To my fellow Veterans and friends of Veterans:
Following is a letter I sent to Secretary Shinseki regarding the incredible abusive treatment to Veterans, particularly Disabled American Veterans, at last Sunday’s scheduled Veterans Appreciation Day celebration of the 122nd anniversary of the Land Grand Deed of 1888.
This is inhuman, what our government is doing to America's Veterans.
Remember, there's a dog park on Veterans’ land, a playground for a wealthy private school, a storage lot for used cars and a proposed public park.
Yet Veterans are locked out from an approved and scheduled event to honor the Land Grantors who gifted this property for Veterans use only.
Please speak up.
Demand that those who are responsible be immediately terminated, if not incarcerated.
My letter:
March 8, 2010
Gen. Eric K. Shinseki (USA Ret.),
Secretary, Department of Veterans Affairs,
Washington, D.C.
Greetings!
That should have been the message yesterday to those who planned on attending “Veterans Appreciation Day” and the 122nd anniversary celebration of the Land Grant Deed of 1888.
That should have been the message extended by the Los Angeles VA administration and VA police to the members of Chapter 13 of the Disabled American Veterans who hosted the event.
Instead, the message was … “Locked Out. Disabled Veterans Not Welcome.”
That is precisely what your Dept. of Veterans Affairs intentionally executed yesterday.
The main entry gate into the VA on Eisenhower Avenue, adjacent to where we planned to hold the event, was chained and padlocked, even though it was open earlier in the morning for the Church of the Good Shepherd services.
Even as we stood outside the locked gates, a VA policeman drove by twice and refused to stop and help.
Leaders of Chapter 13 of the American Disabled Veterans drove approximately a half-mile to the entryway on Wilshire, and then to the site where we have held this event the previous two years … and the gates were always open for this annual event.
The DAV leaders approached two VA police squad cars and two officers, who were observing us on the outside.
One of the DAV leaders who drove inside, Sam Cardova, an 80-year-old Disabled Korean War Marine Combat Veteran, asked why the gates were locked. The VA police said that the DAV did not request to have them open.
What a crock of crap that is, General.
The response by VA police does not even merit further discussion. The facts are very clear and succinct: Your Department is guilty of discrimination and intentional infliction of emotional distress, among other vile and evil actions, against America's Military Veterans at the largest VA in the nation.
On Friday, asset management tried to cancel this already approved event by saying that the DAV's insurance was not satisfactory with the VA. And when proven otherwise, the VA had to reluctantly relinquish their hold on the event.
General, your Department has worked overtime to try and destroy this event. They did a good job of it. Yesterday was a disgraceful display of intentional cruelty and injustice promoted and provoked by your L.A. VA bureaucrats.
Even God was on our side by lifting several days of rain so that we could hold the event as scheduled. But your VA bureaucrats locked us out.
Eventually one VA police officer opened a parking lot so we could hold the event on blacktop because of the soggy grass and gopher holes. This would allow Veterans in wheelchairs and those walking with canes to navigate more safely. He still would not open the Eisenhower entry gate less than 25 feet from where he was standing.
Moreover, the VA refused to allow Disabled Veterans and all other Veterans and attendees to use the restrooms of Building 220, where asset management has its headquarters. Said building is less than 100 feet from where we held our event.
The VA police refused to open the side gate during the entire time of our scheduled event, and the attendees had no knowledge how to get into the event.
The Commander of DAV Chapter 13 hung a banner to notify the attendees of the event, and he was ordered by the VA police to remove it. Still, the VA police refused to open the entry gate less than 50 feet from the DAV banner.
The VA's refusal to open the standard entry gates forced our attendance to be much smaller than anticipated, which is precisely what your Department wanted to achieve. Be sure and promote them and give them all pay raises.
I have included a few of the photos that depict what happened. There's video coverage as well that really tells the story, including 87-year-old World War II Veteran Steve Palmer parking his van on the outside and struggling to maneuver through a pedestrian gate in his wheelchair.
As you know, the Deed we were celebrating yesterday specifically declares that this land is “…to be permanently maintained as a National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers.” As you also know, yesterday's event was hosted by Disabled American Veterans. This sacred land that was deeded for to benefit Disabled Veterans seriously lacks handicap ramps on and off the sidewalks.
General, what has taken place these past two Sundays, not to mention endless confrontations theretofore, have defied everything of what America is all about and represents. In fact we've gone to war with countries who have treated their civilians far better than the way your Department treats Veterans.
While your VA police forcefully removed our American Flags from last week's Sunday Rally, it comes as no surprise that these same VA police do not even have the American Flag patch on their right shoulder, like virtually all other forms of police and security do, including 7-Eleven security cops. Even our Active Duty Military wear the American Flag on their Uniforms.
Clearly, your Department is flagrantly anti-American and anti-Veteran.
However, I do not believe this is indicative of you in the slightest. Nonetheless, so long as you allow this type of shameful conduct to continue, you will forever be linked to it.
General, this is to respectfully request that you do your duty and clean house at the largest VA in the nation posthaste.
There are 20,000 homeless Veterans in Los Angeles.
Mr. Rosebrock may be contacted at rrosebrock@aol.com
