Attention Congressman Henry Waxman

By Robert L. Rosebrock

Congressman Waxman … I am a resident and constituent of your 30th District as well as a Vietnam War-era Veteran. Because your office does not acknowledge me or respond to my inquiries about the shameless abuse and misuse of the sacred land at the Los Angeles National Veterans Home that is within your Congressional jurisdiction, I am hoping that you will read this and responsibly respond. 

Respectfully Requesting
Accordingly, I’m respectfully requesting that you investigate the intimidation and harassment against a group of elderly World War II, Korean and Vietnam War Veterans through and under the direction of the West LA VA police. These Veterans peacefully demonstrate every Sunday under the Mission to "Save Our Veterans Land" from being converted into a public community park. I was singled out and required to surrender my Social Security Number, including the threat of arrest if I did not cooperate with their baseless demands.  This disgraceful incident is spelled out in a Memo below to the Chief of Staff of the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

As my Congressman, and on behalf of fellow Veterans within and outside of your District, would you also investigate the land-use violations, drug-overdose suicides, and other abuses and misappropriations at the Greater Los Angeles VA Healthcare system in your 30th District? And please do it with the same passion and due diligence that you exercised against Major League Baseball players purportedly using steroids.

Largest VA in the Nation
As you know, this is the largest VA healthcare center in the nation with more than 1 million Veterans living within 50 miles. Correspondingly, you are the elected and subsequently entrusted public servant responsible for the oversight and protection of this hallowed land that was deeded to the U.S. government in 1888 for the exclusive use of America’s Military Veterans. 

Here Are The Facts …
Mr. Congressman, you are on record for rightfully stating: “Here are the facts … the legal deed requires the federal government to maintain the property permanently for veterans." However, and to the contrary, you are also on record for supporting Veterans Park Conservancy (VPC), which is not a Veterans organization but a special-interest homeowners association that is hell-bent on taking Veterans hallowed land for their own privileged use that includes a 16-acre public park, all under the deceptive guise of “honoring our veterans.”

Unprecedented Compromises
Ms. Sue Young, the executive director of the VPC homeowner group was asked in the Brentwood News how she was able to essentially expropriate a 16-acre parcel of Veterans land rent-free (estimated to be worth nearly one billion dollars) for a public park and she responded: "Because this arrangement was unprecedented, it required lengthy discussions and compromises with Veterans Administration in Los Angeles and Washington. The agreement also called for approvals at the highest levels, i.e., Secretary Nicholson, and the involvement of the Congressional delegation."

Mr. Congressman, she is stating that you and other Congressional Members were “involved” in these unprecedented compromises for her public community park that violates the deed of 1888, which you have declared “… requires the federal government to maintain the property permanently for veterans.”

Steve Palmer, an 85-year old  a World War II Veteran in his mobile wheelchair is interrogated and harassed by federal VA police outside the Veterans Home during a peaceful Sunday Rally to "Save Our Veterans Home."  The flag seen between the two police officers is hanging on the Veterans fence and it says "We Support Our Troops" along with the five seals of the branches of our Armed Forces.  We were told to remove this flag along with a "Vietnam Veterans — Our Cause Was Just" flag to the right and out of sight.  I was threatened with arrest for taking this photo.  Is this the same kind of freedom, democracy and First Amendment Rights we are trying to spread around the world? No wonder everybody hates America.

Setting a Precedent
You are on record for supporting VPC’s plan to convert this 16-acre parcel of Veterans land into a public park. In accordance with their previous publications, the VPC homeowners group declared that this initial 16 acres "Will demonstrate the positive community impact of reclamation of open space for public use, setting a precedent for discussion about the remaining federal property.”

Not an Entitlement
Mr. Congressman, this hallowed land is not a geographical entitlement for wealthy homeowners to use as they see fit, but a moral responsibility and a sacred trust of “We, the People” to provide a safe haven for the convalescence and rehabilitation of those who pledged their lives for our own safety.

70 and 80-year old Veterans
Since early March, fellow Veterans, many in their 70s and 80s who are Veterans of World War II and the Korean War, and some of us younger Veterans in our 50s and 60s of the Vietnam War, have held peaceful Sunday Rallies “outside” of The National Home demonstrating against the abuse and misuse of Veterans sacred land, and more specifically, the “rent free” privileged deal with a non-veterans organization for a public community park.

Strength in Numbers
Mr. Congressman, it is important that you know and understand that we are not a “small group of dissidents” as the VPC and VA bureaucrats like to falsely claim, but have Resolutions and support in opposition to the public park that includes the Veterans Caucus of your own California Democratic Party, the California American Legion with 150,000 members, the Gathering of Eagles with more than 30,000 members, the American GI Forum of California with 5,500 members, the National Veterans Coalition with 3,500 members, Veterans United For Truth, Inc.,  with more than 1,000 members, and many more, including non-Veterans

It’s also important to note that the group you are supporting, VPC, lists no support of any Veterans organization, only government politicians and community organizations.  As the elected steward of the National Home, shouldn’t you be supporting America’s Veterans and their sacred land instead of a group of homeowners who want to annex this deeded property for a public park?
What we as a group of Veterans are doing in protecting this sacred land is a noble and patriotic cause, yet those who want to take it for their own selfish use are vehemently opposed to such a moral stand and are now trying to discredit us personally and individually. 

Harassment and Intimidation
On November 30th, during our 37th consecutive Sunday Rally, the VA Federal police came “outside” and ordered us to remove our “We Support Our Troops” and “Vietnam Veterans” flags that hang next to the American and POW / MIA Flags on the Veterans fence. As leader of the Sunday Rallies, I was harassed and intimated with the threat of arrest if I did not cooperate, which included surrendering my Social Security number.

Even Prisoners of War are not required to surrender their Social Security number to the enemy … only their name, rank and (military) serial number. 

Do Your Duty
Mr. Congressman, as a constituent in your District and a Veteran whose civil rights were flagrantly violated that Sunday, I am respectfully asking you to do your duty and investigate those who were responsible for sending the VA police out to falsely acquire my personal identification through intimidation so they can research my private life in a ruthless attempt to destroy me personally.

Rescind the “public park” Agreement
Lastly, as the elected and entrusted steward of the National Veterans Home, please initiate a full investigation into the many abuses and violations that have been, and continue to take place, on this sacred and hallowed land.

In the interim, do the right thing and have the public park “sharing agreement” with VPC rescinded in its entirety. 

For your review and subsequent action, I sent the following Memo to the Department of Veterans Affairs and have not received any direct response. Thank you for looking into this extremely serious matter.

Colonel Thomas Bowman (USMC retired)
Chief of Staff
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Washington, DC

Colonel:

Just when we thought the VA couldn’t crawl any lower, your bureaucrats at the West LA VA donned their top-hats and shamelessly walked under the belly of a snake.

Today, we had our 37th consecutive Sunday Rally to "Save Our Veterans Land." This gathering, as always, included patriotic volunteers Steve Palmer, an 85-year old WW II Veteran, Hank Papeika an 82-year old WW II and Korean War Veteran, Newton Young, an 82-year old Korean War Veteran, Dick Breithaupt, an 80-year old Korean War Veteran who was an officer in the Marine Corps and the U.S. Army … and is a "Son of the Revolution," and Bettina Michaels, an-80 year Veteran widow.

Call me old-fashioned, but common sense, decency and respect dictates that when fellow Veterans and American patriots of this stature assemble to protest, they more than likely have a very just cause …  particularly since most of them drove from 20-30 miles away instead of staying home and visiting with their great-grand children.

But your henchmen and gulags that answer to Sue Young, as everyone does at the VA, have a different agenda than serving the best interests of America’s Veterans. And fellow Veterans know full well that this agenda is to serve the "wants" of Ms. Young at the expense of the "needs" of America’s Veterans at the largest VA in the nation.

Today, as with all previous 36 Sunday Rallies, we had three American Flags, The POW / MIA Flag, a "We Support Our Troops" Flag and a "Vietnam Veterans" Flag hanging on the fence fronting Wilshire Boulevard.

Today, a Sgt. N. Webb, badge #826, parked his car on San Vicente Blvd., and walked up to our Rally site "outside" of the VA at the corner of Wilshire and San Vicente Boulevards and informed me that we were in violation of some sort of code that disallows the Troops and Vietnam Flags to be hanging on government property.

Colonel, if you don’t want Veterans proudly displaying their support of our Military Troops on government property, then tell our Commander-in-Chief to bring them home … plain and simple!  Lest you’ve all forgotten, the government belongs to "We, the People," and according to the Declaration of Independence …. "governments are instituted, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; and that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right and the responsibility of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute a new government."

Well, maybe it’s time to institute a new government because what was displayed today was a deplorable and dark day in American history. This was an embarrassment beyond description, not only to America’s living Veterans and to those who made the ultimate sacrifice, but to the men and women on active duty in our United States Armed Forces.

As you well know, this is not the first time that your West LA VA bureaucrats have suppressed the First Amendment Rights of America’s Veterans.  I do not need to belabor them again, as you’ve been reminded consistently ever since our "Freedom of Expression" Rights were shamelessly trampled on at our 120th Anniversary Celebration of the Deed of 1888 on March 2, 2008.

Nonetheless, during today’s "criminal investigation," Sgt. Webb took my drivers license and wrote down my personal identification information. Then a slick-sleeve T. Bowman (said he was no relative of yours) and badge #4123 joined the Sgt. and they proceeded to essentially tell us that we were serious violators of the "law" (criminals) and that they were there to protect Veterans property.

I reminded Sgt. Webb that it was actually our group who was truly protecting Veterans property and this made him rather angry.  He took out a camera and started taking photos of our Troops and Vietnam Flags so I took out my camera and also took photos of our Flags and of him talking to 85-year old fellow Veteran Steve Palmer, who was in a mobile wheel chair.

The Sgt. then tersely informed me that I was violating another "law" by taking pictures of "him" and our Flags on government property … which by the way … were Flags hanging on the multi-million dollar wrought iron fence that was partially built with one million dollars of Veterans seriously needed healthcare money … all facilitated by the VA and for the best interests of Sue Young and her Brentwood cohorts to beautify the entryway into Brentwood.

Sgt. Webb informed me that he was prepared to arrest me and I asked for what reason and he said for hanging banners on, and taking photos of, government property.  I was prepared to be arrested for such a trivial matter, particularly since I have regularly informed you about Richmark Entertainment Group and their gigantic banner hanging from Wadsworth Theater, including numerous huge Kirkwood Winery banners that hung on the fence facing Wilshire Boulevard … and you never did squat.  It’s called "selective enforcement" Colonel, and that is a "crime," particularly when it is orchestrated against America’s Veterans and ignored by the wealthy and indignant.

Both federal police officers walked away from us to make numerous phone calls during an approximate 20-30 minute period. No doubt you were eventually contacted about this "serious crime" being committed by America’s Veterans "outside" of Veterans property.  Eventually your Gestapo police came back and informed me that they were not going to arrest me, but they were going to "enter the incident into their journal" and that they needed my Social Security Number.  I was hesitant at first, but gave it to them for fear of again being arrested. I’m now learning from several reliable sources that this was totally unnecessary, however, their intimidation forced me to submit my SS#.

Obviously, whoever the Gestapo police were talking to didn’t want to arrest me as much as they just wanted to do a "background check" on me; what other reason did they need my SS#?  I guess "Bob the Veteran" will now join "Joe the Plumber" for having our personal lives researched and exposed for conducting innocent interests.

I might add that what happened to me today is precisely why Veteran residents from New Directions living at the National Home are afraid to come out to join us, because they all fear that your Gestapo police will do background checks on them as they prepare to leave the grounds and exercise their First Amendment Rights to protest against the land grabbing of their sacred property.

Colonel, what happened today caused great concern and disturbance amongst my fellow Veterans, many in their 70s and 80s. As you know, I have pleaded with you over and over to rescind this rent-free public park agreement and "do the right thing" by operating this sacred land as it was deeded 120 years ago and that is to be permanently maintained for the healthcare and well-being of America’s Veterans.

You have consistently resisted and rejected this plea in spite of it being reinforced by Resolutions of the California American Legion (150,000 members) the Veterans Caucus of the California Democratic Party, the American GI Forum of California, National Veterans Coalition, Veterans United For Truth, and countless other Veterans organizations and independent Veterans.  Exactly who does the VA serve Colonel? America’s Military Veterans or West LA’s wealthy homeowners?

When will the VA ever learn that this is not a public park, a dog park, a used car lot, a public theater, church, golf course, etc.  This is a National Home for America’s Veterans to heal from war and there should never be a homeless Veteran. There are 20,000 homeless Veterans in Los Angeles and your major concern is stopping 80-year old Veterans from hanging a Flag that says "We Support Our Troops" instead of searching the streets of LA and bringing "Home" our homeless Veterans.

In summary, what happened today has only stirred the passion and responsibility to stop Sue Young and her greedy cohorts and stop the likes of Henry Waxman and yourself and other VA bureaucrats who kowtow to her.

You are an enabler and a facilitator to one of the most egregious crimes known to man, and that is to aid and abet in the thievery of sacred land from the defenders of America’s freedom and democracy and give it away to satisfy political favors.

Sorry to be so blunt Colonel, but my niceties over the past in asking you to do the right thing have gone neglected way too long, and you and your bureaucrats crossed a very serious line today.  Yes, today it became personal!

Trying to make criminals out of me and my 70 and 80-year old fellow Veterans who display their support for our Troops really underscores how shallow and hard-hearted our government is and how it truly looks at those who pledged their lives for the safety of all others.

To say shame on you and the VA would be a compliment as you’ve all sunk to a new low in creating a very dark day in American history.

Robert L. Rosebrock, email [email protected]
Co-Director, We the Veterans
Director, The Veterans Revolution

Robert Rosebrock

U.S. Army, 1965-67, Schofield Barracks, Hqs., U.S Army, Hawaii. Director, The Veterans Revolution, Captain, the Old Veterans Guard, and Director, We the Veterans.