From the Executive Director's Desk,

Greetings, everyone! I hope you all have enjoyed the Summer. There will be many forums, events, and memorials going on in the New York City area during the months of October and November. Information about these important events are listed below. Many of them have to do with your rights and benefits as a veteran, or current member of the United States Military. I encourage you to read about them and pass the information along.

A timely reminder to our veterans and service members, who are property owners, the deadline for applications for the Veterans' Property Tax Exemption is March 15, 2005. Also, the New York City Commission on Human Rights and the Mayor's Office of Veterans' Affairs will be sponsoring a Human Rights Seminar for Veterans and Members of the Armed Forces. This will take place here at Veterans' Memorial Hall, 6:00 p.m., Tuesday, October 19, 2004. Please read below for more information.

The last day to register for the General Election is October 8, 2004. Please contact the New York City Voter Assistance Commission by calling 311, or contact the New York City Board of Elections at (212) VOTE-NYC for more information.

Within the last few months we have had military units deploying to Iraq, and some units have come home. I urge all returning service members to sign up with the US Department of Veterans' Affairs-New York Harbor Healthcare System registry. The telephone number is (888) 698-2467.

To all of you on the front lines, abroad and at home, watch each other's backs, take care of each other, and we hope to see you soon.

Until the next newsletter, take care and . . .

Semper Fi,

Clarice Joynes
Executive Director & Military Liaison
Mayor's Office of Veterans' Affairs

The United States Department of Labor in conjunction with the President's National Hire Veterans Committee launched its Hire Vets First national meeting campaign during the last week of September. One-Stop Career Centers, the one stop shop for connecting businesses and veterans, are at the heart of this program. There are numerous One-Stop Career Centers throughout the five boroughs. Please call (877) US2-JOBS to locate your nearest center. The centers provide a full-range of assistance to job seekers by offering training referrals, career counseling, job listings and similar employment-related services. Please call the number above or visit www.hirevetsfirst.gov for more information.

The Nam Knights of America M/C Brooklyn Chapter will host its New York City Salute To Veterans at 9 a.m., Sunday, October 3, 2004 at Midland Beach, Staten Island. The parade will depart Midland Beach at noon and conclude at Manhattan's Vietnam Veterans' Memorial Plaza at 55 Water Street. The parade will proceed through several boroughs with scheduled stops at the Brooklyn Veterans' Administration Hospital, the Borden Avenue Veterans' Residence and the USS Intrepid. For more information, please contact Joe "T" (718) 389-3939 (Brooklyn), Phil (718) 830-0733 (Queens), Jack (718) 351-9686 (Staten Island), Mike (212) 628-1472 (Manhattan), or e-mail Tmannk@aol.com. Please see the event flyer for more information and directions:

• Nam Knights New York City Salute To Veterans Flyer

The Vietnam Veterans' Memorial "The Moving Wall" is scheduled to be on display in Queens' Cunningham Park, in Fresh Meadows, October 2 - 8, 2004. The viewing is being sponsored by the Vietnam Veterans of America, Queens Chapter #32, Inc. "The Moving Wall" is the half-size replica of the Washington, DC Vietnam Veterans Memorial and has been touring the country for almost twenty years. It contains the names of American military personnel who gave their lives during the Vietnam War and includes the names of those still unaccounted for. Please visit the Web site at www.themovingwall.org or call VVA Chapter #32 at (718) 830-0037 for more information.

Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter #817 is hosting its first annual Michael J. Handy Golf Classic at 7 a.m., Friday, October 8, 2004 on "The Red Course" at Bethpage State Park. The $175 per person cost includes 18 holes of golf, green and golf cart fees and a buffet lunch. A portion of the proceeds will go toward supporting children of veterans and scholarship programs. For reservations or for more information, please contact Duane Jackson at (212) 766-4412 or (914) 548-9339. He can also be reached by e-mail at dmjackson@optonline.net. Payments should be mailed to Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter #817, 346 Broadway, Suite 811, New York, NY 10013. All donations are tax deductible.

All New York City homeowners are reminded that they may be eligible for a $400 property tax rebate. Owners of 1-, 2- and 3-family homes, condominiums and cooperatives must fill out a New York State School Tax Relief Program (STAR) application and submit it to the Department of Finance by October 15, 2004 in order to receive their rebate checks. Most homeowners will receive the full $400, however, a homeowner whose tax liability is less than $400 cannot receive a rebate that is larger than the amount of tax paid. For more information, please dial 311, visit www.nyc.gov/finance or click on the press release below:

• Property Tax Rebate Press Release

The 20th Annual MS Bike Tour is Sunday, October 17, 2004. If you're unable to ride, there are plenty of ways to get involved. You can join the hundreds of individuals, who help make the MS Bike Tour a success, as a volunteer or bike marshal. Opportunities are available Saturday, October 16 and Sunday, October 17. Volunteer jobs include registering riders, assisting at rest stops and collecting pledges. Marshals are responsible for ensuring the safety of riders on the route and helping cyclists with directions and bike repairs. Please contact Corinne at (212) 463-7787 or e-mail: cmatier@msnyc.org.

The New York City Commission on Human Rights and the Mayor's Office of Veterans' Affairs invite all veterans and members of the armed forces to a "Human Rights Seminar for Veterans & Members of the Armed Forces." The seminar will be held at 6 p.m., Tuesday, October 19, 2004 in the Veterans' Memorial Hall Conference Room, 346 Broadway, New York, NY, 10013. Attendees must bring photo identification in order to be admitted to the building. Please use the building entrance on 108 Leonard Street (between Broadway and Lafayette) to gain admittance. Topics scheduled for discussion include: Federal protection against discrimination; civil rights for City residents; and rights of disabled veterans to reasonable accommodations. For more information please call (212) 306-7717 or (212) 442-4171, or click on the flyer below:

• Human Rights Seminar Flyer

The New York City Police Department Marine Corps Association is inviting all Marines in the 5 boroughs to its commemoration of the 229th birthday of the United States Marine Corps, at 10 a.m., Friday, November 5, 2004 in the One Police Plaza Auditorium. Guest speakers include Lt. Gen. Jan C. Huly, Deputy Commandant for Plans, Policies, and Operations, Headquarters, US Marine Corps and "Gunny" R. Lee Ermey, the host of the History Channel's "Mail Call". For more information, please visit the association's Web site at www.nypdmarine.com.

The United Veterans' Day Parade Committee is holding its annual Veterans' Day Parade at Noon, November 7, 2004 at Lafayette Avenue and East Tremont Avenue in the Bronx. The parade will proceed east to Veterans' Memorial Park where a ceremony will be held to honor all veterans. The committee is also looking for donations to help defray the costs of this year's parade. Please contact them at The United Veterans Day Parade Committee of Greater New York, Inc., C/O American Legion Post 253, 241 Longstreet Avenue, Bronx, NY 10465 for more information, or click on the flyer below:

• United Veterans' Day Parade Committee Flyer

The Montford Point Marine Association, Inc. cordially invites all veterans to their Annual Dinner Dance, from 4 - 6 p.m., Sunday, November 7, 2004 at Antun's Caterers, 96-43 Springfield Boulevard, Queens Village, New York. The Association will recognize Lt. Col. Denice Williams, US Marine Corps, during the event. The Association is asking for a donation of $70 per person for this semi-formal event. For more information, please call the Montford Point Marines at (212) 267-3318, Joe Davis at (718) 978-7631, Kenneth Rollock at (201) 569-7113 or click on the flyer below:

• Annual Dinner Dance Flyer

Plans are underway to produce the 2004 Veterans' Day Parade. The United War Veterans' Council is urging veterans from all eras to submit their application forms to participate in this year's event. November 11, 2004 is expected to start with the Eternal Light Monument Ceremony in Madison Square Park. After the bells toll at 11 a.m., the parade will commence up 5th Avenue. The USS Intrepid will be hosting an After Parade Celebration for all participants. For more information, please call the Veterans' Parade Hotline at (212) 693-0474 or e-mail Pat at PatUWVC@aol.com.

• Veterans Day Parade Application Form
• Component Parts of the Veterans' Day Parade 2004 NY

Support Our Soldiers America, Inc., a not-for-profit organization founded by members of the book community to ship care packages to deployed service members, is hosting a Benefit To Support Our Troops, featuring a re-creation of a 1940's Dance Canteen, from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m., Saturday, November 13, 2004 at the Holiday Inn Martinique Hotel, 32nd Street and Broadway, New York, NY. Tax deductible tickets for the event are $85 and monies raised will go toward sending 100 wounded soldiers to Italy for an all expenses vacation. To purchase tickets or for more information contact Nancy Collazo at (800) 989-8816 or e-mail at: nancy@romantictimes.com.

The United States Army Band "Pershing's Own" will perform two special concerts in New York. On Friday, November 19, 2004, at 1 p.m., a free concert will be held at Trinity Church, Broadway at Wall Street, New York. No tickets are required. For more information, please call the Trinity Church Wall Street concert hotline at (212) 602-0747. The second concert will be held at 2 p.m., Saturday, November 20, 2004 at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall. The concert is free but tickets are required. Please call the Army Public Affairs Office in New York at (212) 784-0115 or the US Army Military District of Washington at (202) 685-2888 for tickets for the Saturday concert. For more information, please click on the flyer below:

• US Army Band "Pershing's Own" Concert Flyer

The Center for Veterans' Enterprise promotes business ownership and expansion for veterans. This Department of Veterans' Affairs organization provides resource assistance for veterans and service-disabled veterans who are considering starting or expanding a business. The center's Web site also provides veterans with the ability to search for or register a veteran-owned business. Please visit www.vetbiz.gov for more information on this program.

The Veterans' Health Administration (VHA) is encouraging all veterans to find out if they are eligible for health care benefits, how to apply, determine what it will cost, and then complete an application form online. Please visit www1.va.gov/elig to determine your eligibility or call the VA Health Benefits Service Center at (877) 222-VETS.

The Queens Korean War Veterans' Memorial Association, in conjunction with the Mayor's Office of Veterans' Affairs and the Office of New York City Council Member John Liu are compiling a list of names of those who died during the Korean War and were Queens residents at the time of enlistment (home of record). Anyone with information regarding Queens veterans who died in Korea during the war (June 27, 1950 - July 27, 1953) are encouraged to submit the veteran's name and any supporting documentation to Council Member Liu's office, 135-27 38th Avenue, Suite 388, Flushing, NY 11354. All names submitted will be verified through the National Archives and Records Administration.

Veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom are reminded that anyone who served on active duty in a theater of combat operations during a period of war after November 11, 1998 or in combat against a hostile force during a period of hostilities is eligible for hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care for a period of two years from their date of discharge. Please visit www.vba.va.gov for more information.

The Mayor's Office of Veterans' Affairs would like to congratulate Mr. Pedro Seda, a Marine Corps Veteran of the Vietnam War, for placing first in the leather stamping category in the Department of Veterans' Affairs' National Veterans Creative Arts Festival (NVCAF). Mr. Seda, a resident of the Bronx, will participate in this year's festival held October 9 - 16 in Salt Lake City Utah. More than 3,000 participants nationwide submitted entries in the year's festival. For more information on the NVCAF please call (734) 761-7824 or visit their Web site at www1.va.gov/vetevent/caf/2004.

The National Cemetery Administration (NCA) would like to remind veterans that more than 3.2 million burial records are now available to the public on the Internet. The records, which date back to the Civil War, include burial at the Veterans' Administration's 120 national cemeteries, some state veterans cemeteries and those interred in Arlington National Cemetery after 1999. The Nationwide Gravesite Locator is located on the NCA Web site at www.cem.va.gov.

The Department of the Navy has established a Disabled Veterans Assistance Phone Line to provide employment and referrals for returning disabled service members, recently medically retired service members and their spouses. The phone line is designed to support disabled veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom and all other conflicts, campaigns and wars. The phone number for this service is (800) 378-4559. Information is also posted on the agency's Web site at www.donhr.navy.mil. A Navy Human Resources Specialist is assigned to handle each call.

The New York State Department of Labor has a Veterans' Employment Hotline to give veterans a much-needed competitive edge in today's tough labor market. Veterans are encouraged to call (800) 342-3358 to access these services. Veterans may also visit a New York State Department of Labor office. Please visit www.labor.state.ny.us for more information or to locate the office nearest you. Whether you are unemployed, under-employed, thinking about a training program, need information and referral for assistance with basic veterans' benefits, or are recently separated from the military, the New York State Department of Labor is ready to assist you.

The War-Related Illness and Injury Study Center (WRIISC) in East Orange, NJ is one of only two federally-funded centers designed to improve the care of active duty and veteran patients by focusing on those individuals who have symptoms of no known medical cause which occurred during or after their military service. The center, located at 385 Tremont Avenue in East Orange, collaborates with the Department of Defense to ensure it applies what it learns to active-duty personnel and veterans. Please call (800) 248-8005 for more information or to request an evaluation. You can also visit their Web site at www.wri.med.va.gov.

Many veterans in the five boroughs who are grandparents are finding themselves as the primary caretakers for their grandchildren. The New York City Department for the Aging has a Grandparent Resource Center that provides information and assistance to people who are raising grandchildren and other young relatives and need services to help them in this role. Please visit the resource center at www.nyc.gov/html/dfta or call (212) 442-1094 for more information.

The Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) has updated the Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC) information on its Web site. Effective January 1, 2004, extended CRSC eligibility has been granted to retired members who have a combat-related disability rating between 10 and 50 percent by the Department of Veterans' Affairs. Please visit www.dfas.mil for more information.

The New York City Department of Finance began accepting applications, July 15, 2004, for Veterans' Property Tax Exemptions for the tax year beginning on July 1, 2005. During Fiscal Year 2004, the City granted more than 58,000 Veterans' Exemptions. For Fiscal Year 2006, all applications must be received by March 15, 2005. Please visit the Finance Web site at www.nyc.gov/finance or dial 311 for more information.

Veterans pursuing educational goals in New York are eligible for several benefits from the New York Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC). Both the Persian Gulf Veterans' Tuition Award and the Vietnam Veterans' Tuition Award provide financial assistance for undergraduate and graduate, full-time or part-time studies. Please call (888) 697-4372 or visit www.hesc.org to determine your eligibility for these awards.

The Mayor's Office of Veterans' Affairs would like to encourage all veterans currently receiving the printed version of the MOVA Newsletter to consider receiving the e-newsletter through their e-mail accounts. The e-newsletter allows a veteran to quickly link to all of the agencies and services listed in the newsletter. All that is required is a valid e-mail account. Please visit www.nyc.gov/veterans and click on the "Join Our Mailing List" link in order to sign up for the e-newsletter.