Support Our Troops

A letter from Gerson J. Subotky, U.S. Army (Ret.) of Vine Grove, KY, in Stars and Stripes yesterday:

George Washington once warned Congress, "The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive the veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation."
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A law dating back to the post Civil War era, promulgated by a Confederate veteran who wanted to get back at Union veterans, requires that military retirees who are disabled must give up from their earned retirement pay an amount equal to that of their disability compensation. In short, we are required to subsidize our own disability on a dollar for dollar basis. No other federal retirees, civil service or congressional, are subject to this unjust law.
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For the past two years, relief from this onerous law has been blocked by the Bush administration.
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This year, the Bush administration offered restoration only if older veterans were willing to see disability benefits drastically cut for future disabled veterans. The older veterans, mindful of George Washington's charge, refused such shameful action.

George Washington foresaw a nation which might forget its older veterans of past wars. But I don't think he expected the nation to so quickly forget current veterans of current wars.

How dare anybody question whether Bush's opponents support our troops. We do. He doesn't. End of story.

ntodd  ¶ 9:33 AM