Does anyone REALLY CARE about vets?? I say no!?

Question

According to the news today, widows of those killed in Iraq recieve a whopping $25,000 a year from the government, with $12,000 of that coming from the VA!

They are currently going to reduce the military widows benefits by the amout the VA pays, or $12,000! That leaves Iraq military widows with $11,000 dollars a year to live on! Then the Government only has to give $1,000 a year!

You really think the government gives a S__T about vets, especially those who gave their lives???

Do you think a Iraq military widow should have to live, or do you think, like many Republicans, that she should shut up and go get a job?

Can you live on $11,000 a year?

What are you going to do about it? Your usual NOTHING?

I'm sorry, that is $13,000 a year!!! Not that it makes any difference!

Oh Cassie, what war did you fight in???

I asked what were you going to do about it, and I guess you aren't willing to do anything! And if I didn't care, why would I even bring it up?

You are the ingrate! You won't do a damn thing will you?

I am a Vietnam Vet oh smart one! Pleas look at my profile before making idiotic accusations! It is currently in the news today on Yahoo!

go here and click on widows!

http://news.search.yahoo.com/search/news?p=Cut+in+Iraqi+widow%27s+benefits&sp=1&ei=UTF-8&SpellState=n-3259343014_q-bLcVxG9eY1mrgMiyzpYY9AABAA%40%40&c=av

Oh they shouldn't get anything but for a few months, and theey should raise their kids on $13,000 a year! They aren't getting $50,000!!

My supposition is in a large part proved! You don't care at all about Vets! It is all lip service!! Not one of you is even willing to call your Senator!! Pull your yellow ribbons off your car's! You don't deserve anyone giving their life for you!

I am not talking about life insurance and I do know what I am talking about. Just go see the story!

Go watch the story!

http://news.yahoo.com/video/2771

Look for War Widows face slash!

I really got no answer except from a few! I don't see many person's out there! You want to do bring dishonor to the widows of the dead!

Now I am totally convinced that most of you don't care at all! I will be calling my senators tomorrow as the widows of those who died demand more than $13,000 a year from this sick government.

And I can't get over the fact that I an a Vietnam veteram with 8 years active trying to get some support for widows of Iraq Vets and you attack me!

What a sick bunch! I am ashamed of most of you.

Please go join, and I hope you come back packed in ice!

Answer 1

Im a combat vet too. I see your more of an Oliver Stone type vet... Were you crying when Clinton was in office slicing the military apart? Quit your crying, you knew the risks when you joined, I knew the risks and so did every other soldier. Youre an embarrasment to all of us who served, sacrificed and still love our country. Thanks for you service, its the least you could have done for this country. I served and want nothing back, it was an honor to serve.

Answer 2

There are soccer ball stichers in Pakistan that make $1,000 a year that is twice the national average for them and they support their familys off that. So yes, that money plus a job a spouse could easily survive, not to American middle class standards but she'd be able to live.

I'm no where near being a Republican but I do have a heart for those who don't marry military and instead end up with their bread winner of the family getting shot on the street or killed in a car accident and having no government money coming to aide them. It's the way of the government unfortently.

Answer 3

These people don't get it. I'm the widow of a vietnam vet. I'm 49 and disabled. I get a widows pension of a whopping 597.00 a month. I can apply for disability benefits which is 600 a month. but hey either way I do it one or the other will take their benefits away from me. Yes folks. dollar for dollar they take that 11000 a year away from you. So I have a choice of living on 597 widows pention or 600 ssd. and yes my husband was 100% disabled from nam and died in a v.a. hospital. No there was no insurance either.

Answer 4

My Dad was a Vietnam Vet...yes, it's true my mother doesn't get the same pay as when he was alive. But you know, she knew that she wouldn't receive much compensation once he was gone; therefore, she planned that out beforehand. She has a professional career and the government is providing her with the same medical benefits that my father received. That in itself, will save her thousands on medical expenses.

What am I going to do about it? Plan ahead like she did, so that I won't be stuck holding the bag and depending on some poor old man or our federal government to support my @ss.

Answer 5

Don't confuse concern for veterans with our ability to fund them.

I think all intelligent people think that vets should get support, but most people don't realize that you don't have to be a veteran of the front lines to be a veteran. The vast majority of veterans are peacetime or rear echelon vets. Two years in Georgia doesn't entitle you to much!

Vets of the ww2 era were able to command a lot from the US government. Veterans hospitals were built all over the country to keep vets from having to travel too far. And they cost hundreds of millions a year, some of it for a ridiculous small number of vets.

War widows shouldn't get a lifetime of free living if they can work. They're entitled to a certain degree of support but most of us would disagree with 50K a year for life.

Vets get all kinds of great support, and the vast majority aren't combat vets. Combat vets, esp. those injured, deserve the support. Giving all vets that kind of support is plain stupid.

Answer 6

When I was in, you got a one time payment like a life insurance policy. So anything other than that to me is gravy for the spouse. It's not like the vet died like on 9/11 and the survivors became millionaires or something. I felt a very unhealthy precedence was set.

Answer 7

Canctu.. First, thank you for your service to our country.

This is a hard one. No matter what I try to say it isn't going to come across well. You are mad and anyone that isn't as mad as you are or never served in the military isn't worth your time it seems.

I don't pretend to know all the facts but after reading your initial post I decided to do a bit of research. I have been pouring over the different websites for the past several hours trying to educate myself on this topic.

You aren't telling the whole story. Benefits for veterans and survivors of veterans has increased substantially over the past couple of years. True or false? Isn't it true that veteran benefits across the board were slashed tremendously under the Clinton Administration? You know, never mind.. it does no good to point fingers. Lets just look at what is available to the survivor(s) of a deceased serviceman who perished in action.

First, isn't it true that they receive a one time DEATH GRATUITY payment of $100,000 within 72 hours of the death of the serviceman?

Isn't it true that the serviceman has available to him/her a life insurance policy of up to $400,000? The serviceman decides the amount of coverage.

As far as I can see the surviving spouse also has a monthly pension available to them. The amount depends on the years served. I think. Am I correct? It would also seem that a large portion of the survivors pension is tax exempt. Always.

As far as I can tell each child of the serviceman is entitled to a death benefit on a monthly basis similar to what they would get from social security until the age of 18 or 23 if they are in college.

If they live in government housing at the time of death of the serviceman they receive free government housing for up to 365 days. If they move out prior to that 365 days they are reimbursed the remainder. If they don't live in government housing they are given the same amount of money as if they were living in government housing.

Free medical and dental for 3 years. After three years they can sign up for the coverage available to retired vets.

There are many other services and priviledges awarded to the surviving spouse and children. There are scholarship funds for educating, funeral expenses, job services, commissary priviledges and so on and so forth.

It seems to me that the government cares. Quite abit.

As for doing nothing... Nobody.. and that includes you canctu, can ever do enough for veterans.

How often do you go to a veterans home and visit an old vet?

When is the last time you visited one in your local nursing home?

When is the last time you took the time to drive a Vet to a Dr appointment?

When is the last time you went to the cemetery to pay respect to a veteran that wasn't a relative or someone you personally knew?

Don't just harp about what the Republicans or the Democrats have not done. Do something yourself. There are organizations all over the internet that accepts donations that go toward military families.

Have any of you adopted a soldier on active duty right now? I have two. Your commitment to them can be as little as just writing them letters or emailing them _or_ it can include sending them care packages. Do you do this canctu?

Plus we do websites for three different units serving in Iraq so that they can stay in touch and share information with their families.

I try to do what I can when I can.

Cantcu...

I returned to this thread to see what other kind of responses you had received since I had posted here. I had not read your responses to the other posters and I wish I had.

Cantcu, you are a grown man who must realize that the majority of responses you received were from children. I would say young adults but it is obvious that there is nothing remotely adult about them. They troll around these message boards just looking for threads that they can invade and say absolutely ridiculous remarks to make themselves seem bigger and more mature than they are. You should have realized that.

You also should have been more tolerant. *As* a grown man the remarks you made, wishing death upon them is inexcusable.

You may be a Vietnam Vet... That does NOT give you the right to talk to people the way you do. Do not ridicule people for the treatment of Vets when you as a Veteran have no idea how to treat people.

Answer 8

please email me, interested in what you have to say about Phan Rang, my dad did three tours there. And yes some people do care about Vets and what happens. I myself am a member of the AVVA and a history teacher. I try to help keep the memories of the greatness that they have done alive for the school children of today. Unfortunately not enough people care about others...Welcome home.

real truth.....shell shock is a term for WWII, not vietnam

Answer 9

Hey cantcu ,you talk vets ,you talk war, you talk hero`s and warriors .You talk money and their widows . You talk about the Honor to fight and die for what is right and true .Please let us not disgrace "The honourable soldier " with the weak lies of a cheap and corrupt heads of state and government they will all meet their own WAR called Hell .God Willing.

Answer 10

If that's a yearly pension it would equal over 1 million dollars in 80 years..