American Veterans Call to Action:
The"Bonus Expeditionary Forces,”
arriving at the Capitol on April 25, 2006.
This Time for the Promise!
1931
A band of jobless veterans, led by a former cannery worker named Walter W. Walters, arrived at the capitol in May of 1931. Tensions were high. Calling themselves the "Bonus Expeditionary Forces", these veterans demanded immediate payment of a bonus Congress had promised them for their service in World War I.
2006
Now in 2006, “Operation Firing for Effect” and “The Veterans March” will return to Washington for the promise.
Abraham Lincoln’s statement, “Fulfill America's promise to care for those who have borne the battle”, is not well served by the existing Federal Appropriations Process. The current direction of this process for 2006 does not measure up or do justice to the sacrifice of those who have or are currently serving.
We, the veterans, are fighting for our rights and entitlements, because the system is failing us.
The driving forces of our march on April 25, 2006 are listed below:
• FULL mandatory funding of the VA health care system – NOT discretionary funding.
• Free or affordable legal assistance and representation of veterans in need.
• Declassification of ALL military records for disabled Veterans with a service related disability.
• Long term medical care and assistance for veterans in need.
• Programs for veterans with special disabilities.
• Recognition and compensation of Agent Orange and PTSD as legitimate service connected disabilities.
• Acknowledgement and treatment of biological and chemical exposures, occurring while in service.
• Cease and desist mandatory lab experimentation on military personnel.
• Medical claim reviews to be processed in a shorter length of time (120 day max).
• Concurrent receipt of VA, Disability Pay, and Retainer Pay for all Military retirees who qualify.
• Abolish the Feres Doctrine.
• Allow all disabled veterans access to military bases for purposes of recreation (MWR) and therapy.
• Enforce the current law to protect Veteran’s Disability benefits from the court system as an award to a third party (US Code Title 38, Section 5301).
• Repeal the Uniformed Services Former Spouses' Protection Act (USFSPA). (US Code Title 10, Section 1408).
• Put all Veterans on a system, by where each is issued a card, allowing he or she to go to any Doctor or any hospital and receive medical care based on their service-connected disability.
For the latest details, visit:
The date is confirmed and will be the 25th of April 2006.
If you absolutely cannot make it to DC, then start preparing your picket signs/posters/bull horns and arrive early the morning of the 25th, at either your State Capitol or your State/Local VA Health Care Facilities and tell them "We Support our Veterans in Washington DC!". Get your local media's attention and then point them to Washington to observe "The March for Millions of Veterans"
"SPEAKING WITH ONE VOICE" (Comment this)