Research - Rehabilitation - Re-Employment

Sgt. Shaft 12/31/2001

Dear Sgt. Shaft:
WTOP Radio and the Washington Post have been running a misleading commercial by Siebel featuring a veteran named Clarence “Bud” Dahl, who fought at Normandy but now must drive about 40 miles to get to the VA who takes good care of him. The commercial goes on to say…what if Clarence could also get personal service from the VA online, or over the phone, as well as face-to-face? The commercial insinuates that the only way veterans can get service from the VA is to go there. Well, that has not been my experience with the VA.

I’m a veteran who has used my GI Bill for education benefits and I’ve never gone to the VA for anything. I always call – yes, the VA not only has telephones but they even have a toll-free phone number (1-888-GIBill1). Though I’m not online, I bet the VA even has a web site and accepts faxes from veterans. 

If this company has a good product, it should stand on its own. America is at war and it is in bad taste to both demean the VA and to use a WWII veteran just to get a federal contract.

Richard S.,
Silver Spring, Maryland

Dear Richard S.,
I have reviewed the WTOP radio spot and also the advertisement in the Washington Post. Siebel should be ashamed to mislead the public by misusing the distinguished service of a WWII veteran. The Department of Veterans Affairs now serves its’ veterans not only by personal contact, but also via the Internet, phone and fax.

Dear Sgt Shaft:
I have been pleased to see my father’s poem, JUST A COMMON SOLDIER (often erroneously called Just A Simple Soldier, or A Soldier Died Today) in your column.

Lawrence Vaincourt (WWII Air Force Veteran) wrote this poem in 1985 for his newspaper column and it was reprinted in his 1991 book RHYMES AND REFLECTIONS (available from its publisher at http://www.dialogue.ca). 

It’s amazing how this poem has gone around the world – it seems to be everywhere. If you’d like to see the complete original, it’s at:

http://www.randyvaincourt.homestead.com

Thank you for sharing his work with others.

Randy Vaincourt

Dear Randy:
I’m happy to oblige, here is the text of the poem:

JUST A COMMON SOLDIER
By A. Lawrence Vaincourt

He was getting old and paunchy and his hair falling fast,
And he sat around the Legion, telling stories of the past
Of a war that he had fought in and the deeds that he had done,
In his exploits with his buddies; they were heroes, every one.
And tho’ sometimes, to his neighbors, his tales became a joke,
All his Legion buddies listened, for they knew whereof he spoke.
But we’ll hear his tales no longer for old Bill has passed away, 
And the world’s a little poorer, for a soldier died today.
He will not be mourned by many, just his children and his wife,
For he lived an ordinary and quite uneventful life.
Held a job and raised a family, quietly going his own way,
And the world won’t note his passing, though a soldier died today.
When politicians leave this earth, their bodies lie in state,
While thousands note their passing and proclaim that they were great.
Papers tell their whole life stories, from the time that they were young,
But the passing of a soldier goes unnoticed and unsung.
Is the greatest contribution to the welfare of our land
A guy who breaks his promises and cons his fellow man?
Or the ordinary fellow who, in times of war and strife,
Goes to serve his Country and offers up his life?
A politician’s stipend and the style in which he lives
Are sometimes disproportionate to the service that he gives.
While the ordinary soldier, who offered up his all,
Is paid off with a medal and perhaps, a pension small.
It’s so easy to forget them for it was so long ago
That the old Bills of our Country went to battle, but we know
It was not the politicians, with their compromise and ploys,
Who won for us the freedom that our Country now enjoys.
Should you find yourself in danger, with your enemies at hand,
Would you want a politician with his ever-shifting stand?
Or would you prefer a soldier, who has sworn to defend
His home, his kin and Country and would fight until the end?
He was just a common soldier and his ranks are growing thin,
For when the countries are in conflict, then we find the soldier’s part
Is to clean up all the troubles that the politicians start.
If we cannot do him honor while he’s here to hear the praise,
Then at least let’s give him his homage at the ending of his days.
Perhaps just a simple headline in a paper that would say, 
Our Country is in mourning, for a soldier died today.

c. 1985 A. Lawrence Vaincourt

Randy Vaincourt

Shaft Kudos:
A pat in the back to the department of Veterans Affairs for their outreach to Maryland Veterans. The Department of Veterans Affairs representatives will be at the Annapolis Senior Center at 1027 Bay Ridge Ave. in Annapolis, on January 17th from 12:30pm to 2pm to answer questions about veterans benefits such as disability, compensation, pensions, medical care, co-payments, prescriptions, nursing home care, and survivor and memorial benefits. Veterans interested in VA enrollment should bring a copy of their discharge papers, or Form DD214. This is a collaborative presentation between the VA and the Anne Arundel County Department of Aging. For info, call 202-418-3287 or 410-222-4464.

CLARIFICATION   In last week's column, a holiday message forwarded to the Sarge by Sydney Shuman, former chairman of the VA's Board of Veterans Appeals, was printed here. He notes that credit should be given where it is due: It was originally delivered by the Rev. Wintley Phipps on the "Oprah Winfrey" show. Mr. Shuman was so impressed that he requested a copy from the program.

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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