The Dover chapter of the Military Officers Association of America, representing 500 former and retired officers in all seven of the uniformed services, supports the effort of the Delaware Veterans Coalition to seek approval for House Bill 1, a measure to create a secretary of veterans affairs position in governors’ cabinets.
Over the past five years, readers of this paper have seen too many horror stories about the mismanagement of the Delaware Veterans Home, a facility with 144 beds but less than 60 residents due to a lack of staff.
Others know how long it takes to bury a loved one at the Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Bear. A secretary of veterans affairs would concentrate on both these issues and fix long-term systemic problems.
Readers may not know, however, that Delaware is near the top of states with a high percentage of veterans per capita yet near the bottom of states who receive veterans benefits from the federal government, also per capita.
That gap represents money that Delaware is paying veterans who could be receiving benefits. Veterans now receiving state-subsidized Medicare or Medicaid when they could be receiving veterans benefits for service-connected health concerns and disabilities are a drain on Delaware’s tax dollars. A secretary of veterans affairs could focus on pushing out information to eligible veterans and helping them attain the benefits from the federal government that they need and deserve.
A secretary of veterans affairs would eliminate the cottage industry of “sharks,” who help veterans attain benefits and then take a percentage of those benefits, often totaling $20,000-$50,000 per claim. That money belongs to the veteran and should stay with the veteran. (Call your legislator and urge passage of the “shark bill.”)
There are 72,000 veterans in Delaware. I urge all of them to call the governor and ask him to add a secretary of veterans affairs. We already have an office, staff, commission and employees in the secretary of state’s office. The cost of adding a few more employees and a secretary would not be that much, considering the money we would gain in veterans benefits coming to our state.
Retired U.S. Army Col. Eugenia “Gene” Thornton
President, Military Officers Association of America’s Dover chapter
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.
