The following was first posted on 29 december 2000. It remains just as
important today:

Making Sure Every Military/Veteran Vote Counts, by Phill Coleman

Slightly under ten years ago a perceptive Vietnam vet, now working for
an agency of the Veterans Administration, clearly recognized the need
for a national organization of military and veteran voters to ensure
that every military-related vote counted.

Jerry Bowen was keenly aware of the importance of the overseas
military vote and the need for actives, reserves and veterans to unite
their vote to ensure that all of America’s military and veteran
community needs were accomplished.

Other veterans accurately predicted that the rate of decline of our
oldest national veteran organizations would parallel deep cuts in
military budgets, veterans programs and VA access/compassion/service.
These predictions have come true. Veterans and military personnel
possess less political power today than before the Bonus March of
1932.

This year, the loss of military and veteran voting power became
evident in the discarding of hundreds of overseas military votes and
thousands of uncounted votes cast by elder veterans living in Florida.

America’s military and veterans need to come together, and work
together.

The Proposed National League of Veteran Voters (Est. June 1999)
http://members.aol.com/vetsofamer/nlovv.htm

Phill Coleman
Senior Librarian, The American War Library
http://www.amervets.com

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Otis Willie
Associate Librarian
The American War Library
http://www.americanwarlibrary.com