VA-SPYGATE
STOP THE SPYING AND LYING!
By Robert L. Rosebrock, Staff Writer
History reminds us that it’s not the initial crime but the cover-up attempt that becomes the real crime.
And so it is with the VA’s infamous June 28th spying debacle on innocent World War II, Korean and Vietnam War Veterans who peacefully demonstrate against the pillaging and plundering of their sacred land at the Los Angeles National Veterans Home, which is the largest VA Medical Center in the nation.
Just the Facts
On Monday, June 29, a group from Sunday’s Rally met with Donna Beiter, the executive director, Ralph Tillman, the asset manager and director of public affairs, and Sgt. Lofty, the VA police watch commander, all federal employees at the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center.
The group met with these federal employees to inquire about the surveillance van that was parked within 100 feet from where their Sunday Rallies are held and resulted in a VA police confrontation with Purple Heart Post Commanders Walter Martin and Luis Rivera, both disabled Vietnam War Veterans.
Bureaucrats See No Van, Heard No Van, Speak No Van
There were two separate meetings, one in the VA executive office with Ms. Beiter and Mr. Tillman, and the other at the VA police office with Sgt. Lofty.
At both meetings, all three bureaucrats denied any knowledge of the surveillance van or that anything had even happened on Sunday.
There were five witnesses in our group that heard the three deny any knowledge of the surveillance van and denied there was an encounter with Commanders Martin and Rivera, even though they were now sitting in their presence.
Ms. Beiter declared that she "didn’t know anything about what we were talking about" and that she "didn’t have any police report of such an incident."
Moreover, when we later went to the VA Police office and Sgt. Lofty declared that he "was unaware of the incident" and that "there was no report," our group informed him that they would not be insulted like this anymore and we all stood up and promptly left his office.
RIGHT: An Iranian protester has climbed onto the Spanish-American War Memorial in front of the Veterans’ Los Angeles National Cemetery, which is directly across from the FBI building. Yet, a half-mile away, Veterans cannot hang a "We Support Our Troops" banner or the American Flag upside down in accordance with the U.S. Flag Code because their sacred property is in extreme danger.
“I Don’t Know Anything
At the Monday meeting in the VA executive office, Mr. Tillman was asked specifically what he knew about the surveillance van and confrontation between the VA police and Commanders Martin and Rivera, and he raised his hands in innocence, stating, “Hey guys, I’ve been on vacation the past two weeks so I don’t know anything about it — sorry.”
Oh, By the Way … I Do Know Something
However, on Tuesday morning, Mr. Tillman sent an e-mail to Commander Martin stating, among other things: “We, once again, confirm that surveillance activities were occurring during the weekend.” Wow! That was certainly an amazingly quick recovery from memory lapse by the bureaucrats.
Nonetheless, were the three VA employees lying to us on Monday when they each denied any knowledge of the surveillance van or of any incident, or was Mr. Tillman lying to Commander Martin in his e-mail on Tuesday when he stated: “We, once again, confirm that surveillance activities were occurring during the weekend.” Just the day before they all denied any knowledge and now he’s saying “We once again, confirm …”
Secretary Eric K. Shinseki, the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs needs to take prompt action on this because Veterans will no longer allow his employees to spy on us and then insult us further by lying to us about it. The Secretary’s credibility is now on the line if he doesn’t promptly remove these bureaucrats from the largest VA in the nation
It’s The Truth That Really Hurts
The VA’s penchant for lying to Veterans is nothing new. However, it’s the truth that really hurts.
While Ms. Beiter denied any knowledge of the June 28th spy van and confrontation, she still treated a surveillance van as routine by admitting: “The VA does surveillance all the time.”
If that is not an extremely frightening statement to every Veteran who enters the largest VA in the nation, then what is?
If the VA bureaucrats have taken it on their own to do constant surveillance, then such a unilateral decision would include, but is not necessarily be limited to: video recording Veterans and their family or friends; tape recording Veterans conversations; wiretapping Veterans telephones and/or cell phones; computer hacking, following / tailing Veterans and their family or friends; and infiltration into veterans groups and organizations.
Is This America?
It’s extremely difficult to comprehend that all of this is taking place in the United States of America and on Veterans sacred land, as well as off, and these transgressions are being imposed upon the very men and women who have defended our nation freedom and independence.
How can anyone really enjoy and celebrate Independence Day when our own government spies on America’s Veterans and treats them as though they are a threat to our nation’s safety and security? How much lower can our government sink?
Don’t Talk to Me!
I have personally been involved in the ongoing challenge against the pillaging and plundering of Veterans land by sleazy VA bureaucrats, corrupt politicians and greedy special interest groups.
In addition, I’ve led the Veterans Revolution to challenge this egregious land grabbing through our Sunday Rallies. As a result, I have every reason to believe Ms.Beiter’s claim that “The VA does surveillance all the time,” and that subsequently my phones are being tapped and my computer is being monitored and I’m continuously being spied upon.
That’s not being paranoid, it’s just being presumptive knowing that there’s a very vindictive group of people who will do anything they can to stop this noble crusade to “Save Our Veterans Land.”
Unfortunately, there are friends who don’t want to talk to me over the phone or even exchange e-mails because they do not want to become a target like I’ve become, and I cannot blame them.
Spy and Lie
In his e-mail to Commander Martin, Mr. Tillman purported that “surveillance activities were occurring during the weekend, primarily due the Iranian election protest adjacent to our property.”
Make no mistake; this is a desperate concoction and a pitiful spin on the real truth because the Iranian election protest that he refers to is a half-mile east and on the far opposite side of the massive 10-lane 405 Freeway, including another four lanes of Sepulveda Boulevard.
To even hint that the Iranian demonstration is "adjacent" to the West Los Angeles VA property is not just a stretch but a shameful fabrication and an absolute insult to our intelligence and integrity.
The surveillance van and its amateurish shovel, rake and hoe camouflage, was at the Northeast corner of Wilshire and San Vicente Boulevards and within a mere 100 feet of the gate where we hold our Sunday Rallies.
Moreover, the spy machine was facing semi-westward, in complete opposition to the Iranian protest. Specifically, the surveillance van was parked directly focusing on where we gather every Sunday for our Rallies.
The Iranian protest was a half-mile east from the surveillance van and our Sunday Rally was less than 100 feet from it. It’s blatantly simple to understand which group the U.S. government was really spying on.
Why Did the Surveillance Van Leave?
It’s important to know that while the Iranian protest was a half-mile away, their demonstration on Sunday continued throughout the entire day and into early evening.
Thus, if the surveillance van was really monitoring the Iranian protest and not the Veterans protest, why did the spy machine leave after Commanders Martin and Rivera challenged its presence "adjacent" to our Sunday Rally around 1:00 PM?
If the surveillance van’s purported mission to spy on the Iranian protesters was really authorized by the federal government and it was "legal," why was the van removed instead of remaining there to spy on the Iranian protesters, albeit a half-mile away?
And if the spy mission was really “legal,” why weren’t Commanders Martin and Rivera arrested for interfering with a federal surveillance and investigation?
The answer is quite simple: It’s because this was a total fraud and an illegal spying manipulation orchestrated by the United States Government against innocent American Veterans who were simply exercising their First Amendment Rights.
Why else would Mr. Tillman be apologizing to Commander Martin in his e-mail: "we do regret any inconvenience this may have caused."
And isn’t it curious that the U.S. government would have a surveillance van spying on innocent Persian-Americans who are protesting against the corrupt Iranian government for doing the same thing to their fellow Iranians as our government is doing to our fellow Americans?
Violation of Our Civil Rights
Those of us who caught the brunt end of Sunday’s despicable act of spying on fellow Veterans in their 60s, 70s and 80s, take serious umbrage at the surveillance and unlawful intrusion upon us individually as American citizens and to our First Amendment Rights.
Furthermore, the shameless lies, insults and degradation perpetrated against us during our basic inquiry into this despicable act defy any semblance of a professional and honorable government agency serving America’s Veterans. To call it disgraceful would be a compliment!
It’s Time For Justice!
What happened on Sunday, June 28th, was an affront not only to all of America’s Military Veterans, but it was a mockery against our U.S. Constitution and the American way of life that every Veteran has heretofore defended.
For the Department of Veterans Affairs to allow spying upon the very defenders of America’s freedom and then to lie about it is representative of the kinds of regimes that we have gone to war to defeat.
In fact, our Armed Forces toppled a tyrannical dictator in Iraq who imposed these same kinds of cruel and oppressive intrusions on his subjects. Fortunately, regime change was made and on June 30th, America’s Military turned over to the Iraqi people their sovereign land, freedom and democracy.
When will the VA do the same for America’s Veterans?
About the Author: Rosebrock is a U.S. Army Veteran, Vietnam War-era, HQ USARHAW, Schofield Barracks. He is Director of The Veterans Revolution and Co-Director of We the Veterans, and a Member of the American Legion Press Association. [email protected]
U.S. Government surveillance van parked within 100 feet where elderly Veterans of World War II, Korea and Vietnam peacefully protest against the pillaging and plundering of their land that was exclusively deeded in 1888 "to be permanently maintained as a National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers."
Steve Palmer, an 86-year old World War II Veteran in his mobile wheelchair is interrogated and harassed by two armed federal VA police officers outside the largest VA in the nation during a Sunday Rally to "Save Our Veterans Home." The banner 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. Veterans were told to remove the banner and I was threatened with arrest for taking this photo. Do you really think this is the same kind of democracy that the Iranians are demonstrating for in their native country?
An airplane trails a "Free Iran" banner extremely close to the FBI building during a recent Iranian protest. This plane circled the FBI building for nearly an hour and nobody did squat! But apparently the greatest threat to our nation’s security is when elderly Veterans peacefully protest a half-mile away in defense of their sacred land that our U.S. government is giving away.
The paparazzi with $15,000 cameras climb onto the Veterans’ fence to take photos of celebrities at the recent Disney-sponsored "Celebrity Carnival and Picnic Fundraiser" held on Veterans sacred land. The same VA police that denied me access to take photos of this event inside were within 50 feet of the paparazzi who are on the outside and they didn’t stop them. The $1,000 per person admission fee to enter the carnival went to an AIDS fundraiser and not to Veterans. This photo was taken just a short distance from where Veterans were ordered to remove the "We Support Our Troops" banner and to remove the American Flags flying upside down as a "Distress Call."
Iranian protesters gather outside the Los Angeles Federal Building. This is more commonly known as the FBI building because it’s where the FBI is headquartered. This protest site is a half-mile east of where Veterans protest and there’s a massive freeway and boulevard that separates the FBI building from the VA. More importantly, the big question is why would the FBI have a surveillance van monitoring the Iranian protesters who are in front of their building and park it a half-mile away and within 100 feet of where Veterans protest?
A Ferris wheel at the "Celebrity Carnival and Picnic Fundraiser." Consider this, the surveillance van on June 28th was situated in the same vicinity as this carnival, yet the VA sees nothing wrong with this taking place on Veterans’ hallowed ground, but instead spies on Veterans on the outside who are trying to protect their property from this kind of abuse and misuse. It’s important to note that at the Monday follow-up meeting with the VA bureaucrats, Ralph Tillman, who authorized this event said that it "is not a carnival." We’re not sure if he was lying or he’s just plain stupid.
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.
ATTENTION READERS
We See The World From All Sides and Want YOU To Be Fully InformedIn fact, intentional disinformation is a disgraceful scourge in media today. So to assuage any possible errant incorrect information posted herein, we strongly encourage you to seek corroboration from other non-VT sources before forming an educated opinion.
About VT - Policies & Disclosures - Comment Policy
