Rao bulletin 1 October 2013 html edition this bulletin contains the following articles

He threw his away many years ago. "We got made fun of so much for them, I never wore mine," said Petitti, who joined the military at 17 years old and served on patrol boats in the Atlantic and Pacific from 1941 to 1947. When he found out two men from St. Charles were coming to reissue ruptured ducks, he chuckled. "I forgot all about them," he said. "It means a lot to me now. I treasure it more now." Army medic James Dickinson, formerly of Amboy, still has his lapel in a jewelry box at home. Among many of his fellow veterans that day, the ruptured duck sparked conversation about the war. Dickinson, who had three brothers in the war, grew a wide grin when he talked about his father, who would mention him last out of the four as ‘the medic’. "That brings back good memories," Dickinson said, getting choked up. Dickinson worked in a hospital in England, and one of his daily responsibilities was handing out Purple Hearts by the dozen to the wounded. "Those poor men," Dickinson said in a somber voice.

For further information, visit the California Franchise Tax Board https://www.ftb.ca.gov/index.shtml?disabled=true

or the California State Board of Equalization http://www.boe.ca.gov websites. [Source: www.retirementliving.com Sep 2013 ++]
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Aviation Art 48 ► Mission to Babo


Mission to Babo

by Jack Fellow

Although the Japanese-held airfield at Babo, on the Vogelkop Peninsula of Dutch New Guinea had become a backwater in the war in the Southwest Pacific, enough enemy activity remained that the 5th USAAF planners considered it necessary to raid the facility on 9 July, 1944, and risk the fearsome defensive anti-aircraft capabilities of the area. Thus, 24 A-20's were tasked with executing a low-level surprise raid in hopes of neutralizing the remaining offensive capability of the airfield.

We see here the third flight over the field, as elements of the 389th Bomb Squadron run the gauntlet of a thoroughly alerted defensive anti-aircraft organization, whereupon flight leader Hedges (foreground) loses both wingmen to the defending Japanese.
[Source: http://www.aviationarthangar.com/avarthamitob.html Sep 2013 ++]
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Veteran Legislation 113th Congress ► As of 27 SEP 2013
For a listing of Congressional bills of interest to the veteran community introduced in the 113^th Congress refer to this Bulletin’s “House & Senate Veteran Legislation” attachment. Support of these bills through cosponsorship by other legislators is critical if they are ever going to move through the legislative process for a floor vote to become law. A good indication of that likelihood is the number of cosponsors who have signed onto the bill. Any number of members may cosponsor a bill in the House or Senate. At http: //thomas.loc.gov you can review a copy of each bill’s content, determine its current status, the committee it has been assigned to, and if your legislator is a sponsor or cosponsor of it. To determine what bills, amendments your representative has sponsored, cosponsored, or dropped sponsorship on refer to http: //thomas.loc.gov/bss/d111/sponlst.html.

Grassroots lobbying is the most effective way to let your Congressional representatives know your wants and dislikes. Members of Congress are the most receptive and open to suggestions from their constituents. The key to increasing cosponsorship support on veteran related bills and subsequent passage into law is letting legislators know of veteran’s feelings on issues. You can reach their Washington office via the Capital Operator direct at (866) 272-6622, (800) 828-0498, or (866) 340-9281 to express your views. Otherwise, you can locate your legislator’s phone number, mailing address, or email/website to communicate with a message or letter of your own making at http: //thomas.loc.gov/bss/d111/sponlst.html. Refer to http: //www.thecapitol.net/FAQ/cong_schedule.html for dates that you can access them on their home turf.

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  H.R.3087 : Veterans Affairs Employee Accountability Act. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to prohibit the receipt of bonuses by Department of Veterans Affairs employees who violate Federal civil laws or regulations, and for other purposes.
  

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  H.R.3098 : Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business Relief Act. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to enhance the treatment of certain small business concerns for purposes of Department of Veterans Affairs contracting goals and preferences.
  

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  H.R.3152 : Pay Our Veterans and Seniors First Act. A bill to prohibit Members of Congress, the President, the Vice President, and the head of any Executive department from receiving pay for any period in which there is a Government shutdown and to provide for payments to seniors, military and veterans during a Government shutdown.
  

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  S.1547 : Review VA Dialysis Pilot Program Report. A bill to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to review the dialysis pilot program implemented by the Department of Veterans Affairs and submit a report to Congress before expanding that program, and for other purposes.
  

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  October 1, 2013.  HVAC, Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs is hosting a Member level, Veterans’ Benefits Appeals roundtable   10:00 – 12:00 P.M; 334 Cannon
  
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  October 9, 2013.  Hearing Topic: Broadly, the hearing will build upon the claims hearing SVAC held in March, which examined progress of VA’s claims transformation efforts.  2:00 P.M.; 418 Russell
  

If you're planning to attend Super Bowl XLVIII this February at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium, you are likely to be cold. You may also be broke. The NFL is on the verge of approving a plan that would more than double the prices the league charges for the most coveted Super Bowl tickets. According to three league officials familiar with the plan, club-level seats in the mezzanine with access to indoor restaurants are likely to cost about $2,600—a mammoth hike from last year's game in New Orleans, where the top tickets went for $1,250. The next-cheapest tranche of seats (those in the lower bowl) would cost about $1,500, the executives said, up from $950 for the second-tier seats sold in New Orleans. A committee of NFL owners studying the matter is likely to approve the plan this week, these people said.

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  The first reason I like Marines: They set high standards for themselves and those around them, and will accept nothing less.
  
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  I like the way Marines march.
  
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  I like the way Marines do their basic training whether it's Quantico, San Diego, or Parris Island.
  
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  I like the idea that Marines cultivate an ethos conductive of producing hard people in a soft age.
  
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  I like the fact that Marines stay in shape.
  
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  I like the fact that the Marines only have one boss - The Commandant.
  
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  And I like the directness of the Commandant.
  
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  I like the fact that Marines are stubborn.
  
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  I like the way Marines obey orders.
  
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  I like the way Marines make the most of the press.
  
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  I like the wholehearted professionalism of the Marines.
  

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  The Air Force reminded me of a French Poodle. The poodle always looks perfect...sometimes a bit pampered and always travels first class. But don't ever forget that the poodle was bred as a hunting dog and in a fight it's very dangerous.
  
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  The Army is kind of like a St. Bernard. It's big and heavy and sometimes seems a bit clumsy. But it's very powerful and has lots of stamina. So you want it for the long haul.
  
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  The Navy, God bless us, is a Golden Retriever. They're good natured and great around the house. The kids love 'em. Sometimes their hair is a bit long....they go wandering off for long periods of time, and they love water.
  
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  Marines I see as two breeds, Rottweilers or Dobermans, because Marines come in two varieties, big and mean or skinny and mean. They're aggressive on the attack and tenacious on defense. They've got really short hair and they always go for the throat. That sounds like a Marine to me!