04/10/07 Ophthalmologist Allen Provided Great Service To Veterans With Bill

Ophthalmologist Allen Provided Great Service To Veterans With Bill

The Capital Times
Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Dear Editor: The passage of the Dr. James C. Allen Veteran Vision Equity Act by the House of Representatives is good news for veterans of wars, past and present. Thanks to Rep. Tammy Baldwin's sponsorship of the bill, and Dr. Allen's tireless effort on its behalf, veterans who sustained a loss of vision in one eye while serving in the military now can receive greater compensation if they subsequently suffer loss of sight in the other eye.

As a fellow member of Veterans for Peace with Dr. Allen, I have long admired his diplomatic presence and generous nature. Dr. Allen's work on this bill is an example of how many of us who oppose the war in Iraq truly support the troops by working to improve conditions at home when veterans return from war.

Dr. Allen is a retired Madison ophthalmologist who treated veterans at Madison's VA Hospital from 1967 to 2000. His direct experience with veterans over decades led him to bring the issue to Baldwin's attention in 2000. The vote in the House last week was 424-0, a rare example of bipartisan unanimity.

Dr. Allen, a Korean War veteran, did a great service for all veterans and their families in working on this bill, which hopefully will be approved by the Senate and signed by the president.

David Giffey board member Veterans for Peace Chapter 25 Arena