Document text
64 °F 5 Day Forecast Monday, October 20, 2003 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | eSouthernOregon | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend October 4, 2003 Veteran Ernest Furrey of Klamath Falls listens to Jackson County Commissioner Sue Kupillas during a public comment hearing in Medford on possibly reducing services at the VA domiciliary in White City. Mail Tribune / Jim Craven Vets fight to save services at dom By PAUL FATTIG Mail Tribune Medford resident Jim Prevatt, an Army veteran of the Vietnam War, leaned forward into the microphone and launched the attack. "If it weren’t for the VA hospital here, I’d be dead," Prevatt said, then added, "Either that, or I’d be serving time in the Oregon State Penitentiary." He was among more than 850 veterans and their supporters who mustered Friday at the Medford National Guard Armory to demonstrate opposition to a possible move by Uncle Sam to reduce services at the domiciliary in White City. A Native American reared in the Illinois Valley, Prevatt was also one of 13 residents selected to make comments during a public hearing to two members of the Capitol Asset Realignment for Enhanced Service (CARES) Commission. Advertisement The hearing was held to receive input on a study under way by the Department of Veterans Affairs, reviewing whether inpatient services at the dom should be terminated. However, it also is considering expanding outpatient services. The facility, in existence for half a century, is now known as the VA’s Southern Oregon Rehabilitation Center and Clinics (SORCC). It currently houses slightly more than 500 inpatients while serving more than 8,000 outpatients. The possible closure of the inpatient services at the dom has been opposed by U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Gordon Smith, R-Ore., and U.S. Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore. Walden, along with many of the veterans and their families attending the hearing, submitted written testimony supporting keeping inpatient services at the complex. During the lengthy hearing, those crowded into the armory cheered speakers calling for continued services, as CARES members Raymond Vogel of Venice, Fla., and Richard McCormick of Hudson, Ohio, looked on. Like many other speakers, Prevatt stressed that the dom changed his life. "Thanks to the VA domiciliary, I haven’t touched one drink in 14 years," said Prevatt, chairman of the Rogue Valley Veterans Powwow Committee. Sue Kupillas, a member of the Jackson County Board of Commissioners, noted that, in addition to helping veterans and their families, the domiciliary brings $28 million a year to the area. "Having this health system here is absolutely vital, and not just to the county, but to the region, to Oregon and to the United States," she said. "It’s critical this facility remain open," stressed state Rep. George Gilman, a Medford Republican. The third elected official to step into the fray, Medford City Councilman Bill Moore, a disabled veteran of World War II, agreed. Moore, who retired from the VA as a drug- rehabilitation counselor, said the facility has a national reputation for the services it provides veterans. "The VA dom can do it more effectively than anyone else," he said. That’s when a fellow holding a sign reading "How much more do veterans have to give?" yelled, "George Bush listen!" "Amen!" added a gray-haired veteran in a wheelchair. In reference to a VA study that concluded portions of the sprawling complex are not earthquake-safe, Moore noted there had been no earthquakes in White City during the 53 years he has been in the region. When Vogel noted it was the VA’s responsibility to make sure the dom would survive an earthquake, he was booed. "We survived war," a veteran yelled. "We could take the money going to Iraq," a woman suggested on rebuilding the facility. The next wave of panelists included speakers from Eagle Point High School, Rogue Community College and the Southern Oregon University branch of the Oregon Health Sciences University School of Nursing — each speaking out about the dom’s importance as an educational tool for students. A platoon of veterans followed Prevatt’s lead in endorsing what the dom had done for them and others over the years. Like Prevatt, Rogue River resident Ed Mazza, an official with the Disabled American Veterans, cited his treatment in White City as lifesaving. He lost his right hand during combat in World War II. "I’ve been a productive member of society," Mazza said. "I have people who love and respect me, and I’m not a burden to anyone." Former World War II prisoner of war Phillip Caldwell, 79, who lives on the Southern Oregon coast, worried about future veterans if service is reduced. "I’ve got two nephews in Iraq right now," Caldwell said. "They are career military. What happens if one of them is wounded? Where is he going to go?" During an intermission in the four-hour hearing, Prevatt expressed optimism that local residents would be victorious. "I don’t see how this can’t make a difference," he said, adding, "All they had to do was listen." The testimony didn’t fall on deaf ears, McCormick observed at the end of the session. "All the testimony from a very broad range of people is a palpable demonstration of the sense of community that surrounds this facility," he said. Vogel echoed similar sentiments. "You’ve all made wonderfully cogent statements," he added. "I appreciate your candor and your testimony." VA Secretary Anthony Principi is expected to make a decision by year’s end on whether inpatient services at the dom will be closed. Reach reporter Paul Fattig at 776-4496 or e-mail him at [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times