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Gladiators For the Washington Elite
By Thomas D. Segel
September 8, 2003

During the glory days of Rome, its political elite would relax in the luxury of Coliseum boxes, call forth the gladiators and watch them battle to the death. Those who survived the conflict were allowed to bask in their victories for a short time and were then called again to the field and another life or death battle.

Though the gladiators of Rome were treated well during their days of mortal combat, if per chance they lived to the point where freedom could be won, there was little provided to compensate them for the years of struggle in those hellish pits. Often maimed and disfigured by their many misadventures, they were forced to rely on the charitable nature of those Roman citizens who might take pity on their plight.

This was the picture in ancient Rome, but it could well be the scene in Washington D.C. during the 21st Century. Instead of togas, the political elite wear business suits. The polished wooden desks and chairs of elected and appointed officials have replaced the viewing boxes. The Coliseum has been reconfigured into our nation's Capitol. The look might be different, but the attitudes and the outlook remain the same. Our political elite still sends today's military gladiators off to do mortal combat. If one battle is survived, these warriors are made ready to face another enemy. When the day comes they are no longer fit to walk the floor of our modern battle pits they are sent into the ranks of our citizenry to await whatever meager charities are deemed appropriate.

This is my personal view of the treatment our disabled military retirees have received at the hands of the United States government. It matters not what political party is in power, Washington elite will always use the Armed Forces of the United States as just another tool to consolidate or gain advantage. It is usually the political party not currently in power that tries to cultivate favor in our military community. Once their eagerly sought power position is obtained, those same military members once so earnestly attended are forgotten.

This gladiator analogy is again applicable when we look at what is taking place in the battle disabled military retirees are waging to have the 100% tax removed from their compensation awards. For more than 100 years, those who retired from the military with twenty or more year's service have been forced into paying a discriminatory tax, not inflicted on any other American. They must forfeit one dollar of their retirement pay for each dollar of disability compensation they receive.

After years of false promises and endless legislative battles, Congress did finally remove the dollar-per-dollar offset for some of the disability payment awarded to some of the disabled retirees. This however was only a token award. Members of the Uniformed Services Disabled Retirees (USDR), led by their president, retired Lieutenant General Billy Thomas, still lobbied for full restoration of their retired pay.

There are supporters of the USDR position in Congress. Republican Representative Mike Bilirakis of Florida has a bill circulating, which claims 359 co-sponsors and calls for complete restoration of retired pay for disability retired service personnel. Now another Republican, Representative Walter Jones of North Carolina, has warned the leadership opposing such action that as many as 20 of his fellow Republican legislators are prepared to sign on to the Bilirakis legislation.

Reports out of Washington say this change in voting attitude has gained the attention of those blocking a vote on the bill. With that number in favor, a discharge petition would place the item on the floor for an up or down vote. So, talks are taking place between congressional leaders and the White House. One would think the story ends here but again the gladiator analogy comes into play.

Those Washington "Romans" still want to pit one gladiator against another. It seems a deal has been reached which would grant full support for the complete restoration of retired pay, or in other words, removal of the 100% tax on disability compensation. In exchange the White House proposes that the award of any future disability or any increase in current disability status must be linked directly to a service caused factor. Those who spent their youth and mid-age in the ranks would no longer be able to claim disability for any accident or illness which could not be identified as being caused as a result of their specific duties. The man or women paralyzed in an automobile accident while on a weekend drive would be denied disability compensation. The person who develops cancer could very well face denial because service duty could not be identified as the cause. If you think this is an outlandish observation, I would suggest you view the records on VA awards. At this time only about 4% of those seeking a change of disability status are winning their petitions.

Ask one of the thousands of service personnel who participated unprotected in the many atomic tests conducted by the United States. Some of these Atomic Veterans have been fighting 40 years and longer just to get medical attention for their many illnesses. In most cases our government will not even admit these veterans were participants in the tests.

So, like the gladiators of old, our disabled military retirees and veterans have been sent out among the citizenry to care for themselves in any manner, which a charitable public deems appropriate. It matters not to the elite sitting in those Washington coliseum boxes that these are the same combatants they cheered when battles were being waged.