Vet Benefit Cuts Wrong

Butler (PA) Eagle - letter to editor ^ | 6-13-03 | John C. Bowman

[smokinleroy]

As a veteran, I find it appalling, outrageous and unconscionable that the United States government can see fit to send millions upon millions of dollars to Afghanistan, Pakistan and the rest of the Arab countries, construct a war in Iraq, where the final cost will be in the billions, and then cut veterans benefits after they have “paid their dues” by serving their country.

This includes our so-called friends Egypt, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

The bottom line is that the only use these countries have for us is our money. They harbor Osama bin Laden, train terrorists and perpetrate terrorist acts upon us, and what do we do? We give them more money.

When are we going to wake up?

John C. Bowman
Butler

[smokinleroy]

I've read several letters on this topic lately. Where have these people gotten the idea that veteran benefits are being cut? Is it in the new budget? Are the just cutting the rate if increase and the dems are convincing these people that it is a cut? Where are they hearing this?

[scooter2]

I couldn't agree more. This is totally wrong.

[BushCountry]

Now you will begin to understand why it is hard to cut government spending. I think that there is a small reduction in health benefits. Sure veterans served our country (Me <--- 8 years Marine Corps), but once given something, like welfare puppies they cry like babies at the slightest hint of a reduction in benefits. This goes for everyone that is happy feeding at the government troft. The slightest reduction in increases causes a tremendous outrage.

[miltonfried]

Indeed, Scooter. This really is totally wrong.

[Salgak]

What bothers me about all this is that promises were made in return for service. In the commercial world, they call that a contract. But Uncle Sam decides to changes the terms AFTER the service was paid. And THAT stinks. Unlike those at the welfare trough, be they individuals or corporation, we're talking about people who GAVE to the US and put their butts on the line. . .

[bybybill]

One of the reasons that total vet benifits are costing less is that we are losing the WWII and Korean vets due to old age

[meenie]

The vets are dying off at the rate that new vets are coming on according to my local veterans hospital.

[joesnuffy]

One of my childhood friends and I went to Vietnam and had overlapping tours 68-69-70
He was a good troop made SSGT the hard way ..through the ranks he was no shake n bake-

His last month in RVN he was in a fire fight - with a few of his men wounded and while he was consolidating his position...getting the wounded safe and calling in airstrikes and medivacs he was hit in the neck by a rifle bullet

At the tender age of 19 he became a quadrapalegic...he literally gave up his life for his country
Never to have married, to have kids, to have any meaningfull relationship with a woman, No Carreer..confined to a wheel chair controlled by a puff of air blown into a tube..

His fingers barely work his head like the rest of his withered body remains supported by a mechanical brace..his quality of life compared to those who hid in the National Guard or conjored up phony medical records or ran to Canada only to be pardoned later isnt even close..it is as far as the east is from the west

When the budget cuts hit the VAs he suffered...he was told that he had to buy his own leg bags (urine collection bags) and other medical supplies directly related to wounds or conditions accerbated by those wounds... at one point some affirmative action VA counselor gave him a pretty hard time about Vets leeching off system

Anti war protesters told him he deserved what he got for being a baby killer

The boys down at the VFW told him that Vietnam was a police action and as such Vietnam vets werent welcome..( they changed their minds a few years later..but their words hurt nontheless)

But the thing that really hurt him the most was hearing other vets who made it back or never were in combat or never seriously wounded say denegrating things about the wounded being a drain on the system and hearing the VA employees say similar kinds of things..

The complaints about the treatment of the wounded by the wounded not only falls on deaf ears...but then some have the unmitigated gall to say that they are whiners or cry babies and compared to welfare leeches...sucking off the public teet...

That is just about the lowest thing I've heard a so called vet say...but before its all over I suspect I will hear worse......imo

[CIB-173RDABN]

One of my childhood friends and I went to Vietnam and had overlapping tours 68-69-70 He was a good troop made SSGT the hard way ..through the ranks he was no shake n bake-

His last month in RVN he was in a fire fight - with a few of his men wounded and while he was consolidating his position...getting the wounded safe and calling in airstrikes and medivacs he was hit in the neck by a rifle bullet

At the tender age of 19 he became a quadrapalegic...he literally gave up his life for his country Never to have married, to have kids, to have any meaningfull relationship with a woman, No Carreer..confined to a wheel chair controlled by a puff of air blown into a tube..

---

You had me up to the part he made E6 in less then two years (he could not have joined until he was 17, and was wounded at 19, so that is two years.) Most of his first year would have been in training, and so with less then one year in country, he was promoted to E3, E4, E5 then E6?

I will put on my abestos underwear and then say, something about your story is not quite correct.

Your story sounds more like an URBAN LEGEND then fact.

[js1138]

As a viet-vet, I always thought my service was partial payment for the great country I live in. I don't expect a lot back.

I suspect thes "cuts" are another democrat ploy to call attention to the failure to pass dem sponsored increases. If there are actual cuts, I'd like to hear about them.

There are, I believe, significant broken promises in the way of medical care for retired servicemen, and this is a crime.

[joesnuffy]

wrong ace
I had a couple a bros in the 9th div who made E6 hard stripes who were not shake and bakes
we had a pretty high attrition rate..and a few guys who were good in the field made E6
I was a spec 5 at 19 myself
dont call me a liar...I dont like much

[AAABEST]

I agree with you. I'm a VFW (not in the org though) and I never used one single "benefit" or asked for a damn thing, unless you count the VA loan on one of my properties.

That being said, there is much cutting to be done before we get to vets. We could start with stuff like "farm" welfare payments to Ted Turner and work our way down.

[CIB-173RDABN]

I will wait for more comfirmation on E6 with less then two years service if you don't mind.

[smokinleroy]

What is being cut? Where and how is it listed? How are these letter writers finding out about it?

[joesnuffy]

Here numbnuts chew on this for startsOur Division also had an NCO academy where certain strac troops would be sent going in at SP4 and coming out at E-5 and E-6 hop on over to the 6/31st 9th Inf Div web site and chat with some of the "Instant NCO's" there and perhaps educate your ignorant self..

[joesnuffy]

BTW my wife just reminded me
Her dad...made E-8 with only 1.5 yrs in service- WWII Philipines...
I have seen his orders...and his citations..

[CIB-173RDABN]

Here numbnuts chew on this for startsOur Division also had an NCO academy where certain strac troops would be sent going in at SP4 and coming out at E-5 and E-6 hop on over to the 6/31st 9th Inf Div web site and chat with some of the "Instant NCO's" there and perhaps educate your ignorant self..

---

---

Boy we sure get excited when questioned don't we.

Calling me names has not proven your point.

Show me an official roster where an 18 or 19 year old is a E6, and is leading combat patrols, and you win.

Sending me somewhere to read war stories doesn't qualify.

It seems that each response causes you to get angrier, and so to keep your blood pressure from getting out of control this is my last response.

Oh, I think my screen name provides all the bonifides I need to ask the question, that is if you can figure out what it means.

[jackbill]

You had me up to the part he made E6 in less then two years (he could not have joined until he was 17, and was wounded at 19, so that is two years.) Most of his first year would have been in training, and so with less then one year in country, he was promoted to E3, E4, E5 then E6?

I was drafted, and inducted on Jan. 21, 1952. On October 29, 1953 I was promoted to E-6, in Korea. According to my arithmetic, that's one year, nine months and 8 days.

That said, I came home with no "service connected disability" and I don't expect the VA, and especially the taxpayers, to give me one more damned thing.

I got the GI Bill for a home loan in 1959 and I received GI Bill education benefits that allowed me to eventually get a degree in engineering, after 8 years in night school.

Those with similar experiences as mine should just shut the hell up. Sure, I have friends who have retired from very well paying jobs, they go on cruises to Alaska, trips to China, golf several times a week, winter homes in Florida and summer homes in the northeast, and they are sucking on the government teat, with prescription drugs from the VA. And the overload from these leeches is keeping some "service connected disability" vets from getting what they deserve.

It's disgraceful.