Letters

TEARS AND CHEERS

Thank you for the wonderful article on Bruce Springsteen. My husband and I attended that 1981 concert in Los Angeles, and it was a beautiful tribute to Vietnam veterans. My husband served in Vietnam in 1966-67 and returned home, as we all know, to no recognition and no respect. We sat right behind the platform where the disabled veterans were. To see and feel the love and joy that all the Vietnam veterans were feeling that night was quite stirring and emotional. There were a lot of tears as well as cheers. It was the first time for many to experience the respect, love, and honor that they so deserved for having served their country during a dark time that divided our nation.

We are grateful to Bruce Springsteen for his amazing insight to bring together so many and for his continued support of our Vietnam veterans and VVA. We have continued to follow The Boss and still have the poster from that concert. We would also like to thank VVA for honoring him in this way, as very few people would likely ever have known this story about his generous and kind heart.

Rick and Sherry Terfansky
West Jordan, Utah

SHORE NEIGHBORS

I was stationed at Fort Monmouth, N.J., from January 1972 to July 1973, after serving in Vietnam during 1971. I lived off-base in Long Branch in a summer bungalow, a triplex ranch near the shore. Bruce Springsteen was my neighbor. He lived with another band member. I went to a few parties with him. Once he came to my place for dinner.

He asked me to sing an Army song, so I gave a poor rendition of a marching song. It was a true embarrassment. We also talked about Vietnam. I remember him asking questions about my war experiences. I could feel his sincere interest in my experiences as well as those of my roommates.

Lance Rommerdahl
By Email

CHARTERED TERRITORY

In Marc Leepson’s article, “Saved by the Boss,” he claims that VVA became the only national group with a congressional charter. VVA is the second national organization to get a congressional charter. The first is the Marine Corps League, which was charted by the 75^th Congress and signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on August 4, 1937. Otherwise it was a pretty good article. 

John T. McAniff III
Winchester, Virginia

VVA is the only national group with a congressional charter to serve veterans of the Vietnam War. In addition to the Marine Corps League, most veterans service organizations have congressional charters. That’s what authorizes them to represent veterans filing claims. My apologies if the article—which quoted VVA founder Bobby Muller—was not sufficiently clear. —Editor

THE FUTURE IS US

When I received the January/February issue of The VVA Veteran and I saw the cover photo of a young man doing rehab with a prosthetic leg, my first thought was: “What the heck is this kid doing on the cover of my magazine?”

Then after a little thought and consideration I came to the realization that this man should be on our cover: He is the future. We, after what we have been through, are now the vanguard for these young men and women. We have to help them battle the VA and the rest of the government to make sure these veterans get what is theirs.

We cannot allow the VA to ignore the needs of these heroes as they have tried to do with us and other veterans who came before us.

We need to take these fine young men and women under our wing and assist them in organizing a publication like ours or even bring them into the fold and incorporate them into our organization. I suggest changing our name to Veterans of America.

George H. Wright
San Diego, California

OUR PLEASURE

I truly appreciate and enjoy the membership and the VVA magazine. It is an awesome pleasure to read about all the fantastic changes taking place and the ongoing fight and challenges for service members’ rights and benefits that this veterans service organization takes on. I want to thank each and every one of you.

I wish to let you know of the privilege I feel being part of this great organization. Thank you and God bless you all.

Michael Pinedo
Huntsville, Texas

NO MILITARY SON

While reading Marc Leepson’s review of John Fogerty’s Fortunate Son (March/April 2016), I couldn’t help but wonder if Fogerty really comprehends the consequences of his actions.

As with most wars, a primary concern for the military is a sufficient number of boots on the ground. During Vietnam, that objective was met through two methods: enlistments and the draft. Regardless of how the boots were filled, it all equated to numbers filling a quota.

When Fogerty enlisted, he filled one of those numbers. When he weaseled out of his obligation, someone else had to enlist or be drafted to fill the void.

While Fogerty regales us with the exploits, excesses, and successes of his life, we will probably never know the outcome of the individual forced to fill his abandoned position. Did he return complete? Did he loose limbs, sight, or hearing? Is he suffering from PTSD? Did he succumb to Agent Orange, or did he even come back at all? 

John Fogerty is an outstanding musician and songwriter. I will give him that. But I have to wonder, has he ever—even once—thought about the body and soul forced to fill his position?

Personally, I doubt it. I can’t help but see the subliminal truth in the line, “It ain’t me, it ain’t me, I ain’t no military son.”

Gary Stone
Chatham, Illinois

THANKS TO LOCATOR

Thank you for Locator. For more than forty years, I’ve been looking for a man I was in Basic Training with in 1967. Then, 2-1/2 years later and some 12,000 miles away, our paths crossed in Vietnam. And now with your help, we’ve found one another again. We both had been looking for each other, with no success. Thank you for your much-needed help. It’s the best thing that’s happened to me in a long time. We survived.

Gary F. Mathers
Moundsville, West Virginia

SMALL-SCALE DOUBLE DIPPER

I read with great interest two letters in the January/February issue. One was written by Mark Gooding concerning a high-level appointment. The other was written by Robert Lightningbolt, Sr., concerning the money that should go to veterans, but doesn’t.

Gooding states that Rep. Michaud will collect two six-figure paydays from the taxpayers—one at retirement from the House of Representatives, the other from his new position. All this is legal for those on the inside.

Lightningbolt wonders where all the unpaid money due veterans disappears to and who ends up with our money in their pockets. 

My problem regarding the truths in both letters is this: I was awarded an 80 percent disability pension through the VA hospital in Fresno, Calif., and verified by the Oakland VA Regional Office. I was also awarded my Social Security benefits a couple of years ago. But when the Social Security benefits started, the VA reduced my pension by the exact same amount.

My question is: I have been called a “double dipper” for questioning why I cannot have all that I earned. I gave up a lot in the military, and I earned the Social Security. If I am a double dipper for the tiny amount I get, why is this incompetent drain plug getting 1,500 times more than I get? As it stands, I cannot afford to live in the States—with or without my wife.

Mike Buchan
UFA, Russia

UNFULFILLED CONTRACT

Robert Lightningbolt (“Forgotten Warriors”) shared some problems that incarcerated vets face. We also get VA disability claims taking five years (or more) for processing; being scheduled for medical exam at VAMCs and having our claims denied because we couldn’t leave prison to attend the exam; no online access to eBenefits for faster services; and disrespectful treatment by some VAROs. Those of us with honorable discharges fulfilled our part of the contract. When will the VA do theirs?

James Dunbar
San Quentin, California

UNQUALIFIED TO JUDGE

As a fellow veteran (1979-80) I, too, was the victim of a personality-disorder discharge after reporting that I had been sexually assaulted by a superior. To make a long story short, I discovered from my own investigation, confirmed by the Air Force OSI, that the “clinical psychologist” who conducted a mental health evaluation on me held no professional license. His report slandered me and covered up the sexual assault of a minor—I was seventeen years old at the time. He based his conclusions on a fifteen-minute interview largely focused on sports. This man was not licensed until 1985.

Prior to 1985, military services did not have specific procedures to verify physicians’ qualifications. From 1970-85 physicians, psychologists, and psychiatrists who entered the service before completing postgraduate training were not required to obtain or maintain a state license.

I have applied for a Military Records Correction, and I believe I will get one based on the fact that this man would not meet current standards.

If the Yale Law School is still working on behalf of your members, I suggest refiling and motioning for a court order mandating DoD to identify all such unlicensed physicians and psychologists and argue malpractice and libel. Either that, or motion the court to mandate the review of all personality and adjustment-disorder discharges that were based on the conclusions of unlicensed quacks.

Thomas R. Davis
By Email