The problems my father is experiencing from the Department of Veterans Affairs is unfortunate but not surprising; I know the frustration he feels. Immediately following my retirement I accepted a position as a veterans service representative at the St. Paul VA where I worked for a short time before changing to a career in the local area. During my short time with the VA, I was impressed with a culture that put veterans first and stressed the importance of providing them the most comprehensive service possible.
The mission statement, "To care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan," is an adoption from Abraham Lincoln and the spirit in which all VA employees are to perform. My personal experience with some at the Fargo VA office is not consistent with either the spirit of the VA I knew in St. Paul or the mission statement I soon put to memory.
I know my father's situation can be resolved very quickly; it just takes the right attitude and willingness to service he who served.
John Bohmer
Dilworth, Minn.
