Printer Friendly Page
WHAT PROMISE TO VETERANS? -- by Larry Scott --
It’s the great American myth; an urban legend
of epic
proportions. But, there was no promise made, so
there’s
nothing to keep. Now, it’s time for a new,
in-your-face attitude:
WE ARE U.S. MILITARY VETERANS -- YOU OWE US!
Story below:
Page 1 of 2
-------------------------
What Promise to Veterans?
It’s the great American myth; an urban legend of epic proportions. But,
there was no promise made, so there’s nothing to keep. Now, it’s time
for a new, in-your-face attitude: WE ARE U.S. MILITARY VETERANS – YOU
OWE US!
by Larry Scott
I’ve searched high and low for a promise made to veterans. I can’t find
it. Surely, it must exist. From George Washington to George Bush, we
have reams of flowery rhetoric praising the good deeds of those who have
served in the U.S. military. But, where is the promise?
Washington said the nation owes veterans a “debt of honor.” Bush often
speaks of “honor,” “support” and “compassion” in speeches about
veterans. In between, Abraham Lincoln said our mission is “…to care for
him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and orphan…” All
of this sounds good, but it’s not a promise.
The elusive promise to veterans has been used by politicians since the
earliest days of our republic to raise armies to fight wars and to pass
legislation to care for veterans when they come home from those wars.
But, what actually was promised?
It’s a simple fact: that nothing was promised to veterans. There was no
promise made, so there’s nothing to keep and nothing to break. It’s the
great American myth; an urban legend of epic proportions.
This myth is promulgated by politicians who want us to think they are
keeping a promise to veterans or want us to think some other politician
isn’t keeping a promise. A quick Google search will show thousands of
entries about a promise to veterans. Many are from those claiming to
keep the promise. Others are from those who loudly declare the promise
is not being kept. But, nowhere will you find exactly what this promise
might be.
So, why do we believe there’s a promise to veterans? Because we want to
believe it. We want to believe that our country will care and provide
for those who have given years of their lives to military service. We
desperately want to believe that our country will care for those who
return from the fields of battle with physical and emotional wounds.
Anything else would not fit the standards we have set for ourselves as
Americans.
However, the truth is something different.
Veterans of the Civil War have left us volumes of their post-war battles
with the Commissioner of Pensions who parceled out medical care and
disability compensation. One document tells of a veteran’s struggle with
the Commissioner to get a wooden leg to replace the real leg he’d lost
in combat. After years of denials, he carved the leg himself.
Military retirees of the World War II era were under the assumption they
would have free, life-time healthcare at military hospitals. Those
hospitals were closed. And now, the retirees find themselves in a HMO.
Vietnam veterans fought for years to get benefits for exposure to Agent
Orange. Now, many of them who served in the “Blue Water Navy” find their
adversary is the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) who is in Federal
Court trying to deny them benefits.
Our new veterans coming home from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan find
themselves faced with military and VA healthcare systems that are
underfunded, overcrowded and incapable of caring for their needs.
All of these veterans thought there was a promise and found out
otherwise.
Page 1 of 2 ... continued on
Page 2
(1) (2)
next
-------------------------
Larry Scott --
