by Arlene Wright-Correll

Created on: February 12, 2009

I Can't Believe This is True or Can I?

We were sitting in McDonalds having a coffee and a "McMuffin" type of breakfast defying our doctor's advice to not do these types of things to our bodies. But, what the heck, at 74 and 76 who really cares?

I was reading a book of some kind that I always drag with me so I am not staring out into space and Carl was looking through the free papers for some crossword puzzles when he stopped short in his tracks and said "Look at this."

A little paragraph in a local weekly in Louisville said the following: "Can't possibly be true. In March change of regulations, the Pentagon began saving money by reducing "combat injury" benefits for all except those wounded while actually fighting, explaining that combat "related" injuries were simply not worthy of full compensation. This, in examples offered by the Washington Post in November, Marine Cpl. James Dixon and Army Sgt. Lori Mesell were not entitled to full combat injury coverage for their Iraq wounds (Dixon from a roadside bomb and a land mine, and Meshell while diving for cover during a mortar attack.).

Because neither were actually fighting at the time, (Dixon, initially denied about $16,000.00 by the classification, recently won a hard-fought reversal, but Meshell, drawing $1,200 less per month because of the change is still appealing.")

As the parents of a solder, no a warrior, from Desert Storm, who eventually died as the result of the chemicals from Desert Storm, we were appalled. Our son served his country for almost 15 years in the Army, was given the Bronze Star for bravery above and beyond the call of duty and spent 6 months inhaling chemicals that the Army denies were there and which caused incredible damage to his mind during the nine years after he left the Army and eventually caused his self destruction. His wife and two children still have not received a dime from our government.

Why in the world would any human being in their right mind want to serve and protect their country in any branch of the service when these branches of service constantly have to "tone down" their budgets in the areas that protect our veterans?

Our military service people do the rotten jobs that society refuses to do or are incapable of doing. They have done these duties for years. Our country's strength, globally, is in our Military service people and has always been and always will be until all people on this planet voluntarily lay down all arms and declare universal peace.

Keeping that in mind

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