VA scandal- how you're rewarded for serving your country

[genstab]

I bet any American veteran would be interested in how our government is NOT honoring its obligation to veterans unless Congress finds out and mandates it. This is from an article on the Knight-Ridder newspaper chain's past investigative reporting.

"In March 2005, Knight Ridder reporters Chris Adams and Alison Young published a package of stories showing that tens of thousands of veterans returning from America's wars have had to fight their government to win the disability benefits to which they are entitled. In the past decade, several thousand veterans died before their cases were resolved, Adams and Young wrote. (Young has since left the bureau to join the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.) One man, a World War II vet wounded in Italy, was still fighting for his rightful benefits when he died in 2002. A judge acknowledged that it's likely the man would eventually have won his case had he lived.

This piece of reportorial enterprise was based on interviews with veterans and their families and on internal records of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The reporters had to sue the agency in federal court to get many of the records. The project got front-page play in the Miami Herald, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the St. Paul Pioneer-Press, the Cincinnati Enquirer and other papers.

Days after the stories ran, members of Congress grilled the VA about the excessive delays. Nine days after that, the VA sent a memo to all 57 of its regional office directors, telling them to "read the articles, digest the underlying message and then take action."

Legislation was introduced requiring the VA to actively seek out those veterans who should be getting disability benefits but aren't. The bill has passed the Senate and is awaiting action in the House. As this article goes to press, the two reporters are about to receive the Scripps Howard Foundation's National Journalism Award for Washington Reporting."

You can read more about Knight-Ridder at http://www.krwashington.com

Best regards,
Genstab

[haen2]

How was that again ?; "Der Moor hat seine Schuldigkeit getahn, der Moor kann gehen ?" Something from Othello I seem to remember.
I think it is SCANDALOUS to let our Vets down.
Yes, I was on the other side of the war at the time, but hold a high regard for veterans who did their duty for their country.
Letting them down, is outright criminal.
One mad ex-opponent.
HN

[Laurent Daniel]

Hi Haen,
Agreed, a lot of men were called on duties in "miscellaneous" sides and all deserve to be at least recognised and helped.
Don't blame America only.
We have our share in France, especially with the soldiers of the former French colonies in Africa.
Thanks to them, the French Army could recover a bit from the 1940 disaster in Monte Cassino, then during the "Anvil" landing in Southern France and the rush to the Rhine.
And what are we doing for the veterans who are now citizen of Senegal, Ivory Cost, Morocco, etc...
Nothing.

Another one, almost worst:
On July 3, 1940, 1300 French sailors were killed at Mers-El-Kebir. I am not attempting here to re-open the polemic about this dark page of WW2 history but just wish to inform you that the cemetery were they rest has been abandonned by the French Authorities in 1962 when Algeria got independance and that the tombs were damaged and profaned by some extremists in 2003. A petition is online, asking for the repatriation of their remains to France were their families could honor them as they deserve.
http://mers-el-kebir.net/
I know, it is in French, but with a dictionnary, you can reach the petition and sign, thanks in advance.
If you get lost but wish to sign, send me a PM.
And if I can express somewhere my indignation about what is going on with the US Vet, just let me know where and how.

[haen2]

Alo Daniel,
Je avais signé. (hope i spelled that right.)
Regards,
HN

[John W. Howard]

Hello Daniel:
I was unaware of the graves in Algeria being desecrated; very sad indeed. Our government leaves no stone unturned to screw our vets; it is shameful. Our senate and house members hardly ever work and enjoy incredible benefits; they become elligible after only two years of service, and enjoy the benefits for life. Something is wrong!!

[Laurent Daniel]

Alo Daniel,
Je avais signé. (hope i spelled that right.)
Regards,
HN

Hi, Haen,
Thanks.
By the way:
Je vais signer (Present tense, you are going to sign right now)
J'avais signé (Past tense, you had signed it before reading my message)
However, your French is better than my German

[chambers]

HaEn, just how many languages do you know??

Brooke

[haen2]

Hi Brooke
Let's see: of course my mother language, i.e. Dutch; next some Frisian;, next German; next French, next English; next American ;
a little bit of Indonesian, some Jiddish, and some Latin.
But it is all "fading away". Slowly but surely.
Just like: old soldiers never die, we just SMELL that way
HN

[chambers]

woah!

Since coming to the states, have you had many occasions to get to use these different languages?

Did you learn "American" before you migrated or after?

They say English is one of the most difficult languages to learn. What's your opinion?

Thanks :)
Brooke

[haen2]

Hi Brooke,
We are getting off subject, but indeed when I came to the U.S., I had to UNlearn my Queens English and learn American. A fate, many immigrants had to endure.
WE made it a point to immerse ourselves as much as possible, but kept speaking Dutch at home.
Alas I noticed lately that I am beginning to mix up my languages use, so I have to reread my messages a few times before I send them off.
Oh well, it was nice as long as it lasted.
HN.
p.s. And I am still angry about how we are letting our (U.S.) veterans down.

[chambers]

Thanks HaEn, for answering my question. I did stray a little off topic

My grandpa has been going back and forth with the VA for a few years now trying to get compensation for frozen feet in Korea and we're not pleased with the way it's turning out. They've also sent him to Richmond twice for some other tests, but something didn't work out right and he found out he didn't even have an appointment when he showed up. Richmond is like 4 hours from here. At his age, his patience are thin.

Brooke