Vietnam- the forgotten ones

My Dad is a Vietnam veteran, two terms. He was awarded a bronze star for bravery when he volunteered to stay behind when the Viet Cong moved in on their position, everyone was evacuated. Him and another guy stayed behind to radio when and where to air strike.

When the war was over and he finished with his time in the Philippines, he never applied for Vet benefits. He came home, got a job, and never used any of them. He never applied when I started school, even when my mom asked him to. He said he only did his duty and that there are guys out there more needing of those programs than him.

So, last year, my Dad retired. He's had quintuple bypass surgery and is majorly hypertensive, even on his meds. Since he takes Plavix (an insurance company "red flag"), he's fucked and can't get any kind of insurance. He's only 60, so he has two yrs before he can apply for Medicare.

So, he swallowed his pride and went into the Vet office to apply for medical coverage. They tell him he doesn't qualify because he makes too much money from his pension... that he got working for the state for 20 years. They told him that Bush cut Vet benefits and that the only people guaranteed Vet benefits are Gulf War Veterans. They don't even have to fill out the financial form!

My Dad explained to them that he just wants the very minimum... just enough that if he has a medical emergency his wife won't lose everything they own. He said they didn't have to cover his rxs, office visits, anything like that... I mean, I'm crying just picturing my Dad pleading for help. He told them he's never asked for anything before.

Now explain to me how a Gulf War Vet, in his 40s or 50s is a better instant candidate then our Vietnam Vets? Don't tell me it's Gulf War Syndrome, because Vietnam Vets deal with Agent Orange sickness, strange arthritis development, and all number of effects... almost every war has led to a syndrome (legitimately). How can my Dad be penalized for having a pension? Because he was a productive citizen post military, he's less deserving than another veteran? My father's service is somehow less valuable?

They turned him away. They turned him away... a man who enlisted rather than wait to be drafted, who served two tours at a time when he was primed for college and could have simply enrolled and avoided it all. In fact, he did attend school and graduate after his tours... This man... he's turned away, embarrassed, and now has to face the fear that his family will lose everything if he has another heart attack. Everything he's worked so hard for (and that has ironically then made him more vulnerable), is in jeopardy.

This is why nation wide medical care will eventually pass... scenarios like this.

God Bless Fucking America. Thanks for your fucking time in the jungle, but yeah, fuck off.