helpful information to Veterans when they can.  In the last year, for instance, VA’s Crisis Line counselors have successfully intervened on Facebook in cases where Veterans have suggested suicidal thoughts or presented with other emotional crises.

“Facebook’s mission is to make the world more open and connected and we are excited to see government agencies using our service to better to connect with citizens, provide information, and deliver services,” said Don Faul, Facebook’s vice president of online operations, a former U.S. Marine and a veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan. “We want to do all we can to support Veterans, so we’re pleased to see the Department of Veterans Affairs using Facebook connect with Veterans in an authentic and engaging way.”

VA currently has over 345,000 combined Facebook subscribers (or, “fans”).  The Department’s main Facebook page has over 154,000 fans and its medical centers have a combined subscribership of over 69,000.  The Department plans to continue expanding its Facebook presence while also focusing on bringing Twitter to every VA medical center as well.

For more information, please visit the sites below:

·         Directory of All VA Social Media Sites:

www.va.gov/opa/SocialMedia.asp

·         VA Facebook Page Directory:

www.facebook.com/VeteransAffairs?sk=app_7146470109

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December 29, 2011

Rules Liberalized for Veterans with Undiagnosed Illnesses

Application Window Extended for Five Years

WASHINGTON – Veterans of the Persian Gulf War with undiagnosed illnesses have an additional five years to qualify for benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

“Not all the wounds of war are fully understood,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “When there is uncertainty about the connection between a medical problem and military service, Veterans are entitled to the benefit of the doubt.”

A recent change in VA regulations affects Veterans of the conflict in Southwest Asia.  Many have attributed a range of undiagnosed or poorly understood medical problems to their military services.  Chemical weapons, environmental hazards and vaccinations are among the possible causes.

At issue is the eligibility of Veterans to claim VA disability compensation based upon those undiagnosed illnesses, and the ability of survivors to qualify for VA’s Dependency and Indemnity Compensation.

Under long-standing VA rules, any undiagnosed illnesses used to establish eligibility for VA benefits must become apparent by Dec. 31, 2011.  The new change pushes the date back to Dec. 31, 2016.

Veterans or survivors who believe they qualify for these benefits should contact VA at 1-800-827-1000.

Further information about undiagnosed illnesses is available online at www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/gulfwar and www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/oefoif/index.asp

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