To Charlie's comment "WHO CARES". If someone...anyone...wants to salute the flag why can't they? And why do we need an Act of Congress to make it ok?

I've been on a parade committee here for 10 years, I stand at the end of the route and direct traffic. I wear my "Vietnam Veterans" cap and I SALUTE THE FLAG and people dressed in uniform, I always have and I always will. I don't need anybody to give me approval.

My point exactly Bob. My point exactly. I'm far more concerned about what I'm doing or my family is doing when the flag passes by than what other schmoes are doing... lol

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If someone...anyone...wants to salute the flag why can't they? And why do we need an Act of Congress to make it ok?

U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) now has a feather on his cap, but what benefit is it to any Veteran,..or any American?
All Vets I know salute the Colors when they are wearing cover, and in civilian clothes.

Politicians should spend more time on beneficial issues for Vets instead of frivolous, trivial 'easily passed' laws.

Now I'm confused: Does this mean I can now salute without a hat?

LOL Flashypoo -- yes, but only if you're on a flightline -- no hats / cover allowed out there due to a FOD hazard... ha ha ha.

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Be located in the United States.
- Be licensed by the state board of pharmacy where the Web site is operating (visit www.nabp.info for a list of state boards of pharmacy).
- Have a licensed pharmacist available to answer your questions.
- Require a prescription from your doctor or other health care professional who is licensed to prescribe medicines.
- Provide contact information and allow you to talk to a person if you have problems or questions.

HOGWASH; Do it like the RUSSIANS do. All COLLEGE Grad.s will be Registered Nurses or they will not get a degree of any kind. All that they have to do is go to the Pharmacy & explain the symptoms to the Pharmacist & they will decide what is needed & dispense it. They do this because of the distances in Russia & the small towns are isloated. They have a free school system & when you DROP OUT or GRADUATE you will serve three '3' years in the Military. The problem they have is that some are assigned to areas of expertise that they did not study for. My 'X' Russian wife has a son that graduated as a medical doctor & she tells me that he may not be a Dr. in the military. I have to ask her if he had to go & what area did he get assigned to. vvvvvvv On the GREENSBURG KANSAS & the Dole V.A. story. It is amazing that I did not read about this in the TOPEKA KANSAS paper www.cjonline.com , I will copy & ask Cory that does the online paper as to why it was not & if he had heard the story. THANKS FOR POSTING IT. REX

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LOL Flashypoo -- yes, but only if you're on a flightline -- no hats / cover allowed out there due to a FOD hazard... ha ha ha.

FOD=???

FOD

Foreign Object Damage or Foreign Object Debris. Involves items eg. shells, stones, plastic, building materials etc which may be ingested by an aircraft engine causing damage...

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Does this mean I can now salute without a hat?

Yes

This should be on the top of every veterans list to review and do something about!
Tom Philpott | August 09, 2007
Filner-Buyer Feud Deepens Over Filipino Pensions

Democrat Bob Filner, chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, and Republican Steve Buyer, ranking Republican and former chairman, have been feuding since the 110th Congress convened in January with Democrats taking control.

Their feud took on new intensity in July over an issue that pits pensions for Filipino veterans who fought with Americans in World War II against additional pension dollars for a group of elderly American wartime veterans made homebound by non-service connected disabilities.

Buyer accuses Filner of strong-arming through committee a bill (HR 760) with language to give overly-generous service pensions to Filipino veterans of World War II and paying for those pensions by, in effect, neutralizing an appeals court ruling that made a special monthly pension available to 20,000 more elderly and housebound U.S. veterans.

Also, Buyer charges that Filner abused his authority as chairman to block committee consideration of Republican late-hour amendments that would have safeguarded the special monthly pensions.

Filner doesn’t dispute that the Filipino pensions are slated to be funded with dollars earmarked to raise compensation for elderly disabled U.S veterans with non-service-connected. But he argues that the extra pension dollars resulted from an appeals court finding a “loophole” in the law. Also, Filner said he regards as a higher priority pensions to Filipino veterans who fought with Gen. Douglas MacArthur more than 60 years ago and shouldn’t have to wait any longer to be compensated for that service.

As to the charge that he acted undemocratically by refusing to consider Republican amendments before the committee voted on HR 760, Filner said he was incited to use hardball tactics during the bill’s markup when Republicans themselves ignored committee tradition and withhold their amendments from Democratic scrutiny until a final vote was to start.

A tough floor fight over the bill is expected in September.

“The thing that upsets me the most in regards to Mr. Filner is that he has no respect for other people’s views or opinions. He is intolerant and he never follows the rules,” said Buyer in a phone interview.

Filner responded, “If he were fighting for veterans as much as he’s fighting me, we’d all be better off.” Adding, “He won’t admit I’m the chairman…He’s determined to keep me, personally, from having legislative victories. And he’s just hurting veterans, as far as I can see.”

Evidence that personalities fuel much of current dispute over Filipino veterans might be found in how the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee tackled the issue. In June it approved an identical Filipino veterans' provision using an identical funding source. Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii), the committee chairman, led the effort and former committee chairman Larry Craig (R-Idaho) chose not to criticize or even mention the Filipino provision in his own press release on the bill (S 1315).

Buyer and Filner, however, appear to seek out opportunities to poke the other in the political eye. Both came to Congress in the class of 1992. Otherwise, Buyer said, their backgrounds couldn’t be more different.

Buyer, from Indiana, is a Citadel graduate, a lawyer and an Army Reserve colonel – someone, he says of himself, who “has served his nation for 27 years of war and peace. You walk into my office and immediately say, ‘I can tell this is a military guy.’ ”

Filner, a native of New York City claims in his official biography to have “spent several months in a southern jail as a ‘Freedom Rider’ in the Civil Rights movement.” He settled in San Diego and taught at a local university before entering politics.

“You go into his office and there’s a huge picture of him being arrested,” Buyer said. “He prides himself on having been a Vietnam War protester.” That difference in background explains the “volatility” of their relationship, Buyer said, “Because you’ve got one who has been schooled in honor and in trust and all the virtues and values that go with military bearing. And you put that with someone who is a public activist, anti-institution and doesn’t give a damn about the rules and you’re going to have conflict.”

Last July, the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims overturned a Department of Veterans Affairs decision that had denied Special Monthly Pension (SMP) to Robert A. Hartness, an 86-year-old World War II veteran now legally blind from age-related macular degeneration. VA had argued that to qualify for SMP at the housebound rate, an elderly wartime veteran has to have at least one condition rated 100-percent disabling. Hartness, who conceded he still cuts his own lawn, was rated 70-percent disabled.

VA said the court’s ruling would make 20,000 more veterans eligible for higher SMP at a cost of $965 million over 10 years. Filner, following Akaka’s lead, amended HR 760 to support VA’s original position on SMP eligibility, which freed up money to help 18,000 aging Filipino veterans.

Those living in the United States would receive the same old-age pension available to U.S. veterans, which is linked to level of income. Those in the Philippines, however, would receive $8400 a year if married, $6000 if single and surviving spouses would get $3600 -- regardless of income.

Buyer said these payments are too high, the “equivalent of over $100,000” for a Filipino family living in the Philippines.

Filner shrugged off the criticism, noting Filipino veterans haven’t received any compensation for 60 years and most don’t have long to live.

It is “no accident” that he has pushed to help Filipino veterans for 15 years, Filner said. Fifteen percent of his constituents are Filipino Americans, the highest concentration of any district outside of Hawaii, Akaka’s state.


Just thinking 'politics as usual' will not get it. We need to complain loud and long to our elected represntatives, who all seem to forget who protected them while they avoided wars, conflicts, expeditions, or even simple active duty.

Is this DOUBLE SPEAK or am I just OLD & TIRED.
VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV
Buyer said these payments are too high, the “equivalent of over $100,000” for a Filipino family living in the Philippines.

Filner shrugged off the criticism, noting Filipino veterans haven’t received any compensation for 60 years and most don’t have long to live.

It is “no accident” that he has pushed to help Filipino veterans for 15 years, Filner said. Fifteen percent of his constituents are Filipino Americans, the highest concentration of any district outside of Hawaii, Akaka’s state.
VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV FILNER was for and now against?
FLASH; When I was in the AIR FORCE, 1953-57, The powers that be would drive around the flight line & runways with a truck & a big diesel engine powering a MAGNET that was about an inch off the surface. this was to pick up stuff. Someone finally told them that an aircraft is ALUMINIM & MAGNESIUM which is NON MAGENTIC., REX

Rex, I had to look up look up FOD. Everything now is referred to in initials. I remember when a mine was a mine, not an IED.

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Filner shrugged off the criticism, noting Filipino veterans haven’t received any compensation for 60 years and most don’t have long to live.

Is this really a good reason to make these Filipino Vets millionaires? What about other countries and their soldiers that fought and died alongside our troops in WWII?

quote:["Also, Filner said he regards as a higher priority pensions to Filipino veterans who fought with Gen. Douglas MacArthur more than 60 years ago and shouldn’t have to wait any longer to be compensated for that service."]:quote

My Father, a WWII US Army Infantryman, was born and raised here and fought with Gen. MacArther in the Phillipines. He died 2 years ago, a poor man, living only on Social Security,900 dollars a month. He got nothing from the VA, even though he was qualified for benefits, and died waiting for them.
I wish he and his friends were still alive, for they would not stand for this BS.

LET'S TAKE CARE OF AGING AMERICAN WWII VETERANS 'FIRST'!

Flash

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Flash69,

The magnet was to pick up screws, nails, and the like -- not aircraft... and actually, while magnets don't adhere to MOST aircraft surfaces, everything that emits an electrical field, has some magnetic properties. And aircraft, even powered off do emit some magnetic energy.

As to the Filipino vets... i read it, and have no clue what the heck it is about -- sounds like a bunch of stupid infighting and bickering. Typical day for the VA Committees.

FOD is a term that's been around for decades -- my grandfather used to take his small children on FOD walks (and this was what HE called them) back in the 50s when he was a brand new Army Doctor out in Podunk, Maryland.

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FOD is a term that's been around for decades

Uh...Duh...There's just too many things I don't know....

FOD...Found Out 'Dare...right???

TDY...Temporary Duty, Yonder.

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As to the Filipino vets... i read it, and have no clue what the heck it is about -- sounds like a bunch of stupid infighting and bickering. Typical day for the VA Committees.

This is true , but the results can be unacceptable and a slap in the face to every WWII Vet that fought in the Phillipines, alive or dead.

When I was discharged my HOME STATE gave me 'a couple hundred bucks' for serving in Vietnam, all I had to do was present my DD 214. So, how many of these WWII veterans are alive today?

Based on the information given, shouldn't ALL veterans, including us lowly American's, receive some sort of kickback for our troubles?...or maybe the countries we fought in (and for) should pay us, you know, like mercenaries. I think most of us could use a couple million for what we went through.

i'm still confused....

I think it's not actually millions, but the currency rate in the Philippines is such that American money can buy alot more? I know this is true but not sure what the actual value would be.

And are these considered 'allies' veterans? or American Veterans? If they are simply 'allies', or what have you, why are they getting anything? Or were they actually considered U.S. Military Members, for the time they assisted us (similar to the Americans that fought in Canadian Service during WWI & II)??

At last check the American Dollar was about 50 pesos and falling. At this moment it is 45.650 pesos per dollar.

quote:["Those in the Philippines, however, would receive $8400 a year if married, $6000 if single and surviving spouses would get $3600 -- regardless of income.]:quote

About 42,000 pesos(married) 30,000 pesos(single) and about 18,000 pesos(surviving spouse)

Interest rates are on CD's over there run about 10%-15% ,the last I heard from a solid source ,..last year.

At 42,000 pesos a year, a Filipino couple can live like a king and queen over there, and be considered 'very rich' by the average Filipino. However if they are frugal, they can literally live off the interest.

Go to Military.com Legislative Center the Bill is listed there and you can write your Congresspeople. I just did.

Charlie, during Vietnam, Canadian, Australian and South Koreans served there (but, that was supposed to be a 'Police Action" like Korea was. They came to assist us. As I noted to my Congresspeople WE assisted the Filipinos in THEIR fight. Should we send all our VA money to Canada, Australia and S. Korea, too? OH!!! and don't forget S. Vietnam. Then, we can pay Britian, France, Italy, Norway and every other country who has ever fought with (or eventually against) us and American Veterans can GO TO...you know where.

I LOVE POLITICIANS. Don't forget to Vote in November.

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Go to Military.com Legislative Center the Bill is listed there and you can write your Congresspeople. I just did.

Thank You, Bob

Flash