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DAV Convention to
address needed funding for veterans' health care
WASHINGTON, Aug. 8 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The Disabled American
Veterans (DAV) 84th National Convention will pay tribute to the
courage, dedication, and sacrifice of our nation’s newest generation
of wartime disabled veterans by addressing strategies to provide
adequate federal funding for veterans health care and other services
when the organization meets at the Bally’s Las Vegas Hotel in Las
Vegas, Nev., Aug. 14 to Aug. 17.
The more than 4,000 DAV delegates will address several
important legislative initiatives that directly affect the lives of
disabled veterans
and their families, new programs to eliminate the
lengthy delays veterans encounter when submitting disability claims
to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and disability
compensation, and improving access to health care for veterans.
A major concern is the adequate health care of the thousands
of combat wounded veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as the
many more sick and injured veterans of the war on terrorism. Many
are now patients in the VA health care system, facing delays and
inadequate resources that have plagued the veterans of our nation’s
other wars.
“Funding for the VA health care system has been eroded to
such a point that often veterans must wait months for necessary
doctor appointments,” said DAV National Commander James E. Sursely.
“The overburdened VA health care system is desperately trying to
offset inadequate funding by limiting access for sick and aging
veterans. Some have to wait more than a year to see a specialist at
a VA medical center. There clearly needs to be a new and innovative
way to fund health care for veterans.” VA Secretary R. James
Nicholson is scheduled to address the convention delegates on
Saturday, Aug. 7.
A special moment will be the presentation of the Outstanding
Disabled Veteran of the Year Award to John J. Devine, whose
remarkable accomplishments in service to veterans have inspired the
nation and advanced the causes of America’s disabled veterans. Also
to be honored this year for their contributions to veterans will be
entertainer Wayne Newton, and Oliver North and Steven Tierney of Fox
News’ “War Stories with Oliver North.” Special guests include noted
actor Gary Sinise, who portrayed the character Lt. Dan Taylor in the
motion picture “Forrest Gump.”
The 1.3 million-member Disabled American Veterans, a
non-profit organization founded in 1920 and chartered by the U.S.
Congress in 1932, represents this nation’s wartime disabled
veterans. It is dedicated to a single purpose: building better lives
for our nation’s disabled veterans and their families. For more
information, visit the organization’s Web site
http://www.dav.org.
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