Congressman Filner Introduces Bill to Honor Our Fallen Vietnam War Heroes
BILL INCLUDES PRESENTING FAMILIES OF VETERANS ADDED TO THE 'IN MEMORY BOOK' WITH A MEDAL
“My bill adds to this recognition by presenting the families of these veterans with a medal, to be known as the ‘Jesus (Chuchi) Salgado Medal’ to be issued by the Secretary of Defense,” said Congressman Filner. “Chuchi Salgado was an outstanding individual who lived in my Congressional district, whose exposure to Agent Orange ultimately led to his death. His relatives continue to live in my district.”
2 comments:
I hope this happens! it's too bad that the guys had to die to get this award. I think ALL Vietnam Veterans should receive this award b/c they are dying every day! And AO is responsible for their illnesses and deaths!
While I appreciate the sentiment behind this measure, I can't say that I like it.
First, as an AO-disabled veteran, I find the idea of a posthumous medal useless. We don't care about the freaking medals. What I want is good medical treatment and timely payment of benefits - to me and to my survivors. At present, I am receiving those, but veterans have always had to fight to receive and to retain their benefits. Second, I object to the characterization of all veterans - past and present - as heroes. It merely lends legitimacy to the wars in which we were used. It keeps family members from having to examine the reasons why their loved one died in the first place. Finally, I feel that the energy and resources expended on "fallen heroes" bills like this would be better directed toward doing something for those who have been grossly underserved in the struggle to recognize the damage done by AO: the Vietnamese people, veterans of Operation Desert Storm, and the people of Iraq. Why waste time on feelgood awards to survivors of the deceased when there are so many living victims who have received no justice?
Sincerely,
Frank Bessinger
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