Robert Wallace, Assistant Adjutant General and Executive Director of the VFW Washington Office, here for a live Q&A February 20th. Questions?

LCpl Robert Wallace — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 19:35:24 -0500

Robert E. Wallace was appointed Assistant Adjutant General and Executive Director of the VFW Washington Office on Feb. 26, 2001, where he is responsible for the day-to-day operations of VFW activities in the nation’s capital. Prior to this appointment, he had served as the Deputy Executive Director of the VFW Washington Office since October 1996. Wallace is a past VFW Commander-in-Chief, having served from August 1991 to August 1992.

Wallace served as a lance corporal with the 1st Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division, in Vietnam from November 1967 to June 1968, and received three Purple Heart medals for wounds sustained in Vietnam.

Response by CW5 Jack Cardwell made Feb 14 at 2018 7:47 PM

CW5 Jack Cardwell — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 19:47:36 -0500

Thank you for all the hard work you do for Veterans and the VFW.

Response by COL John McClellan made Feb 14 at 2018 8:41 PM

COL John McClellan — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 20:41:08 -0500

I see a lot of emphasis on “membership” in general, but what goals/incentives has National set for young members, and what can we offer the Post-911 warriors?

Response by COL Mikel J. Burroughs made Feb 16 at 2018 2:44 PM

COL Mikel J. Burroughs — Fri, 16 Feb 2018 14:44:26 -0500

LCpl Robert Wallace Thanks for being on RallyPoint to answer questions and thank you for your service. We've Victory for Veterans Foundation have reached out to a bunch of VFW Posts to see if they would interested in supporting suicide prevention opportunities and activities, as well as employment events and we can't get the membership to move on anything. They seem to be very happy with their pancake breakfasts once a month and that's it. By the way I'm a Life Time Member of the VFW. I've got two questions for you:

1. What type of influence does your National Headquarters have over the Posts throughout the country, if any, for partnering on initiatives to help our veterans (or) who is the key point of contact at your level to reach out to (or) do we have to deal with the individual posts?

2. What are you doing nationally to increase your membership with young veterans that have returned from OEF, OIF, and even the Gulf War?

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 16 at 2018 10:51 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 16 Feb 2018 22:51:09 -0500

How would you recommend a new member start out? I got a membership, but my local chapter has been less than welcoming. I want to go in more often, but aside from a couple events with friends there haven't been many friendly greetings but a lot of "why are you here" looks. I don't mind showing my membership card, but having other guests interrogate the bartender about me until they come to me is getting old. I honestly am a bit intimidated to go in and talk directly to the Commander and I don't know the best way to introduce myself.

Response by SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth made Feb 17 at 2018 7:33 AM

SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth — Sat, 17 Feb 2018 07:33:44 -0500

No questions LCpl Wallace, just keep up the great work your doing for the VFW.

Response by SSG Dave Johnston made Feb 17 at 2018 6:51 PM

SSG Dave Johnston — Sat, 17 Feb 2018 18:51:57 -0500

One of these days someone from the VFW needs to educate the press on the Korean Conflict, and the fact that for the last 70 years the world has been living under a "cease fire agreement"; and that either side can ignore the provisions of the cease fire at the 'drop of a hat'.

Response by SSG Trevor S. made Feb 18 at 2018 1:49 AM

SSG Trevor S. — Sun, 18 Feb 2018 01:49:42 -0500

What are you doing to minimize the appeal wait time for compensation claim appeals. It is obvious that the game is to lowball us.

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Feb 18 at 2018 3:07 AM

Capt Daniel Goodman — Sun, 18 Feb 2018 03:07:55 -0500

Actually, I did have something, I had to yak with some of your guys about my mother in law, if you ornhose you know at BFW could help, it'd obviously ne most appreciated, though one of your really senior guys is already trying to help us, I'll try to explain. My mother in law is a VA survivor, she wasn't in, though my wife's dad, stepdad, and brother were, the dad and stepdad were both VFW, my late brother in law was noncombat USAF SAC KC-135 aircrew, mechanic, and refuel boom operator during Vietnam, though we're fairly sure he was never actually in country. The dad was Armu, with 90th Div under Gen Patton, he got a Bronze, we never knew if it had a "V', for charging a minefield at the Battle of Nancy in Framce on the banks of the Moselle River, we still have the pencil handwritten copy of his citation by his Lt col, he was an Army artillery OCS grad from Ft Will, he got a battlefield promotion from 2nd to 1st Lt, we have all the records, I've been meaning to send his stuff in to ne listed on the Ft Will artillery OCS website, maybe go to their reunions, the OCS obvioisly no longer exists, of course. My mother in law is listed under the stepdad with VA, I saw to that, he was Navy interior common tech on destroyers and destroyer escorts, Pacific, WW2 and Korea, definitely combat in both, I've gathered. We had to get my mother onto the VA database, which took Ogd knows how many emails, phone calls, and practically an Act of God, an Act of Congress, and a papal dispensation, you kmow? One of the VA staff, the kind that does home visits, was over by us about three yrs ago and wrote her up, we just didn't anticipate some stuffz she was denied for the non service connected (NSC) or low income pension, as well as the aid and attendance (A&A), she's in her 90s, we're fixing the whole thing with legal help, she's debilitated now, we got her onto NYS community home based Medicaid, not the kind linked to Medicare, my wife doesn't want the HMO type restrictions we also have to do a joint VA Medicaid spenddoown, pooled, or irrevocable trust, she doesn't want Mom in chronic facility based Medicaid, shed just debilitate in a facility faster, that's how she debilitated the first time, after hospitalization, she started exhibiting "sundowning'0", basically the functional equivalent of non Alzheimer's dementia, essentially senility, she's lucid in conversation, however, her memory is basically gone for bills, !eds, clinical stuff for her, she obv can't drive any longer, so we've gotten her aides, and awill ne getting her others as soon as we can of course

Now here's why if you could help, it'd be really useful. This is a really oddball circumstance, due to he legal complications, plus, we get conflicting stuff about the NSC pension and A&A, when we call county vets or he local pro bono legal group, we're told just resubmitnjer, plus, the BA guys I've chatted with are sympathetic, and willing. I went to your guys, as well as other vet groups I'm in, to ask for legal help, as the local pro bono glaw group while they handle VA appeals, dont start VA claims. Plus, normal VA contingency doesn't apply for lawyers in such cases, contingency is normally only taken for disability claims, since they take so long to process, and the return to an attorney is that much greater. Further, I kmow, having checked, that we can't just resubmit Mom, stuff has to ne looked into first, and, since the dad and stepdad were both VFW, that's why I called one of myour really senior guys, who"s really trying to help, however, Mom should be allowed VA expedited processing due to age and debilitation, we got the whole fiduciary thing handled to let my wife sign for Mom,my wife is on the power of attorney (POA) and healthcare proxy (HCP), plus, we got Mom placed under my wife by Social Security as her third party payee, as Mom's internisnts both did letters and VA A&A clinical forms, at least one internist wrote letters, then retired the other internist who took over the practice entirely understands the whole thing. She's also been looked at neurology, cardiology, ophthalmology, audiology, dental, everything, we've seen to that as well. I just think there's a more than fair point that Mom should ne allowed to benefit from the NSC pension and A&A, plus, as she debilitates further, we'll need both to care for her more in depth in the house, to keep her out of a facility, as my we all want, of course. So, any thoughts or help you might he able to give us would certainly ne of use, we need proper elder law help, to deal with the legal stuff, and to answer certain other questions, we've managed to do a good deal, we just could ise help with the rest, if you need to know who I spoken with, I can tell all pfmyou, however, I don't want to get in his hair, he's definitely high level VFW, your guys would kmownwho he is, he didn't promise anything, he couldn't, we knew that, he just listened attentively to the problem, which, as I said, is admittedly unusual, we realize that, if you could allmgive usmyour thoughts I'll try to explain more, of you'd need to chat by phone we can, if that'd help, if you could let us know anythingn here, we'd obv ne most appreciative, as I'd said, many thanks for any possible thought you all might give to our problem, much appreciated, in any event.

Response by Rick Ross made Feb 19 at 2018 9:48 AM

Rick Ross — Mon, 19 Feb 2018 09:48:48 -0500

I was told Medicare and Tricare for life will not cover these shoes and the inserts because my mom doesn't have Diabetes. She has a huge pressure ulcer on her heel that I have been trying for 5 months to get it to heal so her Podiatrist recommended a shoe with inserts. These are costing me $500.00. This particular shoe will help her to not get more pressure ulcers.

Response by CPT Jack Durish made Feb 19 at 2018 3:02 PM

CPT Jack Durish — Mon, 19 Feb 2018 15:02:19 -0500

Should the VFW, in concert with other veterans organizations, support legislation establishing an award recognizing outstandingly meritorious service or achievement to community and nation, or with "V-device" recognizing valor such as the incident on the train to Paris, performed by veterans?

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 19 at 2018 4:02 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 19 Feb 2018 16:02:04 -0500

When will the VFW begin addressing more of the concerns of the Gulf War and Iraq and Afghanistan veterans? I’ve joined 2 times and quit 2 times because everything seems to center around the Vietnam War vets.

Response by SPC Britanny Winnie Balthaser made Feb 20 at 2018 12:02 PM

SPC Britanny *Winnie* Balthaser — Tue, 20 Feb 2018 12:02:49 -0500

What are you doing to meet the new generations of military head on? I have seen first hand the often mistreatment of women veterans among VFW posts. I also worry that that good ole boys club has lost sight of what the VFW was intended for. Now that it’s the 21st century and we see a lot of problems such as alcoholism and depression what ways can the VFW incorporate programs in individual chapters and posts to support the average vet. Bars, Bingo and Belligerence is something I see that may be the way of the past. What does the future hold for the VFW and the younger generations of Vets?

Response by SGT James Hart (Retired) made Feb 20 at 2018 4:05 PM

SGT James Hart (Retired) — Tue, 20 Feb 2018 16:05:28 -0500

The town I live in had a couple of members before I deployed. After I returned one died and the other member who was commander relinquished his command and the post is no more. How would someone go about getting the chapter started again and what are the requirements?

Robert Wallace, Assistant Adjutant General and Executive Director of the VFW Washington Office, here for a live Q&A February 20th. Questions?

Robert Wallace, Assistant Adjutant General and Executive Director of the VFW Washington Office, here for a live Q&A February 20th. Questions?

Response by CW5 Jack Cardwell made Feb 14 at 2018 7:47 PM

Response by COL John McClellan made Feb 14 at 2018 8:41 PM

Response by COL Mikel J. Burroughs made Feb 16 at 2018 2:44 PM

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 16 at 2018 10:51 PM

Response by SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth made Feb 17 at 2018 7:33 AM

Response by SSG Dave Johnston made Feb 17 at 2018 6:51 PM

Response by SSG Trevor S. made Feb 18 at 2018 1:49 AM

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Feb 18 at 2018 3:07 AM

Response by Rick Ross made Feb 19 at 2018 9:48 AM

Response by CPT Jack Durish made Feb 19 at 2018 3:02 PM

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 19 at 2018 4:02 PM

Response by SPC Britanny *Winnie* Balthaser made Feb 20 at 2018 12:02 PM

Response by SGT James Hart (Retired) made Feb 20 at 2018 4:05 PM

Response by SPC Britanny Winnie Balthaser made Feb 20 at 2018 12:02 PM