Happy Thanksgiving

We have so much to be thankful for today. Our town closes up, but our American Legion puts on a traditional turkey feed for all the veterans and anyone from the community. Veterans who are in the program in our Domiciliary have a feast at the VA, or some choose to join the townsfolk and veterans at the Legion. Hot Springs is truly "the veterans town" even on Thanksgiving when all restaurants are closed.

Bob and I won a free turkey and decided to celebrate at home, inviting a couple of veterans who might enjoy the home atmosphere. It seemed appropriate as I have spent the last two years working with the Save our VA committee and writing Reville in Hot Springs to promote the cause for our vets.

The doorbell just rang. One of the veterans arrived and it is time to celebrate.

I am grateful for so many things on this day of thanks and will share some of them another day.

Now there is only time to say "Have a great day."

Our Homeless Veterans

My husband just showed me an article from Habitat for Humanity focus 2013. My anger surged and my heart ached to be confronted again by the words from the article: "According to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, a staggering 62,619 U.S. veterans are homeless. As a nation, we cannot - must not - forget our veterans."

The article goes on to state that at Habbit for Humanity saw that they were in a unique postition to help and since 2011 they have served more than 450 veterans and their families. You can learn more about Veterans Build at habitat.org/veterans.

Check it out. They are doing a great service for those who have served. But what about us here in our Hot Springs VA? We have a wonderful facility and room for homeless vets to live while they get healed and trained for future employment. We are located in a peaceful environment - healing in itself with its natural beauty and serenity. Out VA allows veterans to feel safe while they get their lives back. They can learn to cope with PTSD, substance abuse and emotional issues before they return to society and find their place with family and employment.

The proposal that the Save our VA committee came up with is innovative and cost-effective. If only The VA in Washington will listen, retain our facility and grow it to serve veterans who need emotional and physical help and a fulfilling career to support themselves and their families.

We are here. We have the room. We have community support. We have veterans who move here to be near our VA. We can save the taxpayers money. Why don't they listen? Why do we have all these homeless veterans roaming our streets, living under bridges, turning to drugs for comfort?  Why do we have so many veterans suicides? Why, why why? What is wrong with Washington? Why won't they listen to us?

WHY, WHY, WHY?

What's Up?

Yes, it is one bleak November. Well, at least for us in the southern Hills. We are used to more days of sunshine than in much of the rest of the country.

Our Christmas cactus is beginning to bloom. That is the one that bloomed over and over last year, lasting until after Valentines Day. Our smaller cactus is in full bloom, but in a few days it will be done for the year.

Bob brought home a small orchid yesterday. What a treat during the dreary November days! He also bought a colorful Mexican, decorative wall hanging. It shows the moon saying goodnight to the sun with a kiss, no less. Bob knows how to brighten up any day.

I am lining up interviews for Reveille in Hot Springs. We are in a time bind to save our rural VA hospitals and benefits for our veterans. I have done several interviews, with some more to come, but none of these will gain us national media, which we sorely need. Many residents of Hot Springs are sending copies of the books to friends and relatives throughout the country, hoping that someone, somewhere will notice our battle. It is difficult with so many books and so many battles out there at this time. Whatever we do, we do for our veterans. They deserve to have their voices heard, but will anyone listen before it is too late? We are in the "fly-over-zone" in more ways than one. The two coasts are wrapt up in their issues, but they do get major attention from the press.

So, we are in the bleak November, but we continue fighting and hoping. Sometimes it seems as if that is all we have left..... the fight and holding on to hope, and someone to bring home an orchid and a cheerful, hand-painted plaque.

Hindsight

The doe and her fawn were standing frozen in our back yard by the headlights of our car as we pulled into our driveway from a long day on the Rez. In front of them was a fat rabbit, also caught immobile by our lights. We sat watching for some seconds when the doe casually walked off, followed by her doe, tailed by the rabbit.

It was a fitting end to a fascinating, educational day doing a lengthy interview on KILI radio station located on Pine Ridge reservation.

For several days I had panicked over a TV interview last Sunday. Looking back, all the stress was for naught. The reporter did the best she could after an hour of interviewing, condensing everything into her one minute and 25 seconds of allotted time. She focused on one point, but even then I received many emails and several phone calls commenting on that brief segment.

"You will save the VA single-handed with your book", was one response.

I really doubt that, but the caller's comment was much appreciated. Our time is limited and we need to have an impact on the powers that be in Washington to save our very special VA and other benefits for all of our veterans.

The following day, Veteran's Day, two of the veterans from my book, RJ and Sylsvester, my husband and I drove to KILI radio on Pine Ridge. Sylvester had driven with his wife from Rosebud. The entire experience at the station was casual,hilarious and welcoming, all at the same time.

Our interview was scheduled for 1:00 that day. The previous guests, scheduled for noon, arrived late. The host, Tom Casey and I were visiting, when he looked up at the clock and casually announced that he had to go teach a class at the college and I would have to conduct the interview by myself.

"After all, you do interviews, don't you? You interviewed all of the veterans, including the two who came with you."

"No way", I responded. "When do you get back from teaching?"

"I will be back about 4:00, but what will you do until then?"

Well, all of us went to lunch at an intimate restaurant about 15 miles away, probably the closest available place. It was located with a motel in the center of the reservation. Who would ever come to this remote location for rooms or food? It turns out there were some ranchers and some residents from the reservation who had stopped in on this bitterly cold day. Everyone who came in knew the veterans that had come with me for the interview. One of them, RJ, had taught and been a principal on Pine Ridge for many years, and the other, Sylvester, was a Lakota from the Rosebud Reservation, three hours to the north.

After lunch we all travelled back to the radio station and waited another 20 minutes or so until the host returned from teaching. We had some great conversation time with a DJ who was manning the station and with one another, including the wife of one of the veterans. It was all worth the wait. When Tom returned he interviewed each of us for an hour and a half, bringing out the best in the former principal and Vietnam veteran and the Lakota Vietnam veteran from the Rosebud reservation.

He also had me at ease, enjoying his skills as an interviewer. I was bursting in pride for my two veterans who so willingly gave of their time to once again support the Hot Springs VA. RJ remembered to thank all of the women...mothers, wives, children, grandparents of the veterans who had "put up with us on our return from the service."

Sylvester ended the hour with words in Lakota to all of the listeners. I don't know what he said, but his voice was filled with sincerity and I heard the words "Hot Springs VA" several times.

Looking back, both of these interviews were nothing to fear. In fact, they were thoroughly enjoyed, and I learned a great deal. What more can anyone ask?

Panic Time

"You have one minute and 25 seconds of air time", I was told by the TV person in charge of my interview. "You may bring one veteran with you and you can have 6 seconds to read from his chapter. The reporter doing the interview is inexperienced so please be concise and make only a few points".

Well, I'll be.....What was the old expression?...a monkey's uncle, as I remember.

I am comfortable doing a radio interview. I have two coming up this month. One gives me 60 minutes and I may bring as many veterans as I wish. The other is 50 minutes. During these two interviews I have time to discuss the book, Reveille in Hot Springs, and bring up many pertinent issues.

TV is another matter! I have never done this type of interview. How am I going to promote the book, as well as bring up the crucial issues, read a passage, and allow time for the one veteran that will be interviewed with me? If I had at least 20 minutes I might be able to manage all of that.

I admit, I had a sleepless night. What to say, what to do in order to give the audience some ideas of the importance of this issue to all of our veterans present and future?

The book tells the stories of veterans from WWII through Afghanistan, from all branches of service, who have served their country, given up three or four years, or more of their lives to the military, and who were promised health care for life, much as our politicians who have also served. Now those promises are being whittled away...one by one, with the ultimate goal, it appears, to privatize all health care for veterans. In this process the VA will not cover medical issues unless they are directly service related. We know that many veterans need increasing medical care as they age...the same as all of our retired politicians. Many of these veterans cannot afford private insurance and do not know what they will do.

To add insult to injury, veterans are being shifted away from VA facilities..."outsourced" is the term...to be treated by medical professionals untrained to recognize PTSD, Agent Orange, toxic poisoning and all of the accompanying emotional issues facing our veterans.

Veterans suffering from combat trauma do not heal well in larger cities, surrounded by triggers to send them back into their addictions. The VA in Washington is focusing on closing the peaceful, rural VA facilities that are more condusive in the healing of veterans and helping them regain their places in society. The veterans have told me that they are treated like a number in the huge VA hospitals. In our VA they are treated as a veteran and a person.

I could go on and on, but I have one minute and 25 seconds to share the plight of our veterans with viewers who do not know. They need to know. Washington needs to know.

Now my job is to focus on the most important point in the time alloted. I was hoping if I wrote down these thoughts it would help my concentration, but there is more to share and in looking back I know that I have passed my time limit. I have until tomorrow to decide how to narrow down the meat of my book and the struggle of our veterans. Many have fought before and now they are fighting again...this time for their benefits and the benefits of future veterans. This book is their story and their struggle. They want the country to hear them. They want you and all of the citizens of this country to speak out for them. They deserve nothing less.

A Veteran Understatement

We were in a gathering at the American Legion. One of the veterans I had interviewed announced the following:

"I was visiting my mother in Aberdeen. She brought out a copy of South Dakota Magazine and pointed to the article about Hot Springs. It was the review of the book, Reveille in Hot Springs. I told her that my story was in the book. She was surprised because she didn't know that. I guess I'd better send her a copy of the book."

Cheers for the Hot Springs VA

She looked up at me expectantly - golden tail wagging furiously. She jumped and jumped, ever so eager for attention and her walk. Her name is Amber and she is the "neighborhood dog". If readers recall, Amber's owner has been to the VA hospitals in Hot Springs and Minneapolis, and several of us neighbors are taking turns walking his dog. This is what we do for our veterans in Hot Springs.

The owner's friend was in the yard raking leaves and the newest neighbor, who has not moved in as yet, dropped over for a chat. It turns out that he, too, is a veteran - twenty years in the Marine Corps. It appears that we are a neighborhood of veterans, with the exception of my husband and me, who have been working since 2011 with the Save our VA group in Hot Springs. We are truly a town of veterans and those who care about our veterans.

Amber's owner had been rushed to our VA and then had to be transferred to the VA in Minnesota. Because of the cuts that have been made to our VA over the years, he could no longer receive the necessary treatment here in town. What I heard today was, "In spite of all of the cuts that have been made to our VA, the quality of care has never been better. Bill has received excellent care."

The staff and programs have been cut, but those staff remaining are dedicated, as always, to giving the best possible care to our veterans. Kudos to them for the quality of care they provide at our VA. Our veterans deserve nothing less, and at the Hot Springs VA they are receiving the best that can be given.

After a brief visit Bob and I took Amber on her outing, trying to wear her out before returning her to her family. She is hyper and difficult for me to handle, but it is even more difficult to walk by her in her kennel and ignore her pleas for love, attention and a good run. And, after all, her owner is a veteran.