The VFW Washington Office this week hosted a six-member delegation from the transitional government of Libya to explain how the United States cares for her veterans. The delegation, comprised of members of Libya's National Economic Development Board, is participating in a 10-day visit to the United States, in coordination with the U.S. State Department, to learn how Libya might establish new governmental systems to care for those who fought and were injured in the recent rebellion that toppled their former dictator, Muammar Gaddafi.
In addition to meeting with government officials from the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs, the delegation sought out the advice of the VFW, the nation’s largest organization of combat veterans, to learn how advocates view the landscape of veterans’ services, and ways in which an organized veterans’ community can work to ensure those who are injured in battle receive the care and services they need to lead productive lives once the war ends.
VFW Executive Director Bob Wallace said he was encouraged by the steps Libya’s interim government has taken to quickly address the needs of their war wounded.
“The fact that you are here shows how serious you are about taking care of your warfighters,” said Wallace. “This won’t be an easy task, but the VFW is happy to assist in any way we can.”
During the meeting, Wallace and his staff discussed the evolution of veterans’ organizations and veterans’ services in the United States since the VFW's founding in 1899, with special focus on health care and transitional needs of those who served in harm’s way, but who must now readjust to life after war.
The Libyan delegates said they faced two critical challenges in caring for those who fought in the revolution. First, those who comprised the rebellion against Gaddafi were not formally aligned with an organized military entity, meaning no formal paper trail can connect them to the battlefield. Second, those who fought in Gaddafi’s Army are still Libyans, and many may have been forced to fight against their will, prompting questions about benefits to which they should or might be entitled.
VFW Deputy Service Director Jerry Manar correlated the rebels’ paperwork dilemma to that facing Filipino citizens who took up arms to fight the Japanese alongside U.S. forces during World War II. After the war, Filipinos had the opportunity to prove their status through corroborating evidence to receive veterans’ benefits from the United States, but the window for establishing veterans' status closed shortly afterward.
The Libyan delegation concluded that their first action should be providing care for those who were wounded in battle. Reconciliation among Libyans could wait for a new formal government, but now the healing for those who suffered during the war must begin.
VFW leaders said the session was productive and inspiring, and that the VFW looks forward to working with Libya’s fledgling government to help ensure that they properly care for their brave citizens who help to free Libya.
(Image: VFW leaders pose for a photo in Omar E. Ketchum Hall at the VFW's Washington office alongside delegates from the interim Libyan government after this week's meeting to discuss veterans' issues. VFW photo.)
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