REMEMBERING THE FORGOTTEN Powerful Ways to Honor Our Veterans
Every year, Memorial Day reminds us to honor those who paid the ultimate price for their country. The holiday, celebrated on May 25 this year, also marks the unofficial start of summer. Memorial Day will be different this year, no doubt, and maybe that is a good thing. There is certainly no harm in enjoying a three-day weekend, but we should not forget what Memorial Day is about. While we all face new challenges in a strange and uncertain time, we should remember our fallen servicemen and servicewomen, all of them. There are many who never returned. Across the globe, there are 25 American military cemeteries in 10 foreign countries, including France, Belgium, the U.K., the Philippines, and Tunisia. Some estimates show that up to 130,000 American soldiers are buried in these hallowed grounds.
Then there are the women. In 2016, Congress enacted legislation allowing the remains of women who served in the Women Airforce Service Pilots during World War II to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery. These women were the first to fly military aircraft for noncombat and training missions, which came with a cost. Thirty-eight female pilots died in service. And during the Vietnam era, 11,000 American military women served “in country,” most working as nurses and the majority as volunteers. Eight military women are listed on the wall of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C. So, consider taking just a moment to remember those who served come this Memorial Day. The National Moment of Remembrance Act encourages all Americans to pause wherever they are at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day for a minute of silence to remember and honor those who have died in service to the nation. As Moment of Remembrance founder Carmella LaSpada states: “It’s a way we can all help put the memorial back in Memorial Day.”
HOW THINGS ARE GOING We continue to work with our current clients and help new clients know where they stand with their injuries, workers’ compensation, and Social Security disability matters. Here is a quick rundown of where things stand. been working closely with us to coordinate the hearings. Everyone is conferenced in, and hearings have gone more smoothly as everyone masters the technology. However, telephone
hearings are not for everyone. Some clients are better off waiting until they can appear in person so the administrative law judge can get a firsthand account of how their medical conditions affect everyday activities. The state’s Workers’ Compensation Board, operating under the governor’s order, is offering telephone hearings. Whether the board will allow an injured worker to postpone their hearing in favor of a live hearing is an open question. Unlike Social Security hearings, workers’ compensation hearings are like trials, with each side putting on a case and making arguments. It does not make sense to do something like this over the phone in many cases. We will continue to keep everyone updated as we navigate through these uncertain times. Stay safe. We’re all in this together!
We are working remotely with full capacity to communicate with our clients and continue work on their cases. If you need to talk, then give us a call, and we can set up a telephone appointment. Although the Oregon state courts are still working under a Supreme Court order that limits access to the courts, we are filing our cases, serving summons, and doing all the pretrial work we were doing before the order issued. We will be conducting video depositions next week and look forward to a virtual mediation on an injury claim later in the month. Curious about mediation? Check out helpful resources on our web site. We have held quite a few Social Security hearings via telephone conference. The Social Security Administration’s Office of Hearings Operations has
The Di Bartolomeo Law Office, P.C. 1139 Exchange Street | Astoria, Oregon | 503-325-8600 | www.JoeDiBartolomeo.com
2 |
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator