Commander Schmidt: ‘What about vets?’

Commander Schmidt: ‘What about vets?’

The head of The American Legion is calling on both major presidential candidates to address their plans to restore trust in the VA health care system during Wednesday night’s debate in Las Vegas.

“We are disappointed that veterans issues have not been addressed at all in the two previous presidential debates,” said National Commander Charles E. Schmidt, a retired Air Force officer and Vietnam War veteran. “To be fair, the candidates have not been asked by the moderators to discuss their plans for veterans. But considering that veterans have provided us the freedoms enshrined in our Constitution, you would think that issues affecting the heroic men and women who have served so nobly would be a top priority for both the presidential candidates and the media.”

Schmidt offered a number of questions that Fox News Channel anchor Chris Wallace, who will moderate the final debate, should ask. “How are you going to improve VA health care and decrease wait times? Twenty veterans a day commit suicide. What are you going to do to reverse this tragic trend? What steps will you take to strengthen America’s Armed Forces and ensure that the military remains an attractive option for talented professionals?” Schmidt said. “Any candidate for the presidency should provide detailed responses if he or she wants to be elected as our next commander in chief. The American people deserve to have these questions answered.”