As you contemplate the coming year and what you would like to accomplish, please think of supporting our troops, veterans and their families.
You can do this by joining a veterans service organization if you are eligible; going to the Bell Ringing Ceremony in Port Angeles the last Friday of the month at 1 p.m. at Veterans Park by the Clallam County Courthouse; attending Memorial Day and Veterans Day ceremonies; thanking veterans you see for their service or donating money or goods to the organizations on the peninsula who are helping out veterans.
My guidance to those who ask about donating money always is to donate locally. All money is spent on the veterans here in Clallam County and there is no money taken out for anything else.
If you have questions, email me at cdrlgilchrist@gmail.com or call 683-6419. Let’s make 2017 a year of helping our local veterans!
Help for injured vets
The Combat-Injured Veterans Tax Fairness Act became Public Law No: 114-292 on Dec. 16, 2016. This new law provides veterans medically separated or retired from the military due to combat-related injuries another opportunity to recoup the taxed portion of their severance payments.
The Department of Defense is required to identify veterans medically separated from military service due to combat-related injuries that were issued severance payments after Jan. 17, 1991, and had amounts withheld for tax purposes.
The DOD will provide these veterans with a notice of the amount improperly withheld and instructions for filing amended federal tax returns to recover the withheld amount.
If you are in this category, make sure you get the DOD notice.
Officers to meet in PA
The Olympic Peninsula Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America will hold its first meeting of 2017 on Saturday, Jan. 14, at Joshua’s Restaurant in Port Angeles beginning at 11:30 a.m. Lunch will be ordered from the menu. The program will be Capt. Jonathan Picker talking about the NJROTC Unit at Port Angeles High School where he is the Senior Naval Science instructor.
For more information about MOAA, our chapter and the lunch, email me cdrlgilchrist@gmail.com or call 683-6419.
Learn from survival expert at DAR meeting
The Michael Trebert Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, will meet at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 18, at the Veterans Center, 216 S. Francis St. in Port Angeles. The program’s featured speaker is survival expert Rich Johnson.
Email the Regent at jflanagan1034@comcast.net or call 457-1446 for more information about the chapter.
See you at the Post
The Sequim American Legion Post 62 meets on the second Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. at the Post, 107 E. Prairie St. The Post has a service officer who is available by appointment to help with Veterans Affairs questions and claims.
Call Carl at 775-1477 for more information about the Post activities or to make an appointment. Please come and meet your fellow veterans.
Pay/donate it forward
While you are putting things away after the holidays, remember that unwanted new gift items can be used at the Retsil Christmas Shop, gently used household goods can be used by Sarge’s Place and unwanted new hygiene items can be used by Voices For Veterans for the Stand Downs.
Email me (cdrlgilchrist@gmail.com) or call 683-6419 if you have questions or need me to pick up items.
There is a home for everything! You have a neat and tidy house and the vets get help.
Contributors: DAR, Janis Flanagan, jflanagan1034@comcast.net; American Legion, Carl Bradshaw, thbkdragon@yahoo.com; MOAA, Lorri Gilchrist, cdrlgilchrist@gmail.com; Marine Corps League, Mark Schildknecht, marana@tfon.com; Korean War Veterans, Jerry Rettela, eletteor@msn.com; Fleet Reserve Association, Marty Arnold, martinarnold2001@yahoo.com.
