We are proud to welcome Karen B. McIntyre, R.N., VA Accredited Agent, President of Veterans Information Services, Inc., Co-creator of VisPro Veterans Benefits Software and Co-founder of Veterans Advocates Group of America (VAGA) as a guest blogger for Lawyers With Purpose:
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WWII brought many changes and sacrifices to our American way of life. Amongst these was the loss of over 250,000 nurses nationwide to military duty, leaving a huge medical void within this country. The solution to this massive problem was the creation of the Victory Nurse Corps, which later became the Nurse Cadet Corps.
The Nurse Cadet Corps was created in 1943 in response to the Nurse Training Act, signed by President Roosevelt on June 15, 1943, which became Public Law 74 on July 1, 1943. It remained operational until 1948, providing 80% of all stateside nursing care by 1945. It offered promises of college nursing degrees while providing much needed medical care to our stateside soldiers and their families. Recruited from college nursing programs throughout the United States, these special nurses wore uniforms and the insignia of the Commission Corps of the Public Health Service, which President Truman declared to be a branch of the military in June, 1945. Residencies were completed at various hospitals during the War, including federal and military. With rank of Lieutenant or higher, these nurses fulfilled the requirements for active duty status and yet, Congress has repeatedly denied them Veterans benefits.
In 1997, the first bill to grant active duty status to these deserving nurses was introduced to Congress, but never made it out of committee. It was reintroduced in 1999, but again died in committee. By 2002, the bill was getting attention, but never made it to the House of Representatives; however, in January of 2003, the U.S. Cadet Corps Equity Act of 2003 (HR 476) was finally introduced to the House, but again to no avail.
H.R. 1718: the United States Cadet Nurse Corps Equity Act was introduced to the 112th Congress, 2011-2012, requesting that these Cadet Nurses be afforded the same privileges given to other active duty military personnel with regard to Veterans benefits. This latest bill has also been tied up in committee with no resulting votes related to it. To read more about this bill, go to https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/112/hr1718.
As the daughter of one of these Nurse Cadets, I find it absolutely appalling that our government continues to deny benefits to these deserving nurses. My mother wore the uniform of the Commission Corps of Public Health (declared a branch of the military by President Truman) and held the rank of Lieutenant. She was one of many nurses who worked day and night to save the lives of our stateside soldiers, my father being one of them. And yet, she was able to receive only reduced surviving spouse's Veterans benefits prior to her death in 2010, being denied full Veteran status on behalf of her own service.
My mother (as seen above in uniform) was only one of thousands of these nurses who have served this country with honor and selflessness. Unfortunately, they are a vanishing part of our history. Unless Congress acts soon, there will be none of these heroic "Veterans" left to collect their well-deserved benefits.
Guest Contributor for Lawyers with Purpose, LLC, Karen B. McIntyre, R.N., VA Accredited Agent, President of Veterans Information Services, Inc., Co-creator of the VisPro Veterans Benefits Software, Co-founder of Veterans Advocates Group of America (VAGA).
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Hi Karen. Unfortunately, it’s the Republicans who don’t want to spend money on our veterans, and that is not going to change with THIS Congress.
I don’t care what political party or affiliation is involved…fair is fair. This is not fair. Stanley’s mother passed away in June 2015 and although we knew she has signed on as a cadet nurse we did not know until going through her things that she was activated and the only record we can get was via Ancestry.com…one page. The rest is sealed, and yet she was a ‘civilian???’ We want more info…desperately. I know she won’t receive benefits but a flag would be nice along with some answers.