By Teresa Galgano, Director of Member Relations We are thrilled to share some fantastic news with our membership: The Blinded Veterans Association family is growing stronger than ever! We are proud to announce that 46 remarkable individuals have recently joined our esteemed organization, and their commitment to our mission is truly inspiring. We also thank our BVA Ambassadors and other recruiters who are volunteering at VA facilities and spreading the word about the Association.  Our […]

Korean War veteran and former BVA National Chaplain of 32 consecutive years (1979-2011), the Reverend Neftali Sanchez, passed away this past Wednesday from causes incident to age at his home in Grand Terrace, California. He was most recently a member of the Southern California Regional Group and, astonishingly, a BVA member for 68 years. Memorial and burial services are pending and will be shared later.  Tali, as many knew him, attended 31 conventions as Chaplain, […]

VA national cemeteries are the focus of this year’s National Day of Service commemorating the 22nd anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The events will occur this Monday at more than 60 national cemeteries and include opportunities for volunteers to clean headstones and participate in other beautification projects.  “The sacrifice of generations of Americans who wore the uniform for our country is always on display at our national cemeteries,” said VA Under Secretary […]

Millions of Americans still recall 22 years later where they were and how they felt as the tragic and horrifying events of September 11, 2001, unfolded. Many of our newer BVA members enlisted or were called up thereafter to participate in ensuing conflicts that followed 9/11. In solemn commemoration of the anniversary, now known in many circles as Patriot Day, the following constitute meaningful ways to demonstrate respect and honor those who gave their lives, […]

VA’s Whole Health content focuses this month on both conventional and Complementary and Integrative Health (CIH) treatments—and how the two approaches converge. The tools provided will help BVA members and their families share how CIH, along with conventional treatment, results in better outcomes for veteran health and well-being. The tools include two videos and a feature story.  Integrative approaches may include medication, guided imagery, acupuncture, biofeedback, clinical hypnosis, tai chi/qigong, yoga, and massage therapy. Some […]

Among BVA’s membership may be veterans who have decided to further their education, either soon after leaving active duty or after many years. Returning to an academic environment of any kind can be exciting and present new possibilities, but it can also be challenging and perhaps intimidating to adapt to this new chapter of life. With the upcoming start of the fall college semester and the return of student veterans to the classroom, the VA […]

National Service Dog Month was formed in 2008. The idea for this appreciation month came from actor Dick Van Patten, who was impressed by the great help he had observed service dogs perform to humans with certain ailments and disabilities. To further the cause, he also launched a fundraising initiative to benefit the animals who worked hard every day in service dog training schools.  Van Patten also became an honorary board member of the Guide […]

BVA Executive Director Donald D. Overton, Jr. was quoted in a Washington Post investigative report this week that highlighted the difficulty in keeping fake service animals off planes while at the same time assuring that all legally blind persons with trained guide dogs are allowed to fly. The article reported on the increased difficulty in taking guide dogs onto flights since new Department of Transportation rules took effect in January 2021.  The original intent of […]

As joyous as the Allied celebrations were on Victory in Europe Day (V-E Day), on May 8, 1945, they were rather quickly subdued by the knowledge that war raged on in the Pacific. The battles for Iwo Jima and Okinawa during the first half of 1945 were marked by spectacular carnage, and Americans had to confront the reality that Japan had never surrendered to a foreign power and that no Japanese military unit had yet […]

VA national cemeteries will be the focus of this year’s National Day of Service commemorating the 22nd anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The events will occur at more than 60 national cemeteries and include opportunities for volunteers to clean headstones and participate in other beautification projects. “The sacrifice of generations of Americans who wore the uniform for our country is always on display at our national cemeteries,” said VA Under Secretary for […]