Veterans Connection 03/12/2026

VA is launching a new Claim Assist Portal to make it easier for veterans to keep track of their claims and quickly receive and submit requests for information. A link to the portal will be sent to veterans who file claims.

Features of the portal include:

• Email & SMS notifications when VA needs additional information
• Secure access with temporary passwords & verification codes
• Simple responses—requests will ask for quick input rather than filling out long and complicated forms
• Trusted sender. All messages will come from "do-not-reply@notifications.va.go"
• Faster processing

"A commemorative stamp would be a fitting, lasting tribute to her service and leadership, and a simple reminder—passed hand to hand—of what courage and competence look like in the service of our country and community," said Turner in a joint press release with Beatty. 

Adams Earley served in the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC), where she was one of the first black women to become an officer. In 1944 Adams Earley led the only battalion of black Women Auxiliary Corps to serve overseas in Birmingham, England. In 1945 she was appointed the commanding officer of the first battalion of African-American women, the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion. They would later move to France as the allies advanced.

Adams Earley was renowned for her work within the military to fight prejudice and her desegregation efforts.

The Charity Adams Earley Girls Academy, in Dayton, was named in her honor.

The Arnold Sports festival in Columbus featured a "Real Weight for Real Heroes" event where participants raised money for the Semper Fi & America's Fund to provide support to critically wounded service members, veterans, and their families.

The weightlifters easily surpassed their initial fundraising goal of $10,000, and the donations have continued to roll in since. The donation platform will remain open for the rest of the month.

Larry Draughn, a retired Marine Corporal from Dayton, participated in the event. Draughn, a double amputee due to an IED while he served in Afghanistan, said the Semper Fi Fund has always been there to help.

"It's good to know that people care, Draughn said. "I mean we're the greatest country in the world and to know that people haven't forgotten about the men and women that sacrifice their life and limb every day for this great nation and the freedoms that a lot of us take for granted. There's not enough thanks in the world that can be said or given."

Carillon Historic Park unveiled a new Mound Cold War Discovery Center, honoring the Dayton region's scientific contributions to the Manhattan Project and the work of Mound Laboratory. The Mound Laboratory in Miamisburg conducted top secret research from 1948 to 2003.

The project grew out of the Dayton Project, originally created to produce polonium for the Manhattan project. The project was run by Monsanto in their Dayton laboratory from 1943–1949. Upon the completion of the Mound Laboratory in Miamisburg, the project moved there.

The new exhibit was built in a collaboration between Dayton History, The U.S. Department of Energy, Mound Development Corp., and the Mound Science and Energy Museum Association.

In a statement, Dayton History president and CEO Brady Kress said:

Our community has long been a powerhouse of research, innovation and manufacturing. Over 75 years ago, Col. Edward A. Deeds founded Carillon Park to share the region's stories of ingenuity with the world. The Mound story fits perfectly into that mission.

Wright-Patterson Col. Matthew Muha has been disciplined for his roll in last September's "Operation Honor," but the veterans and organizers who participated in the event have come to his defense.

"Operation Honor" was the first Honor Flight to utilize Air Force aircraft to transport veterans to Washington D.C. to visit war memorials. In the past, Honor Flights utilized commercial airliners. The flights prioritize elderly and terminally ill veterans who may not have another opportunity to experience our national war monuments.

Muha received a letter of counseling charging him of violating Air Force policy in three areas:

• Misrepresenting that Operation Honor was an Air Force-sponsored event
• Soliciting support while in uniform
• Improper use of Air Force credentials

Supporters of Muha are concerned that the disciplinary action could prevent him from receiving future promotions.

Several of the organizers have publicly defended Muha.

According to David Babcock, an Air Force veteran who participated in the event, Co. Muha "was above reproach at every step."

Brian Jarvis, an Air Force veteran who helped organize the event, insisted that they were aware that Muha could not participate in fundraising and the ensured the organizers "kept [him] away from this fundraiser part as much as possible."

Al Bailey, an Army veteran who leads Honor Flight in the Dayton area, said that Muha's leadership was "nothing short of outstanding." Bailey insisted that the Air Force neither solicited money nor did they pay for any of the bills. Even the flight itself was billed to Honor Flight Dayton.

Muha, through his attorney, maintains his innocence. The Air Force, when contacted by the Dayton Daily News, stated that they "do not provide comment on personnel matters or pending actions involving individual members."

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