Arlington, Va. — Concerned Veterans for America (CVA) today launched “Share Your Story,” a national campaign aimed at raising awareness of the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) failure to keep its promises to thousands of veterans and deliver the timely care and benefits they deserve. The campaign will share the stories of veterans across the country, veterans with unique experiences, voices and needs. The common thread among all these stories, however, is the VA’s failure to deliver on the promise it made to them to take care of them just as they promised to care for our nation through their service.
The debut of “Share Your Story” features Joni Marquez, an Air Force veteran involved in the tragedy of Extortion 17, in which 38 American service members lost their lives. Marquez still suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) associated with the incident, but has been unable to rely on the VA to provide her with consistent, satisfactory treatment, nor the stability of a therapist who can regularly provide care and treatment. Instead, Marquez has been forced from provider to provider, forced to endure the trauma of her experience repeatedly.
Concerned Veterans for America will be releasing more stories like Joni’s, and veterans who want to highlight their struggles getting care or benefits from the VA are encouraged to visit the “Share Your Story” website and share their stories.
Dan Caldwell, CVA’s vice president for legislative and political action, released the following statement regarding the “Share Your Story” campaign:
“The ‘Share Your Story’ campaign is one more way for us to give a voice to the thousands of veterans who have been left behind by the Department of Veterans Affairs. As recently as last week, we learned that veterans are still being forced to endure unacceptably long wait times for basic care, and it is time for the VA to be forthcoming about its failure to provide that timely care, and embrace commonsense reforms that enhance accountability and offer veterans choice. In the meantime, while VA bureaucrats and political appointees rely on talking points and tired arguments, CVA will continue to provide a voice for these veterans that are affected daily by the VA’s failure on their behalf. We hope the VA will take these stories to heart, and put the welfare of veterans above political interests.”
To schedule a TV, print or radio interview with a CVA expert, please email press@cv4a.org. For media inquiries or requests for comment, please email CVA Press Secretary John Cooper (jcooper@cv4a.org).
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Concerned Veterans for America is a non-partisan, non-profit, 501(c)(4) organization that advocates for policies that will preserve the freedom and prosperity we and our families so proudly fought and sacrificed to defend.