We Need To Stick Together

[brandon]

DEAR VETERANS,we need to get our Message out, loud and clear,the only way Is to send out LOUD AND CLEAR, we need to form as a group,we need to march to Washington,we need to send out the message,Like the veteran did on CNN.If we stick together,Washington will act.Did Dr King.not prove It works,varo has records on all veterans,I was lucky I HAVE MY QRIGINAL FILES,,but that Is a good plus,however If I sent to varo,va will find something,they think they can use,IN my case,all are stamped,dated,by va,should that help,you bet It will,but wait, once It gets there,where does It go?va,bva,amc,and all others STICK TOGETHER,can we stop It? You bet we can .Want to take a test run? ok think about this, on December 1 -07 every veteran write 1 short letter,to WASHINGTON,to BUSH,think about this ,number 1, the post office will not be happy,1-point,2-point,sure will get Bush into the news,don.t wast you time with va,take action,I am 100%,never the less,I want all veterans to get what I have,I am a veteran,you all come first,In my books and I want yiu all to get your benifits and IF you want me ,I will stick withyou all the way,va tried to make a deal with me,va ,stated to call on a Monday,a few years ago.I faxed to va I do not make deals,If all veterans,can,t have the same treatment,,I want no part of any deals,yes I am 100%,i NEED NO C&P, AND MY 100% can not be taken away,way should I worry about you? why not just collect my 100%,and go about my business,go around the world a-space stay on any base cheap, and enjoy myself?why/ BECAUSE I am a veteran,IF you cannot get the same benifits I have my benifits bring no happiness to me,because of all of you,join me,look what the unions, did to get,better wages health benifits,they stuck toghter,as we all will BRANDON

[Speaking Out]

Brandon, I think you are right. If Veterans stick together as one voting block we could make a change. Somehow we have to get our brothers and sisters to put aside party affiliation to do this. Here in Indianapolis, the citizens did this over property taxes. The last election in early November, several incumbents were removed from their seats and even the Mayor of Indy. It was the people sticking together to say, some issues are bigger than our parties. Now, our Indiana General Assembly realize that property taxes are an issue in the whole state and they are working on fixing the problem they created before the election next year. I would like to see Veterans do this and let our current elected officials know that we are willing to put them out of their jobs and get someone in who will do something positive for Veterans instead of the usual promises. If everyone on this site would call their Congressman, and Senators and tell them, I am a Veteran and I would like my Congressman/Senator to sign a pledge saying if they are elected they will support Veteran issues. If they refuse to sign let them know you intend to tell every Veteran you know, your church, neighborhood, family, and anyone you see that they don't support Veterans and the Veterans are working to vote them out. It is a hard road, but look at the fight that has been ongoing for how many years? We are strong individuals, just read some of the posts here of what people have been through, but we are MIGHTY as a group.

Take a look at this, send it to your family and friends and ask them to use their vote to support Veteran issues.

A Different Christmas Poem

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,

I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.

My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,

My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.

Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,

Transforming the yard to a winter delight.

The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,

Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.

My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,

Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.

In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,

So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.

The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,

But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.

Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know, Then the

sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.

My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,

And I crept to the door just to see who was near.

Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,

A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.

A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,

Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.

Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,

Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.

"What are you d oing?" I asked without fear,

"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!

Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,

You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"

For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,

Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts..

To the window that danced with a warm fire's light

Then he sighed and he said "Its really all right,

I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night."

"It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,

That separates you from the darkest of times.

No one had to ask or beg or implore me,

I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.

My Gramps died at 'Pearl on a day in December,"

Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers."

My dad stood his watch in the jungles of 'Nam',

And now it is my turn and so, here I am.

I've not seen my own son in more than a while,

But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.

Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,

The red, white, and blue... an American flag.

"I can live through the cold and the being alone,

Away from my family, my house and my home.

I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,

I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.

I can carry the weight of killing another,

Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..

Who stand at the front against any and all,

To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall."

"So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,

Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."

"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,

"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?

It seems all too little for all that you've done,

For being away from your wife and your son."

Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,

"Just tell us you love us, and never forget.

To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,

To stand your own watch, no matter how long.

For when we come home, either standing or dead,

To know you remember we fought and we bled.

Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,

That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."

PLEASE, Would you do me the kind favor of sending this to as many people as you can? Christmas will be coming soon and some credit is due to our U.S.servic e men and women for our being able to celebrate these festivities. Let's try in this small way to pay a tiny bit of what we owe. Make people stop and think of our heroes, living and dead, who sacrificed themselves for us.

LCDR Jeff Giles, SC, USN

30th Naval Construction Regiment

OIC, Logistics Cell One

Al Taqqadum, Iraq

[john999]

If vets would just vote their own self-interest they could do a lot to help themselves. Don't be distracted by politicians talking a lot of rubbish. If they don't support mandatory funding for the VA forget them. That is a good litmus test.

Who is supporting mandatory funding for the VA? The DAV has a list I am sure.

[Speaking Out]

If vets would just vote their own self-interest they could do a lot to help themselves. Don't be distracted by politicians talking a lot of rubbish. If they don't support mandatory funding for the VA forget them. That is a good litmus test.

Who is supporting mandatory funding for the VA? The DAV has a list I am sure.

There is also Operation Firing For Effect 2008. They have a pledge for Full Mandtatory Funding. You can go to their website and read about what full mandatory funding is and who is supporting it. You can print it and send it to your elected officials.

[Done wit this]

Good Idea!

The Idea is what needs to be done not only for us, but the veterans searving and coming home to this mess they call the department of veterans affairs, They don't care one bit about you or I or our familys.Just there stable job that they have with the VA.

We as veterans need 5 people from every state to work on this as a job for about 3 months in turn they get three people ,then they get three more, and so on and so on. Soon we would be a voice that would be load and clear no one could ignore. This would take work on our parts but it would but the benifits for all of our brothers and sisters would be a goal worth fighting for.

Now the problem would be getting the people to commit to this, Most will say great Idea! but will not follow through. We would need people with strong wills and drives to match, the system will try to beat us down so we craw back in our holes and shut up. I would commit to this and work at this for a common goal to help all veterans past present and future. we would be making all veterans one big Voice. That is a giant step towards straightening out this Mess for the Men and Women that Gaurd our flag and way of life. I say step up in the ring lets fight for whats right.

Edited November 27, 2007 by macool

[Testvet]

when veterans and their families start voting for their wallet issues, Congress will get the message, the problem is out of 26 million veterans only 3 million are drawing some level of disability check and less than 250,000 are 100% so many veterans do not even think about veterans wallet issues and vote for the military cheer leaders without even looking at voting records most veterans here in SC would be surprised to learn Lindsey Graham usually votes against anything that costs money for vets, after all he's a JAG Colonel, he supports the troops right? He's just another DR Chu in my opinion and Congress is full of people just like him. I don't care what party they belong to if they have a voting record less than 50% for vet wallet issues vote the bums out

[john999]

The Vietnam hero John McCaine voted against mandatory funding. They are hypocrites and BS artists. They smooze with the AL and VFW guys and screw the veterans at the same time.