CFSO supports Rolling Thunder 2010

Rolling Thunder XXIII Message Points:

Live POWs - what is our government doing about the live POWs left behind in all past and present wars? Why are government efforts focused only on recovering remains? Why has the government ignored its own documentation or changed creditable reports into discredited reports. It is impossible that every piece of intelligence that concerns a live unreturned POW is wrong. For the families of those still unaccounted for, there will never be closure.

House Res. 111 – why has Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi refused to allow this resolution to come to the floor for a vote? This bill had 289 co-sponsors in the 110th congress and has 248 in the 111th congress. Bills have come to the floor with less than half-dozen co-sponsors yet ours remains blocked by Nancy Pelosi. When you read the text of the proposed bill, it is difficult to understand why there is opposition: “Resolved: that there is established in the House of Representatives a select committee to be known as the Select Committee on POW and MIA Affairs…The select committee shall conduct a full investigation of all unresolved matters relating to any United States personnel unaccounted for from the World War II, Cold War Missions, the Korean conflict, Vietnam Conflict, Persian Gulf War, Operation Iraqi Freedom, or Operation Enduring Freedom, including MIA's and POW's missing and captured.”

Veterans benefits – the economic recovery and healthcare reform have taken center stage, yet there are still serious problems with the VA system, particularly in the areas of speedy transition of service personnel after discharge, claims processing, and geographic inequities in VA facilities. While we applaud VA Secretary Shinseki’s efforts—and we believe him to be a true advocate—we believe there is more that could be done. This includes more public communication about VA programs such as the new Emergency Care Fairness Act of 2009 and the Special Pension for Veterans’ Aid and Attendance. Many veterans and their families have no idea these benefits are available to them; an estimated $22 billion annually goes unclaimed.

Rolling Thunder Charities - Rolling Thunder® Charities Inc. (a 501(c)(3) non-profit) was created in 2007 to start a fund from which we could address more of the needs of our veterans, our troops and their families who have fallen between the cracks and not gotten the help they deserve. Since then, with generous contributions from Rolling Thunder chapters, individuals and corporate sponsors such as Aetna, Humana Military Healthcare, and Harley Davidson of Washington, DC, Rolling Thunder Charities and Rolling Thunder chapters nationwide have helped veterans across the country. From purchasing wheelchairs and building wheelchair ramps, to fixing leaky roofs, ductwork and heating units, to donating food and building a shelter for homeless veterans, Rolling Thunder Charities is ―filling in the cracks for those who have served this country with courage and honor. They deserve nothing less.

POW/MIA Flag Over the White House – why is this flag not flying over the White House, as it has in previous administrations?