Those who read this blog regularly need no reminder but to any casual observers, take 5 mins this Monday and remember the REASON it's a holiday. Say a quick prayer to whomever you pray to or a quick word of thanks to the men and women who have sacrificed their lives for our freedom.

For those inclined to do more, I'm pleased and proud to share this:

Washington, DC 26 May 2009:

This Memorial Day we launch a new group, The Warrior Legacy Foundation- a non partisan organization committed to the protection, promotion and dignity of America’s Warriors. The membership of the group is open to anyone who believes in this cause.

Across every generation, at war and at peace, America has asked her citizens to protect liberty and defend freedom at all costs. And no matter the terrain or political climate, America’s Warriors have met every challenge and made every sacrifice that was asked of them in order to defeat our enemies and protect our way of life. The Warrior Legacy Foundation is a passionate advocate for the preservation and elevation of the hallowed legacy of the American Warrior Class. Join us and stand firm in defense of the heritage of those brave souls who have protected our sovereignty throughout our great nation’s history.

They have asked for nothing and have given us everything.

http://www.warriorlegacyfoundation.org/

Thank you to our own Mule and all those past and present for their service.

The Obama administration on Wednesday abandoned a controversial plan to make veterans use private insurance to pay for costly treatments of combat-related injuries.

Stung by the angry reaction to the proposal, the administration made the decision after a meeting between officials from 11 veterans advocacy groups and top White House officials.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said the intent of the plan had been to "maximize the resources available for veterans."

He said, however, that President Barack Obama, who met with the veterans groups on Monday in their first trip to the White House, recognized their concern that it could "under certain circumstances, affect veterans and their families' ability to access health care."

The fact this never should have been a consideration in the first place, it was only pulled because they knew they'd be hammered over it and the idiotic explanation all notwithstanding: score one for the good guys.

Barack and Michelle Obama think very highly of the United States Military. Very. Highly. This is how highly they regard our servicemen and women:

The First Lady has vowed to be an advocate for the military, promising them that they have a "friend in the White House". Just last week, she paid a visit to Ft. Bragg, meeting with military families and touring the base. Her message: "Military families bear a very heavy burden, and again, they do it without complaint," Obama said. "But as a nation, we need to find ways to lighten their load."

This is also how highly the Obamas think of the military: At a meeting yesterday at the Department of Veterans Affairs, PHBO said: "I think about my grandfather whenever I have the privilege of meeting the young men and women who serve in our military today. They are our best and brightest, and they're our bravest -- enlisting in a time of war; enduring tour after tour of duty; serving with honor under the most difficult circumstances; and making sacrifices that many of us cannot begin to imagine. The same can be said of their families. As my wife, Michelle, has seen firsthand during visits to military bases across this country, we don't just deploy our troops in a time of war -- we deploy their families, too."

To this end, PHBO, together with new Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Eric Shinseki, want to "transform the Department of Veterans Affairs for the 21st century". Indeed, the plan is to increase the budget for the Department by over $25 billion (pdf). These funds will be used to expand the VA health care program so that it can serve an additional 500,000 veterans by 2013; to implement a GI Bill for the 21st century; to provide better health care; and to dramatically improve services related to mental health and injuries like Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury. The funds will also be used for technology that will ease the transition from active duty to home for our nation's service members.

This is all excellent news. If you're not convinced yet just how highly PHBO and the First Lady value the military, I offer you this:

His administration is considering a proposal to require a veteran's private insurance to reimburse the VA for treatment of combat related injuries. Yes, you read that right. PHBO wants servicemen injured in defense of their country to have their own insurance reimburse any care provided by the 21st century VA.

Now, I'm not going to get into how disgraceful a betrayal this is to the men and women who put their lives on the line or how this violates the most sacred of trusts. Nor am I going to get into how we can provide full medical coverage to illegal aliens or how we can find 900 million to send to Hamas...er, I mean "Palestine" but we can't take care of our wounded servicemen. Really. Not getting into it.

Instead, I wonder about the financial aspects of this proposal. I don't know about the rest of you, but my insurance company specializes in finding ways to get out of paying for the care I'm supposed to get. Between deductibles, co-pays, riders and the all inclusive "pre-existing condition", how much will a vet's insurance really cover? And what happens to the portion they decide isn't covered? Even when an insurance company does pay, there's a maximum amount of coverage in a calendar year. What happens to the vet and their family after coverage is exhausted? For those discharged vets entering the workforce or reservists returning to work, how will employers deal with this situation? On the bright side, the improved treatment for PTSD will come in handy when vets face mounting medical debts.

I wonder if PHBO has thought about any of this. I also wonder if Michelle knows about this. I mean, did Barack not get the memo that she is BFF with the military?

Now, for those of you suffering from BDS (Bush Derangement Syndrome), before you start with "yeah, but Bush...", pay attention: Bush. Is. Not. The. President. STFU.

For the rest of you, if you think this is a disgrace...oh wait, I said I wasn't going to get into that...anyway, I urge you to write your representatives and senators and tell them to vote against any such proposal making its way to the Hill. I am blessed in this regard. Hailing from Massachusetts, my senators are the "Lion of the Senate" himself, Ted Kennedy and that "champion of vets everywhere" John Kerry. I am sure they will work tirelessly to defeat this proposal. What? You think THEY want to piss off Michelle?