The Whole World Celebrates!

But then it's back to work again and the need to keep our country safe and sane. Many will watch football, some will recover from too much of the night before, and then there will be those who reflect back on the good and the bad of 2023 and try to figure out how to improve the good in 2024 - in spite of the election year challenges.

Desert Shield/Storm has been over for 32 years now

This short war (only 6 months or so) ended in January/February of 1991. The picture above shows the Desert Storm/Desert Shield memorial now under construction near the Vietnam Memorial in Washington D.C.

Veteran Memorials

Around Lake County -

Lake Forest

Thanks and prayers to all our

World War II Families

If you live outside of Lake County and would like to include your town's memorial, please send a reasonably high resolution picture to us at Veterans@lakecountyil.gov with a subject line of "memorials".

Dates for Veterans Assistance Commission Meetings in 2024

The VAC Commissioners meetings for 2024 will be held on the following dates

March 13, 2024

May 8, 2024

September 11, 2024

November 13, 2024

At the Gurnee American Legion Post 771

(749 Milwaukee Ave).

Meetings begin at 10:30 am. Visitors are welcome.



You can also use the link below to log into the meeting: https://meet.goto.com/754472005

OR dial in using your phone.

in United States, call: +1 (312) 757-3121

and use Access Code: 754-472-005

VAC Participates in

Fort Sheridan Wreath Laying

On the right, VAC President, Nick Konz, accompanied by Board Members Col Paul Hettich and Larry Klauser shared the energy laying wreaths at Fort Sheridan in preparation for the Christmas Celebration.

As reported from Amvets Post 66:

"Saturday morning (Dec 16th) a representative of Post 66 had the privilege of participating in the Wreaths Across America event at Fort Sheridan National Cemetery. Several hundred volunteers placed wreaths on each of the graves. The event started with a presentation of the Colors by a detachment of the USMC, accompanied by a Lone Piper playing Amazing Grace. During the wreath placement a Trooping of Colors was conducted by the Marine Corp Color Bearer and the Lone Piper. All of which was quite moving.

With so many volunteers the wreath placement went very quickly and we beat the rain. If you have the opportunity to attend next year on the third Saturday of December, it is highly recommended."

Korea's Army of Senior Citizens Ready for Battle.

'I Don't Remember the Rifles Being So Heavy'

(from military news), Los Angeles Times | By Max Kim, Published December 05, 2023 at 4:42pm ET

(Editor's note - As a fairly Senior former "warrior" who trained with an M1, I related to this article - Hope some of you do too.)

SEOUL, South Korea — Dressed in borrowed camouflage fatigues, they fumbled with their ammunition belts and K2 assault rifles. Some had white hair and a slow, shuffling gait; their average age was 63, the oldest 75.

It was the most unconventional batch of trainees that the 52nd Infantry Division's Seocho Reserve Forces Training Center had ever seen, and Lt. Col. Hwang Hyeon-Seok received them with a strained smile, desperately hoping that none of them would get hurt.

"I couldn't sleep at all last night," Hwang told one of them with a nervous laugh. "Your enthusiasm worries me."

His concern was met with good-natured chuckles, but no reassurances.

Excluding the two women in the group, most of these retirees or near-retirees had undergone South Korea's compulsory military service in their youth. But the decades of rust were showing.

"I don't remember the rifles being so heavy," said 62-year-old Kang Shin-kwang.

Click to read the whole article.

Military.com | By Drew F. Lawrence - Published December 14, 2023 at 1:42pm ET



Most Americans would discourage a young person close to them from enlisting in the military, but a wide majority would encourage them to join as an officer, according to a new Rand Corp. study published this week.

The study found that 54.4% of respondents would dissuade a 17-year-old relative from joining the military as an enlisted service member, though nearly two-thirds of Americans would encourage them to go the officer route, either through a service academy or the Reserve Officer Training Corps, also known as ROTC.



The study comes amid one of the worst recruiting periods the all-volunteer military has known, with most branches failing to meet goals for signing Americans up to serve. Meanwhile, Rand also analyzed public perceptions of veterans, which were "overwhelmingly positive," according to the report.

Click to read the entire Military.com article

Operation Deep Dive™ (OpDD), a former service member (FSM)1 suicide and self-injury mortality (SIM)2 study encompassing eight states and five years of death data corroborated by the Department of Defense (DoD), indicates that FSMs take their own lives each year at a rate approximately 2.4 times greater than previously reported by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). OpDD™ data analytics was able to identify FSMs with the greatest probability of taking their own life. This interim report highlights the need to expand data sets to include additional states and the VA, and jointly identify suicide and SIM prevention efforts for FSMs. The implications of the data for prevention analysis and prevention application raise awareness to help prevent FSMs from taking their lives because “Together, We Can Do Better.”

OpDD identified that the number of suicides represented in the eight states (18% of US

veterans), are 1.37 times greater than reported by the VA from 2014-2018. If these eight

states and age adjustment represented a national rate:

·      Approximately 24 FSMs die per day by suicide (determined by coroner or medical

·      examiner) compared to the VA’s 2014-2018 average of 17.7 veteran suicides per day.

·      Approximately 20 FSMs die per day by Self-Injury Mortality (SIM)– previously listed as

·      accidents/undetermined – over 80% are coded as overdose deaths.

·      If these eight states collectively represented the national rate, the combined death rate would be at least 44 FSMs per day which is 2.4 times higher than the VA suicide rate.

OpDD analysis identified military service experience characteristics to refine the identification of FSMs with the highest probability of taking their lives.

·      The longer someone has served in the military, the lower their probability of taking their own life is 2% for every year served.

·      Those who served in the military for less than three years were at greatest risk for suicide/SIM.

·      Receiving a demotion during military service increased the FSM’s odds of dying by suicide/SIM by 56%.de

·      FSMs from the Coast Guard were most likely to die from suicide/SIM, followed by Marine Corps, Army, Navy, and Air Force.

·      FSMs from the Coast Guard were most likely to die from suicide/SIM, followed by Marine

OpDD analysis exposed lifestyle experiences to refine the identification of FSMs with the highest probability of taking their own lives.

·      In general, gender and race diversity were not associated with increased odds of suicide/SIM. Most FSM suicides and SIM were male and white.

• Local and state communities differed for at-risk demographics and specific areas of concern depending on the characterization of FSMs in the community.
• Living with a partner decreased the odds of suicide/SIM by nearly 40%.
• Data indicate that FSMs are at a higher risk of dying from suicide/SIM or natural causes such as heart disease or cancer before age 64 than those who never served in the military.

Click here to read the full report.

If you are receiving disability compensation of 30% or more from the VA, you are eligible for a reduction in property taxes in the state of Illinois. But you must re-file for this exemption each year in most cases. If you just started receiving compensation, then you need to file a somewhat more extensive application.

The Exemption levels established by the state are defined as follows:

This veteran with a disability must own or lease a single family residence and be liable for payment of property taxes. The property's total EAV must be less than $250,000 after subtracting any portion used for commercial purposes. The amount of the exemption depends on the percentage of the service-connected disability as certified by the United States Department of Veterans' Affairs.

·      A qualified veteran with a service-connected disability of at least 30% but less than 50% will receive a $2,500 reduction in EAV;

·      if the veteran has a service-connected disability of 50% but less than 70%, the annual exemption is $5,000; and

·      if the veteran has a service-connected disability of 70% or more, the residential property is exempt from taxation

For surviving spouses

·      An un-remarried surviving spouse of a veteran who was disabled and is now deceased can continue to receive this exemption on his or her spouse's primary residence or transfer this exemption to another primary residence after the original primary residence of a veteran with a disability is sold, not to exceed the amount previously granted, provided this exemption had previously been granted to the veteran with a disability.

·      An un-remarried surviving spouse in receipt of Dependent Indemnity Compensation (DIC) the residential property is exempt from taxation (regardless of if the Veteran had been previously granted based on disability level) (effective 2023 tax year).

In Lake County (Illinois) all the filing for the disability exemption can be made electronically. If you are not able to file electronically, you will need to take the necessary documentation to your local Township Assessor’s office and they can assist you in filing the application.

Click here for more details on how to file for your exemption.

VFW Ramps Up Efforts to Combat 'Claim Sharks' (from VFW Magazine)

Predatory Claim Shark companies are engaging in illegal activities and there is no gray area here, no matter how much money they want to throw at it

November 08, 2023

A message from the VFW National Commander Duane Sarmiento:

For more than a century, your VFW has been on the forefront of advocating for veterans and their earned benefits. In the last year alone, more than 550,000 veterans received more than $13 billion in benefits from VA through the diligence and professionalism of the VFW’s global network of VA-accredited service officers. Not a penny of this $13 billion went to line the pockets of the VFW. It all went to the veterans, as the law requires.

The VFW has been a vocal opponent of predatory “Claim Sharks” – companies who charge veterans illegal fees for sub-par VA benefit claims assistance. Make no mistake, the proliferation of these illicit organizations is a threat, not only to the VFW’s cornerstone National Veterans Service (NVS) program, but an even greater threat to the VA benefits system as we know it. 

Since their emergence, the VFW has ratcheted up the pressure on these companies by passing legislation to crack down on their practices at the state level and are working to help veterans bring litigation against them. We have trained our more than 2,300 VFW Accredited Service Officers on how to handle Claim Sharks, and we continue to seek out veterans who need help getting out of these predatory contracts. Click to read the full article.

Click for a detailed explanation of what makes a "Shark".

From Congressional letter to The Honorable Denis R. McDonough, Secretary of Veterans Affairs

“Veterans are increasingly facing more scams targeting them and their hard-earned VA benefits.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) testified during an April 19, 2023, Senate Veterans’

Affairs Committee hearing Veterans Consumer Protection: Preventing Financial Exploitation of

Veterans and their Benefits, its reporting network received more than 150,000 complaints of

fraud and illegal business practices in 2022, resulting in more than $414 million in damages.

This was an increase of more than 50 percent from the previous year. Additionally, VA testified

more than 40 percent of all complaints received by veterans from 2018 to 2022 were against

unaccredited individuals. We passed the PACT Act last year to provide toxic-exposed veterans

their earned VA care and benefits. We did not expand benefits as a way for unaccredited

scammers to profit from veterans.”

This letter was signed by 31 Representatives and Senators.

Click here to see the entire letter.

From a letter from the National Association of Attorneys General addressed to to the leadership of both Congressional Houses.

“Unaccredited actors advertise their services as superior to the free services offered

by accredited actors, like veteran service officers, claims agents, and attorneys, who are

trained, tested, supervised, regulated, or otherwise held accountable. They boast quicker

response times and better or even guaranteed results, neither of which is based in fact or

even remotely quantifiable.

Assisting or representing veterans and their families in preparing, presenting, and

prosecuting claims for VA benefits is governed by federal statute and requires VA

accreditation. So unaccredited actors advertise their services as “coaching” or “consultation”

instead of assistance or representation to avoid oversight or accountability. Many use

language in their advertising and their contracts indicating that the veteran will be doing all

the work that requires accreditation and that the unaccredited actors are only there to

answer questions or advise. In fact, they typically do everything except sign the claim.

Conversely, other unaccredited actors do absolutely nothing except point the veteran to DIY

websites and online videos that the veteran could have found themselves.”

This letter was signed by 46 State Attorneys General.

Click to see the entire letter.

We encourage you to write your national representative and senators about your reactions to the use of unaccredited solicitors charging to help file claims. We also encourage you to contact the National headquarters of your military organizations and tell them how you feel about having to pay for filing claims for disability compensation.

The Other Christmas

I know this is a week late but it seems like it is never too late to share thoughts about our deployed troops...

To honor multiple requests and tradition of Christmas Eve, must we harken back to a long ago and far away and a gift of words, mildly modified over the years, but retaining meaning and more...

John Borling was in the Air Force, shot down over Viet Nam and remained a POW for 6-1/2 years at the "Hanoi Hilton", as was John McCain. The following was written by John, along with many other poems during his time as a POW. 

 By: René Campos, December 11, 2023, Photo by Lindsay Grant/Army

Congress has been racking up veteran-related bills and hearings throughout 2023, but to date, no major pieces of legislation have been signed into law this session. MOAA and other veterans organizations have been working nonstop to keep pressure on lawmakers, ensuring they don’t let important bills languish so veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors are not forgotten.

Click on the bill topics below to urge your lawmakers to do all they can to support these MOAA-backed veteran measures, and to make them a top priority when they return in January:

• Protect Veterans From ‘Claims Sharks’: The GUARD VA Benefits Act (H.R. 1139 | S. 740) will impose criminal penalties on those who seek to collect unreasonable and unauthorized fees for assisting with service-connected disability claims. A veteran should never be charged to file an initial claim, and if an appeal is necessary, a veteran should not be charged excessive fees for that service.
• Preserve Earned Burial Benefits: The Expanding America's National Cemetery Act (H.R. 1413) ensures our nation keeps its sacred promise to past, present, and future veterans and their families. Arlington National Cemetery eventually will run out of room, and proposed eligibility reductions will end the benefit some veterans and their families have planned on for years. The bill would authorize the transformation of a VA-run national cemetery into the next location that affords military honors as Arlington reaches capacity.
• Support Children of the Fallen and Disabled Veterans: The CHAMPVA Children’s Care Protection Act (H.R. 2414 | S. 1119) would expand coverage under the VA program for children of eligible veterans so they can have health care until age 26. The goal of this legislation is to close the age parity gap for vulnerable members of our community who need support: Young adult children of veterans who are permanently and totally disabled, have died of a service-connected disability, or lost their life on active duty and did not qualify for DoD’s TRICARE program.
• Improve Survivors' Benefits: The Caring for Survivors Act (H.R. 1083 | S. 414) aligns payments of Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) – a monetary benefit paid to the survivors of servicemembers who die while serving on active duty, or of service-connected disabled veterans – with other federal programs. DIC is paid at a monthly rate of $1,562.74, with additional allowances in certain circumstances. That works out to 43% of what a veteran with a 100% service-connected disability rating receives from the VA. However, federal survivor programs provide up to 55% of a civil servant's pay, computed as if the employee retired on disability at the date of death.
• Support Military Sexual Trauma Survivors: The Servicemembers and Veterans Empowerment and Support (SAVES) Act (H.R. 2441 | S. 1028) will improve military sexual trauma survivors’ access to essential care and services in the Veterans Health Administration, and ensure greater assistance when veterans are applying for disability benefits through the Veterans Benefits Administration. A series of audits by the VA Office of Inspector General revealed the VA was falling short on its support to this group of veterans.
• Expand and Support Services for Aging and Disabled Veterans: Two pieces of legislation, the Expanding Veterans’ Options for Long Term Care Act and the Elizabeth Dole Home and Community Based Services for Veterans and Caregivers Act, would provide the VA with critical flexibility to support a rapidly growing population of aging veterans needing long term care services outside the home, and to improve home- and community-based services for veterans and their caregivers.
• Allow Surviving Spouses to Remarry and Retain Benefits: The Love Lives On Act (H.R. 3651 | S. 1266) would reverse penalties faced by surviving military spouses who remarry prior to age 55. These survivors lose entitlement for DIC and survivor benefit pay, forfeit access to the Fry Scholarship, and lose commissary and exchange privileges.

MOAA and our veteran organization partners are grateful for our ongoing and open communications with the staffers on the House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs committees; we appreciate their good faith efforts in negotiating a veterans’ package this year. However, veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors do not want another year to pass without action on these critical issues. They want Congress to make a veterans’ package a priority … and get it signed by the president sooner rather than later.

For more about MOAA’s veteran priorities, and to keep up with the latest veteran, caregiver, and survivor news and other MOAA advocacy updates, please subscribe to MOAA’s weekly newsletter, visit our Advocacy News page, and register for our Legislative Action Center. 



Click here for the complete article

is a non-profit law firm that provides FREE civil legal services to low and moderate income individuals in 36 counties across Northern Illinois. We provide free advice and representation to individuals who have serious legal problems and cannot afford an attorney to help solve those problems.

What legal issues can PSLS help with?

●     Housing –

○     Eviction, foreclosure, poor housing condition, discrimination, nursing home issues

●     Public Benefits

○     Denial/termination from benefits like Social Security, SNAP, TANF, Medicaid/ Veterans benefits

●     Safety

○     Orders of Protection, stalking, adult guardianship and POA

●     Financial Stability

○     Criminal records expungement, license reinstatement, school issues, tax disputes, identity theft

Who does PSLS serve?

·      Low and moderate income individuals and families in Lake County.

·      For veterans and active duty military, individuals and families whose household income is below 80% of Chicago Area Median Income ($61,800 per year for a single person, $88,250 per year for a family of four.)

·      For individuals and families who are not veterans or who received a dishonorable discharge, services to them if their household income is below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (Around $29,000 per year for a single person and $60,000 for a family of four).

·      For individuals age 60 and older regardless of income.

What restrictions do we have?

Prairie State Legal Services is not able to assist with the following types of legal issues:

●     Criminal or Traffic cases, class action suits, personal injury, fee generating cases

Because we receive federal funding, we are also barred from providing legal services to undocumented individuals, with the exception of legal issues related to domestic violence and human trafficking.

Contact Prairie State Legal Services

●     In Lake County, IL call Waukegan office - 847-662-6925.

●     Telephone counseling service - 800-942-3940. Our telephone counselors are available 9AM-1PM Monday through Thursday, and are licensed attorneys who can provide legal advice over the phone and/or refer you to the Waukegan office.

●     Wednesday Walk-Ins: Our doors open at 8:30, arrive by 9:30 in order to give us time to process applications. First visit with attorney for all eligible applicants.

●     Community Partner Referrals: Refer vets to PSLS using the community partner referral form. Referral forms can be scanned/emailed to referralwaukegan@pslegal.org or faxed to 847-662-6925. A PSLS staff member will reach out to complete an eligibility screen and make an appointment.

Click here to see more about Prairie State Legal

Click here to download a referral form

Northern Illinois Food Bank provides food through a network of 900 food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, youth and senior centers, and has a number of other direct distribution programs to assist hungry neighbors. The Food Bank acquires donated food directly from manufacturers, as well as retail stores through our Food Recovery and Direct Connect programs.

You might have noticed the schedule of mobile food pantries further down in this newsletter. In the newsletter, these only cover Lake and McHenry Counties. However, there are also mobile pantries in 9 additional Counties. In addition there are "Pantry Express" sites where you can order food to be picked up at one of the Pantry Express locations, or, if you meet to mileage requirement, have the food delivered to your home.

If you are interested in supporting Northern Illinois Food Bank by volunteering (as I do), Click here to see the types of volunteer opportunities you can sign up for and where they are.

If you have any questions, contact Allan Ayers at 847-377-3344

In all the situations below, you can always contact the VAC (847-377-3344) directly for further assistance. If you are struggling with rent or mortgage payments with the elimination of pandemic forbearance programs, Call the VAC immediately!

• Rent or Mortgage payments or Emergency Housing
• Utility payments
• Food - Northern Illinois Food Bank - See Schedule or
• Midwest Veterans Closet (See the calendar below)
• Medical Care - Contact VAC when civilian benefits lost - Do not go to VA if not registered with them. Contact the VAC to get you registered.
• Family problems - In Lake County, contact 211 for referral to proper resource.

Click here for a fun evening in Rockford, IL

When registering for the "Honorable Night Out" on the A J Lynch website, enter each guest as a separate "item" so you can select different menu items for each.

Click for registration information.

Northern Illinois Food Bank

There are three types of resources within NIFB

-- My Pantry Express

Pre-register at the link and order from list of items - limited locations and times -

See below for all county locations and times, or click on the link below for all the counties.

-- Mobile Food Pantry and CLC Pop-up Pantry

t Helps to Stay In Touch With the

James A. Lovell FHCC

To stay in touch with the James A. Lovell FHCC, subscribe to the “Launch”, the Lovell Newsletter.

To get a subscription, – click here. 

Here is a directory of the resources at James A. Lovell FHCC. To access the electronic directory, click here and scroll down to the bottom of the page.

Herre are the available hot links to some of the various VA Resources available. The actual hot links can be accessed at the

bottom of the welcome kit.

Click here to subscribe to the Weekly VA Newsletter.

VA Benefits - November 2023

• This Benefits Bulletin provides links for vets of all to understand veteran benefits they might be eligible for.

Other Benefit topics:



VA News - 11/29/23 -

• Free Writing, Art Workshops for Veterans and Caregivers 

Veterans and their caregivers can find free online workshops led by professional artists through Community Building Art Works.

VA News –12/6/23 –

VA News –12/13/23 –

VA News –12/20/23 –

• PACT Act Performance Dashboard

The PACT Act is a law that expands VA health care and benefits for Veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic substances. VA publishes the PACT Act Performance Dashboard every other Friday to measure the implementation of this legislation and showcase its impact on Veterans and survivors.



• We Need Your Help, Share this Outreach Kit With Veterans 

Many Veterans are eligible for life-changing health care benefits, but they may not know how to get them. Use this outreach kit to help Veterans get the health care benefits they've earned.

Insights from MOAA

(Military Officers Association of America)

MOAA – 11/29/23

MOAA – 12/7/23

• Should Lawmakers Lead by Example and Stay in Session to Finish the Budget?

Urge your legislators to complete their mission – just like servicemembers around the world this holiday season.

• Surviving Spouse Corner: Facing Your Holiday Blues

The holiday season can be especially challenging for those who have lost a loved one.

MOAA – 12/14/23

• Here's How MOAA Can Help With Your Estate Planning

Whether you're seeking guidance in achieving your planning goals or a better way to organize your materials, rely on MOAA.

MOAA – 12/21/23

• VA Provides Caregiver Program Updates as Advisory Committee Begins Its Work

These committees help MOAA shape its advocacy agenda. Learn more about the group's mission.

If you are still working and thinking about changing jobs, check out the

Veteran Jobs @ at military.com

Here're some sample articles I found recently:

• 37 Best Tips for Veteran Job Seekers in 2024

The biggest trend in job hunting this year is to lean into artificial intelligence (AI) tools to help with your job hunt, but you shouldn't stop there. These tips cover every category of job hunting, from identifying your next role to resume writing to networking to the last moment of negotiation before you accept your job offer.

• Pentagon's AI Initiatives Accelerate Hard Decisions on Lethal Autonomous Weapons
• How to Answer the Worst Job Interview Question Ever
• VA Plans Outreach to Screen 3 Million More Veterans for Toxic Exposures
• 6 Tips for Veterans Negotiating a Pay Raise
• International Man of Mystery: How to Remember Names While Networking

The winter months offer plenty of social occasions to military job seekers -- school events, parties, military balls, conferences, concerts, ball games. Make your networking stick by learning how to remember names while networking.

• 2024 Veterans Pension Rates
• Retirees, Civilians, Want to Live in Base Housing? Yes, You Can!
• Here Are the VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation Rates for 2024
• Millions of Vets Got Health Care and Benefits Under the PACT Act. Thousands Left Out Want the Same Chance.

+ + + + + + +

There is far too much in the various issues of Military.Com to write or even extract from them. The trick is to find the pieces that are important to you. Therefore, we have provided a graphic that shows the various dropdown choices. As you will see, there is information on general news – with the choice to see the news for your own branch, service benefits, Job and transition support, military life and family issues. I get several versions, and then I’ll scan for titles that seem to be related to me. For example, I decided to try the the Veteran Jobs tab for Lake County. It provided over 400 postings for Lake County and Northern Cook County. See the dropdowns below. Then you can click on military.com to set up a subscription and select versions that you are interested in.

In addition, there are a wide assortment of resource links (including discounts for vets and families) to find other specific information. You might want to give the magazine a look.

If you need a complete set of your military records

If you need a set of your military records for any reason, you can obtain them by faxing or mailing a request to the National Personnel Records Center. While they will accept a letter (if you get all the right information into it) it is best to use the standard form SF-180 to request it. You can download that form at Standard Form 180

Mail the completed form to:

National Personnel Records Center

1 Archives Drive

Saint Louis, MO 63138.

OR

Fax the form to 314-801-9195

If you need the records in emergency circumstances, contact our office (847-377-3344) and we can help you expedite the process.