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Home » » Sgt. James F. Carty, DSC VFW Post 1545

Sgt. James F. Carty, DSC VFW Post 1545

Written By The Mountain Eagle on 8/28/25 | 8/28/25


We held our bingo night last Thursday. Our next bingo night will be Thursday September 4th. Doors open at 6 p.m. and bingo starts at 6:30. 

Food and snacks will be available thanks to Main Street Community Center, 5494 New York Highway 23, Windham. Stop in and check out the great work they provide for the community.

Important Veteran Benefit Information: The VA has sent letters to veterans reminding them of the need for payments to be made by EFT. Below is from the letter sent out this weekend.  We may have some members that still receive checks and should be prepared to switch to EFT. 

Starting in October 2025, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will significantly reduce the issuance of benefit checks to Veterans to comply with the President’s Executive Order (EO) 14247, which mandates all federal agencies transition to electronic funds transfer (EFT) by September 30, 2025. 

EFT is a much faster and more secure way to receive your benefits payments and it requires you to enroll in direct deposit. VA wants to ensure you are prepared for this change.

What Can You Do to Prepare for this Transition? If you haven’t already, make sure you sign up for direct deposit. Enroll now at va.gov/change-direct-deposit/.

In rare cases, you may qualify for a waiver to this EFT requirement, as outlined under 31 CFR § 208.4(a)(1). If you already have an EFT waiver, VA will continue to honor the waiver unless you decide to make a change to enroll in direct deposit.

If you do not have a waiver in place, you will receive payment by check for an interim period, but you must contact the U.S. Treasury Electronic Payment Solution Center at 1-877-874-6347 to request approval to utilize a waiver.

VA benefit recipients who do not have a checking or savings account can use VA’s Veterans Benefits Banking Program (VBBP) to open an account with a VBBP-participating financial institution. Learn more at veteransbenefitsbanking.org

I'd like to share a few statistics about the Vietnam War that may surprise you—especially when compared to World War II. 

On average, infantry soldiers in Vietnam spent about 240 days per year in combat. In contrast, WWII infantry typically saw about 40 days per year of frontline action. 

This stark difference was largely due to advancements in logistics by the 1960s, which allowed for quicker deployment and rotation of troops, something that wasn't possible in the 1940s.

During the Vietnam War, 58,279 Americans were killed in action, and more than 300,000 were wounded.

According to the Selective Service System, around 2.2 million men were drafted between 1964 and 1973, accounting for roughly one-third of those who served. The remaining two-thirds enlisted voluntarily.

In comparison, during World War II, over 10 million men were drafted between 1940 and 1946. More than 50 million registered for the draft—marking the first peacetime conscription in U.S. history.

These draftees joined about 6 million volunteers to form the massive U.S. military force of that era.

Unlike the parades and hero's welcome received by WWII veterans, many Vietnam veterans returned home to indifference, scorn, or even outright hostility.

The war had deeply divided American society, and unfortunately, some people directed their anger and frustration toward the soldiers rather than the policymakers.

Many of us faced difficult transitions back to civilian life—dealing with physical and emotional wounds, inadequate support systems, and limited access to proper care. These struggles contributed to long-term issues, including homelessness and mental health challenges.

There were no parades waiting for us, and unlike many WWII units, we did not return home together. We came back alone, and we carried the weight of the war by ourselves.

Every Vietnam veteran who made it home faced their own emotional battles. Speaking from personal experience, I never understood the hostility aimed at me. All I wanted was to see my family and friends again.

Soldier Accounted For From World War II: U.S. Army Air Forces Capt. Arthur M. Lingo, 24, of Fellows, California, killed during World War II, was accounted for Jan. 10, 2025. In late 1944, Lingo was assigned to 362nd Fighter Squadron, 357th Fighter Group, 66th Fighter Wing, 8th Fighter Command. During a bomber escort mission to Sorau, Germany, the P-51 Mustang fighter he piloted was shot down by enemy aircraft and crashed near Miesterhorst, Germany. Lingo was reported missing in action on April 11, 1944, and his remains were not identified after the war. The Army issued a presumptive finding of death for Lingo for Oct. 18, 1945.In 1946, the American Graves Registration Command team was tasked with recovering missing American personnel in the European Theater. During their investigations, teams of investigators interviewed local residents and officials for information about missing American servicemen. They were able to locate aircraft wreckage with serial numbers associated with Lingo’s aircraft from a bog. However, due to the swampy terrain, the team could not perform a full excavation of the site. Lingo was declared non-recoverable on June 14, 1950.

In 2022, a DPAA team with assistance from local researcher Werner Oeltjebruns as well as the U.S. Army Geospatial Command conducted investigation and survey operations in the Miesterhorst area. The team interviewed local residents and administrative officials, who confirmed the location where the aircraft crashed. The team conducted a full site survey of the crash site, where they located aircraft wreckage consistent with Lingo’s aircraft. All material evidence found at the site was accessed into the DPAA Laboratory for examination and identification.

Lingo’s name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at Netherlands American Cemetery, Margraten, Netherlands, along with the others still missing from World War II. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for. Lingo will be buried in Arvin, California, in October 2025.

I share this to highlight the incredible dedication of the DPAA in their mission to bring closure to the families of our fallen heroes. These brave men and women paid the ultimate price for our country.

Let us honor the memory of this courageous pilot who never made it home.

God bless America—and please keep our veterans, along with those still serving, in your thoughts and prayers.

Marc Farmilette, PDC – Commander VFW Post 1545.



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