Letters to the Editor: Trauma shouldn’t keep veterans from receiving the benefits we promised them
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- Veterans with “other than honorable” discharges may lose access to VA benefits, even when physical or psychological trauma from service left them unable to continue.
- Ensuring those veterans receive the care and support they are owed would turn expressions of gratitude into a commitment to their long-term well-being.
To the editor: Thank you, retired Brig. Gen. David “Mac” MacEwen (“Honor those who served by ensuring veterans receive benefits,” Nov. 11). I, too, have often wondered what we mean to say when we tell veterans, “Thank you for your service.”
All too often, I encounter veterans who have been denied Veterans Affairs benefits because of their “other than honorable” discharges. Young men and women have frequently resorted to enlisting in the military when post-secondary employment or educational options appear limited, with the hope that this service will open future opportunities. And, if these same individuals subsequently suffer physical, psychological or emotional trauma because of their service that renders them incapable of continuing in the military, resulting in “other than honorable” discharges, they should not be denied access to the VA benefits to which they are entitled, as MacEwen (and the Council on Criminal Justice Veterans Justice Commission) eloquently affirms.
We should collectively call upon our elected officials and the Department of Veterans Affairs to do the right thing: Go beyond uttering gratitude for veterans’ service and instead honor our word and commitment to their ongoing well-being.
Jaime H. Pacheco-Orozco, Monterey Park
