VFW District 8 Newsletter
CWO5 Randle M. Tolliver, USN (Ret)
Commander
For veterans in crisis, the Veterans Crisis
Line's number is "988” then press "1”.
Homebound veterans requiring assistance please
contact any member.
Buddy Check! Please call or go visit elderly or homebound veterans and see
how they are doing and if they need help.
We are always looking to have
veterans who are eligible and want to continue serving our community to join
us. If you are interested, please contact any member or post.
Happy 126th Birthday VFW! Although the Veterans of Foreign Wars
of the United States, as we know it today, was created on 1 August 1914, we
recognize 29 September 1899 as our founding date. That’s when 13
Spanish-American War veterans gathered in a small tailor shop in Columbus,
Ohio, to discuss how they could assist their fellow veterans and the dependents
of their fallen comrades. Later, in 1913 during a convention in Pittsburgh a organization
was formed through a merger of three war-veteran associations, which had been
founded in 1899 after the Spanish-American War. The American Veterans of
Foreign Service, which had two chapters, was based in Ohio and Pennsylvania
while and the Colorado Society of the Army of the Philippines was located in
Colorado and Pennsylvania. Their mission statement was o its website, 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.” The VFW was congressionally
chartered during the 74th Congress on 28 May, 1936. Today, our membership is over 1.5 million people, with
6,000 Posts spread across all 50 states of the country, as well as in the
Asia-Pacific region and Europe.
For your information:
The
reservation deadline for the Annual National Home Trip has been extended to
October 11th, 2025. For more information contact or Nancy Jones at (314)
495-8879 / qmgirl@gmail.com or Andre KillKelley at (605) 939-5877 /
nationalhomechrm@movfw.org
The next meeting of the VFW Department of Missouri Council
of Administration will be held on October 10-12, 2025, at the Resort at Lake of
Ozarks 3076 Bagnell Dam Blvd, Lake Ozark Missouri. All members are encouraged
to attend.
The VA stopped issuing
paper benefits checks on 30 September. Veterans who have not addressed the
issue only have two options. The first is
Direct Deposit to have their benefits automatically transferred to their bank
accounts. The second is Direct Express Debit Mastercard. This prepaid debit
card allows veterans to access their benefits electronically and use it
wherever Mastercard is accepted. For help call the Veterans Benefits
Administration St Louis offices at (314) 538-4550 or visit https://www.va.gov/.../direct-deposit-for-your-va.../
Reminder, veterans may no longer use DS Logon for My
HealtheVet after 30 September. To transition to the new online sign-in process
go to www.va.gov/sign-in-changes.
Veterans, their families and caregivers should contact their
local VA for information about eligibility and how to apply for burial
benefits. For more information, visit https://www.choose.va.gov/burials-memorials , or call 800-827-1000.
Our annual youth scholarships programs, Patriot’s Pen, and
Voice of Democracy are underway. Patriot’s Pen is open to 6th, 7th and 8th grade students and this year’s
theme is "How Are You Showing Patriotism and Support for Our Country?” The Voice of Democracy audio-essay is open to
students in grades 9-12 and this year’s theme is "How Are You Showing
Patriotism and Support for Our Country?” Children who are home schooled are also
welcome to participate. These programs promote civic responsibility, patriotism
and help students develop a better understanding of American values and
beliefs. For more information, please
contact your local VFW Post, the District 8 representative Dan Brown at (636)
677-2892, or visit https://www.vfw.org/community/youth-and-education/youth-scholarships .
Local events:
The time and place of local post meetings and events are
provided on each post’s Facebook site; come join us!
Legislative news:
Please contact Senator Eric Schmitt (www.schmitt.senate.gov / (202) 224-5721) to include the "Major Richard Star Act” language
as an amendment to the FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act. This will
stop the "wounded veteran tax” by ending the reduction of military disabled
retirement for veterans with less than 20 years of service to offset VA
disability compensation.
Please support fully funding the Missouri Veterans Commission.
Don’t wait for the new session, contact your Senator and Representative to
voice your support.
161 years ago this week, the Battle of Fort Davidson was
fought. Most folks know this as the
"Battle of Pilot Knob.” It was September
1864 and the war was going very badly for the Confederacy. Sherman was marching through Georgia, and Lee
was tied down to the defense of Richmond. Lack of material and man power, and
not being recognized by the European powers were bad. To make things worse, Abraham
Lincoln was likely to be reelected.
The Confederates wanted to transfer infantry from west of
the Mississippi to units in the east to help the man power shortage. However, the Union Navy controlled the
Mississippi River. The Confederate
western commander, General Kirby Smith, decided to pull Union resources west by
invading Missouri. In September, 13,000 men and artillery commanded by Major
General (MGEN) Sterling Price entered Missouri from Arkansas. The 10,000 Union troops in Missouri were commanded
by MGEN William S. Rosecrans with 3,000 in the St. Louis area commanded by
Brigadier General (BGEN) Thomas Ewing.
On 24 September, Price learned that Union troops were in Pilot
Knob and the end of the St. Louis & Iron Mountain Railroad. Not wanting a Union force threatening his rear,
he sent BGEN Joseph O. Shelby’s division to attack the railroad north of Pilot
Knob and MGEN James Fagan and BGEN John Marmaduke divisions to drive BGEN Ewing’s
troops from the lower Arcadia Valley. The
Union force of about 1,400 withdrew into the small, earthen walled Fort
Davidson.
On the 27th, Confederate forces surrounded and
began ineffective artillery attacks on Fort Davidson. MGEN Fagan and BGEN Marmaduke favored a
frontal attack; however, Price's chief engineer’s recommendation to place
artillery on top of Shepherd Mountain to bombard Fort Davidson into submission
was accepted. The Confederates attempted to position four cannons, but only two
made it due to rough terrain and the artillery fire had little effect. Price ordered
coordinated attacks from multiple sides; three poorly executed attacks failed.
That night, BGEN Ewing ordered the fort abandoned. His men blew up the fort's magazine, got past the
Confederate troops and retreated west toward Rolla. The Confederates pursuit
failed. Union casualties were 213 and Confederate casualties estimated between
800 and 1,000,
Although the Union forces abandoned the fort, they delayed Price’s
attack on St. Louis. By the time he arrived, the Union forces had improved
defenses, and Confederate morale was depressed, he decided against attacking. He moved west and was defeated on 23 October at
the Battle of Westport, and withdrew to Texas via Arkansas. Price had failed. For
more information, I recommend "Fort Davidson and the Battle of Pilot Knob” by Walter
E. Busch and "General Sterling Price and the Civil War in the West” by Albert
E. Castel.
I offer this from the late David McCullough, historian, Pulitzer Prize
winner, and one of my personal favorites "a nation that forgets its past can
function no better than an individual with amnesia.”
Bulletin Board:
The VA one-stop telephone number is
1-800-698-2411 and press "0” for immediate assistance. The VA one stop website
is VA.gov Home | Veterans Affairs .
Veterans can no longer use usernames / passwords to access
"My HealtheVet.” To regain access, you
must create a new account at www.va.gov/sign-in-changes.
For more for information concerning VA "End of
Life” benefits and services see www.va.gov/initiatives/end-of-life-benefits/
Veteran employment
opportunities! Please visit https://news.va.gov/138283/hiring-veterans-job .
The Missouri Veterans Commission (MVC) one-stop
Benefits and Resource Portal is (573) 522-4061 or www.veteranbenefits.mo.gov .
To pre-certify for burial in a Missouri Veterans
Cemetery, apply at https://my.mo.gov/gsp?id=vcp_preapplication . For
information on burial eligibility, visit https://mvc.dps.mo.gov/cemeteries .
The Missouri Job Center offers no-cost
employment assistance for veterans and spouses. Contact (417) 257-2630 or visit
jobs.mo.gov/vets.
The TRICARE Online (TOL) Patient
Portal has been replaced by MHS GENESIS. See https://health.mil/Military-Health-Topics/Technology/MHS-GENESIS/
To order military service documents such as a DD
214/Separation Document or Official Military Personnel File (OMPF), contact the
National Archives, National Personnel Records Center at https://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records, or call (866) 272-6272.
For more information, follow us at https://www.facebook.com/groups/967395123712841 or visit movfw.org
"Here to Serve”