The Associated Veterans of Bakersfield is looking for volunteers to join the Kern County Honor Guard. (Photo: David Seibold)

New housing developments for low-income veterans, an update on Veterans Village of San Diego, and a call for Honor Guard volunteers in Kern County make up our third California veterans news roundup for February 2023. 

Readers can also submit veterans news stories to southards.calegion@gmail.com. 

Kern County Veterans News

• Elder veterans unable to make the Honor Flight Kern County trip from Bakersfield to Washington D.C. will have the opportunity to visit The Wall That Heals, a traveling replica of the Vietnam War Memorial, that’s being displayed in San Luis Obispo in March. 
• The Associated Veterans of Bakersfield Honor Guard is asking for veteran volunteers to conduct funeral rites for the county’s fallen service members and veterans. More information can be found at the Kern County Veterans Services Office.

San Bernardino County Veterans News

• Community of Friends, a nonprofit real estate developer, announced that it plans to break ground on a new Redlands project that will provide permanent housing and supportive services for at least 60 low-income veterans families this spring. The project is partially funded by the California Housing Accelerator program, CalVet, and the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors.

San Joaquin County Veterans News

• Dignity’s Alcove Inc., a homeless veterans shelter in Stockton, was forced to shut down last Wednesday until at least March 1, pending structural repairs ordered by the city. It is currently unclear how many veterans have been affected by the closure. California American Legion News has reached out to Dignity’s Alcove for more information.

San Diego County Veterans News

• Per the Associated Press, and as part of the Immigrant Military Members and Veterans Initiative, two U.S. Army veterans who were deported after their service were sworn in as U.S. citizens last Wednesday. Leonel Contreras and Mauricio Hernandez Mata are among 65 veterans who have been naturalized after deportation since early 2022.
• As reported by inewsource, Veterans Village of San Diego, or VVSD, is still under an admissions freeze while state and local investigators look into “health hazards, a severe staffing shortage, widespread drug use, overdoses, deaths, and other problems inside the facility.” California American Legion News reached out to the California Department of Health Care Services, which confirmed that several investigations are underway.

Recent Veterans Posts & Videos From California American Legion

• News: VA to Pay for all Emergency Mental Health Care
• Veterans Awareness and Membership Information Campaign
• 2023-2024 Department Forms are now available
• National American Legion College applications coming soon

Important Veterans & Military Holidays in January

• Jan. 25 — Anniversary of the U.S. & Allied victory at the Battle of the Bulge
• Feb. 3 — Four Chaplains Day
• Feb. 9 — Anniversary of the U.S. Victory at the Battle of Guadalcanal
• Feb. 28 — Anniversary of the U.S.-led victory in the Persian Gulf War

Author: Christian Southards

Coming from a family with a proud military background and wanting to contribute his writing skills to a worthy cause, Christian began writing for the California American Legion in August of 2020. His father is a 25-year Army Veteran and his grandfather served in the Navy during Vietnam.