VFW Action Corps Weekly
VFW Honors Family of Missing WWII Airman: More than 80 years after his plane was shot down over Germany, the remains of WWII Army Air Forces Staff Sergeant Hubert Yeary have been laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. VFW Junior Vice Commander Tim Peters was in attendance with Kelly McKeague, director of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), who oversees the agency’s mission of fullest possible recovery, identification, and repatriation of the remains of our missing personnel. Peters offered condolences and presented a VFW memento to Yeary’s family members. DPAA’s mission to never leave a fallen comrade behind remains a top priority for the VFW. Learn more.
VFW Meets with House Committee Chairman: VFW Washington Office Executive Director Ryan Gallucci and National Legislative Director Kristina Keenan met with House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mike Bost to discuss the VFW's legislative priorities and our call to Honor the Contract to ensure that veterans receive the benefits they have earned and deserve as promised in military service contracts. They expressed support for bills introduced by the chairman, such as H.R. 740, Veterans’ ACCESS Act of 2025, and H.R. 1041, Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act. The VFW looks forward to continuing work with Chairman Bost on these proposals and other important pieces of veteran legislation during the 119th Congress.
VFW Accredited Representatives Train for Success:More than 200 VFW Accredited Service Officers from around the world attended a week-long course hosted in Annapolis, Maryland, to learn about policy changes and new regulations regarding veterans’ benefits. Last year, VFW’s network of accredited representatives recovered $14.6 billion in VA compensation by helping more than half a million veterans. If you have questions or need assistance, contact an accredited representative.
Senate Hearing on Future at VA: The Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs held an oversight hearing with Secretary Douglas Collins on the future at VA. Collins emphasized the need for reforms to better provide health care and benefits to veterans, and confirmed his commitment to reduce wasteful spending. He stated he would keep mission-essential jobs and phase out nonessential roles with the goal of a 15 percent reduction, and work to eliminate inefficiencies to reduce appointment wait times and the number of pending claims. Read the testimony or watch the hearing, which begins at the 20:54 mark.
VA Announces Survivor Benefits Reforms: The VFW applauds the decision by VA to move the Office of Survivors Assistance from the Veterans Benefits Administration to the Office of the VA Secretary. The VFW has advocated for this change over the last few years through congressional testimony. This decision will bring more focus on improving outreach and coordination of the full range of survivor benefits provided by VA. Read more.