5 things to know in veterans news: 9/11 tributes, support for psychedelics, foundation helps vets become teachers 

WASHINGTON — A traveling exhibit featuring a 16,900-pound steel beam pulled from the rubble of the World Trade Center will be the backdrop for a special address by President Donald Trump scheduled for Tuesday at the White House.

The president will speak at a morning tribute to recognize the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks against the U.S.

The event will feature first responders from the New York City Fire Department, the Washington, D.C., Fire Department and members of Tunnel to Towers Foundation, which sponsors the traveling exhibit.

“President Trump will pay tribute to the American heroes we lost in the tragic Sept. 11 attacks, their beautiful family members, and to the acts of heroism that defined that fateful day when the unbreakable spirit of the American people prevailed,” White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales said.

The president also will attend a Pentagon ceremony on Sept. 11, and Vice President JD Vance will travel on the same day to the World Trade Center site in New York.

The Tunnel to Towers Foundation helps veterans with rental assistance and modifying homes for disabilities, and it offers support to end homelessness.

Frank Siller — brother of fallen FDNY firefighter Stephen Siller — also will speak at the tribute. He is the foundation chairman and chief executive officer.

American Legion resolution supports psychedelic therapies

The American Legion, meeting at its national convention this week in Louisville, Ky., adopted a resolution supporting safe veteran access to emerging mental health treatments, including psychedelic therapies, through the VA once they have FDA approval.

The resolution endorses legislation pending in Congress called the VHA Novel Therapeutics Preparedness Act.

The bill seeks to advance studies of psychedelic-assisted therapies under evaluation by the Food and Drug Administration for treating brain injuries and mental disorders, according to the legislation.

It would establish an Office of Novel Therapeutics at the VA “to responsibly evaluate, research, and implement emerging treatment modalities consistent with patient safety and evidence-based practice.”

‘Horse soldier’ to discuss post-9/11 mission

Retired Master Sgt. Christopher Spence — who was among the Green Berets who inspired the horse soldier statue, which is displayed in New York — will be the featured speaker at a luncheon at the Virginia War Memorial.

Spence’s address Wednesday in Richmond, Va., will focus on the 25th anniversary of 9/11.

He was a member of Army Special Forces, Operational Detachment Alpha 595, among the first troops deployed to Afghanistan after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Spence took the first photographs of special forces on horseback in Afghanistan that were revealed to the public. Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld used the images at press briefings to show the U.S. military presence.

“It was a dangerous mission. U.S. Special Forces were on the ground in Afghanistan within weeks of the 9/11 attacks to begin the war against the Taliban. Despite all the high-tech gear at their disposal, it was the use of horses that proved pivotal in crossing the rugged terrain. The mounted troops became known as the horse soldiers,” according to the Army.

One of Spence’s photos of a horse soldier became the template for “America’s Response Monument,” the bronze statue in Liberty Park overlooking the 9/11 Memorial & Museum in New York City.

Members of the public can pre-register to attend the event and hear Spence’s talk.

The U.S. Postal Service will introduce a limited-edition commemorative stamp to honor the 150th anniversary of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. The stamp art features two working Coast Guard vessels. (USPS)

Special edition stamp honors the Coast Guard

The postal service announced a national unveiling of the “U.S. Coast Guard Academy” stamp, which will take place in New London, Conn., on Sept. 12.

Yes, indeed, the USPS does hold formal ceremonies to introduce commemorative stamps, and this one will recognize the 150th anniversary of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.

The stamp art features pictures of the USCGC Eagle, the Coast Guard Academy’s primary training vessel since 1946, and the USCGC Bertholf, a Legend-class national security cutter.

The USPS printed 12 million stamps to be sold nationwide.

The ceremony will be held at Custom House Pier and open to the public. News of the stamp is being shared with the hashtag #USCoastGuardStamp.

The USCGC Eagle sails in the Atlantic Ocean, accompanied by a Coast Guard MH-65 “Dolphin” helicopter, in July 2015. The postal service is hosting an unveiling ceremony for a new commemorative postage stamp with a portrait of the USCGC Eagle, a three-masted ship with more than 22,300 square feet of sail and six miles of rigging. (U.S. Coast Guard)

Coast Guard cutter Bertholf is shown operating in the western Pacific Ocean, in support of the Navy’s 7th Fleet. The postal service is unveiling a commemorative stamp celebrating the Coast Guard Academy that features an artistic rendering of the USCGC Bertholf. (John Masson/U.S. Coast Guard)

Foundation helps veterans become teachers

Veterans Into Teaching is a newly launched program with a mission to help former service members transition to careers as teachers.

The nonprofit Golden Apple Foundation is sponsoring the initiative, which provides financial assistance and mentorship in exchange for a teaching commitment, according to the foundation. It also offers coaching and peer networking.

“Veterans bring exactly the kind of leadership, discipline, and mission-driven mindset that make great teachers, and these skills transfer to the classroom far more directly than people realize,” said Alan Mather, president of Golden Apple Foundation.

For more information, including applications for the 2027-2028 school year, go to www.goldenapple.org.