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Cook County Veterans Service Office provides important benefits

By Dr. Jerry Field (Ed.D)

Often there is a certain amount of confusion when dealing with government and non-Military communication. The Cook County Veteran Service Office is offering a free service that is very important to all Veterans and Military. The service will record the Military identification card commonly known as a DD-214.

This is an important service, which is kept in a confidential file that only the person and his or her immediately family and the designated survivor can access. This is also the location to obtain death certificates. The recording of the DD214 is not a public record. An example: recently a Vietnam Veteran passed away. His family asked for a Military memorial service. The Military is more than willing to assist, but requires the DD214 to obtain authorization for the memorial service. While you’re at the Cook County Veteran office, ask for the Veteran discount card. Both services, the recording of the DD214 and the discount Veteran card- are free.

A Veterans’ Benefits Information Program will be held on Monday October 8, from 6 to 730 PM at the Harold Washington Library Center at State Street at Congress. The program will feature: John Steciw from the Cook County Assistance Program, and Rochelle Crump from the National Women Veterans United. In addition, other topics to be discussed are Suicide Prevention, Homeless Coalition, and information from the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center. Scheduled to open the program is Stephan Curda, Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs. The program is presented by the Chicago Veterans Coordinating Committee, Hillel of Chicago and the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center

Saturday, October 6th The National Veterans Art Museum, 4041 North Milwaukee, will celebrate the opening of the new exhibit “Original Warrior”. The complex Native American relationship between warrior and community, warrior and wars, warrior and service will be exhibited by Native American artists.

The Native American artists who will exhibit are Ruck Bartow, Miridith Campbell, T.C. Cannon, Melissa Doud, Teri Greeves, John Hitchcock, Tom Jones, Monty Little Clarence Monegar, Lloyd Kiva New and Horace Poolaw. The exhibit brings traditional Native American techniques and practices together with contemporary mediums and culture experiences to express the unique viewpoints of eleven talented Veteran and civilian artists.

The opening event will be October 6, from 4 to 7 pm, featuring brief statements from the National Veterans Art Museum and the curators. The exhibit will be on display through Saturday, April 22.

A Safe Haven has started several onsite Workforce Development Vocational Job Training programs in welding, culinary arts, landscaping, and security guards. All offer Certification certificates. For information call 773-435-83000 and ask for Talent Service Department. The program is available for Veterans and non-Veterans.

Women Veteran and Military can check out the VA website; [email protected] The Center is sharing recent stories of interest covering wide range of topics. You can share your thoughts on social media @VAWomenVet.

The Department of Veterans Affairs in Washington announced it will offer a dental insurance program partnering with Delta Dental and Met Llife to cover eligible Veterans, plus family members under the Civilian Health and Medical Program (CHAMPVA). For more information visit Jesse Brown VA Medical Center or your nearest VA office.

Edward Lengel, author of “Never in Finer Company: “The Men of the Great War’s Lost Battalion”, will be the guest at the Pritzker Military Museum and Library on Wednesday, October 17 at 6 pm. Mr. Lengel will discuss his book and autograph a purchased copy. He will discuss the most dramatic week in American Military History shorty before the First World War ended. In the first week of October1918 six hundred men charged into the forbidding Argonne Forest. Against all odds they surged through enemy lines-alone. They were soon surrounded and besieged. As they ran out of ammunition, water and food, the battalion withstood constant mortar attack and relentless enemy assaults. Seven days later only 194 soldiers from the original unit walked out of the forest. The stand of “The Lost Battalion” was and remains an unprecedented display of heroism under fire.

Edward Lengel is currently the Chief Historian of the White House and formerly Editor-in-Chief of the papers of George Washington. The event is sponsored by the United States World War One Centennial Commission.