Care of veterans should be top priority

Care of veterans should be top priority

LAUREL — To the editor:

Our thanks to Mr. Jerry Orman for his write-up in the paper. More veterans need to stand up and be heard.

Naturally Mario Rosilli will take up for the V.A. They are not the veteran who is suffering being treated this way.

My husband is a Vietnam veteran like Mr. Orman. He has several health problems I am told is caused from agent orange. He is on oxygen all the time and can hardly get around. He gets out to go to the doctor and about once every two to three months the kids get him out to eat. Other than that he is home bound with poor quality of life. He is totally dependent on me for everything. I have asked the V.A. and wrote several Congressmen to come by anytime unannounced and see what I see 24-7.

I have worked since 2001 trying to get the benefits he deserves. I finally got an attorney who is working very hard on his case and got him to 40% so far. I have sent in a ton of medical reports from his doctors. Our V.A. personnel in Jackson probably never reads them. He is on so many medicines until I have to choose the most important ones to get because I can’t afford them all. Like Mr. Orman said, they can give millions away to countries who hate us, but not the ones who were willing to die for our country.

They can also pass out checks – I call crazy checks – for kids who won’t apply themselves, disability to people too lazy to work but can’t help our veterans.

I wonder how many personnel at the V.A. served in the Military, went to war or has a loved one who did that suffers like my husband and other veterans. Our family suffers alone with him and its very painful.

I am all for anyone – through no fault of their own – getting help. Too many does that shouldn’t – too many don’t that should.