VETERANS CORNER: Getting close to the finish line; hoping for others to fill shoes

by Gary Kennedy

It seems to this writer that the sharing of veteran information is a never ending circle. I have always loved being part of the Veteran Community. However, there are those who don’t see me as an asset to the hundreds, if not more veterans I have helped here and abroad. I have had a great success in over 40-plus years without being on anyone’s payroll. Because of that I have been able to give more than 15 minutes to those brave men and women who served their country with love and dignity. You can always see the pride and respect they wear on their sleeves. Although I don’t receive Christmas cards from most of them, I am proud of my input in their lives and the happiness the positive results is given to them and their families. I have gone all over this country in aiding some veterans as well as aiding other vets living in the islands of the South Pacific.

I am getting close to the finish line myself and am tired of debating my role in my brother and sister vets lives. It is what was created and in my opinion has serviced many with great success. I have been blessed with many friendships of happy families. I hope others will come along with enough knowledge and grit to be part of a life line to veterans who don’t know or have lost their way. When a soldier/sailor is released on other than a dishonorable discharge he or she should be mandated to carry their medical records along with DD214 to the nearest V.A. facility and should be signed into that facility and given an I.D. Card. It shouldn’t matter the condition and their health at that time. The time will most likely come when they will call on their country to serve them as they did for their country. Our armed forces live and die for us. Our precious resources should never be compromised at our borders while our most cherished succumb to their last days on street corners or under the bridge. The dark places in our cities should not be where they call home. Some have tried V.A. and failed and some don’t even realize what V.A. is all about.

So, you end up with a few veterans like me; not to many, but some. Did you know there are veteran advocates who have even slept under the bridge with veterans who have seemed to be on the edge of using the top of the bridge? Yet there are those who choose to play mind games and turn their heads to truth and reality. Forty plus years has shown me a lot. I’ve seen it all and have never accepted money for what I do. The others like me feel the same way. Once material things get in the picture what you do or want to do become compromised. I have never seen or known an advocate who had lots of material things but they have some wonderful stories, sad and happy.

As I stated earlier, much of this could be eliminated if the military would place in their discharge rule book a mandatory visit to their home state Veterans Administration to have their medical records scanned into the system for a current or future need. It should be mandatory discharge procedure. By the time Veterans are seen at the Bureau of Veterans Affairs (B.V.A.) they are for the most part appearing worn and haggard. Even so, the picture was a lot different prior to service. That is the person we should be seeing. Life caused the result and should be respected as such. Judging a veteran is wrong. Know the story, the truth lies in there somewhere. More hurt is shameful and should not be tolerated. Keep the U.S.A. the way the founders intended; the Constitution can explain it all. There are those in this country that want to do away with law and order; no need for our police and military. We can’t allow what our fore fathers built to be destroyed by outside entities. Be fair but be correct. Let’s fix all that has been broken; that begins with U.S.A. Veterans. Send the radicals back where they come from. At the same time let’s keep all that is good for our country.

I have been asked questions that I have addressed before but I tend to be led by my pen. I promise next time I will address the basics again. Many of you have stopped me and asked where my articles were. I promise I will be more faithful. We have had several successful cases as of late and I am very happy about them.

Help every veteran that you find in need. There is always an answer to their problems and places they can go such as V.B.A. at Togus. There are many good team members at Bldg. 248, second floor. There is new management and several new crewmen and women with lots of knowledge. Until next Thursday, God bless and keep you and yours safe from all harm, both foreign and domestic.