As many of you know, the county, most local officials and virtually all of the local veterans organizations have been pushing a plan to create a "Veteran's Village'' on the 184-acre Hudson River property. The idea is to renovate the facilities already there and to build affordable housing, a continuing care retirement community, temporary housing for the families of vets receiving medical care and other amenities.

Instead of embracing a plan that would benefit local veterans, the VA announced last month that it has decided to lease 100 acres to private developers who will almost certainly build luxury housing. They're planning to hold an "industry forum" next week where developers will have a chance to pitch their bids for the project.

I'm hoping to talk to Spano after the meeting to find out if he made any progress in changing their minds. Look for my story Monday on Lohud.com and in The Journal News.

Joe Kaliany, a consultant with the foundation, tells me that its military outreach program "can be incredibly helpful to veterans,'' and offers a number of resources.

"Becoming paralyzed raises an unthinkable number of questions and this campaign hopes to help veterans answer as many of those as possible," Kiliany said.

The PRC military campaign is a one-of-a-kind effort that puts veterans with mobility impairments into one-on-one contact with specialists trained to assist them work through any confusion resulting from paralysis. Click here to check out their website and find out more. Those interested in speaking to an expert can do make arrangements on the website to have someone call them, or call  the PRC's military and veterans hotline at 866-962-8387.

The "Wings of Freedom'' tour, an educational display of vintage WWII aircraft, lands at the Westchester County Airport tomorrow and will be here through Monday.

Sponsored by the Collings Foundation, a non-profit "living history" organization, the display gives the public a chance to check out a B-17 Flying Fortress, B-24 Liberator, B-25 Mitchell and P-51 Mustang inside and out. They're asking for a $12 donation for adults and $6 for kids under 12.

The planes are scheduled to land at 2 p.m. tomorrow and will be on display until 5 p.m. at Million Air, 136 Tower Road, Hangar M. Hours for the rest of the week are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. They leave on Monday at noon.

I'll be there when they land tomorrow to do a story for lohud.com and The Journal News. Drop by if you have the time – especially if you're a WWII vet. I'll interview you and make you famous.

Check out the Collings Foundation's website here to see some photos of the planes and find out more about the exhibit.

During the 7 p.m. service at Pelham Veteran's Plaza on Fifth Avenue, the veterans will remember the 12 Pelham residents designated as missing in action since World War II.

"The whole idea is just to remember these kids who never came home and to urge our government officials not to stop trying to locate them,'' said Russ Williams, a Marine Corps veteran and secretary of the Tappan-based chapter.

The event kicks off at 7 p.m. and will feature a parade of colors feature color guards from local police and fire departments, VFW and American Legion posts and other local organizations. Speakers will include Rockland Count Legislator John Murphy, a Marine Corps vet and a number of Gold Star mothers from the lower Hudson Valley.

The Nam Knights' annual POW/MIA Recognition Day is just one of the great things this group does around here. Just a few weeks ago they donated $1,000 and 5,000 lbs. of food to the Veterans Food Pantry at Montrose VA hospital.

I hope they get a great turn out.  If you want to find out more about the Knights, here's a link to their website.

When Joe Cohen was in the Army in 1955, he had to duck into a trench in Nevada while they detonated an atomic bomb 1,000 yards away.

"They kept telling us not to worry, that it was perfectly safe,'' Cohen, of Hastings, told me during an interview at his house today. "We never thought they would put us in harm's way.  What did I know? I was just a dumb 20-year-0ld kid, doing what he was told.''

Cohen's company commander volunteered his unit for "Operation Teapot,'' a series of tests conducted to study the effects of atomic blasts on military operations.

You can read the full story about Cohen and his experiences, and see a video interview this weekend on lohud.com and in The Journal News.

According to this story in the Stars & Stripes, Frank Couples was born in Misouri in 1901 and lied about his age to join the Army in 1917.

Buckles has the support of U.S. Rep. Ted Poe, R-Texas, who announced Tuesday that he will introduce legislation — the Frank Buckles World War I Act — that would fund the restoration of the existing D.C. War Memorial and expand it to commemorate the all the nation's veterans of that conflict.

The current monument, built in 1931, honors only local veterans, and is in a state of disrepair, the Stars & Stripes story says. The entire monument, situated between the Korean and World War II memorials, is largely hidden by overgrown trees.

"Most visitors and residents of D.C. don't even know it's here," said Edwin Fountain, former president of the D.C. Preservation League, an organization that placed the memorial on their list of Most Endangered Places in 2006.

How sad. Here's hoping the memorial gets the attention it deserves and is expanded to acknowledge the sacrifices of the doughboys who served.

Fred Hillman, a member of the VVA in White Plains, also happens to be vice president of the "Nam Knights,'' a motorcycle club of veterans and police officers based in Tappan. Hillman brought the idea to the Knights and they did their own drive in Pearl River last week. The result was the delivery of 5,000 pounds of food and $1,000 to the pantry.

"I was overwhelmed,'' said Duke Searles, director of the pantry. "It's the biggest single donations we've ever had.''

With his own shelves filled, Searles was able to bring some food up the to pantry at Castle Point.

Great job by vets on both side of the river!

You can see his photo and read the story here.

Pretty cool.

But he's not there to root for any candidate; Roberts is part of a Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, or IAVA, which is there to meet with delegates and convention guests. The aim is to raise awareness about critical issues facing the 1.7 million Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and highlight the fight for the new GI bill.

The group is planning a major community service event for delegates as well as Denver residents that includes preparing care packages for troops serving overseas.  A delegation of IAVA veterans will also travel to the upcoming republican National Convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul to press their case.

Roberts, a West Point graduate, is a former Army officer who served in the field artillery brancj from 1997 to 2004. In 2004 he deployed to Iraq with the 4th Infantry Division. He currently lives in New York City.