Veteran benefits and perks have been on
my mind recently prompted by a letter from my ex wife. We parted ways in 1993
with her leaving me the two youngest to raise. I never cut off contact but
rarely initiated contact.
Recently I received a letter from her
saying since I’m eligible to be buried in a national cemetery, could she be
buried beside me? She is feeling her mortality and her spendthrift ways have
left her broke, alone, and with few prospects. Well, the answer is, NO, as I
have made other arrangements.
She brought up the extent of veteran
benefits I’m entitled to. “Free Money”. Fuck that!
I’ve financed two homes with VA
guaranteed loans. I’ve attended college on the GI Bill. I’ve instructed my kids
that, when the day comes, to drop me on the steps of a VA Hospital with my DD
214 stuffed in my pocket. I’ve assured them I won’t care.
Here is my reasoning. I served three
years in the peacetime army. Other than a few sporting moments on the East
German border, my biggest danger was racial strife (and there was a ton of it)
on the kaserne and in the barracks. I went in healthy and came out healthy.
Why, 50+ years later, does my country owe me a damn thing?
Others were not as fortunate. My youngest
son is medically retired on a 90% permanent disability. He is one of thousands.
Why should I siphon off funds from those in true need?
OK, I get it. Others may not have the
same opinion. That is fine, and I don’t judge them. I choose to take a
different road.
Maybe I do judge them just a little.
While I pay my American Legion dues every year, I haven’t been inside one in
years because of the entitlement bullshit that goes on.
As always, YMMV.
4 comments:
A well reasoned post, WSF.
My son-in-law was combat wounded (Navy) in Afghanistan and while I feel that the Navy treated him well, I'm far happier to see money going to the wounded and disabled than to welfare queens and ISIS fanatics running a school-shooting compound in the desert. Then again, I'm not progressive.
A cousin's husband did a 60's hitch in the Navy. Never hurt. Now bitches about how the VA isn't treated his old age issues. Pisses me off.
I'd say I'm in the same boat with you on the VA. 6 yr USMC and the only bennie I'm gonna use is the burial one.
If'n your going to use it, it would be wise to get the paperwork printed out and submitted now so you can get a spot at the VA cemetery of your choice. It's online and a pain in the ass but someone, likely your kids, are gonna have to fill it out and they might not know all the answers to the questions.
It is still the VA with military rules and if the paperwork ain't right, you ain't getting buried there. That leaves your crusty ass in a mortuary until your kids can find and pay for a spot somewhere else, racking up a daily rate at the funeral home.
Git er done so someone else doesn't have to do it.
That is all...
On the other hand, gentlemen and ladies who served, you all did serve. I'd rather my tax dollars go to you all than to a flock of dindus and illegals.
Also, there is a little known VA benefit, called the caretaker benefit. If you are a vet, and you are full-time caregiver of a disabled or handicapped individual, you may qualify for up to 1,600 or so monthly. I know it's not much, but it's more than zero and taking full-time care of someone is a better service than most ghetto queens or illegals do.
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