Is The VA Grading Veteran Nursing Homes A Case Of The Fox Guarding The Henhouse?

By Larry Nader, US Navy Veteran

In Fall of 2018 Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert Wilkie released the VA’s scorecard on veteran nursing homes under contract to the VA.  That report indicates that of the 133 homes listed, 34 earned a five-star rating, the highest grade possible.  The report also indicates that a total of 60 of the homes had seen improvement in their scores over the past year while 73 experienced no significant change, and one facility in Hot Springs, SD saw their rating drop from 5-star to a four-star rating.

On paper these look like good numbers overall although I would like to know of the 73 facilities that did not see any change from the previous year, what were their scores?  Unchanged can mean they were five-star and remain five-star or they are 1-star and remain one-star.   

When people start quoting statistics using partial numbers, I must question what they are not telling the public.  And with the VA, as with any government agency or public corporation, what they do not tell you speaks louder than what they are telling you. 

First, I must question why is the VA grading their own facilities and hospitals?  Why not an independent team of auditors with no vested interest in the outcome of the report except to accurately report the truth.  Yes, I do not trust the VA or our government to tell us the truth and history is on my side.

Per a Military.com article on this report, The VA used the overall star ratings to compare their nursing homes to private homes, which are given star ratings by the Centers for Medicare, a federal agency within the Department of Health and Human Services. Of the 15,487 homes rated by the Centers for Medicare, nearly 29 percent have five-star ratings, compared to about 26 percent of VA homes. However, the VA had a smaller percentage receive one-star ratings — 8 percent compared to 13 percent for private homes.

Now, here’s my rub on this.  In private sector senior communities and nursing homes, you have numerous options in your area.  If you do not feel you are getting proper care at one of these facilities in the private sector you can tour and select an optional facility to move to.  This is not really the case with VA nursing homes as there are usually not more than one in any given area around where you live. 

For instance, per Longterncarelink.org article the lists the VA nursing homes are in each state that 41 of the states have five or fewer veteran nursing homes available (15 states have one facility each, 10 states have two each, five states have three each, 7 states have four and six states have five facilities), while Maine, Mississippi and Pennsylvania have 6 each, Oklahoma and Texas have seven each and California, Florida and Texas have eight each.  Strictly based on the numbers, that is not a lot considering the number of veterans in this country is at 18.2 million.  Even if you took only 10-percent of those as vets needing a nursing home that would be 1.8 million vets.

However when you look at USA Today’s article from march of 2019, a total of 25 nursing homes were found to have caused harm to the veterans in their care.  This report stated, “A VA nursing facility in Brockton, MA, a severely impaired veteran with dementia sat trapped in his wheelchair for hours, his right foot stuck between the footrests.  Inspectors watched as staff walked past the struggling man without helping.”

The article goes on to say that inspectors from a private contractor cited 52 of the 99 VA nursing homes they inspected for major violations that “caused ‘actual harm’ to veterans. In three facilities, they found veterans’ health and safety in ‘immediate jeopardy,’ and in eight homes inspectors found both veteran ‘harm’ and ‘jeopardy.’

That same article also reports that in two out of three VA nursing homes the inspectors found that the nursing home staff did not following simple protocols such as wearing gloves and sterile gowns when treating vets. It also concludes that at 50 VA nursing homes residents were not being properly monitored and were exposed to hazardous conditions. And the list of deficiencies found goes on and on.  There are far too many to list in this blog. 

Data Graphic is from USA Today Article Referenced above

So why does the USA today report vary so extensively different from Wilkie’s and the VA’s own reports?  It’s very simple.  It’s the difference from having the fox guarding the henhouse and using an independent source to point out where these discrepancies and deficiencies lay.  It is NOT in the VA’s best interest to air their dirty laundry, so why would they tell the truth?

All in all, the treatment of veterans in our country, no matter their age and health conditions, is horrible at best awful and horrific at worst.  It is disgusting that vets are denied proper diagnoses of their service-related issues and, many times, are denied proper care and benefits by the VA system.  But to have them treated this way when they are at their most vulnerable or at life’s end, is just downright disgusting for any “civilized” nation and the US Government, the Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs should all be called out on an international platform for the poor care and treatment they provide to our veterans.

Yes, there are some good things with the VA but where it really counts, the VA is failing our veterans and our country, and quite frankly, those in charge just don’t care.  I would like to see a congressional oversight committee that would act totally independent from the VA and DOD have inspectors do a full evaluation of all VA nursing and assisted living homes.  The VA’s only action in this should be to take the reports and act properly and swiftly (two traits the VA has never been known for) to correct any and all deficiencies.  There is no reason why we cannot provide proper care for our veterans no matter their age or health conditions.

The problem is that government is more focused on funding wars then they are funding long term care for the veterans who served and defended the very country they are getting screwed by.

Speak up with your votes.  Ask your Senators and Representatives what THEY are doing to assure the VA starts providing proper care for all veterans, and especially those in VA assisted living facilities and nursing homes and refuse to take their vague responses as answers.  Politicians only care about their next election and quickly forget, or just outright ignore, their campaign promises.  Therefore, you need to stay vigilant of your elected officials voting record.  Don’t just vote for them and then forget about them until the next election.  Those who refuse to make sure the VA is properly caring for our vets need to be voted out at their next election cycle and the newly elected politicians need to be aware that we will fire them when their term is up if they do not show a positive voting record on veteran issues.

Only by US making changes to the DC country club will these life-long politicians finally wake up and realize that if they are going to keep their cushy offices and exorbitant retirements plans, they WILL carry out the will of the people and not their corporate donors.  When was the last time you saw a Senator, other than possibly a first term one, that wasn’t a millionaire or billionaire? 

Let’s make 202 a great year for new political leaders that have yet to be corrupted by DC politics. If they have been in office for six or more years, they are corrupted and MUST be replaced.  We need proper care for our veterans today.  Educate yourself on these politicians and don’t just listen to bullet points about them form the TV talking heads.  Educate yourself about the candidates running for office and use your vote wisely.

Upcoming Articles from The Ranting Vet

Be sure to check out our newest veteran blog article titled “Is The VA Grading Nursing Homes a Case of The Fox Guarding The Henhouse?” this Friday, August 30th. Following this article The Ranting Vet will be on a short vacation and will return with new articles on September 13, 2019 when we will attack the “Seven Invisible Health Problem Facing Today’s Veterans.”

PTSD Symptoms and Possible Treatments; Fight Vet Fight!

By Larry Nader, US Navy Veteran

Disclaimer: The information in this article is being provided for informational purposes only and is not to be considered for diagnoses od, or treatment for, PTSD or any other conditions.  Please consult a medical professional for a proper evaluation, diagnoses, beginning any treatment, or self-medicating.

As we discussed in this blog last week, PTSD is a mental health condition that can occur in both military and non-military persons, when they have experienced or witnessed a traumatic and life-threatening event such as a horrific car accident, murder, a sexual assault, a natural disaster, combat related event, or other traumatic events.  Reports indicate that approximately 3.5% of adults today suffer from PTSD annually, and approximately 9% will develop it at some point in their life.

PTSD is not always a life-long condition and the longevity and severity of it varies by person.  There can be many factors that contribute to the length of time symptoms are present and the level of recovery for the affected veteran.

The variety of symptoms of PTSD is wide but here are some symptoms to be on the lookout for that may indicate that you, or your loved one, has PTSD.  According to MakeTheConnection.net, some of the symptoms that may indicate that you or a loved one has PTSD are:

It’s not only the symptoms of PTSD, but also the way you react to them that may disrupt your life.  MakeTheConnection.Net also states that the following are behavioral signs of possible PTSD.

Image is from RiversOfRecovery.org

Please be aware that you should never diagnose the person strictly based off the above information.  These are merely guidelines to look for that indicate that you or your loved one may need to talk to a professional about these symptoms.  Never jump to any conclusions. Your medical professional will be able to diagnose if what you are feeling is truly PTSD or something else that is affecting your condition.

Always be sure to seek out a proper mental health specialist when you are looking for answers to the symptoms you are experiencing.  Never self-diagnose or self-medicate the situation.  In most cases doing so usually leads to an increase in the severity of the symptoms.

Please be aware that you should never diagnose the person strictly based off the above information.  These are merely guidelines to look for that indicate that you or your loved one may need to talk to a professional about these symptoms.  Never jump to any conclusions. Your medical professional will be able to diagnose if what you are feeling is truly PTSD or something else that is affecting your condition.

Always be sure to seek out a proper mental health specialist when you are looking for answers to the symptoms you are experiencing.  Never self-diagnose or self-medicate the situation.  In most cases doing so usually leads to an increase in the severity of the symptoms.

According to OnceASoldier.org  below are a few questions to ask yourself that your mental health professional should also ask during their evaluation.  In the past month, have you:

  • Have you had nightmares about the event(s) or thought about the event(s) when you didn’t want to?
  • Tried hard not to think about the event(s) or went out of your way to avoid situations that reminded you of the event(s)?
  • Been constantly on guard, watchful, or easily startled?
  • Felt numb or detached from people, activities, or your surroundings?
  • Felt guilty or unable to stop blaming yourself or others for the event(s) or any problems the event(s) may have caused?

If you answer YES to three or more of these questions, this does not mean that you have PTSD but you should at least talk to a mental healthcare provider about the symptoms you are feeling and to learn more about PTSD and which treatments may be right for you if you are diagnosed with it.

If you do have a PTSD diagnosis, you may not have enough of certain chemicals in your brain that help in managing and combating stress.  According to OnceASoldier.com, some of the medications available to assist in balancing those chemicals in your brain are Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) or Selective Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs).  Sertraline, paroxetine, and fluoxetine are SSRIs that work for PTSD. Venlafaxine is an SNRI that is effective.

Medical Cannabis has also shown very good results in treating PTSD, although Veterans Affairs is still not solidly behind this treatment as marijuana of any sort continues to be illegal on a federally level. Studies, however, have shown Medical Cannabis, or Marijuana, to be a safe, non-addictive treatment.  There are many different strains of medical cannabis that work well with stress, anxiety and depression.  You should talk with your medical cannabis prescribing doctor about which strains of medical cannabis may work best for you.  Personally, I have found the Girl Scout Cookies and Gorilla Glue strains to work best for me.

Recently I also discovered a derivative of the cannabis plant that is called CBG that has provided me some really good results.  Most of you have heard about CBDs (Cannabidiol), which are usually extracted from the hemp plant and have shown great treatment for PTSD treatments as CBG, or Cannabigerol, is found in the cannabis plant.  In fact, CBG is a precursor to CBDs and THCs, meaning that both CBD and THC start off as CBG.  However, CBG does not contain any of the THC and as a result this treatment does not produce any of the body/mind-altering effects that you would experience with a THC product.  CBG has been found to work well on very specific physiological systems and problems, and recent studies have shown that its potential for medical use is promising.

Recently I also discovered a derivative of the cannabis plant that is called CBG that has provided me some really good results.  Most of you have heard about CBDs (Cannabidiol), which are usually extracted from the hemp plant and have shown great treatment for PTSD treatments as CBG, or Cannabigerol, is found in the cannabis plant.  In fact, CBG is a precursor to CBDs and THCs, meaning that both CBD and THC start off as CBG.  However, CBG does not contain any of the THC and as a result this treatment does not produce any of the body/mind-altering effects that you would experience with a THC product.  CBG has been found to work well on very specific physiological systems and problems, and recent studies have shown that its potential for medical use is promising.

Some things you can do if you think that you may have PTSD is, first and foremost, contact a mental health professional for a complete and proper diagnoses.  You can also work to adjust your lifestyle to help relieve your symptoms and triggers.  Some of these include:

  • Talking to other veterans who have experienced similar traumas; this may help you connect with others that you trust.
  • Volunteering in your community can help you connect to your community as well as and get you focused on positives things in your life.
  • Exercising is another way to combat stress and the symptoms of PTSD by reducing physical tension as well as helping you sleep better at night (a major key to controlling PTSD).
  • Talk to your family and loved ones.  This is probably the hardest of all treatments as it forces us to open ourselves up to those closest to us; those we have been protecting from the ugly truths of what we went through and experienced.  Most combat vets do not want to discuss their feelings or experiences with their family or loved ones as it is not only something that many times will scare them, but it also forces us to relive the very thing we want to bury deep down inside.  You cannot throw enough dirt on this disease to keep it buried.  In many cases your family not knowing what you are feeling or going though is more detrimental to your long-term mental health and recovery then keeping them in the dark.  You need a solid support system around you to successfully control and beat PTSD.
  • Meditation, yoga or adaptive yoga for those who have physical limitations, and Tai Chi are other forms of treatment that can help with PTSD.  I know that the city that I live in has a free meditation class about once every quarter that helps teach people meditation principles and technique.  These, like other forms of treatment, are not right for everyone but it has shown to produce great results in combating stress, depression and anxiety.  I believe that most VA facilities have programs set up that you can join for free. 

Please know that you are not the only one going through this, even though that is of little benefit to those of us dealing with this demon.  Once you realize and accept that this is not something that happened because you are a bad person, weak-minded, or defective in any way, you can begin your path to improved mental health.  This happened because you experienced or witnessed something very traumatic, and we all deal with trauma differently.  However, the human mind was never designed to absorb the horrors of war and not be affected by it.  I am more worried of the people who can witness such atrocities and not be affected by it. 

Reach out to a loved one or close friend.  Talk to someone close to you, a fellow vet, a friend, a clergy member, doctor, etc.  Let them know what you are going through and do not take no for an answer when dealing with the VA.  You never left a man or woman behind on the battlefield, and we are not going to leave you behind.  You friends, family, clergy, and medical professional have your six; trust them.  You do not have to do this alone.

You may also find that psychological therapy or group therapy is what works for you.  Whatever is it that works to for, find it.  Live it.  Breath it.  Be it.  Be the best you that you can be but remember that no one expects you to be a perfect.  As humans we are all naturally flawed but it’s how we work with those flaws and strive to become a better person that is the key.   Your family deserves this and more importantly, YOU deserve this.

Once I finally came to terms with my condition and was being treated, I was finally able to run past events through my head and realized how I was perceived by others who had no idea what I was going through.  Believe me this took about a year of treatment and recovery for me to finally be able to see how I was acting.  It was rough to look back on, but we can never change what is in the past we can only change what we do going forward.  Had I not had my support system around me when I needed it, I have no idea where I would be today. 

PTSD is tough to handle on your own.  Think of asking for help with this condition the same way you would have called in an air strike if you were pinned down by enemy fire.  Build your support system with people you trust and never be afraid to rely on them or let them see your vulnerable side.  They are your teammates, not the enemy.  And call in the air strike if needed.

Remember this, 22 a day is 22 too many.  You served your country with pride and honor.  You were put in extreme situations beyond your control that required extreme measures on your part to make it through the battle and back home.  Do not allow yourself to become a statistic.

Image is from NoWarriorsLeftBehind.blog

In closing, my brothers and sisters, Semper Fortis (Navy), Semper Fi (Marines), Hooah (Army) and Aim High (Air Force).  Thank you for your service to our country and please do not let your story end today.  NEVER Give Up.  NEVER stop fighting.  Fight Vet Fight.

PTSD And Navigating The VA System

By Larry Nader, US Navy Veteran

PTSD or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder did not start with the Vietnam war, and has been known by different names over the centuries of war.  While PTSD has only been officially recognized since 1980 it’s origins can be traced back to the civil war at least. 

During the Civil War it was referred to as “Soldiers-Heart”.  During World War I it was called “combat fatigue”. During World War II it was called “gross stress reaction”.  It has also gone by the names “Battle Fatigue” and “Shell Shock”.  So many names for the same condition.

PTSD is form of anxiety disorder that can occur in persons, military or non, following their witnessing or being exposed to a traumatic event, something they perceive as horrible or frightening.  For the purpose of this article we will be discussing military related PTSD and how to navigate the VA system.

While PTSD is usually an ongoing condition, it is not always.  Much of its longevity is dependent on how soon the disorder is diagnosed and properly treated, as well as the support system around those affected.  Those with no support system around them, or a support system of loved ones who do not understand the condition, have a higher risk of increased severity or they just plan decide not to be treated.  It’s very hard for those with PTSD to see how their behavior is out of control or how it is affecting their loved ones and others around them. 

Many times, we, as military personnel or veterans, do not seek out the help that is needed because we feel that we were warriors and should be strong enough to handling these demons on our own terms.  We never went into battle alone, why start now?  Battling PTSD is never won by doing it alone.

While PTSD is associated with anxiety issues, it also can bring about depression as well as alcohol or other substance abuse.  Treating PTSD through self-medicating is a recipe for disaster every time. The disease will continue to grow using this method, and, in many situations, the person affected turns more and more inward and withdraws from reality and those around them.

For those who seek out treatment through Veteran Affairs, many times are denied a proper diagnosis because their military records do not show any record of the triggering event.  The lack of proper treatment and the collapse, or non-existence, of a good support system many times will lead the veteran to becoming a statistical number in the veteran suicide column. 

While the VA does have a lot of issues surrounding improper care for our veterans, we as the veteran community need to reach out to those we know are suffering and let them know that we care, love them and that they are not alone in this fight. 

Personally, I have found my share of deadwood in the VA system here in Phoenix (which is an unfair comparison to deadwood as deadwood still has a purpose), but I have also found some very good, caring doctors and staff that try to go the extra mile only to have the system tie their hands.  The thing with the VA is that you must be persistent, demanding and fight for your right to a diagnosis and proper medical treatment.  Do not be afraid to get your US Representative involved if you are getting stonewalled by the system.

When I started my journey towards diagnosis and treatment through the VA decades after my triggering incident, I was told by the Phoenix VA that they could not schedule an appointment for me as I did not exist in their system.  I explained that I had the VA approval paperwork that instructed me to call their office.  I was then told, “Sorry but if you are not in our system, you do not exist.” 

That came at a very bad time for me as my business was crumbling because I was unable to focus on it as I needed to and had done in the past plus my spouse was at her wits end trying to deal with my mood swings and misplaced anger.

After being told they would not help me I went into an even deeper depression with extreme anxiety issues accompanying it. It was then that one of my brothers said that I needed to contact my US Representative and have them investigate the situation.

Being one who was always used to doing for myself and helping others, I did not immediately act on this suggestion but instead waited a couple more weeks before I realized that I had to do something uncomfortable if I wanted to maintain my marriage and family life. 

Finally, I reached out to my Rep through their web page providing them a full detail of my situation, or lack thereof, with the VA.  I was called the next day by Congressman Trent Franks Veteran Liaison who told me to scan and email him my paperwork and they would get back to me.  I fully expected that I was being blown off, but I followed through on my end anyway.

Congressman Franks office opened a congressional inquiry with the VA regarding my status.  Within one week I received a call from a person at the VA Regional Clinic in Surprise, AZ asking me when I can come in to see him to get set up in their system.  He immediately booked an appointment for me with a primary care doctor in that clinic while I was on the phone with him. The appointment was for three days following our phone call.  I was amazed at how fast the wheels can turn when your locals’ leaders in DC get involved. 

After meeting with my primary care nurse practitioner who ran several tests and recorded my medical history as well as my service-related complaints into the computer, she also provided me with a referral to a Psychiatrist.  This was nearly three years ago and the main lesson I have learned with the VA is, much like anywhere I life, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. 

My Psychiatrist worked with me on a prescription treatment plan where I wasn’t going to be so heavily sedated that I could not properly enjoy life.  This took a couple of years to get the med levels correct and for me to adjust my life so that I was able to get enough sleep nightly, a factor which is key to treating this disease. 

The biggest issues I have had are with the nurses and the people in charge of answering the phones.  In three years of calling the VA, I have never had a phone called answered.  They all go straight to voicemail.  But do not let that detour you, leave that message and follow up in a day if you have not heard back from them and BE PERSISTENT.    

After a couple of appointments, I found that my Psychiatrist had me on auto pilot.  No calls to check up on my status ever few months as he told home his nurse would do and, whenever I would call to try to schedule a follow-up appointment, my calls were never returned.

Finally, I was complaining to my primary care NP during one of my six-month follow up visits and was told that I need to walk into the schedulers office personally and tell them I need an appointment.  I did this and had an appointment for a couple of days later. At that point I have started booking my follow up visits with the doctor and the scheduler before leaving from my appointment. 

There is no easy way to navigate the lunacy of the VA system, but the key is to never give up my brothers and sisters.  You served your country proudly and you deserve to have your health issues and concerns treated with respect and dignity.  You never gave up on the battlefield, why start now.  Navigating the VA system is about putting your effort into forcing them to do their jobs.  We all learned about teamwork in bootcamp and those lessons served us well throughout our careers. 

The biggest lesson I can offer you in dealing with the VA is to never stop fighting for your medical and mental health needs.  Do not take no for an answer.  Get your Congressional Representatives involved if needed and do not be afraid to throw out the Vet card. 

At an average of 22 veterans a day committing suicide in this country, we must be our own support system.  The government is not going to do it.  Once we retire or leave the service, we are nothing but burdens and liabilities to them in their eyes.  You are not a burden or liability to society or your family.  You did not do this to yourself.  You donned the uniform proudly and did your job protecting our nation every day of your service.  Now its time to protect yourself and your loved ones.

In closing, I ask anyone who is reading this that may feel that they cannot continue, please reach out to a fellow vet, your clergy person and yes even the VA for help.  If things are severe and you are contemplating taking your life, please call the Veteran Crisis line immediately at (800) 273-8255 and then press 1.  Do not ever believe that your family or the world is better without you in it.  That is not true and is the PTSD talking, not you.  Fight for your life.  Fight for your loved ones.

Do not allow anyone to tell you they cannot help you.  You and your loved ones are too precious, and you all deserve the best you that you can be.  They key is they need you in their life no matter what the disease is telling you. 

During our military service we worked as a team, do try to do this on your own.  Team effort wins every time.  Stay strong brothers and sisters, and NEVER give up the fight. 

7-Percent of Living Americans Have Served in the Military; Freedom is Not Free

By Larry Nader, US Navy Veteran

As of 2014, the Department of Veteran Affairs estimates there were 22 million military veterans in the U.S. population. If you add their figures on veterans to the 1.4 million active personnel (only 0.4% of the population of America), it brings you to a mere 7.3 percent of all living Americans having served in the military at some point in their lives.

We live in an era where everyone is upset about athletes kneeling during the National Anthem, or those who tell anyone who points out the flaws within our current system to “go back to where you can from” or the old UAW favorite, “America, love it or leave it”.   We openly attack anyone who is Muslim but turn a blind eye when an American turns terrorist. 

It seems we all have time to bitch and offer thoughts and prayers, yet 93-percent of us are fully willing to let someone else protect and defend their country.  The very country that they claim to love so much that if you speak out against it (a right that is protected by the Constitution’s First Amendment), they either want you to move to another country or just simply die.  So, just to recap, you love your country so much that you are willing to let others die for it but you are not willing to serve her yourself. 

By serving I am not just referring to the 7.3-percent who have served in the military but also to all those who volunteer their time for the betterment of our country and the world.  I fully realize that not everyone is cutout to handle the military lifestyle, but you can serve you country in so many more ways. 

Volunteering in your local community or other countries to help others led fortunate is one way.  Whether that be assisting the elderly, children with special needs, volunteering the Peace Corps, at a food bank or soup kitchen, etc. 

Our country has lost its way, and while many of us do volunteer in our communities only 50% of eligible voters bother to show up to vote.  Yet, 100-percent of us complain about our elected officials in one way or another.  It doesn’t matter what you do to volunteer yourself, it’s about the ripple effect that helping others causes. 

About a year back, I was volunteering at the traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall, during its stopover in Surprise, Arizona over the July 4th 2018 weekend; I am always humbled by seeing the near-60,000 names that are on the actual wall in DC as well as on the traveling wall.  While my service was immediately post-Vietnam, I feel a very tight connection with those who served during the Vietnam War and am brought to tears reading the names of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice in their service.

Traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall

Living in Phoenix, Arizona we usually try to avoid the heat of summer days as much as possible by limiting our time outdoors.  Yet with temperatures at 114F, many locals, mostly seniors, and myself stood guard over the memorial and assisted those visiting the wall in helping them to find the names of loved ones they were looking for.  We were supposed to take breaks out of the heat every hour but I couldn’t break myself away for the wall and stayed at my post the full four hour shift enduring the heat (water was my best friend) as well as a desert Haboob which is not unusual in the valley. 

During my shift, I met a man in his mid-20s who had brought his grandfather to visit the wall.  The grandfather was a veteran of both the Korean and Vietnam Wars.  During our conversation, the young man thanked me for my service and then followed it up with, “I was going to enlist but I just couldn’t bring myself to do so.   I figured it was better that someone who was willing to serve actually served as I would be useless in war.”  His exact words.  What I thought and what I said to him were two different things.

While I considered his comment to be insensitive and felt that he basically said that he was too good to serve, what I said to him was that, “We all serve however we can.”  Then I asked him where he has volunteered at and his reply was that he didn’t have time to volunteer as he was trying to find work.  Rather than chastise him for his comments I carried on a 30-minute conversation with him and found out that overall he was a pretty good guy.  Just too lazy to give of himself like many of us are.  Those of us who served did so to protect the rights of all Americans, even those who refuse to give of themselves to help others, or those who kneel, sit or talk during the national anthem, and even those who spew hate speech with their every single word. 

This is America in 2019.  We expect everything for free, but nothing is free, and definitely not freedom.  As Jimmy Buffett says in his song Carnival World, “There’s no free ride in this carnival world.”  If our founding fathers, no matter how racist they may have been, decided it was better to let someone else fight for the release of the 13-colonies from British oppression, where would our country be today?

Once again, I get it.  As a country, we have spent over 220 years of our existence at war and war is a scary thing for everyone; those of us who serve are just better able to tamp down the fear long enough to act.  However then, find another way of giving back to better the world around you. 

Get involved in the next elections by helping to spread the word about your candidate of choice, volunteer at the voting polls, check on your elderly next door neighbor or single parent to see if you can help them in any way, pick up trash of the side of the roads, hold the door open for a stranger, etc.  There are a million ways that you can show your support of our country and you don’t have to enlist in the military to do so.

The Ripple Effect

Performing random acts of kindness, even something as simple as opening a door for someone, can cause a ripple that continues to grow as those you helped help others. 

We are all in this world together and at the end of our lives, no one gets out alive.  The millions and billions you have been sitting on and counting by yourself will not travel to the afterlife with you.  The Universe (no matter which God you believe in) will not judge you by your acquired wealth, great number of possessions, your $20,000 wine cellar, or even your $70K luxury car.  You will be judged for your compassion and consideration for your fellow human, whatever you have done to make the world better, or in some cases, worse.  He who dies with the most toys wins, is not even close to factual.

The focus of this blog article is not to criticize those who refuse to give back of themselves, but to try to educate these people so that they realize that giving of yourself unselfishly is the only true act of kindness.  And giving of yourself doesn’t mean destroying yourself in the process.  You health at all times should be what’s most important but, with 93-percent of American having not served in the military, there does seem to be a lot of the “I want mine but I don’t want to give back” attitude that we have developed over the past several decades. 

Find your purpose in helping others and you will find a new level of contention and happiness that you have never felt before. 

With that, I will leave you with a couple of quotes from Guatama Buddha:

“Set your heart on doing good. Do it over and over again, and you will be filled with joy.”

“Have compassion for all beings, rich and poor alike; each has their suffering. Some suffer too much, others too little.”

“Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle. Happiness never decreases by being shared”

Now go and find a way to make ripples for yourselves.  If we all did one act of random kindness each day what an amazing world we could create. 

My Defining Moment of Service

By Larry Nader, US Navy Veteran

As the Vietnam War came to an official end in 1975, I met with a Navy recruiter that fall, a couple of weeks following my 17th birthday, to discuss enlistment options.  In school I was in my second year of Electronics, so they had me take their basic tests to see where I would fall.  The results were that they could offer me a guaranteed Electronic Technician position, on a delayed entry program to allow me time to complete high school.  As part of the program I would hold the rank of E4 following basic training but had to commit to a six-year enlistment.

The only issue was, since I was 17, I needed to have a parent’s signature on the the paperwork for the Delayed Entry Program.  Additionally, I would still only be 17 when I headed to boot camp in July of 1976.  So, I headed home to see about getting my parental permission to join. 

My father had served in the Army during World War II and, like most wartime veterans, never really talked about his service time except when talking about the more humorous stuff that happened with his friends and brothers. I expected it to be a slam dunk getting his signature, which was not the case.

When I presented my father with my plans for life after the 12th grade I never expected him to be opposed to it.  He would not tell me directly why he was against my enlisting and only said that I didn’t know what I was getting myself into.  Of course, being the typical 17-year-old, I thought I knew better and pressed the issue.  Eventually he would reluctantly agree to sign the papers under one condition; that was that I never would blame him for signing the enlistment docs.  I jumped all over that deal and headed back the next day to the recruiting office on Grand River Avenue in Detroit, MI to officially enlist in the delayed entry program. 

As the school year progressed and graduation time got closer, I did start to regret the decision to join a mere 4 weeks after high school graduation; a time when my friends were all planning camping trips to northern Michigan.  One of the other benefits I had with the delayed entry program was that I could choose where I wanted to attend basic training – Great Lakes Naval Station (Chicago), San Diego Naval Training Center, or Orlando Naval Training Center.  When I found out that Orlando was the only location where they trained both men and women, my location choice was made up.  Orlando it would be.  It never crossed my mind that we would never be within 100 yards of any females.

Following basic training, which was completed over the summer in Orlando (ugghhh how horrible that was), I went on to Submarine Training School in Groton, CT for 8 weeks of training before being sent to Dam Neck, VA for the next year and a half to complete Basic Electronics as well as training for Ships Inertial Navigation Systems (SINS) for both Polaris and Poseidon missile subs. 

Following my schooling, I received orders to report to the USS Proteus (AS-19), a submarine tender out of Guam, where I was stationed aboard for the next nearly 2-1/2 years riding her to the Long Beach Shipyard in late 1978 and then back to Guam in early 1980.  After another 5 months on Guam, I received orders to report to the USS Turner Joy (DD-951) in San Diego, CA. 

Once I was aboard the Turner Joy, I found out that she was in bad shape engine-wise (she was 22 years old at the time) and we failed to make the next five attempts for a West-Pac due to boiler and engine issues.  Eventually, they finally pieced her together for what would be her final West-Pac before decommissioning. 

It was on one of the long nights out at sea between Guam and Japan in April of 1982 where I started to ask myself what the purpose of my service was.  We, as a country, had gone the full six years without any major skirmishes or wars so most of my time was enjoying shore leave wherever I was.  Our West Pac took us to Hawaii, Guam, Japan (Sasebo and Kagoshima), Korea (Pusan and Chinhae), Philippines (Olongapo), then on to Pattaya Beach Thailand before heading back to the Philippines where I was scheduled to travel to Manila by bus to grab a military flight back to San Diego for discharge processing.  The ship, however, would continue on their West-Pac for a couple more months before heading back to San Diego and then, with the help of a skeleton crew, head to Bremerton, WA (her original birthplace) to be mothballed. 

The question of my purpose for my service was eventually answered in early June of 1982 when we were steaming back to the Philippines after and amazing four day stop over the Pattaya Beach.  During the time, Vietnam was telling the United Nations that they were declaring 12-mile territorial waters, something that the UN was not in agreement with due to, at the time, the violent nature of Vietnam and their aggression towards their own people.  They were granted 5-miles which Vietnam refused accept.

It was a Sunday night and roughly 9:38pm when a peaceful cruise back to Subic Bay turned into a night that almost reignited the Vietnam War all over again. 

In our squadron were guided missile destroyers the USS Lynde McCormick (DDG-8) and the USS Benjamin Stoddert (DDG-22), as well as the USS Sterret (CG-31), a guided missile cruiser. I remember the time very well as I oversaw operation of the ship’s close circuit television and had just started the final show of the evening, Benny Hill, when all hell broke loose.

As I stated before, my nearly six-years of service at the time was all under peace time situations but I knew immediately that we were taking fire when I heard what sounded like a handful of ball bearings hitting the steel deck above where I was laying in the Electronics Room.  Within seconds it was announced over the PA, “All hands to battle stations, this is NOT a drill.”

We later learned that the McCormick had sent orders to our ship that they needed us to investigate a flashing light signal aboard what appeared to be a small fishing boat.  This was near Con Son Island.  As the Turner Joy approached the vessel, they fired two sets of flares across our ship’s bow and then opened fire with a small caliber machine gun at a range of about ½-mile.  One of the rounds fired on the Turner Joy pierced our hull at the officers’ quarters where four officers were playing cards.  The bullet passed across the middle of the table between these four officers and lodged in the far bulkhead.   

When the McCormick came to identify the vessel that fired on the Turner Joy the fishing boat opened fired on them as well.  The McCormick responded with 50-caliber machine gun fire at which point the Vietnamese vessel stopped their attack.  Washington DC was radio immediately regarding the attack and Regan ordered our squadron of ships to surround these boats (two fishing boats and one junk boat) and hold then until morning to verify they were indeed Vietnamese.  When contacted by Regan, Vietnam’s Prime Minister, Phạm Văn Đồng, denied any involvement by Vietnam or their citizens. 

Just before sunrise we were able to observe the three vessels which included one boat flying the Vietnamese flag.  Upon notifying Regan of this finding, we were ordered to release the boats, break formation and return to the Philippines. 

Several hours following the release of the Vietnamese boats we were contacted by the McCormick, once again, this time regarding some sort of debris on the horizon that was in the commercial shipping lanes.  They needed us to investigate and destroy the debris so that commercial ships sailing in the region were free of any danger from it.

As we approached the “debris” we found that it was a homemade wooden raft with what appeared to be 12 Vietnamese Boat People that were willing to defy death in order to secure a better life outside of Vietnam.  As we established contact with the boat people, we learned that they were out of water and food and several were very sick as a result.

We were given permission to rescue all aboard the raft, quarantine them on our ship’s fantail (aft main deck), provide them with food, water and medical care and then destroy the raft.  After all refugees were rescued, our gunners eventually blew up the raft and we steamed full speed back to Subic Bay.  The picture with this blog article is a photo that I took as we were approaching the raft. 

Despite all that day’s and previous evening’s excitement it still never hit me for several weeks that my question about the purpose of my service time had been answered.   Following my return to San Diego for discharge, I learned that each and every one of the 12 Boat People survived and were being relocated to various places around the world where they had family,  When I looked at the photo of those we had rescued, it finally hit me.  The reason for my service.  My purpose if you will.

While my involvement in the rescue was secondary at best, without the hundred of men that served aboard these ships (this was before women were allowed aboard combat vessels), the boat people could very realistically have died of hunger and dehydration under the blazing sun over the South China Sea.  While I do not consider myself a hero for the obvious reasons, I do take great pride in knowing that 12 people didn’t die on my watch because of those of us that served aboard those ships.

I have carried this photo with me ever since that day and often look at it when I have had a bad day or week or month.  It always brings a smile to my face when I look at it.  Part of the pride I feel with this photo is that, while I have no way of knowing for sure, I prefer to think that several of these amazing people went on to do great things to help others in the world.  It’s called the ripple effect.  One act of kindness, no matter how small, can create a ripple of good deeds that grows over time.

Obviously, the Navy is full of rescue stories like this one and greater ones and I know that my purpose was not greater than many others’, but it is mine and I carry it with me proudly.  I keep These amazingly strong people in my mind and my heart every day knowing that they gave my six-year career meaning and purpose. 

Now, in my 60s, I am sure that I will probably never get to meet any of those who were rescued that day, but I still wonder everyday what happened to them.  Which ones became doctors, or social workers or activists for greater humanitarian causes.  I prefer to think that they all went on to make those of us who rescued them very proud by helping their fellow humans and saving countless lives.

Screwing Our Vets; Our Government’s 243 Year Time-Honored Tradition

It seems that you cannot go a day reading local and national news or looking at social media posts without yet another story on the US Government and its breaking of promises to take care of veterans who become sick and/or injured/disabled while serving our country.  To many this appears to be new stuff, but in fact it has been happening to veterans at the hands of the very government they serve to protect since the Revolutionary War and will most likely go on until the final days of our country.

Veterans who served in recent wars/military actions in Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc. are just the latest victims at the hands of their apathetic masters.  So, if they are the latest let’s look at the history of Uncle S(c)am’s treatment of its service members and veterans. 

Most people alive today are aware of how Vietnam service members were treated, not only by our government but also by the people of the US, many of whom considered them “baby-killers” mostly due to the media coverage of the war being brought into our homes for the first time ever, live, up-front and personal, each and every day.  These men and women who put their lives on the line strictly because the government said it was necessary to fight communism in Southeast Asia, were not only ignored when they needed medical and mental service treatments to help them deal with the psychological and physical injuries upon their return home by Veterans Affairs, but were also spit on and ridiculed by many civilians upon their return “home”.

The modern-day plight of the Vietnam War Vet as well as modern day veterans is only the latest in centuries of this behavior by our leaders to try to forget them as soon as their service to our country is completed.  In fact, going back to World War I we see that following the war it was hard for many veterans to maintain employment and then the Great Depression hit destroying the hope for work for most Americans including these veterans. 

In 1924 the government passed the World War Adjusted Compensation Act which awarded veterans of World War I a bonus for their service.  The value of each veteran’s “credit” was based on each recipient’s service in the United States Armed Forces between April 5, 1917, and July 1, 1919, with $1.00 awarded for each day served in the United States and $1.25 for each day served abroad. It set maximum payments at $500 (approx. $7250 in 2018 dollars) for a veteran who served stateside and $625 for a veteran who served overseas. Most officers and anyone whose service began after November 11, 1918 were excluded.  The only problem was that these veterans had to wait until 1945 before receiving their promised bonuses.

While the government was dragging their feet on payments, the Great Depression hit in 1929, and the veteran community was suffered as hard or harder than the rest of the country.  This was a bad time for so many who lost all wealth overnight.  By 1932 these veterans, whose families were suffering with lack of food and no income, could no longer wait for the bonus money they had been promised nearly a decade before and decided it was time to act.  In June of 1932, a total of 43,000 protestors (17,000 veterans and their families) marched on Washington, DC demanding immediate payment of their long overdue bonuses.  These people were called the Bonus Army.

On July 28, 1932, frustrated with the protesting veterans, President Hoover ordered the Secretary of War to disperse the protesters. Towards the late afternoon, cavalry, infantry, tanks and machine guns pushed the “Bonusers” out of Washington. The troops injured more than one hundred marchers in the process. When the veterans moved back into the camp, police drew their revolvers and shot at the veterans, two of whom, William Hushka and Eric Carlson, died later.  Our government’s solution to ‘deal” with these destitute veterans and their families was to sick the hounds on them.  Kind of what we would have expected out of the Kaiser led Germany, not our government.  Thank you for your service.

However, our government’s reputation for mistreating their veterans dates as far back as our country’s inception.  Yes, that right, mistreating and lying to our veterans has been a US Government time-honored tradition for over 240 years.

In 1776, The Continental Congress promised enlisting service members a “guaranteed disabled soldiers disability benefits”.  This was done as a means of getting young men to enlist and to try to keep them from defecting to the British.  However, disabled veterans who attempted to receive their promised benefits found the government to be a bit forgetful of their promise. 

Case in point is one Caleb Brewster, a key member of George Washington’s Culper Spy Ring.   On December 7, 1782, five years into his service, Brewster lead an attack against three British ships near Fairfield, CT.  During the encounter Brewster took a direct musket ball hit to his check, which Washington himself noted I his journal.  Three month’s later, after only partially recovering from his first injury, Brewster led another attack on a British vessel, aggravating his injury in the process. 

Following his reinjury, Brewster went to New York to file his claim as the Colonies/States were supposed to pay these benefits at the time. However, New York refused to pay.  Neither would Connecticut (Brewster also lived and spent service time there). 

In 1789 the newly established United States Congress took over the responsibility for paying these claims, so Brewster refiled his claim with them.  In 1790, Congress agreed to pay Brewster all his back benefits from his time of filing in New York and half pay for life.  The US Treasury however, refused to settle his account. Following this news, Brewster sent a letter petitioning George Washington himself to get involved.  Finally, in 1992, Brewster received his payments.  But Brewster was one of the very few that received their promised benefits. 

Approximately 250,000 soldiers fought in the Revolutionary War, while roughly 3,000 receive the promised benefits.  This was most likely because, as a country, we were flat broke and couldn’t make good on these promises. 

We could go war by war and military action by military action and find multitudes of similar stories.  As a country we have been involved in wars, or military actions, for 226 years out of our 243 year history, and has never gone a full decade without being involved in a war.  That’s for 93% of our country’s existence we been involved in wars.

While war has been an industry that has fueled our economy for centuries.  Large corporations make huge amounts of money selling weapons, planes, uniforms, and other goods to all sides involved.  They have no dog in the race, they only want to keep selling their high-priced weaponry and increase profits year after year.  The government looks at war to increase its global footprint and control of third world nations while pretending to wear a white hat.  There is no money in taking care of veterans.  Once their time serving their country is done, they are looked at by the government as liabilities without any assets.  The government has no further use for them and, as our government looks at it, these veterans insisting on receiving their due benefits only puts a drain on government resources.  The government has never cared about promises it makes and, based on 243 years of history, that will not change anytime soon. 

Regretfully, the only thing our government has for the disabled and injured vets is a “Thank You For your Service” and a boot in the ass on your way out the door.  Deceit and lies, a 243-year time-honored United States government tradition.

Welcome To My Blog

About Me

Thank you for reading my Ranting Vet Blog. I am a 6-year US Navy veteran having served in both the submarine and surface Navy, first aboard the USS Proteus (AS-19) and then completing my service aboard the USS Turner Joy (DD-951).
In 2016, more than 30 years after receiving my honorable discharge, I found that the Island of Guam, where I served aboard the USS Proteus from 1978 thru 1980 (the Proteus was in the Long Beach shipyards between December 1978 and January 1980), had been heavily contaminated with several agent herbicides, including the infamous Agent Orange, DDTs, PCB, TCEs and PFOS to name a few hazardous chemicals as indicated by the EPA.
Records show Agent Orange was used on Guam through the late 1980s, long after the risks of using this chemical were well known. While researching online about my other injury from my service, I found a Facebook page full of first-hand testimonies from service members who sprayed the Agent herbicides on the Island as well as those who served on Guam and have been suffering from several forms of cancer and other herbicide related illnesses and consequent first and second generation birth defects.
While trying to maneuver my way though the Veterans Affair system I quickly became disillusioned with their apathy and lack of care, and eventually had to get my US Representative involved before the doors started to open. Since then I have continued to find dealing with the VA overall a difficult process, but one that was made easier once you realize you have to b the one to care, because most of them will not.
Being a writer in my past life covering professional, junior and youth hockey around the Great Lakes region I recently decided to try blogging as a way to get information out to others who may be dealing wit the same things I am or those who just want to increase their awareness.
While this will be mainly a blog for ranting and writing about veteran related issues, it will also include other general interest topics as well. In addition to this blog you can check out my Photography Facebook page @LarryNaderPhotography. Thanks again for reading and I hope you enjoy it.

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