by Evan Schroedel, Florence
I was talking to a veteran friend whom I have known for 40 years since we were stationed together at Malmstrom Air Force Base near Great Falls. He served in Vietnam and in both phases of the war in Iraq, Desert Shield and Desert Storm.
He has been diagnosed with leukemia directly related to exposure to the herbicide Agent Orange during his time in Vietnam. He told me that the Montana Veterans Administration has gone to hell since Jon Tester was voted out of office. This long-time friend, a man I like, admire, and deeply respect, is being forced to look to other states for a VA convalescent home because of his mobility restrictions.
This is a tragic indictment of the current administration.
Montana has the second-largest population of veterans per capita in the United States. In his 18 years in the Senate, Tester, as chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, sponsored and helped pass dozens of bills that helped veterans and their families. The new VA clinic that opened this spring in Hamilton would not exist without his tireless efforts.
Whether through incompetence or intent, Donald Trump’s administration is now dismantling much of what Jon Tester accomplished, and our veterans are paying the price.
Don’t believe me? Ask a vet.
Mike Miller says
What are some of the things you claim that have been/are being dismantled, and the sources of your claims?