Woman vet of the year honored by Providence VA

As part of its current effort to recognize women veterans, the Providence VA regional office at 380 Westminster St. will honor Rhonda Ziehl as its first Rhode Island Woman Veteran of the Year on Thursday, April 26, starting at noon.

Ziehl is an Air Force veteran who specialized as a bomb-dog handler. During her military career, she worked with the Secret Service providing security support to President George W. Bush and Vice President Dan Quayle.

Ziehl is an active member of several local veterans organizations, Rhode Island Blue Star Moms, Wreaths Across America Rhode Island and Operation Stand Down’s Boots on the Ground committee. She is also a member of American Legion William Shields Post 43 in Warwick.

Immediately after the award ceremony, a screening of the film documentary, "Soldier On — Life After Deployment," produced and directed by award-winning filmmaker Susan Sipprelle, will be shown in the first-floor classroom. Sipprelle grew up in Rhode Island and now lives in the New York City area and serves on the board of NewportFILM and the Newport Performing Arts Center. She will be present to share her insight and lead a discussion on the film, which tells the story of three women veterans who face challenges upon their return to civilian life. For more information, call Mark Ramos, public affairs officer, at (401) 223-3630.

VA health clinic,

town hall meetings

The Providence VA Medical Center Homeless Patient-Aligned Care Team and Operation Stand Down Rhode Island present their annual Spring into Health Resource Fair on Friday, April 27, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the HPACT Clinic, Trailer-37, on the Providence VAMC campus at 830 Chalkstone Ave. Lunch will be provided and the event also will feature giveaway items and resources, including banking and personal finance, wellness training, smoking cessation, health and nutrition, suicide prevention, housing, substance abuse treatment and prevention, information about Narcan and energy assistance. Many of the latter are available through the VA’s regional office at the Veterans Benefits Administration at 380 Westminster Mall in downtown Providence.

The Providence VA Medical Center's New Bedford, Mass., VA Clinic will host a veterans’ town hall meeting on Saturday, April 28, from 1 to 2:30 p.m., at the New Bedford VA Clinic at 175 Elm St., and will feature information about available VA health care and services.

Veterans breakfast,

resource fair May 5

U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I) will host his 11th annual veterans breakfast and resource fair featuring guest speaker Kasim Yarn, director of the R.I. Office of Veterans Affairs, from 9 to 11.m. Saturday, May 5, at the Portuguese Social Club, 131 School St., Pawtucket. Breakfast is free for veterans and their families. Resource tables and representatives from state, federal and nonprofit agencies will be present to connect veterans with opportunities for VA benefits and claims, continuing education and other programs. Reservations are required and can be obtained by calling Senator Whitehouse’s office at (401) 453-5294.

Boots on the Ground

for Heroes Memorial

Join Operation Stand Down Rhode Island on Memorial Day weekend, from May 25 to 28, for its third annual Boots on the Ground for Heroes Memorial observance. OSDRI launched its unique memorial with the dramatic display of nearly 7,000 military boots, each one adorned with a name placard and an American flag representing an American service member killed in action in the Global War on Terror.

The first of its kind back in 2016, the display has garnered local and national news coverage since then and, sadly, it continues to grow each year with the passing of more military heroes in pursuit of guarding those freedoms all Americans hold dear. You owe it to yourself to stop by, reflect on what has been done for all of us in the name of freedom, which, as we know, is not free. It comes with the dearest price of all and we must not forget those who give their all. The memorial is free and open to the public.

OSDRI is seeking volunteers to help with the Boots on the Ground memorial setup from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, May 23, and Thursday, May 24. The location is in Roger Williams Park, 1000 Elmwood Ave., Providence, by the Temple to Music. Volunteers will polish boots and line them up, attach name placards and place an American flag in each boot. To volunteer online, go to this link, https://conta.cc/2EW9CUR, or call Jessica Miller at (401) 383-4730.

Meetings

— The Rhode Island Governor’s Advisory Council for Veterans’ Affairs, 5:30 p.m. Monday, April 23, Office of Veterans Affairs conference room, 560 Jefferson Blvd., Warwick.

— Sampson Air Force Base Vets Association Rhode Island Squadron, 1 p.m. Tuesday, April 24, Twin Oaks Restaurant Billy’s Room, 100 Sabra St., Cranston, for all Air Force veterans.

— Jewish War Veterans of the USA Post 23, 11 a.m. Wednesday, April 25, Tamarisk Assisted Living Community, 3 Shalom Dr., Warwick, election of officers and hear guest speaker Mike Schlesinger discuss recent federal tax law changes. A two-choice kosher meal will follow at noon, and spouses and guests are welcome, but $9 meal reservations for non-Tamarisk residents must be made by Monday, April 23, to Steven Musen at (401) 463-5159 or send an email to musensth@cox.net.

— American Legion Smithfield’s Balfour-Cole Post 64, 6 p.m. collation and 7 p.m. meeting Wednesday, April 25, 170 Pleasant View Ave.

— U.S. Army Special Forces Association R.I. Chapter 48, optional dinner at 6:30 p.m. and a 7:30 p.m. business meeting Thursday, April 26, Gregg’s Restaurant, 4120 Quaker Lane, North Kingstown.

— Send veterans’ meeting and news items to George W. Reilly at VeteransColumn@gmail.com.