Consequently, choosing a candidate to support was not an easy decision for most of the groups’ members, including IDVC Chair Bob Krause, who was originally leaning toward Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, but ended up endorsing Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut. “While we do have an excellent field of candidates, I’m caucusing for Chris Dodd because I trust him more than any other candidate to lead the nation when the unexpected occurs and to deliver results for his fellow veterans,” Krause said in a statement.

IDVC Chair Bob Krause (right) looks on as U.S. Rep. John Larson, D-Conn., (left) speaks on behalf of Dodd at Dec. IDVC meeting

Terry Phillips (left), Joe Stutler (middle), Kent Sovern (right) man the IDVC table at the Jefferson Jackson dinner in Dec.

Similar to Kerry, who was a decorated Vietnam War veteran, Krause was also swayed by the fact that Dodd is the only Democratic candidate who has served in the military (U.S. Army Reserves and Army National Guard: 1969-1975). “As a 28-year veteran of the Army Reserves, I know we need a commander-in-chief who is ready to take on the job from day one,” Krause said in a statement. “He will provide the leadership to restore America’s security and good name around the world, as well as produce results on our challenges at home.”

Dodd’s veteran status and firsthand knowledge of veterans’ issues also influenced Terry K. Phillips, a Navy veteran who served during the Vietnam War, and Joe Stutler, an Army veteran who served in Operation Desert Storm. “I was so impressed with his plan being the most comprehensive in solving the problems facing veterans that I agreed to serve as the state veteran coordinator for the Dodd campaign,” Phillips told the Iowa Independent.

Stutler echoed Phillips’ remarks and noted Dodd’s active support of the IDVC. “Not only does Dodd support veterans’ issues, but he’s supported the IDVC every time we’ve asked him.” Stutler had made a commitment to himself that he would support whoever showed up to the IDVC Presidential Extravaganza in August, and his decision was made for him when Dodd was the only presidential candidate who showed up to speak at the event.

In addition to Sovern’s endorsement, Obama has garnered support across multiple generations of veterans in the IDVC, including Andrew W. Hampton, whose recent fame came about at an Obama campaign stop in Mason City Dec. 26. Hampton, a 79-year-old retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, teared up when asking Obama about health care for military veterans, thus prompting Obama to walk over and hug him.

“It was an amazing personal experience, which was enlarged by a promise given by Senator Obama to the veterans of our nation,” Hampton wrote in an email message to fellow IDVC members. “He made a promise to work to support all of our veterans and to help secure what has been promised to them.”

Moreover, Obama picked up endorsements from Larry G. Olk and Marc Wallace, both of whom are actively caucusing for Obama. Wallace, an Army veteran who served in Germany as a linguist during the latter part of the `80s, is a precinct captain in Des Moines, while Olk, a Vietnam War Army veteran, serves on Obama’s Vets’ Caucus Steering Committee. “Obama stands out in possessing a unique skill set that includes deep commitment, impeccable honor and honesty, persuasiveness and most important a consensus builder,” Olk told the Iowa Independent in an email. “I have not seen that in one package since JFK.”

IDVC member Jim Mowrer, who now serves as the Iowa chair for Veterans for Biden, was also prompted by his military service to get actively involved in the presidential campaign. Mowrer, who recently returned from Iraq with the Iowa National Guard’s 1-133 Infantry Battalion, where he served as a senior intelligence analyst, committed to Joe Biden because of a promise the Delaware senator kept to the troops on the ground in Iraq.

“Senator Biden kept his promise to us that he would fight for the funds needed to produce Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles which dramatically reduce the number of casualties from improvised explosive devices (IEDs),” Mowrer said in a statement to the Iowa Independent. “When other presidential candidates were going back on their word to support those of us in harm’s way, only Senator Biden remained steadfast in his support, regardless of any political consequences.”

It was this same promise and Biden’s plan for Iraq that helped garner the legislator endorsement of IDVC member and Iowa House Rep.McKinley Bailey of Webster City. “After returning from serving in Iraq, I quickly grew frustrated by my impression that leaders in both political parties did not understand the fundamental challenges to ending the war in Iraq,” Bailey said in a press release.

“When I first learned of Senator Biden’s plan, I realized that was the ticket – a political solution, not a military one,” Bailey said. “I am endorsing him because from day one, our next president must make decisions on the direction in Iraq and I am convinced Senator Biden has the knowledge and experience to bring our troops home without leaving a situation that requires another generation of Americans to return in a decade.”

Veterans for Biden National Coordinator J.B. White sits at one of two tables reserved for veterans supporting Biden at Jefferson Jackson Dinner in Nov.

The Four Points of Honor grew out of the IDVC, which has been pushing veterans’ issues to the forefront of the political agenda during the run-up to Iowa’s first-in-the-nation presidential caucuses Jan. 3. The IDVC, which considers its efforts “Our Second Call to Duty!”, hopes to set the stage for veterans all over the country. In addition to building a network of politically active veterans and pushing a national agenda, the IDVC will be working with Gov. Chet Culver and the Iowa General Assembly to elevate veterans’ issues at the Statehouse.

Given the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the Bush administration’s failure to provide for the growing number of veterans and veteran-related issues, the IDVC feels that veterans need to get organized and advocate for themselves. “This is an historic time in our country, and I urge you to answer this `second call to duty,’” says Bob Krause, chair of the IDVC. “Your country needs your involvement now as never before.”

The IDVC is also concerned that veterans, who served prior to the current wars, will be left behind. The group will continue its fight to keep these voices heard in the political discourse. These veterans know what it’s like to be ignored, forgotten, and cast aside in the political arena and have adopted the battle cry as part of its IDVC mantra, “Never Shall One Generation of Veterans Abandon Another!”The Four Points of Honor bring more focus on veterans’ issues regarding health care costs and budgets, eligibility requirements, equity for Guard and Reserve veterans and special medical needs. The IDVC has passed the following resolutions that reflect these Four Points of Honor:

1. VETERANS HEALTH CARE COSTS AND BUDGETS: The Iowa Democratic Veterans’ Caucus supports mandatory federal funding for veterans’ health care for all veterans.

2. VETERANS ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS: It is the unwavering position of the Iowa Democratic Veterans’ Caucus that the Veterans Administration (VA) health care provisions are a contractual agreement earned by veterans. As such, we insist that financial means testing, co-pay and any or all other devices utilized to exclude or limit veterans’ health care benefits be rescinded.

3. EQUITY FOR RESERVE AND GUARD VETERANS: The Iowa Democratic Veterans’ Caucus is deeply troubled and concerned that both Reserve and National Guard veterans are treated differently under the terms of the Montgomery GI Bill than are active or Regular Armed Services veterans. We call on each Democratic presidential candidate and each member of the Iowa Congressional delegation to review the status of veterans’ educational benefits for the Reserve and Guard and bring them to parity with the educational benefits of Regular Armed Services veterans.

4. VETERANS’ SPECIAL MEDICAL NEEDS: The Iowa Democratic Veterans’ Caucus supports increased emphasis on the provision of and delivery of medical special needs for all Veterans. These special needs include services for the following physiological and psychological service-related injuries and disabilities:

-Mental Disorders (with particular emphasis placed upon and directed toward PTSD)
-Medical and mental health services specific to Women Veterans
-Traumatic Brain Injury,
-Orthopedic injuries and amputation services.

For more information on the Four Points of Honor, including the rationale behind the resolutions, go to the IDVC website to read the policy platform in its entirety. Any Iowa veterans interested in learning more about the IDVC or becoming a member of the organization are also encouraged to visit the group’s website. The IDVC’s next meeting will be held at the Communications Workers of America headquarters in Des Moines tomorrow, Nov. 10th, at 10:00 a.m.

“This is clear bipartisan support for a bill of vital importance,” said Bob Krause, chair of the Iowa Democratic Veterans’ Caucus. “We are surprised that none of the Republican presidential candidates has publicly voiced objection to Senator Tom Coburn’s action that continues to block debate on the measure in the Senate.”

Coburn has vowed to continue his hold on the Joshua Omvig bill, introduced in the Senate by Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, before the August recess. Coburn called the bill insulting to veterans and warned that its mandatory mental-health screening could harm their future job options. “I’m going to continue to hold this bill until we work on the issues to guarantee freedoms of the veterans in terms of the tracking,” Coburn said on the Senate floor.The Joshua Omvig Suicide Prevention bill is named after a soldier from Boswell’s district in Grundy Center, Iowa, who took his own life after returning from Iraq. The bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to step up screening, counseling and other mental health services for returning war veterans by mandating this process.

“We support the efforts of Joshua Omvig’s parents, Ellen and Randy, who as they deal with the tragic loss of their son Joshua, press forward on this bill so that other American families do not endure a similar tragedy,” Krause said. “To have a single senator hold up this critical bipartisan bill with no publicly expressed outrage from the Republican presidential candidates calls into question which party truly supports the troops and military families in America. All of the leading Democratic Presidential candidates, as well as the Democratic leadership in the Senate and the House, are on board. Where is the Republican leadership?”

Harkin, who served in the military during the Vietnam War, was surprised by Coburn’s hold and steadfastness and took the Senate floor to fight for his fellow veterans. “The Joshua Omvig Suicide Prevention Act has received intense scrutiny, including two hearings in the House and three in the Senate. The bill has been strongly endorsed by the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Disabled Veterans of America and other veterans’ groups,” Harkin said. “So it is a travesty to have this bill held up, now, by a single senator for reasons that are completely bogus.” Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, has also joined 30 of his senatorial colleagues in co-sponsoring the bill, including presidential candidates Sens. Joe Biden, D-Del., Hillary Clinton, D-NY, Barack Obama, D-Il., and Sam Brownback, R-Kan.

The aim of the bill is to reduce the shocking rate of suicide among our men and women returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. The VA estimates that more than 5,000 veterans take their lives each year. Suicide rates are 35 percent higher for Iraq veterans than for the general population. And the Department of Defense recently reported that the Army is now seeing the highest rate of suicide since the Vietnam War.

For now, the fate of the Joshua Omvig bill rests upon the shoulders of Coburn, whose hold is blocking it from a debate and subsequent passage on the Senate floor. On the Democratic side of the aisle, Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., whose father committed suicide years ago, has vowed to push this bill through by the end of the year. “We are not going to let one or two senators stop us from moving forward on this,” Reid said on the Senate floor during Harkin’s plea to Coburn.

Until then, members of the Iowa Democratic Veterans’ Caucus have called upon the Republican presidential candidates to take the leadership on the bill and speak out on the campaign trial, thus removing the congressional cog from the bureaucratic machine. “Their silence exposes their shallow support-the-troops rhetoric,” Krause said. ” `Support the Troops’ means a lot more than `Support the War.’ “

But have the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan really hit home for most Iowans?

“The burdens, sacrifices, and hardships of military service fall on fewer and fewer families. This country is not at war,” said Maj. Gen. Youngman (pic left), who spoke on behalf of John Edwards at the Iowa Presidential Extravaganza, hosted by the Iowa Democratic Party Veterans’ Caucus. “For their convenience, the press says we are at war, but go out to the mall and see if you see any signs that we are a nation at war.”

But even this statement was a stretch on Youngman’s part, given there were no members of the mainstream media in attendance. Granted, this gave the Iowa Independent exclusive coverage of the event, which came as a surprise, considering the list of guest speakers scheduled to speak, which included presidential candidate Chris Dodd, D.-Conn., Sen. Tom Harkin, D.-Ia., Rep. Leonard Boswell, D.-Ia., former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden and son of Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, two decorated Vietnam veterans and a recent combat veteran of the Iraq War.Military Front

“Half-Staff Flags Rarely Visible on Funeral Days”: John Carlson’s column relates the incident of a “borderline disgusted” caller, who was upset by the number of flags that weren’t being flown at half staff Monday, despite Gov. Chet Culver’s directive issued the previous Friday ordering that the flags be flown half-staff Monday to honor Marine Sgt. Jon Bonnell, Jr., 22, of Fort Dodge, who was killed in Iraq on Aug. 6, 2007. P.J. Sesker Green, the aunt of Sgt. Daniel Sesker, an Iowa National Guard soldier killed last year, asked a number of businesses why they weren’t flying their flags at half-staff. “I told them the governor asked everybody to do it on the day of a funeral as a sign of respect,” she said. “Some people told me they’d never heard such a thing. Some told me they didn’t know anything about the Marine being buried that day. I think all of them were embarrassed.”

Culver’s executive order directly applies to all U.S. and state flags under the control of the state. Individuals, businesses, schools, municipalities, counties, and other government subdivisions are encouraged, but not required by law, to fly the flag at half-staff for the same length of time as a sign of respect. Unfortunately, this directive hasn’t been effectively communicated on behalf of Culver and the media, and people in those institutions and the business community may be unaware of its existence and when it’s been issued. (Des Moines Register)

Political/Veterans’ Front

“Dodd: Bush Administration’s Caring Words `Ring Hollow’ with Veterans”: Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Chris Dodd, D.-Conn., could not care less about what a politician has to say, but he cares about what a politician has done. These words ring especially true when it comes to supporting the troops and taking care of veterans and their families. “I get really upset when I hear the Bush administration talk about how much they care about American veterans and soldiers,” Dodd told a group of veterans at the Iowa Democratic Party Veteran’s Caucus Presidential Extravaganza in Des Moines.

“I’ve spent four different occasions on the Senate floor just to get body armor for those serving in Iraq, only to be defeated every single time by the Republicans, who could not come up with the votes to support the body armor or compensate the families and communities who purchased body armor for their loved ones in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Dodd said. “The Don Rumsfeld line, `You don’t get the Army you deserve, you get the Army you got’ reflects this administration’s attitude toward our young people, which they placed in difficult situations without even the most basic protection. This is deeply disturbing to me, and when I hear comments about how much they care and compare this with the actions of this administration, these words ring hollow.” (Iowa Independent)

“Harkin, Boswell Call Upon Presidentail Candidates to Honor Contracts with Veterans”: Iowa’s Sen. Tom Harkin and Rep. Leonard Boswell want their fellow veterans to get politically involved in the presidential campaign and hold the candidates accountable for their views on veterans’ issues. “Every veteran has an obligation, just as we had an obligation to carry out our duties as soldiers, to be intimately involved in politics,” said Harkin, a Navy veteran who served during the Vietnam War.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney may have won the Ames Straw Poll fundraiser Saturday, but his “surge for support” in the veterans’ community had trouble gaining traction in the days leading up to the event.

“Iraq Vet Confronts Mitt”: While stumping at the Iowa Sate Fair on Thursday, Romney was confronted by wounded Iraq War veteran Ron Devoll Jr., a 26-year old from Cedar Falls. Cut off by Romney’s traveling secretary Eric Fehrnstrom, Devoll never got an opportunity to finish his line of questioning. “I think that Romney was disrespectful,” Devoll told reporters after the candidate had left. “I tried to ask him questions. You know, I am an Iraq vet who served my country, and he can’t give me a few minutes of his time, and he wants to walk off. I think that’s really disrespectful,” he said. The online journal “Salon” captured the complete transcript of the conversation. (”War Room“)

“Romney’s Sons Surge to Support Him, Not Troops”: At an “Ask Mitt Anything” campaign stop Wednesday, Rachel Griffiths, a member of the Quad City Progressive Action for the Common Good and sister of an Army major who had served in Iraq, asked Romney, in light of his support of the troop surge, why none of his five sons were serving in Iraq. Romney responded, “One of the ways my sons are showing support for our nation is helping me get elected because they think I’d be a great president.” (Political Fallout)“Iowa Veterans Put Politics Aside to Raise Funds for Wounded Comrades”: The spirit of bipartisanship has broken out on the presidential campaign trail in Iowa. The Iowa Democratic Veterans Caucus is hosting a fund-raiser Monday (Aug. 13) in Des Moines to assist wounded soldiers and veterans. The event, Iowa Veterans’ Presidential Extravaganza, is open to all veterans, regardless of their political affiliation. “From the day you put on the uniform, you learn to take care of your fellow soldier. This is no different. Black, white, Hispanic, Republican, Democrat, Independent; we are all in this together. You may or may not like our politics, but you cannot deny that we are comrades in arms,” said Bob Krause, chair of the IDP Veterans’ Caucus.

All of the Democratic presidential candidates have been invited, but only Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., has confirmed he will attend, while John Edwards; Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del.; Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y.; Sen. Barack Obama, D.-Ill.; and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson have confirmed they are sending high-level aides on their behalf. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, is also scheduled to speak at the event. The event will run from 3 to 7 p.m. to accommodate veterans and their families attending the Iowa State Fair. (Iowa Veterans Blog)

The line between veterans and politics is blurring to the point of nonexistence as more and more veterans are actively engaging in the political process. A number of bills regarding veteran issues have been introduced in both chambers on Capitol Hill. Not to mention that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are not only pushing veteran issues to the national stage, but veterans are forcing the political hands of Congress members and presidential hopefuls.

“`Our Second Call to Duty’: Iowa Democratic Party Courting Veterans”: The GOP has traditionally owned the military veteran vote. But if you were to ask anyone at last weekend’s Iowa Democratic Party Veterans’ Caucus meeting, odds are you would get a different answer. “As a patriotic American, I can’t help but be a part of the Democratic Party,” said Joe Stutler, Army veteran and Linn Count liaison for the veterans’ caucus. “As a veteran, it bothers me greatly to see how our veterans and current military are treated in this country, and I would feel as if I left my brothers in arms behind in a hot zone if I didn’t speak up and support them.” Sensing Stutler is not alone but rather a microcosm of discontent regarding how veteran issues have been consistently ignored by politicians, the IDP formed the Armed Forces Veterans’ Caucus.Sen. Joe Biden is gaining support from Iraq and Afghanistan War veteran activists:

“Keeping Real Time with J.B. White, Veterans for Biden’s New National Coordinator”: Iraq War veteran J.B. White doesn’t waste any time when it comes to explaining why he and other Veterans for Biden support Sen. Joe Biden for president. “The thing about Veterans for Biden is not only do we support Biden, but we believe in him as well. We believe that he’s the one who can get his Iraq plan implemented,” said White. “There’s a big difference between having a viable plan and being able to implement the plan. Biden’s position in the Senate and his experience with foreign affairs make us feel he’s the one who can get it done.”

In her piece, “Military Wife Answers Her Own Call to Service,” Iowa Independent’s Lynda Waddington interviews Carissa Picard, president of the Military Spouses for Change. Picard, whose husband, Chief Warrant Officer Caynan Picard, is expected to redeploy to Iraq in early 2008, wanted to better serve her country by getting politically involved. After carefully analyzing and comparing all of the presidential candidates, Military Spouses for Change chose to endorse Sen. Joe Biden.