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VA Down & Out

By John Lindquist

1988 and 1978 are the same. Veterans of all eras are still getting cut badly. We are not blaming thousands of caring VA workers in the understaffed VA: they could probably be holding their own were it not for the actions of Ronald Reagan and the last three presidents.

In the last 15 years veterans' programs have taken many cuts at a time when many veterans are reaching age 65 and are desperately in need of the medical care promised to them as they the human cost of war. They are denied care as are 100,000 younger veterans of Korea, Vietnam, Lebanon and Grenada. This makes veterans and their families anger. And there is much to be angry about.

As reported in the December 1987 issue of the DAV Magazine, "Recently, we learned that the Administrator of Veterans Affairs had spent some $2 million in order to ensure a recent political appointee to the VA Central Office of an office with a view of the White House.

"When Wilfred L. Ebel was appointed Chief Memorial Affairs Director at VA's Central Office, he was assigned space occupied by the VA's Compensation and Pension Service.

"So that Ebel could have an unobstructed view of the White House, the staff of the Compensation and Pension service was shifted out of the Central Office and sent packing a few miles away to Washington D.C.'s Regional Office. Crammed into the space were the service's files, computers and supplies."

"All the staff of a critical VA Central Office service were summarily exiled—except for the services director, Gerald P. Moore, who alone continued to reside at the Central Office.

"An important VA service—where administrative reviews of claims at the highest level are conducted and where fundamental laws and regulations of the claims process are interpreted has been fragmented and disrupted..all for a view of the President's home."

Spending $2 million or even $400,000 to dislocate a critical VA service and remodel and refurbish a political appointee's office—for the sake of a view—is wrong. And it makes a mockery of the sacrifices that disabled vets have made in the past.

The Milwaukee Chapter of VVAW decided it was time to get off our butts and do something about it. A spring offensive was in order. We sent a letter to other vets' groups telling them about the DC nightmare. Included with the letter is a copy of a complaint form to be used to organize veterans who have gotten poor or no treatment at the VA because of the cutbacks. We hope to approach the local VVAC Committee at the VA of which we are all members, and handle it from the inside. An action like this could get other veterans groups active on issues that are critical to veterans of all eras.

1988 is an election year. Even thou VVAW does not endorse political candidates, we do urge every member to be active and vote. Veterans are not yet an issue in this election. But are we not part of the cost of America's wars? Whether it is freeing a concentration camp in Germany in 1945, or Tet 1968 in Hue City, a disability is with you for life—if you can get back home. A lot of the veterans' programs in our country have been cut to the bone; one half of all street people are veterans, sometimes as many as 1/3rd of them Vietnam-era vets. Nationwide, 36,000 veterans a month get turned away at VA hospitals around the country. Whoever becomes President will have to deal with this—or ignore it. Unless we all get active at some level, things will get worse.

Well, that's an update from Milwaukee; we'll keep you posted. We have a saying here: Don't forget your brothers and sisters in our VA hospitals. They need visitors and volunteers. And don't forget to pass the word about the chump in the VA central office: he deserves the grenade of the month award.

—John Lindquist
Milwaukee VVAW