SRPMIC Veteran's Hall

"Putting Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community Veteran's First"

What is the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community Veterans Hall?

The Veteran's Hall was established to provide the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community Veterans with their earned Veteran's Administration benefits and other veteran representation and assistance. Every Veteran deserves representation which will address the unique and special needs of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community Veteran. The differences of our culture, tradition, and heritage truly form the basis and establishment of the Veteran's Affairs Office. The Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community Veteran Affairs Office has hired a Veteran's Representative to assist these veterans.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Veteran's Affairs Office is to educate and assist the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community Veteran's without regard to Tribal Affiliation, Degree of Indian Blood, and Branch of the Armed Forces or Combat status in obtaining benefits and entitlements from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

What is offered

At the Veterans Hall, the focus is on the Native American Veteran. The Office monitor's the Veterans Administration and Department of Defense regarding benefit changes made by Congress and upcoming events which affect the Native American veteran. This Office is established with the understanding that it is better able to recognize and respect culture, tradition, and heritage; understand the pride and commitment it takes for a Community Member to serve this country and still remain true to our culture and heritage.

The Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community Veteran Affairs Office will provide assistance to any Veteran, Native or not, with the primary focus being on our Native American Community Veteran's. The Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community Veteran's Hall was formed with you the Community Veteran in mind and you will always be the focus of this Hall.

How to use the Hall

The purpose of this office is to work with all Community Veterans and to assist with issues which relate to them and their families as follows:

VA Health Care Benefits; Service Connected Disabilities; Pensions, Education, and Training; Home Loan Guaranty; Life Insurance; Burial and Memorial Benefits; Reserve and National Guard; Special Groups of Veterans; Transition Assistance; Dependents and Survivors Health Care and Benefits; Appeals of VA Claims Decisions; Military Medals and Records; VA Forms on-line; And other Federal Benefits.

Contact Information

If you have further questions please visit or contact George W. Robinson at:

Veteran's Hall
10005 East Osborn Road, Bldg. #26
Scottsdale, Arizona 85256

Phone: 480.362.5530
Fax: 480.850.8159
Email: george.robinson@srpmic-nsn.gov

Hours of Operation: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 8.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. (hours of operation and day are subject to change). The Hall is located right across from Behavioral Health, Social Services, and next to Youth Services.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

APRIL 2, 2011

Westwood Pow Wow – Westwood High School 8th Annual Social Pow Wow –- Location: 945 West 8th St. Mesa, Arizona 85201. Gourd Dance at 10.00 a.m. and 4.00 p.m.; Grand Entry at 12.00 p.m. and 6.00 p.m. Food Booths: $300.00 with limit of four booths and must have a Maricopa County Permit; Arts and Crafts: $40.00 by March 25, 2011 and $50.00 thereafter; Contact: Doug Norton, 602.561.2137/doknorton@mpsaz.org; Free Admission and Public is Welcome. Visit event website.

APRIL 2 & 3, 2011

Arizona's Western Heritage Showcase -- "Celebrating our past, establishing our artistic cultures and our future." Location: Pueblo Grande Museum 4619 East Washington Street, Phoenix, Arizona 85034. This event is open to all artists with high quality fine art related to Western, native American, Hispanic, and any other cultures relating to shaping Arizona's history. Open to all paintings, watercolors, pastels, sculpture, bronze, stone, etc. For more information, visit the event website, send email to info@SouthwesternPremierArtists.com, or call 480.595.2443. Application deadline is February 15, 2011.

APRIL 9, 2011

1st Annual Bobcat Benefit Pow Wow -- Central High School, Phoenix, AZ

APRIL 22-24, 2011

25th Annual Arizona State University Pow Wow –- Location: ASU Band Practice Field, 6th Street and Rural Road, Tempe, Arizona. Friday: Gourd Dance at 5.30 p.m. and Grand Entry at 6.30 p.m.; Saturday: Gourd Dance at 11.30 p.m. and 5.30 p.m. and Grand Entry at 1.00 p.m. and 7.30 p.m.; Sunday: Gourd Dance at 11.30 p.m. and Grand Entry at 1.00 p.m. For more information as to Arts and Crafts or Admission, call: 480.965.5224 or email: letspowwow@asu.edu. Visit event website.

AMERICAN LEGION POST #114, "BUSHMASTERS"

History

"They came together from squalid Indian reservations, from the barrios of Phoenix and Tucson, from prep schools on the Hudson and coal mines in Pennsylvania, and they became the fighting team known as the Bushmasters. Lauded by McArthur as among the finest units under his command, reviled by Tokyo rose as "bloody butchers", the group began humbly as part of the Arizona National Guard. A year later of jungle training in Panama, much of it spent fighting the Regular Army types who called then 'spics and blanket-asses, earned them their nickname after the notoriously deadly pit viper found in the region. Thrown together by the fortunes of war, men whose lives would never have touched fought through the jungles of New Guinea and the Philippines, proving the Japanese wrong when they said a nation of mongrels would never overcome Bushido warriors." Anthony Arthur, Bushmasters: Americas Jungle Warriors of World War II, (St. Martins Press, 1987)

About Us

Location: The American Legion Post #114, "Bushmasters" is located at building #26, right across from Behavioral Health, Social Services, and next to the Youth Services.

Current List of Officers and Contact Information: Ricardo Leonard, Post Commander; Rick Dumas, Vice-Post Commander; George W. Robinson, Post Adjutant; Bob Numkena, Post Chaplin; Raymond Price, Post Sgt-at Arms, and Gregory Vincent, Post Assistant Sgt-at-Arms. The telephone number is 480.362.5530.

Meeting Times: Meetings are generally held at 9.00 a.m. on the first Sunday of each month. Meeting dates and times will vary when necessary due to Post commitments within the Community or elsewhere.

Newsletter:

Ladies Auxiliary: The Post currently has an American Legion Auxiliary; all interested Community ladies are encouraged to join and applications are available at the Post. The Ladies Auxiliary Officers are: President – Denise Vincent; Vice-President – Nancy Hamana; Secretary – Sherry Arvago; Treasure – Thaylia Kewanwytewa; Chaplin – Darlene Pino; Historian – Nancy Hamana; and Sgt-at-Arms – Maryann Doane.

Sons of the American Legion (SAL): Applications are available for a person to be a Son of the American Legion. For more information contact the Post for details.

Auxiliary Junior Membership: Applications are available for young people to become members of the Auxiliary. For more information contact the Post for details.

Annual Events: Salt River Veterans Pow Wow, March 12, 13, 2010 – Salt River Ball Field; White Eagle Pow Wow, White Eagle, Oklahoma.

Membership and Eligibility: Membership is available to any Community member regardless of branch of service. Membership Eligibility in the American Legion is based on honorable service with the U.S. Armed Forces Between: April 6, 1917-November 11, 1918 (World War I); December 7, 1941-December 31, 1946 (World War II); June 25, 1950-January 31, 1955 (Korean War); February 28, 1961-May 7, 1975 (Vietnam War); August 24, 1982-July 31, 1984 (Lebanon/Grenada); December 20, 1989-January 31, 1990 (Operation Just Cause); August 2, 1990-Today (Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm)

Because eligibility dates remain open, all members of the U.S. Armed Forces are eligible to join the American Legion at this time, until the date of the end of hostilities as determined by the government of the United States.

You must have served at least one day of active military duty during one of the dates above and honorably discharged or still serving honorably.

For new membership, you must submit a copy of your DD214 or Discharge at the time of application. For transfers, you must complete a Member Data Form; submit a copy of your DD214 or Discharge, and a copy of your membership card. It is very important that every veteran must submit a copy of their DD214 or Discharge for continued membership. For more information please contact the Post at 480.362.5530.