WOW: “The True Cost of the War”

The above, without the 'wow', was the title of a Congressional Hearing in the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs: 30 September 2010.

In this hearing, opening statements to the give and take talk back and forth from the Representatives to the Participants, it lays out Very Clearly how this Country has Failed it's Veterans not only as to these two present occupations but the long term as we older vets already know, from Korea and Vietnam forward. There was a Support the Veterans since after WWII and all the positives that brought us, even then they got caught up in the lack of funding and obstruction to veterans issues as to care and much more.

There were a number of memorable statements made, with facts, but one struck me like a slap in the face, though I had already heard similar. The Chairman of the Committee Representative Bob Filner made that one. It had something to do with what the Veterans Administration did back in 2005. They came to Congress and these Veterans Committee's and stated they were going to be some two billion dollars short in needed funding, Filner then says they were asked why, and he said they pretty much responded that they had forgotten all about both theaters of operations. Paul Sullivan, of Veterans for Common Sense touched on this much later in his opening statement as well as Walter Reed. There was a statement out of Congress by the ruling party at the time the Reed Debacle was breaking, something to the effect that Reed was closing soon so they needn't fund with more monies, this while they knew the wounded were being sent to Reed for Care in droves, Seriously War Wounded, from both theaters!

What is stated in this hearing and the numbers given will astound but once again this was pretty much known and said, especially by us older veterans not walking in lockstep with the already seen failed policy, even as the soldiers were being pulled out of Afghanistan and the drums beat louder for invading Iraq. We were called everything from 'focus groups' to 'non patriots', to enemy sympathizers and much more, by those in the majority in Congress, from the White House and especially All Their Supporters who now fly under the umbrella of the so called TEA party speaking the total opposite of what they readily supported not long ago!

September 30, 2010 10:00AM Full Committee
The True Cost of the War

Archived Webcast September 30 at 10 a.m. Full Committee Hearing “The True Cost of the War” {If you listen or watch No Other Congressional Hearing, This One You Should, read the opening statements and watch the back and forth talk not in the opening statements but in the Congressional Records.}

Opening Statements

* Hon. Bob Filner, Chairman, Full Committee on Veterans' Affairs

Witness Testimonies

*
Panel 1
* Linda J. Bilmes, Professor, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
* Joseph E. Stiglitz, Ph.D., University Professor, Columbia University, New York, NY, (Nobel Laureate)
* Joseph A. Violante, National Legislative Director, Disabled American Veterans

*
Panel 2
* Major General John Batiste, USA (Ret.), Rochester, NY
* Major General William L. Nash, USA (Ret.), Washington, DC, (Independent Consultant)
* Colonel James D. McDonough, Jr., USA (Ret.), President and Chief Executive Officer, Veterans' Outreach Center of Rochester, NY

*
Panel 3
* Paul Sullivan, Executive Director, Veterans for Common Sense
* Lorrie Knight-Major, Silver Spring, MD, (Mother of Veteran)
* Corey Gibson, Terre Haute, IN, (Veteran)
* Lieutenant Colonel Donna R. Van Derveer, USA (Ret.), Ashville, AL, (Veteran) Visit Site Page for Backlinks to Participants Opening Statements

This is a Hearing you should take the time to watch or listen to, they only went for a couple of hours.

It isn't the Veterans Administration that fails the Veterans, though it can be under whoever is running it and in power in Congress and or the White House, It's The Country that sends them into harms way while hiding behind the flag and the other symbols they use and call that 'patriotism' and there are even Veterans among them {they seem to quickly find fault with the VA and never seem to look at those next to them}!!

Anyone who votes for what they still call themselves, the Republican Party, in this upcoming election, that's what you want back, the no leadership and lack of concern for especially those military and veterans you 'say' you support, those words have always been hollow! Once Republicans are long gone!

Anyone hear a 'teabagger' Demand Sacrifice for the Veterans of the Wars they supported, me neither!!