Senator Warner Rejects Military Widows Bid for Justice

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Senator John Warner of Virginia Rejects Military Widows Bid for Justice

According Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) “Sen. John Warner, Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has filed an amendment to the FY2006 Senate Defense Authorization Bill that would negate Sen. Bill Nelson's planned amendment on the SBP-DIC offset and paid-up SBP.”

An amendment, SA1598 would direct the Veterans Disability Commission to “study” (another word for defeat) the SBP-DIC offset issue and include recommendations in their report to the President due next year. Warner's language would effectively kill Nelson's proposal to end the unfair deduction of VA survivor benefits from military SBP annuities when military service causes an active duty or retired member's death. And it would eliminate language that would have moved up the effective date of paid-up SBP to October 1, 2005.

When a politician is pressured to be “politically correct”, one tool is a study… another study is not needed to do what's right! According to MOAA “The government provides two entitlements to military survivors from different agencies - SBP from the Defense Department and DIC from the Veterans Administration, but will not allow these survivors to collect both benefits. DIC offsets the SBP benefit, dollar for dollar, up to $993 a month. But survivors of federal civilian retirees who are also veterans and die from a service connected cause do receive both benefits. This is a clear injustice, which needs to be fixed for 55,000 military survivors.” Senator Warner appears to support this double standard…but what’s new when it comes to honoring warriors and their families.

Senator Warner has been a friend of the military community but this issue places him squarely in the “politically correct” camp…a position that is clearly a disservice and slap in the face of our warrior widows……….

Harry Riley, COL, USA, Ret

Responses To:

Senator John Warner of Virginia Rejects Military Widows Bid for Justice

Harry Riley, COL, USA, Ret

I have been reading all the letters to Warner. I am not going to call him a senator because he sure as hell doesn't act like one. He is in the Senate to protect the Veteran among other things. I wonder what he was offered to submit his amendment to kill Senator Nelsons bill?

I have been giving donations to Pres. Bush on a monthly basis. I just quit. Instead I sent a copy of Warners amendment to study the bill further. They know the old game and in past it worked good. Now it is the computer that will bring them down. They may worry about votes in Florida, but they should worry about all states that hold Veterans. Combined we can do what they do not want done.

I put in about $80.00 a month on my SBP plan. I could use that money now. They take my $80.00 and want me to kick in with a contribution also? I don't think so.

I always heard that the first question God would ask you (if you attain heaven) is "What have you done for mankind". That sorta leaves the senator in a bad light. I have rambled on long enough. If this all sounds like it is off the boards... it is because I am so TICKED OFF.

A.L. CLARKE HMC USN RET

To Senator Warner, What else are you going to take away from our Military. You take our medical benefits down to the bone and don't keep our pay in line with the civilian world and you wonder why you don't get good moral people to work for you. Think about it SENATOR.

Respectfully, Terry F. Zech

(MA1) USN Retired

This is in response to Senator Warner's plan to kill Senator Bill Nelson's plan to assist the families of service members family benefits.

This is a total injustice and surprises me that this is coming from Senator Warner, whom I have respected for decades. He is clearly on the wrong side of the fence this time.

Please support Senator Nelson's plan. It IS the right thing to do.

David Smith, Stuart, FL

I would like to address my comments to both Wes and Col. Riley, with whom I have differed before. This time we are on the same wavelength.

I feel a bit reluctant to enter this fracas because, I never had a chance to complete my 20 years and be Retired Military. I am WW2 DAV member however. I am also the strongest supporter of our military and especially those millions who were and are Citizen Soldiers, be it WW2, Korea or 'Nam. They have all fought " OUR NATION'S WARS " . Even when those wars were wrongly called by the politicians. This here case is what I would equate to "selective prosecution ".

I am especially grateful to Wes for mentioning George Santayana. His quotation is most appropriate today. Focusing on the quote, I would like to bring up a few incidents in our history of betrayal by politicians of our military :

Oldest and possibly most odious is the Veteran's Bonus of the Revolutionary War promised, fought for and voted for by General George Washington for his troops. Guess who stole it from the Vets ? Secretary of Treasury Alexander Hamilton and conniving friends. Look up the odious history of the first US Treasury Bond.

How about the famous or infamous Veteran's Bonus March of WW1 vets ? Who commanded the troops that broke it up ? Gen. MacArthur and his adjutant Major Eisenhower.

The GI Bill of Rights was being pushed through Congress, by ex-Capt. Truman. He had to send out Army Air Force C47s and drag the hiding bastards of Congress to put the vote through against vehement GOP opposition joined by mostly Southern Conservative Democrats. Do you know when the crucial vote was taking place ? Just as our troops were storming Omaha Beach in the Normandy Invasion of 1944 ?

Had enough ? Remember " Ours is not to question why , ours is just to do or
die . " Ours may be the best democracy money can buy , but look to the leadership for real blame.

Remember , Harry Truman and "...the buck stops here. " ? Oh, but if we could only have leaders like old " Give 'em hell" Harry. May God rest his soul !
Anybody interested in details of a real dogfight with the VA over injustice to a small group of Service Connected Disabled Vets over over DIC and FMP benefits denial.....contact me or Lt.Comdr. Gilbert Wells , Adj. American Legion , Portugal.

George Roberts
Warsaw,Poland

When my bride of 35 years becomes 65, she will be turned away from the VA to find medical coverage because she is a wife dependent spouse of a 100% DAV. to add insult to this crime her well earn retainer fee for having taken care of this 100% DAV will be reduced from 55% to 35% because of love and marriage to she has to pay the penalty. Since February 1968 I have set in a wheelchair waiting to pass on, but I am going to collect my Benny's the rest of my life. For me no regrets but do not mess with my bride. The elected Officials have my dandruff up. I ask you other Veterans to Study the swindle the government is doing to me and hundreds of combat Veterans. Don't mess with Texas and me, when I burn revenge will be given to these elected officials. (If only their parents had of been married.)

Please keep your share of BROWN BAG letters coming. I hope you are not to lazy to write and post your Brown Bag letters. They have quit replying, but I know they are being read.

Master Sergeant Lohrke L. Armstrong USMC 4DEC49-1 Apr80

chieko@mesh.net

When they need us they will promise us the moon and when we have been there and done that then they can't remember that such a thing was ever said and they fall or slip back into a former state of thinking. They tell you or I that they will cogitate on that proposed bill for awhile and see what they might be able to do and then a lot of years go by and two thirds of the people have died and they say we are getting close to passing a bill just hold on for a little longer. In 1953 I was a young boy 16 years of age and one morning at formation they said "All the guys under 17, fall out. Would you believe that half of that line fell out? Needless to say I stayed and with a lot of military education I retired as a CWO4 Army Warrant Officer.

Mel, Knoxville, Tennessee.

August 17, 2005

The Honorable John W. Warner United States Senate 225 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510-4601

Dear Senator Warner,

I thought you were a supporter of the military community. I now read that you filed an amendment to the FY2006 Senate Defense Authorization Bill that would negate Senator Bill Nelson’s planned amendment on the SBP-DIC offset and paid-up SBP. Enough already! This SBP has been studied to pieces.

And this is on top of the Republican Senate dragging it’s feet to restore the free medical care I was promised. And it is also on top of the 286 billion dollar comprehensive highway bill that contains 6,371 pork projects that have nothing to do with highways.

The military is currently stretched to the breaking point and one would think the Congress would appreciate their effort. From my vantage point all I see is the military retiree getting shafted. This is especially so compared to the government civilian retiree. Please, Senator, can’t you help us?

Jack T. Pantall, Lt. Col, USAF Retired, 776 Marquis Drive, Mountain Home, AR 72653

To Whom It May Concern,

Here is the latest update on what has been done to counter Senator Warner's Derailment of the SBP-DIC offset issue at our level..

1) Several of us have written a letter to Senator John Warner and his Staff expressing our objections and requesting that he withdraw the amendment.

2) Harry Riley has drafted a News Release that has been provided to MOAA, several columnists, the incoming National DAV Commander, Robert Reynolds (who just happens to be from Virginia this year--although elections are not until tomorrow so it is possible, but not probable, that I am jumping the gun on Rob's new title), a Past National DAV Commander from Texas who is very interested in this issue, the Adjutant of the State of Virginia, Jeffrey B. Martin, the National Legislative Director, Joseph A. Violante, and the Department of Maryland DAV Commander who is also very interested in this issue. (As a member of the DAV, I am a delegate for my home Chapter this year to the National Convention, which is taking place this week in Las Vegas, NV. That is why I had the opportunity to contact so many of these DAV leaders all at the same time.)

3) A copy of the News Release and a sample letter for Senator Warner was provided to the GA Veterans Party of America at their request to help us with this project. They plan to publish the sample letter on their web site so all who wish can sign their name to it and send it to Senator Warner and to his Staff.

That is about all I can do on this issue at this end, but keep your eyes and ears open to see what happens. It would be neat if we "made a difference" this time around. We will be interested in any feedback from MOAA as to the results and distribution of the News Release and any other action taken by MOAA on this issue. Please keep us posted.

If any of you want to review what the GA VP of A put on their web site, you can go to: www.veteransparty.us

If GA VP of A uses the draft letter verbatim, it should put a real "guilt trip" on the Senator.

Sincerely,

Lowell J. Mix ljmix@juno.com

Member, MOAA (San Antonio Chapter)

Senator Warner

Your recent action to defeat measures to fix the SBP offered by Senator Nelson are just basically wrong and you know it, because I know you know the difference between right and wrong. Now you are playing politics with the payments to widows who will not be here for too long. Why are you doing this?

I paid into the program from 1972 until my wife of 51 years passed away on December 21, 2004. All the monies I paid into the program were for naught. When I signed up, I was told that payments would be for 30 years only and no one mentioned that my wife's payments would not be at 55% of my retired pay. In effect I was lied to. If I had died first, Maria's funds would have been meager indeed. Sen. Nelson offered legislation to fix the problem and you killed it. You know you did not do the right thing and you should be ashamed of your action. This should have media attention. Robert J. Bosnak CAPT USCG (Ret)

Theodore Roosevelt said: "If a man is good enough to shed blood for his country, then he is good enough to be given a square deal afterward".

I'm damned if I am and damned if I ain't here lately. I have always considered Senator Warner "Veteran Friendly" but this latest move throws me off.

I am a disabled Vietnam veteran and his office helped me with my battle with the Veterans Administration in the early 1980s. I was finally able to get service-connected compensation for my service in Vietnam.

I moved to West Virginia where I filed two more VA claims. To date: my claims are still being adjudicated by the VA. I filed these two claims in the year 2000 !!! FIVE YEARS LATER and still no decision on my two claims. Nothing. The VA has backlogged thousands of veterans claims and
that doesn't count the New VA claims coming from Iraq and Afghanistan veterans!!

Our government has turned its back on my comrades and me. Look at the body armor situation with our Marines and Army in harm's way over there? Someone should FIRE Donald Rumsfeld's arrogant arse immediately and get someone in there who can do the job NOW!!

I am patriotic as any veteran can be. I have a good family history of service to this Country. However, I feel this whole Iraq situation has gotten way out of hand. I saw it in Vietnam and I'm witnessing it now in 2005. Did we learn anything after we pulled out of Vietnam??? Wasn't it Sanatanya who said "Those who fail to remember history are condemned to repeat it?"

This is my two cents worth. Now it's you turn.

Wes
hawk67@citlink.net

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