As Veterans, We Deserve Better!

“To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan.” Those words spoken by President Abraham Lincoln at his second inaugural address in 1865 and later adopted by the then-Veterans Administration as their motto were a lofty goal when faced with the return of millions of veterans. But as with most government-run programs, the reality over the years has failed to live up to expectations.

I recently spent several hours in Mooresville with veterans from World War II, Korea, Vietnam and the current conflicts in the Middle East. During that time, I asked these heroes whether our country was living up to the promise that was adopted by the VA so many years ago. The verdict . . . absolutely not! As a veteran myself, I was not surprised by their candor and disappointment. What I am concerned about, however, is the lack of public outcry about the way our veterans are treated.

There have been many books written about “Our Greatest Generation” and their contributions to our country. These brave men and women who saved not only the United States, but the world, from totalitarian governments set the stage for this country’s standing as the guardian of freedom. That generation, which is rapidly declining, and the millions that have served our country since, have been deserted by the very government they so faithfully served. The way that our veterans have been shortchanged by our government is an injustice and an outrage.

Having to wait months - or sometimes years - to receive a hearing aid, a knee replacement operation or even simple health care services is unacceptable. Having to wait weeks for appointments that fail to consider your availability, having to drive for hours to get to a clinic, or having to wait in line for hours to receive basic services speaks volumes about the lack of respect these heroes receive from our nation. Unfortunately, when health care is delayed due to these factors, the result is never good. Without preventative care, serious medical conditions can worsen quickly, and require more extensive and expensive care in the future. Veterans on fixed incomes depend on the medical care provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Unfortunately, the VA is under funded, under staffed, and in some cases lacks the compassion needed to care for the millions of veteran who had the guts and compassion to “lay it all on the line” for our country.

A solution must be found and found quickly to these problems, both the lack of adequate facilities as well as the lack of reasonable alternatives for veteran’s health care.

As your Congressman I will pledge to you to make it my mission to bring attention to this offense and place meaning to those words: “To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan.” While you may think that one man cannot make a difference, I want to remind you of those thousands of individual veterans who through their extraordinary deeds saved the lives of their fellow comrades-in-arms. While I would never compare my pledge to their sacrifices, I believe that only a veteran truly understands the sacrifices endured and the disappointments faced by these broken promises.

Put me in Congress and I will make a difference!