PHOTO CREDIT: Rick Kintzel, Photojournalist.
This article about the sale of a 1945 Willys MB appeared in Pennsylvania’s Bucks County Courier Times. The new owner is a U.S. Army Colonel who hopes to use the jeep to support Wounded Warrior projects.
This seems a worthy cause; however, it is ironic that he’s using the jeep to support an organization that in turn doesn’t support (and arguably has worsened the situation of) wounded and disabled members of WWII and the Korean War (and any other wounded veterans before 2001), folks who might have actually used this jeep during their tours of duty.
One example of this is the Caregiver Support program, promoted by Wounded Warrior, and available only for the caregivers of wounded veterans post 9/11. Ann’s shared with me other examples of programs and opportunities given to new wounded veterans that’s created two classes of wounded, those before and those after 9/11. That’s a shame.
Wounded Warriors sounds like a good organization on the surface, but they have issues with lavish spending of donated funds, have fired top executives for this sort of behavior and pretty much only 60% of donations actually go to veterans…the rest is overhead…however, they are getting better. Just like Ann, it makes me mad to know that people are raising money in the name of wounded veterans and then wasting it, getting rich off of it, etc…
Unfortunately, most people don’t know how WWP has created two classes of wounded warriors. It’s a crying shame that Vietnam era and Desert Storm veterans are being denied support by this organization.
She is 100% correct! I’ve been told “What? Desert Shield/Storm wasn’t a real war!” Or others like it after it until you get to the turn of the century. I guess when you’re turned loose to get the job done and you happened to be their afterwards for mop up duty, then you don’t matter. Hell, I was called out of retirement during the 2nd Bush’s Iraqi War for a specific task over there because of Clinton’s drawdown and It took years latter to prove that. Shhh!!! Remember you signed NDA. Oh well, I rattle on. But the article is ironic as Dave stated. I lost a dear friend in the towers where Ann was injured that day and his wife and children didn’t see any difference in war classes. Nuff said. God Bless all of our troops!
At first I supported the Wounded Warrior Program, and not meaning to take away anything from this post 9/11 veterans, but I also was misled and later learned that they did not support Vietnam veterans or any veterans before 9/11. Then reading about the exuberant salaries the top guys were receiving left a worse feeling about the organization. Proudly served when called, 69-71.
What they said ^^^^