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'War On The VA' Grows: Veterans Administration Running Scared

By VVAW

"We're here to protest cutbacks of the VA staff, the proposed taxes on veterans' pension, an inadequate GI Bill, a lack of jobs, and no benefits for thousands of vets with bad discharges," shouted a Vietnam veteran in front of Wood VA hospital on December 18th, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

All of a sudden, about 15 hospital guards rushed out of the hospital and tried to drag the speaker from his stand. The crowd stood their ground between these Government Service Administration (GSA) police and the speaker. When the cops started shoving, the veterans and others shoved back. Soon many of the GSA guards were lying on their backs with vets and others standing over them. The police had to resort to mace to save themselves and protect their retreat.

"If we're going to lick 'em we got to be tight, and we've got a good start. We showed them that we mean business".

- Black World War II Vet

The demonstrators then moved the picket line to another main door where lots of out-patients were coming and going. For Protection, the people formed a moving picket line around their speaker: patients and members of VVAW/WSO. They spoke bitterly about the rotten conditions inside the VA hospital.

One speaker ran down how the VA, the largest health system in the country, has the worst patient to staff ratio. He said the $13 billion a year government agency is not replacing discharged workers at Wood. In fact, they are laying off at least 13 part-time employees. For example the staff cutbacks have already cut the number of therapists in a hydro-therapy ward from 2 full-time and 3 assistants to just one therapist. He must regularly administer whirlpool baths to 43 patients. This situation cuts down on the frequency of the baths and increases the dangers of accidents in the ward.

Another speaker told how a lack of qualified doctors and a disrespect for the veterans lead to the patients being used as guinea pigs for medical students. One patient who had back problems had his stomach cut open! A third speaker ran down how federal cutbacks were affecting disabled vets. A vet who was considered 10% disabled, is not considered disabled at all. A vet who is 100% disabled is now 80%. The vets will be getting less money, but it doesn't stop there. The government now wants to tax the money they've already cut down. This speaker also told how the hospital needs Spanish-speaking doctors.

Still another vet told how the head of the methadone program threatened to cut his patints off methadone if they joined the demonstration. The methadone patients, many of whom became addicted as a result of Vietnam, are being strung out on "Long Acting Methadone Program." Many object that they are trapped in an addiction as bad as heroin and are demanding a drug-free rehabilitation program.

Inside the hospital militant patients who wanted to join the picket line and rally where threatened by guards. Some were intentionally scheduled for therapy at the same time as the protest was going on outside. In spit of this some patients joined the marchers in the bitter cold still in hospital gowns to address their supporters.

"The GSA guards are still complaining about their injuries and if they stand in our way again they will have more to talk about"

- Korean War Vet

At the end of the protest the people raised some spirited chants for all the patients that boomed off the walls of the big building: "The VA clinics are butcher shops, we need more doctors, but you hire more cops" and "Decent health care is our right: we're sick and tired and ready to fight.

As the demonstrators were leaving the police attached again; twenty GSA guards backed up with local police. Knowing that the "War on the VA" is part of a national vets movement, they have to try to stop it before it grows still larger. There were twenty-five minutes of hand-to-hand combat as the demonstrators and police clashed. Several police landed head first into their own squad cars and several bounced off the concrete. Eleven of the demonstrators were arrested as a result of the police attack -- none were injured. As of this time charges have not been filed, while the US federal attorney awaits orders from Washington.

While Gerald Ford talks about healing the nation's wounds, the government could not embarrass itself by charging the eleven. These people had fought for big business, been wounded for doing that, only to come home to face unemployment and butcher shop hospital conditions from the same big business. All that the VA officials could do was to try and stop the vets from talking the truth by sending out their goon squads to try and shut them up.

"It's the first time vets from World War II and Vietnam could agree on something besides war stories! This fight is all ours"

- Vietnam Veteran.

VVAW/WSO members went back to the hospital that night to find patients putting up the demonstration poster all over the hospital. Some were xeroxing more copies. More of them now see the struggle as their fight. The action was a great success. Patients and other vowed, "Next time there'll be more of us and we'll be ready!"

These actions at the Woods Hospital in Milwaukee are part of an overall national campaign that VVAW/WSO is working on to fight for decent benefits for all veterans. Contact your local chapter to find out what we are doing in your area.