This past Monday, a free community dinner was hosted on the mountaintop through a partnership between Stronger Together, the Greene County Food Coalition, and VFW Post 1545.
The event was organized to bring neighbors together over a shared meal while helping to address the growing food insecurity facing the community.
With good food and welcoming company, the dinner was well attended, and organizers have announced that a follow-up community meal will be scheduled in the near future.
Each week in this column, I also strive to highlight information that may be of interest to our local veterans. Many veterans are not affiliated with a veterans’ organization and, as a result, may be missing out on important resources and updates intended to support them.
VFW Commends VA Women’s Health Policy Improvement: VFW National Commander Carol Whitmore released a statement praising VA Secretary Doug Collins and his team for removing mandated referrals for gynecological care.
Going forward, women veterans will no longer need to meet with their VA primary care team for a referral; they may now contact gynecology directly for appointments.
“As the first woman to lead the nation’s largest organization of combat veterans, and as a former Army Nurse who relies on VA for my own health care, I know firsthand how vital it is for women veterans to feel welcomed, respected and understood when they enter a VA facility,” said Whitmore.
“For VA to remain a truly veteran-centered health system, removing barriers and eliminating inefficiencies must remain a priority,” Whitmore said.
VFW Calls on VA Secretary After Second Suicide at VA Facility in 2025. We are saddened by the tragic loss of a veteran who died by suicide in the parking lot of the Audie L. Murphy Memorial VA Hospital yesterday.
We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and all who are grieving. Every loss of life in our veteran community is a solemn reminder of the challenges many continue to face.
This heartbreaking incident marks the second veteran suicide at this facility in just eight months, a deeply troubling pattern that cannot be ignored.
The VFW was in immediate communication with the office of Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins to express our concern and urge them to take immediate and decisive action.
We heard back from the Secretary’s office quickly, committing to treat this situation with the seriousness and urgency it demands, providing a “fresh focus on reaching those who need help” across the VA system.
The VFW commits to working with VA leadership to undertake a thorough review of outreach efforts, mental wellness support and crisis-response procedures wherever we can.
Accountability and compassion from the entire veterans’ community must guide every step forward. Our vigilance, our compassion, and our willingness to act can save lives.
The VFW stands ready to work with the Department of Veterans Affairs to strengthen the safety net our veterans deserve. If you’re a veteran in crisis or concerned about one you know, support is available.
Contact the VA Crisis Line: Call 988/Press 1; Text 838255; Chat at veteranscrisisline.net/get-help-now/chat.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) is proud to announce it has set a new milestone for its National Veterans Service (NVS) program by recouping $16.2 billion in total compensatory awards for the more than 608,000 veterans it represents.
“Nothing makes me prouder than the work VFW Accredited Claims Representatives do day in and day out for veterans, transitioning service members and surviving dependents," said VFW National Commander Carol Whitmore.
“It is astonishing to me that this profound amount of $16.2 billion was recovered by men and women who do this service officer work free to the clients they assist. I am so grateful they are a part of our great organization.”
This week I would like to introduce you to a special US Marine. Carlos Hathcock, who had dreamed of being a U.S. Marine his whole life, became the Vietnam War's deadliest sniper in missions that sound like they were pulled from the pages of Marvel comics.
Long before Chris Kyle penned "American Sniper," Hathcock was already a legend. He taught himself to shoot as a boy, just like Alvin York and Audie Murphy before him.
He enlisted in 1959 at just 17 years old. An excellent sharpshooter by then, he won the Wimbledon Cup shooting championship in 1965, the year before he would deploy to Vietnam and change the face of American warfare forever.
He deployed in 1966 as a military policeman but immediately volunteered for combat and was soon transferred to the 1st Marine Division Sniper Platoon, stationed at Hill 55, South of Da Nang.
This is where Hathcock would earn the nickname "White Feather" because he always wore a white feather on his bush hat, daring the North Vietnamese to spot him -- and where he would achieve his status as the Vietnam War's deadliest sniper.
"First light and last light are the best times," he said. " In the morning, they're going out after a good night's rest, smoking, laughing. When they come back in the evenings, they're tired, lollygagging, not paying attention to detail."
He observed this first-hand, at arm's reach, when trying to dispatch a North Vietnamese Army General officer. For four days and three nights, he low-crawled inch by inch, a move he called "worming," without food or sleep, more than 1,500 yards, to get close to the general.
This was the only time he ever removed the feather from his cap. Hathcock moved to a tree line near the NVA encampment. “There were two twin .51s next to me," he said. "I started worming on my side to keep my slug trail thin. I could have tripped the patrols that came by.”
The general stepped out onto a porch and yawned. The general's aide stepped in front of him and by the time he moved away, the general was down, a bullet through his heart. Hathcock was 700 yards away.
With 93 confirmed kills – his longest was at 2,500 yards – and an estimated 300 more, for Hathcock, it really wasn't about the killing. This was an amazing Marine. Like so many who served, he led with honor.
God bless our veterans who served our country and those still serving. God bless America.
Marc Farmilette, PDC ~ Commander VFW Post 1545
Lieutenant General P. K. Van Riper, Commanding General Marine Corps Combat Development Command, congratulates Gunnery Sgt. Carlos Hathcock (Ret.) after presenting him the Silver Star during a ceremony at the Weapons Training Battalion. Standing next to Gunnery Sgt. Hathcock is his son, Staff Sgt. Carlos Hathcock, Jr.
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