A Veteran's Appeal

They make a lot of promises,
but actions speak louder than words.
When you hear the politicians speak
about how much they respect veterans
and the sacrifices they make for their country,
He has been fighting for his rights
40 years after coming home
from the Vietnam War.
He suffered nearly fatal injuries
in a war so many have forgotten.
Shot several times,
combined with exposure
to the toxic Agent Orange,
has led to lingering effects
that some doctors have said
caused a stroke and disability.
He has been battling the VA for years
to receive acknowledgement of what
VA doctors have determined,
that he is 100 percent disabled.
because of the wounds
The VA acknowledges
that exposure to Agent Orange
can lead to diabetes,
Doctors told him diabetes
could have led to the stroke.
Even though he was recommended
for 100 percent disability
by the Social Security Administration,
The VA contends, that the stroke
couldn’t be caused by the diabetes
because the diabetes wasn’t diagnosed
until he had the stroke.
His wife, had to give up her job
to take care of him after the stroke.
All the years of frustrating communication
with the VA and its procedures
has left him discouraged
but determined to continue the fight.
He wants to say to the VA,
“You inherited a healthy human being
and this is what you turned loose
after three years of service
and the gunshot wounds.”