CLASS ACT GROUP 32 Beal Parkway S. W. VETERANS TO RALLY ACROSS THE NATION On the weekend of June 5, 1999, retired WWII and Korean veterans will rally coast to coast and border to border. The purpose of this friendly rallying is to enlist the aid of both houses of Congress, the Administration and the public for the restoration of veterans medical benefits lost when they reached age 65. The most critical motivating factor is the pitiful fact that these military veterans, whose average age is 76, are dying at a rate of 1000 per day!! They were told that if they served 20 or more years in the military they and their dependents would received free medical care for the rest of their lives. This was EARNED by serving 20 years of service and was GUARANTEED BY STATUTE! But our Congress and Administration seems to have forgotten that a statute is the law and not a promise. Remember the constant phrase "the rule of law" repeated over and over during the recent impeachment trial? Disregarding the law of the land seems to be all too common today in Washington D.C. The manner in which Congress and the Administration are dragging their feet; and their failure to honor the commitment made by The Government of the UNITED STATES, essentially gives a death warrant to these men before a meaningful program can be adopted. Colonel George E. "Bud" Day, a Medal of Honor recipient and ex-POW who was tortured and starved in the Hanoi Hilton, is the most decorated officer since General Douglass MacArthur. Colonel Day is a lawyer and chief spokesman for these veterans known as the Class Act Group. Bud Day filed a class action lawsuit against the United States in March 1996 with the Department of Defense as defendant. The case is enroute to the Federal Appellate Court in Washington D. C. Colonel Bud Day is legally and financially ready to go as far as the Supreme Court to obtain justice for our veterans. Over 500,000 of the 1.4 million veterans affected are unable to pay for a supplemental plan and are WITHOUT A MEDICAL PROGRAM! Many of these veterans lived near military bases which are now closed and they are left without a military hospital or a medical plan. Ultimately, Congress and the Administration will have to honor the statutes. This means that 218 votes are needed. The veterans need the votes of Congress and the backing of the Administration to right this wrong. The general public also needs to be aware of this sorry situation. We cannot prevent the veterans from dying, but we can make their few remaining years more comfortable. Your local Brevard County representatives (point men) for anyone wishing to take part in this effort are Frank Zamboni 784-2461, John Howard 452-8666, Bob Holloway 783-6543 and Bob Bosnak 752-5559. You can also contact the Veterans Memorial Center at 453-1776 or the Class Act Office direct at 1-800-972-6275. This is not a solicitation for money! |