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Veterans gather to commemorate
30th Anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War...Group raps Bush
Administration's VA
for inadequate coverage, treatment
 WASHINGTON,
April 1 /U.S. Newswire/ -- "The proposed budget for the medical
programs of the Department of Veterans Affairs is not adequate to
meet the needs of veterans, especially now that thousands of new
veterans are returning with physical as well as severe psychological
wounds," said Thomas H. Corey, National President of Vietnam
Veterans of America (VVA).
"We believe that April 30, the
30th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War, is the right time to
call attention to the fact that 30 years after the end of that war,
veterans of all eras are still battling to preserve the benefits
they have and assure adequate funding for veterans health care,"
Corey continued.
VVA will hold two events
commemorating the 30th anniversary. One will honor all who served
during the Vietnam War as well as those who have died as the result
of their military service; the other will bring home to the American
people the need for a new system of funding veterans health care.
At 3 p.m., at the Upper Senate
Park on Capitol Hill, VVA will lead a Rally for Veterans Health
Care. "This rally will have a dual purpose," said Corey. "First, to
stress that we will never forget the service and sacrifice of all of
our veterans.
"Second, the urgent need to put in
place a system that will guarantee that the VA will be assured the
funding it needs to provide vital medical services to our nation's
veterans," Corey said.
At 6 p.m., on the East Knoll near
the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, VVA will hold a solemn ceremony
honoring those who paid the ultimate price during the long years of
the Vietnam War.
"We are noting the anniversary of
a difficult and turbulent time for this country and using this
occasion to help make America aware that supporting our troops and
taking care of them as veterans are two separate issues," Corey
said.
"However, it is equally important
that the American people honor their solemn obligation to safeguard
the health and well- being of those veterans, who have sacrificed so
much to protect us," Corey said.
The public is invited to
attend both events.
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