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Carl Thieme winding up career |
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Written by Reporter1
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Thursday, 24 April 2008 |
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Page 2 of 2
else; simply a little background noise. But a National Public Radio newscast did catch my ear — if a little belatedly — and I was pretty sure the announcer commented that Indiana ranked last among the 50 states in dollars expended annually by the U.S. Veterans Administration.
Turning to the Internet in an attempt to substantiate or disprove what I thought I had heard, the information was indeed a little difficult to unearth.
But, eventually, the 2005 Geographic Distribution of VA expenditures for fiscal year 2005 — the most recent such data available — seemed to confirm that Indiana, if not at the bottom of the list of veteran’s benefits distributed annually, was certainly near that dubious threshold.
The state-by-state disparity in expenditures of federal funds for veterans’ benefits ran the gamut, and was a little alarming. Nationwide, some $70 billion is spent annually, according to the report, on an estimated 24 million veterans of foreign wars and conflicts. That’s just under $3,000 per vet.
According to the report, Indiana has some 542,000 veterans, with total state expenditures of $927,107,000. That translates into roughly $1,710 spent per veteran per year.
By comparison, Ohio on average spends $2,709 per veteran; Michigan expends $1,935; and Kentucky lists average expenditures per veteran of $2,800.
In Adams County, the approximately 2,240 veterans share annually in some $1.6 million in total expenditures — an average of $713 per veteran. But if that figure seems a little low, it’s no reflection of the efforts of one local resident on behalf of those veterans.
Carl Thieme is nearing the end of a 10-year stint as Adams County Veterans Service Officer. Now 75 years of age, Thieme earlier this week simply said “I thought it was time” to turn over the reins of the office to someone new. Effective May 1, the job of assisting county veterans will be assumed by Vince Quinones.
Thieme acknowledged that Hoosier vets, as a whole, receive fewer benefits than do their counterparts nationwide, and that Adams County veterans fare even worse, as a group. And the longtime Veterans Serivce Officer had a simple explanation for the disparity in benefits.
“This state is very conservative, and Adams County is even more conservative,” Thieme said. And in this instance, “conservative” means that many veterans are reluctant to apply for benefits to which they are entitled.
“Our people are very conservative in asking for benefits, but I think we’re doing all right,” he said of the county’s efforts on behalf of veterans. “I think we’ve got about 1,100 (veterans) in some sort of program, which is about as good as you can expect.”
One of the reasons Thieme said he elected to end his career of helping veterans is the boon in technology. A wealth of information and assistance for veterans is available via the Internet, and Thieme — by his own admission — is not particularly computer literate.
But he cautioned veterans who may go online to sign up for various programs or assistance that there are pitfalls to be aware of.
“If they (veterans) go directly online, they might not get (the benefits) they deserve,” he said. “If they go through one of the service organizations — the VFWs or American Legions — and get those organizations to serve as their power of attorney, they will usually get more benefits. Not always, but usually.”
The $1.6 million spent annually on veterans in Adams County “is a lot of money, for a relatively small number of veterans,” Thieme said. “By and large, those who need (assistance) are getting it; they really are getting what they need.”
Thieme said veterans’ organizations across the state have lobbied the Indiana General Assembly for years to bring Indiana’s distribution of benefits more in line with the national average.
“We keep after them (lawmakers) all the time ... and they listen, and then go on” with business as usual, he said.
Bill Clinton, during his visit to Decatur earlier this month on behalf of the Hillary Clinton for President campaign, spoke at some length about his wife’s commitment to the treatment of those who have laid their lives on the line to defend this country.
“Hillary is committed to the care of veterans,” said the former president. “If we blow the treatment of our veterans today, 30 years from now young people will feel the guilt.”
It was a message that should be welcomed and embraced.
One has to wonder, however, about the overall commitment of Adams County bureaucrats in supporting local veterans. The official county Web site makes no mention of a Veterans Service Office. Maybe because there is no real office. During Thieme’s tenure, the “office” was operated from his home, using his personal home phone for business. He is not sure how his successor will approach the position.
“There is room in the courthouse now (for a permanent office), but it’s full of junk,” said the retiring service officer.
But, despite the bureaucratic pitfalls, Thieme said he has immensely enjoyed his time as the county’s veterans service chief.
“It was fun, and very rewarding,” he said. “It’s the most satisfying thing I’ve ever done — helping get (benefits) for someone who deserved them 40, 50, 60 years earlier.”
And Adams County residents, veterans and non-veterans alike, owe Thieme a heartfelt thank-you for those efforts.
The writer is the opinion page editor of the Decatur Daily Democrat.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 25 April 2008 )
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