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I was a member of the Veterans Administration Office of Construction from 1971 to 1982, and I had the opportunity to visit over 95 of the 172 hospitals in the system for various elevator related projects. This was at the height of the Viet Nam era. I was witness to many heart rendering sights of wounded service personnel. One that comes quickly to mind was of two young men, maybe in their early twenties. One was blinded. He was pushing the wheelchair of the other who had lost both legs. They told me that together they were one whole person. That will remain with me the rest of my life. However, I was also greatly impressed with the high level of compassionate care given during those years.
As a result of those experiences, I have supported several organizations that offer aid to returning, wounded veterans from the Middle East and Afghanistan. Through my association with the Coalition to Salute America's Heroes, I recently learned that discharged, wounded veterans must wait at least 300 or more days before their claims for disability are processed. Many who are so severely injured that they cannot work have, along with their families, become destitute. Many are forced to find private medical aid. Many are forced to depend on charity so their children have food and clothing. Many others have lost their homes and in some cases their families.
Our government has been quick to respond to the financial woes of big business and the banking industry, but apparently it is easily able to ignore the plight of these brave men and women who have given so much for so little in return. There are laws already in place to compensate these veterans, but typical bureaucratic inertia has imposed itself on the system. We as a nation should be absolutely disgusted with our government's disregard for these brave men and women who were so callously placed in harm's way, and then suffered the terrible consequences of war.
I cannot imagine a worse stain on the honor of the United States of America.
Perhaps if a concentrated letter writing effort to all members of the Congress were to take place, enough members of Congress could band together to clear away the dead wood piled up in front of the needs of these most worthy veterans. Please write to your Senators and Representatives and remind them of what we owe to these men and women, and demand that they make it right.
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