U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs CMV – News Update

For Native Hawaiian and other Indigenous peoples, having a home is deeply connected to land and family, even without a physical house. This cultural understanding shapes the language we use when working with these Veterans who often prefer terms such as “houseless” or “unsheltered.” “Using a term like ‘unhoused’ helps to emphasize that the problem is more of a structural one, linked to a lack of affordable housing, and not necessarily a personal or a family weakness,” explained Dr. Sara Wong, clinical psychologist with the Substance Treatment Clinic at Pacific Islands VA. [From VA News]

Natasha White lost 100 pounds with the MOVE! program. Over years, White watched her mother’s health deteriorate due to uncontrolled type 2 diabetes and poor lifestyle habits. A hard look in the mirror made White, a North Texas VA licensed vocational nurse, realize her fate would be the same if she didn’t make life saving changes. [From VA News]

Competing in the 2024 National Veterans Wheelchair Games, Marine Corps Veteran Pierre Sturgis showcased his strength and resilience competing in basketball, powerlifting, powerlifting circuit and track and field. For Sturgis, the journey to the games has been filled with determination to overcome and adapt to his new life after injury. In 2020, he was hit by a bullet to his femoral artery, an event that changed his life forever. [From VA News]

Raymond Yoshihiro Aka served in the Army during World War II from 1941 to 1947, though he was drafted in 1939. During the war, he served as a language specialist. His service locations included Camp Roberts in California, Fort Sam Houston in Texas, Camp Savage in Minnesota, and he also served in Japan. Aka was part of the Military Intelligence Service (MIS), a unit that played a crucial role in intelligence during the war. [From VA News]

For Veteran Valerie Acosta, making art is more than a hobby or even a passion. She credits art with giving her new purpose and meaning after her career as a Russian linguist in the Air Force. [From VA News]