I Am Not Invisible, a traveling photo exhibit featuring portraits and bios of 20 Oregon women veterans from diverse backgrounds and eras of service, is on display in the nation’s capital this week.
The Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs is proud to present the world premiere of “Breaking the Silence,” a documentary featuring the stories of some of Oregon’s LGBTQ service members and veterans. This groundbreaking film explores the lives of five Oregon veterans, who not only served their country honorably, but were forced to serve in silence and at great risk to themselves, their careers and their families.
The Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs is inviting the veteran community and partners to explore its new and completely redesigned website at www.oregon.gov/odva. The revamped site puts detailed information right at users’ fingertips, covering the full range of benefits, programs and resources available to Oregon veterans and their families, as well as interactive maps and other tools to help locate needed services in your area.
The next meeting of the Advisory Committee to the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs will be held from 9:30 a.m. to noon Sept. 6 at the Inn at the Commons, 200 N. Riverside Ave., in Medford. The public is invited to attend and participate.
The state of Oregon has announced more than $17 million in funding available for the construction, acquisition or rehabilitation of new multifamily rental housing units that serve low-income veterans struggling with financial or mental health crises.
The State of Oregon and the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs values and honors the contributions of all those who have served and continue to serve honorably in the military. Unequivocally, we proudly stand behind all veterans and service members who served with honor, regardless of gender identity, and we will continue to do so.
A new site-specific courtyard by Oregon artist Lee Imonen, as well as a portrait of namesake Edward C. Allworth and two additional works by Oregon artist April Waters, are now installed at the Edward C. Allworth Veterans’ Home in Lebanon.
This weekend, Portland Air National Guard Technical Sgt. Nathaniel Boehme had the rare honor of wearing his military uniform during the Portland Pride Parade on June 18. He will also be allowed to march in uniform during the Seattle Pride Parade that will take place on June 25.
Oregon’s Highly Rural Transportation Program, a federal, state and local partnership that is helping meet the urgent transportation needs of veterans who live in extremely rural areas, has logged over 500,000 miles in its first two years of operation.
That’s farther than the distance to the moon and back.
Want to know what Memorial Day events are being held in your area? There’s a good chance you can find out online, in the directory of Memorial Day ceremonies, parades and other special events that the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs maintains at www.oregondva.com/2017memorialday.
The next meeting of the Advisory Committee to the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs will be held from 9:30 a.m. to noon June 7 at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4108, 1836 S.W. Veterans Way in Redmond. The public is invited to attend and participate.
The history of women in the U.S. Armed Forces is hidden, silent and invisible. The few things known are media snapshots that make the news: arguments about women being drafted, images of MASH nurses, the first woman Ranger, the risk and rate of sexual assault in the military. As important as all these snapshots are, they overshadow the reality of 252 years of U.S. military service by women. It is that lack of knowledge about the contributions of women to this country that maintains our invisibility as Veterans.
