D Day’s 81st Anniversary: Disabled Vets Made Their Voices Heard in DC
In a powerful act of civic engagement, thousands of veterans — and an estimated 200+ affiliated events — took to the streets on June 6, 2025, marking the 81st anniversary of D‑Day with a clear message: their voices matter, and they won’t stand by while the VA is gutted.
What Happened …
At 2:00 p.m. on the National Mall, a massive crowd gathered for the “Unite for Veterans, Unite for America” rally — veterans from across the political spectrum, banding together to protest the Trump administration’s plan to cut 83,000 VA jobs (about 15% of its workforce).
This wasn’t small — a march in solidarity occurred simultaneously in capitals across 43 states. The signs were bold: “VA Support Isn’t a Gift — It’s a Debt”, “Hands Off Veterans Benefits”, and “I Stand With Vets”.
Veterans and VA staff rallied for the VA nurses, clerks, caseworkers, and caregivers — many of whom depend on that pay to support families while caring for vets.
Why It Matters for Disabled Veterans
Veterans themselves make up a significant portion of VA employees — cutting VA staff doesn’t just affect institution behind the scenes; it threatens the people providing care to disabled vets.
One attendee, Navy veteran Patrick McLaughlin, said, “The VA is where I get my care … I’m worried the VA is being dismantled.”
Another, Marine veteran Stephanie Schroeder, explained that frontline VA staff were approaching breakdown — “One of them even broke down in tears … and she didn’t know how she would pay her bills.”
For vets with mobility issues, chronic pain, PTSD, or exposure-related conditions, fewer staff means fewer services, longer waits, and overall poorer health outcomes.
Unlikely Allies and Moments That Counted …
A standout moment came when Dropkick Murphys took the stage, firing up the crowd with a declaration from frontman Ken Casey: “When sh– ain’t right, we’re going to speak up.”
Veteran lawmakers also spoke:
- Sen. Tammy Duckworth reminded attendees that military valor wasn’t enough without respect and care: “You deserve better… since our warriors landed on Normandy …” — and led the crowd in shouting, “You deserve better; you’ve earned better.”
- Sen. Ruben Gallego said the cuts had pushed vets “to an existential moment.”
- Former Reps. Adam Kinzinger and Conor Lamb highlighted that support wasn’t partisan: “This is freedom — and support for our veterans against those that don’t appreciate it.”
What’s at Stake — and What’s Next
The proposed cuts are not theoretical — they are real, imminent, and deeply felt. VA morale reportedly plummeted, with many employees fearing layoffs and early retirements.
Local rallies — Detroit, Chicago, North Carolina — occurred across the country, showing this is not just a DC story.
Congress has begun responding: the House Veterans Affairs Committee pledged closer oversight, and an interim injunction has delayed some firings (source: militarytimes.com).
But the message is loud and uncompromised:
- Disabled vets demand continued access to care.
- VA employees deserve job security.
- America must uphold its promise to those who served.
What Disabled Veterans Can Do
- Share your story. Many of these cuts are being made without vet input. Speak up.
- Contact your representatives. Tell them you’re aware of the cuts — and you need answers and protections.
- Support VA employees. Even small gestures — like visiting or writing local VA staff — sent a message.
- Follow advocacy groups. Organizations like DAV, IAVA, VFW, and veteran unions are mobilizing.
Final Thoughts …
On D‑Day’s anniversary, disabled veterans honored their oath — to fight for their country, democracy, and each other. On June 6, they turned that spirit inward — protecting the VA and the care system so many depend on.
This wasn’t about partisanship. It was about dignity, respect, and accountability.
And make no mistake — when disabled vets show up, Congress listens.
Boy this article is interesting but also shows the questionable behavior and thought process veterans hold to regarding the VA. Before I go further I am a 100% disabled COMBAT veteran with 37 years service. I was at the doctors two days ago fighting cancer and nerve damage from AO, this woman called herself a combat veteran and was “injured while in Air Force service”. She loves the VA because she gets treatment for her injury without having to use her insurance, her injury was she had a car accident on base in the USA, sorry
that negates the service connected injuries veterans have. She cannot understand the Veterans that oppose the VA and its self righteous VA at all COSTS only if they benefit the VA. Veterans miss the total concept of the VA, yes cutting the employee staff is good its over populated with useless people doing nothing except collecting a guaranteed wage. The care for us will not be dismissed as this article indicates is the concern of the stated veterans or their benefits. they will remain just handled in a different manner. Having a VA ID card that states the earned disability care that a veteran is owed and therefore be able to obtain care and treatment from any medical source does not do away with the obligation to care for us veterans it enhances
that care from better sources than what the VA provides. In my case having had well over 25 MRI’s and CT scans over years with the VA they say and did nothing until I went to a outside provider, who immediately saw the cancer and addressed the issue had he waited another five days i would be dead now, seems that is the conduct of the VA, When has ANY Government Agency ever functioned with the best interest of its people they never did and they never will, why because government run agencies as well as the government is only concerned with what they can get out of the people with the least benefit to the people. Example how does a political government employee enter the government with a modest middle income and in 8 years can afford several 39 MILLION dollar homes in exclusive neighborhoods. this what I am talking about, Veterans stop whining and open your eyes the VA is not for the Veterans its for themselves. So lets hear the flack that you all will be sending about this comment
I support this effort as a disabled.veteran myself and being denied full compensation.
Whoever made the call to stop treating pain should be executed. So many suicides and so much suffering. Only an execution would bring justice for that.
Discombobulated wreck of a system where in one place you might get care, in another you might get next to nothing out of them. Dangerous, incompetent, and malfeasant bunch of derelicts. It must end now.
Simply seeing someone period isn’t healthcare. People upset that it took a year for them to be seen, but what actually happens when you’re seen? They blow off treatment if it costs too much so what was the point in testing and diagnosis? Treatment of any medical conditions found they label “specialty care”… they can’t help with that. The VA is a trillion dollar vaccination and pill mill…no pain medication!
According to the VA Secretary and the federal courts, the VA never fucks anyone over. Did I mention these people are all upper middle class and involved in political parties? Wouldn’t be supposed if couple of them didn’t eat Thanksgiving together at least once. We are like animals in a zoo to these fucking people.
Just imagine if they made “veteran” a protected class. Oh my God would the VA get sued out of existence. So much healthcare descrimination and denial of care for all sorts of medical conditions because the veteran isn’t this or that. I think they deny care for gender dysphoria this year. It will be something else next year. At one point they were saying that if you don’t complement people enough you would get hit with the narcissist bullshit and they justify denying care that way ahhh hahaha ahhh.😆
“It’s free so take a hike if you don’t like it.”
This is obviously the attitude that some of them have at VA ..as they will hire anyone basically. Some pissed asshole with mental health problems themselves, some religious wacko, some political nut job, some angry fruit cake, some military head stomper. They’d be better off just handling cash to veterans
Over prescription of opioids after Vietnam now no opioids given? Did I get that right? You know an addiction can be gotten over… but being in pain constantly can destroy life even worse and all that lost time can lead to sorrow, regret, and suicide. That rotten ass VA and federal government to blame for all this bullshit. You know why? Because many veterans just need surgery and they can not live in pain. But they don’t want to pay for it. So now we have no prescription, no surgery, and character assassination and criminalizing veterans who seek street drugs… because the VA has a no treatment policy.
VA poor culture warriors in there push all kinds of bogus narratives that pin everything on the veterans and absolve themselves of being the problem with this terrible healthcare system. Too bad people have to sue to even have a chance to get rid of them.
🤡 The beaurocracy missed it🤡
That can be used as an excuse all day long for denial of care and people ending up dead. We gonna let that nonsense continue for the rest of American history? Federal courts buy these lame excuses? How about we get rid of this system then if all they’re going to do is rely on that excuse. How about we get rid of the derelicts in there and get an insurance program going. They’ve failed and they’re gonna continue to fail!!!
You wonder how it’s legal for the government or any medical care entity really…to set up shop and portray itself as a healthcare system just to turn right around and deny care for a plethora of medical conditions. You got veterans out there with spinal disks that need to be replaced. They aren’t authorizing payment for that so people just waste away in pain for decades. They’ve done this to probably thousands and thousands so…. it’s time to sue them. Denial of care leading to suffering and hardship is a civil tort because it’s the law that they’re supposed to be providing healthcare to veterans period. The only way it wouldn’t be a civil tort is if we have derelict and dysfunctional political structures. In that case it’s about time people send their kids out of the USA and try to leave themselves if they can. A corrupt, unjust, plutocratic system like that will fail eventually when you have that sort of thing happening.
Always gonna be some scandal at VHA. One year they’ll be treating X, the next year they won’t. One year they’ll have hundreds of billions, the next year they’ll act like they have nothing. One year they’ll give out certain pills and certain treatments will be available, next year they yank the rug. The VA is not gonna be the answer to complete healthcare ever.
They still hiding the fact that they aren’t treating pain anymore? How did they sweep all those suicides and people leaving under the rug? Oh that’s right.. dead people tell no tales and everyone else can’t get a court date. What is different from the Russian government and the American government? Answer to that is. .a lot less with the Department of Veterans Affairs in existence. Doesn’t help when we have dead beat justices too.