Some of the surviving World War II veterans are suffering a great injustice. And it is up to The American Legion to persuade our lawmakers to correct this.

It’s the least we can do as we honor the courageous men and women who braved tyranny and saved democracy during the dark days of the early 1940s.

While most of these veterans are using VA services, some are not. Through no fault of their own, these veterans were dropped from the VA system or are being subjected to means testing.

In 1996, Congress passed the Veterans Health Care Eligibility Act, establishing means testing for access to VA for some veterans, while also exempting all Spanish American War and World War I veterans from that criteria. Now it’s time to do the same for The Greatest Generation.

That is why The American Legion National Executive Committee approved Resolution 3 at the 99th national convention in Reno, Nev., which calls for supporting legislation to amend the 1996 act “to extend the exemption from a means test to World War II veterans.”

But nothing has changed in the three years since that resolution was approved.

That is why I am calling on you today to help recognize these heroes with actions far more meaningful than words.

We can never truly thank the Greatest Generation enough for what they did in the Pacific and European theaters. But one way we can express our gratitude to those still living is to right this wrong on their behalf. Join me in contacting your congressional representatives today to tell them to open VA to all World War II veterans.

Thank you for your support of our American Legion programs, legislative agenda and, of course, our World War II veterans.

Stay safe, my friends and comrades.