With Presidents Day upon us, how well do you know your American presidents? Of the 46 U.S. presidents thus far, 31 performed some form of military service, from militias to decorated career. Of those 31, one was born in California. Three served during the Revolutionary War, four in the War of 1812, six in the […]
A card. A message. A gift of friendship. It doesn’t matter that it will go to a total stranger. To the members of the Cupid Crew at the Veterans Home of California-Redding, giving bits of their time and selves to someone who might have no one is satisfying, even if they never get to know […]
Like so many of the other veterans and residents living in CalVet’s eight Veterans Homes of California, the folks at the Barstow Home found the pandemic and its safety protocols to be, well, restricting. It meant spending lots of time in their rooms, unable to visit with family and friends because the Homes were in […]
A few weeks ago, the Veterans Home of California-Ventura received a phone call from Lou Zayas, junior commander of the Military Order of the Purple Heart chapter in Georgia. Zayas wanted to know the number of World War II veterans living at the Ventura Home. He wanted to send each one a “Ruptured Duck” lapel […]
Eighty-one years ago today, at the behest of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, six social service organizations joined forces to create the United Service Organizations, or USO. With America’s entry into World War II still 10 months away. Those organizations—the Salvation Army, Young Men’s Christian Association, Young Women’s Christian Association, National Catholic Community Services, National Travelers […]
As we enter Black History Month, CalVet pays homage to Pvt. 1st Class James Anderson Jr., California’s only Black Medal of Honor recipient from the Vietnam War. His memory graces the Medal of Honor Wall at CalVet headquarters in Sacramento. Born January 22, 1947, in Los Angeles, Anderson graduated from Compton’s Centennial High School in […]
On January 27, 1973, representatives from the United States, South Vietnam, and North Vietnam signed the documents known as the Paris Peace Accords, which spelled out the U.S.’s exit from South Vietnam to end the war. By that time, the U.S. had been involved in Vietnam for 18 years, beginning with military advisers in 1955. […]
Last December, the Yurok Tribal Council declared a state of emergency, due to the high number of missing persons and attempted human trafficking incidents that have occurred in Humboldt County. CalVet’s Minority and Underrepresented Veterans Division will host a webinar to expand awareness of this emergency and convene a panel of experts to inform veteran […]
As we commemorate what would have been Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s 93rd birthday (albeit January 15), his image forever remains etched in American history. From his “I have a Dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial in 1963, to leading the civil rights protest march to Selma, Alabama, in 1965, to his voice resonating in […]
Some new California laws will offer the state’s 1.6 million veterans more of what they need in life and also what they might want afterward. More veterans can now obtain a CalVet Home loan at lower, more competitive interest rates. Disabled veterans’ estates will have an easier time securing local property tax exemptions. And finally, […]
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