Luján, vets to meet
Congressman wants to visit Gallup Veterans Clinic

Copyright © 2009
Gallup Independent
By Gaye Brown de Alvarez
Staff writer

GALLUP — Area veterans met Friday at Don Diego’s Restaurant in Gallup to discuss a slew of items. The room was full, and 23 vets signed the roster.

Joining the vets was Sharmyn Muñoz, a constituent liaison for Rep. Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., the newly elected representative for the 3rd District. Muñoz informed the group that Luján has been busy fighting for veterans rights and he is planning a tentative meeting March 27.

“He wants to meet with the vets and he wants to go to the Gallup clinic to see for himself what’s going on up there,” she said and added he will try to get the VA director in Albuquerque and two or three vets to get up and talk.

Cassandra Morgan, a UNM-Gallup veterans representative and the vice president of the student senate told the crowd that UNM had approximately 60 enrolled vets currently attending classes. She said it was possible Luján could meet with vets at the UNM auditorium. Morgan, who is an former Marine, also said new post-9/11 GI Bill will be going in effect in October to increase benefit funds.

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, types of training that can be taken under current GI Bill benefits include college, certificate programs, on-the-job training, apprenticeship training, flight training, and non-college degree courses. The post-9/11 GI Bill can only be used for programs taken at a college or university.

“If you are eligible for the post-9/11 GI Bill and other GI Bill benefits such as the Montgomery GI Bill, you will be required to make an irrevocable choice of which benefit you wish to receive. If, however you switch training programs and you have eligibility under more than one type of GI Bill you may be able to change which GI Bill you draw depending on your eligibility.

For example: you have eligibility under the Post 9/11 GI Bill and the Selected Reserve GI Bill. You can get a degree in electrical engineering under the Post-9/11 GI Bill at a community college, then you can enroll in an apprenticeship program with the electrician’s union under the Selected Reserve GI Bill and receive Journeyman certification,” it states online.

There was some talk of Memorial Day activities, ceremonies at cemeteries and a parade from the post office to the courthouse.

City Council candidate Emmett Bryan Wall who said he is a veteran, talked to vets about his background and why he is running for city council and what he can do to help vets.

Veteran Tom Hartsock told the crowd that he visited Dr. Chander Bhatia, who said his lawyer was in the “settlement stages,” with the Department of Veterans Affairs, which may end in June or July.

Vietnam vet Steve Starkovich told the crowd that with Obama’s new stimulus package, “a vets wing on GIMC is a possibility.”

“My dream,” Dave Cuellar said, “is a VA hospital and cemetery at Fort Wingate.” Vets at the meeting agreed they needed to take up the issue with Luján when he is in town on March 27.

Information: Sharmyn Muñoz at Luján’s office, (505)-863-0582
Memorial Day parade: Bill Martinez, (505)-863-3886
Cassandra Morgan, UNM-Gallup: (505)-409-6920
VA Health Clinic: (505)-722-7234