I see on my Facebook wall everyday how someone I know was given the wrong medications, their appointments where not kept, they have a million different doctors and a million different medications. We are Veterans for a reason, and that is because in one way or another we answered the call of duty to serve our nation, rather we were drafted or volunteered.
In 1932 a group of WWI veterans marched on Capitol Hill and demanded to be paid the bonuses they were owed. Many did not receive a dime, while others received a slap on the wrist and a bus ticket home. This action did not earn success for the Service members as they had hoped, but it did in turn start another movement for Veterans, that a man from my hometown of McLeansboro was credited for seeing through.
John Stelle, was the 29th Governor of Illinois from 1940-1941 and returned to the Private Sector after retiring from politics. He became very active in the American Legion, and was key in the design and passage of the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, known today as the G.I. Bill of Rights, which has been edited over the years to adjust to living conditions of the service members it supports, which is currently known as the Post 9/11 GI Bill.
The American Legion National Headquarters has already called for the resignation of General Eric Shinseki, and other veteran organizations are teetering on the fence. They are aware of the problems that are happening but do not want to take the hear say stories and be responsible for the firing of the wrong person. Most are waiting for the Inspector General’s report to come out, but with more and more stories leaking to the media while the initial complaint is being looked into, then we are getting to a point where we just can’t deny the allegations any longer and ignore them. This is why it is key for our Veterans to contact the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) (800-VFW-1899) hotline and share with them your stories. We can be this generation’s saving grace for our Veterans. Not just our generation we served with, but all the generations that are currently seeking help at the VA, or will need to seek assistance once their service to our nation is complete.
Lawmakers have always been hesitant when it comes to the treatment of our Veterans, but there is one thing that never changes no matter what era we served in, we never give up and we never back down.