Posted on 10/18/2011 2:12:49 PM PDT by katiedidit1
The national commander of the country's largest and oldest major combat veterans organization is asking his 2 million members and all their friends and families to urge their elected officials to not break faith with the nation's military and veterans' communities.
"We and our families who have and continue to serve and sacrifice the most need to raise our voices loudly and clearly before the nation's debt is placed squarely on the shoulders of our military families and veterans," said Richard L. DeNoyer, a retired Marine and Vietnam combat veteran who leads the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. and its Auxiliaries.
"It is critical that our voices not be lost in the ongoing budget debate that seems to now equate national service and sacrifice with the size of healthcare premiums," he said. "The 'people programs' inside the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs are expensive because it takes people to fight our wars, and with less than one percent of our citizens currently in uniform, any degradation of these hard fought-for programs will break faith with those who sacrifice the most, and will place the continued viability of the all volunteer military in serious jeopardy."
(Excerpt) Read more at vfw.org ...
All any of that bunch will ever see of me is my back.
“This is the same reaction I have. My husband and I can afford it for now. My dad is retired military. I worry about him and my mom. My youngest daughter is a Navy spouse, I worry about what is in store for them.”
Yup. We’re a military family, too. My husband has 21 years in now.
Just two nights ago, hubby and I sat down and had a long talk. He wants to do 30 years. He wants to be a command Sgt. Major.
I worry. His knees and ankles aren’t happy now. He has to start every day with aspirin. What will be left of him after 9 more years?
Right now there is a Hiring Freeze ( for over half a yr)on at the VA—Nationwide!
Longer waits for appts, less service, more burned out professionals!
The worst part is that there won’t be any savings. The money they “save” screwing the vets will be squandered somewhere else, plus more deficit spending. Probably given to those who would burn the cities if they don’t get their fix.
I mean no disrespect to POW's, as my father was a POW in Japan during WWII!
McCain has never been supportive of other Vets -- yet he's quick to wrap himself in his own ex-POW status to get votes.
Oh he made Sgt Major. Now he wants a command. (That’s my hunny. Always has his eye on the next goal.)
:-)
Congrats on that and I hope he gets Command. I just retired Navy after 24 years and did work with the other services from time to time. I enjoyed all the services. However, the rank structure is so different that the Navy.....we think the other services should use the Navy Ranks and of course the other services think that the Navy should use their ranks.....lol.
Yeah, I understand. I have NO idea what the other services do.
Hubby already maxed out the pay scale. Now it’s just personal! :-)
There’s a lot of bullshit going on with some vets collecting PTSD payments who were never in combat.
I know a few.
One example. You tell me: You served on a carrier in the Gulf War guarding Iraqi prisoners, and the VA gives you 100% disability payments for PTSD.
The answer is simple: the VA bureaucrats need to use their budget or lose it.
The scant money the VA has to help veterans must go to those veterans who deserve it.
There’s a whole bunch of cleaning-up that the VA needs to do.
Always some bad apples in the bunch and they should be weeded out but for so many honorable veterans to go down with them is disgraceful
If the budget is balanced (and I don’t think it will) it will be on the backs of everyone. Vets, non-vets, taxpayers, workers, non-workers, SS recipients, etc. etc. etc. “You first” is not a workable plan.
Only Ron Paul has come up with a workable plan so far and he has no chance of becoming president.
It’s worse than you know, katie.
At a Legion Post I was member of, we had built up quite building fund. Well, we learned of a deal from the village that an old house had fallen behind in tax payments. We could pick it up for a few thousand.
We called a meeting and determined we could fix up this old house for maybe 10 to $20,000, which would include all the code updates. It was an old manshion that had been converted into a boarding house in the year 1900.
It had about 10 bedrooms, a big kitchen and a community room for watching TV and playing checkers, etc.
We estimated we could use the free labor of the legion members to maintain the place and rent out these rooms to retired vets for a small portion of their SS or vet retirement checks each month.
We’d provide a cook for two meals per day, a nurse visit twice a week and a house sergeant-at-arms for what the vets could pay.
The costs demanded by the fed bureaucrats and the state bureaucrats made the proposal impossible.
What we offer our vets is unconscionable for service provided. And so much could be provided by our service organizations. Just get the damn fascist government out of the way.
Cheers, FRiend
What a fantastic plan your post had and what a disgrace the feds and state blocked it. Did you take it to the media? pictures, plans, etc and names of those that threw up the red light? geesh that house sounds so good I would have loved to move in myself..lol
It doesn’t look like welfare, medicaid, illegals perks are being hit and of course congress is not taking any cuts..so that is what enrages those that did work like dogs and took risks fighting for this country and knowingly took smaller salaries due to the perks UNLIKE the elitist in congress or many on welfare and other govt programs
There’s thousands of vet organizations who would be willing to provide a home for old vets who have no family left.
When I was in the Corps at Camp Pendleton, I visited my uncle in LA, who was a decorated WWII vet. He lived in a crappy hotel room in downtown LA, with no friends and no relatives nearby. I was the last family member to see him alive.
He died alone. No vet should die alone.
My uncle is my motivation to agitate for private veteran homes run by veteran organizations.
The vets here at FR are terrific at supporting old vets. God bless ‘em all.
I don’t think you have to worry. Nothing is going to get cut. The Republicans increased spending from last year and we let them blame Obama. Why should they stop?
As long as someone on Free Republic can say taking away commissary benefits is too much (and be taken seriously) there will be no cuts. The US monetary system is just going to have to blow up instead.
As far as I’m concerned, they are all guilty of TREASON if they continue to push for military cuts.
The chinese are rapidly modernizing and expanding their military, same for the russians yet these treasoncrats want to neuter our military.
cost of prescription drugs have already gone up and yes, the retirees will be cut. Look, I don’t blame Obama for everything but I do blame him for increasing spending via greenie bailouts, bank bailouts, money abroad and most of all for Obamacare. Guys and girls sign up...go fight in the wars under Bush 41, 43 and Obama...come home to what? we know there life was no bed of roses and we know why many went but if you think there arent cuts going on..you are mistaken. That being said...it sickens me to see someone go to the dispensary for a runny nose or a splinter in their hand and the commissarys should be cut back and in some cases cut out. Veterans claiming “disabilities” that are undeserved should be booted and charged by the govt for payback and yes, that has happened. Another thing...a young recruit whose wife is popping out kids to the tune of 1 a year and living the military life need to wake UP...but the good guys that worked hard and served honorably are being kicked to the curb
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