Author Archives: Jeff Jardine
WIMMER NAMED TO HEAD CALVET’S WOMEN VETERANS AFFAIRS DIVISION
Virginia Wimmer spent 26 years in the United States Air Force, holding a wide variety of duties that “made me a better airman,” she said. Upon retiring from the military out of Travis Air Force Base in 2012, she began her career working with longtime Solano County Veterans Service Officer Ted Puntillo as a veteran […]
A RED-RIBBON (CUTTING) DAY FOR VETERAN, FAMILY IN NEW MERCED HOME
Veteran Glenn Friedlander wrapped several strands of ribbon around the column and across the walkway leading to a brand-new home in Merced one recent morning. Then, wife Charilyn tied on a big bow as their 10-year-old son Kiero played with baby daughter Zaniah Joy. Consider it a red-ribbon moment for the Friedlander family. Moments later, […]
SAN DIEGO-AREA VET, FAMILY FOUND A BETTER WAY WITH CALVET LOAN
Since 1921, more than 426,000 California veterans have enjoyed a better option. Builders or real estate agents will point them toward CalVet, where they can take advantage of its bond-allocated program for veterans and great customer service from skilled and caring loan originators and staff. And depending upon the market conditions, they often find better […]
THANKING WW II VETERANS FROM THE OPEN COCKPIT OF A BI-PLANE
NAPA – Bob Bischoff climbed into the front seat of a 1943 Boeing Stearman bi-plane earlier this week for a joyride over the Napa Valley’s vineyards and neighborhoods. Referring to pilot Andrew Lohmar, Bischoff said “He would turn like this,” then turned his hands downward as if an airplane. The 95-year-old U.S. Army veteran continued, […]
THE NUMBERS ADD UP TO A CENTURY OF CALVET’S HOME LOAN SUCCESSES
We habitually rely on numbers to gauge our successes. CalVet’s Home Loan Program has run up some pretty impressive ones: 100 years of helping California’s veterans realize the great American dream of home ownership. More than 425,000 veterans have taken advantage of CalVet funding since the California State Legislature created the program and Governor William […]
CALVET’S FIRST HOME LOAN CLIENT: ‘THE BRAVEST MAN IN LOS ANGELES’
In August 1930, Los Angeles Times columnist Lee Shippey went to visit the “bravest man in Los Angeles” and who “lives in a pretty cottage at No. 309 North Townsend Street.” That man was Owen Myers, a U.S. Army veteran who served in Company C, 1st Machine Gun Battalion, First Division, in France during World […]
TWO PURPLE HEART RECIPIENTS WHO RISKED THEIR HIDES FOR FREEDOM
Some 1.8 million brave souls have received Purple Heart Medals in the 246-year history of the American military. On this National Purple Heart Day, count among them a pair of four-legged sergeants who earned two each. Yes, two animals have received Purple Hearts for their wartime wounds: A dog named Sergeant Stubby during World War […]
79 YEARS AGO TODAY, GENE AUTRY JOINED THE MILITARY WITH GREAT FANFARE AND WITH FANS LISTENING IN
79 YEARS AGO TODAY, GENE AUTRY JOINED THE MILITARY WITH GREAT FANFARE AND WITH FANS LISTENING IN In 1942, shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor drew the United States into World War II, celebrities from entertainers to athletes enlisted or were drafted into the military. Few, however, went in with the fanfare – and […]
‘… ONE GIANT LEAP FOR MANKIND’ GAVE U.S. THE LEAD IN THE SPACE RACE 52 YEARS AGO TODAY
Fifty-two years ago today, Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon, crossing the finish line first as the United States beat the Soviet Union in that particular heat of the space race. With over a billion people listening back on Planet Earth, Armstrong uttered the now-famous words, “That’s one small step […]
PASSION, DUTY, AND A LABOR OF LOVE: HELPING VETERANS AT CALVET IS ALL OF THE ABOVE
For those of us who work at the California Department of Veterans Affairs, however, every day is Veterans Day. It is our passion, our duty, and a labor of love to help veterans in all ways within our means. Many who work for CalVet are veterans themselves — veterans serving veterans. You, too, can make […]
