According to Yahoo.news, President Obama is considering a plan to force private insurance companies to pay for treatment of service-connected disabilities and injuries suffered by our servicemen.  Commander David K. Rehbein of The American Legion met with President Obama to discuss the plan.  After the meeting, he stated:

“This reimbursement plan would be inconsistent with the mandate ‘ to care for him who shall have borne the battle’ given that the United States government sent members of the armed forces into harm’s way, and not private insurance companies. I say again that The American Legion does not and will not support any plan that seeks to bill a veteran for treatment of a service connected disability at the very agency that was created to treat the unique need of America’s veterans!”

I don’t have words to describe my reaction to this.  I am the wife of a veteran and the mother of a Marine currently serving.  To me, the idea of the VA not providing care for woulded and returning veterans is just wrong.  The majority of our older veterans were drafted and served willingly; the younger military now serving have served under difficult conditions (the troop reductions during the Clinton administration greatly increased the workload for the remaining troops) and have served valiantly. 

This administration has spent money as if there were no tomorrow.  To try to save money by shortchanging those who were wounded serving their country is unconscionable.