Midway USA, Chapter 16 - Salina, Kansas

OFFICERS:  President – Fred Fanning 785-201-7824; Vice President – Gary Keil; 785-822-4131; Secretary -Bill Vinyard 785-785-08394: Treasurer: - Roger Thull 785-827-7981; Chaplain – Moses Stewart 785-827-5956.

DATE/LOCATION:   THE JULY MEETING IS CANCELLED.  

                                    *** HAVE A HAPPY 4TH OF JULY***

PRESIDENT’S COMMENTS:  Hello everyone. I hope you are safe and healthy. Although we haven't met in a few months, your elected officers are thinking about all of you. We are hoping to meet again soon when COVID-19 restrictions allow us. Until then, thank you for sticking with us. We have lost a few members during this difficult time. However, in the future, we hope to get some of those back as well as some new members. May God Bless each of you and our TREA Chapter.    Regards, Fred Fanning email: fredefanning@gmail.com

REST HOME/SICK/RECUPERATING:    William Long in Pinnacle Park, 2936 Georgia Ave, Dorothy Armster, and Roger Thull. Keep these individuals in our thoughts and prayers.

BIRTHDAYS IN JULY:   John Geisler, Michael Llamas, and Ervin Ray. 

KEEP US INFORMED: Please notify us if you know of any of our members or their spouse that are sick, hospitalized, in a rest home, or have recently died.

REMINDER: July 31 is the last month to pay the yearly $14.00 fee to receive Newsletter by USPS mail.

FINANCIAL REPORT:  This month spent $22.00 for postage for mailing the monthly newsletters.  We received payments of $83 from 4 members (for Newsletter mailing, etc.)  Thus, our checkbook balance is $1301.10.  

COVID-19: The Board Directors of Kansas Honor Flightregretfully announces that the seven flights to Washington that were planned for the fall of 2020 have been postponed until 2021. With many of our aging veterans dealing with health-related issues coupled with the uncertainty of the COVID-19 restrictions in place with airlines and the Washington, D.C. area, it is simply not prudent to have these fall flights. Attendees scheduled on one of the Fall flights will be contacted by one of our trip coordinators. The board of directors and flight leaders will be investigating travel opportunities for 2021 to plan to get the veterans there as soon as possible. We encourage everyone's continued support of our mission as we deal with this unfortunate situation. 

AS A TREA MEMBER – WHAT YOU CAN DO:  Keep the TREA HQ team in the loop if you experience problems after transitioning from your MTF to the TRICARE civilian network. Please contact legislativeinfo@trea.org. Write your Senator and or Congressman if you experience problems after transitioning from your MTF to the TRICARE civilian network.

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS (V.A.) LAUNCHES COVID-19 SCREENING TOOL (Pre-screening expedites Veteran access to facilities for care):  On June 29, V.A. announced the launching of a digital COVID-19 screening tool to streamline Veteran access to medical care during the coronavirus pandemic.  The tool, designed with Veteran and staff input, enables the screening of more than 10,000 people each day. To protect patients and staff, V.A. screens everyone for coronavirus symptoms and exposure each time they enter a health facility. V.A. staff uses the information received to direct people to either enter the building or go to a designated area for additional screening.

VA HOLDS FIRST VIRTUAL WOMEN VETERANS FORUM:  In June, Acting Deputy Secretary Pamela Powers led V.A.'s first virtual Women Veterans Forum.  It helped women Veterans from across the country learn about the care and services they can receive at V.A., and how V.A. is changing to serve the growing population of women Veterans better. 

4TH JULY QUOTE: “Everything that is really great and inspiring is created by the individual who can labor in freedom.”  Albert Einstein