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War On V.A. Grows: Vets Fight Disability Cut Backs

By VVAW

"Veterans hit the bricks,
Can't you hear the call,
A victory for Ted is,
A victory for all!"

This and other spirited chants rocked the walls of the VA Regional Office on Monday, September 8, as the Milwaukee chapter of VVAW/WSO led vets and supporters in a militant picket-line directed at the VA's attempt to cut a vet's disability rating.

Dennis (Ted) Streit, a Vietnam vet, recently received a letter from the VA. It notified him of a 50% cut in his disability for an internal injury he received in the war. He needs periodic operations to take out the excess scar tissue that grows as a result of the wound.

Publically, the Veterans Administration is talking about the new disability ratings which, they say, increase the amount of money given to disabled vets--a vet on 10% disability, for instance, now gets $36 per month instead of $32 per month. According to the VA, this increase is a kind of "gift" from the government to offset the rocketing cost of living in this inflated economy. In fact what is happening is that the VA is taking a number of vets and slashing their disability payments, probably hoping to make up for the increases that vets fought to get.

VVAW/WSO chapters around the country are taking up cases where disabled vets are getting screwed by the VA--in Chicago to win 100% disability for Joe Blanco, in Long Beach (California) around the case of Vic Mondragon, and in Milwaukee around the case of Ted Streit. Decent benefits for all vets are a demand raised by vets from coast to coast.

Ted Streit, a member of the Milwaukee VVAW/WSO, came to the chapter and said he wanted to fight the VA cutback. Other members of the chapter were enthusiastic about going out to vets to build support for Ted's case, seeing that vets have to get together and fight attempts to rob us of what's ours.

The chapter wrote a leaflet talking about Ted's case and how it isn't isolated from what's happening to thousands of vets across the country--it's part of a general series of cutbacks, from the VA of the unemployment lines, from the schools to the welfare lines. Anything that doesn't turn a profit for the bosses and their lackeys is on the drawing board to be sliced. The leaflet and a petition were used to go out and talk to hundreds of vets; and, during this time, it grew clearer and clearer that the VA is screwing vets around and that vets are fighting mad.

As the day approached for Ted's appeal hearing, the VA was running scared even before the 35 people came out for the picket-line and to jam the VA's phoney hearing. Three days before the hearing, the VA called Ted to tell him there had been a big mistake! He still had to have a hearing, they said, but his disability would not be cut until after a full review. They said they had previously given him the wrong kind of exam and he would be scheduled for a future physical. In other words, they re-instated his 40% disability rating.

This victory was closely followed by another: the VA opened the doors for a fully open hearing, the first time anywhere. This is completely opposite from the usual close, backroom shaft session that the VA calls a "Review Hearing" where even the vet concerned is not allowed to hear what the VA is deciding about him. So, when 35 people went in, the VA bureaucrats were shaking and asking if 30 chairs would be enough or if they should set up more! When the hearing got ready to roll, the VA stuffed shirts tried to gloss over the fact that VVAW/WSO was acting as Ted's representative, since for years they've tried to say that we're not a "legitimate" veterans organization (meaning that we're not like the American Legion or VFW which parrot the lines of the VA).

In the midst of all the Board's jive questions they asked how much money Ted made? At this, the whole room exploded: "What the hell is that to his disability? Let's face facts: Ted didn't get shrapnel wounds playing jacks down on Mitchell Street. He got it fighting in that rich man's war." Since when did the VA look at a retiring General and ask him how much money he makes, much less if he got his wound in combat or on the golf course?

When all the facts had been presented, the bureaucrats asked if the chapter had anything more to say. Yes, there was a closing statement. But, when the chapter started to tell them about all the vets that they were screwing around, and how VVAW/WSO is going to take up more and more of their cases to fight for the vets involved, the 3-man review board cut the taped official record ad high-tailed it back to the safety of their cozy offices, saying that they'd send down "someone to deal with your questions." That turned out to be the assistant regional director and two of his flunkies.

During the "discussion" that followed the assistant director tried in vain to sooth the anger of the vets who had attended the hearing. One after another, vets backed this VA worm up against the wall and strafed him for the red-tape run-around they had gotten from the VA. All he could say as the vets left was that he really was interested in vets' welfare, but sometimes there just wasn't anything he could do. More of the usual VA lies. On September 24th, when Ted was scheduled for his physical exam, 30 angry vets went with him to the hospital. Scared silly by the angry group, the VA chiefs sent out a couple of flunkies to negotiate. The physical exam, which normally takes three days while the VA plays its harassment games, took a total of three hours. The VA moves quick when it's under the gun.

In Chicago, the VVAW/WSO chapter is also fighting for open hearings. Joe Blanco, an ex-paratrooper, was severely injured; the VA "awarded" him a 10% disability rating--which meant $32 per month and, under the new rating scale, a "whopping" $36 per month. $36 goes nowhere when, like Joe, a vet is unable to work--in fact, it just about pays for carfare to the VA.

Beginning in May, the VVAW/WSO fought alongside Joe in the struggle to get 100% disability and to force an open hearing around his case. Each time they have gone to the VA with more people; the last confrontation saw a couple of dozen angry, yelling people planting themselves in the lobby while the VA bosses hid. Shortly afterwards, Joe received a phone call from the veterans service officer setting up an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon--and the VA had never even gone that far in helping Joe before. Neither Joe nor the members of the chapter are satisfied with that kind of half-stepping, though, and continue to demand 100% disability.

Parts of the campaigns in both Chicago and Milwaukee have been through petitions which have been signed by hundreds of vets and VA workers uniting in the demands of the campaign, including decent benefits for all vets. One veteran, now in his 80's, signed the petition in Chicago and told of his experience in fighting to get 10% disability payments for his lungs which were damaged by mustard gas during the First World War.

Vets from before the Vietnam War have also united behind a petition campaign building support for Vic Mondragon in Long Beach, California. Vic, a disabled Vietnam-era vet, is also unable to work; the VA has "given" him a 60% disability rating, even though a letter from his doctor says he should be getting 100%. Instead of meeting Vic's real needs, however, the VA keeps trying out its newest "miracle pill," using Vic as a guinea pig while they stall giving him the money that he needs.

Disability payments are just one more area where cutbacks are crunching down on vets. Around the country VVAW/WSO is uniting with other vets to fight to win the needed payments for individual vets and, at the same time, expose the VA's pretense of "serving veterans." When the VA, and the system it is part of, says Cutback, VVAW/WSO says FIGHT BACK, and the fight is going on until we win.