Some of the 'Services' and 'Programs we have available
Some of the 'Services' and 'Programs we have available
Facing Problems- Returning from Conflicts
May 22nd, 2022 Veterans Column by Ronald Verini
You would think that with about 44% of our veterans who served in Afghanistan and Iraq have come home with problems after serving on the battlefield, we would be ready and prepared with the facilities to help? War after war, conflict after conflict we see the same issues and then wonder why we have so many suicides, homelessness, divorces and veterans with problems that should have been addressed since we have known from the past wars that it takes planning before, and not after they get home. We then scramble to put the pieces together. We continue to not preplan or get everything in place because it would be costly, so we don’t and then it ends up costing us more and our men and women suffer in the meantime and have to fight for the care they should have received when they first came home.
Our health care system in the military service doesn’t have the capabilities of being connected to each location the servicemember is stationed and to be cross-referenced from active duty then to the VA Health Care system in a seamless manor. In some cases, we have to prove we were boots on the ground in a location that would be considered a war zone, hazard zone, funny that the military sent us there and should have that information at the click of a mouse. I know that there are times in conflicts that we end up in locations that are not in our records but you would think that in those few times we should not have to prove it and our word trusted, so the care might be given, period.
I am amazed that with all the databases that the federal government has they can’t connect the dots. I am talking about deployment data with health treatments and war data about environmental issues and toxins used and burn pits, weapons deployed and levels of ear shattering noises that destroy eardrums and all the other military challenges of conflicts. If all this data was linked and integrated then just maybe most of our issues for care might be resolved. Our reintegration and assimilation into civilian life would be much easier.
We are just beginning to see the results of the conflicts of the recent wars and the needs of our veterans. The issues of todays warriors will be similar to the wars of the past with additional challenges of women veterans, longer deployments and shorter rest periods in between, different weapon systems, more diverse, more families with kids and this has only begun, it will be years before the present warriors are lining up at the VA. Will the VA be ready for them? Hope so.
Our problems are specific to us that have served and does not necessarily cross over to the civilian sector. The images you are seeing on social media and the TV regarding the horrors of wars are much different than our everyday traumas we experience in civilian life. There are few exceptions to that last comment when I see isolated violence created on our own soil.
I am pleased that the news stations have not cleaned up the horrors of war and maybe we will understand that when we send our men and women to war the consequences of that action will need to be handled years after they come home. Maybe we will get all the help we need. Congress, are you seeing the same impinges as I am? Get out of your partisan trench and work together to get us the help we need now.
If we wait for the committees, data collection under the old systems, experts to review every piece of information and then determine the needs of our veterans it will be too late for the ones that have died from lack of care and the ones that have committed suicide waiting for the right fix.
Trust the fact that we know the pain we are feeling, the trauma in our heads and we need help now. The VA has given our men and women the very best care they can, given the tools and money they have to work with.
I do think that when I talk with some veterans that are overmedicated from prescriptions given at the VA that maybe our VA is overworked and understaffed so they take short cuts. That’s another part of this story that I will touch on at a latter time.
“The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive the Veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their Nation.” George Washington.
One Veterans Perspective of America
May 8th, 2022 Veterans Column By Ronald Verini
America has fought tyranny, slavery and intolerance and as a veteran I tell you straightaway, what I think America is and what it is not. America is not perfect and it is a nightmare for some. It is folks disagreeing and some on the same page. It is a melting pot for some and feeling like an outsider for others. It is the greatest Nation on the face of this earth and I was willing to give my life for a cause in Vietnam that I did not understand but thought that if my leaders said we needed to stop Communism in a far-off country, then I needed to step up and sign on the bottom line and serve. Many thought that the Vietnam War was wrong and some of my own comrades that came back fought against it. As a Veteran I was proud that I served and would serve again if I thought the cause was righteous. Seems like I would do, much more investigating before I signed on that line again.
Our Nation is smokestacks, cars, vast spaces, apple pie, cows, skyscrapers, wheatfields, ghettos and mansions all within shouting distance of each other. We have vast open spaces and crowded cities. I love America and would not think that there is any place else in this world that I would consider living.
America is all these things that I talked about but none of what they represent is what I think the real America is: I think that we are a dream and an idea that is developing as the years go by. The wars that we have fought and the battles won and lost have exposed the enemies of freedom and our borders are a testament to the fact that with all our challenges the world wants to come here and be part of the greatest experiment ever, a Nation that offers a dream and hope of a better tomorrow.
America will fight, our men and women will shed blood and we will die on the battlefield for what we believe is a worthy cause. America and its political party system is going through a time that we need to find a way to work together as a team and see the larger view of Freedom. The idea that was developed into the Nation we have today is forever changing because of the sheer size and number of citizens and the ever-changing demographics.
Our Nation has been built on the sweat and tears of immigrants. I enjoy the diversity and as a veteran look back at our military and know that without our Native Americans, Japanese, Italians, Germans, Blacks, Hispanics and others that fought against our enemy some wars and battles might have turned out a little different. As a veteran I appreciate the fact that our Country with all its flaws seems to come together when the chips are down and we come together as a team for a common good. As a veteran I see a bright future and a Congress and Administration that are working together. Not always on the same page, as far as how to get things accomplished but certainly on the same page of what our dream of freedom is and the common good that will prevail and move our Nation to the next level of success.
Level heads will win the day and again we will continue to be the envy of the World. We are good.
The American dream and idea are alive and well, just might need to be polished from time to time.
Talking with a veteran the other day at the VA in Boise about his service and this article, he mentioned that he was having trouble getting help for some toxic fumes he breathed in when he served but in the same breath mentioned the great care he received at the Boise VA. He understood that Congress was the problem. He agreed that our Nation was the best, by far, after all his travels abroad.
The military men and women that serve have a unique look at the World through a lens that few civilians will ever experience. We are behind the scenes and also get a chance to see the way other military are treated and when we visit on leave, we have a chance to be tourists and enjoy the sights. My view on America is more in tune with, not only boots on the ground in our community and overseas but with the interaction of our Legislature, VA and tolerance, not necessarily in agreement with whatever Administration is in power.
America is hope.
“America is too great for small dreams.” Ronald Reagan (40th President of the United States).
A NATION DIVIDED SO WHY DON'T YOU VOLUNTEER?
April 24th, Veterans Column by Ronald Verini
The first thing I remembered when I came home from Vietnam was drinking a cold beer. No there were no parades or welcome wagon waiting for us.
Most folks that I ran into after my return had little to say. Some mumbled that it was nice to see me home but most shunned the fact that I was even there in Vietnam. Today even after all these years I think about the awkwardness of my homecoming and am sad to think that it has stayed with me all these years. Being as young as I was my brain was impacted and held onto those memories. I know that it is not what I should be dwelling on all these years and I should get over it. I remember the troops that were in body bags and the stench the war brings. I remember how I was received by a Nation divided. I do not apologize for my feelings but know that some of us that returned from that war are bitter and we should all move on and get over it. Some can’t and you are going to have to understand that. If you don’t then that is your problem, not ours. OK it’s our problem too.
The harsh reality of war and the consequence of physiological impact on individuals that come home from war and conflicts are part of the cost of war. There are people like me that are not able to handle the horrors of war and then come home and try to assimilate back into society as if nothing was different from the time before they left for conflict. Yes, I sometimes seem normal but that is only because I am from time to time. I am probably one of the happiest people that I know because I came back from Vietnam and I was not one that was actually a combat veteran so I was one of the lucky ones that served in ‘Nam. Others were not so lucky and that is the reason I work with organizations that support our veterans and their needs.
I enjoy each moment of every day that I am here on this earth. I enjoy the pleasures of life and I attempt to help others that have not been as fortunate as I have in my life.
I also do not understand why some of you civilians don’t reach out and volunteer your time to help some of our veterans in local organizations or maybe a veteran neighbor struggling. Call me if you want some ideas for volunteering! I don’t understand because you have sent us to war, you have sent us to conflicts by voting for folks that create the wars and conflicts. You send us by not voting, you send us by keeping your mouth shut, you send us by sitting back and not paying attention. You send us and then you ignore us when we come home. Not all civilians do these things, some actually make a positive difference and I certainly appreciate the ones that do.
Some of us feel guilty about surviving while many of our compatriots didn’t make it. I also talked with a pilot that served in Vietnam and he mentioned that when he returned it was to a supportive family and friends and got on with his life as most of the others in his squadron. ‘Most others’ are the operative words in his conversation. Some came back broken and he understood the challenges of those that needed help. By the way, he was being treated for bladder cancer that was just added to the problems associated with Agent Orange from Vietnam. Only took them 50 years to add that one, after many of us died waiting for care.
I don’t mean to sound over-the-top but I have never forgot the time in ‘Nam, the time I came home and the fight all these years for the health care deserved by other veterans that also served. Hell, I am talking about Vietnam, our WWII veterans went through many of the same fights when they came home. More recently our troops fighting for health issues from burn pits. I guess some things never change.
Many of us came back to a Country divided because of Vietnam. Again, our Country is divided, not because of a particular war but because of partisan split over immigration, racial issues, women rights, voting issues, drugs, guns, gender challenges, what’s taught in our schools and a host of other divides that we as veterans and as Americans have to juggle.
I guess I had it easy when I returned home.
“We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone.” Ronald Reagan.
Learning To Speak Civilian
April 10th, 2022 Veterans Column by Ronald Verini
I do not think that I have ever really understood the way civilians speak and I am sure that many civilians are not sure what I have just said to them. That is how it has been since I served and I came back to civilian life. Yes, there are occasions that my communication skills have been in tune with those around me but more so they have not.
Nations have gone to war over the miscommunications of one individual. Battles have been fought, people have been killed, Nations have fallen because of a misunderstanding.
Why I am writing this today is the other day I was in a group of folks having a discussion and the miscommunications between those sitting there at the table was tremendous. I was confused and then realized that we were talking different languages, all speaking English but some were getting upset because they did not communicate in the same way. In the long run everything turned out as best it could but I realized that each of us seem to communicate in different ways and much is developed when we are younger and, trust me, it is hard to change. Some of us never change and that is a problem. I have changed but will revert back to my old ways. That then becomes the responsibility of the person I am talking with to understand what I am saying. This is not a one-way street. We have to be able to communicate with each other and that takes an understanding of the identity of the person with whom you are having a conversation.
I do not apologize for my lack of communication skills because I expect others to understand. I also keep an open mind to understand the other person that I know is on a different planet. There are times we do not meet in the middle and that is fine. We should just make sure we don’t take the misunderstanding to a level that harms the relationship. I know I have learned to let things go and I expect the other person to do the same.
This column is about communication from the military to civilian life. Well that skill is important but it also translates to job skills you have had in the military and applying for a job. You now need to figure out how you are able to communicate that skill you learned in the service to civilian life. You might think that your MOS in the service is your limit. Hell, civilians don’t even know or care what a MOS is. So, this is where your language skills and you learning how to translate from military to civilian starts to develop. You think about applying for a business management position. You might not know it but that when you were leading a squad back in Iraq or Afghanistan made you a leader and under your command of working with thousands of dollars of equipment you can now say that your skills included, financial management, budgeting, resource allocation and human resource development.
You might be a little rusty in your verbal skills of translating from military to civilian but forge ahead and use your communication skills that you have learned from the interaction with officers, enlisted , civilian and the prisoners you have taken in war. That makes you an effective communicator (you can do this while you are still learning the art of communication with your spouse or neighbor).
Teamwork in the military translates to teamwork in civilian work, because you had to work and develop teamwork with people that you have been forced to work with. So, your ability to work under pressure is another skill you might put on that resumé!
As you are on the battlefield fighting the enemy, on the ground with hand-to-hand combat, or in a bunker firing from afar, or sitting in an office shuffling paperwork you have the skills of problem solving that many civilians only wish they had.
I recommend before you send that resumé or go for that job interview you have a civilian that is not familiar with the military review what you have put together before you start the process. That way the language you are using and your approach might be in tune with civilian talk. Make the necessary changes and then move forward with your plan.
There are no set of instructions on your transition but there are many organizations that are dedicated to help you succeed, look for them because they ain’t going to look for you.
“If you don’t take charge of your transition, it is a dark and lonely road.” Captain Brian Stann (Military Service Initiative Summit).
Lesser-Known Veterans’ Benefits…
March 27th, 2022 Veterans Column by Ronald Verini....
Are you a veteran that is unemployable because of service-connected disabilities? You might qualify for Individual Unemployability (IU). The VA considers odd jobs as marginal employment, so they should not affect your eligibility. I thought you might find this interesting since I worked with a veteran this last weekend that had received these benefits in the past and wanted to share with others that the program exists and might help others. I went ahead and looked this up and sure enough there is a VA Form 21-8940 that you need to fill out for these benefits. I would get help filling any form that the VA has so please contact your accredited representative or agent, such as a local Veteran Service Officer (VSO). In Malheur it would be Connie Tanaka at 541-889-6649 and he would be located at 316 Goodfellow, Ontario. Or if you are in Idaho, you might call Kelly McCartney (VSO) at 208-616-0622 or her boss Jim Philpott at 208-230-9483 and he is the Idaho State Service Officer. If neither one is in your back yard, then contact your own local VSO or go to www.va.gov/ogc/apps/accreditation/index.asp, or go to www.benefits.va.gov/benefits/offices.aspto find a VA Facility and have a VA employee help you. They even make it easy if you are living overseas with a call-in number of 248-524-4260. You might have to complete an employment questionnaire once a year to continue but might be worth the effort for the money involved.
Looking around the VA site of va.gov I found a section that gives you instructions on how to apply for veterans headstones, markers, and medallions. Different rules for when you served but, in some cases, National Guard members and reservists might qualify for certain situations. Worth the research if you think it might help. Go to va.gov and search ‘veterans headstones, markers, and medallions’.
I found that veterans that have trouble getting traditional life insurance, especially with service-connected injuries or disabilities might be able to qualify for Veterans’ Group Life Insurance ‘ program. You must apply within a year plus 120 days of leaving the service. If you sign up for this VGLI within 240 days of getting out you don’t need to prove you’re in good health. Well, I missed that one by about 50 years but if you’re in the service now and you get this information in time you might benefit. Go to www.militarybenefits.info for more information and search under 10 veteran benefits you may not know about.
Then while you’re there researching that you might jump onto the section for ‘free tax preparation and see if that section might help or look under the ‘long term care section and through the ’Aid and Attendance’ program you might find if you are eligible to receive money to cover the cost of nursing homes, assisted living programs and other long term care options. Yep, there are forms for every part of this program and I would go to va,gov and search VA Aid and Attendance and see if you might want to follow through and then I would work with a qualified person to help you with the application. That would be your VSO or search the above web sites that I have given in the first section of this article. Way too much for this column to print. In any case by the time this column is printed and what is going on in Congress the rules probably have changed! Please get all the benefits that you deserve and don’t let the forms scare you from applying because you have a tremendous amount of help, now that you know about where to search for those that actually are trained to help you fill out the forms.
With many of the programs that the VA offers there are time limits on when to apply so please do not drag your feet. Make sure you check from time to time, even if you have been turned down in the past, they might have changed the rules and you now qualify. Just like the rules for Agent Orange and Burn Pits, the rules are constantly on the move. Don’t give up, keep on swinging the bat, you just might hit a base or home run with benefits that you might have thought were out of reach.
Educational benefits, health care, disability claims and even your discharge status rules have changed over the years.
“When an American veteran comes to VA, it is not up to him to employ a team of lawyers to get VA to say yes. It is up to VA to get the veteran to yes, and that is customer service.” Robert Willkie (10th Secretary of Veteran Affairs (VA) and veteran).
Quarreling over Nickel and Dimes While Some Die…
March 13th, 2022 Veterans Column by Ronald Verini
We spend trillions of dollars fighting wars all over the world and then nickel and dime the care our veterans receive when they come home broken. What the hell is some of our government representatives thinking when they vote against a bill that offers care for our veterans that have suffered from toxic exposure in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars? The bill passed through the House but not without tremendous opposition, 174 against it. Most of them voted for an almost similar Bill that, I think, short changed some of the issues.
I don’t know about you but the price tag is a lot less than the suffering of those veterans that have been waiting for Congress to do something for years. I am tired of the bickering in Congress about veteran care. I have an idea: why don’t the ones that voted against the bill slap on a uniform and pull duty next to a burn pit and breath in the fumes for themselves, and then swap their gold-plated health care they receive as Congress people and use the VA . Maybe that will get them off their butts and do the right thing for us? Then just maybe the suffering of some of us because of the agent orange will get the care needed.
I am bitter because when I signed up for health care when I came back from Vietnam, I missed a (arbitrary) signup-by date for me to receive health care from the VA without strings attached and then they tied my care to the money I made as a civilian. Yes, it is personal when I talk about VA health care because the promises made to me were broken after I served my duty in Vietnam.
Now getting back to the issue at hand, the Honoring Our PACT Act that would help our veterans suffering from illnesses linked to battlefield pollutants from Iraq and Afghanistan. This Bill also addresses some of the issues that Vietnam veterans are still suffering from being exposed to Agent Orange, and addresses some of the health issues from exposure to radiation during nuclear waste cleanup.
I am shocked that Congress is bickering about this and are talking about a watered-down version because of the cost. Veterans have been getting the short end of the stick and have been fighting for care that they deserve and the fact that we have to fight for this care is despicable.
In the last two years we have had over 12 thousand veteran suicides. That is a number that should be alarming and I believe many are connected to the care that they have to fight for, rather than care that they should get because of their service. We, as a Nation, suck at giving our veterans the care needed because our elected officials want to pinch pennies and bicker about letting our veterans smoke a little weed then about getting them the care needed.
Yep! I write about our veterans’ health care and the needs of our veterans but it all comes down to: we have a Congress that are listening to themselves in their cocoon and not hearing the pleas of the men and women they have sent into battle. Our men and women that have done the dirty work and come back broken are, at times, too weak from war to continue the fight for our health. They are right and we end up getting the short end of the stick.
We should not have to fight for our health care. 174 folks voted against the Honoring Our PACT Act that had the support of the Veterans of Foreign Wars , Disabled American Veterans, The American Legion, Paralyzed Veterans of America, Wounded Warrior Project, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Military Officers Association of America, Blinded Veterans Association, Minority Veterans of America and others. All of these organizations have shown their support of this legislation that will address many of the toxic issues facing our veterans exposed in war and nuclear waste cleanup. Getting all of these organizations to agree on anything as a unit is amazing in itself so I would hang my hat on the fact that this legislation is righteous and should be passed. What is in the heads of those that voted against it, except maybe some political mumbo jumbo that there is a better way or maybe we can save some money or whatever, rather than vote on a Bill that can do some good now. The 12 thousand suicides did not have time to wait for Congress to come up with the perfect answer, they needed help then.
“It’s time Congress got its priorities straight.” Mitch McConnell. ..
Rations of Food and Beer
Veterans Corner Article February 27, 2022 by Ronald Verini
The other day I was going into the grocery store to pick up a few items and just happened down an aisle where two veterans (I knew because of their Army and Air Force hats) were discussing the culinary attributes, and lack of, that each of their services offered when they were serving. Well my attention was even more spurred when I heard one of the guys say that they never should have stopped giving out beer to the troops on a daily basis. This was a perfect invitation for me to join in this robust conversation and of course inquired as to when was there ever a beer ration, and when and where was he serving that he got free beer?
His reply was that he never did get free beer but it sure would have been game changer and that he heard many stories about beer rations beginning in this country during the French and Indian Wars and that the practice continued up through the Civil War. That’s was when the slogan ‘An Army always travels on its stomach’ was really used to try and get a return of the daily beer rations. Thanked the guys for their service and for enlightening me on the history of beer rations. They said they didn’t think we would ever see that again. I sadly agreed.
Did some research on both those items, the beer rations and an Army traveling on its stomach mainly because they sounded really compatible.
Before any kind of ‘official’ system to organize the distribution of food to our Military personnel, in 1775 the Provincial Government of Massachusetts set up a ‘daily allowance’ of rations to be provided to its troops. It had the following items: 1-One pound of bread, 2- ½ pound of beef and ½ pound of pork (and if pork could not be had 1 ¼ pound of beef), and one day in seven there shall be 1 ¼ pound of salted fish instead of the meat allowance, 3- one pint of milk, if milk was not available the one gill (which equals ½ cup) of rice, 4- ONE QUART OF GOOD SPRUCE OR MALT BEER, 5- one gill of peas or beans, 6- six ounces of good butter per week, 7- one pound of good common soap for 6 men per week, 8- ½ pint of vinegar per week per man, if it can be had. This same ration was approved by the US Congress in November of 1775 with the wording ‘or cider’ appearing after beer.
A year before in 1774 during the French and Indian War, British General James Murray ordered that ‘Spruce Beer’ be made a required item in the daily rations. He required this beer because the effects of the spruce/hemlock beer were the best ‘preservative’ against scurvy and that the lives of our brave soldiers require this utmost attention. The surgeons of the day agreed to this deterrent at least twice a day and mixed with their ration of rum. This remedy was carried on into the American Revolutionary War, and ordered at least a quart of spruce beer be consumed each and every day. Beer rations started to disappear when the new ‘dehydration’ and ‘free-dry’ technology for vegetables and fruits took affect nearing the end of the Civil War. Interestingly by time and circumstance, between 1860 and 1868, there appeared numerous quotes in the US newspapers , books and speeches about attributable remarks by Napoleon Bonaparte and Frederick the Great concerning an Army and its rations.
Most famous is Emperor Napoleons remarks with an eight-year-old boy named Tristan. Tristan told the Emperor that he did not work every day, to which Napoleon asked ‘do you eat every day’? Tristan replies yes and Napoleon says that you should work every day then because no one should eat who does not work, and Tristan then says if that’s so then I will work every day. “Such is the influence of the belly” Napoleon replies and ‘it is hunger that makes the world move’.
‘An army, like a serpent, goes upon its belly’, Fredrick of Prussia used to say; ‘Few men know how important it is in war for soldiers not to be kept waiting for their rations; and what vast events depend upon an army’s not going int action before it has had its coffee’, Marshal McMahon; and Napoleon when asked what a soldier most needed in war, ‘A full belly and a good pair of shoes’.
Quote from the book ‘Life of Andrew Jackson’, James Parton mentions three folks referring to the Army/Food remark.
Help is Available…
February 13, 2022 Veterans Column by Ronald Verini
It’s amazing to me that here in Malheur County Oregon, which is a rather rural American setting, over the last year or so, the increasing amount of folks that have stopped me while shopping or in the Post Office or at the gas station, texted me and called me concerning their or their family members questions and concerns about their Veteran or military benefits, still continues to escalate. It is very nice being able to meet and talk with all these folks, and also very heart-wrenching hearing some of their stories (and some stories are really hilarious) but just great hearing about their experiences while serving all us Americans during their military service. Seems that more and more folks are still reluctant to venture out and this certainly has hindered many in being able to comfortably resolve questions and problems regarding their health.
Two main questions I get from veterans and their family caretakers is, “does the VA cover any or all nursing home and assisted living costs and what other long term care assistance can I get from the VA”? or the next big one is the night sweats and nightmares. Regarding the answers to this question an all of those you have about assistance from the Veterans Administration (VA), if your computer savvy just log onto va.gov and select ‘Resources and Support’ to get information and FAQs. Or you can call your County Service Officer. In Malheur County Oregon call Mr. Connie Tanaka at 541-889-6649, or his office is at 316 Goodfellow, Ontario. Or if you are a Veteran Oregon resident, log onto Oregon.gov/odva/Services, to find a Veteran Service Officer (VSO) near your community. If you are an Idaho resident, call Kelly McCartney at 208-616-0622 as she is the County Service Officer or her boss is Jim Philpott at 208-230-9483 as he is the Idaho state service Officer. You also might try as a Idaho veteran calling the State Bureau Office of Veterans Advocacy at 208-780-1300, Monday through Friday from 8:00am to 4:30pm, or to find an Service Officer close to you, log onto veterans.idaho.gov and select ‘Service Officers’. No matter what state you live in you can locate a Veteran Service Officer close to you, log onto veteranadvocates.org, choose the Programs/Resources Page, scroll on down to US State Veterans Affairs Offices, and click on your State. One thing you will have to have before getting any information is the Veterans DD214, to get yours log onto dd214direct.com and order one.
No matter where you are in this great country, you can access a Veteran Service Officer to help you with your questions. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE!!!
I now share a veteran’s story from a veteran in need.
This Vietnam veteran approached me and was inquiring about night sweats and some bad nightmares. He had gone to the VA for help years ago and received treatment when he first got out but did not get the help he needed and never went back. We talked for a while and I mentioned that I had received help from the Vet Center when I had a problem and thought that he might try it again. We agreed that he had not much to lose as he was not getting any better after all these years and, just maybe they might help. I gave him the number of the Vet Center in Boise, 208-342-3612.
The Vet Center are folks that you really can be as blunt as you want and except for them required to avert life threatening situation they will not share any records with the DoD or your military unit or even other VA offices or community folks without your OK. They are straight up good people and I trust them and have been helped by them.
Been a while since that conversation and ran into the same chap at the same store -Grocery Outlet and as a side note: Grocery Outlet here in Ontario has saved more veterans from hunger by supporting the food pantry at Veteran Advocates of Ore-Ida and raising funds through a fund drive every year that supports the local veterans in need. Back to the veteran: he called, got help and is doing fine.
The outcome does not always work out, but as veterans we have paid the price of these services and is worth a shot. No money changing hands, no mumbo jumbo, just great readjustment counseling by some neat people that help with some trauma you are dealing with. Give it a try if you need some help. Whether you are a veteran, active duty, National Guard or Reserve, give a call, see if you qualify.
“Pain is real. So is Hope.” Anonymous.
Déjà Vu…
January 30th, 2022, Veterans Column by Ronald Verini..
It has been a while since I did an article about things and events that took place in history around the date that this article is published. Just couldn’t resist a few things that happened around the 30th of January a couple of hundred years ago.
Seems that on the 30th of January in 1798 a ‘Brawl’ broke out in the House of Representatives in Philadelphia. Mathew Lyon from Vermont just happened to ‘spit-in-the-face-‘of Roger Griswold of Connecticut. Roger responded by attacking Mathew with his prized ‘Hickory walking Stick’. Seems the Mr. Lyon was re-elected a congressman while he was serving a Jail Sentence for violating the Sedition Acts of 1798. For those of you not too familiar with the 1798 Alien and Sedition Acts, they were passed by the Federalist dominated 5th Congress. The Acts made it harder for an immigrant to become a naturalized Citizen and the Acts made it easier for the President to either imprison or deport non-citizens that just happened to be considered ‘dangerous’. This also applied to non-citizens that were from a ‘hostile nation, and those who made “False Statements” critical of our Federal Government.
Mathew Lyon was elected as a Democratic-Republican Congressman from Vermont. He was indicted under the Alien and Sedition Acts because of an article he had written in the Vermont Journal accusing the present Administration of “ridiculous pomp, foolish adulation and selfish avarice”. While waiting for his trial he published his articles in “Lyon’s Republican Magazine” subtitled “The Scrouge of Aristocracy”.
Then in January 1877 it seems that a highly partisan “Electoral Commission” was made up consisting of eight Republicans and seven Democrats to settle the issue of whether or not Democrat Samuel Tilden or Republican Rutherford B. Hayes will become the next US President. On election night 1776, it was clear that Tilden had won the popular vote, but it was clear that votes in Florida, Louisiana, South Carolina and Oregon were fraudulent because of voter intimidation. Republicans knew that if the electoral votes from these four states were thrown out, Hayes would win. The country hovered near civil war as both Democrats and Republicans claimed victory. Under the terms of the compromise, Hayes became President.
I have to admit that looking back on our past and then reflecting what is going on today in Congress and on with our politicians we have learned very little over the years. I think, from time to time, sanity does work in Congress and in politics then we lose it again for a period of time and we revert back to the insanity we have now. We in the military have to be on our toes, making sure that our loyalty is to our mission at hand and making sure we continue to communicate to our politicians we elect the importance of caring for our troops when they come home and making sure they supply us with the equipment and training when we serve on active duty. Remember, we do not lose the power of the vote and our ability to communicate with our elected officials when we serve.
When I write these columns I reflect on what Congress is doing in real time, I concern myself with our troops that are serving and have served when Congress and the Administration’s that are in power are making important decisions regarding us in the military and those that have come home. Some decisions are made with not a very clear head and that can affect us. I believe that some in power do not have the ability to separate their emotions and make sane decisions. We have to be alert. I might be viewed as an alarmist and what we have today is normal and the way our Republic and our Constitution intended and there is no cause for alarm, I doubt it.
Now that I got that off my chest I again look back and see what more has occurred back years ago that might be of interest.
On January 30th, 1968 was the start of the Tet Offense in Vietnam. This truly was the turning point of the Vietnam War. I mention this because many of our politicians gave a rosy picture of the war up to that point and played a dangerous game with the men and women that served. Afghanistan seems to have followed a pattern, not so unlike Vietnam with similar results. We need to keep the folks that we vote in power in line with the best interests of our Nation and the men and women that place their lives on the line.
“Déjà vu All Over Again.” Yogi Berra. ....
The Unvaccinated and Our Military
January 16th, 2022 Veterans Column by Ronald Verini
The last I checked the Marine Corps has discharged over 100 troops for refusing the vaccine. The Army has reprimanded over 2000 and is starting discharging this month. The Air Force has started discharging and the Navy is not only disciplining but started the discharging process.
Consequences for our actions and bucking the system has always been the rules of our military and today is no exception. Yep. We have about 20,000 troops willing to fight Uncle Sam and they don’t seem to be winning. Yes a few have managed to get medical exemptions but not many. So, a little over 1% of the 1.3 million active-duty troops are affected by this and we will see, in the long run how they fare. I would think that for the few that are refusing, it creates less of a risk to our military readiness then if COVID would be allowed to run unchecked and relying on each person to decide for themselves whether to get vaccinated or not.
Each of the services has created its own way to cope but it is obvious they are all taking a hard stand of vaccinating as close to 100% as possible to protect our military readiness.
I am not aware of any of the branches granting exemptions for religious reasons, as of yet. I am sure there might be a few but not many, if at all.
The Pentagon has made COVID-19 vaccine mandatory for all services including the National Guard and Reserve.
I was just thinking about all the shots I got when in the service and come to find out, the military is already required to get as many as 17 vaccines, depending where a troop is deployed.
I find it interesting that some of our ex-military that have served our country, some in war zones that have required many shots at various times speaking up so loudly against this particular vaccination. In any case I respect their decision to not be vaccinated and since no vaccination is 100%, I would like to know if they are unvaccinated so I might be able to take, what I feel is my right, to my protections.
I personally don’t understand all the hoopla about this vaccine, especially from those that have served considering the number of vaccinations they have gotten in the past , such as smallpox, polio, flu, hepatitis and others depending where they served.
President Biden has signed the National Defense Authorization Act that prevents a Dishonorable Discharge for refusing to get vaccinated, I was pleased with that provision. It does not prevent other types of discharges.
We have all got to lighten up about this vaccine stuff and be a little more civil around each other and also let each other know if you are vaccinated or not so each of us can respect the space around each other. This is a health issue and not a political issue. We have all given up some of our personal rights to live in our society and in our communities, I respect those that don’t get vaccinated but I expect them to respect my space also.
Now back to the military and the fact that no COVID-19 related deaths have been reported among fully-vaccinated soldiers and 1 or 2 deaths each month have been among the unvaccinated soldiers to date. Also, travel is certainly going to be more difficult for the unvaccinated soldiers because of the restrictions on airlines and entry into certain countries. Service members differ from the general population since the vaccine requirements are tied to personal medical readiness so they can perform missions across the globe. Unvaccinated civilian employees in the military are also being mandated to get vaccinated.
Looks like our world has changed and much of what we do will be affected by whether we are vaccinated or not, in or out of the service.
A very exciting time we are living in and a tremendous hope for the future because I know that we will pull it all together for the sake of our Nation, our own sanity and the love of our families and our neighbors.
Just as a side note and in line with why we as a group need to be proactive and voice our opinions with the very folks we elect. Figuring inflation (Consumer Price Index) has risen 6.8% and our military receiving a 2.7% increase in pay, our military has, in affect received a pay cut for the year. That is all thanks to our generous Congress. Go figure?
“To be vaccinated against stress, practice regular meditation.” Khang Kijarro Nguyen (multidisciplinary approach as an artist performer from Edinburgh, Scotland to Greenpoint, Brooklyn). ....
Men Only, Women Not Equal for the Draft…
January 2nd, 2022 Veteran Column by Ronald Verini
This is a follow-through on Selective Service: I sit on one of the many boards throughout the Nation with the responsibility of furnishing men to the Armed Forces by the induction process, if the need comes up again. The work we do is important and helps to keep our Nation secure if the need ever arises that we start the Draft again and our Armed Forces are in need of conscripted troops.
Keeping the Selective Service System running when it is not needed is important for the national health and keeping the backbone strong as the World goes nuts and we might need to call up troops, Doctors or whomever else is needed in a crisis.
Keeping our youth informed about the possibility of them getting called up for service is real, if the need occurs and the emergency is great enough.
I was asked the other day if the draft was constitutional. Well, I am here to tell you that Article 1, Section 8, Clause 12 of the United States Constitution states: “The Congress shall have the Power To…raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that use shall be for a longer Term than two years. So, I would say that the ability to conscript manpower for military service is ‘beyond question’ as it was stated by the U.S. Supreme Court when it was challenged back a few years ago.
Failure to register is a felony. You might get punished by a fine or imprisonment. You take a chance if you don’t register. You never know when the Department of Justice might take the time or have the urge to investigate and prosecute. I don’t think it is worth the chance but some do and that is for them to make that decision. I guess it is like: some think that it is their right to not get vaccinated or wear a mask for COVID. Living in the community of Malheur County we have many that have taken this stance. We are also able to brag that we have the highest rate of infections in Oregon. We also have the lowest rate of vaccinations in Oregon. This all is fine if you are not one that actually catches the virus. In any case you certainly have the ability to think for yourself, understanding the possible consequences of your actions. So, there you go, you take your chances.
In any case: getting back to the ‘Draft’ you need to register by going to sss.gov and doing it online or get the form under the “Forms” button or you might pick up a SSS form 1 at any U.S. Post Office. Simple and legal thing to do or some have said individual liberty is more important than the tyranny of conscription. Your thoughts on this?
Even if you are religiously or morally opposed to war you are still required to register. Now even folks that have changed their gender from male to female are required to register since the Military Selective Service Act does not address gender identify or transgender persons. Until Congress addresses this, the registration requirement is based on gender at birth. Also, as a side note: all undocumented males 18 through 25 years of age, other than those admitted on non-immigrant visas, must register, whether or not they have a green card. If you are uncertain, please go to www.sss.gov and the chances your questions will be answered or if you need to talk with a human, you might call toll-free: 888-655-1825 or direct: 847-688-6888.
Woman cannot register with the Selective Service, yet. Woman can serve in every role in the military including ground combat if they join the service but are not allowed to register with the Selective Service. The U.S. Supreme Court back in January of 2021 refused to hear the arguments of including women in the registration process for Selective Service and now it is back in the hands of Congress. President Biden signed the National Defense Authorization Act that had (a few months back) a provision that would force young women to register for Selective Service but it was taken out after a heated debate.
I was thinking back when Thomas Jefferson wrote, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,” do you think he meant women also? The word “equal” certainly has different meanings for many of us, so I do not think the word ‘equal’ is equal to what it was.
This is only my opinion and like it has been pointed out to me many times: everyone has one!!!- an opinion-that is!
Regarding the ‘Draft’, Thomas Jefferson said that it would be: “the last of all oppressions”. (1777)
I Don’t Get It?
December 19th, 2021 Veterans Column by Ronald Verini
About 22 veterans a day commit suicide. I remember when I served in Vietnam many troops self-medicated with marijuana to get through the next battle or use it to sleep. Many today are using cannabis to help with the nightmares or the pain they have from war. Many that suffer from PTSD tell me that it reduces the effects of the trauma they have to deal with. With all that said, there is no clinical evidence that the VA has produced, to date, for the use of marijuana because the VA has refused to study its effect on our military.
The VA continues to use the same treatment, over and over, and they continue to have the same result. The suicides continue, insomnia, chronic pain and many other ailments that might be helped are not, at least investigated. With the number of states that have legalized marijuana and the number of troops that are self-medicating I would think that the VA would be the first to jump at the chance that a product that is so readily available and used would be researched to find out if it indeed is a panacea for some. They, at least should investigate if it might be harmful and prove it by research. They might be surprised at the results.
Our federal marijuana policy has created many of our veterans to buy cannabis on their own and combine it with the drugs that the VA Medical doctors are giving them and creating some serious problems. I don’t know if it is the VA, Congress or President that needs to do something to get this research done but, but I do know that if they don’t do something we are going to have the continuation of many of our veterans suffering because of the stance that has been taken against researching a product that is so widely used by so many of us.
Ontario Oregon has, at last count, nine dispensaries for a town of 11,000 residents. Amazing, I remember back in 2018 when the first line formed here in Ontario to start the process to open dispensaries and we had ex-military veterans there with M-16’s, bulletproof armor, pistols protecting a spot in line to apply for a dispensary license. Marijuana has been a drug that has been around as way before Vietnam and will be around way after Afghanistan for our military and veterans to recreate and self-medicate so why not do the research and see if it really can be beneficial for the very population who might have the greatest need.
We have many folks stonewalling the process because of the stigma of pot but the true reality is chronic pain, PTSD and all the other ailments of war need another approach. I am not talking about stoners walking the streets but I sure do think that holier-than-thou approach has not worked and we need to be more realistic and do the research and get past the stonewalling and get this done.
At least the VA has said that they will not deny VA benefits for marijuana use. There is The Veterans Medical Marijuana Safe Harbor Act of 2021 in Congress right now and has been referred to the Subcommittee on Health, but as of the time I am writing this the Senate has done nothing more. This bill would have allowed doctors at the VA to prescribe medical marijuana to veterans in states that have established medical marijuana programs. So, we have a VA that will not research marijuana to any large degree, we have a bill in Congress that will possibly allow it to be prescribed by the doctors in the VA, we really have a total disconnect that just does not make sense. I would come to the conclusion that SNAFU is alive and well. By the way: that acronym was originally a WWII-era military slang. I think the acronym applies and sums it up.
I am again stymied to think that we send elected officials to Washington and we pay them well, give them a pension, they have the best health care and this is what we get for all that money? Amazing!!! Well, I still think that many that we send truly have the greater good of our troops in their hearts and minds and those will find a way to do the right thing for our veterans in need. I even know some of those that I would consider ones that will pull through for us.
“Some of my finest hours have been spent on my back veranda, smoking hemp and observing as far as the eye can see.” Thomas Jefferson (3rd President & Founding Father of U.S.).
Patience Will Win Out.
December 5th, 2021 Veterans Corner by Ronald Verini.....
Think about this one: It has taken the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims to force the VA to pay for emergency care at non-VA facilities. This ruling is an example of the fight that veterans have in receiving medical care through the VA. I don’t know about you but you would have thought that if a military person that has served and is getting care through the VA and that person had an emergency away from the VA and ended up in an emergency room that the VA would automatically cover the expense. Not necessarily so, and I am sure the challenge will again creep into the system as time goes on. A fix for now but getting payback for what has already been spent will be another challenge for our veterans and their families, let alone getting the news out to them for them to get reimbursed for past expenses. We are talking about hundreds of thousands of veterans that have been affected by this ruling. By the way this case was settled back in 2019 and care at non-VA locations in an emergency needs to follow specific criteria that we have to follow. At least we are not being turned down flat, like it was before the U.S. Court of Appeals.
What I have been talking about is emergency care. Now there is another type of care that the VA calls community care, of which is the care given by providers outside the VA and must be first authorized by the VA before a community provider will be authorized.
Emergency care is when you jump through the hoops after the event and community care is one that you jump through the hoops before the care is given.
There are also rules regarding where to go in an emergency. Go to an Emergency Room not one of the urgent care centers that are all around because the VA might not consider it an emergency and might not pay for that visit. It truly needs to be an emergency at an Emergency Room to qualify for the VA picking up the tab.
This discussion today only touches the surface of the VA health care hoops that one has to go through and I am sure that some of the rules have changed as I am writing this column so when in doubt please call or go to your VA Health facility or to a trusted Veteran Service Officer and have them explain what you need to get the best care available at and through the VA for you.
Pause, give yourself time to think and establish a game plan and by all means do not feel pressured by the system or paperwork. There are many folks that are here to help so you might end up with a good result. You, most likely, even if you have had bad experiences in the past will find with patience and perseverance a myriad of potential solutions to the health challenges you are facing.
There is hope just as I know when I start a veteran’s article for the Argus it will metamorphize into one that makes sense at some point. Hope is also what we have for the Nation, especially Congress and the administration in keeping our Republic together.
Yes, the trials and tribulations of our military service, our war time experiences and the fight that we have endured to receive the care that we deserve are making some positive strives. All because of the news articles, organizations and individuals that have kept the issues alive. We are succeeding but still there are many of us in the past that have suffered needlessly and some today that are also struggling so we must never give up the fight for those that still need our help. This mission is one that, if we sit back for a moment will fall into the cracks of government limbo and never see the light of day. You are the one that keeps the fight alive and you will be the one that fights for your brothers and sisters that can’t fight for themselves.
Remember: Agent Orange, burn pits, using us as guinea pigs for experimental drugs, toxic and noise destructions of our health, mental health issues, sexual assault issues and the many other issues that need to be solved before this fight is finished.
When you read the quote below, understand in today’s world we must add our women that now are included on the front lines of battle.
“It doesn’t take a hero to order men into battle. It takes a hero to be one of those men who goes into battle.” General H. Norman Schwarzkopf.
I Am One Lucky Person
November 21st, 2021, Veterans Column by Ronald Verini
Some of us don’t come back and others are broken but all of us come back different. War and conflict are the reason for this column. Picking up the pieces of these events are the reasons these different organizations support those of us that come back and the families that have stayed home. Some individuals spend a life time helping others and others spend a life time trying to remember or even forget. Incoming means different things for each person involved when the whole world is coming down around us.
I wrote about Hero’s the other day and without them we would not come back at all. We have many in our community and most are very quiet and unassuming, they are a neighbor that stays home or maybe one that is a little grouchy, or maybe serving food at a soup kitchen or maybe the one getting food. Then some are not Hero’s, they have done their job and yet they need to also be honored, if they did not do their job others would not have come back, at all. Our military is complex like the people in it and the men and women that send us to fight those battles are as complex. The decisions to go into battle are, at times plain stupid and other times are well calculated and thought out. As military men and women we abide by the consequences of those decisions.
Men and women lay down their lives based upon the decisions our leaders make. We need to make sure that the decision is made with clarity and understanding as to why we are going to war and the ultimate objective. What is the end game plan?
Think about what would happen if every American would have a duty to defend and serve in some capacity. Every son and daughter would be involved in the defense, in some way. I would think that when the decision was made for war more thought would be given sending us to war since the men and women would be family members of the decision makers and not what we have now. We have an all-volunteer force that represents less than 1% of our population. So easy to go to war if it is done by a disconnect of who is actually fighting in the conflict.
Every one of us has a responsibility as a citizen to share the burden of service and to keep this great Nation free and united. What better way than to all have a little stake in it. I would think that entering any new conflict or war would be significantly less if all of us were, in some way involved.
Yep!!! What I am talking about is about something that might create greater equality and social unity. With the division we have in our Nation it is going take something drastic to pull it back together and I think that this might work. What we are doing now is not quite working. What a great Idea.
Well back to the real world and the men and women that are here in our community working to clear their heads and gain some semblance of sanity and getting back to the assimilation process. Pulling the family back to a unity that was before one of them came back from conflict. Trying to act normal in an abnormal world. Searching for work or food when misinformation is all around.
The challenge is here when a military person comes back when things were somewhat normal. Can you imagine now with all the conflicts that we are having among ourselves as citizens the challenges are even a greater obstacle then ever before.
Policies, politics, personal freedoms, common good, divisiveness, vaccines, masks and everything else that is at the forefront of our everyday lives makes for a tough time to get collected and come from conflict and settle into ‘normal’ life. Some of us make it through the gauntlet and others are still getting through it. Yes, I am one of the lucky ones to make it virtually through, it has been a hell of a time and that is why this column is here. To vent for those of us that are a little quiet and to sort out the morass of things and come to a conclusion of direction. Some times it all falls together and we have answers and other times we have to tell the truth of what is the reality of the situation. Then we continue to work and make it through the best we are able.
“Luck rules every human endeavor, especially war.” Titus Livius (Roman historian; 64 B.C. -ca. A.D. 12).
True Hero’s in My Life
November 7th, 2021 Veterans Column by Ronald Verini
I mentioned some of this in articles before but thought that with the conflicts that are going on between neighbors regarding vaccines, masks, political parties, science, misinformation and Afghanistan our thoughts need a little distraction. So here it goes.
I was thinking the other day about the true Hero’s in my life and I must admit that one that will never leave my mind, heart and soul is a man I met in Vietnam. He and I sat and talked for hours as he would sit and crochet with patience and steady hand. He was one of a group of men that were called combat engineers. He was an American and had heart, guts and a passion for our County like few I have ever seen in my lifetime. He was a hero because he went above and beyond and did not expect a pat on the back or medal but did a job that saved countless lives by destroying weapons, killing enemies, blowing up tunnels, disarming mines and whatever else needed to be done. He was called a ‘Tunnel Rat” by some but was a friend that I would consider to be a true Hero in my life. I also experienced in my day-to-day workings in Vietnam, troops that I would meet, hitching a ride on a plane that I was working on, going to a battle or coming from a battle that I would never see again and wonder what Heroic thing that they would accomplish and not a soul would know, and they would not be recognized for what they have done. Or they would be killed and the act that they preformed would never see the light of day.
My heroes are folks that have served us in battle and that have done the work that have kept our Country strong. The ones that do the work every day on the front lines. I have lots of heroes that I do not know their names or even remember their faces, because I have not met every one of them. They serve in our fire department, police departments, hospitals, sheriff departments, emergency responders and all the other professions that keep the rest of us safe.
I had the fortune to meet the late Sen John McCain a while back, he had the resolve to stand up for what he thought was right. As a military man and as Senator I thought he was one that I would consider one of my heroes. He had guts. He was one that was in the trenches and on the front line.
Heroes help us all build a better world. They show us values that we can all aspire to archive.
Your Hero does not have to be my Hero.
My life has been surrounded by folks that have fought for our Country. Many have suffered PTSD and I consider them heroes in my world. They are struggling with wounds that will last a lifetime and they are my heroes.
Never think for a moment that I am glorifying the battle, war, conflicts or any other form of destruction. I am not, but what I am doing is signaling out those that are willing to go above and beyond to serve our community, State and Nation, keeping us safe. Folks that do more than anyone would expect.
Your hero could be your father or mother or a teacher or friend that you admire. Might even be a mythological person or sports person. My heroes happen to revolve around conflicts, destruction and chaos because my life has been around chaos, conflict and destruction.
My life has had tremendous folks around me who I have admired for brave and great acts that keep me going to continue my quest of living a life that brings good.
Our National Guard serving in the local hospitals, grocery store workers, workers in the general populace that serve others are the heroes today. A local neighbor helping others during COVID is another one. Veterans helping veterans. Your hero might be one that I just mentioned. I think we can all use a personal hero. Especially our veterans that we have asked to give much over the last 20 years on and off the battle fields. They might be heroic to some of us but they are still folks that have needs and challenges like us all. Being a hero to someone does not make them a super-hero in their own eyes, it makes them human.
“Being a hero doesn’t mean you’re invincible. It just means that you’re brave enough to stand up and do what’s needed.” Rick Riordan (American Author).
The Mission Hasn’t Changed
Oct 24th, 2021 Veterans Corner by Ronald Verini
I am going to invoke executive privilege because I think that everything I do as an executive is privileged. Yes, I think that most of this behind closed doors in government is crap, then you have me figured out. Stop most executive privilege, stop secret meetings, stop asking me for my opinion when you really don’t care and all you want from me is my input so you can send me a doner form for your campaign. I am tired of the paper tigers that are in government and the facade of talking a good talk and then not walking the walk. Yes, I think that how our government is organized was great under the original intention of the Constitution of the United States. The checks and balances of each branch responding to the actions of the other branches makes for great government and a Nation that is in balance.
Well, I believe that we have over time had our balance tipped a little off kilter. I think because of that our military, the conflicts, wars and the help system that we have for our veterans has suffered.
This is the second article that I have written recently that addresses some of these issues. I also think that if more conversations occurred around the coffee tables of America regarding this and more of our elected officials hearing the cry of bring back our sanity, our country might start the process back to level-headedness.
I decided to write more about our branches of government, our elected officials and a little less about the VA and its practices lately. Congress, the federal agencies and the courts have been less about what is good for our Nation and more about parties, agenda’s, personal madness and where reality and fiction have merged as the new truth. With all this going on I know that fighting for the care we are getting at the VA Health System is important and that fight is going on as we speak. My need to address the bigger picture of the branches of government and the folks involved there and my concern is the very people that make the laws, interpret those laws and enforce the same are the ones that we rely on for our military and all that it encompasses.
Dysfunction is a condition that I thought I would never have thought the world would utter about us and our future. Headlines around the world wonder how this will turn out. I also wonder but optimistic about our future.
I see the Federal Reserve buying debt of corporations like Apple, Home Depot and others like Visa and plowing billions of dollars into ETFs. I am sure the Fed would come up with a justification that would sound reasonable but I would think that with all the companies and mom and pops that have gone under or are hanging on by a thread I would think that these billions of dollars could have gone to many that had greater needs and have been more beneficial to the average worker. That also would have helped our veterans and their spouses that had small companies or worked at some of the ones that went out of business. Now those veterans are getting food boxes here in town and around our nation. Sad situation.
With all that has occurred recently in our government and the actions of the Federal Reserve we seem to be blurring the lines that keep partisan politics out of the Federal Reserve. The Feds monetary policy should be shielded from any political pressure. Appearances are at times as important as reality.
The readiness of our troops is affected by all that I have talked about today. The good thing that has been occurring is that all our politicians seem to get behind raising money for our military when all the rest around them is falling down. Lucky for us the military and our health is still important and a great talking point for both parties.
Progress in laser weapons, hypersonic missiles, unmanned everything (from tanks to submarines) and technologies that are hard to imagine are in the future for our military. Amazing that over the course of the many years that I have been doing this and with all the chaos going on and wars that have been fought, politics in a meltdown, technology changing and everything else including COVID, my main mission has not changed, one bit. The health and welfare of our men/women in and out of service. Still a bumpy ride.
“Without a mission statement, you may get to the top of the ladder and then realize it was leaning against the wrong building.” Dave Ramsey.
TYPHOID MARY
Oct 10th, 2021 Veterans Column by Ronald Verini
Our freedom is never absolute. We must be able to transcend some of our own self-interests for the welfare of our community, as a whole. If we are not thinking about the greater good for all of us and only the individual freedom of myself then we would not be able to live in harmony with all around us. “Give me liberty or give me death.” was said by Patrick Henry. Some folks have taken this to their death bed and clumsy, at best leadership in some cases,toxic politics, and hardheaded folks are taking personal freedom and turning it against their neighbors and friends.
In the early 1890’s “Typhoid Mary” fought the authorities and sued to have her rights while contaminating many people because she did not want the government to tell her what to do. She fought for her rights and freedoms and by exercising them infected others and killed many.
In general: We have lost being civil to each other, we have been so divided that we have lost the compassion for each other and we have lost the humanity of understanding the importance of common good.
Our personal freedom is in jeopardy because we are destroying the very fiber of our Nation. We are dividing our Nation and seem to be unable to work together for the common good.
This is no longer about COVID, this has gone beyond the argument of wearing a mask or not, beyond getting vaccinated or not, this has gotten to the very core of our existence as a Nation united. We are killing ourselves from within. That is how I see it. Yet I see hope!!!
I bring up the inhumanity to each other and reflect on the Generals that we have in charge and how they also have become political pawns in the musical chairs of politics. I think about how all of this affects each and every one of we veterans that are fighting for the health care we desperately need. With all this turmoil what is going to keep level heads that determine when and were we go to war? How will we be treated when we come home?
Are we going to be guinea pigs for the experimental cures that might be developed in a lab? These things have happened in the past and will they happen now or in the future? We need to be diligent and think about these things because with all this chaos, a lot might be going on that is covered by the noise in the foreground. Call me paranoid but I only have to reflect on the past treatment of our military and our troops needing care when they come home and I realize that my thoughts are based on facts. Facts that I perceive to be righteous and if you think differently, we still have the option of finding a place that we might work out a solution with civility. Light at the end of the tunnel!
I have been working for years picking up the pieces of wars and conflicts and have come to the conclusion that what is being said and acted out in public is not always what is going on behind closed doors. The Weapons of Mass Destruction, the Gulf of Tonkin incident and I am sure other wars that were started with dubious pretexts.
If war can be started under those circumstances, then the civilians that determine those wars are the very ones that end up determining what we will spend and equip our military and the same folks that will determine how we are taken care of when we come home. I might not want to place my full faith and trust in them doing the right thing for me. We need to make sure our military is well supplied, trained and the care is there for us when we come home. Yes, we need to be diligent in making sure our elected officials are doing the will of us, not their partisan agenda.
I am concerned about the disconnect between the political parties, the discourse in our community about COVID and the fact that our military and our veterans are at the mercy of those that are not working together and that concerns me. It concerns me because I do not think many are able to think straight and some are the ones that have the power of conflict or helping us get the care we need when we come home.
The quote that I end with brings a little light.
“May we think of freedom not as the right to do as we please, but as the opportunity to please to do what is right.” Peter Marshall (Chaplain of U.S. Senate-1947).
"GOLD STAR MOTHERS"
September 26, 2021 Veterans Corner Article by Ronald Verini
Most of time in the ‘hustle & bustle’ of our daily lives, when we hear about a particular event or thing or significant circumstance, we do not generally pause and reflect deeply or with investigatory pursuit to understand or even acknowledge the magnitude of what just popped into our minds. For many today, the idea of weighing the significance of an historical event, its cause and effect, is not an immediate priority. Sometimes we never even get back to that thought, and sometimes we just totally forget it. And that’s a natural ‘human condition’ without even being subject to any major external happenings.
There will be days, months that go by without us realizing the incredible number of things that have taken place across time that actually have had an effect on us, at this point in time, without us even knowing about them or how they affected us.
The last Sunday in September this year of 2021, (which is the 26th of September-today), marks a day that has truly affected all of us. Besides being the date that British troops occupied Philadelphia, Pres. George Washington appoints Thomas Jefferson as Secretary of State, Albert Einstein publishes his ideas on relativity, the US Federal Trade Commission was established. A WWI Battle of the Meuse-Argonne started, gangster ‘Machine Gun Kelly’ surrenders, Seoul, Korea is recaptured, and Nixon and Kennedy hold the first TV debate, and Nolan Ryan sets a Major League record throwing his fifth no-hitter, this also is the day we Nationally Honor our ‘Gold Star Mothers’. The organization was named after the ‘Gold Star’ that families hung in their windows in honor of a deceased war veteran. After years of planning twenty-five mothers met in Washington D. C. in 1928 to establish the organization.
The ’American Gold Star Mothers’ is an organization of mothers who lost sons or daughters in the services of the United States Armed Forces. The organization holds a congressional charter and was originally formed for mothers of those lost during WWI. Their name came from the custom of families of servicemen and servicewomen hanging a banner, called a service flag, in the windows of their homes. The ‘Service Flag’ had a Star for each member of the family in the Armed Forces. Living servicemen and women were represented with a Blue Star, and those who had lost their lives in combat were represented with a Gold Star.
Membership in the ‘American Gold Star Mothers’ is “open to any woman who is a US citizen or legal resident that has a son or daughter in active service in the US Military regardless of the place or time of the military service and regardless of whether the circumstances of death involved hostile conflict or not, and including mothers of those ‘missing in action’.”
The origin of the ‘Gold Star’ came from President Woodrow Wilson, who in 1918 approved a suggestion that came from the ‘Council of National Defense’ saying that “instead of wearing conventional mourning for relatives who have died in the service of their country, American women should wear a black band on the left arm with a gilt star on the band for each member of the family who has given his life for the nation”.
And just Why? You say, are we affected by the “Gold Star Mothers” organization? Well just think about the THOUSANDS of sons and daughters that gave their life so that we may continue to live and enjoy our lives!!
One example here locally, is “Gold Star Mother” Janice Gates, whose son Joshua gave his life for his country. Sgt. Joshua Brennan was killed in Afghanistan in 2007, was an Ontario High School graduate and is among many local and regional “Heroes” who served and “Gave All” for their Country, for us. While being wounded on patrol in the Korengal Valley of Afghanistan, Sgt. Brennan and another team member were saved from being captured by the Taliban, by SSGT. Sal Giunta, who was ultimately honored for his Courage with this countries “Medal of Honor”.
You may see more about Sgt. Brennan and his “Gold Star Mother” at the Sgt. Joshua Brennan Museum and Memorial Hall at the Veteran Advocates of Ore-Ida, Ontario, Or.
As a little side note: I use the phrase ‘human condition’ as a process that humans use to extract or reject moral concerns from events that occur or don’t occur.
“There is a certain enthusiasm in liberty, that makes human nature rise above itself, in acts of bravery and heroism.” Maj. General Alexander Hamilton, US Army, Founding Father of the US, 1st US Secretary of the Treasury.
Sept 12th, 2021 Veterans Column by Ronald Verini
SEPARATING YHE WAR FROM THE WARRIOR
There was a mission and purpose that each one had that fought and served in Afghanistan. They were asked by our Nation to serve and that is what they did, to the best of their ability. Some of our military gave all and others came back broken but one thing was certain I believe each gave what our Country asked and I could not be prouder that they served.
We gave that Country a taste of freedom and for 20 years they had an opportunity to have a Nation that would have enabled the woman and girls to be free and a government that was less ruthless and a freedom that would have been spectacular. Obviously as a Nation and a people they did not have the passion or drive to make that happen. It was not that we did not try but I think that the fact that they did not want it bad enough to fight for themselves, speaks for itself.
Our Troops did what we asked and each one can hold their heads up high because the battles that were fought and the blood shed were done at the bequest of our Nation and they did what any warrior would do and that was follow orders and concentrate on the mission, at hand and that is what they did, and did it well.
We provided Afghanistan all the tools including training, equipment and money that was needed for them to succeed and it was them that gave up the fight. It was us that pulled the plug and said, “enough is enough” and we will for years discuss the fact if we did the right thing in how it was done. These discussions are not a reflection of our military but a reflection of the will of the American public, the Administration, Congress and everything else but NOT our military. They did what was asked and they should be commended for the fight and service they gave.
We gave our blood, sweet and tears for 20 years and the Afghan’s have been in conflict for nearly 42 years of instability so I am thinking that it might be time for the people of Afghanistan to stand up and reject sharia law, and the war lords, if they wish. We had a mission to accomplish after 9/11 and that should have been the only thing that we should have concentrated on. But we did not and we brought in our military to fight a war that had no concrete mission and no exit strategy. The 100’s battles of our military were all righteous and our men/women fought as we would like and then some, but the war was controlled by the different administrations in Washington D.C.
My conclusion is that everyone of our military did the right thing and we should be proud of each one and as an organization that has a memorial dedicated to Sgt Josh Brennan, a troop that gave his life for the mission we sent him on in Afghanistan. We are proud that he was willing to fight for our Nation. He died for us. He fought for us. He and the many that sign on the dotted line are willing to serve and we should hold each and every one in a light that few might understand but certainly should respect and honor. We need to separate the war from the warrior.
I have known from my time in Vietnam: that war, no matter how unpopular or popular it might be, has nothing to do with the importance of the military man or woman. Many civilians have a problem separating the two and taking their anger or frustration out on the military and it truly is misplaced. The voting booth and the communications with our elected officials is where your fight should be. We should honor every man or woman that has and are serving our Nation. We would not be a Nation if it was not for our warriors. What kind of Nation is up to you and your neighbors and how you vote, who you vote for and how you hold their feet to the fire? It is your responsibility to be involved and to take the time to understand the issues. Make sure you express your opinion and not sit back and let other people do it because you don’t have the time. Up to you and me.
You would think that after twenty-five hundred years when Sun Tzu wrote the quote that I end with today we would have learned from his teachings?
“ There is no instance of a nation benefitting from prolonged warfare.” Sun Tzu (The Art of War).
Black Eye for Our Nation?
Aug 29th, 2021 Veterans Column by Ronald Verini
Our government has again abandoned some that helped us fight our enemy by not planning ahead and relying on last minute tactics. We are in the middle of a monumental task of a massive chaotic evacuation. Our nation, as powerful a nation that it is has stated that our word is sacred but has again let down many of those that fought alongside of us. It has happened in Vietnam and it is happening now in Afghanistan and when we abandoned the Kurds in Syria. Our word has been broken to many and they will and are suffering the horrors of retaliation from the very people we said we would protect them from. What a black eye for our nation. How are we going to expect others to fight alongside of us in future wars or conflicts? This conversation is not about whether it was right or wrong to leave the conflict.
No administration, not one has clean hands. I admit, I do not know all of what goes into decisions that are made on the greater scale that have caused us to walk away from some of these folks. If I had all the inside scoop I might not be as critical but I do know that from the outside looking in, it seems to me we are not doing the right thing for our nation and the future of military combat. When we ask for help from others do you think we will get the enthusiasm and support that we have had in the past? Time will tell.
I hope I am wrong and I might not be able to see the full picture but I know the promises that were made to our own troops regarding care of veterans’ diseases associated with toxic exposure and the atrocities of war. We served our country and then, in some cases, we had to fight for health care so I am not far off the track.
We are a fractured nation and my hope is we band together and look at the greater good. We are weaker divided and stronger united. We are the United States of America. Still the greatest nation in the world. I believe that no party, individual, religion or anything else is stronger than “we” united. I truly believe that “we” are able to fix what is broken on the national level and quite frankly at the VA and even on the local level if “we” work together. Will we take care of every troop when they come home and suicide will be a memory of the past and no veteran will be homeless? Will we not have to fight for what we were promised or deserve because we have served our Country and were willing to give all? My hope is that from the top down and from the bottom up we will fix what seems to be broken because the alternative is not acceptable nor sustainable on its present course.
There is something wrong when we are handing out about 200 food boxes a month in the Western Treasure Valley, making sure our Active Duty and Veterans do not go hungry. What about the fact that we struggle (at times) to find transportation for veterans when they need to get to the VA in Boise or Caldwell? Or if a veteran needs an operation on the other side of the state of Oregon getting a family member over there and a place to stay has had its challenges. What about homeless veterans?
The needs of our troops because of the greater diversity have also created new kinds of challenges for the Active Duty and the veterans that have mustered out. Our government has had a trial figuring out how to care for the troops of past conflicts and now they add more complexity to an already stressed system. Hope they are planning ahead? Tailoring treatment for the new troops when their needs would be peaking decades in the future is one that is going to be a real zoo if we do not address those requirements now.
So, what we have is a situation that is tied together. Supporting and keeping our word to those that have fought alongside of us in conflicts and wars. And also keeping the promises and responsibilities that we have to our own men and women that have served. The strength of our Nation and of our fighting force is dependent on both.
“If you want to thank a soldier, be the kind of American worth fighting for.” Unknown Author but powerful Statement.
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