[Peace-discuss] Support our troops

[Dlind49 at aol.com]

As a combat veteran who has been to war 2 times and recalled to active duty 
numerous times for special operations since 1967 "supporting the troops" is 
more than nice letter.  Supporting the troops means ensuring that combat 
veterans have medical care and a job once they return to the "world".  
University and college students will need support to reenter acadameic life 
and unlike what happened after Gulf War I they should be able to enroll in 
classes without any penalty and without going through the readmission 
process.  All others who had to give up civilian jobs will need help and time 
to readjust to work.  Family life will need to be reestablished after 
tradional roles have been reassigned to those who remained behind. All these 
folks who have signs up saying "we support the troops" do not help once 
veterans come home and never did helped as warriors left for combat or other 
duty.  After two wars, Nam and Desert Storm, I and many others came home to 
be abandoned by DOD and VA officials and community members.  Today over 
221502 Gulf War I veterans are now disabled but must fight for prompt and 
effective medical a care. Over 10324 are dead. Thousands more veterans of 
WWII, Korea, and Vietnam are also seeking medical care.  Who is helping them? 
Who will help them now? Veterans records have disappeared but no one helps 
them reconstruct their records. Veterans need financial help due to 
tremendous salary sacrifices incurred while serving our nation. But too many 
are left on their own.  Combat veterans will need psychological support to 
restore their lives. Our warriors' families will need support while their 
loved one(s) are in combat because they never know if they are alive or dead 
from minute to minute until they return home.  Today our combat troops have 
been sent into a toxic wastleland with defective equipment, inadeqaute combat 
training (skills) and education (knowledge) and inadequte medical care. Yet 
almost every person who yells they "support the troops" has not helped 
resolve any of these serious problems that will result in death, injury, and 
illness. War is not a computer game. When you go to war your job is simply to 
kill and destroy!  The combat veteran comes back psychologically and 
physiologically changed forever.  The impact on our community is forever and 
is significant. However the needs of our combat veterans are always ignored.  
Maybe this time it will be different but reality will set in once more so 
this may only be a prayer that will remain unanswered.

dr. doug rokke
major, u.s. army reserve  

"FORGOTTEN WARRIORS"

By Doug Rokke, Ph.D.
MAJOR, Medical Service Corps,
U.S. Army Reserve

    ONE MOMENT AN INDIVIDUAL WAS WALKING THROUGH A MEADOW OF
FLOWERS.
    IN THE NEXT MOMENT SONS, DAUGHTERS, HUSBANDS, AND WIVES
BECAME SOLDIERS.
    THEY DEFENDED OUR NATION AND PAID WITH THEIR LIFE OR HEALTH.
    THE CITIZEN SOLDIER ----- THE MINUTE MAN.
    OUR NATION IS BUILT ON THEIR WILLINGNESS TO RESPOND TO OUR
NATIONS CALL.
    SOME FOUGHT IN THE JUNGLES OF VIETNAM, YET MANY RESPONDED TO FIGHT IN A 
DISTANT DESERT WAR.
    THEY FOUGHT WITH SKILL AND DETERMINATION AND FREED A LAND.
    THEN OUR NATION'S WARRIORS RETURNED HOME TO PARADES AND PARTIES AND JOY 
SPREAD FROM SHORE TO SHORE.
    BUT WHEN THE GLOW SUBSIDED THE WARRIORS REMAINED ALONE AND FORGOTTEN.
    WE ASKED THEM TO FIGHT AND THEN FORGOT TO PROVIDE THEM MEDICAL CARE.
    WE RESEARCH AND STUDY AND SEARCH FOR A CAUSE DELAYING RESPONSE THROUGH 
IGNORANCE AND FEAR.
    YET THE FORGOTTEN WARRIORS SUFFER IN SILENCE WITH HONOR AND HOPE.
    FOR ALL THE FORGOTTEN WARRIORS WANT IS MEDICAL CARE.