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Combat Veterans Stand First In Line!
Topic Started: Feb 5 2007, 12:14 AM (256 Views)
Sunshine
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Ruler of the Mountain
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
THE COMBAT WOUNDED STAND FIRST IN LINE’!

Welcome to the lie of the century. The Veterans
Administration has to be the most wrong-headed
organization ever conceived. On one hand you have
administrators catering to the latest whim which
catches the media and Congress’s eyes and on the other
flat brutalizing the uncomplaining true hero of our
nation, the combat wounded vet.



I have brother’s-in- arms who have no right,
medically speaking, to even be alive. They, like my
friend from Special Forces were terribly wounded. He
like a lot of us ignored the pain and had a full
military career. He was given thirty percent though
most of the nerves had been removed from much of his
upper torso and arm to allow him to live with bearable
pain. His other option offered by Army doctors:
AMPUTATION. I have other friends whose very claim to
being a disabled vet is dicey to say the least. They
fear any special program, like EX-POW physicals, as
their claim to great combat wounds, so readily
accepted by VA, might be brought into question. They
need not worry, the VA is too busy going after George
and heroes like him to save money.




Then we have the punishment factor and this is the
cruelest cut of all. My survey of veterans is hardly
scientific but one thing is becoming painfully obvious
to some: ‘Complain or ask for retroactive compensation
based on clear errors in your initial evaluation and
you will be punished.’ This is not as advertised an
attempt to get the low-life pretenders out of the
system and punished. No this appears to be a darker
form of arrogance. The pretenders will remain in the
system and they will flourish, as VA administrators go
after the true combat wounded for simply asking for
justice. As has been found in some of our major
veteran’s organizations one must wonder if it is not
the pretenders who are running the entire show.



How does a system designed to serve veterans,
become a system determined to deny benefits to the
most deserving? It is not some dark plan but with
perceived pretenders in charge, simple ignorant
arrogance. How arrogant are they? My friend George,
with two sons in grade school has been punished by
having his benefits cut from 100% to 80% and all the
loss of benefits that entails. I recall how the VA
insisted on calling my multiple fractures of the
lumbar spine, with retained shrapnel, LUMBAGO and
realize we have those in charge that would not know a
real battlefield injury if it kissed them on the
mouth.


If we all recall it was the real combat guys who
were hurt the most by giving former spouses part of
military retirees pay for ‘their service at home.’
After all, who went and spent multiple tours in combat
while many of these now compensated wives went on
patrol to the nearest bar? The real combat soldiers
are who went and stayed. Who is being hurt most by the
latest VA ‘revenge for complaining’ tactic? The same
uncomplaining group of brutally wounded combat
veterans. Now they have truly crossed the line. I ask
all true combat veterans to join men like George in
not only ousting the pretenders but in ousting those
within Congress and the VA who act like they care. For
these are truly the biggest PRETENDERS of them all. It
is time to clean house.



Major Mark A. Smith, United States Army, Retired
(Thirty eight wounds, Battle of Loc Ninh, April 1972)


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