2006-01-27T17:09:00.000-08:00

Please Read / Act / Comment
Phone (702) 646-3626
Fax (702) 647-1228
Attention United States Veterans

Re: A Call for Action January 25, 2006

Dear Fellow Veteran,
I am a Veteran who has a 100% disability rating and who is a lifetime member of the Disabled American Veteran’s association. In the January issue of DAV Magazine on page 9. Joseph A. Violante, National Legislative Director of the DAV states that House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Steve Buyer (R-Indiana) has decided that the DAV and other veterans service organizations will no longer have the opportunity to present our legislative priorities before a joint session of the House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees. All of us veterans must take the responsibility for allowing this to happen, sitting on our hands and then begging for peanuts. Congress will not listen because we accept such treatment without fighting back.I am saying that we need to change our mode of thought from pleading to a position of power. There is power in numbers and we have over 19,000 members signed up for legislative notification and 5,000 members in DAV alone. Add the American Legion, Veteran’s of Foreign Wars and Specialty groups and we are a force to be reckoned with.We should organize a protest and walk or wheel or limp around the White House in the biggest protest that Washington has ever seen. A united protest of veterans would make the "million man march" look like Kindergarten. Martn Luther King and Rosa Parks protests proved what can be done, we need to take a stand. All Veterans’ organizations should unite and force the Veteran’s leadership -- who is too scared to buck the government system for fear of losing funding, to speak out on our behalf, addressing our needs and concerns. Freedom of Speech is one of our guaranteed rights under the basic laws of the land and the news media should back these efforts. This country was built on the blood of soldiers/veterans fighting for freedom all over the world, and that sacrifice has made this country what it is today. This is an election year! The President, Senate and House of Representatives would not want to see veterans who have represented and sacrificed for their country be seen protesting in front of the White House for rights that are guaranteed and yet, as in the example of Steve Buyer are being denied. The goverment would not want the embarassment of other countries seeing soldiers being denied rights and services--as evidenced by a well publicized veteran’s protest. We should plan the event around a Veteran’s holiday and take Washington DC by storm. For any veteran unable to travel to Washington, local protests could take place at the very Veteran’s facility designated for care that has to fight to continue to receive services and funding. The last protest was in 1932, it is time for the voice of Veteran’s to be heard again. If the Veteran’s organizations will not back us up, we can do this on our own. If you know a high profile veteran or veteran’s advocate, start soliciting interest and backing. I, as a retired stuntman, will attempt to get some solid backing from some Hollywood entities. We don’t have highly paid, high powered lobbyists to take our cause to the top, so let’s take our protest to the streets. We cannot garner support by courting officials with high priced dinners or gratuities, they won’t listen by going through channels, but a march on Washington would bring the needed attention to be able to vocalize our issues and our concerns. Each group should designate a spokesperson to go on local or national talk shows or television programs such as Oprah Winfrey, 60 minutes, Dateline NBC and 20/20 to enlist support for our cause. We must make sure that anyone who contacts the media has experience, because as a spokesman that person is speaking for all of us. I have testified before Congress twice, have been on NBC and CNN news three times and have been interviewed by national and local newspapers regarding some personal veteran campaigns which you can view via my website, http://www.willieharris.com. We as veterans’, have all represented our country, now do we have the backbone to take a stand and be heard as this is the only way that Congress will listen. Prayers are good, but now is the time for all of us who championed freedom for the United States to find someone to champion our cause. You only need to look at the cuts in services, see what the rating officer does in denying and reducing benefits without any medical background to make such decisions--to know it is time to PROTEST! The Secretary of the Veteran’s Administration, Jim Nicholson is a vet, a very wealthy one who was head of the G.O.P. Do you know of any poor man who was head of the G. O. P.? How effective has he been in exacting change for veterans? The VA hospital services should be for all veterans, not only those with a disability rating. So many veterans are without jobs, they should not be denied treatment or medication. There is so much waste in Congress and the amount of money we give in foreign aid, veterans deserve the unconditional support of their country. We need to get off or our knees, off street corners and stop begging and fight back. I invite veterans to look at my website to understand how long I have been fighting my case against medical malpractice while in the Air Force, since 1967 http://www.willieharris.com. My prayer and plea is that we unite, decide to fight back as God only helps those who help themselves and brothers..... it is time. Please contact me with any ideas, support or comments.
Sincerely,
Willie D. Harris
Disabled American Veteran
Email address: wharris@daydreams.net

Veterans United We Stand Divided We Fail