Sunday's Dedication: "for millions of disabled veterans it's not over"

Fact: “We are dealing with veterans, not procedures—with their problems, not ours.” —General Omar Bradley, First Administrator of the Veterans Administration

Honoring America's disabled veterans

"To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and his orphan" - President Lincoln

WASHINGTON, D.C. - October 2, 2014 - They tested the flame this morning, getting ready for Sunday's dedication.

"It basically is a memorial that tells you of the terrifying consequences of any war," said Dennis Joyner, who lost three limbs to a booby-trap in Vietnam.

A picture of a little girl pushing her father in a wheelchair is the one that resonates most for Joyner. His sons had to do the same for him.

"One of the things that I've always struggled with somewhat is I've never really felt that the general public really understands or understood what disabled veterans go through," said Joyner.

The name etched in granite - "American Veterans Disabled for Life" - makes a point the rest of us are liable to forget.

"When the last battle's fought, the last soldier comes home, the war is over, for millions of disabled veterans it's not over," said Joyner. "They're going to live the rest of their life continuing to deal with the effects of that war." read more>>>

Fact: “Why in 2009 were we still using paper?” VA Assistant Secretary Tommy Sowers “When we came in, there was no plan to change that; we’ve been operating on a six month wait for over a decade.” 27 March 2013

Facts, as to these recent wars,: Matthew Hoh - former Marine and foreign service officer in Afghanistan: "We spend a trillion dollars a year on national security in this country."
"And when you add up to the Department of Defense, Department of State, CIA, Veterans Affairs, interest on debt, the number that strikes me the most about how much we're committed financially to these wars and to our current policies is we have spent $250 billion already just on interest payments on the debt we've incurred for the Iraq and Afghan wars." 26 September 2014

Matthew Hoh: "We're-- that cost for these wars are already totaled at $6 trillion at our lifetime."
"We have suffered casualties much greater than I think the American people understand. There is the 7,000 dead, the 50,000 wounded, but of the two and a half million veterans who served, including myself, a third of us suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, or some other type of mental health injury. We also have 250,000 veterans and service members who suffer from traumatic brain injuries." 26 September 2014 - adding to the community of from the previous decades and wars from with the long ignored or just plain denied issues from these wars!

Facts: Sen. Bernie Sanders told Conservatives: “If you can’t afford to take care of your veterans, than don’t go war. These people are bearing the brunt of what war is about, We have a moral obligation to support them.” February, 26th, 2014
Neither of these recent wars have yet been paid for, let alone the results from, including the long ignored or outright denied existence of, till this Administrations Cabinet and Gen Shinseki, only Government branch consistent for the past six years, issues! As well as under deficits most of the, grossly under funded, VA budget is still borrowed thus added, problem creating, costs that shouldn't exist!