Research - Rehabilitation - Re-Employment

Sgt. Shaft 02/21/2000

Dear Sgt. Shaft:
I find myself writing another deeply sincere "thank you" for your continual support on behalf of the Gold Star Wives. Your support in the Washington Times has been valuable beyond all our hopes and expectations. I am indeed grateful as I'm sure all of us are. Our tomorrows are brighter because of you, and may all your tomorrows be better because you helped us.
M.W.
Beverly Hills, FL


Dear Sgt. Shaft:
Thank you for your help in getting H.R. 708 passed in Congress. While it will not help me personally (as I am too old), it will help younger widows. May the peace of the Lord be with you and your family.
D.H.C.
Augusta, GA

Dear M.W. and D.H.C.:
I am overwhelmed by the letters of appreciation that you, Gold Star Wives, have afforded me. One of the highlights of my life will be publicly receiving an award by the Gold Star Wives of America on March 10, 2000, at 1:30 p.m. at Quarters Six, Fort Myer, Virginia, the official home of the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff General Henry Shelton and Mrs. Shelton. I am looking forward to receiving this prestigious honor along with two distinguished Members of Congress, Reps. Lane Evans (D-IL) and Bob Filner (D-CA). Congressmen Evans and Filner played a major role in the passage of full Dependent Indemnity Compensation reinstatement for you precious gems of our nation.

However, as you can see from the following letter, there is more to be done. This is not a time for us to sit on our laurels.


Dear Sgt. Shaft:
My husband, a 10-year veteran, Seaman 1st Class, died in 1995 of service-connected disabilities as a result of his tour in Vietnam. While in Vietnam, he piloted a boat up and down the Saigon River, dropping off Green Beret frogmen. Unfortunately, he was unable to work for the last 25 years of our marriage, and I had to support our family until 1989 when his disability was finally acknowledged by the Department of Veterans Affairs to be service connected.

I am a Gold Star Wife, and until I turned age 65 one year ago, I received CHAMPVA medical benefits. I was heartbroken to discover that when I turned 65, I lost my CHAMPVA coverage. I am severely ill with heart and kidney disease, and was on kidney dialysis in the past. CHAMPVA covered my prescription expenses, but Medicare does not. My prescriptions cost $500 per month, and cost more when I need antibiotics. My entire monthly income is only $1,407. Supplemental medical insurance is out of the question because of my pre-existing medical conditions. I often have to forego my medicines, or go without other necessities to get by. I am only glad that my poor husband doesn't know about this, as he died thinking I would always be covered under CHAMPVA.

I don't know what to do. I only wish that I could get back my CHAMPVA and I would be all right.
F.R.
New Hampshire

Dear F.R.:
As I have written before, it is beyond credulity how our government can penalize senior citizens such as yourself for merely turning 65 years of age. It is incumbent upon our leaders and citizenry to ensure that the sacrifices that you and your husband, as well as those of others, have made for our nation be adequately compensated. The Clinton administration and Congress are carefully looking at Medicare subvention and ways to provide prescription drugs. I urge that those like you, military retirees or their wives or widows over age 65, be given high priority if and when this legislation is passed.

It is not unusual for a Gold Star wife to spend $200 to $300 per month or more on prescription drug costs. That cost is often the largest single expense among the older Dependent Indemnity Compensation recipients. Providing prescription drug benefits to those who have served our nation should not be a hard pill to swallow for our government.


Shaft Kudos
And, talking about a hard pill to swallow, a mild pat on the back to the Department of Veterans Affairs for finally issuing their primary care guidelines on erectile dysfunction (ED). VA docs can now prescribe Viagra to vets suffering from ED. As many of you readers may recall, I chided the VA by answering a querying ED vet, in an April 5, 1999 column, "Very simply, as Bob Dole smilingly praises his use of Viagra, the VA is telling you to and other veterans to just keep a stiff upper lip." It is vital that the VA purchase Viagra at the full discount rate in order to ensure that ED veterans safely and economically reach their full potential.


The Sarge salutes the United States Army for their efforts to ensure that Korean War veterans and their families are properly thanked and honored for their service as we approach the 50th anniversary of the Korean War. The Army recently hosted the second in a series of informational briefings for Veterans Service Organizations, Embassy officials from the 21 nations that participated in the war, and tour groups offering veterans special tours back to the Republic of Korea. The meeting highlighted goals for the three-year commemorative period and focused on the opening commemorative events scheduled for Sunday, June 25, 2000. Persons wanting additional information should contact Jennifer Stanford by phone (703-604-0819) or email: jennifer.stanford@hqda.army.mil.

Send letters to Sgt. Shaft, c/o John Fales, P.O. Box 65900, Washington, D.C. 20035-5900; fax to 301-622-3330; call 202-462-4430 or email sgtshaft@bavf.org.

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