>>Valley Patriot>> |
There are thousands of veterans residing right here in the Merrimack Valley who have served their country in war and peace, defending our Liberties and those values we call Freedom. Every day there are more veterans being made as more combat soldiers - many of them wounded - return from Iraq, Afghanistan and other far-flung reaches of the world. They have earned our respect and admiration for what they have done in the past, but now they need to continue to act on behalf of their fellow servicemen. The local veterans organizations need these young, powerful voices, but, unfortunately, many now just sit around their local pubs and watering holes discussing and complaining about the terrible situations developing with the Veterans Administration, veterans benefits and health care. Furthermore, they take no active part in doing something constructive about the problems. It reminds me of the tale of one such veteran who expected much, but gave nothing back — I call it “A Freeloader’s Last Request.” “Once upon a time, there was a veteran who never joined any veterans organizations. All his life he took benefits and entitlements won for him by the Veterans Service Organization. He had a ten-point preference, a GI Loan, gone to school on the GI bill, Veterans Employment even got him a job among many other things: but he refused to join. Then on his deathbed he told his wife, “please do something for me: I want to be buried in a National Cemetery, have a military marker, and I want a veterans organization to provide an Honor Guard and be my pall bearers.” “But you never belonged to any veterans organizations”, his wife exclaimed. “Why do you want them as pall bearers?” “Dear”, he replied, “they’ve carried me this far; they might as well carry me the rest of the way!” And so it is today when just a few aging veterans from formal organizations, such as The American Legion or the Veterans of Foreign Wars, actively try to do something for veterans on a daily basis. Right now, the U.S.
Congress is debating a final version and will vote on the
Veterans Budget for 2006 and you, Mr. Veteran, can make a
difference in the outcome of the monies that are made
available for the ever increasing number of veterans in
America - if you act and call your local Congressman or
Senator, NOW! Every phone call on behalf of veterans is critical, so I urge all interested veterans advocates to make just one phone call to the local office of your Congressman or your Senator. If we all sound off, it will make a huge difference. Another important piece of veterans legislation will increase death benefits for servicemen, from $12 thousand to $100 thousand for those killed in combat since October 7, 2001. What a difference that would make for the surviving families of these brave soldiers. There are so many things veterans can do for themselves, their families and their fellow veterans, if they join up with a local American Legion or VFW Post and are made aware of what is going on in the government and how we can, as a group, correct the situation. Veterans organizations are still politically powerful, but it takes all of us to make the difference and keep America strong. Don’t sit around
complaining and don’t be a freeloader, but join us
and help us carry a part of the load for the benefit of
others. Jim Cassidy is former Commander of the American Legion POST 219, and prior member of the Council on Aging in North Andover. You can send your comments to Jim Cassidy at ValleyPatriot@aol.com *Send your questions
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It is
April and the promise of a beautiful spring is upon
us. But we must remember the reality of the war on
terrorism that we are still fighting, and that alters our
well being.