Over the summer, I had attended
a well publicized musical
concert that was to be held
in the city I live in, and
was free of charge. It was
for the Army Material Command
Band out of Aberdeen Proving
Ground, MD and they were apparently
on tour at various destinations,
and they had signed up for a
commitment to appear here via
their tour bus.

I was thrilled and looking forward
to the event, but what happened
next really changed how I feel
about VSO's.

The only people who showed up
for the event, were the family
relatives of those in the band
and less then 10 of us from
the public. Not one VSO made
an appearance, and the no-show
crowd was a complete and utter
embarrassment for our city.
I was so mortified I couldn't
believe it.

The show went on as scheduled,
as you can guess, but it was
painful to disguise the fact
that there was no audience to
speak of sitting in front of the
performers other than the city
staff crew.

This is not the first time it
has happened here, but for
the sake of those who just don't
quite get it yet that VSO's
are lost in their own spaces,
I wanted to put it here for the
record that the VFW in particular
was nowhere to be found for this
summertime outdoor military band
concert.

Ya see there really is a problem
out here with these phoney baloney
VSO operations, and it's time that
all Veterans come to know why
they are no longer supportable.

The VFW has pretty much limited
itself to 3 primary activities,
and outside of that, they are
dysfunctional and missing in action:
Bingo, bar tabs, and walking around
buildings with their flag poles
in the air. I could also throw
in: Veterans claims which are
not so complicated that it requires
a licensed attorney, but they don't
do a whole lot of that either.

It has truly become a broken,
and futile situation to keep
pandering to these nut farm
VSO operations who have no real
sense of purpose, and are unable
to measure up to matters of duty
outside of the basic 3 that
I just mentioned.

They want the glamour and the
title of exerting themselves
as Icons of patriotism and as the
guardians of other Veterans.
But when put to the test in
a variety of circumstances,
they are nowhere to be found
to prove that out. Missing in
Action is their middle name.

Fraternal clubs generally are
on their way out in todays
society. It's a day gone by
but there are a still a few
hangers-on who just won't let
go.

The dazzle of today's home
theater and cable TV; video
games; and the broadening of
computers with double-duty
capabilities, and the opening
up of chat rooms for Veterans
around the country and so on,
that is today's new reality.
People are no longer congregating
at bar-and-bingo places to
do the same ole, same ole week
in and week out.

Veterans are venturing out for
new social pursuits which
are more convenient and comfortable,
and perhaps not so dwelling on
the rememberances which keeps
them hostage to the past.

The VSO's of the future, may
have to reinvent themselves to
survive in any kind of way.
Their disconnect and dysfunctions
in todays new generation Veterans
arena is sure to leave them behind
fast.

The VFW like all the others, has
put all of their chips in the one
claim to fame basket of doing
Veterans disability claims without
a single licensed lawyer anywhere
to help the Veterans anywhere in
their universe.

But as the VA disability system
itself passes through more and
more change and updating, even
that too will leave the VFW behind
soon.

The VSO's generally have always
been a kind of dumb-leading-the-dumber
crowd, back in the days of our
parents and grandparents where
people were short on information
on government matters, and public
dances were the primary pastime.

But with todays Internet and
computer savvy Veterans, the
VFW is no longer needed for outdated
tasks, and it's only just
a matter of time when the idea
of bingo and bar tabs will be
closed forever.

REPLY TO MACAT:

Well we get this a lot from
new people and the inexperienced.
So let me bring you up to speed.....

First, if you would lose the
attitude and catch up on my
Commission speeches at the
bottom of the Forum page,
we ARE holding monthly email
drives on those speeches and
you can line up with the others
and get yours in as well. Apparently
this ACTION has completely
escaped you.

Don't look for results on that
until September of this year,
and that is NOT under my control.

Second, you need to put away
your delusions about what
is out here and what your
options are about "doing
anything". Every legal corner
is blocked --- go ahead
and piss through money and
see where it gets ya. Bigger
people than you have tried.

From the Feres Doctrine to
corrupt judges who hate Veterans,
you are staring down the barrel
of a machine gun made of
court dismissals. Been there,
done that, take a number.

You have another misperception
out here that somehow Veterans
Rights are not advancing because
nobody is bringing lawsuits.

You need to take a reality pill.

There are things cued up
which are not yet publicly
announced. You really do
have to wait. Lobbying is
done daily by this group
and the CEO is one of the
busiest guys that I know
on this front.

All that can be done IS being
done and all you have to do
is support our email drives
and sign our E-Petitions for
now until some other opportunity
presents itself. We really
ARE gaining ground, but we
aren't to a point where things
are announced just yet.

Finally, you need to get a clue
about what is out here on
the Internet for Veterans.
The sick, the old, the medicated.

Many people cannot even read
or write beyond a 6th grade
level. It's slow going out here
and don't look for this crowd
to hop trucks and buses for
a ride to a rally somewhere.
It ain't gonna happen no matter
how much you wish it.

I was frantic like you too
in the beginning. We now
have a lot of experience
behind us and insight really
goes far.

Now that you are back down
here to earth with the rest
of us, you can either attend
the Veterans Disability Commission
at Washington DC and protest
on the claims issue until
they close their doors in
May and I'll see ya there
if you come; OR you can spin
your own wheels for all eternity
thinking that a lawyer is going
to magically bail you out of
this national mess.

http://www.vetscommission.org

Go there, and be heard and
you will have 5 minutes flat
to talk before they cut you
off.

good luck

quote:

national activist/protester
staff Blogger, VFJ

Yes, this is a blog and discussion forum, and there is a lot being discussed, but that's it, there is no talk of protest, there is no talk of looking into claims and the injustice that veterans have received.

you are a national activist/protester and
staff Blogger, for the VFJ website.

I as a veteran and all of the other veterans want to know WHAT ARE YOU AND THIS WEBSITE GOING TO DO ABOUT OUR INJUSTICES

Are you going to just let us set and talk about it, we want action, if this website is stepping up to the plate to bat for veterans; unlike the other VETERAN SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS, start bating away.

My question wasn't aimed at offending anyone, I just wanted to know what Sue Frasier, VEV 1970
Army Signal Corps national activist/protester
staff Blogger, for VFJ website is going to do about mine and all of the other veterans problems.

If your doing all these great things, let it be known, tell us about it, so that we can pertake of it.

If you have found lawyers to help us with out it costing us our other arm or legg. give us the phone number or have them contact us because were waiting.

Reply

This is a Blog and discussion
Forum so I don't understand
your question.

what are you going to do about it?