On June 2, the Supreme Court elected not to hear an appeal by veterans who had sued the government over promised health care. A federal appeals court had ruled earlier that recruiters' promises of free lifetime medical care made to retirees who entered service before mid-1956 and served at least 20 years, and their spouses, were not legally binding on the government.

Retired Air Force Col. Bud Day, a Medal of Honor recipient and former prisoner of war, had hoped the Supreme Court would overturn that decision. Day had filed the suit on behalf of veterans William Schism (now deceased) and Robert Reinlie.

The Supreme Court's decision came in spite of a brief filed by the Military Officers Association of America stating that "it is not enough to hold parades or tie yellow ribbons. We must honor their commitment and sacrifice by assuring that the government honors its commitments to them."

Find out more:

America's Veterans

On the Web:
www.thelivingwall.com.

By mail:
America's Veterans
2554 Lincoln Blvd., Suite 706
Marina del Rey, CA 90291

By telephone:
310-396-3660

Library of Congress' American Folklife Center Veterans History Project

On the Web:
www.loc.gov/folklife/vets/vets-home.html. www.loc.gov/folklife/vets/vets-home.html By mail:
Veterans History Project
Library of Congress
American Folklife Center
101 Independence Ave. S.E.
Washington, DC, 20540-4615
By telephone: 1-888-371-5848

Publish Date: May 11, 2003