The Cumming Chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America is a small group of guys who meet formally once a month to conduct the business of the chapter, and also gather for a fellowship breakfast every Friday at an historic downtown Cumming home-turned-restaurant.
Of course there are the requisite “war” stories about combat and tours in the U.S. and abroad. But for the last decade those are being overshadowed by the problem of getting basic health care. As a VVA member, I can assure you no meeting goes by without someone verbalizing a recent example of problems including lost records, inability to get timely appointments, denial of care for combat wounds or making a vet prove a health issue, even though the VA already has those records in its files.
Even discounting the scandal at the VA Medical Center in Arizona and the recent troubles at Atlanta’s VAMC, veterans say it’s the day-to-day indifference or bureaucratic fumbling that those needing care today find frustrating. I talked to more than a dozen VVA members in Cumming for this column and only one has received help without a hassle or delay.
I can’t help but reflect on a promise made by President Abraham Lincoln in his second inaugural address with the end of the Civil War in sight. He committed America and the federal government “to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and orphan …”
Today, you can find those words pledging the nation to care for our veterans and assist families of soldiers killed in action cast in bronze at the entrance to the Department of Veterans Affairs in Washington, D.C. Yet for many veterans here in Georgia and elsewhere Lincoln’s words ring hollow.
I asked the Department of Veterans Affairs to explain the apparent failure to live up to Lincoln’s pledge.
“Providing Veterans with the quality care that they have earned through their service to our nation is the top priority at the Atlanta VA Medical Center,” said Greg Kendall, spokesman for Atlanta VA Medical Center. He said they monitor access to care and intervene when problems arise. He added that any individuals with problems should call the patient Advocacy Program at 404-321-6111, extension 3051 or 2264.
This sounds good on paper, but to the guys that I see every week, more must be done. They say it’s time for this country to make veterans a priority and fix the system for good or, as some suggest, just let vets visit a private doctor and send the bill to the VA. Let’s live up to Lincoln’s promise by taking care of those who took care of us.
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