June 30 - Only the dead have seen the end of war!

June 23 - The VA continues its war against veterans applying for disability compensation benefits. Veterans beware!

The Department of Veterans Affairs is always looking for ways to limit veterans’ benefits. If they spent as much time trying to help veterans, we would not have such a backlog on claims.

June 10 - I just returned from Audie Murphy Veterans Administration hospital. I had two appointments, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. So I spent some time in the lobby of the hospital.

June 2 - Sen. James Webb's, D-VA, GI Bill amendment should be signed and approved by President Bush. The opposition's reason that it will hurt military enlistment and be detrimental to troop retention is not a good enough reason to oppose these benefits for veterans.

God and the soldier, all men adore.
In time of danger and not before.
When the danger is passed and things righted,
God is forgotten, and the soldier slighted.

May 19 - William Shakespeare once said, "He which hath no stomach to this fight, let him depart. But we in it shall be remembered. We few, we happy few, we Band of Brothers! For he today, that sheds his blood with me, shall always be my brother."

May 12- Alex Gonzalez, remember this name. He is the latest casualty from the Valley to be Killed In Action in Iraq. Even though the loss of his life is tragic, we must remember his name, especially all veterans. He was, and is, our Brother in Arms. His service to his country must not be forgotten even as the war continues to become more and more unpopular. 

May 5 - Wow! Money, money, money. It's there and ready to be distributed.

April 29 - Veterans experiencing serious medical problems that require immediate attention should always dial 911. Dialing 911 will get you to a local hospital much more quickly than if you go to the VA clinic.

April 23 - Thirty days after his initial admission to Audie Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital in San Antonio, the Navy veteran that I wrote about in last week's Veterans Voice, is back home in the Rio Grande Valley. 

April 16 - Why do we need a Veterans Administration full-fledged hospital for the Rio Grande Valley? Why? Because there are many veterans eligible for these medical services who have to be provided by the VA to keep the hospital busy.

April 7 - Politics, politics, politics!!!! Pura politica!!

March 31 - There was supposed to be a roundtable discussion with veterans regarding the future expansion of the Harlingen veterans outpatient clinic on Thursday, March 27, at the Regional Academic Health Center (RAHC).

March 26 - Another husband, father, son, family member has been lost in Iraq. 

March 17 - "EVERY SOLDIER TO WAR"... so reads the headline on the front page of the Feb. 25, 2008 issue of ArmyTimes followed by a smaller print headline... "If you haven't deployed, standby for orders." "Pack your Bags," another headline reads on page 14 of the magazine.

March 7 - The Democratic Party primary election was a heck of a show. There were all kinds of pachangas, meetings, signs, bumper stickers, trucks and cars with signs and speakers, visits by high ranking dignitaries, those constant phone calls seeking support, mailings, comedians (real ones, too), and the news media played them up. 

March 3 - As veterans we are on the outside looking in as to what happens at the Veterans Affairs South Texas Health Care System. There is talk about expansion. New services. Cutting down on our trips to San Antonio. However, veterans are not informed of what is going on.

February 27 - Shame, shame, shame on U.S. Sen. John Kerry and Rio Grande Valley veteran Lydia Caballero for using wheelchair-bound Sgt. Omar Avila as a political pawn for their own personal political gain. 

February 19 - There is a lot of political activity going on in the Rio Grande Valley right now.

What is happening at the new Harlingen Veterans Outpatients (Super) clinic?

February 5 - It is becoming more and more apparent that the VA’s highly touted VistA electronic medical records system is not working.