Page 39 - A Soldiers Exposition

How many Purple Heart recipients were denied GI Bill benefits? Would it have been more appropriate to
have given all “In-Country” soldiers a medical discharge and proper treatment? Should their GI Bill
benefits be reinstated?

An assessment by the Justice Department in 2007 estimated that 223,000, (mostly Vietnam-era
Veterans) served their country without receiving treatment for illnesses that contributed to their
imprisonment.

Some of them died at their own hands; we witnessed it; we experienced their torment.

We saw the failure of the chain of command to provide treatment. We experienced the maltreatment and
the steady downward slide of these soldiers. Their drug abuse and their drinking became uncontrollable.

These soldiers needed help – not ridicule – not abandonment.

So, what exactly is combat? For the sake of discussion, let’s use this:

“Combat or fighting is a purposeful violent conflict meant to weaken, or establish dominance over the
opposition, or to kill the opposition, or drive the opposition away from a location where it is not wanted or
needed.

The term combat (French for fight): typically refers to armed conflict between military forces in warfare,
whereas the more general term "fighting" can refer to any violent conflict between individuals or nations.
Combat violence can be unilateral, whereas fighting implies at least a defensive reaction.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combat

Ok, so: “Whereas the more general term "fighting" can refer to any violent conflict between individuals …”

Using the above definition; I believe many of my fellow soldiers and I should at least be given some credit
for service in “supporting” roles.

I was “deployed” in several TDY and “Other Duties as Assigned” roles relating to humanitarian aid that
involved the rescue of individuals and groups from places other than on “official military duty
assignments”, which involved being shot at and requiring the use of “defensive acts” to “disentangle” from
the location.

Think about: “deployed”; TDY; “Other Duties as Assigned”; humanitarian aid; rescue of individuals and
groups; places other than; being shot at; and; the use of “defensive acts”, and “disentangle”.

That paragraph, especially the “deployed” and the “defensive acts” reveals how our government manages
to “disentangle” itself from some of its obligations to our soldiers.

Remember the question: “Why would the government’s record differ from the soldier’s record?”

The answer once again is simple:

If you (the soldier) can’t document it - the government can’t be held responsible or accountable for it.