{"id":71483,"date":"2024-12-20T21:00:10","date_gmt":"2024-12-20T21:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/uncategorized\/2024\/12\/20\/america-must-honor-the-contract-on-veterans-benefits\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T16:10:57","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T16:10:57","slug":"america-must-honor-the-contract-on-veterans-benefits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/opinion\/2024\/12\/20\/america-must-honor-the-contract-on-veterans-benefits\/","title":{"rendered":"America must \u2018honor the contract\u2019 on veterans\u2019 benefits"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Thanksgiving, an article published in The Economist demonstrated its contempt for American veterans, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.economist.com\/finance-and-economics\/2024\/11\/28\/american-veterans-now-receive-absurdly-generous-benefits\" target=\"_blank\">labeling our benefits as \u201cabsurdly generous.\u201d<\/a> The timing of this outlandish statement was tasteless, but the assertion was not isolated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Instead, the article was another key salvo in an ongoing attack to portray veterans as pariahs leeching off the American taxpayer. We heard similar ham-handed criticism in recent years from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vfw.org\/media-and-events\/latest-releases\/archives\/2023\/4\/the-washington-post-editorial-board-wants-veterans-to-forfeit-earned-benefits\" target=\"_blank\">The Washington Post<\/a>, former VA secretaries and so-called veteran leaders who seem content to abandon their ill and injured comrades once the uniform comes off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When my generation came home from Vietnam to an ungrateful nation, we committed that never again would America forget those who were willing to lay it all down in defense of our liberties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After Vietnam, we abandoned the draft in favor of relying on brave Americans who willingly forfeit the comforts of civilian life to join our military and protect us. Since 9\/11, America has relied on an all-volunteer force to fight our wars and deter our enemies \u2014 a dangerous mission that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/news\/your-military\/2024\/12\/19\/us-troops-doubled-in-syria-before-assads-overthrow-pentagon-says\/\" target=\"_blank\">continues today<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After 20-plus years of repeatedly deploying the same volunteers into the same <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/veterans\/2024\/04\/30\/burn-pits-increased-risk-of-asthma-heart-problems-new-dod-data-shows\/\" target=\"_blank\">toxic meat grinder<\/a>, can any American truly be surprised that those who serve in our all-volunteer force need more benefits and care?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While the benefits we afford our all-volunteer force may seem generous to those who never raised their right hand, these benefits are simply the warranty of the all-volunteer service contract each of us signed before we put on the uniform. In addition to the service member\u2019s obligations, each contract explicitly entitles the service member to certain benefits as a result of honorable service. This is why the VFW calls on our nation to honor the contract.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is how the basic enlistment contract, DD Form 4, reads today:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMy enlistment\/reenlistment agreement is more than an employment agreement. It effects a change in status from civilian to military member of the Armed Forces. As a member of the Armed Forces of the United States, I will be:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>\u201cRequired to obey all lawful orders and perform all duties assigned.<\/li><li>\u201cSubject to separation during or at the end of my enlistment. If my behavior fails to meet acceptable military standards, I may be discharged and given a certificate for less than honorable service, which may hurt my future job opportunities and my claim for veterans\u2019 benefits.<\/li><li>\u201cSubject to the military justice system, which means, among other things, that I may be tried by military court martial<\/li><li>\u201cRequired upon order to serve in combat or other hazardous situations.<\/li><li>\u201cEntitled to receive pay, allowances, and other benefits as provided by law and regulation.\u201d<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This isn\u2019t charity. This is a contract. Everyone who served honorably, like every member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, has honored our end of the contract. We call on our leaders to do the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While Congress can always change laws and cut benefits under the contract, some are naive to think it cannot happen. But it has happened before. In 1932, big business interests and prominent ex-military officers formed the National Economy League to identify wasteful government spending, with their sights squarely on veterans\u2019 benefits. The National Economy League then colluded with Congress and the White House to slash earned veterans\u2019 benefits by 60% through the Economy Act. The Economy Act broke the contract and the consequences were predictable. Veterans plunged deeper into economic crisis, hopelessness and even suicide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the 1930s, the VFW distinguished itself as an organization by veterans, for veterans who would stand against this dereliction of duty, ultimately repealing some of the Economy Act\u2019s most abominable cuts. The VFW also pushed for early payment of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nps.gov\/articles\/bonus-expeditionary-forces-march-on-washington.htm\" target=\"_blank\">World War I bonus<\/a>, which stimulated the economy and empowered veterans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But the damage was done. Veterans died. How could any politician of the day feel good about the human toll of their short-sightedness? God help us if we make the same mistakes today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The VFW understands the fiscal needs of our nation. Our bureaucracies can always use a \u201cbelt-tightening.\u201d But, as we learned in the 1930s, a nation can never achieve prosperity when it hurts the people who protect it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You cannot easily find details about this dark chapter in our history online. Thankfully, the VFW has it in our archives, which we will share over the coming weeks so Americans can truly understand the stakes of abandoning its protectors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Unlike my generation, more veterans today survive battlefield injuries, and they are better informed about the benefits earned by honoring their service contract. Americans should celebrate this. Instead, it seems that some people may be jealous that we take care of those who serve. To you, I would only say America is facing a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2024\/05\/02\/air-force-navy-likely-to-fall-short-on-reserve-recruits-in-2024\/\" target=\"_blank\">recruiting shortfall<\/a> as we speak. Please feel free to sign up, serve your country and honor a contract of your own. Then you, too, will be eligible for these same benefits. Otherwise, we must have the real conversation about bringing back the draft, which would be a sad day for our nation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Whether it\u2019s proposals to cut <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/veterans\/2024\/12\/17\/plan-would-cover-all-health-care-costs-for-thousands-of-vets-overseas\/\" target=\"_blank\">disability payments<\/a>, restrict <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/opinion\/2024\/12\/01\/national-guard-troops-deserve-equal-gi-bill-benefits\/\" target=\"_blank\">access to education<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.armytimes.com\/pay-benefits\/military-benefits\/2021\/01\/05\/new-law-expands-va-loan-eligibility-for-guard-covid-19-vets\/\" target=\"_blank\">home loan benefits<\/a>, scale back <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/veterans\/2024\/10\/14\/plans-for-multiple-va-medical-clinics-remain-stalled-despite-funding\/\" target=\"_blank\">health care access<\/a> or means test veterans as a condition of eligibility, join the VFW in fighting this scourge and ensuring America\u2019s leaders honor the contract.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><i>Alfred \u201cAl\u201d Lipphardt has served as the commander-in-chief of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. since his election to the office on Aug. 1. He is a U.S. Army veteran with two tours of combat during the Vietnam War. In recognition of his service, he received the Combat Infantryman\u2019s Badge, Bronze Star Medal with \u201cV\u201d device and Purple Heart Medal, among others. Al and his wife, Carol, reside in Stone Mountain, Georgia.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In this opinion piece, Al Lipphardt of VFW responds to a recent Economist article that labeled veterans&#8217; benefits as &#8220;absurdly generous.&#8221;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":102651,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":14,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[101,25,14],"tags":[],"coauthors":[7128],"class_list":["post-71483","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-newsletters","category-opinion"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"TTAGT5XDJRGK5CTRMR4GUNI3OQ","arc_canonical_url":"\/opinion\/2024\/12\/20\/america-must-honor-the-contract-on-veterans-benefits\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>America must \u2018honor the contract\u2019 on veterans\u2019 benefits - Marine Corps Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In this opinion piece, Al Lipphardt of VFW responds to a recent Economist article that labeled veterans&#039; benefits as &quot;absurdly generous.&quot;\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"America must \u2018honor the contract\u2019 on veterans\u2019 benefits\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In this opinion piece, Al Lipphardt of VFW responds to a recent Economist article that labeled veterans&#039; benefits as &quot;absurdly generous.&quot;\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/opinion\/2024\/12\/20\/america-must-honor-the-contract-on-veterans-benefits\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Marine Corps Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-12-20T21:00:10+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-08T16:10:57+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Al Lipphardt\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Al Lipphardt\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n\t    \"@graph\": [\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Article\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/opinion\\\/2024\\\/12\\\/20\\\/america-must-honor-the-contract-on-veterans-benefits\\\/#article\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/opinion\\\/2024\\\/12\\\/20\\\/america-must-honor-the-contract-on-veterans-benefits\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"author\": {\n\t                \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"headline\": \"America must \u2018honor the contract\u2019 on veterans\u2019 benefits\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2024-12-20T21:00:10+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T16:10:57+00:00\",\n\t            \"mainEntityOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/opinion\\\/2024\\\/12\\\/20\\\/america-must-honor-the-contract-on-veterans-benefits\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"wordCount\": 963,\n\t            \"commentCount\": 0,\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/opinion\\\/2024\\\/12\\\/20\\\/america-must-honor-the-contract-on-veterans-benefits\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/635724643413199424-gettyimages-458807212jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"articleSection\": [\n\t                \"Daily News Roundup\",\n\t                \"Newsletters\",\n\t                \"Opinion\"\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"CommentAction\",\n\t                    \"name\": \"Comment\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/opinion\\\/2024\\\/12\\\/20\\\/america-must-honor-the-contract-on-veterans-benefits\\\/#respond\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/opinion\\\/2024\\\/12\\\/20\\\/america-must-honor-the-contract-on-veterans-benefits\\\/\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/opinion\\\/2024\\\/12\\\/20\\\/america-must-honor-the-contract-on-veterans-benefits\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"America must \u2018honor the contract\u2019 on veterans\u2019 benefits - Marine Corps Times\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/#website\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"primaryImageOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/opinion\\\/2024\\\/12\\\/20\\\/america-must-honor-the-contract-on-veterans-benefits\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/opinion\\\/2024\\\/12\\\/20\\\/america-must-honor-the-contract-on-veterans-benefits\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/635724643413199424-gettyimages-458807212jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2024-12-20T21:00:10+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T16:10:57+00:00\",\n\t            \"description\": \"In this opinion piece, Al Lipphardt of VFW responds to a recent Economist article that labeled veterans' benefits as \\\"absurdly generous.\\\"\",\n\t            \"breadcrumb\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/opinion\\\/2024\\\/12\\\/20\\\/america-must-honor-the-contract-on-veterans-benefits\\\/#breadcrumb\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ReadAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/opinion\\\/2024\\\/12\\\/20\\\/america-must-honor-the-contract-on-veterans-benefits\\\/\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/opinion\\\/2024\\\/12\\\/20\\\/america-must-honor-the-contract-on-veterans-benefits\\\/#primaryimage\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/635724643413199424-gettyimages-458807212jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/635724643413199424-gettyimages-458807212jpg.jpg\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"BreadcrumbList\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/opinion\\\/2024\\\/12\\\/20\\\/america-must-honor-the-contract-on-veterans-benefits\\\/#breadcrumb\",\n\t            \"itemListElement\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 1,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Home\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"home\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 2,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Opinion\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/opinion\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"opinion\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 3,\n\t                    \"name\": \"America must \u2018honor the contract\u2019 on veterans\u2019 benefits\"\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebSite\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/#website\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Marine Corps Times\",\n\t            \"description\": \"Marine Corps - Independent News For Marines | Marine Corps Times\",\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"SearchAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"EntryPoint\",\n\t                        \"urlTemplate\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"\n\t                    },\n\t                    \"query-input\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"PropertyValueSpecification\",\n\t                        \"valueRequired\": true,\n\t                        \"valueName\": \"search_term_string\"\n\t                    }\n\t                }\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/#organization\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Marine Corps Times\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/\",\n\t            \"logo\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/marine-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/marine-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"Marine Corps Times\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"\n\t            }\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Person\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\",\n\t            \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"migration\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/marinecorpstimes\\\/author\\\/migration\\\/\"\n\t        }\n\t    ]\n\t}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"America must \u2018honor the contract\u2019 on veterans\u2019 benefits - Marine Corps Times","description":"In this opinion piece, Al Lipphardt of VFW responds to a recent Economist article that labeled veterans' benefits as \"absurdly generous.\"","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"America must \u2018honor the contract\u2019 on veterans\u2019 benefits","og_description":"In this opinion piece, Al Lipphardt of VFW responds to a recent Economist article that labeled veterans' benefits as \"absurdly generous.\"","og_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/opinion\/2024\/12\/20\/america-must-honor-the-contract-on-veterans-benefits\/","og_site_name":"Marine Corps Times","article_published_time":"2024-12-20T21:00:10+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-08-08T16:10:57+00:00","author":"Al Lipphardt","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Al Lipphardt","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/opinion\/2024\/12\/20\/america-must-honor-the-contract-on-veterans-benefits\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/opinion\/2024\/12\/20\/america-must-honor-the-contract-on-veterans-benefits\/"},"author":{"name":"migration","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1"},"headline":"America must \u2018honor the contract\u2019 on veterans\u2019 benefits","datePublished":"2024-12-20T21:00:10+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T16:10:57+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/opinion\/2024\/12\/20\/america-must-honor-the-contract-on-veterans-benefits\/"},"wordCount":963,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/opinion\/2024\/12\/20\/america-must-honor-the-contract-on-veterans-benefits\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/635724643413199424-gettyimages-458807212jpg.jpg","articleSection":["Daily News Roundup","Newsletters","Opinion"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/opinion\/2024\/12\/20\/america-must-honor-the-contract-on-veterans-benefits\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/opinion\/2024\/12\/20\/america-must-honor-the-contract-on-veterans-benefits\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/opinion\/2024\/12\/20\/america-must-honor-the-contract-on-veterans-benefits\/","name":"America must \u2018honor the contract\u2019 on veterans\u2019 benefits - Marine Corps Times","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/opinion\/2024\/12\/20\/america-must-honor-the-contract-on-veterans-benefits\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/opinion\/2024\/12\/20\/america-must-honor-the-contract-on-veterans-benefits\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/635724643413199424-gettyimages-458807212jpg.jpg","datePublished":"2024-12-20T21:00:10+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T16:10:57+00:00","description":"In this opinion piece, Al Lipphardt of VFW responds to a recent Economist article that labeled veterans' benefits as \"absurdly generous.\"","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/opinion\/2024\/12\/20\/america-must-honor-the-contract-on-veterans-benefits\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/opinion\/2024\/12\/20\/america-must-honor-the-contract-on-veterans-benefits\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/opinion\/2024\/12\/20\/america-must-honor-the-contract-on-veterans-benefits\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/635724643413199424-gettyimages-458807212jpg.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/635724643413199424-gettyimages-458807212jpg.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/opinion\/2024\/12\/20\/america-must-honor-the-contract-on-veterans-benefits\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/","ad_zone":"home"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Opinion","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/opinion\/","ad_zone":"opinion"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"America must \u2018honor the contract\u2019 on veterans\u2019 benefits"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/#website","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/","name":"Marine Corps Times","description":"Marine Corps - Independent News For Marines | Marine Corps Times","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/#organization","name":"Marine Corps Times","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/marine-logo-white.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/marine-logo-white.png","caption":"Marine Corps Times"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1","name":"migration","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"migration"},"url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/author\/migration\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Marine Corps Times","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes","push-errors":false,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/635724643413199424-gettyimages-458807212jpg.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71483","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=71483"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71483\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":71500,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71483\/revisions\/71500"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=71483"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=71483"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=71483"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=71483"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}