On April 4, I attended the renaming of the West Palm Beach VA Medical Center in honor of Thomas H. Corey. I have been around since the beginning of VVA and have always been amazed about what Tom was accomplishing over the decades with the full-time help of his caretaker, Janet Alheit, an angel who traveled with him everywhere.

Tom made 16 trips to Vietnam working on MIA and other issues. Tom rolled through the halls of Congress advocating for all veterans.

I want to thank our President Jack McManus for putting together a team that worked together for several years to get the legislation passed and signed into law.

I also want to thank Jerry Klein of Chapter 25, started by Tom in 1981 and renamed in 1991 as the Thomas H. Corey Chapter, and all his chapter members for going all out over the last several years to get this accomplished.

Tom was an inspiration for many with disabilities, especially veterans, for what one can still do with a purpose to help others.

Bob Mulholland
via email

Regarding the VVA survey on Universal National Service, I agree with Jack McManus. I thought the survey would have shown the veteran community more interested in what more we can do for the nation than in what more the nation can do for us.

Larry S. Levy
via email

In reference to the VA’s Travel Reimbursement situation, I don’t know how the process is conducted elsewhere, but in Southeast Ohio much of the VA’s medical treatment is done outside the VA facility in Chillicothe, which is a 90-minute drive from my house. I am normally sent to Adena Health Care, which is across the river from the VA in Chillicothe, and is not that much closer.

The VA in Chillicothe used to have an office that issued Travel Reimbursements the day you traveled there, but that office closed down maybe three years ago. I have chronic kidney disease and all the care I now receive comes from non-VA facilities via VA referrals.

In order to get Travel Reimbursement, I had to go online and complete VA form 10-3542, print it out, sign it, and mail it to the Chillicothe VA. That worked for a while, but last year, after sending in the form, I received a letter from the VA stating that I must also complete a different one, a Vender File Request, online, print it out, sign it, and mail it in.

I think it would be wise for Service Officers to make this form duplication information available to veterans.

Ray Strischek
via email

Just read the article on Wayne Miller, former chair of the Veterans Incarcerated Committee, and I remember when Terry Hubert and I met with him a dog’s age ago. Terry was involved with helping vets in a notorious Louisiana prison. I was coordinator of the IVTP organization serving federal institutions in California and later in prisons nationwide.

I remember a dear friend who was one of the USMC warriors who invaded Iwo Jima. And I remember bringing a POW of the Hanoi Hilton into a prison where he spoke of how faith got him through, and every seat was filled. Behind our experiences stood Wayne Miller, leading the charge.

Matt Davison
via email

I read the Vice President’s report about new legislation on veteran access to health care outside of the VA, in the March/April issue. The VP seems to think this is a good piece of legislation, when, in fact, it is a backdoor attempt to privatize the VA Health Care System.

The Veterans Health Care Freedom Act and the Veterans Access Act of 2025 would both allow veterans to receive treatment outside the VA Health Care System without authorization from the VA and the VA would be obligated to pay the bill.

These two pieces of legislation would drain money out of the VA Health Care budget, and eventually the VA Health Care System would cease to exist as we know it. The VA would then be turned into an insurance provider paying out claims to the private health care system.

If you value and depend on the care you receive from the VA, I urge you to contact your members of Congress and tell them not to support this legislation.

Bob Myers
Dover, Pa.

Editor's Note: Tom Burke revisits this topic in his Vice President’s column in this issue.

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