GORDON DUFF: VETERANS TODAY CALLS TRADITIONAL VETERANS ORGANIZTIONS: SOFT ON VET ABUSE – CORRUPTION

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65 YEARS OF HISTORY TELLS IT ALL

CORRUPTION, COVERUPS WHILE THE PARADES AND AWARD CEREMONIES GO ON

By Gordon Duff STAFF WRITER (Chairman Editorial Board VT)

We are a motley group here at VT.  Between our board and writers, we include 3 diplomats, about 2000% rated disability, members of Congress, convicted felons, Gold Star moms, one Federal Reserve manager…..former priests, some of the highest security clearances possible and a top medical staff with two nurses having graduate degrees, one a retired Army officer.

Our agenda is presenting the unvarnished truth when others won’t, serving our veterans, causing as much trouble as possible, having fun when we can and supporting the security of the United States through honest support of our military and a rational foreign policy, which sometimes advocates peace over war, as though we were rational people.

Between us, we belong to a hundred organizations and every political party, from the American Legion and Special Forces Association to the National Prayer Breakfasts, and every retiree group for officers, enlisted, Navy, Marines, Army, Air Force and Coast Guard.

Where we agree with each other is that, when the health, safety and welfare of veterans and our military is a childish game to our government and “some” organizations, it isn’t a joke to us.  Though we may ride motorcycles to funerals or march in parades, we separate fellowship from duty.  If duty requires taking a stand, we will do that.  Those that don’t take a stand have forgotten the meaning of duty.

Today’s aging veteran population is from Vietnam.  For years, we have watched our numbers diminish from PTSD suicide, Agent Orange cancer and “Darwin” episodes.  I speak of what I know and what I have seen.

40 years ago, VA hospitals were filthy hellholes where veterans were abused and neglected, dying by the thousands.  Service organizations were at every hospital, advising the VA and observing it all.  Nary a word was said in support of Vietnam veterans.

40 years later, thousands of sick vets, cancer, PTSD, diabetes, are fighting for medical treatment and fair disability compensation.  They are still having their documents shredded, their Comp and Pension physicals mishandled, their claims outright denied for no reason and not a word is said.

We are working with Desert Storm vets, with lists of dead published every day and accounts of abuse and neglect by the military and Veterans Affairs carefully documented.  This has been going on for years and, though veterans organizations have given out hundreds, perhaps thousands of awards to those who provide lip service and little else, the problems continue.

When I see one car load of VFW, American Legion or similar members, with the approval of their hierarchy, carrying signs of protest, I will know.  One car load, that’s all I ask.  Since 65 years of award dinners, billions of glasses of beer and shiploads of whisky and rotgut gin sold at their bars, oceans of fried fish on Friday nights but no time for vets.

I want to see calls for resignations, firings, investigations, prosecutions and protests, not for “remembering” little and forgetting the real sacrifices and suffering of our fellow veterans that happens around us every day.

I don’t want to see money given to the VA.  Why don’t we just give to terrorists instead?  Both kill American servicemen.  Is there a difference?

I don’t want to see members of congress get awards.  Give them to North Korea.  Is there a difference?  At least North Korea hates us openly.  I respect the honest of that, though, aging Marine I may be, I might want to discuss those differences on that personal level I remember so well.

There are thousands of Americans who have protested for better treatment of veterans.  There are thousands of web sites that outline the abuses.  Every TV network and newspaper has outlined criminal abuses but no “major” or as we call it with the gutless press, “mainstream” veterans group has done what is needed.

I have a simple definition for insanity:  IF YOU KEEP DOING THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER EXPECTING TO GET A DIFFERENT RESULT YOU ARE CRAZY AS A SHITHOUSE RAT

Giving award to political fatasses instead of calling for Special Prosecutors to investigate document destruction, post dating, medical malpractice and the “10 pages of problems” I am told fill the legislative agenda of the DC offices financed by membership dues from thousands of well meaning veterans…….

We can debate torture and war crimes, but isn’t infecting a veteran with HIV a war crime?

Is driving a veteran or active duty soldier to suicide (or murder) a war crime?

Is destroying thousands of patriotic and decent American families, tens of thousands and more, over decades, through corruption, a war crime?

Do VSO’s (veteran service organizations) need more than 65 years to simply “get it?”

Flag waving isn’t how our police, FBI and courts deal with criminals.  Why do VSO’s think that criminal acts against vets will be cured by parades, awards and flag waving?

I thank the people who work hard and who care.  They aren’t the problem.  They elect, or believe they do anyway, leaders, leaders who, like every leader, becomes part of the problem from day 1.

With organizations that had degenerated into a “rubber stamp” for corruption and abuse over 40 years ago, it is simple dishonesty to not be truthful and honest about decades of miserable failure.

THE REAL “DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL…..

Don’t ask how many veterans have lost their jobs.

Don’t ask how many veterans have died of service related illnesses or due to VA medical malpractice.

Don’t ask how many have been illegally denied claims because of phony physicals, destroyed documents or endless administrative roadblocks.

Don’t ask how many billions of dollars are owed to veterans and their families for decades of denied compensation, medical care, educational benefits and employment preference (a real joke.)

Don’t ask how many millions VSOs spent on parties, awards and baloney without beginning to ask the important questions and holding the corrupt to account.

SUPPORTING THE CORRUPT IS LIKE PUTTING A KNIFE IN THE BACK OF EVERY VETERAN

Some organizations, YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE, have chosen to give awards and approval to members of our government most responsible for underfunding, blocking investigations, denying treatment and covering up scandals that have devastated the veteran community for decade after decade.

Some organizations simply think human life is a game as long as a few aides get a paycheck and the parking lot is full on Friday night.

TRADITION OF INCOMPETENCE AND STUPIDITY IS NOT A REAL EXCUSE FOR DISHONOR

What is there that makes people into jackals when you promise them a bit of recognition of a chance to be photographed next to a useless and moronic politician.  Imagine all the photographs members of veterans organizations have with Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld that have been burned or put in the basement.

While these photos were taken, Reservists and National Guard members were returning from deployment with their jobs illegally taken away.  The people who profited by not supporting those troops, the people who got payoffs from the National Association of Manufacturers (whose director is a long time associate) or US Chamber of Commerce, the two groups that fought to weaken enforcement of laws protecting our troops, were the same politicians the VSO’s loved.

Not a word was said to save the thousands of families destroyed.  Destroyed family?  Unemployment. Divorce.  Repossession.  Foreclosure.  Suicide.

One small issue from one government department.  This time, the Department of Labor, choosing not to enforce the law because of corruption.  Veterans the victims, but not one major VSO put one picketer in front of one building.

Were we too busy trying to get that flag burning amendment passed?


gduff

Gordon Duff is a Marine combat veteran and regular contributor on political and social issues.

MANY “OLD GUARD” SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS FAILING VETERANS

UNABLE TO COPE WITH VA SCAMS AND VETERAN NEEDS

By Gordon Duff STAFF WRITER

For decades, the VFW and American Legion have influenced VA policy toward veterans and defined how veterans issues are seen by government and the “non veteran” public.  Their power over Congress, their ability to produce conservative votes, even when conservative candidates are on the wrong side of issues and their unwillingness to deal with the reality of veterans needs has defined these groups as much of the problem and little of the solution.

Originating more as political groups, one pro-union, one anti-union, the two major service organizations lost their way when their general membership of World War 2 veterans bought in on “baby killer” propaganda denouncing Vietnam veterans.  Issues of PTSD, Agent Orange and the massive number of traumatic amputations and brain injuries that flooded the VA hospital system threatened to overwhelm underfunded services being used by aging vets from World War 2.

The response was to push away Vietnam vets and fail to support their needs.  Death rates under VA care during that period were astronomical and only went up as Agent Orange diseases and PTSD began to take an even greater toll, all issues ignored by some mainstream service organizations.

Even worse, the duplicitous behavior of the VA, with poor medical care, a crooked disability rating system and document destruction/claims backdating was and continues to be ignored by these groups.

The quality of service officers, many of whom have always been out of touch with the reality of the VA bureaucracy and the needs of younger veterans, diminished and fewer and fewer claims got thru while more and more failed because of poor advice, lack of follow through and utter incompetence.

While successfully supporting bars and social clubs and hard working auxiliary cadres who helped in hospitals and clinics, still the heart of these organizations has been the politically based leadership who have stood in the way of real progress for veterans for many many years.

These groups have held veterans hostage through directing powerful voting blocs to anti-veteran candidates through outright disinformation and misinformation about the issues.  Any candidate that votes to have flag burners crucified gets support even if they try to close every VA hospital in the country.

Years at the heart of the corrupt Washington establishment has left these groups as much a part of the problem veterans struggle to overcome as uncaring politicians and members of the public who ignore war as long as they don’t have to fight in it.

If a group is a political group, then let them be that.  Don’t call them a veterans organization.  That is a lie.

If you run a bar, you are part of the food and beverage industry, not a service organization.

If you support politicians and not veterans, you are a lobbyist, not an advocate.

Time to move these groups aside and begin delivering real services and real power to real veterans with real need

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Gordon Duff posted articles on VT from 2008 to 2022. He is a Marine combat veteran of the Vietnam War. A disabled veteran, he worked on veterans and POW issues for decades. Gordon is an accredited diplomat and is generally accepted as one of the top global intelligence specialists. He manages the world's largest private intelligence organization and regularly consults with governments challenged by security issues. Duff has traveled extensively, is published around the world, and is a regular guest on TV and radio in more than "several" countries. He is also a trained chef, wine enthusiast, avid motorcyclist, and gunsmith specializing in historical weapons and restoration. Business experience and interests are in energy and defense technology.