With Democrats in Control, Disabled Military Retirees Demand No Excuses

Harlingen, Texas, December 18, 2008:  What are all veterans looking for in the new administration come 2009?  Well, Tony Nathe, President of the Uniformed Services Disabled Retirees (USDR) says, “If the Executive Branch, the House and the Senate are now owned by one party there can be no more excuses for not passing full Concurrent Receipt of Military Retired Pay!”

What he is referring to is a law that since 2004 allows military retirees with 20 or more years of service and a Veterans Affairs rated disability of 50% or higher to receive their VA Disability Compensation and their retired pay without any offsetting deductions.  Prior to that 2004 law all military retirees had their military retired pay reduced by any amount of disability compensation they received.  What the USDR has been fighting for is for any disabled military retiree, regardless of the percentage of disability awarded should be treated in the same manner as those in the 50% to 100% disability range.

Nathe continues on the topic of Concurrent Receipt saying that when it comes to passing such legislation, “each party has always blamed the other party for its failure.” With that standard excuse as a backdrop, his organization plans to introduce a “No More Excuses Campaign” and promote it through the retiree and veteran community.

He also points out that every government agency has its own advocacy office to handle the affairs of retired personal, except the military.  He announces the USDR supports the establishment of an Office of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Disabled Retiree Affairs or an Office of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Retired Affairs and will lobby for such an office.  “It is time”, he says, “for all the veteran service organizations and government officials to stop lumping military retirees into the veteran category and give us the category we earned with a lifetime of service…Military Retirees.”

Noel Pritzi, the USDR Past President reports his organization is also pushing for new legislation that will allow for the increase of Veterans Affairs Supplemental Service Disabled Veterans Insurance from the current $10,000 maximum amount to $100,000.

Pritzi points out that this is an insurance program that was created through legislation in 1951 to provide a means for disabled veterans to obtain coverage for their families in the event of their death.  Standard life insurance plans were not offered to them due to the injuries they had received while in the service of their country.  More than 58 years have now passed without the VA seeking to increase these insurance limits or Congress creating new legislation to correct such an oversight.

Another disparity pointed out by Pritzi is a ruling, which says, “You can purchase this insurance in amounts of $1,000 to $10,000.  However, if you have any other government life insurance the total amount of the policies cannot exceed $10,000.” In a time when standard funeral expenses can often run in excess of $10,000, this insurance as currently limited amounts to nothing more than a burial policy.

After more than a 100 year battle with Congress to obtain the same benefits as other governmental retirees, which were the receipt of their retirement pay, earned by years of service to the country, plus disability compensation for service connected injuries, disabled military retirees are now receiving benefits for the upper 50% of those who were awarded a VA rating.  Jim Reifinger is one such military retiree who is now receiving Combat Related Special Compensation (CRSC) for injuries received in battle, along with his retirement pay for more than 20 years of service. 

He is worried about the future of his finances because of rumors he is hearing that are emanating from Washington.  “My big question is are the Democrats going to allow us military retirees that are receiving CRSC and military retirement, who are old enough for Social Security to draw our benefits?  I keep hearing that issue may come into question.

The USDR has an extended list of items it wants to place in front of this 100% Democrat Congress and Administration with “No Excuses” accepted.  The organization seeks the elimination of Medicare payments for all military retirees, recalling that for most of them free medical care was promised as a right during their service careers.

They will seek legislation to provide full military burial honors for all military retirees.
They will also continue to support legislation that provides mandatory funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs.  Also, the USDR will continue to support legislation that provides health and dental care for military retirees and their dependents.

Finally, they will seek out and support legislation to eliminate any offset or deduction from the full amount of benefits for Survivors Benefit Plan recipients and those who receive Dependency and Indemnity Compensation.

There is a quote I read, that had no attribution, but states the case clearly…”The soldier is not the cause of war.  The soldier is the first victim of war”.  All too often that victimization continues long after he or she is retired and suffers alone with those wounds.  The victimizers are usually the government and the country the soldier served.

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A Christmas Memory

Harlingen, Texas, December 14, 2008:  Christmas of 1941 was not a happy time for anyone in America.  The Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor and we were at war. 

For two little boys, not old enough to understand the threats and dangers of war, it was adventure as usual as they sat in front of the large family radio every afternoon listening to programs such as Terry and the Pirates, Hop Harrigan, Jack Armstrong All American Boy and their very favorite, The Lone Ranger.

They really didn’t understand much of what they were told in mid December, except they would soon be leaving and moving to another state. Their father had just lost his job. The family had almost no money. Their mother was two months away from delivering their sister.  They lived in San Diego, California and news reports said a Japanese submarine had been sighted at the entrance of the bay.  The boys did not mind traveling, but they were very unhappy.  It was almost time for Christmas and that created a much greater concern.  They were deeply worried that Santa Claus would not find them by Christmas Eve.

Their mother and father had decided… they would leave California.  Crammed into the family’s two-door Dodge sedan along with most of their meager household goods, they pointed themselves in the direction of Tacoma, Washington where the grand parents resided.  It was nonstop driving until they reached Portland, Oregon.  There, too weary to go any further, the boy’s father found a hotel room for the night.

From their second floor room the boys searched the cold dark night.  It was Christmas Eve, but Santa’s sleigh was nowhere to be seen.  They were both tucked into bed and went to sleep teary eyed, knowing that on this Christmas, they would be forgotten.

With the light of Christmas morning the smaller of the two boys awoke, his eyes sparkled with what he saw.  He shook his older brother awake and they both yelled to their parents.  There, next to the window was a table.  On it was the smallest Christmas tree they boys had ever seen.  But, under that tree were three packages. Santa Claus HAD been able to find them.  Mother opened her gift first.  It was a very small bottle of her favorite perfume.  The boys tore into their gifts.  The oldest boy discovered his gift was a white leather, two-gun holster complete with twin Lone Ranger six-guns.  The youngest found his brown leather holster had the official six-shooter of Tonto, the Lone Ranger’s faithful Indian companion.

Of all the Christmases that have passed in well over a half-century of my life, the memory that one morning still stands out in my mind.  It was on that special Christmas morning I strapped on my white, two-gun holster over my pajamas.  Along with the memory of that wonderful gift is another recollection that is even more important.  I never saw my father wear his cherished gold wristwatch again.

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Making The Case For Christmas From "Jesusland"

Harlingen, Texas, December 13, 2008:  The Christmas season is really in the air.  Last night we joined a group of carolers who visited with children in a Christian community filled with homes that are dedicated to caring for abandoned children and children removed from abusive families.  Along with the sounds of the season they brought armloads of wrapped gifts for the youngsters who ranged in age from one year to their teens.

The next stop for this busload of Santa’s helpers was a group home for the elderly, where they entertained a group of smiling and sometimes tearful senior citizens of very advanced age.

This wasn’t an unusual evening, because I live in a place that many on the left side of American politics have referred to as “Jesusland”.  That is correct, Texas is located right smack in the middle of “flyover” America.  It is the place where the liberal left of both coasts says the unenlightened of America reside.

Two years ago I wrote extensively about the attacks from the left on Christmas.  In one column I quoted a television commentator who claimed that those who live in “Jesusland” or the “flyover” red states of America are course, crass, and really not very bright. They need religious symbols to give them a sense of direction.

His second observation was those in the blue states have more heart and have a greater caring nature.  He said this could be proven by the simple fact that those who live in the blue states have more “safety net programs” and pay far more taxes than those bumpkins in the red states who are tight with their dollars.

The commentator’s view that we are living in “Jesusland” may be right.  As I drive around this small Texas city I see huge signs in the parks that say “Merry Christmas”.  Some say “Feliz Navidad”.  I have lost count of the churches in town and we still have an Invocation at all public meetings.

Our school choirs and bands held Christmas concerts where they sang and played music about the birth of Christ.  The traditional “La Pasada” will be held in another of our city parks.  Local television and radio are filled with real Christmas music and quotations from the Bible.

As for charity, those proclaimed “safety net” programs are for removed from any charitable spirit.  They are mandated by law, which means they are paid with money taken from others under threat of some form of punishment.  All law is forced compliance.

One other thing should be pointed out about those “safety nets” from New York to California.  They are bankrupt and crying out for even more government support.

But, that is another story.  Let us return to “Jesusland”.  Here the local television stations, the police, the fire departments, the Rotary, The Lions, the Jaycees…. plus the Salvation Army and all of those many, many churches are reaching out to those in need.  This does not mean similar organizations in non “flyover” states are failing to do the same thing.  Those states are also populated with people who are “course, crass and really not very bright.” They too, need Christian symbols to give them a sense of direction.

The direction we are aiming toward is one of each individual caring about the welfare of those who are less fortunate.  I will quote myself in another article I wrote about the attacks on Christmas as a way of closing out this commentary.

“At the local Rotary Club we are having a program presented by Marines from our reserve unit just returned from Iraq.  These young men, who fought so bravely, are already engaged in a new campaign.  They are seeking “Toys For Tots” and plan on distributing the donations as Christmas gifts to thousands of needy children.  We believe this is the Christmas season and we support all those who honor such celebrations.

“There may be an attack on faith being conducted through the media and ACLU around the country, but none of their voices are being heard, nor are they welcome in this corner of the Lone Star State.  If they should decide they want to spew such hate filled rhetoric in our direction, they should think first about a saying we use to warn all polluters…”Don’t Mess With Texas!”

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