Posted on 11/22/2007 7:32:06 AM PST by Right Winged American
COL. DAVID HUNT: AMERICA HAS FAILED OUR VETERANS --
Fox News Commentator: "For my disconnected, disinterested uncaring friends, it's not about the damn money, We have the damn money, it's us, we suck, we do not care...We are all collectively allowing out government to perpetuate this crime, the crime of not taking care of soldiers."
For more from Col. David Hunt, use the VA Watchdog search engine...click here... http://www.yourvab
enefits.org/sessearch.php?q=col.+david+hunt&op=ph
Story here... http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,312370,00.html
America Has Failed Our Veterans
By Col. David Hunt
We — that’s you and me — just had a Veterans Day. You might have missed it? Did you notice that we had fewer parades and TV and radio shows talked a little less about the holiday. Just last year, we were all over our men and women in uniform and retired — we all said no matter what we think of the war in Iraq or Afghanistan, we were going to honor thos who served … remember that?
Well, we have lost our way, we have failed them. We have let them all down. You cannot keep asking, hell demanding, that your soldiers go back to combat three, four and five times in five years — leave their families, lose their limbs, their lives, their souls and then not even have the decency to take care of them when they get hurt. We ought to be ashamed and embarrassed.
This year we were shown by the national media how poorly our wounded soldiers were being treated once they had their limbs replaced. We saw the rats literally crawling at our nation’s primary veterans hospital, less than 10 miles from the White House. While we celebrated this year’s Veterans Day, the broken promises were still being made to our returning veterans. Our men and women still have to wait months for appointments, years for payments, wade through miles and miles of useless paperwork to get the treatment that they have earned. Hell, this nation owes them.
Here is the deal we have made: You soldier, go and get blown up, leave your family, suffer numbing emotional damage, have your body blown apart, and we, the United States of America, will take care of you for the rest of your life. The soldier always does his part and this nation always lets them down.
We are now learning that the suicide rates of returning combat vets are four times higher than we thought. We also were treated to this fact that there are over 160,000 homeless veterans in this country. I do a lot of volunteer work at a homeless shelter and have worked to establish a veterans’ homeless shelters in Boston. I can say with a sadness that cuts very deep that we are now seeing returning veterans from this current war living on the streets of Boston and L.A. That ought to be enough to unseat a government.
How is this possible? We gave $10 billion to Pakistan since 9/1, we have spent hundreds of billions of dollars — that’s hundreds of billions in Iraq — you would think a few billion could be set aside for the men and women making it all possible. A few billion to ensure that this nation does what it promised and takes care of those who have taken care of us.
For my disconnected, disinterested uncaring friends, it’s not about the damn money. We have the damn money, it’s us, we suck, we do not care. We do photo ops with soldiers standing behind us, we walk in parades and shake hands on the appropriate holidays. Some of us wear flags in our lapels, but we are all collectively allowing out government to perpetuate this crime, the crime of not taking care of soldiers.
We need a revolution of care and competence, we need a political action committee, we need something powerful outside the government to make this government keep its sacred promise to our soldiers. I am telling you — we have lost our way. I am hoping it’s not too late. This war with terrorists will not stop with Iraq and Afghanistan, so we all need to understand that we will need these great soldiers, Marines and special operation types for as long as we want to be a free nation.
Maybe that is enough to wake up?
-------------------------
Larry Scott —
For more Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans/Agent Orange Info, go here:
Discussions/Forum about Blue Water Navy Vets, Here:
http://bluewaternavy.org/phpBB2/index.php
FreepMail me to join the Blue Water Navy ping list.
Blue Water Navy
Vietnam Veterans
of America
Just another story, one of many, illustrating the sacrifices of our troops from a man who knows whereof he speaks.
bump
Is there one person left in this counrty who isn’t bitching about something? It’s wearing us down as a nation.
This article makes me feel convicted, not for our Beureucratic-Healthcare for Veterans, but for the times I could have actively sought out needy Veterans and done something to provide some assistance for them.
Granted. On the other hand — Some things are more important than others. Spend a little time reading about the actions being taken by this administration, or in it's name. I used to believe it was due to poor planning and bad advise.
After 5 years, I now believe these actions are deliberate.
Please, prove me wrong.
I do believe your latter statement is the purpose of the exercise (bitching) in the question.
Then do it!!!
“Is there one person left in this counrty who isn’t bitching
about something? It’s wearing us down as a nation.”
There are plenty of people that are b-tchin’ about NOTHING.
But in the case of some of the chicken-sh-t’ stuff being visited
on the military...they do have something to b-tch about.
Such as trying to recover the SIGNING bonus from wounded soldiers
put out of action.
But then I guess the pencil-pushers decided that a Signing Bonus
was just “a signing enticement” if you get yourself shot or become an
amputee. Even if it was an accounting/computer error, it’s misery
that military personnel are right to b-tch about!
E.g.,
Wounded Soldier: Military Wants Part Of Bonus Back (He’s not alone)
KDKA 2 ^ | Nov 19, 2007 | Marty Griffin
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1928454/posts
Boy I hear ya brother. This is a good man who is chosing to tear things down instead of leading the way.
“Is there one person left in this counrty who isn’t bitching about something?
It’s wearing us down as a nation.”
I get as tired of the “b-tching about NOTHING” as most folks.
But...if you want to read another good “b-tching about SOMETHING” story
involving a fellow that did hard time at The Hanoi Hilton, only to
discover he needed to sue the US Government in his old age (during The
FIRST Age of Clinton), look up this book:
American Patriot: The Life and Wars of Colonel Bud Day
by Robert Coram
http://www.amazon.com/American-Patriot-Life-Wars-Colonel/dp/0316758477/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1195747843&sr=8-1
Veterans Outreach Center, Help for Veterans in Need
by rochester_veteran
November 14th, 2007
This past Sunday, November 11, was Veterans Day. On Monday, November 12, there were several articles circulating in newspapers (When Johnny comes home...less from the Boston Globe and Honor those who served from the Democrat and Chronicle) about the plight of homeless veterans. As a fellow veteran, I feel it's my duty to my brother and sister veterans who are in need of help, to point the way to a place they will get the assistance they need.
We are very fortunate in Rochester to have the Veterans Outreach Center. It was established in 1973 to help Vietnam veterans cope with their wartime experiences and to facilitate their government benefits claims.
Veterans Outreach Center, 459 South Ave., Rochester, NY
The Veterans Outreach Center sponsors quite a few programs:
Counseling and Case Management
Veterans Alternative To Incarceration Program (VATIP)
Richards House and Supportive Living
Veterans Community Technology Center
I'm a member of Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 20. There's alot of support services that Chapter 20 supports for veterans including:
Veterans Emergency Relief Foundation (VERF)
Operation Welcome Home (partnered with the VOC)
Our community has numerous services that are available for the homeless. Help is out there for homeless Veterans. The first step a homeless Veteran needs to do is help themselves by getting down to:
Veterans Outreach Center
459 South Ave.
Rochester, NY 14620
(585) 546-1081, or Toll-Free 866-906-VETS (8387)
email info@veteransoutreachcenter.org
Website Veterans Outreach Center of Rochester, NY
and ask for help, because help is there and they'll get it. If you know of a Veteran in need, offer to drive them down to the Veterans Outreach Center and help them get started in the process. Rochester is a very caring community and always rated as one of the top cities in the US when it comes to giving.
Seems like I have heard Hunt bitchin’ more then the average lately. Either he is looking out for us all, or he is disgruntled he didn’t make General. Seems like you always see Colonel’s and Lt. Colonels bitching the most. I wonder if there isn’t a reason for that.
The same was claimed about Vietnam veterans. That lie was superbly debunked by Jugs Burkett in his book Stolen Valor.
We also were treated to this fact that there are over 160,000 homeless veterans in this country.
While there are undoubtedly some homeless veterans, there are also a huge number of homeless people who falsely claim to be veterans. I suspect that the 160,000 figure is based on unsubstantiated claims of veteran status.
Maybe he’s bitching, but he brings up valid points. I’m glad someone of some influence is actually speaking out, trying to get help for these brave men and women.
It is unconscionable that they are treated so poorly when they return home from their service. The waiting times that SOME of them have to endure to seek treatment are unforgivable. And as he points out, we give billions to other nations and causes, yet scrimp when it comes to these people who defend our country. They should be priority #1 with our President and Congress.
I saw a report here on FR some time back that Hunt had announced on Fox that he was joining Hillary Clintons campaign. If so, how can anyone take him seriously.
“I saw a report here on FR some time back that Hunt had announced on
Fox that he was joining Hillary Clintons campaign.”
After some quick-and-sloppy Googling, I don’t find anything about that.
But, if true, it’s a sad turn.
No one has ever found any evidence to substantiate that claim, at least none that I've seen posted.
I have my own issues with Hunt, but on this one he's dead-on correct. Our national leadership (including the Bush Administration) has treated our military disgracefully.
I'm happy this is true in Rochester.
Regrettably, it is far from true elsewhere in America.
Examples:
DVA and Military claiming a vet's PTSD was due to a pre-existing condition.
VA Hospitals in Florida and Washington (State) turning away veterans.
12 to 18 month waits for wounded vets, MISSING Arms and Legs, to begin getting benefits from DVA.
Vets in fly-over country have no VA Hospitals OR Clinics available, staying at home with parents or family with little or no support.
Vets fighting the DVA, whose policy is to "Delay or Deny Until the Veteran Dies", then force the widow to start the process ALL OVER AGAIN FROM THE BEGINNING!
And of course, my very favorite:
Deny Agent Orange Benefits to TWO ENTIRE SERVICES, and force them to take the DVA to court for 4 years and counting to get the benefits they earned by their service! (Those who manage to survive long enough, that is.)
I could go on, but you see what I mean. I'm just skimming the surface.
Don't believe me? Just go to www.VAWatchdog.org and give it a read a couple of times.
I promise you, you'll be stunned.
At least, I hope you will.
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