Second Annual Silicon Valley Veterans Ball- Silent Auction and Door Prizes

Silent Auction Prizes--Be sure to bid at the Ball.

All proceeds benefit VSSA.

- California Academy of Sciences has donated 4 general admission tickets ($119 value)

- Victoria Yalca of Compliments Hair Salon has donated a hair cut and style ($55 value) as a door prize and a hair color and style ($120 value) toward our silent auction.

- Julia Tarverdi donated a Mary Kay Goodie Basket (valued over $170). If you like Mary Kay, check out Julia's site here

- Peet's Rose Garden donated a Coffee Tour (a year's worth of Peet's coffee) and lots of goodies (valued over $250). Coffee drinkers unite and bid at the ball.

Door Prizes—remember to buy your raffle tickets. You don’t need to be present to win.

All proceeds benefit VSSA.

- Fore! Boulder Creek Golf and Country Club donated a round of golf for 2 (valued at $58)

- Victoria Yalca of Compliments Hair Salon has donated a hair cut and style ($55 value) as a door prize and a hair color and style ($120 value) toward our silent auction.

- Camilla M. Mann of EcoChic Designs has donated 2 pairs of handmade earrings (featuring recycled glass, gemstones and sterling silver)

- Oakland A's have donated 2 Plaza Outfield Vouchers to a 2013 regular season home game (restrictions apply)

- Are you ready for some football? San Jose SaberCats donated 4 End Zone NonClub Tickets for any 2013 SaberCats Regular Season Home Game

- San Jose Giants have donated a 2013 Bonus Book (including 10 General Admission tickets and 1 Family Pass Ticket- restrictions apply)

- Rodney Takahashi of Ukulele Jams donated 2 gift certificates for ukulele lessons for a month

- Wax on, wax off. The Wax Museum at Fisherman's Wharf donated 4 tickets to the museum

Vets' Job Hunt May Be Thwarted By Disability Bias

When Army veteran Justin Claus, 26, of Racine, Wis., goes to job interviews, he brings along his DD214, a document that serves as proof of military service. Claus is proud of his service and hopes being a veteran will give him an edge.

But the document, which basically sums up a military career, includes the reason it ended. In Claus' case, it reads "disability, permanent." And that little line Claus says, "comes back to get ya."

He says when employers ask why he was discharged, he recounts a parachute accident in 2007 that left him with chronic back and knee pain.

"I'll tell them what happened and then they're like, 'Oh.' Usually they shortly thereafter end the interview and then I don't hear anything from them," Claus says.

Claus does not share the fact that he also suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder but suspects employers assume that any veteran who served after Sept. 11 has PTSD. He has no proof he's not getting hired because of his disabilities. But for some jobs, Claus says he just cannot make sense of the rejection. Read more here

First Lady Announces New Hiring Push For Vets

First lady Michelle Obama chose a naval station in the electoral battleground of Florida to announce Wednesday that 2,000 businesses around the country have hired or trained more than 125,000 military veterans and spouses in the past year, exceeding a White House goal of 100,000 by the end of next year. Read more here

Challenges Female Vets Face When Coming Home

As more troops return home, the transition can be difficult, especially for women who served. Services designed to help veterans are not always equipped to deal with the needs of the nearly 2 million female vets. Guest host Viviana Hurtado discusses their unique challenges with women involved in the film, SERVICE: When Women Come Marching Home. Listen or read more here

Still need to buy your Veterans Ball tickets?

Live comedy. Live music. Great raffle prizes. Get your tickets here. Please remember to indicate your dinner and salad choices. See you on September 15!

Major General Eldon Regua is 2nd Annual Silicon Valley Veterans Ball Guest Speaker

Eldon Regua is a Major General in the United States Army Reserve, serves as Deputy Commanding General/Chief of Staff (Wartime) (Individual Mobilization Augmentee) for 8th United States Army headquartered in Yongsan, Korea,having just completed an assignment as Commanding General, 75th Mission Command Training Division in Houston, Texas in July 2011. As of 2010, he was the senior most active, or reserve, non-retired flag or general officer of Filipino American ethnicity. He is also half Mexican American ethnicity. Read more about the Major General here