DeSoto Trace Chapter

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The SAR Veterans Recognition Committee provides recognition to living SAR veterans by awarding the SAR Certificate of Patriotism. It ensures that the work of the committee not only has a legacy dimension, but is also visionary and administratively sound so that the incumbent SAR President General can expand the Veterans Corps to include service to country during periods of peace, war, and/or armed conflict.

During his 2016-2017 term, SAR President General J. Michael Tomme will accommodate the processing of Certificates of Patriotism for past, current, and future conflicts in the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) Area of Responsibility (AOR), which consists of eighteen countries in the Middle East and East Africa (these countries include Afghanistan, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, and Yemen).  President General Tomme also wishes to continue Veterans Recognition Committee's initiatives introduced by prior President Generals and to continue the Grateful Nation Remembers Program during his tenure.

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Mission Statement. 

Provide recognition to living NSSAR Veterans, by awarding the SAR Certificates of Patriotism. Ensure the work of the VRC not only has a legacy dimension, but is also visionary and administratively sound, so that the incumbent President General can expand the Veterans Corps to include service to country during periods of peace, war and/or armed conflict.

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Historical Overview. 

Pursuant to Special and Other Committees (Bylaw 20), five SAR Veterans Corps have been created to date. President General J. David Sympson (2010-2011) created the World War II Veterans Corps, under the leadership of Compatriot Daniel R. McMurray of Missouri prior to 2012. To date 856 SAR members have been inducted into this Corps. Of this number, 591 remain with us. At the Fall Leadership Conference/Trustee Meeting, September 27-29, 2012, President General Stephen A. Leishman (2012- 2013) announced the creation of the Veterans Recognition Committee (VRC). He directed that the World War II Veterans Corps Program be placed under the purview of the VRC, and that the VRC implement the establishment of a Korean Service Veterans Corps (KSVC). His decision was visionary, since it was consistent with United States Senate Resolution 602 that followed November 27, 2012. On that date, the Senate approved a bipartisan resolution formally recognizing the 60th anniversary of the Korean War and designating 2012-2013 as the "Year of the Korean War Veteran." At this time 127 Compatriots have become members of the KSVC. During his induction banquet on July 10, 2013, President General Joseph W. Dooley announced the creation of a Vietnam War Veterans Task Force to bring on line the Vietnam War Veterans Corps (VWVC). President General Dooley’s specific guidance concerning the implementation ofthis Corps is a matter of record on pages 90 and 91 of his NSSAR Committee Report of 16 Sep 2013. As of this date 390 Compatriots have signed-on to become members of the VWVC. Further, prior to the end of his tenure President General Dooley announced that on 24 June 2014 the SAR was awarded recognition as a Commemorative Partner in accordance with Public Law 110-181 Sec.598 to assist and support a grateful nation in thanking and honoring our Vietnam War Veterans for their Service, Valor and Sacrifice. This was most appropriate since the Compatriots of the SAR as descendants of the heroes of the America Revolution who by their sacrifices established the United States of America and gave us the principles of liberty and our Constitutional Republic, welcome the opportunity to affirm our support to honor those patriots who answered the call and received the Vietnam Service Medal for service to country. On 23 Jul 2014 President General Lindsey C. Brock placed the Vietnam War Veterans Corps as a regular VetCorps component under the purview of the VRC.

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On July 1, 2015 Judge Thomas E. Lawrence became the 112th President General. During President General Lawrence’s 2015-2016 tenure, the VRC will (1) Continue the Grateful Nation Remembers Program, which honors the World War II Veteran Corps Compatriots who are still with us; (2) Continue the publishing of the SAR Veterans Bugle Newsletter; (3) Join the Military Service Veterans Corps Task Force, with all its functions and responsibilities, to the standard components of the Veterans Recognition Committee alongside the other SAR Veterans Corps; (4) Continue VRC vetting and processing of Certificates of Patriotism for all SAR Veterans Corps; vet and process Certificates of Patriotism for Compatriots joined to the newly created Task Forces; (5) Standup the Special Ops Veterans Corps Task Force under the VRC so as to accommodate the processing of Certificates of Patriotism for past, current and future operations which are associated with less known campaign, service and/or expeditionary medals; and (6) Standup the Southwest Asia Task Force under the VRC to accommodate the processing of Certificates of Patriotism for past, current and future conflicts in select countries of the Middle East and East Africa.

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Governing Policy. 

In accomplishing its mission the VRC holds these understanding as core beliefs:

(1) The Compatriots who authorized the Military Service Medal in 2006 and articulated the policy relating to this award in the SAR Handbook grasped the difference between a congressional declaration of war as authorized by Article One, Section Eight of the US Constitution and undeclared wars as provided by the War Powers Resolution. The VRC too must be familiar thoroughly with the difference.

(2) The decision as to what service medal a veteran receives is a function of proof and certification that resides at the chapter, state, and national levels.

(3) The VRC is not a policeman in the decision process that is clearly vested in the Chapter President or his designee, for we believe in the integrity of sound staff action, good policy implementation and the honesty of Compatriots.

(4) When questions are asked for interpretation or justification of the War Service Medal over the Military Service Medal, the VRC must be ready to provide creditable recommendations based upon research as found in law, legislation, Armed Services documents, and/or common sense.

(5) When it comes to forwarding a request for the President General’s signature on a Certificate of Patriotism, the VRC must be accurate in the understanding of SAR policy and confident that a chapter president’s verifying endorsement holds water. Meaning, the Compatriot is an eligible veteran and he served consistent with the awarding of either the SAR War Service Medal or the SAR Military Service Medal.

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The SAR recognized that many of its members have served or are serving in the military.  The Veterans Recognition Committee is working to identify those members and issue special recognition to them during various meetings.

 

The following is a list of specific Veterans Corps identified by the VRC for special recognition with a Certificate of Patriotism. WWII, Korea, Vietnam, SW Asia, Special Ops, Kosovo. Iraq, Afghanistan, GWOT.

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