Author Archives: Jeff Jardine
CALVET READY TO HELP VETERANS AFFECTED BY WILDFIRES
As Californians once again begin to recover from catastrophic wildfires throughout the state, the California Department of Veterans Affairs stands ready to assist veterans affected by the blazes. Click here to visit CalVet’s wildfires page, which provides important information, including a list of Local Assistance Centers open in affected areas, links, and contacts for veterans. […]
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARINE RESERVE: 104, AND STILL COUNTING ON THEM
The United States Marine Corps Reserve turns 104 today, and remains as important as ever as defenders of the nation. Congress passed the Naval Appropriations Act on August 29, 1916, which created the Reserve. The Reserve trains and prepares its force to mobilize for active duty in wartime, national emergencies, and other operations. They provide […]
ANSWERS TO VETERANS’ BENEFITS QUESTIONS JUST A CLICK AWAY WITH CALVET’S UPDATED RESOURCE BOOK
Are you a service member or among the nearly 1.6 million veterans living in California? Do you want to buy a home? Do you want to return to school or find a new career in the civilian world? Do you need help navigating the VA’s medical system, or need information about any of your other […]
PATTON TOOK MESSINA 77 YEARS AGO TODAY, BUT FILM GOT IT WRONG: NO SMIRK, NO MONTGOMERY
It is one of the most memorable scenes of the 1970 Oscar-winning film “Patton.” British Field Marshall Bernard “Monty” Montgomery rolls into the Sicilian town of Messina, expecting to bask in the glory of the moment. Instead, he finds a smug U.S. General George S. Patton waiting to see the look on his face, having […]
Navajo Code Talkers Day Remembers Those Who Saved Lives, Vital to Winning WWII in Pacific
In 1982, when President Reagan declared August 14 of each year Navajo Code Talkers Day, the recognition was long overdue. Not until 2000 did President Clinton sign the bill awarding the original 29 Code Talkers the Congressional Gold medals that President George W. Bush presented in July 2001. In total, there were 400 Navajo Code […]
CALVET PRAISED FOR PROTECTING RESIDENTS, STAFF AT VETERANS HOMES DURING COVID-19 OUTBREAK
Politico featured the California Department of Veterans Affairs in a story that posted Tuesday, explaining CalVet’s success thus far in protecting veterans, their spouses, and employees at its eight Veterans Homes of California during the COVID-19 outbreak. Reporter Maggie Severns describes in great detail the proactive steps CalVet and Secretary Vito Imbasciani took when the […]
JUST FOUR NAMES OF CALIFORNIA’S FALLEN NEEDED FOR VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL WALL OF FACES
Four faces, four photographs to go: Tommy R. Henderson, Los Angeles, U.S. Army John E. Magee, Los Angeles, U.S. Army Vernon P. Smith, Los Angeles, U.S. Navy Frank Spotwood Jr., San Francisco, U.S. Army The mission: To find their photos and submit them to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall’s virtual Wall of Faces. Ah, if […]
SPIRIT OF ’45 DAY CELEBRATIONS – IN SPIRIT ONLY
Each of the past several years, the Veterans Museum at Balboa Park in San Diego honored the area’s World War II veterans on its “Spirit of ’45 Day.” In 2010, Congress designated the second Sunday of August as a day to pay tribute to the men and women who comprised the “Greatest Generation” of Americans. […]
230th BIRTHDAY JUST “DUCKY” FOR VENTURA HOME’S ONLY COAST GUARD VETERAN RESIDENT
Pardon Richard “Ducky” Brace when he says there was no middle ground when it came to his service in the U.S. Coast Guard in the mid- to late-1960s: He was either hot or cold with it. Indeed, Brace stayed toasty warm down in the engine rooms where he served as an engineman for two years […]
CALVET’S WEBINARS KEEP INFORMATION FLOWING DESPITE COVID-19 CLOSURES
Over six years ago, CalVet began offering a series of webinars to provide information important to California veterans and their families. While important then, they are even more vital today. Consequently, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and effectively shut down in-person outreach and veterans events, CalVet already had the experience, technology, and audience to expand […]
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