Sometimes a grateful nation forgets its debt to veterans

The Supreme Court deals in legal obligations, not necessarily moral obligations, and so last week it told World War II and Korean War veterans that they're not entitled to the level of medical care they had been told they'd get for life back when they enlisted.
That may make it legal, but it doesn't make it right.
Young recruits were told the benefits would be covered if they stayed in the service 20 years. Those promises, made by military recruiters, were not backed up by law, a lower court ruled late last year. Now the Supreme Court has left the lower court ruling stand.
By not considering the case, the court has saved the government as much as $15 billion, but that cost will ultimately fall on 1.5 million veterans.
Veterans received free benefits until 1995, when the Pentagon ended coverage for veterans over 65 because they were eligible for Medicare. Many of them had to purchase supplemental policies.
Sympathy doesn't pay the bills
In ruling against the veterans who challenged the Pentagon action, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit was sympathetic, but said it was up to Congress to make good on the promises. Congress subsequently agreed to provide free health care for older veterans beginning last year, but the Supreme Court case involved reimbursement to veterans for their out-of-pocket expenses for private insurance coverage or supplements.
This nation has an unenviable history of forgetting its debts to its veterans, especially when times are tough. In 1933, during the Great Depression, the Economy Act was passed, wiping out a wide range of programs and benefits that had been provided to World War I veterans.
Even today, as American fighting forces remain in harm's way, Congress and the administration are looking for ways to save money at the expense of veterans.
In the most recent budget debate, projected cuts of $15 billion in veteran benefits over 10 years were trimmed to about $6.2 billion .
The White House and Congress must recognize their moral obligations, especially to those men and women who risked life and limb in service to the nation.