Memorial Day Observances | VSO needed for June
Weekly Report 🎖️
The monthly meeting is coming up on June 3rd. Do we have any organizations that would like to lead the meeting? There are NO prohibitions on 501(c)(3)s leading our meetings. If VSOs do not take the lead, we will start allowing other Veteran-focused nonprofits to lead the meeting. Specific guidance for civilian-led nonprofits is being put together so as to keep our tradition intact in honoring our nation’s colors.
https://www.military.com/congress-passes-historic-benefits-boost-for-500000-gold-star-families-wounded-vets
National Memorial Day Events are posted on www.commanderscoalition.org
On Monday, May 25, the Post Annual Memorial Day Service will be at Oakland Cemetery in Midtown. The address is 838 North Bronough Street. Enter the cemetery from the southeast entrance on Brevard Street. We are asking for everyone to arrive at 10:45 a. m. and the start time is 11:00 a. m. The service should conclude at noon. THERE IS A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF RAIN, 70%. I am not sure when the rain is predicted to arrive. IF IT DOES RAIN, WE HOLD THE SERVICE AT THE POST AT 11:00 a. m. If you signed up to help move equipment Monday morning to the cemetery, please be at the Post by 7:25 a. m.
Greetings, Team
Col Billy Francis (USAF Ret.) (longtime Director of FSU’s Student Veterans’ Center) was the keynote speaker for Leon Veterans Court Graduation Monday. Congratulations to 3 more Vets including one of TVLC Volunteers, David Martinez, plus Shaulaunna Washington and Ted Altavilla, for their success completing the Veterans Treatment Court program. Turnout was great this time, including 3 news cameras! And FDVA Legislative Director Roy Clark also presented each graduate with an FDVA/FVF Commemoration Medallion. Your next chance to observe a session of the Court will be Monday, June 8 (3 pm Leon County Courthouse, Courtroom 2E). Maybe you will consider becoming an invaluable Veteran Mentor for one of the other Vets working their way through the program and recovery. Several Veterans are awaiting a Mentor, both men and women.
Can you imagine trying to untangle a mistake by the D of D 44 years ago? That was but one legal issue brought to the walk-in clinic yesterday (in addition to the usual housing, employment, VA benefits and driver’s license problems. This week’s walk-in legal clinic involved our Team of 14 Volunteers (including 6 attys again) working with 13 Veterans and family members (Thursday, 5/21/26) at American Legion Sauls Bridges Post 13. We could use some more help!
On Wednesday, Veteran Sam Adams drove the truck and trailer load to Veterans at HomeFront and other sites around the county, along with others serving on the Food Delivery team (Khalid Shafi, David Martinez, Charles Robinson, Eddie McMillian, Leonard Bell).
Sincere thanks to the local Marine Corps League for a surprise donation yesterday from the Military Order of the Devil Dogs (google them if you need) after the Legal Clinic was ending: see photo of Commandant Marc Dickieson presenting a check to our Food delivery team leaders, Margaret Deciano (who donates her truck each week, in addition to heading our intake table at the clinic every week), Sam Adams and Khalid Shafi. TVLC volunteers appreciate everyone’s ongoing support.
REDUX: ALARM FOR AREA VETERANS AND SUPPORT AGENCIES: Vet Village, owned by Volunteers of America, Inc, is planning to close at the end of September, for lack of funding! Everyone start brainstorming to see which agencies, govt entities, etc. can maybe lease and continue operating the facility for 54 Veteran beds for “transitioning off the Streets!” Time to be creative and deliberate!
It’s time for an advocacy email from you! These next couple of weeks the Governor will be receiving, reviewing and deciding whether to approve many of the bills that were passed in this year’s legislative session that “ended” last month. His office needs to hear your emphatic support for General Patt Maney’s House Bill 199 which will strengthen Veterans’ Treatment Courts all over the state by increasing the number of Veterans entering the Criminal Court program to rebuild their lives and record, recover from addiction or other behavioral/ trauma personal problems and succeed in moving forward for their families and their future. Even a brief phone message to his office will accomplish the same purpose of showing our support (850/717-9337). The link to the Executive Office of the Governor is: https://www.flgov.com/eog/leadership/people/ron-desantis/contact
One special need: The number of issues with the VA is outstripping our local resources to keep up with the complications, new claims, and VA delays; so, any other attorneys wanting to join our “VA Law team,” we need you, and have training and national legal resources available to bring you into the fray. Were you a JAG? Have you helped with Social Security or other federal agencies that you already have a headstart on picking up VA law?
What else?
Thank you,
Dan Hendrickson, for the Tallahassee Veterans Legal Collaborative www.Tallahasseeveteranslegal.com
PO Box 11091, Tallahassee, Fl 32302, 850/ 570-1967
Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3308 will hold its annual Memorial Day Ceremony at 11 a.m. Monday, May 25, at the VFW Cemetery on the corner of Fox Road and Old Blair Road (take Rivers Road off Crawfordville Road to Fox Road).
