Vietnam veterans low priority

The new 113th Congress are now seated. The 112th Congress failed to recognize veterans of the Vietnam War. House Bill HR-3612 and Senate Bill S.1629, to restore The Agent Orange Equity Act did not make it out of committee. In all probability, these bills are dead and must be re-introduced.

There are 439 members of Congress, 100 members of the Senate. In the 112th assembly of both houses, only 126 representatives co-sponsored the house bill and 14 senators co-sponsored the Senate bill. What does this say about those legislators who ignored the bills?

Veterans of the Vietnam War are low priority. We have become a liability for budget dollars. Our quality of life means little to our Congress and Senate. What is a veteran’s life worth who honorably served country and flag? Freedom is not free.

Every day another veteran falls ill to a disease attributed to the deadly herbicide agent orange. Every week approximately 400 to 500 sick Vietnam veterans die. The legacy we leave behind is our government does not care.

We advocates for Vietnam veterans must start over to convince our legislators to do what is right. We are groups who volunteer our time to help sick veterans gather evidence required by the Veterans Affairs for submission of claims. We do the leg work, we meet with members of Congress and Senate in support of veterans. Our only reward is knowing we helped a veteran. What we do is not enough unless we have support from the Congress and Senate.

We ask all Americans to urge our legislators to pass laws that will provide equitable VA health care and compensation for sick Vietnam veterans so they may realize better quality of life.

John J. Bury,

US Navy, retired,

Vietnam War veteran

Media, Pa.