VFW LEADER URGES SENSIBLE MILITARY CUTS

The national commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars visited Cape Girardeau Thursday, where he discussed military cuts and the problem of POW-MIAs who are yet to be accounted for.

Commander Robert E. Wallace of Milton, N.J., visited VFW Post 3838 in Cape Girardeau as part of a tour of Missouri to discuss veteran's issues with local VFW posts.

He said the VFW is lobbying Washington, D.C., in support of the administration's five-year plan to "downsize" the U.S. military.

Wallace said the VFW supports the elimination of obsolete weapons systems, the closing of unneeded military bases and cuts in troop strength, but is opposed to wholesale military cuts proposed by some lawmakers.

"On Dec. 7, 1941, we saw very loud and very clear what happens when we don't have a prepared military," Wallace said. "(The Bush administration's) plan assures, first of all, that we'll never have another Dec. 7, 1941.

"It also assures that those who have put 9, 12, 14 years of their life into the military will be taken care of systematically."

Wallace said the VFW also is working hard on behalf of families of prisoners of war and soldiers missing in action who still aren't accounted for.

He said there are 78,000 POW-MIAs from World War II, 8,000 from the Korean conflict, and 22,000 from the war in Vietnam.

"I've been to Vietnam and I'm going back this year," he said. "I'm also going to Cambodia and Laos to emphasize to those governments that they must comply with our demands on the issue of POW-MIAs."

Wallace said the problem remains the responsibility primarily of those nations where POW-MIAs were held.

"The answer to the POW-MIA problem us not in Washington, D.C., and Cape Girardeau," he said. "It's in Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and the Soviet Union. It's not an issue of politics, of getting an entitlement or preserving an entitlement. It's a human issue.

"The guns have stopped firing. The wars are over. We've got to resolve this issue and bring an end to this ordeal for the families involved."

Wallace served as a lance corporal with the Marines in Vietnam from November 1967 to June 1968, where he was wounded three times before his discharge in 1969.

Wallace subsequently earned a bachelor's degree in management and a master's degree in business administration while working full-time. After a successful career in banking, he served as deputy commissioner and administrator for veteran's affairs in New Jersey from 1988 to 1990.

Wallace joined the VFW while still in Vietnam, and was elected Commander-in-Chief last year.

As Senior Vice Commander-in-Chief, Wallace visited U.S. troops and commanders on the front lines in Saudi Arabia shortly before the start of Operation Desert Storm. In July 1991, he traveled to Vietnam and Thailand to discuss the POW/MIA issue with Vietnamese leaders in Hanoi and officials in Bangkok.

He said Thursday that the VFW lobbies federal lawmakers on a number of issues that affect veterans. He said the group now is working to assure that non-service connected veterans are entitled to the same health care at Veteran's Administration (VA) medical centers as service-connected veterans, who are disabled as a result of military service.

He said the organization also makes endorsements for national offices and is closely watching the presidential race.

Wallace said the VFW won't endorse a candidate until after the primaries, but predicted Democratic presidential candidate Bill Clinton likely will face further scrutiny over the issue of his military service.

The Arkansas governor avoided the draft during the Vietnam War by vowing to join ROTC a vow he never fulfilled. After his name was added to the draft lottery, the war ended before he was called to service.

Wallace said: "I think the question of his military service is a question Mr. Clinton is going to have to live with if he's nominated.

"It's something he's going to have to address before the entire nation and the veteran's community in particular."

In its 37th year, the VFW now boasts nearly 2.2 million members nationwide, Wallace said.

"The VFW is alive and well and continues to service veterans through the halls of Congress," he said, "fighting for what's right for veterans, what's right for a strong defense, and what's right for the American people."