I would be the last person to oppose a wounded or otherwise needy veteran not receiving deserved compensation, but I find staggering the report that 45 per cent of veterans of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have applied for disability pay.
This far exceeds the percentage of veterans of other wars asking for compensation. That includes the Gulf War, Vietnam, Korea and World War II. There may be several reasons for this, including the type of war being fought with many servicemen losing limbs, a higher survival rate of wounded, or the bad economy with few jobs available for those with handicaps.
Even so, with almost half of the l.6 million who served in Iraq and Afghanistan seeking compensation for injuries, the funds are getting low and the VA is lagging in meeting claims.
I think I speak for many World War II veterans who ended the war with eagerness and optimism for the future. We had survived the depression and the war and were welcomed home with benefits of the GI Bill awaiting us. Veterans of today may not feel as optimistic about their future. It is our duty to make certain those returning veterans are treated fairly and can be as optimistic about the future as we were.
This far exceeds the percentage of veterans of other wars asking for compensation. That includes the Gulf War, Vietnam, Korea and World War II. There may be several reasons for this, including the type of war being fought with many servicemen losing limbs, a higher survival rate of wounded, or the bad economy with few jobs available for those with handicaps.
Even so, with almost half of the l.6 million who served in Iraq and Afghanistan seeking compensation for injuries, the funds are getting low and the VA is lagging in meeting claims.
I think I speak for many World War II veterans who ended the war with eagerness and optimism for the future. We had survived the depression and the war and were welcomed home with benefits of the GI Bill awaiting us. Veterans of today may not feel as optimistic about their future. It is our duty to make certain those returning veterans are treated fairly and can be as optimistic about the future as we were.
No comments:
Post a Comment