Men and Women Serving in U.S. Military World Wide

and Veterans Deserve our Utmost Respect                             

Paul Joens is a member of the American Legion Post #25 in Cottonwood, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #7400 in Cottonwood, and Loyal Order of Moose.

Diane Joens is a lifetime member of the VFW Auxiliary Post #7400 in Cottonwood and the the American Legion Auxiliary Post #25 in Cottonwood.

Arizona Veteran Registry (Registration Form, .pdf)

This registry provides an avenue in which Arizona Department of Veteran Services and Veterans First Ltd. collaboratively work to locate the 560,000 plus Veterans in Arizona, collectively uniting Arizona Veterans to make a difference for our Veterans, past, present and future--and their families. Registration also available at www.azdvs.gov.

Arizona Veteran and Military Registry (Registration Form .pdf)

 

Paul Joens Vietnam Veteran Diane and husband Paul identify with the importance of supporting Veterans and those serving the United States in the Armed Forces. Diane understands the loneliness and hardship of having a loved one fighting a war in a far-away country. She met her husband Paul when she was 17, between the time he returned home from his assignment in Germany, headed for a tour of duty in Vietnam. Paul served in the Army three years, from early 1967 through 1969. He received basic training in Ft. Bliss, Texas. From there he completed advanced training in heavy equipment mechanics at Ft. Belvoir, Virginia. For a year-and-a-half he was a heavy equipment mechanic and operator  with the 78th Combat Engineers Battalion, stationed in Ettlington, Germany. He then served a year in the 15th Combat Engineers, Battalion 9th Infantry Division, as a heavy equipment operator in the Mekong Delta area of Vietnam. Paul was honorably discharged on Christmas Day, 1969, and was decorated with the Bronze Star Medal, National Defense Service Medal,  Vietnam Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal and Vietnam Campaign Medal. Take a moment to offer a prayer for our men and women serving in the military all over the world. The selfless acts of courage and sacrifice made by those serving in our armed services are responsible for the freedom we enjoy today.

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Click on photos to enlarge.

Photos taken in the Vietnam Mekong Delta Area in 1969

Ted Smith, World War II Veteran By Steve Ayers, Verde Independent "After completing five years of service, Smith was honorably discharged and returned home. For his bravery and service to his country Smith was presented with many medals and honors, including the Purple Heart, Bronze Star, Medal of Good Conduct, American Defense Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal and the Honorable Service WWII Button."     -----Original Message----- From: VA Media Relations Sent: Wednesday, December 24, 2008 10:09 AM To: VANEWS-L@WWW.LISTSERV.VA.GOV Subject: VA Reaches 11,000 Survivors for Retroactive Benefit   Recent VA News Release December 2008 Nearly 11,000 Survivors to Receive Retroactive Payments by New Years Search for Other Eligible Survivors Continues WASHINGTON (Dec. 24, 2008) -- The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has identified nearly 11,000 surviving spouses of deceased veterans who will receive a lump-sum payment before the New Year to correct an error in their VA benefits. Also documented were more than 73,000 who had been previously paid. VA officials are still tracking down eligible survivors. "I am pleased that our task force working to correct this problem has been able to identify this first group this week," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake. "We understand the difference these funds can make for these surviving spouses, especially during the holiday season." Payments will be released to these survivors on Dec. 29. The total value of the payments is about $24 million. At issue is a 1996 federal law that makes a surviving spouse eligible to receive the veteran's VA compensation or pension benefit for the month of the veteran's death. VA failed to properly implement that law in all cases. Most likely to have been affected by this problem are surviving spouses who never applied for VA survivors' benefits following the death of a veteran. Eligible for the payment are surviving spouses of veterans who died after Dec. 31, 1996. The Department doesn't have current addresses for many of them, which makes the process of contacting them difficult. VA has established a special Survivor Call Center (1-800-749-8387) for spouses who believe they may be eligible for this retroactive benefit. The Call Center is open Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Central Standard Time. Inquiries may also be submitted through the Internet at http://www.vba.va.gov/survivorsbenefit.htm.     Back to Bio Page Back to Home Page