NEWS
Brevard No One Veteran Left Behind
Dear BNOVLB Supporters,
As we honor all veterans, including those who have no family members to support therm at their end of life, pleased to report there will be another Brevard No One Veteran Left Behind (BNOVLB) Service at the Cape Canaveral National Cemetery on 30 September 0900-1000 hours. This will be our fourth such service since 2023, following several years working with MIAP.
Remember that CCNC supports five counties, so not all the honorees are from Brevard County. Special appreciation to Tom Fitzgerald and his caisson as well to Joye Eiker and Sara Breuilly for being our case managers and working with VA to confirm eligibility. Thanks so much to CCNC/NCA Director Cindy Van Bibber and her staff for their support and setting up this next service. The staff will also read the names of many veterans who had no family present when they were laid to rest in the past year. We all will also bear witness to their service. Thanks to the Cape Canaveral Ladies and the CCNC staff, they were not buried alone.
Please consider volunteering for one of the positions below, or just attending as witnesses, as we make sure another 20 veterans and spouses receive the honors they deserve for their final resting place. Some of our veterans have been left on funeral home shelves for decades, but we can then confirm they were not forgotten:
A. Urn Bearer
B. Flag Bearer (for Veterans)
C. Flower Bearer (For spouses/dependents)
D. Parking Support
E. Information and Sign In table
F. Other Support Roles, including placing urns on caisson, etc.
We hope to have several alternates for the roles above in case of illness, etc. We also hope to match our record high for a past service with 180 in attendance. It is a special event you will not forget.
The service will take place at a Committal Shelter, likely No 2 on the east side of the admin building. Parking will be available with direction from CCNC Staff. Please arrive by 0830 to sign in, confirm roles, pick up white gloves, etc.
To Volunteer for a Role above, email only LaRue Fleming and myself no later than 20 Sep. We can also answer questions you may have. Please DO NOT Respond ALL.
LaRue Fleming <[email protected]>
` Donn Weaver <[email protected]>
Please also spread the word to your veteran organizations and friends. Details are also included in the BVMC Vet Events Calendar sent out earlier this week.
Hope you are all looking forward to the Fall and all the veteran related events it brings. Good that the BNOVLB Service will be one of them.
Warm Regards,
Donn
CPT Donn A. Weaver USA (Former)
President, MOAACC Good Deeds Foundation
BNOVLB Coordinator
757-871-6576
As we honor all veterans, including those who have no family members to support therm at their end of life, pleased to report there will be another Brevard No One Veteran Left Behind (BNOVLB) Service at the Cape Canaveral National Cemetery on 30 September 0900-1000 hours. This will be our fourth such service since 2023, following several years working with MIAP.
Remember that CCNC supports five counties, so not all the honorees are from Brevard County. Special appreciation to Tom Fitzgerald and his caisson as well to Joye Eiker and Sara Breuilly for being our case managers and working with VA to confirm eligibility. Thanks so much to CCNC/NCA Director Cindy Van Bibber and her staff for their support and setting up this next service. The staff will also read the names of many veterans who had no family present when they were laid to rest in the past year. We all will also bear witness to their service. Thanks to the Cape Canaveral Ladies and the CCNC staff, they were not buried alone.
Please consider volunteering for one of the positions below, or just attending as witnesses, as we make sure another 20 veterans and spouses receive the honors they deserve for their final resting place. Some of our veterans have been left on funeral home shelves for decades, but we can then confirm they were not forgotten:
A. Urn Bearer
B. Flag Bearer (for Veterans)
C. Flower Bearer (For spouses/dependents)
D. Parking Support
E. Information and Sign In table
F. Other Support Roles, including placing urns on caisson, etc.
We hope to have several alternates for the roles above in case of illness, etc. We also hope to match our record high for a past service with 180 in attendance. It is a special event you will not forget.
The service will take place at a Committal Shelter, likely No 2 on the east side of the admin building. Parking will be available with direction from CCNC Staff. Please arrive by 0830 to sign in, confirm roles, pick up white gloves, etc.
To Volunteer for a Role above, email only LaRue Fleming and myself no later than 20 Sep. We can also answer questions you may have. Please DO NOT Respond ALL.
LaRue Fleming <[email protected]>
` Donn Weaver <[email protected]>
Please also spread the word to your veteran organizations and friends. Details are also included in the BVMC Vet Events Calendar sent out earlier this week.
Hope you are all looking forward to the Fall and all the veteran related events it brings. Good that the BNOVLB Service will be one of them.
Warm Regards,
Donn
CPT Donn A. Weaver USA (Former)
President, MOAACC Good Deeds Foundation
BNOVLB Coordinator
757-871-6576
Gulf War Recognition Push
A coalition of Gulf War veterans and national advocates is mounting a renewed push demanding that federal agencies fully recognize Gulf War Illness (GWI) as a service-connected toxic exposure condition and declassify remaining government documents tied to chemical exposure events from the 1990 to 1991 conflict.
Advocates emphasize that despite recent steps such as the CDC approving a formal diagnostic code, thousands of aging veterans continue to battle chronic undiagnosed symptoms while facing high denial rates on VA disability claims.
The advocacy push comes at a critical juncture as the VA's long-standing December 31, 2026, manifestation deadline approaches for Gulf War undiagnosed illness presumptions. Under current regulations, veterans must prove their undiagnosed chronic symptoms manifested to at least a 10 percent disabling degree before the end of 2026 to utilize presumptive claim rules. Veteran groups argue that without formal toxic exposure designations and full document declassification regarding chemical depot demolitions, thousands of affected war-fighters risk being locked into higher evidentiary burdens.
For over three decades, sea service personnel who served in the Persian Gulf theater have lived with debilitating, unexplained health conditions. The Association maintains that the VA and Department of War must ensure no Gulf War veteran is left behind due to arbitrary manifestation deadlines or classified record barriers.
Advocates emphasize that despite recent steps such as the CDC approving a formal diagnostic code, thousands of aging veterans continue to battle chronic undiagnosed symptoms while facing high denial rates on VA disability claims.
The advocacy push comes at a critical juncture as the VA's long-standing December 31, 2026, manifestation deadline approaches for Gulf War undiagnosed illness presumptions. Under current regulations, veterans must prove their undiagnosed chronic symptoms manifested to at least a 10 percent disabling degree before the end of 2026 to utilize presumptive claim rules. Veteran groups argue that without formal toxic exposure designations and full document declassification regarding chemical depot demolitions, thousands of affected war-fighters risk being locked into higher evidentiary burdens.
For over three decades, sea service personnel who served in the Persian Gulf theater have lived with debilitating, unexplained health conditions. The Association maintains that the VA and Department of War must ensure no Gulf War veteran is left behind due to arbitrary manifestation deadlines or classified record barriers.
VA Tests GLP-1 for Alcohol Use
The Department of Veterans Affairs announced on Thursday, July 30, that it has begun enrolling veterans in a nationwide clinical trial testing whether semaglutide, the GLP-1 medication marketed as Ozempic and Wegovy, can reduce heavy drinking among veterans with alcohol use disorder. The trial, named the Cessation or Reduction of Alcohol Consumption in Veterans study, or CRAVE, opened recruitment on July 28 and will enroll more than 600 veterans between the ages of 18 and 80 at 18 VA medical centers.
VA reports that alcohol use disorder has been diagnosed in more than 400,000 veterans nationwide.
Participants with moderate or severe alcohol use disorder will receive weekly injections of either semaglutide or a placebo over 24 weeks, followed by a safety evaluation. Researchers will track changes in alcohol consumption, overall health, and quality of life. Semaglutide is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for type 2 diabetes and chronic weight management but is not approved to treat alcohol use disorder, and VA researchers are studying whether the drug acts on the brain's reward pathways in a way that dampens craving.
VA has cautioned veterans not to self medicate and not to substitute these medications for established treatment without first consulting a health care provider.
VA reports that alcohol use disorder has been diagnosed in more than 400,000 veterans nationwide.
Participants with moderate or severe alcohol use disorder will receive weekly injections of either semaglutide or a placebo over 24 weeks, followed by a safety evaluation. Researchers will track changes in alcohol consumption, overall health, and quality of life. Semaglutide is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for type 2 diabetes and chronic weight management but is not approved to treat alcohol use disorder, and VA researchers are studying whether the drug acts on the brain's reward pathways in a way that dampens craving.
VA has cautioned veterans not to self medicate and not to substitute these medications for established treatment without first consulting a health care provider.
prayer request
Chapter 1 member Lisa Ryan, a recent transfer from RTNY6, has informed us that her daughter Kelly Ann (Ryan) Lusk recently and unexpectedly passed away. Please let us all keep Lisa and her entire family in our prayers. Thank you.
weekly cornhole nights on hold
As discussed at yesterdays membership meeting, our weekly Cornhole Nights will be on hiatus for the time being.
We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Donna Marinelli, Evelyn Guillermo, and all of the members who came out to support our gatherings at Long Doggers and later at Twisted Tides Rooftop Beach Bar & Restaurant. We truly appreciate the time, effort, and camaraderie everyone brought to these events.
While there are no immediate plans to resume, we'd love to revisit the idea during the cooler months if the opportunity presents itself.
Thank you to everyone who participated and helped make these evenings enjoyable. We look forward to seeing everyone at our upcoming chapter meetings, rides, and events as we continue supporting Rolling Thunder's mission.
Dena F. Armstrong, SSgt, USAF (Retired)
Events Coordinator
Rolling Thunder® Inc. Florida Chapter 1
We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Donna Marinelli, Evelyn Guillermo, and all of the members who came out to support our gatherings at Long Doggers and later at Twisted Tides Rooftop Beach Bar & Restaurant. We truly appreciate the time, effort, and camaraderie everyone brought to these events.
While there are no immediate plans to resume, we'd love to revisit the idea during the cooler months if the opportunity presents itself.
Thank you to everyone who participated and helped make these evenings enjoyable. We look forward to seeing everyone at our upcoming chapter meetings, rides, and events as we continue supporting Rolling Thunder's mission.
Dena F. Armstrong, SSgt, USAF (Retired)
Events Coordinator
Rolling Thunder® Inc. Florida Chapter 1
VA CONVENES CRITICAL SESSIONS
The House Veterans’ Affairs Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Subcommittee convened a pair of critical sessions in recent days focused on preserving long term access and capacity across the nation’s sacred final resting grounds, opening with a June 25 legislative hearing and following with an oversight hearing on outreach, upkeep, and community partnerships at veterans cemeteries. Lawmakers pressed top officials from the National Cemetery Administration (NCA) and Arlington National Cemetery regarding rapid infrastructure demands and the effectiveness of the VA’s 75 mile service standard. Oversight panels expressed bipartisan concern that the existing radius framework fails to account for severe rural geography and extensive travel times, effectively preventing isolated veterans from receiving their earned burial honors.
Witnesses from major veterans organizations testified to the urgent need for earlier, seamlessly coordinated end of life planning that bridges medical care with direct memorialization and survivor benefits. Following debate over funding for the Veterans Cemetery Grants Program, the subcommittee advanced a bipartisan legislative package featuring H.R. 8552, the “Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2026,” H.R. 9006, the “Locating Our Unclaimed Veterans Act,” and H.R. 6588, the “PROVIDE Act.” The measures guarantee annual inflation adjusted compensation increases while expediting disaster relief and the dignified identification of unclaimed veterans.
Witnesses from major veterans organizations testified to the urgent need for earlier, seamlessly coordinated end of life planning that bridges medical care with direct memorialization and survivor benefits. Following debate over funding for the Veterans Cemetery Grants Program, the subcommittee advanced a bipartisan legislative package featuring H.R. 8552, the “Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2026,” H.R. 9006, the “Locating Our Unclaimed Veterans Act,” and H.R. 6588, the “PROVIDE Act.” The measures guarantee annual inflation adjusted compensation increases while expediting disaster relief and the dignified identification of unclaimed veterans.
Anti-Squatter Bill Introduced
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill introduced targeted federal legislation on July 2 aimed at eliminating a predatory real estate loophole that has increasingly victimized deployed service members. The newly introduced bill creates strict federal criminal penalties and expedited eviction protocols specifically designed to protect the primary residences of active-duty military personnel while they are away on global assignments. The legislative push follows a series of high-profile incidents where deployed troops returned home to find unauthorized individuals occupying their properties under fraudulent lease agreements.
Under existing state laws, service members frequently face months of gridlocked civil court battles to remove illegal squatters, forcing families to exhaust thousands of dollars in legal fees while their properties sustain damage. The new bill closes these gaps by establishing a fast-tracked, mandatory 72-hour eviction timeline if the property owner is verified as a deployed service member, shifting the enforcement mandate directly to federal and local law enforcement. It also classifies the intentional targeting of a service member's home for illegal occupation as a federal felony.
The Fleet Reserve Association offers its full, unyielding support to this long-overdue property protection bill. It is an absolute outrage that a Sailor, Marine, or Coast Guardsman on deployment should have to worry about their family home being seized by predatory opportunists back home. Forcing service families to navigate sluggish, state-level civil court battles while managing the immense stress of a deployment is a direct violation of the "Sacred Trust." The Association will aggressively lobby for the immediate passage of this bill, ensuring our front-line personnel have an ironclad legal shield protecting their properties while they are on watch.
Under existing state laws, service members frequently face months of gridlocked civil court battles to remove illegal squatters, forcing families to exhaust thousands of dollars in legal fees while their properties sustain damage. The new bill closes these gaps by establishing a fast-tracked, mandatory 72-hour eviction timeline if the property owner is verified as a deployed service member, shifting the enforcement mandate directly to federal and local law enforcement. It also classifies the intentional targeting of a service member's home for illegal occupation as a federal felony.
The Fleet Reserve Association offers its full, unyielding support to this long-overdue property protection bill. It is an absolute outrage that a Sailor, Marine, or Coast Guardsman on deployment should have to worry about their family home being seized by predatory opportunists back home. Forcing service families to navigate sluggish, state-level civil court battles while managing the immense stress of a deployment is a direct violation of the "Sacred Trust." The Association will aggressively lobby for the immediate passage of this bill, ensuring our front-line personnel have an ironclad legal shield protecting their properties while they are on watch.
Article credit Senior Scene magazine
Florida Chapter 1 was honored to have participated in this event.