Comments on: The Other Insurance Issue; The Sad Hypocritical One

By: Cyril Gnatek

Cyril Gnatek — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 18:22:11 +0000

I very like your site.

By: winnieo

winnieo — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 23:52:16 +0000

Thank you, Mr. B., for your kind words. It can be quite unpleasant here with the personal attacks that substitute for intelligent thinking.

We must also remember the women and men who live with and love the men and women who are living with the problem. In the end, it’s the spouses who have loved and supported our veterans, many for several decades, who suffer. If that reality sounds like whining, so be it.

By: micmarine

micmarine — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 21:01:44 +0000

Mike, I too met Joe Galloway when he was here for the VVA Leadership Conference. Quite a man! Did you know he is the only civilian in the history of our nation to receive a Bronze Star? Did you ask him if he has good life insurance?
And we all miss the “The Hack”, Col. Hackworth was the most decorated soldier in all of Nam. I love what he once said about all of his ribbons. “My Combat Action Ribbon means the most to me, because no one had to put me in for it, I earned it.”
If you had him as a mentor, you are one lucky hombre. Don’t let these dudes wear you down, Hack wouldn’t!

By: mike_brewer

mike_brewer — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 08:50:36 +0000

Good suggestions Don. I knew this would be a delicate and thorny issue. It will come around again down the trail, as I complete more research.
Mr. Bourret was just the first to come forward, there are 11 others I have interviewed that have identical problems. 4 Iraq vets. 5 Vietnam vets, and 2 Desert Storm vets. The philosophy and ideological bendings of these posters are not on their radar. As Cash maintained, nuances of thought are not the game here. Fairness is the core topic.
The others that engage in the symmetrical escalation of, who is whining and who is not, is just part of the world of blogger trolls. Most all are misinterpreting each other. I was inoculated long ago to such, “ad hominems.” My mother loved me.
Again, I say Don, your thoughtful suggestions are well taken. They have been forwarded to the military writer for USA Today, along with private emails to me,with permission of course, to compile material for a national article addressing a long standing problem with life insurance for disabled veterans.

I am hoping that an acquaintance of mine, whom I interviewed when he was in Tucson, Joe Galloway, the AP Reporter featured in “We Were Soldiers Once,” will be able to lend some guidance.
This topic first arose for myself in an ongoing conversation I had with the late Col. David Hackworth, who was kind enough to mentor me about military writing while I was taking journalism classes. Hardly a whiner man.
As a footnote to all this, many of the bloggers here are familiar with Winneo. Winneo is part of a career military family, highly informed about veterans affairs , and published. I find the questions posted by Winneo to be as provocative as yourselves, and searching… also as yourselves… but hardly whining. Lets move on from that stance, and respect the men who are living with the problem. They are not whining, they are looking for help. And believe me, they read this stuff.

By: radmax

radmax — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 02:58:05 +0000

Well said FB. Winnieo is a whiny, uninformed, meddling pain in the ass. Sorry whinyo, I calls ‘em as I see ‘em. Don’t worry winny, you shan’t hear from me again.

By: fortbuckley

fortbuckley — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 02:47:31 +0000

Did Mr. Bourette apply for insurance while he was healthy? As Cashgreen said above, that’s when you’re supposed to apply for it. You’re supposed to already have it when the time comes where you need it.

And, from what I’ve experienced, the amount of coverage offered by government benefit programs goes up over time. I’ll defer to Mike here—but I’ll bet that anyone who signed up for SGLI (or its equivalent) in the late sixties and kept the coverage in force would have coverage today that’s worth much more than $20,000.

As for my “responsibility” comment, winnieo—-yes, there was some snark in there. However, you seem eager to blame life’s trouble on ominous forces (insurance companies, capitalism) that are, ahem, “conspiring” to keep average people down.

It’s not “The Man’s” responsibility to look our for us. Ultimately, it’s ours.

By: fortbuckley

fortbuckley — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 02:27:11 +0000

PEEP!!!

See above, winneo. Option 4 or Option 1. If Mr. Bourett cannot get private-sector insurance due to a federal service-related issue, then he should demand relief from the federal government.

That leads me to … Option 5. Mr. Bourette should ask someone to sue Pruco Life on his behalf. The Department of Veterans Affairs comes to mind. If Pruco Life is denying coverage for specious reasons, perhaps Mr. Bourette has a case.

But, I think you’ll find that it’s up to Pruco Life to decide who they do or don’t insure. If I may ask, has Mr. Bourette been denied insurance from other companies for this reason? Why doesn’t he approach another insurer.

By: winnieo

winnieo — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:44:29 +0000

I guess that will silence the “responsibility and whining” crowd. We won’t see one more peep out of them.

You’re sure of that, Santacruz? I have looked everywhere I can think of to find that information. It certainly puts a new light on the subject, doesn’t it?

Whoa, wait a minute. Cashgreen said he didn’t take the insurance benefit offered to him, but rather choose to learn from his foolishness not whine. The Air Force must have been the only branch with the insurance option.

Important subject, Mr. Brewer. This is one subject that needs to remain alive. Keep up the good work.

By: santacruzsam

santacruzsam — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:00:22 +0000

$200,000 in Life Insurance is for active duty soldiers and sailors and Marines going into combat. It is a recruting tool. This insurance was not offered before recent wars. Cash and company can speak of responsibility until the sun comes up, and it has nothing to do with history or the reality of the now.

By: winnieo

winnieo — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:09:39 +0000

Sorry, that was a little curt. It does look like I was talking to you, but I was talking to Cashgreen.

For the record, since you asked, I’m just a plain American who cares about veterans. I have never been in the military.

I wasn’t “questioning” anyone’s “bona fides.” I was just asking because Cashgreen’s opinions may (or may not) be based on his personal experiences in the military.