Email from Jewish Navy veteran Akiva David Miller

Dear Mikey,

It’s almost hard to believe that it’s been three years already since I moved back to Iowa City – the city where I was born. Although throughout the years I had been back here to visit many times, it had been nearly forty years since I’d lived here. During those years it was easy for me to dismiss my childhood experiences of religious intolerance here in Iowa as anachronistic. However it didn’t take long after I moved back to discover that bigotry and intolerance are still, unfortunately, a way of life for some Iowans.

As you know, I am a 100% “service connected” disabled U.S. Navy veteran. Three years ago when I moved back to Iowa City and began to access services through the Iowa City V.A. Medical Center, I was surprised to experience blatant discrimination from the beginning. Despite being a religious Jew (and the V.A. knew this – it was and is in my medical records) the Iowa City V.A. demanded that I attend orientation class in the Christian chapel –decorated with a prominent crucifix and the Stations of the Cross (a clear violation of long-standing Department of Veterans Affairs rules and Federal Law). When I objected, they demanded I attend anyway, and after I refused the instructor threw my orientation papers at me and I was denied any further orientation.

During two hospitalizations, despite my written and verbal instructions to the contrary, the hospital staff was not content to just refuse to contact my rabbi, they sent a proselytizing Protestant chaplain in to see me – while I was bedridden and wired to a heart monitor – to tell me that Jesus was the Messiah of the Jews too and that my only hope was salvation through Jesus Christ. During three hospitalizations I was denied kosher food and spent my time in the hospital not eating. Later, when my rabbi accompanied me to a meeting to lodge a formal complaint with the patient advocate and a representative of the chaplains’ office, I was told it was all my fault because apparently I had failed to protest vigorously enough, although it’s unclear how I could have jumped up and down and screamed when I was suffering chest pains, wired to a heart monitor and being sedated. Still, it gets worse.

The day after my rabbi and I met with representatives from the Iowa City V.A. Medical Center, the V.A. struck back. At the time I was suffering through one of my frequent bouts of kidney stones, and the day after our meeting my primary care physician informed me that they would be discontinuing my care – they weren’t going to either remove my seven (yes, SEVEN!) kidney stones or continue to provide me with pain medication. They cut off my pain meds! I was shocked and asked the doctor why; his response was simple – he rolled his chair over next to mine, put his hand on my leg, looked me in the eye and said, “You’re a religious Jew. Why don’t you try prayer or meditation?”

During the unbelievably painful weeks that followed I contacted the Military Religious Freedom Foundation and you immediately sprung into action. You flew out to Iowa and together we had a press conference in Des Moines which was carried by both the local and national media. The Department of Veterans Affairs took notice and ordered a formal investigation which was conducted by Rabbi Kronick (a noted medical ethicist as well as the Associate Director of Chaplains for the Department of Veterans Affairs). Chaplain Kronick’s investigation confirmed not only all of my assertions, but found other egregious policy violations that negatively impacted my care. But most important of all, with the assistance of Ross Perot, you worked tirelessly to secure treatment for me at the Dallas, Texas V.A. Medical Center.

As a disabled veteran living on a fixed income there was no way I could have afforded either the trip to Dallas or the cost of staying in a hotel near the Dallas V.A. Hospital; but once again you came to my rescue. The MRFF helped out as much as it could and I know that you kicked in money from your own pocket. You and I also worked together to assemble a group of supporters that included personal friends, Rabbi Haim Dov Beliak of jewsonfirst.com, the Jewish Federation of Portland, Oregon (where I had lived and been active in the Jewish community for years), the Jewish Federation of Dallas, Texas and others who covered my expenses; and when that money ran out, Ross Perot pitched in.

Mr. Perot picked up the tab for my hotel room the last week I was in Dallas, and while I was there he often called me personally to make sure I was okay and was being given first rate treatment. Those calls meant so much to me; I couldn’t believe that someone of his stature cared enough to take the time to personally check up on me. (Of course it goes without saying that you also personally called me nearly daily, and often more than once a day, to check up on me.) Additionally, Mr. Perot regularly called the medical director of the Dallas V.A. to advocate for my care.

I will never forget the morning I showed up for the procedure to remove my kidney stones: about mid-morning the medical director came into my hospital room and asked me how I was doing. He stuck around for some time, personally ensuring that I was being well taken care of. After a while he got up the courage to ask me how I knew Mr. Perot and I was able to tell him about you, the MRFF and how you had personally contacted Mr. Perot and asked him to assist me. Then the medical director asked me, “Do you feel like we’re taking care of you?” I responded in the affirmative, and he asked me then, “Do you think you could do me a favor and call Mr. Perot then, and let him know we’re taking care of you? He’s been calling me ever 15 minutes on my personal cell phone just to make sure, and I really do have other work I need to do.” Of course I was happy to call Mr. Perot and let him know everything was okay. I’m not sure anyone can even imagine how good that made me feel.

It’s been a year now since my journey to Dallas, and recent events have led me to decide it was time I wrote and made clear how things have changed for me. First of all, as you well know, I have been honored to join the MRFF team in its vital work to advocate for the religious freedoms of veterans – I am now the Director of Veterans Affairs (a voluntary position) for the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, and in that capacity I have the privilege of working with veterans across the Country to advocate for their Constitutional Rights as well as both their physical and psychological well-being. But that’s not all. As a disabled veteran I live on a small, fixed budget; but every month I am proud to send what small amount of money I can afford to support the work of the MRFF.

The sad truth is that the Bush Administration has not only turned its back on our veterans, but has become their adversary through government sponsored religious intolerance and outright discrimination. Americans everywhere are rightfully ashamed by the manner in which our servicemen/women and veterans have been neglected and even targeted for abuse by their government. I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t do everything in my power to improve the lives of those who have sacrificed and continue to sacrifice so much for our nation. Further, I am proud of my military service and take seriously (just like you, Mikey) the oath I swore when I entered the military, to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States. I’ll be damned if I sit idly by and ignore those who have risked their futures, their lives to defend the same Constitution and the same nation we all cherish.

But that’s not the end of the story. This week the kidney pain returned and I ended up back in the emergency room of the Iowa City V.A. Medical Center. A CAT scan confirmed that I have kidney stones once again. But this time it’s different. Sure, coming forward, going public with the religious discrimination I’ve experienced here, cost me something; I’ve experienced first hand the somatic reality – the tremendous pain – of reprisals, and for months when I showed up at the local V.A. Hospital or clinic for an appointment I was even greeted by other veterans who saw my yarmulke or recognized me from the local TV news (veterans who do not share my views regarding religious tolerance or comprehend the value of the constitutionally mandated wall of separation between Church and State) and made comments such as, “There’s that fucking Jew!” But I also now know what if feels like to come out the other end of a long, dark night filled with pain, because this time I didn’t have the same experience.

Last year the doctors in the urology clinic at the Iowa City V.A. Medical Center virtually taunted me, and despite my seven kidney stones accused me of drug-seeking and refused me treatment; this year they have gone out of their way to treat me both promptly and humanely. They have gone out of their way to ensure I was cared for – a 180 degree turnabout from last year. One could say, “What a difference a year makes.” But I say, “What a difference Mikey Weinstein and the Military Religious Freedom Foundation makes.” If you hadn’t, at some personal cost, stood up for me I know absolutely that I wouldn’t be getting the care I am receiving, and deserve, today. Mikey, simply put, any “thank you” I could give you would be inadequate. What I can do, however, and what I will do is follow your example and pursue my volunteer work for the MRFF with both dedication and vigor; and I will continue to send the MRFF my few dollars every month to help in my own small way support the work the MRFF does for the military personnel and veterans who are more than deserving of every ounce of our sacrifice. In truth, I only wish I could do more.

In regards to others who may have opportunity to read this: regardless whether you’re a Jew, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Wiccan, Agnostic, Atheist, etc., Republican, Democrat, Independent or even political at all, whether or not you belong to any group, sect, denomination or fit neatly into any one demographic, to care about those who have and are sacrificing their lives for our Country, you just have to refuse to be complacent – a decision that recognizes the value of our shared humanity, a decision that echoes the intrinsic suppositions of our Nation’s Constitution.

We are all faced with choices everyday; you can choose to support our military personnel and veterans, or you can choose to look the other way. I choose to get busy and do my part, give of myself and out of my own small resources. Don’t you think you can afford a few dollars or a little effort to support our troops and our veterans? In regards to those of you who are currently serving our country in the Armed Forces and those who have already served, if you are being discriminated against, bullied or threatened because of your particular faith or even no faith, I know it feels like a risk to come forward and ask for help – believe me, I’ve been there, I know what reprisals feel like – but I also know what it’s like on the other end; trust me, it’s worth the risk. Let Mikey and the rest of us help; we honor your service and will not fail to do everything in our power to improve your situation and ensure that your life, safety, personal religious choice and well-being are respected and protected.

Respectfully, Akiva David Miller