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Subscribe to RSSAfter a decade of war, America is well schooled on post-traumatic stress, lost limbs and traumatic brain injury, but the most common injury sustained by U.S. troops is literally a silent wound: hearing loss.
Mark Brogan, a retired Army captain, can speak quite personally about almost all of those examples of combat carnage – he suffered a brain injury, a spinal injury and a nearly severed right arm when a suicide bomber on foot detonated his weapon near Brogan six year ago in Iraq.
Courtesy of Mark Brogan
Mark Brogan sustained a spinal injury, a brain injury, a nearly severed arm - and severe hearing loss - when a suicide bomber blew himself up not far from Brogan in Iraq six years ago.
What does Brogan, 32, consider the worst of the physical trauma? “Hearing loss and the brain injury,” he said from his home in Knoxville, Tenn. He has “profound unusable hearing” in his right ear and severe hearing loss in his left, he said, along with constant ringing, or tinnitus, in his ears.
After the insurgent's bomb killed a soldier just behind Brogan – along with the person who was wearing the device – other U.S. troops quickly rushed Brogan's side and saw blood streaming from both ears, he said.
“You’ve been to a concert – you know how your ears are ringing afterward? It’s just like that my entire life,” Brogan said. “A lot of guys get home and they probably don’t even think about getting their hearing checked.
According the Department of Veterans Affairs, the most prevalent service-connected disabilities for veterans receiving federal compensation in 2011 were tinnitus and hearing loss, respectively, followed by PTSD.
"I suspect today’s generation of veterans – those who have been in a combat environment – probably have a higher severity of hearing loss (than past generations), especially with the explosions and the IEDs and the ruptured ear drums they’ve sustained,” said Brett Buchanan, a VA-accredited claims agent with Allsup, a national provider of services with disabilities.
Allsup recently organized a one-day Web expo where younger veterans had a chance to log in and seek advice on how and where to get treatment — including a primer on how to successfully access and steer through the monolithic VA system.
While chatting online with dozens of veterans, Buchanan repeatedly was told about their hearing loss, he said.
To Buchanan, a former Army artillery officer who was among the first wave of U.S. troops to invade Iraq in 2003, the massive scope of the disability is simple to grasp.
“The military, in general, is just a high noise-producing environment,” Buchanan said. In the Navy, where most sailors work only below deck, there is " the constant drumming of the engines and metal-on-metal noise.”
And in the Army and Marines, many personnel, he added, spend hours inside “military vehicles that are not quiet,” including tanks and personnel carriers.
In addition, service members typically devote time to practicing at firing ranges.
“In those cases, hearing protection negates the loud noise to a large degree. But when you’re in these environments for years upon years, that negation you do with hearing protection may not be enough to prevent injury long term,” Buchanan said.
“Then you get into the combat environment where weapons are going off, explosions are going off. In combat, you can’t call time out and say, ‘Hey, I need to put in my earplugs.’ ”
Service-related injuries in veterans are assessed and rated by VA doctors to determine how much monthly compensation those veterans will be paid for their physical sacrifices. Those ratings span scores of 0 to 100 depending on the severity of the wounds. (Brogan, who due to the partial spinal injury has weakness on his right side and a lack of sensation on his left side – but no paralysis – is classified as 100 percent disabled by the VA, he said).
Through earphone-tone exams and other diagnostic means, the VA also rates hearing loss and tinnitus in veterans who come in for checkups.
“For hearing loss, the ratings I usually deal with for my clients are 0 percent, meaning they’ve had some hearing loss but it doesn’t quite meet the criteria to get the minimum VA disability rating, which is 10 percent,” Buchanan said. “Tinnitus is a simple 10 percent rating. There’s nothing above that. My tinnitus might be worse than yours but there’s no test for that.
For Brogan, post-military life has included mastering subtle tricks and new technology to adapt to his muffled hearing. For example, his phone transcribes conversations as they take place. “And in a loud restaurant with background noise, I pretty much can’t understand anybody’s voice,” Brogan said. “I have to tell somebody, ‘Hey, can you repeat that? Can you speak slower so that I can understand you?’ There are techniques, over time, that you learn.”
But his world is not devoid of pretty sounds. At age 5, he learned the piano. Six years after a bomb bloodied the insides of his ears, someone donated a new piano to the veteran. Brogan tickles those black-and-white keys as physical therapy for his brain and for the weakness in his right hand. He's mastering covers of popular tunes. And he's even composed his own melody, captured on video.
Finally, he's making music again.
Original composition. Just sat down one day and this sort of just poured out.
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This was common even before the war, at least in the flying world. Flightline ops are loud on land; I can only imagine what they're like at sea.
It is not surprising that hearing loss is one of the highest classes of disabilities in the military; it is in general industry also.
Most management groups, including the military, place very little emphasis on hearing loss or the newest technology available to help prevent it.
Even though the number of individuals who must deal with hearing loss has grown down through the years it has still been an ignored and forgotten problem.
Our poor historical attitude and lack of proactive action toward this problem is a disgrace.
I am retired Army and almost every retired friend I have suffers greatly from tinnitus. Mine is horrible but I have never filed for compensation what is the point, it isn't going away.....
Imagine a constant high pitch sound in your ear every waking moment, every day for the rest of your life. Hearing aids amplifly sound and do help within certian frequencies but the ringing never stops. That's one form of hearing loss. It can't be seen but it is there in numerous vets. The older they get the more hearing loss they experience.
My name is Norman E Nicholson l lost my hearing in 2005 my last tour of Afganistan l been having problem to get some thing out of it. They keep telling me that they dont think l didnt lost my hearing when l was at home l went to them in 2008 because l was getting tired of having problem hearing. They did give me a hearing aid that all. Good luck to any one get some thing out of it
Having a bomb go off next to you is clearly an immediate and sudden event. For most people, vets included, it is a long-term, VERY insidious, onset of the loss of hearing. You don't even realize it is happening until the damage has long been done.
I got my hearing loss flying in very loud, uninsulated military aircraft (uninsulated to make room for extra equipment), often for 16 hours at a time, 3 times a week. That, combined with having to wear headphones with the volume cranked up, killed my hearing. I never even thought about the long-term effects as it was happening, nor was it obvious it was happening until much later.
Now, I have to use closed captioning when watching T.V., have people repeat things often, and wear hearing aids (but they are itchy as hell, which is why I don't wear them all the time). I hear very little in my right ear, and have to stand so people at least talk to my left ear.
Kevin, I'm a hearing aid repair owner and I can suggest using something called Miracell and Eargene that should help the itchy ears. :)
Thank you verymuch NMSUNSET. I will give it a try.
Kevin as a vet I feel for you. I sure hope you can find some relief.
Kevin C-752389
You are so right. When you lose your hearing at a subtle rate, it can be difficult to realize what is happening until it is too late. I have always had very sensitive hearing and been told it was above normal. Perhaps that is why I avoided loud sounds practically my whole life. Including attending concerts that were loud, listening to radios and other sources that created loud sounds.I actually became ill and got the most massive headaches from over exposure to loud sounds.I feel really bad for those vets who have lost their hearing or a portion. As I have to live with some hearing lost and tinnitus. So appreciate where they are coming from, so very much.
When I joined the Marines, I became exposed to damaging noises from countless sources, which were impossible for me to protect myself from. Especially given the unique nature of what a soldier is asked to do.Which is unlike any other job.Obviously, that risk to hearing for those who join and serve, isn't going to change anytime soon.But it would be great if the Department of Defense and our nation's leaders, focused more attention on this particular problem to cut down on these consequences for soldiers and vets. So they don't continue paying this hidden high price for the rest of their life.For when you lose your ability to hear, it truly affects the quality of every area of your life, and every relationship you have or ever will ever have. And it would be so wonderful to go to sleep one night without hearing that awful loud constant ringing all the time. But one should count their blessing, after all. Especially if they can still hear at all.
I had to get hearing aids upon retirement due to years on gun ranges, using hearing protection, and deployments to Iraq. The constant ringing is the worst part of it, high pitch and to me is what I would consider conversation level, that will not go away. Even the hearing aids that are supposed to mask it somewhat, do not. But, what got me was the original piece he wrote. A calming, chaotic piece which halfway through seemed to expand into the feeling of combat and then subside. May be a wierd statement, but it spoke to me that way. Years of trying to explain what it was like wrapped up in a 2 minute piano composition. Excellent work of art.
lost one ear...slowly...and down to 68% in the other. due in part to sub service after the nam, but as it cannot be proven "combat related" it is not covered by the V.A.............period.
how do you believe we got to duty stations back then i asked one time, he said ...fly?.. i said correct ..yet somehow he just couldnt figure out how going from 30K feet ABOVE sea level to "X" feet BELOW sea level would have to do with hearing loss.
Hi Scooter
In my military career, 1969-93, I was involved with the Weapons Support Section (81mm mortar/FDC and .50 cal machine gun). Fired all many times, some in training and some in combat (VN, Desert Storm). I lost quite a bit of hearing from both ears but the left ear was the worst affected. Went to the VA and they prescribed a hearing aid. I used it a bit but found the "other noises" from sound were also amplified so It was basically useless. As for any disability, the VA said "sorry, we issued you a hearing aid and you do not qualify for disability". Needless to say, my hearing is the same but I learned to read lips!
If your eustachian tubes are functioning correctly, you should be able to fly and dive without a problem. Aircraft are pressurized to around 8K' while submarines maintain a sea level atmosphere inside. You weren't exposed to any more pressure differentials than your average flight attendant.
Scooter, I have severe hearing loss in both ears. When I told the VA I attributed it to the firing of 5" and 8' guns aboard ship, he just looked at me like he couldn't hear me. No help from the VA. I am a music lover. Often when listening to oldies from the 50's and 60's I know a note is supposed to be there but I can't hear it. My problem is tone deafness. Some people I can hear even if they speak very quietly, while others I cannot hear even if they almost shout.
All of the above. Never in combat, but around 90 day wonders who thought 105s were toys. Started the paperwork with the VA who requested my discharge papers. I cannot find them soooooo. Tinitis . .i'll say.
If I wipe My AZZ is that combat related can I get Money for that? That's all Today's Soldier is looking for something that is combat related that they can get Money for PATHETIC!
Crawl back in your hole- IF you spent any time in the REAL military, you'd know these guys (and gals now) aren't looking for a "pay day"! There just looking to be made "whole", as in returning to "normal" civilian life w/o being screwed up the rest of their lives...
and IA.Scooter- been there done that, bought the t-shirt. My hearing loss is about 35% in both ears, w/a complete loss of the spectrum where most female voices range...yes, I know- its a God send to have that built in excuse as to why I can't hear my wife, but in the long run, I'd rather the hearing:)
Spent 4 yrs in a M60 tank for Uncle Sam's Maniac Club, and when I got out, the Navy doc told me it was "my" fault for not wearing hearing protection 24/7/365 while conducting my assigned duties on and near the tank- which included time in the squad bays which were within hearing distance of the tank ramp...SO ranknfile, I can tell u w/o any hesitation, that IF I choose to go back at the VA to care for my loss of hearing (and I haven't), IT IS NONE OF YOUR DAM BUSINESS.
money for it? never served have ya. be happy you have good hearing and are 100% whole it sucks when you don't or aren't.THE ONLY THING a vet ever wants is for the country to love and take care of them as much as they have done so for it. ....money indeed...get a clue..... or better yet go down to your local V.A. / VFW / American Legion, and learn something... or even better...just spout your drivel to them.
Jeff...it sucks big time, but remember always
" i once felt sorry for having no shoes...until i met a man who had no feet"
Jeff
weird how that works, i too lost the same spectrum, i was told it has to do with the pitch, and i lost my RIGHT ear...so it does lend well to a peace-full drive........:)
IAScooterTramo,I like the saying about the man with no shoes.My Dad received a small pittance form a World War II injury.People who have never been in the military can't believe how Vets given the choice would choose mental and physical well being over any amount of money.You and I know that the compensation for injuries sustained in the military is sub par.
Rank
Your intelligence is showing>
Cleaning lady
Truer words were never spoken.
Rank, from all appearances, you've been taken care of all your life, by others.
My wife has to just about yell at me to get my attention, and just finding a way to hear my grandchildren, is irritating, at the very least. Wife keeps telling me to get hold of the VA, says my 23 1/2 years of being around noisy aircraft, loud trucks, and weapons, earns me at least a hearing aid, instead of having to take money out of our limited retirement acount, (anywhere from $2,000 on up, then expensive special purpose batteries every few months.) Problem with that, just getting the VA to listen to me is almost impossible. I know - the VA has hearing and mental damage from listening to the politicians that have never put their lives on the line for their country, OR their employers, the American taxpayer.
Rank---apparently in your case, its not what goes in your ears, its that fact that you have no brain to process it.
Rank - you obviously have no idea what you're talking about. Hearing loss, and it's evil twin, tinnitus are insufferable, as is your attitude. I got tinnitus about 10 or so years ago, and I have not had one single millisecond of silence since then. I damn near stepped in front of a train to make it stop but was too chicken to do it. It is THAT bad. I'm quite sure some people have in fact taken their own lives to get it to stop. This is no phony condition. It is well known. Thankfully, ignorant keyboard commanders like yourself are beginning to be the minority. This is a condition that requires funding and awareness.
I want to personally thank Bill Briggs and NBC for this article. Please keep it up.
Ranknfile, somehow I feel you have never served.
Rank, most soldiers and sailors don't want anything. They did not go into this hoping for money. They wanted to serve their country. For you to take the position you have is stupid. People do not get blown to pieces to get a check. They could have received a check by being slugs on the dole without the danger. No, most of these men and women wanted a better life by fighting for it. They saw the military as a chance to have a better life. I did. I used the GI Bill to go to college and get an education to further my career. Not once did I think, " I sure hope they blow me up so I can get a check." These men and women only want what is due to them and that is whatever makes them whole. You really are a piece of crap to think that money is all that matters. Many join just for the chance to say that they contributed in even the smallest way to protecting a turd like you. I hope you are happy.
ranknfile PATHETIC! Yes you are.
Hearing loss is the one most common hazard among vets of all branches. With soldier and warriors you must be able to "hear" your surroundings. It takes all of your senses to be able to survive...even an m16 is in the danger zone for the hearing. For Air Force and Naval Air...jets. Hearing aids....should be a given...no matter what the branch and time of service. Almost every vet I know has reduced hearing. That is NOT a coincidence.
I served in the U.S. Army for 4 years in the late 80's and early 90's. We had hearing protection on the range, but in the field nobody used it. We fired M2's, M60's, M16, grenade simulators, the whole works. I once had a guy fire a shotgun about 3 feet from head in a concrete bunker while practicing for a snatch and grab op. I never thought about my hearing. A few years ago I had a hearing test as part of a physical. I had lost a ton of my upper range. I was never in combat, but I would assume the damage would be twice as bad. I don't want a damn thing. I am fine. As for the other vets there was a deal made and that was I will fight for my country and I will die in necessary, but I expect that I will be taken care if injured or killed. Fulfill the deal. They did their part.
Hearing protection was not an option in combat. "ranknfile" would you suggest that the soldiers and marines wear ear protection on patrol? Might it not be a good idea to be able to hear the enemy approaching?
That is one of the reasons they developed the combat earplug and the Peltor system or the ones being worked on right now. Within seconds of firing a weapon, your hearing is affected and could be for days. Before an IED goes off, you won't hear an enemy approach whether you are wearing your hearing protection or not. If you ARE wearing it though, you are less likely to be a sitting duck from the disorientation experienced from the concussion. I would rather the inconvenience of 24/7/365 wearing hearing protection and still have my head together and be able to respond in combat. Denial doesn't help anyone.
Before every Army deployment, a hearing screening is supposed to be performed to determine if a soldier is at risk for further damage. If it is determined that he is at risk, he should be moved to another area of lower risk. Lots of soldiers lie so as to pass their screening and remain with their units.
That is why they are developing --- says a lot! It was not available for most of the soldiers and marines on this board!
My husband has always had a hearing loss since I met him - 42 years ago, as he's aged it has been worse. The audiologist told him the loss was from too many mortar shells, as well as being an M80 machine gunner for the USMC in Viet Nam. However, if one files a claim, this particular audiologist refuses to repeat what he has said in writing. Nice! When my husband was discharged he received a physical, however, they neglected to enter the results of his hearing test - hmmmm, apparently from what we've since learned this was a common practice when the intake hearing test and the discharge hearing test were considerably different.
Vets are not looking for payouts as "ranknfile" seems to think. I know my husband would much rather have good health, good hearing and no PTSD. I don't think there could ever be enough money to pay for the loss in his health and the pain of PTSD. So "ranknfile" what do you think, the vet with no legs would choose if he could - his legs back or his VA Disability payments?
After I retired from the military and had my physical at the Detroit VA, likely knowing I had a severe hearing loss ... [-90%/L * -35%/R] ... they conviently closed the window of the EENT Clinic while I was waiting for my appointment. That was years ago [1997] and I still haven't been able to get back in.
Question to all of you who had to purchase hearing aids: Did your insurance cover them?
Insurance does not normally cover hearing aids, and they can be VERY expensive....anywhere from $5,000-$10,000 for a pair.
Nope, insurance doesn't cover it and 5-10K is the range.
They are expensive. Apparently they are tasty as well, my dog stuck his nose up on the nightstand and snagged one, ate everything but the battery. Cost me 2500 to replace it.
On the plus side they really help with the tinnitus and now I can hear my granddaughter talking and the birds singing again.
Thank you for your reply. I am partially deaf too, due to a childhood illness.
So here is my point: Veterans are sent to combat, they become deaf but then insurance does not cover their hearing aids.
Is there any sense in this, when these insurance companies reap $$$ in profits, and give their CEOs golden parachutes worth $$$, but they deny coverage of hearing aids to "keep costs down?"
I too was denied coverage for my hearing aids, BUT was told that if I had a Cochlear Implant (major surgery) that IS covered by the Insurance companies. What is wrong with this picture?
huhhhhhhhhh, what did you say?
Pull YourJohnson out of your ear.
What????
I was a flightline mechanic on B-52's (8 engines per plane) for 4 years. My hearing is terrible. It's down to 30% in my right ear and 50% in my left ear. I told the VA I walked under running jet engines at idle and takeoff speeds when noise levels are PAINFUL, but it fell on deaf ears. I was a jet engine mechanic for pete's sake. Not many people have noisier jobs than that. Good luck to the young man who got something out of them for his hearing. His eardrums must have been leaking out of his ears.
Full disclosure - I served in the USAF from 1957-1961 and never saw combat. However, much of my service was at Chaunallt(?) AFB, La, a SAC base. Much of the work I did involved loading bombs into bomber bays while the planes engines were running. Because of that, I lost over 30% of my hearing in both ears and now have SDV status. From start to finish, it took me around 10 months to gain SDV status. That is way too long.
Yes hearing aids are so expensive and it should be covered by health insurance why? because your hearing IS YOUR HEALTH! I get so pissed when I hear that you have to pay $2,000 or MORE just to get these little hearing aids to help you hear. The manufactures are the crooks as they will NOT repair any hearing aids that are over 5 years old!! Why? because that is how they make their money!!!! For God's sakes I have had customers that have had their hearing aids for 5-15 years!! and all it needed was a little T.L.C. I am a hearing aid repair owner in Las Cruces, New Mexico and I repair hearing aids and just recently my lab is now making hearing aid for customers for $ 400.00 EACH! I'm not trying to get customers but I would really like people to know that you don't have to exhaust your savings just to hear. I wear heaing aids and since I have accounts with the manufactures I got a really good deal and that "Deal" just showed me the markup that they have, don't get me wrong I appreciate the deal they gave me but it showed me the markup that they have and it's an outrage!
Sincerely,
Terrie owner of All Brands Hearing Aid Repair
Las Cruces, NM www.hearingaidrepair.org
Only 25 clicks on this article... figures. I'm a 100% vet for a bunch of things. This article caught my attention because I have like no hearing in my one ear sort of and really bad constant tinnitus. They used to assign it 10% which I always kind of thought was funny but didn't matter. One day a few years ago they took it away saying they couldn't prove it was from almost having my head blown off or firing about 12000 rounds off the side of my head. Could have been swimmers ear I suppose. Sorry, it was just kind of funny but didn't matter. Obama is creeping at us one step at a time anyhow. Today at the VA... 2 new administrators.... 2 less direct health care personel. Everyone sees it coming.
Having worked on the Flightline for 3 years and 6 months combat as a HH-19 Crew Chief. My hearing is so bad I'm constantly saying "What? or Huh?" when my wife speaks to me. My ears will ache if I'm exposed to loud sounds for a period of time. There are some frequencies I can not hear at all in the mid to high range. Haven't gone to the VA,NEVER WILL!!! To many of my Vet friends have had bad experiences with the VA. I got my house with a Cal-Vet Loan. That is all I want from the VA.
I did two tours in Nam, gunner...my right ear simply does not work and the left one is 40% gone...when I went to the VA, just a few years ago, they finally honored me with hearing loss, tinnitus, and PTSD...when I got out of the Nam I never went to VA cause I felt it was for those poor guys who came home without limbs, etc. But, I finally said enough is enough, couldn't hear for @!$%#, nightmares, anxiousness, crowd problems, divorses, etc....I went and they took care of me...so, no room for doubters...hearing loss and PTSD are @!$%#ing real....
I have a high frequency hearing loss from birth. I too have tinnitus in both ears. I know what our veterans are going through. Don't give up. Dealing with the hearing loss is bearable. Try altering your diet, exercise when you're able and try meditation. Meditation takes you away from your troubles temporarily and allows you to work through the hearing loss. It keeps you calm when things get hectic or out of control in your environment - including what's happening in your ears.
bbbb
We were forced to operate pneumatic paint chippers on board a navy ship without ear protection. The chief said we had to get the job done and there were no headsets available. I have over 50% hearing loss and no disability.
Hearing aids cost me $2,700 at Costco. Nearly 1/2 cheaper than most places.
Don't believe what the VA tells the public. For first 9 years my husband was in a vault like office with computers in the 70's. They were so noisy that his ears ring all the time and he's close to 60% deaf in one ear and 80% the other. According to the VA his hearing loss has nothing to do with USAF. twenty-two years active duty and now 21 years since being out and still no help. Been before the board denied several times. I guess we should count our blessings as least he alive thats what the VA tells us. Our friend took 24 years for them to recognize his problem, but with a father who was expose to agent orange he has been thru hell with all the cancers and treatments that hasn't worked. Yes maybe our boys of today are being taken care of but WWII & Korean & Viet Nam sorry to say they are just being push aside and the people that could help are just waiting for them to die.
Infantry enlisted 1972 to 1977 - Special Forces 77 - 78...
Constant ringing in my ears from weapons and explosions...
I treat it like hearing kids of the wife in the background and tune it out....
It does make for interesting conversation when I hear something very different from what is asked, but you deal with it.
The VA denies a lot of claims for this. Some of my buds asked me to write letters to get simple hearing devices - 7 years with one guy before the VA gave him the device - that is the real crime.
Even though we had ear plugs, you can't maneuver in squad formations among all the shooting without having the plugs out. I'd rather hear ringing that take a slug.
No doubt tiger!
If their hearing loss is profound--they can join the 72% of all deaf and hard-of-hearing who don't have a job--the highest of ANY group in America.
America is such a fiasco because the people here think they care about disadvantaged or the disabled but in reality Americans are no better than Nazi's with their attitudes like 'leave if you don't like, kill yourself if you don't like it, or will do it ourselves attitudes'.
Heard it all before.
For rifles and pistols used on the firing range, the very least the government should do is to install sound moderators (silencers) on them. We have mufflers on every car from Chevy to Mercedes yet we must listen to the noise of firearms.
Earplugs are a lot cheaper and more effective than silencers. Besides, neither silencers and hearing protectors are really practical on the battlefield. I suspect combat veterans of any war have at least some degree of hearing loss.
People can suffer hearing damage from target shooting and from hunting. Hopefully in the future our veterans will just be shooting guns at the rifle range. I was not talking about silencers being used in combat. However a Ruger 10-22 with a silencer can quietly take care of a sniper. I hear the Israelis have used them.
I join the club here.
A Navy Vet, Gunnersmate. Years of big ship guns, small arms & engine/mechanical noise all around me.
When I joined back in '75, I had perfect hearing. In '84, an Air Force Doctor in Panama tested me and said that if he was drowning off the beach, he wouldn't want me to be the only guy on the beach to hear his calls.
When I retired, suddenly all my previous medical records were lost, or the testing standards had been changed over the years, and there was no longer any base-line to establish any basis for any hearing loss. No disability.
Now I can't hear conversational levels of frequencies very well, those super-base speakers in cars are very painful, and movies and TV have to be close-captioned just to follow what's going on.
Any compensation? ERRR! Beulah, the tacky buzzer sounds off. You don't qualify.
I think that Wounded Warrior program and all is great for todays Veterans. No complaints. Has anyone taken time to wonder WHY there has to be a charity such as the Wounded Warrior project? Think about it. This Pres. wants vets to die off and blow away with the wind.