The Korean American Vietnam
Allies Long Overdue for Relief Act, introduced last week by Rep. Gil Cisneros,
D-Calif., would entitle roughly 3,000 Korean American veterans, who are
naturalized citizens, access to health care through the VA. So far, only
naturalized foreign troops from World War I and World War II have been allowed
to receive care at VA facilities, according to the department.
“Korean American Vietnam Veterans may have
served under a different flag during the Vietnam War, but they served with the
same duty, honor, and valor as our United States service members,” Cisneros,
who serves on the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, said in a statement.
Korean Americans suffered from
the same injuries as American troops in the Vietnam War, including
post-traumatic stress disorder and exposure to the chemical herbicide Agent
Orange.
However, despite becoming
naturalized citizens, they are not recognized as U.S. veterans because they
served in the Korean military during the war. Additionally, since South Korea
considers them foreign nationals, their access to benefits in that country is
limited.
No comments:
Post a Comment