Retired U.S. Army Captain James L. McCormick II, executive director of government affairs for Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA), said Congress must broaden its approach to veterans policy to ensure that millions of veterans who served before Sept. 11, 2001, are not left behind in national debates.
In a blog post published by VVA, McCormick wrote that public and legislative attention has become disproportionately focused on post-9/11 service members, creating what he described as an unintended hierarchy among veterans.
“When lawmakers step in front of microphones to discuss veterans’ issues, the focus is almost always on Iraq and Afghanistan,” wrote McCormick. “By elevating one generation exclusively, Congress has created an unintended hierarchy of veterans.”
“Vietnam veterans continue to suffer from the long-term effects of Agent Orange exposure, Cold War veterans were exposed to radiation and contaminated water, and Gulf War veterans fought for decades to have Gulf War Illness recognized,” he wrote. “These problems are not lesser. They are simply less visible.”
McCormick said that of the approximately 18 million veterans living in the United States, nearly 12 million served before 9/11, including veterans of the Vietnam War, Cold War, and Gulf War eras. He said those veterans continue to face long-term challenges related to toxic exposure, delayed-onset illness, aging-related health conditions, housing insecurity, and difficulties navigating a Department of Veterans Affairs system that increasingly relies on digital access.
He said earlier generations of veterans played a central role in securing benefits now available to service members, including the formal recognition of post-traumatic stress disorder and the foundation for modern toxic-exposure legislation.
“This is not a call to reduce support for post-9/11 veterans,” McCormick wrote. “It is a demand that advocacy reflect reality.”
McCormick said Congress should ensure that hearings, legislation, and funding decisions consider the full veteran population, noting that roughly two-thirds of U.S. veterans served before the Sept. 11 attacks.
“Every veteran signed a blank check to this nation,” he wrote. “It all counts, it is all equally important.”
McCormick served during the Cold War, Gulf War, and Operation Iraqi Freedom and is a recipient of the Silver Star, Bronze Star with Valor, and Purple Heart.
