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THE JEWISH VETERAN Volume 71 • Number 4 • 2017 JWV and Lack of Accountability at the Department of the VA Veterans Affairs Leaves Veterans Flabbergasted Page 14 By Lance Wang, Editor I had the opportunity to interact with limitation of their system, and share my NAZIS ARE NOT the Veterans’ Administration while in frustration. I don’t blame them. WELCOME IN AMERICA! uniform, much more so since retiring Why is it so difficult to bring the from the Army. As with any large or- problems in the VA to solution stages? Commentary By ganization I’ve encountered good and For years the VA has been neither fish PNC Dr. Robert Pickard bad. Certainly the good is the dedicated nor fowl – it did not have the account- functionaries who I encounter, many of ability nor true profit motive that civil- Page 4 whom are themselves veterans. I also ian medical agencies have, nor did it have been particularly pleased with the have the discipline to which a military service of a nearby VA Community- agency was subjected. It was designed Register Now! Based Outreach Clinic which provides to replace a 19th century system which responsiveness that I’ve never encoun- largely put the onus on charitable or- tered from a big city VA facility. They ganizations and local communities to have provided more continuity of care care for veterans. It was never fully re- than I encountered in the military or the sourced to perform its mission, result- The workload for the VA has only civilian world. However the “bad” side ing in fraud and scandals like we saw increased since the editorial was writ- has certainly made itself known. I live in Arizona’s VA system several years ten. Battlefield mortality has again de- in a border region of New York, and the ago. Or it resulted in terribly substan- creased – some wounds that would have ability of Veterans Administration fa- dard care like revealed in a 1970 Life been certain to kill someone during cilities to talk across state lines is still magazine exposé called “Our Forgotten the Vietnam War are now survivable. bureaucratically challenged to a very Wounded” regarding what Vietnam However, they are survivable in some frustrating degree. For instance, rather Veterans were encountering in VA cases with considerable follow-up care Capitol Hill than referring 50 miles to the nearest hospitals, what Life called a “medi- required, often for life. In addition, as VA Hospital in New York, they have to cal slum.” The complaint of the VA our Vietnam veterans require geriatric Action Days refer me to three times that distance to hospital administration in the article – medicine, demands will again rise. So, & NEC Meeting a facility in Vermont. The employees “We’re just not being funded so as to as in 1970, are we prepared to pay the Page 3 of the VA who I encounter know this give our services.” Continued on page 7 The Legacy of the American-Israeli Partnership By Adam Lammon CONTENTS In the late spring, the United States and six decades. The American cadets will professor Dr. Ephraim Kahana has de- Israel signed an agreement to exchange spend several months in 2018 training tailed, the Cold War aligned American D’vrei HaShomrim ...................2 cadets between the U.S. Naval Academy alongside Israeli students in Israel’s de- and Israeli interests and caused their Message From the at Annapolis and the University of manding Naval Officers Course. This cooperation to blossom from its tep- Commander ..............................3 Haifa, broadening a military relation- cadet exchange program follows a long id beginnings. In the early-50’s, the ship which has endured for more than history of joint exercises such as the Israeli Mossad tried to entice greater On The Hill .................................4 “Blue Flag” exercise between the cooperation from the American CIA by Membership Corner ...............6 air forces of the United States, offering intelligence on the USSR that JWV in the Community .........8 Poland, Italy, Greece, India, it received from Soviet Jews. Despite France, Germany, and Israel that the fact that this information was in- JWV and the VA ......................14 occurred in November - the larg- valuable for Americans operating in Reviews .....................................17 est international aviation exercise Eastern Europe, it was insufficient to that the Israeli Air Force ever overcome the CIA’s instinctive unease National Ladies Auxiliary ....18 hosted. towards establishing ties to a foreign Museum News ....................... 20 Although these programs bol- intelligence agency. However, this ster the American-Israeli relation- changed in 1956 after Mossad gave an TAPS ........................................... 22 ship, the alliance was not always exceedingly furtive document to the Israeli jet conducting joint exercise. Photo Credit: IDF Blog as robust as it is today. As Israeli Continued on page 7 D'vrei HaShomrim THE JEWISH The parsha for this Veterans Day is Chayei Sarah – the life of Sarah. It is named that because it begins, VETERAN “Sarah’s lifetime was one hundred years, and twen- ty years, and seven years.” It talks about Abraham’s The Jewish Veteran is the Official Publication of the Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America search for a burial site for Sarah as well as Eliezer’s (Abraham’s servant) search for the perfect wife for National Commander Paul D. Warner Abraham’s son, Isaac. National Editor Lance Wang Managing Editor Anna Selman When I first look at the parsha for this Veterans JWV National Chaplain Jerry Farris Graphics/Production Editor Christy Turner Day, I first thought, “How in the world can I possi- EDITORIAL OFFICE bly relate Abraham’s sending his servant to pick out a world of difference when you need to get the plan done. 1811 R Street, NW • Washington, D.C. 20009 wife for his son Isaac to veterans?” But what happens after their service is over? Telephone (202) 265-6280 x504 Abraham wanted a wife for his son Isaac - not just Besides the search for Rebecca, the parsha talks Fax (202) 234-5662 E-mail [email protected] any woman, but a good woman who would stand with a lot about Abraham’s search for Sarah’s burial place. Web Site www.jwv.org her husband through all the ups and downs that come He finds the most befitting place to bury her, but in The Jewish Veteran is published 4 times a year: with marriage. So, he sends his servant (you might the process, he pays an exorbitant price. However, Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall, by the call him a recruiter) to find a wife for Isaac. Eliezer Abraham does not mind paying such an expensive Jewish War Veterans finds the characteristics he is looking for in Rebecca. price because the selfless service that Sarah has given of the United States of America So what does any of this have to do with veterans him and their family warrants such a price. 1811 R Street, NW and Veterans Day? When I returned home from service (I served Washington, DC 20009 Most of us have heard over the years that Uncle during the Vietnam War) all I heard was “You’re a Periodical postage paid at Washington, DC, and at Sam “wants a few good men (and women).” So, our baby killer,” and “Too bad you weren’t killed.” We additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send form 3579 to Jewish War Veterans, recruiters for the armed services look in nearly ev- were spat upon; people would come up and slap you 1811 R Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009. ery town for those special men and women to serve in the face and call you even worse names. It was the Subscription price in the United States is $5.00 per year, in today’s Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Coast first ever war played out in the news every night, and included in membership. Nonmember subscriptions: Guard with the qualities that we expect in our soldiers, it was not pretty. $10.00. Single copies: $2.50. sailors, airmen, coast guardsmen and marines. For those of us who experienced battle, who were Photos and articles submitted to The Jewish Veteran It is important that our recruiters find service shot at or who found themselves in a position of kill- shall be used at the discretion of the organization. The opinions expressed in signed articles and letters in this members with a good moral compass. They will liter- ing that enemy soldier, the transition from military to magazine are not necessarily those of JWV. ally have decisions of life or death in their hands, and civilian life is often not that easy. We made decisions Advertising information and rates available from the it is important that we have people who are compas- that we will think about for the rest of our lives. We Editorial Office. JWV assumes no responsibility for sionate and patient when making decisions. We need have really seen the worst humanity has to offer, and products and services advertised in this publication. people who know wrong from right and will uphold the we do it in service of all Americans. © 2017 by the Jewish War Veterans of the USA. NPA#112285 • ISSN 047-2018. Constitution. Making sure we have the right people in Soldiers of today, our veterans of both yesterday Reproduction without permission is prohibited. the military is of the utmost importance, and our recruit- and tomorrow, regardless of gender or rank, need to ers do a great job at finding just the right candidates. hear you say, “Thank you for your service”. They need Isaac and Rebecca became a strong team, rais- a firm handshake, a pat on the back.

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