Birthday celebration at Post 8541. I look forward to seeing everyone there as we celebrate our accomplishments and our history. Thank you all for what you do. Everyones hard work is certainly deserving of the title All American. Let us all keep striving for excellence. We are all here for each other. Do not hesitate to reach out to anyone in the district with any needs or concerns. Also remember to send all info on upcoming post events to our District Adjutant. Together we will ensure maximum exposure to help each post succeed. When you get a chance, be sure to thank our Adjutant/ Chief of Staff Doug Brown for the great Job he is doing. I dont think most people understand how much time and hard work he puts in. I also appreciate the hard work He, Tony Lobello, and the other line officers put in on all of the special projects. Thank you both for the outstanding dedication and commitment to our veterans. Larry Sanders District 20 Commander All American Comrades, District 20 is still at the top within the Department of Texas. I want to thank everyone for their hard work and dedication. Our District is extremely busy. On almost any given day we have representatives at any number of events. That does not even include Post events happening across the district. It is very important for each and every post to be active outside of their physical building. If we fail to be active in our communities, we fail at our mission. Now is the time for us to be visible in the community. As we approach the end of 2014 the calendar seems to fill up faster. There are a number of VPRs, special events, and regular holidays. We are also quickly approaching the deadline for our scholarship entries. These are all great opportunities to present the VFW to others in person. Now is the time when each individual post can show the community who we are and what we do. If we are doing it right, our membership will seem to increase on its own. If, we do it right. All of our Post Inspections are taking place during the month as well. If there are any questions regarding the inspection, please feel free to reach out to myself or any other Post or District Officer. District 20 is one team. No one should think twice about communicating, asking questions, or seeking advice from another comrade in the district. On September 25th the U.S. ARMY San Antonio Area Recruiting Battalion has invited District 20 to Breakfast. The Battalion Commander wants to partner up all of our Posts with local ARMY Companies. This can be a huge advantage to the post. These Soldiers want to help the local veterans. They also have a group called the San Antonio Community Action Committee. The committee is made up of representatives from many sectors of business, politics, and education. This is exactly the kind of partnership we should all want to grow. I am expecting all District Officers, Chairman, and at least one representative from each post From The Commander Te x a s Vet e r a n s o f F o r ei g n Wa r s Di s t r i c t 2 0 ALL AMERICAN S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 4 V o l u m e 1 , I s s u e 2 Upco mi ng Di s t r i ct Ev ent s Labor Day Sept. 1st V-J Day Sept. 2nd Patriot Day Sept. 11th Lytle Freedom Festival Sept. 13th POW/MIA Day Sept. 19th Post 1533 Golf Tournament Sept. 22nd District C of A Sept. 23 at Post 8936 Breakfast with ARMY Recruiting Battalion Sept. 25th State Commanders Ride at Post 837 Sept. 27th VFW Birthday Celebration Sept. 27th at Post 8541 District Commander Larry Sanders P a g e 2 One click, one call, one text one life. Veterans Health Care System External Stakeholder Meeting Suicide Prevention Month Partner Outreach One small act can make a difference in the life of a Veteran or Service member in crisis. Thats the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) message this September in observance of Suicide Prevention Month. Join VA and organizations and individuals across the country in spreading this message and showing how one act can encourage Veterans, Service members, and their loved ones to seek confidential support from the Veterans Crisis Line. The Veterans Crisis Line connects Veterans and Service members in crisis and their families and friends with qualified, caring VA responders through a toll-free hotline, online chat, or text- messaging service. Call 1- 800-273-8255 and Press 1, chat online at VeteransCrisisLine.net/ Chat, or text to 838255 for free, confidential support 24/7/365. If a Veteran or Service member you know is showing signs of crisis, you can open the door to Veterans Crisis Line support. This Suicide Prevention Month, help raise awareness of the Veterans Crisis Line. Learn how you can help by visiting VeteransCrisisLine.net/ ThePowerOf1. first floor, room J114. Light refreshments will be provided by Veterans Canteen Service. Thank you for your participation in our meetings, and we look forward to seeing you. We would also appreciate any The Audie L. Murphy Campus stakeholder meeting will be held on September 25, 2014 from 3p.m. to 4p.m. The meeting will be held in the Command Center, suggestions and/or ideas on how we can best serve you and improve our mission. Please RSVP via email at [email protected] ov by September 16, 2014. Questions, please contact Office of Public Affairs at (210) 617-5274 or (210) 617-5218. A L L A M E R I C A N TX Veterans of Foreign Wars District 20 P a g e 3 V o l u m e 1 , I s s u e 2 Commander Larry L Sanders Post 2041 SR. Vice Cmdr. Robert Martinez Jr. Post 8111 Jr. Vice Cmdr. Jesse Dominguez Post 8541 Quartermaster Edward C. Torres Post 4815 Adjutant/Chief of Staff Douglas Brown Post 9174 Chaplain Jack Steel Post 12041 Inspector Albert Martinez Post 9186 Judge Advocate Tony Vasquez Post 76 Surgeon Kevin R. Smith Post 2059 1 Year Trustee Jose Duran Post 7108 2 Year Trustee Jose L. Rodriguez Post 8936 3 Year Trustee Leonard A Layman Post 9174 Service Officer Bruce Alford Post 837 Officer of the Day John A. Rodriguez Post 9186 Guard Roy Gill Post 8111 Public Affairs Tony Lobello Post 837 Voice of Warriors Armando Sanchez Post 8397 Teacher Award John (Pat) Clark Post 4676 Public Relations Pablo C Rodriguez Post 8397 Historian Clarence Soignet Post 6970 Homeless Vet Gilbert Uriegas Post 1533 Youth Programs Jordan Towers Post 9174 Ritual & protocol Daniel Medrano Post 9186 VAVS Carlos Vela Post 12041 VOS Liaison Tish McCullough Post 4676 VOS Co-chair Gil Cadena Post 7108 POSTS OF DISTRICT 20 Sam Houston POST 76 Highland Hills Southeast POST 837 Motor Transport POST 1533 Judson POST 2059 Universal City POST 4676 Sgt. William J. Bordelon POST 4700 Harlandale Memorial POST 4815 Atascosa County POST 4853 Security Service POST 6012 Poteet Memorial POST 6970 Helotes POST 7108 Michael W. Elben POST 8111 R.E.L. Bob Willie POST 8397 James B. Sprague Memorial POST 8541 Wilson County Memorial POST 8555 San Antonio Westside POST 8936 Lackland POST 9174 Manuel Alvarado POST 9186 Lytle Memorial POST 12041 DISTRICT OFFICERS & CHAIRMAN ALL AMERICAN Editor: Douglas Brown Asst. Editor: Tony Lobello P a g e 4 The VOICE OF WARRIORS will focus on gathering suggestions and ideas about reaching out to our Afghanistan and Iraq warriors Voice Of Warriors them in the transition process and helping them reintegrate back into the work force or connect them with the proper service officers for help with claims and other V.A. issues waiting for them here at home. I need your help to get the word out in your communities and especially in your families and VFW posts. We all have a friend or relative still wearing the uniform or recently separated that needs this type of guidance. If you, or someone you know, is willing to join me in my efforts, please email me at my personal email [email protected] so we can set up a meeting and put our ideas on paper and into action. I have been given another chance at life through helping other veterans through troublesome times and has been very rewarding on a personal level. I look forward to meeting with each and every one of you in our new endeavor. Thank you and may God bless you and your families now and always.
Sincerely, Armando G. Sanchez Senior Vice Commander VFW Post 8397 All American Voice of Warriors District 20 210.505.0232 Fellow Comrades, My name is Armando G. Sanchez and I am an OIF/ OEF veteran. I have been asked by our District Commander Larry Sanders to take lead of a very important task in bringing together a committee to recruit and retain our younger veterans returning from our recent combat campaigns. The VOICE OF WARRIORS will focus on gathering suggestions and ideas about reaching out to our Afghanistan and Iraq warriors in order to assist A L L A M E R I C A N This is the first facility of its kind in the entire country. It is being sponsored by the Student Veterans of America (SVA), as well as the Department of TX VFW. District 20 will have areas available for recruiting. It would be nice to have a large presence. The expected attendance is 600-1000 people. A LOOK BACK: VA MENTAL HEALTH SUMMIT P a g e 6 V o l u m e 1 , I s s u e 2 On Saturday September 6, The VA sponsored a mental health summit at Morgans Wonderland. Several departments of the South Texas Veterans Health Care System, reps from the Vet Centers, Mental Health and Research from UTHSC, The San Antonio Veterans Coalition, The Veterans of Foreign Wars, Wreaths Across America, and several family support organizations were represented. the year to Cadet Chief Master Sgt. Michael Parks. The Lackland cadet squadron also held their change of command ceremony along with their annual awards. Comrade Rodriguez was asked to be their guest speaker and District 20 officer of the day John Rodriguez presented two certificates to outstanding cadets of the Lackland Civil Air Patrol. Presentations made were for Cadet Officer of the Year to second Lieutenant Joseph Regalado, and Cadet NCO of spoke on military honors and on his theme to students learn your lessons well. Corporation is a public TV broadcast station like the BBC in England. The special aired Sunday, September 7, 2014 in Norway, Denmark, and Sweden. Wayne Jones, retired Marine, new member of Post 76, was the veteran interviewed. Sorry, he already has an agent. District 20 provided an Iraq veteran for the Norwegian Broadcast Corp. to interview as part of a special they did on the effects of the Iraq War. The Norwegian Broadcast District 20 Members at The VA Mental Health Summit networking with other groups at the event Norwegian TV Interview Civil Air Patrol Awards A Look back on some recent events Dist. 20 Officer of the Day John Rodriguez with Cadet NCO of the Year Michael Parks P a g e 7 I have asked Commanders to encourage more communication both within their Post and the District District 20 Chaplain Jack Steel HEROES DRIVING HEROES From Our Chaplain Comrades, It is great to be able to report progress toward my goal for the year to draw post chaplains in District 20 together into a personal professional relationship to enable greater effectiveness in our mission for the organization. I got out to several posts and support events; including the District 20 Ladies Auxiliary welcoming event for their President. While serving as Chaplain at the District C of A meetings I was honored to be a part of the affairs of our organization. I have collected contact information for chaplains from each of the post and asked commanders to encourage more communication. I hope to see a few new faces at up-coming VPRs and other events. I ask you to join me in prayer for our veterans, active duty and reserve military members, and our government leaders. Consider stretching your faith to assist your post to reach its goals by getting involved. Reach out to a fellow veteran and their family to assist them, help them feel the fellowship of comrades. I want to send you all a blessing. Thank you so much for your service and your continued dedication. May God be with you and your family. Remember those who served beside us and before us to preserve that noble ideal that binds us all together and makes our Nation so great. Jack~ Jack Steel Chaplain TX. V.F.W. District 20 from the VFW and American Legion will be drivers. Commander Sanders is all over this one. Will keep you informed as it develops. World Car stated, Few efforts World Car has undertaken over the past three decades has meant more to us than the Heroes Driving Heroes initiative. Its debut will have a direct and positive impact on the everyday lives of our a new program to provide transportation for disabled vets in District 20 to be able to keep medical appointments, get groceries and more has gotten started and is presently in the works. Should be a great help to many people. Volunteers servicemen and women, a vital segment of the population of our own Military City, USA where one in every five individuals is a veteran and all of America. We are proud to do what we can to facilitate better lives for those who served our country and now find themselves in need. Be on the lookout for more details! A L L A M E R I C A N The Veterans Crisis Line connects Veterans in crisis and their families and friends with qualified, caring Department of Veterans Affairs re- sponders through a confidential toll-free hotline, online chat, or text. Veterans and their loved ones can call 1-800-273-8255 and Press 1, chat online, or send a text message to 838255 to receive confi- dential support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Sup- port for deaf and hard of hearing individuals is available. P.O. Box 27791 San Antonio, TX 78227-0791 Phone: 210-870-4526 Email: [email protected] www.texasvfwdistrict20.org The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. is a nonprofit veterans service organization composed of combat veterans and eligible military service members. Texas District 20 has more than 8,400 members in 19 posts in San Antonio and the surrounding area.
Our Mission is to foster camaraderie among United States veterans of overseas conflicts. To serve our veterans, the military, and our communities. To advocate on behalf of all veterans. Ensure that veterans are respected for their service, always receive their earned entitlements, and are recognized for the sacrifices they and their loved ones have made on behalf of this great country. Texas Veterans of Foreign Wars District 20 NO ONE DOES MORE FOR VETERANS #1 District in the VFW Look for us on Facebook www.facebook.com/TXdistrict20