Cooling centers are open throughout California in light of the ongoing heatwave.

Our next California Veterans news roundup includes PACT Act updates, info on heatwave relief, and more.

Readers are encouraged to send Veterans-related stories to news@calegion.org. 

Statewide: California Veterans news

• The deadline to receive retroactive VA PACT Act benefits is Aug. 10. Claims can still be filed after the deadline, but applying Veterans will no longer be eligible for benefits dating back to August 2022.
• Cooling centers across California will remain open through the ongoing heatwave. For a complete list of cooling centers in each California county, click here.

Bay Area Veterans news

• Veteran-owned business Vocational Rehabilitation Specialists Inc., or VRSI, received nearly $300,000 in federal funds as part of the Department of Labor’s Homeless Veteran Reintegration Program. VRSI will provide free supportive services for eligible Homeless Veterans in Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Benito counties.

Northern California Veterans news

• Army Veteran Gregory Gross of Yuba City has been awarded a $20 million settlement after Sacramento police officers were found to have used excessive force during a 2020 traffic stop that left Gross in need of round-the-clock medical care for the rest of his life. Gross was accused of drunk driving leading to a minor collision when officers pulled him over.

San Diego Veterans news

• The city of San Diego has announced that its annual Veterans Day Parade will return this year after a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Recent Veterans articles & videos from California American Legion

• News: Sunday Marks the One-Year Anniversary of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
• News: U.S. Navy Implements The Brandon Act, Transforming Mental Health Support
• News: Decades Later, Veterans and Families Still Seek Answers after Devasting Fire that Destroyed Millions of Veterans’ Records
• Resource: 2023 The American Legion National Convention Mobile App
• News: Lincoln Residents Express Concerns Over Ground Contamination from Cold War Missile Site
• News: Determined Boy Scout Restores Forgotten Veterans Memorial Site in Monrovia | California American Legion (calegion.org)

Important Veterans & Military Holidays in July

• July 4 — Independence Day
• July 27 — National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day

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.