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

Monday night the House of Representatives passed legislation to award the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion the Congressional Gold Medal, one of the highest civilian honors. There are less than ten known living members of the unit to receive the medal, but the honor will guarantee the story of their contributions to the World War II effort has a place in history. [From CBS News]

Think about all those grandmothers out there who are waiting for thank you cards and not sending more checks until they get them. Grandmothers know, and research supports, that something as natural as saying thank you can encourage more kindness. Gratitude is the glue that holds us together in family, work and community. Here’s how to bring gratitude practice more fully into your life. [From VAntage Point]

Bystander Intervention Training provides Veterans and visitors techniques on what to do if they witness harassment or sexual assault in a VA facility. The free, 30-minute online training explains how to recognize a situation, how to respond and how to get help. [From VAntage Point]

Are you an artist – professional or amateur? Do you like to create artwork that honors Veterans? VA and the Veterans Day National Committee are currently accepting submissions for the 2022 Veterans Day poster contest. [From VAntage Point]

During Black History Month, today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Army Veteran Della H. Raney Jackson, the first African American nurse in the Army. Della Hayden Raney Jackson, known as “Maw” Raney by her peers, was born in January 1912 in Suffolk, Virginia. She attended the Lincoln Hospital School of Nursing in Durham, North Carolina. [From VAntage Point]

We honor her service.

This month’s Center for Women Veterans featured author is retired combat Army Veteran Ina Johnson Myers, an entrepreneur, radio host, speaker and certified life coach. Myers is the author of “Girl, Don’t Play!!!Pray!!!! The Professional Women’s Guide to Identifying His Brokenness.” [From VAntage Point]

During Black History Month, today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Army Veteran Hazel Johnson-Brown, the first African American female brigadier general. Growing up in West Chester, Pennsylvania, Hazel Johnson-Brown decided to become a nurse when she was 12 years old. After graduating high school, Johnson-Brown applied to the Chester School of Nursing, but was denied due to her race. [From VAntage Point]

We honor her service.

This week’s America250 salute is Navy Veteran Harriet Pickens. Harriet Pickens was one of the two first female African American officers in the Navy. She served in the Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES) during World War II. [From VAntage Point]

A Marine Corps Veteran offers tribute to his grandmother, Sylvia Benton, of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion. My grandmother was my role model. I’ve wanted to be like her my entire life. She broke barriers with an easy smile and without fear. Her name was Sylvia Benton and she served in the Women’s Army Corps during World War II, of which she was fiercely proud. She was a Titan among mortals, a true embodiment of citizenship in a Republic. [From VAntage Point]

It can be overwhelming if your doctor has said “You need to slow down,” or “You need to move more,” or “You need to take your mind off stress.” It feels impossible to manage all of these orders at the same time, but Tai Chi and this 7-posture series may help. [From VAntage Point]

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay Army Veteran Ruby Bradley, a nurse captured as a prisoner of war in the Philippines during World War II. Ruby Bradley was born in December 1907 in Spencer, West Virginia. She graduated from college in 1926 to become a teacher and later graduated from the Philadelphia General Hospital School of Nursing in 1933. [From VAntage Point]

We honor her service.

Registration for the 2022 National Veterans Summer Sports Clinic (NVSSC) is open until April 1 and limited to the first 150 Veteran applicants who submit the required paperwork. Participation is open to Veterans whose current rehabilitation goals would benefit from the value of adaptive summer sports and is open to Veterans eligible for care and actively engaged in VA health care, including physical rehabilitation, mental health, blind rehabilitation, spinal cord injury, etc. [From VAntage Point]

Take a look inside a career at VA – and get paid to do it. If you’re a student interested in working at VA, or just looking for some real-world experience, consider our National Diversity Internship Program (NDIP). This paid internship program lets undergraduate and graduate students from diverse backgrounds and cultures explore career options at VA. [From VAntage Point]

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Marine Corps Veteran Sarah “Ande” Cherry, who served as a journalist at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort. Sarah “Ande” Cherry was born and raised in Bradfordville, Florida, a few miles north of Tallahassee. Cherry chose the Marine Corps because of her appreciation of how they carried themselves and took care of one another. [From VAntage Point]

We honor your service, Ande!