Show 0 1 o. o Iii Letters to the Editor 0 j V VA A Does Little More Than Problems I Recognize I v Dear Editor j After reading the article about Vietnam Vietnam Vietnam Vie Vie- veterans in your Nov 19 issue I feel compelled to write and speak my peace The media in America has always gone with popular belief trying to get the masses to believe someone else's thoughts About ten years ago popular popular popular lar belief got me to enlist in the Air Force and go to war police action for formy formy formy my country But by the time I got out of the service popular belief said the war was wrong and I was the fool that sacrificed my tender youth Now your paper publishes an article article article arti arti- cle referring to an uncompleted study by the Center for Policy Research Research Research Re Re- search in New York saying that I am unlikely to attend college and unlikely unlikely unlikely un un- likely to attend for more than one year I have been goi going ng to colleges since 1972 with and without the help of the GI Bill My mind isn't as sharp and hungry as it was when I got out of high school but Im I'm still in there Most of us couldn't afford college back then anyway When I enlisted part of the agreement agreement agreement agree agree- ment I signed said I could have 36 l months of paid education and 10 years after my discharge to get it in Since then the Vets Administration x has extended these benefits to 45 months It makes you think they're trying to help us There has been occasion occasion occasion oc oc- casion when I doubt this 12 credit hours constitutes full time but 11 or 10 hours is only MJ time beating me out of money Anything less than six hours you only get tuition paid For instance four hours should be for a quarter not the in tuition that I would receive It seems each year the VA comes up with neat little rules to try and beat me out of a little more The four years I was in the Air Force I netted less than My year in Vietnam was rewarded by less than All AllI I want is the education I was promised when I signed up The article sites emotional physical cal psychological and drug related problems as major reasons for Vets not going to college Popular belief is trying to make me believe I have problems A VA counselor told me the VA is recognizing our problems Recognizing That's a neat word Popular belief and recognizing are words of propaganda And propaganda propaganda propaganda prop prop- after all is just another four letter word Bob Trujillo |