Military Officer - December 2008 - (Page 22) rapidfire T VA Mortgage Help In Review Into the Fire: Ploesti, The Most Fateful Mission of World War II By Duane Schultz. Westholme Publishing, 2007. $26. ISBN 978-159416-051-6. hanks to the Veterans’ Benefits Improvement Act of 2008, as of October 2008, the VA now can help veterans who have subprime loans. Veterans with conventional home loans also have new options for refinancing to a guaranteed home loan. Veterans now may refinance their subprime or conventional mortage for up to 100 percent of the value of their property. This is up from 90 percent. The VA’s maximum loan amount for these types of refinancing loans has been raised from $144,000 to $729,750, depending on where the property is located. The VA’s authority to guarantee adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs) and hybrid ARMs also was extended through Sept. 30, 2012. Unlike conventional ARMs and hybrid ARMs, the VA limits interest rate increases on these loans from year to year, as well as for the life of the loan. For more information call the VA at (800) 827-1000, or visit www.homeloans.va.gov. Vietnam’s Forgotten Army: Heroism and Betrayal in the ARVN By Andrew Wiest. New York University Press, 2008. $35. ISBN 978-0-8147-9410-4. TRICAREUPDATE TO AVOID PAYING THE 2009 MEDICARE deductible, Medicare-eligible beneficiaries should make sure their first health care service of the calendar year is covered by both TRICARE for Life (TFL) and Medicare. Unlike the TFL deductible, which is applied at the beginning of the fiscal year, the Medicare deductible ($135 for 2009) is based on the calendar year. In order for TFL to pay the annual Medicare deductible, your first health care service of the calendar year must be covered by both Medicare and TRICARE. If, for example, you received chiropractic care — which sometimes is covered by Medicare but is not a TFL-covered benefit — as your first health care service of the calendar year, you would be responsible for the $135 Medicare deductible. Medicare-aged patients typically do not pay a TRICARE deductible. 22 MILITARY OFFICER DECEMBER 2008 An American B-24 bomber raid of a heavily defended Romanian oil refinery at Ploesti in August 1943 turned out to be the “worst catastrophe in the history of the Army Air Corps,” according to Duane Schultz. This is one of the best stories of World War II aviation, as he describes the poor planning, erroneous intelligence, and command arrogance that resulted in a 27-minute aerial slaughter of American bomber crews by German and Romanian fighters and antiair artillery in a raid U.S. airmen considered suicidal. He tells brilliantly of the 1,200-mile flight from North Africa, the raid by 177 Liberator bombers, and the loss of nearly one-third of the planes and two-thirds of the crews, as well as the heroic efforts of a Romanian princess to save downed aviators. The Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) never enjoyed a positive reputation with its enemies or allies, but it cannot fairly be characterized as a uniformly poor army, Andrew Wiest asserts. This is a history of the ARVN from its creation in 1949 to its final defeat in 1975. This revealing, honest, and balanced appraisal of the ARVN’s 26 years of constant warfare tells not only of its corruption, political infighting, and inept senior leadership but also showcases the ARVN’s loyalty, bravery, and little-publicized battlefield successes. In telling this story, Wiest highlights the lives and careers of two ARVN officers, both courageous and competent, one a military hero, the other a traitor and national disgrace. From small unit actions to major battles, Wiest praises individual soldiers, NCOs, and junior officers. — William D. Bushnell IMAGES: ABOVE, STEVE BARRETT; LEFT, SHUTTERSTOCK http://www.homeloans.va.gov
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