April/May 2009 KWVA Newsletter

Chaplain's Corner
APRIL RAIN
O April, I have been impatient for your coming. I have needed your warm rains; To cleanse me of my winter melancholy, And to heal me of my weariness.
O April, There is healing power in your dawns. Pushing your way up in green shoots; Of the iris and the determined tulips, Heartily singing your way with the robins, Splashing over the rocks in swollen streams, You take away my grief and pain; You heal me with the glory of your dawns.
O April, Come in the wind-blown clouds of rain; To ripple the quiet pools beneath eager willows. Come in the rain-washed sky of light; To set our limpid lakes flashing in the sun. Come in the cool-warm wind of night; To make me glad and strong again.

If you are “winter-tired,” you may want to pray, Dear Lord, let the healing joy of spring flow through every channel of my life and make me whole again. Amen. Retain in your mind only the single thought that God’s vital energy is flowing through you….now….now, in this holy, healing hour of spring….

EASTER
Easter is observed, according to a decision made by the Council of Nicaea in A.D. 325, on the first Sunday after the date of the first full moon that occurs on or after March 21, and, therefore, falls between March 22 and April 25. St. Paul ’s word “Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us: therefore let us keep the feast.”( I Co. 5:7-8), suggests that Easter is not only the most important but also the first of all Christian festivals. Christ’s resurrection on the first day of the week made Sunday the holy day for all Christendom and gave a special meaning to every Sunday as “as a little Easter” and the occasion for the remembrance of the resurrection life.

EASTER LIGHT
Because upon the first glad Easter. The stone that sealed his tomb was rolled away, So through the deepening shadows of death’s night - Men see an open door beyond it light.
May you all have a blessed Easter.

Be happy, Bill Cummins, Chaplain

“Membership KWVA:” If you need a new membership card, send either a letter to the Membership Office, or email to membership@kwva.org. Mailing address: Korean War Veterans Assn., PO Box 407, Charleston, IL. 61920-0407.

!!!!CHAPTER DUES ARE DUE!!!
Chapter dues are due by April 1st. Dues are $8 for the year. Please mail them to the Chapter address listed on page 1 of the newsletter. Please remember to send in your dues so that you will continue to receive your newsletter.

ATTENTION EVERYONE
I would like to thank all members past, present and future to have had the privilege to have served as your President, Board member and now 1st Vice Commander.

I will never be able to thank you all for the Prayers and thoughts you gave to me for the passing of my beloved wife Gladys. You will always be in my prayers and thoughts.

And a very special thanks to Rev. Bill Cummins, he is a true friend.

May God bless you all.
Russ Klein

THOUSANS OF VETERANS COULD BE MISSING OUT ON FREE MONEY
If you are a wartime veteran or a widow(er) of one, you could be eligible for almost $1,950 per month. Tax-free. The problem is you probably haven’t heard about this little known benefit. It’s called the Veteran’s Improved Pension Benefit, which is a non-service connected benefit and sinfully enough it has been available for Veterans since November 1, 1951. According to a VA estimate, only one in seven veteran widows who probably could qualify for the pension actually get the monthly checks. Here are the basics: To meet the military qualifications, a Veteran has to have served 90 days active duty, (one of which was during wartime), have a discharge of any kind other than dishonorable, and be either age 65 or disabled. In addition, the Veteran or his widow must also meet other means testing criteria for their income and assets. When properly understood, neither of these is as exclusionary as they first appear. To qualify financially, an applicant must have less than $80,000 in assets, excluding their home and vehicles. Income according to the VA is income minus un-reimbursed medical expenses. It may take up to six months before a veteran is approved and it may be a pain to fill out the forms properly, but imagine getting an extra $1,950 a month tax-free. If you think you might be able to take advantage of this benefit, please visit: www.VBUSA.org.
This article was originally written by Robb Beltran for the Illinois VFW News, Vol. 46, No. 6, March 2009. It has been edited to fit size requirements for this newsletter.

A Few Words from your PR Person
It is with regret that we announce the passing of Gladys Klein. She and Russ were always a team. I'm sure you will remember her greeting everyone at our chapter meetings and passing out the drink tickets. It is difficult to realize that she is no longer with us but she will continue to be with us in spirit.

Our Feb. meeting was a great Valentine's Day party thanks to Bill Cummins who organized the event. The ladies were glad not to have to fix a pot luck dish. Everyone enjoyed a good meal and liked the fellowship.

Remember to have your chapter dues of $8.00 sent in to KWVA, PO Box 211, O'Fallon, Il. 62269, by April 1st (April Fools Day). If not paid by then you will no longer receive our newsletter.

Also, remember to support our food pantry with canned and/or paper goods.

See you at the April meeting. Bill Juergens.

Joke of the month:
Sister Smith invited the children to come forward around the altar for an object lesson using squirrels as an example of industry and planning ahead. She requested that the boys and girls raise their hands when they knew what she was describing.

“This thing lives in trees(pause) and eats nuts (pause).” No hands went up. “It is gray (pause) and has a long bushy tail (pause) “The children looked at each other, but no hands were raised. “And it jumps from branch to branch (pause) and chatters when it gets excited (pause).” Finally a little boy tentatively raised his hand. . Sister Smith breathed a sigh of relief and called on him. “Well,” he said, I know the answer must be Jesus, but it sure sounds more like a squirrel to me.

Stick to Fish
In 1971, when Tokyo got its first McDonald’s the company’s Japanese partner, Den Fujita, made this politically incorrect statement: “The reason Japanese people have yellow skins is that they have eaten nothing but fish and rice for 2,000 years. If we eat McDonald’s hamburgers and potatoes for 1,000 years, we will become taller, our skin will become white, and our hair will become blond.” Tribune news services.