Vets honor own over fretting about ID theft

One official's biggest concern was about funds needed to fix the problem.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Veterans visiting the nation's capital for Memorial Day weekend said Saturday they were more interested in honoring the sacrifice of U.S. service members than fretting about the theft of personal information from a government computer.
"Me, I'll recover if my Social Security number's gone, but at least I have my health," said John Norton, 37, who served in a Navy construction battalion from 1988-96.
Norton, of Grand Rapids, Mich., said he's not overly concerned whether his data may have been on a laptop stolen from a Veterans Affairs Department employee's home May 3.
The VA on Monday revealed that the computer contained the names, birth dates and Social Security numbers of 26.5 million veterans who were discharged since 1975. In some cases, spouses' information and data of veterans discharged before 1975 who submitted claims to the agency may have been included.
Just one example
Norton said there's nothing he can do about it, adding that he thinks it's just one example of how the federal government is failing veterans.
"It's one of many things," Norton said as he looked toward the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. "Like the ongoing cutting of VA benefits. You don't see politicians' benefits cut."
People running veterans information tents on the Mall said fewer veterans than they expected had approached them with questions and concerns about the theft.
Nancy Verespy, international executive director of Veterans of the Vietnam War Inc. and The Veterans Coalition, said her top concern was that any money needed to fix the fallout from the theft doesn't come from the VA budget.
VA Secretary James Nicholson has pledged a thorough investigation and ordered employees to attend classes on privacy and cyber security. The department also set up a Web site and toll-free number to answer veterans' questions.
Note: Toll-free number for information on the data theft: (800) FED-INFO ([800] 333-4636). The call center will operate from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. EDT Monday-Saturday.
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