Where I Stand — Mike O’Callghan: Let’s not forget what happened 61 years ago today

Friday, Dec. 6, 2002 | 1:55 a.m.

Because of what happened 61 ago, this weekend deserves special attention. The sneak attack on Pearl Harbor brought our country into one of the bloodiest wars in world history. It was a war that we didn't want and didn't properly prepare for during the Great Depression. Nevertheless, Americans responded in a manner that has marked World War II with the blood of our nation's many heroes.

This was another world war that was supposed to be the war that ended all wars. Americans hoped this would be the end of wars, but deep in their hearts most of them knew it was a dream. What was foremost on their minds was to retaliate and make the world a safer place for everybody. They knew what terror Germany and Japan had caused among the people of many nations, but the whole truth didn't surface until Americans returned from Japanese prison camps and Nazi death camps were made public.

Americans not only answered the challenge of Pearl Harbor but their country made them promises that were easily forgotten by some leaders when the danger was past. The best program for veterans came in the form of the G.I. Bill, which helped millions of them earn a higher education. The success of the G.I. Bill soon paid for itself and in addition created a prosperous nation.

Some place along the way during the past several decades, our nation has forgotten some other promises made to many veterans. Among the most important items that have been forgotten has been the full medical care promised those men and women who served 20 or 30 years in the military. They still, after the age of 65, have medical coverage but they have been severed from military medicine and thrown into the huge Medicare pot. I wasn't made such a promise and even if I had been, my service only lasted 7 1/2 years. Those who have earned full retirement have reason to be dissatisfied.

Sen. Harry Reid has been a key member of Congress pushing for legislation that will allow military retirees to also receive disability compensation. Until now the administration has been fighting this package because of its cost. A retiree could only receive his retirement pay minus any VA disability compensation. Although he didn't get everything he wanted, the senator's most recent efforts have resulted in military retirees, with a combat-related disability, qualified to receive both retirement pay and disability compensation. Reid, Sen. John Warner of Virginia and several House members have expressed a desire to see this legislation expanded.

Another problem facing our vets has been our own government fighting to keep them from collecting wages earned by prisoners of war working as slaves for large and prosperous corporations. As I have written before, Henderson's Gerard Gauthier is one of the Nevadans who survived the brutal Bataan Death March in early 1942. Later he was taken to Japan to work as a slave laborer in a steel mill. Like the other POW slaves who worked for Japanese private industry, he has yet to be compensated. His own country continues to keep these brave survivors from receiving more than $1 a day for their 12 and 14 hour work days with little food.

As we think about Pearl Harbor and the people who answered the challenge from Japan and Germany we should also think about the veterans of wars that followed WWII. Why did it take so long for so many Korean vets to get compensation for frostbite? Why was Agent Orange damage to Vietnam veterans ignored until many began to die?

If we do fight a war in the Middle East, have we learned enough from our past mistakes to treat our new military veterans with the respect and care they have earned?