Research - Rehabilitation - Re-Employment

Sgt. Shaft 05/03/2004

Dear Sgt. Shaft:
Laws affecting disability benefits and health care access for former prisoners of war have changed considerably over the past 20 years. Just last December, benefits and health care bills again improved services to this most deserving group.

The Department of Veterans Affairs is trying to locate former prisoners of war who aren't using VA services to make sure they know about their eligibility for free health care in VA facilities. In addition, more of them may be eligible for disability compensation benefits, as more than a dozen medical conditions are now presumed to be associated with captivity. Further, the eligibility requirements for surviving spouses have been liberalized.

We'd like to ask your readers for help. If they know of someone who may have been a prisoner of war - an uncle, a neighbor, or perhaps someone closer - we'd like them to mention this column. We want all former POWs not receiving VA benefits to contact us at 1-800-827-1000 for information or a brochure about POW benefits. We also have online information at www.va.gov.

Of the estimated 36,000 former POWs alive today, more than 90 percent are veterans of World War II. They served when the military used unique service numbers to identify troops, not Social Security numbers as it does today. That makes it hard for us to find those who have not been in touch after leaving the service 60 years ago.

Since we began our intensified outreach last year, we have added hundreds to our rolls and increased benefits amounts for a thousand more, but we believe there are many out there - perhaps as many as 11,000 -- who put that chapter of their life behind them and haven't looked into the benefits they earned.

On this POW Recognition Day, no tribute is more deserved than the tribute America owes our Ex-POWs. They made the blessings of freedom possible for America and for others.

Anthony J. Principi,
Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Washington, DC

Dear Mr. Secretary
For many years, I have been mesmerized by the heroism of good buddy Everett Alvarez and his fellow POW’s. Everett was recently quoted as saying, “ The best thing I did was just be there. The stories go that [my cell mates] used to say, 'I used to feel sorry for myself, but then I’d look at you” The fact that he was still surviving, still fighting and still sane boosted the spirits of the others who were captured after him. “ In their minds, I was still making it. It wasn’t anything prophetic I said or heroic I did. I was just. there…and still playing the game. And as Commander Paul Galanti, USN (Ret.) eloquently stated

“There’s no such thing as a bad day when you have a door knob on the inside of the door.”

There are many others like Everett and Paul who have given so much of themselves to our country. Unfortunately as you stated, many of them are still not aware of the benefits our grateful nation has bestowed upon them and their families.

Shaft Notes

I recently visited the Women in Military Service Memorial at Arlington Cemetery. I urge all Moms to take their daughters to this very special tribute. The Women's Memorial is a unique, living memorial honoring all military women - past, present and future. Some 200,000 people visit the Memorial annually.

For additional information visit their website at www.Womensmemorial.org

The Sarge is once again looking forward to joining fellow members of the National Press Club, other media representatives, and guests at an upcoming Club luncheon on May 28. This event will feature remarks from Secretary of the Navy Gordon England

Gordon England was confirmed as the 73rd Secretary of the Navy on 26 September 2003 and sworn in on 1 October. He became only the second person in history to serve twice as the leader of the Navy-Marine Corps Team and the first to serve in back-to-back terms. Prior to his return to the Navy Department he was the first Deputy Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. The Department of Homeland Security was established on January 24, 2003, to integrate 22 different agencies with a common mission to protect the American people.

Secretary England served as the 72nd Secretary of the Navy from May 24, 2001, until he joined the Homeland Security in January 2003. As Secretary of the Navy, Mr. England leads America's Navy and Marine Corps and is responsible for an annual budget in excess of $110 B and more than 800,000 personnel.

Prior to joining the administration of President George W. Bush, Mr. England served as executive vice president of General Dynamics Corporation from 1997 until 2001. A native of Baltimore, Mr. England graduated from the University of Maryland in 1961 with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering. In 1975 he earned a master's degree in business administration from the M.J. Neeley School of Business at Texas Christian University and is a member of various honorary societies: Beta Gamma Sigma (business), Omicron Delta Kappa (leadership) and Eta Kappa Nu (engineering).

He has been recognized for numerous professional and service contributions from multiple organizations such as Distinguished Alumnus Award from the University of Maryland; the Department of Defense Distinguished Public Service Award; the Silver Beaver Award from the Boy Scouts of America; the Silver Knight of Management Award from the National Management Association; the Henry M. Jackson Award and the IEEE Centennial Award.

Anyone interested in attending the Press Club Luncheon should contact Pat Nelson at 202-662-7500

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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