Vietnam vets betrayed again

First Vietnam vets were told they just were not good enough to hang out with "real" veterans of WWI WWII and Korea. They were told they were not good enough to hire them when they went looking for jobs. All these years later, all their history leading up to the Vietnam Wall itself showing cracks seems to offer a reflection of the lack of support these men and women really get from this country. Now one more betrayal heading their way just when they thought it was safe to trust again after all that has happened for them over the last couple of years. PTSD claims easier to have approved, Agent Orange linked to more illnesses, Veterans Courts, more PTSD research than ever before, homeless veterans programs, substance abuse programs, you name it but when we let something like this happen, it sets them back years in healing and forgiving the rest of us for how we treated them.

ROBBINS: Vietnam vets betrayed again
Pentagon bureaucrat wants to abridge 50th-anniversary ceremonies
By Jim Robbins-The Washington Times
5:28 p.m., Wednesday, November 10, 2010
he 50th-anniversary commemoration of the Vietnam War should be a time of reflection and redemption, when a grateful country pays a long-standing debt to veterans who nobly fought in the conflict but came home to scorn and spit. But if a Pentagon bureaucrat has his way, the Viet vets will be denied their rightful honors once again.

In 2008, Congress authorized the secretary of defense to "conduct a program to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War" to "thank and honor veterans of the Vietnam War," "pay tribute to the contributions made on the home front," highlight technological advances during the war and "recognize the contributions and sacrifices" of U.S. allies. The Defense Department also was charged with coordinating, supporting and facilitating "other programs and activities of the Federal Government, State and local governments, and other persons and organizations in commemoration of the Vietnam War." The proposed budget for the commemorations was $100 million, which was less than the amount spent on the World War II and Korean War commemoration efforts. For example, the 1984 commemoration of the Normandy landings alone cost $38 million.

The commission charged with executing this mission sought a commemoration that would be in keeping with the spirit of the intent of Congress. The idea was to have a series of commemorations that would begin in 2009, 50 years after the July 8, 1959, Viet Cong attack at Bien Hoa killed Army Maj. Dale R. Buis and Master Sgt. Chester M. Ovnand, the first two names on the wall of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The commemorations were slated to continue until 2025 and the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon.

According to a source familiar with the workings of the commission, it proposed a series of events to take place at various locations around the country to maximize opportunities for aging Vietnam vets to attend them. The events were designed to combine symbolism with substance and were chosen carefully, with input from an interagency group of historians. One planned event was to take place in the fall of 2011 to commemorate the 1965 battle in the la Drang Valley, dramatized in the film "We Were Soldiers." The event was to be held in Auburn, Ala., home of retired Army Lt. Gen. Harold G. "Hal" Moore, who commanded the troops in the fight. Gen. Moore is emblematic of the veteran population in more ways than one; he is in poor health, and members of the commission fear he may not be available to attend the event. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, 300 Vietnam vets are dying every day, and as our source asked, "Why are we waiting to get this started?"
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Vietnam vets betrayed again