All misspelling and puncuation mistakes are mine.
Transcript of NBC Nightly News broadcast article on Concurrent Receipt.
16 September 2002
Broken Promises
Brokaw: Our series “Broken Promises”.
Brokaw: As American Forces are fighting a war against terrorism and planning is underway for another war against Iraq, American veterans wounded in other wars are in their own fight. After their military careers they expected full retirement pay, but they didn’t expect their wounds would be a penalty.
NBC News’ Fred Francis on the latest phase of this continuing battle.
Francis: In the small Alabama town of Ozark, Hank Nix is honored as a hero, yet he and Mrs. Nix will have to move from their home on Hank Nix drive . He says, because of a broken promise. The government reducing his retirement pay.
Nix: I’m about to have to sell this place. I’m not able to keep it up anymore.
Francis: Korea, 52 years ago. Nix took a bullet leading his platoon, earning him the Silver Star.
Nix: Yeah, I got hit in the chest in a fire fight. In fact my platoon leader was killed that day.
Francis: He was captured, spent three years as a Prisoner of War. Watching 1600 GIs die there.
Nix: It’s disease, cold, starvation. You name it.
Francis: Now 100% disabled because of his service injuries he expected to collect both his retirement and disability pay. Or so he thought, but Nix and a half a million disabled veterans learned of a nineteenth century law that reduces their retirement pay by the amount that they get in disability compensation. A quirky law that applies only to disabled soldiers and no other Federal workers.
Nix: If I were a civil servant if I was anything but what I am, retired military, I’d be drawing it.
Francis: You would be drawing disability and retirement.
Nix: disability and retirement. Yes
(Fleecing of America logo on screen with Tom Brokaw ready to speak)
Francis: We told you about this three times in the last year and a half.
Brokaw: (cut in) ...it involved veterans who felt they were fleeced because Congress...
Nix: Now Congress has overwhelmingly voted to change the law. To give disabled veterans both sets of benefits. But the Bush Administration threatens to veto the legislation. Arguing, changing the law would be to costly.
Dr. David Chu, United States Department of Defense: ...a private who’s facing orders to Afghanistan, We cannot do for him or his colleague what we need to do if the monies are diverted by the Congress.
(I am inserting this comment) Militiaman7: David Chu is lying though his teeth.
Francis: Disabled Vietnam Veteran, Brook Outland said: It is those very soldiers he’s worried about, not simply his own generation.
Outland: If they stand and they happen to get injured during this upcoming war. They are going to be in the same boat as we are.
Francis: Back in Alabama Hank Nix remains hopeful.
Nix: I pray for this thing to be settled.
Francis: Praying that a promise he believes that will finally be fulfilled.
Fred Francis, NBC News, Ozark, Alabama
Should read:
Outland: If they stay and they happen to get injured during this upcoming war. They are going to be in the same boat as we ae.
Should read:
Outland: If they stay and they happen to get injured during this upcoming war. They are going to be in the same boat as we are.
I apologize, my fingers are getting the best of my thumbs. Sorry