USS Arizona Memorial 50th Anniversary Needs

USS Arizona Memorial Post

This coming Memorial Day of 2012, marks the 50th Anniversary of the USS Arizona Memorial. Unfortunately, after nearly 50 years in salt water, the Memorial needs a lot of major repairs. The National Park Service has announced its plans for the refurbishment of the USS Arizona Memorial which will cost approximately $800,000 to repaint and restore the Memorial. The restoration will include the replac...ement of the entire marble wall in the shine room, which displays the names of the fallen heroes.

The USS Arizona Memorial is built over the remains of the sunken battleship USS Arizona, the final resting place for many of the 1,177 crewmen killed on December 7, 1941 when their ship was bombed by Japanese Naval Forces. This loss of life represents over half of the Americans killed during the worst naval disaster in American history.
 

Learn more: Visit our website: http://www.amvets-hawaii.org/main/

Help us help others:

- join AMVETS
- volunteer
- donate

For more details … email: info@amvets-hawaii.org

Mahalo!See More

Hardee’s Presents $10,000 to AMVETS Healing Heroes

AMVETS National Commander Gary L. Fry accepts a check for $10,000 from St. Paul Hardees and MRG Management on behalf of AMVETS Healing Heroes.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Jan. 4, 2012 - Hardee’s and local franchise operator, MRG Management, Inc., have come together in a big way today to help military families in need. MRG Management, owners of the St. Paul, Minn., Hardee’s, in collaboration with CKE Restaurants, have graciously donated $10,000 to the AMVETS Healing Heroes program.

The funds for the donation came from CKE Restaurant’s “Stars for Troops” fundraiser that was held in mid-2011. The Hardee’s of St. Paul participated in this fundraiser along with other Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s restaurants across the country, where they sold a commemorative paper “star” that was personalized and displayed in the local store for $1 each. The three week long campaign raised more than $1 million nationwide, and $10,000 of those funds have now been donated to AMVETS Healing Heroes in Minnesota.

The AMVETS Healing Heroes Program provides grants to family members of traumatically-wounded veterans to pay for the costs associated with travel which allows them to be at the sides of their recovering veterans – where they belong.

“Since World War II, AMVETS has proudly stood up for the men and women whose sacrifices ensure the very freedoms we enjoy every day as Americans,” said AMVETS National Commander Gary L. Fry. “Today, Hardee’s joins us shoulder-to-shoulder in our mission of service to our American heroes, demonstrating an uncommon commitment to social responsibility and true patriotism. I thank Hardee’s for its generous contribution.”

A unique feature of this non-profit program is that 100 percent of all money donated to AMVETS Healing Heroes is purposed for these grants, with nothing being spent on administrative overhead.

“We are dedicated to the success of the communities we operate in, and pride ourselves in giving back to the community whenever it is possible for us to do so,” said Leah Pidde of MRG Management, Inc. “We are proud to be working with AMVETS and the Healing Heroes program, because we believe in the work they are doing to help veterans not only in our community, but in other communities around the country.”

About Hardee’s and CKE Restaurants Inc:
CKE Restaurants, Inc. is a privately held company headquartered in Carpentaria, Calif. As of the end of fiscal 2011, CKE, through its subsidiaries, had a total of 3,159 franchised, licensed or company-operated restaurants in 42 states and 19 countries, including 1,249 Carl’s Jr. Restaurants and 1,899 Hardee’s Restaurants. For more
information about CKE and its brands, please visit www.ckr.com.

The Hardee’s of St. Paul is operated by MRG Management, Inc., which is owned by Mike Hoff, and Dave Glodowski of Brooklyn Park, Minn. MRG Management manages 19 Hardee’s Restaurants in Minnesota and Iowa. In 2011, MRG donated over $30,000 to local organizations throughout Minnesota and Iowa.

About AMVETS:
A leader since 1944 in preserving the freedoms secured by America’s armed forces, AMVETS provides support for veterans and the active military in procuring their earned entitlements, as well as community service and legislative reform that enhances the quality of life for this nation’s citizens and veterans alike. AMVETS is one of the largest congressionally-chartered veteran’s service organizations in the United States, and includes members from each branch of the military including the National Guard and Reserves. For more information, visit www.amvets.org. Information about the Healing Heroes program can be found at www.amvetsnsf.org/heroes.html.

Duane Miskulin stands Thursday next to a captured Japanese cannon from World War II in front of the Wisconsin National Guard Armory in Wisconsin Rapids. Miskulin is working to bring back the Portage County Allied Military Veterans Council. / Casey Lake/Stevens Point Journal

If Duane Miskulin has his way, those vets will benefit from a coordinated effort.
Miskulin, a former national commander for American Veterans or AMVETS, a national advocacy group for veterans, is working to revive the Portage County Allied Military Veterans Council.
The group helps coordinate the county's 13 veteran service organizations, such as the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars. The council helps to make sure different groups' fundraising events aren't scheduled for the same day, for example, or that an honor guard can attend local ceremonies.
Miskulin said the need for the group is even more pronounced with veterans coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan recently and existing organizations looking for ways to best serve them.
"We need to get all 13 of us working together in the community," Miskulin said.
Miskulin is a veteran himself, serving in Ankara, Turkey, for six years in the U.S. Air Force until 1966. He went to work at AT&T, and after retiring 21 years ago, devoted himself to veterans affairs.
He worked with a number of veterans service organizations, eventually becoming a national commander of AMVETS, serving through Post No. 1051.
Miskulin traveled the world while in the role, speaking in Hawaii, China and South Korea.
Miskulin said the purpose of the council is to help all the service organizations to better serve the veterans in the county. It will help the groups coordinate their fundraising efforts and support each other without duplicating services.
"It's so we'll have an organization, so each one doesn't detract from the other," said Portage County Veteran Service Officer Mike Clements.