Unhappy Veterans Day
I have finally figured out why I get so agitated on Veterans Day and the root cause surprised me. It isn't that no one says "thanks" for my having served, after all, aside from a few close friends, most of the people who know me don't know that I spent ten years in the military. I'm still angry over having lost my G.I. Bill educational benefits to a loophole in the law that was changed in 1984 and it was an editorial in the L.A. Times on Veterans Day that called for the government not to skimp on G.I. Bill education benefits that finally made me realize what bothers me so.
I stood in line, starting at 4:00 a.m., on December 30, 1976, in order to enlist and gain access to the Vietnam era G.I. Bill educational benefits. My recruiter had explained at length that this meant that upon my leaving the military I would have ten years to use my four years worth of educational benefits. It was one of the primary reasons that I had decided to delay entry into college and go into the military. That, and the fact that I could go to night classes in college once I was permanently assigned to a duty station (if all went well, and it did).
But in 1984, the rules were changed, thanks to then Representative Sunny Montgomery and there was a loophole in his legislation that I got caught in. For people who were eligible for the Vietnam era benefits, they had to remain on active duty beyond a date in 1988 in order for their benefits eligibility to convert to the new program his bill created. I left the service in July 1987. Therefore, I had only from August of 1987 through December 31, 1989 to use my four years worth of educational benefits. 17 months to use 48 months worth of benefits?? Yeah, that just doesn't add up. As a result, I was unable to use any of my educational benefits, as I had to secure work right away and the following year, even if I had applied to college, the benefits would have run out in mid-year.
I wrote to Rep Montgomery asking that he sponsor legislation to amend his bill to provide adequate time for me and others like me caught in the same loophole to use our benefits, but received no reply. Neither of the U.S. Senators from my home state of California nor the Member of the House whose district I lived in at the time responded to letters on the subject either, except to say that there was nothing they could do. Good ole B-1 Bob Dornan did respond saying he would look into the matter, but later responded saying that budgetary constraints prevented anything from being done. At least he looked into the matter.
So now, every Veterans Day, I am reminded that this is how my nation said thanks for my service. It took away my promised educational benefits. No wonder I don't like this holiday.
I stood in line, starting at 4:00 a.m., on December 30, 1976, in order to enlist and gain access to the Vietnam era G.I. Bill educational benefits. My recruiter had explained at length that this meant that upon my leaving the military I would have ten years to use my four years worth of educational benefits. It was one of the primary reasons that I had decided to delay entry into college and go into the military. That, and the fact that I could go to night classes in college once I was permanently assigned to a duty station (if all went well, and it did).
But in 1984, the rules were changed, thanks to then Representative Sunny Montgomery and there was a loophole in his legislation that I got caught in. For people who were eligible for the Vietnam era benefits, they had to remain on active duty beyond a date in 1988 in order for their benefits eligibility to convert to the new program his bill created. I left the service in July 1987. Therefore, I had only from August of 1987 through December 31, 1989 to use my four years worth of educational benefits. 17 months to use 48 months worth of benefits?? Yeah, that just doesn't add up. As a result, I was unable to use any of my educational benefits, as I had to secure work right away and the following year, even if I had applied to college, the benefits would have run out in mid-year.
I wrote to Rep Montgomery asking that he sponsor legislation to amend his bill to provide adequate time for me and others like me caught in the same loophole to use our benefits, but received no reply. Neither of the U.S. Senators from my home state of California nor the Member of the House whose district I lived in at the time responded to letters on the subject either, except to say that there was nothing they could do. Good ole B-1 Bob Dornan did respond saying he would look into the matter, but later responded saying that budgetary constraints prevented anything from being done. At least he looked into the matter.
So now, every Veterans Day, I am reminded that this is how my nation said thanks for my service. It took away my promised educational benefits. No wonder I don't like this holiday.
posted by me at 7:32 AM
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