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Veterans
Issues
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you for visiting "Veterans Issues..By COLONEL DAN"
Veteran
Issues is a forum for informing veterans, organizations, government offices,
elected officials, and the news media about a variety of issues that affect
veterans, military Retirees and their families. See Our
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Colonel-Dan@SBCGlobal.net
Veteran Issues, Dan Cedusky,
Champaign, IL 61821 Colonel, AUS, Retired
Life member: DAV, AMVETS, American Legion, MOAA (formerly
TROA), NGAUS, NGAIL;
Member: Reserve Officer Assoc, Assoc of Former Intelligence
officers, National Assoc of Uniform Services-NAUS, State Director of USDR,
Cold War Veterans Assoc.
Life member of Golf Nut Society of
America
"I
AM YOUR FLAG - The silent sentinel of Freedom."
I am the emblem of the greatest sovereign nation on earth.
I am the inspiration for which American Patriots gave their
lives and fortunes.
I have led your sons into battle from Valley Forge to the
bloody swamps of Viet Nam.
I walk in silence with each of your Honored Dead, to their final
resting place beneath the silent White Crosses, row upon row.
I have flown through Peace and War, Strife and Prosperity, and amidst
it all I have been respected.
My Red Stripes . . . symbolize the blood spilled in defense of this
glorious nation.
My White Stripes . . . signify the burning tears shed by Americans who
lost their sons.
My Blue Field. . . is indicative of God's heaven under which I fly.
My Stars . . . clustered together, unify 50 States as one, for God and
Country.
"Old Glory" is my nickname, and proudly I wave on high.
Honor me, respect me, defend me with your lives and your fortunes.
Never let my enemies tear me down from my lofty position, lest I never
return.
Keep alight the fires of patriotism, strive earnestly for the spirit
of democracy.
Worship Eternal God and keep His commandments, and I shall remain
the bulwark of peace and freedom for all mankind.
I am your Flag.
[ Compliments of Colonel Daniel K. Cedusky, AUS, Retired - Original author
Unknown ]
I
Was A Soldier
By Colonel
Daniel K. Cedusky, AUS, Retired
I was a
Soldier: That's the way it is, that's what we were...are. we put it, simply,
without any swagger, without any brag, in those four plain words.
We speak them softly, just to ourselves. Others may have forgotten
They are a manifesto to mankind; speak those four words anywhere in the
world -- yes, anywhere -- and many who hear will recognize their meaning.
They are a pledge. A pledge that stems from a document which said: "I
solemnly Swear”, “to protect and defend” and goes on from there, and from
a Flag called "Old Glory".
Listen, and you can hear the voices echoing through them, words that sprang
white-hot from bloody lips, shouts of “medic”, whispers of “Oh God!”,
forceful words of “Follow Me”. If you can’t hear them, you weren’t, if
you can you were.
"Don't give up the ship! Fight her till she dies... Damn the torpedoes!
Go ahead! . . . Do you want to live forever? . . . Don't cheer, boys;
the poor devils are dying."
Laughing words, and words cold as January ice, words that when spoken,
were meant, .. "Wait till you see the whites of their eyes". The echo's
of I was a Soldier.
You can hear the slow cadences at Gettysburg, or Arlington honoring not
a man, but a Soldier, perhaps forgotten by his nation...Oh! Those Broken
Promises.
You can hear those echoes as you have a beer at the "Post", walk in a
parade, go to The Wall, visit a VA hospital, hear the mournful sounds
of tap, or gaze upon the white crosses, row upon row.
But they aren't just words; they're a way of life, a pattern of living,
or a way of dying.
They made the evening, with another day's work done; supper with the wife
and kids; and no Gestapo snooping at the door and threatening to kick
your teeth in.
They gave you the right to choose who shall run our government for us,
the right to a secret vote that counts just as much as the next fellow's
in the final tally; and the obligation to use that right, and guard it
and keep it clean.
They prove the right to hope, to dream, to pray; the obligation to serve.
These are some of the meanings of those four words, meanings we don't
often stop to tally up or even list.
Only in the stillness of a moonless night, or in the quiet of a Sunday
afternoon, or in the thin dawn of a new day, when our world is close about
us, do they rise up in our memories and stir in our sentient hearts.
And we are remembering Wake Island, and Bataan, Inchon, and Chu Lai, Knox
and Benning, Great Lakes and Paris Island, Travis and Chanute, Bagdad,
Kabul,Kuwait City,and many other places long forgotten by our civilian
friends.
They're plain words, those four. Simple words.
You could carve them on stone; you could carve them on the mountain ranges.
You could sing them, to the tune of "Yankee Doodle."
But you needn't. You needn't do any of those things, for those words are
graven in the hearts of Veterans, they are familiar to 24,000,000 tongues,
every sound and every syllable. If you must write them, put them on my
Stone.
But when you speak them, speak them softly, proudly, I will hear you,
for I too,
I was a Soldier, I AM A VETERAN.
Inspired By “Creed” I am an American by Hal Borland
It is the Soldier
"It is the
soldier, not the reporter,
Who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the soldier, not the poet,
Who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the soldier, not the campus organizer,
Who has given us the freedom to demonstrate.
It is the soldier,
Who salutes the flag,
Who serves beneath the flag,
And whose coffin is draped by the flag,
Who allows the protester to burn the flag."
[ By Father Denis Edward O'Brien, USMC ]
"Some Issues that need to be worked on."
There are too many homeless veterans, and more programs are needed at
the VA.
Every Veteran's Service Organization Post should adopt a local homeless
veteran.
Put them up in cheap Apt for at least a six-month period.
Help them file claims, get food stamps, & get and keep VA appointments.
Funding of VA Medical Centers is inadequate.
Even the $1 per hour jobs at the VA for needy patients is often out of
money.
The budget has been flat-lined for too many years.
The VA is too quick to deny claims, and too slow to help veterans gather
records in support of claims;
Local politicians ignore veterans and their issues. They perceive a lack
of organization among their local Veterans, and that it won't hurt them
at election time. Veterans too often vote party...not veteran issues.
All veterans should vote in every election.
Local news media give inadequate coverage to local veteran issues and
events. You must send them letters to the Editor
Please contact your members of Congress and urge them to "co-sponsor"
key legislation: We have had some great success with our past lobbying
efforts.
Go to the following web sites once-in-a-while and check out bills in progress...then...lobby
your representatives.
Current Information on Veteran Bills in the HOUSE
Current
information on Veteran Bills in the SENATE
A
Few Current Issues Broken Promises...
THE PROBLEM: In the process of down sizing the United States Military,
a large number of military bases and Military Treatment Facilities have
been closed.
More to come.
This has created a situation where inadequate space is available to accommodate
the retired American military community.
As a result, the United States Government is denying the critical medical
care that was promised to the retired military.
This is WRONG. The U.S. Congress is well aware of this problem.
Some legislative action is in progress, to correct the problem,but is
moving too slow to help the oldest of the military retirees who need help
now. Veterans are suffering, and many, far too many are homeless.
THE ARGUMENT: The medical care promise, as it has played out, was a gimmick
(a novel or clever scheme, a hidden or deceptive device)designed to keep
the trained military in the military.
It was a promotional stratagem of great proportions. In other circumstances
this promise could easily be considered a conspiracy to defraud.
If one of our large U.S. Corporations would make then break a similar
promise the entire U.S. Government legal system would be mobilized to
correct, in the name of justice, that injustice.
I feel that I have a duty and an obligation to appeal to you, the Congress,
the News Media, and the American People, on behalf of the retired American
military community to fix this.
I can not, with a clear conscience, stand idly by and watch this graveinjustice
being perpetrated upon the weak and helpless retired American military
senior citizens.
The medical care promise was made, in good faith, by the United States
military and sanctioned by the United States Congress.
They were right when they made the promise. They needed to make the promise.
It was imperative that they make the promise. They laid the foundation.
The American people and the current U.S. Congress must now find a way
to maintain the integrity of this foundation.
You must find a way to keep the medical care promise made to the retired
American military veterans.
The security of the United States of America hangs in the balance.
Retirees have had to sue.
We demand Concurrent Receipt for Disabled Military Retirees. They are
only group of corporation, State or Federal employees that have to pay
for their own VA disability, out of their earned military retirement.
stay current with my email news, or at http://www.vetspac.com/
We demand that the congress amend the Uniformed Service Former Spouse
Protection Act (USFSPA), a 1982 law that authorizes state courts to divide
military retiree pay as property in divorce cases.
NOTE:
All Veterans should be enrolled in the VA Health. If you aren't enrolled
do so..soon, even if you don't currently plan on using it. System
FROM:
HONORABLE LANE EVANS
NEWS FROM….
CONGRESSMAN LANE EVANS RANKING DEMOCRATIC MEMBER COMMITTEE ON VETERANS
AFFAIRS U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Room 333 Cannon HOB For More Information Contact: Washington, DC 20515
Susan Edgerton @ 202-225-9756
VA SECRETARY LIMIT"S ENROLLMENT FOR VETERANS HEALTH CARE
EVANS CALLS ON BUSH ADMINISTRATION TO REQUEST ADEQUATE BUDGET FOR GROWING
HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
Washington, DC -- Secretary of Veterans Affairs announced several years
ago, the decision to cut off enrollment to the highest income veterans
who have not already enrolled in the veterans’ health care system.
Veterans affected are those whose income exceeds geographically determined
thresholds (often about $30-35,000 for a veteran with no dependents)
and who have not enrolled for VA care in the last several years. VA
estimates its decision affected 164,000 veterans who would have attempted
to enroll that year. The Administration expects to save $780 million
by the end of fiscal year 2005 by implementing this restriction.
Several years ago, Congress created a new priority group that would
be subject to lower hospital inpatient copayments than other “higher
income” (formerly Priority 7) veterans. These veterans had incomes that
exceeded VA’s means test threshold, but fell below the Department of
Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) thresholds for low-income housing
assistance. Those whose incomes exceeded the HUD threshold became Priority
8 veterans.
The Administration continues to try to request Congress to authorize
new premiums for both priority groups – Priority 7 and 8-- in future
fiscal year budgets, and increases in Co-Pay.
Lane Evans, the senior Democrat on the House Veterans Affairs Committee,
expressed his strong disappointment over the decisions. “Every year,
rather than asking for an adequate appropriation, President Bush recommends
controls to reduce veterans’ demand for services. Congress has rejected
most of these proposals out of hand and then has to compensate for the
funds that were supposed to come from these undesirable plans.”
Evans also responded to press reports that the Secretary blamed Congress
for shortfalls in VA’s budget. “While I’m not usually satisfied with
the amounts Congress provides, it would be ridiculous for Congress to
cop a plea for the problems VA is having keeping up with demand. Every
year in recent history, we’ve provided at least what the Administration
has requested.”
Evans suggested that the fault originates with the Administration. He
and House Veterans Affairs Chairman Christopher H. Smith recommended
that the House Budget Committee add $2.2 billion to the President’s
request for the VA Medical Care system in FY 2003. The two also proposed
a controversial new bill that would allow VA’s funding to grow with
the beneficiary population and medical inflation. For his support Rep
Smith was replaced as Chair, with Rep Buyer R-IN, who tends to follow
he Whitehouse budgets, and not fight for veterans
“The problem isn’t that veterans are seeking health care from their
health care system—it’s that the federal government is not making the
resources available to address their needs. I believe the proper response
to veterans’ growing demand for services is for the President to ask
Congress for more money,” said Evans.
For Current Information on Veteran Bills in the HOUSE, click on button.
Become familiar with the VA website click on button
Sincerely,
LANE EVANS ... Ranking Democratic Member
Veteran Issues, Dan Cedusky, Champaign, IL 61821 We intend to bring
you (the veteran and veteran organizations) and the weight of hundreds
of your emails down on local officials and the media; to add some weight
to what may be perceived as a local problem; to add our voices to the
National organizations and their campaigns; and to help shape or modify
the platforms of local candidates. Let's Keep on, Keepin' on.
Veteran
Links
"Just
click on name you want to visit."
"VA
WEBSITE FACT SHEETS"
"VA
E-Mail Contacts"
"TRICARE, Military
Health Care"
"Where to find
your State & Local Veteran Service Officers"
"Where to Find
a Lawyer for veteran claims."
"American Legion"
"AMVETS"
"VFW"
"DAV"
"Vietnam Veterans
of America"
"VietNow"
"Marine Corp
League"
"Purple Heart"
"Paralyzed Veterans
of America"
"Subscribe
to my free news Veteran Issues"
"US Army news"
Updated Info
on Concurrent Receipt for Military Retirees
"Korean War Museum
& Library, Raantoul IL"
"MOAA -Military
Officers Association of America (formerly TROA)."
"Contacting the VA"
"VA
Info on Agent Orange- Cancers, Diabetes, Hep C, etc"
"
Links to VA Manuals, Rules & Reg's"
"Web site with Good
Military & Veteran Info"
"Find Your US
Senator Info"
"Find
Your Congressman Info"
"Senate
Armed Services Committee"
find Email & Contact
Info your area news media
Email
Your Radio Station
Register
to Vote on Internet & Find Issues
How
to File for Freedom of Information
Go
to Code of Federal Regulations, i.e. Veterans is Title 32...can search
& print
List
of 1500 Federal Programs & contacts
Archives -National Military Personnel Records Center
at St Louis
Fleet Reserve Association
United Services Disabled
Retirees
The Retired Enlisted
Association
Info on
USFSPA for Military Retirees
National Guard
Assoc of US
Association of
Former Intelligence Officers
Retired Officer Association
American
Gulf War Veterans Association
Flying
Space Available on Military Planes
Find
local & State Govt Contacts & Services
Vet to Vet Links
and other Veteran info
THE RETIRED MILITARY
ADVOCATE
Native American
Web Site
Veteran's Rights
in Federal Employment
Medical Info
& Help
Search
the Web using GOOGLE - Click Here
Look up & Research
tools on the WEB
HireVeterans.com
This page was created, and is maintained solely by me.
Copyright © 2008 Colonel Dan - All Rights Reserved
Thank
you for visiting my page at VeteransToday.com
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