STOLEN PROPERTY – Part 2B

A Dirt-Cheap and Dirty Scam

Over the years, Ralph Tillman, the Director of Asset Management for the Greater Los Angeles VA Healthcare System, has facilitated numerous deals with Veterans property for the benefit of “non-profit,” non-Veteran organizations that include giving away a billion-dollar parcel, rent free, and leasing another for a $1 a year for 75 years.

How can our government give Wall Street nearly a trillion dollars overnight to Wall Street investment firms, banks, and insurance companies, and the best Mr. Tillman can do for Veterans is generate $75 in 75 years for their land? A drunken lunatic with absolutely no business sense whatsoever could do far better than this.

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Ralph Tillman, Asset Manager and Contracting Officer at the largest VA in the nation.

During a recent meeting at the Los Angeles Veterans Advisory Commission, Mr. Tillman was asked why the VA has entered into leasing arrangements that generate so little return for Veterans, and Mr. Tillman responded:
“In the VA’s opinion, this is the highest and best use of the land.”

In trying to comprehend the “VA’s opinion,” one has to seriously wonder what the lowest and worst use of this land could possibly be.

Fun and Games … Pay to Play!
While Veterans were trying to heal from war, Mr. Tillman made a mockery of their service by leasing their hallowed ground to the Hollywood entertainment industry for a “Celebrity Carnival Fundraiser,” with the admission being $1,000+ per person, and the proceeds not going to Veterans.

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“In the VA’s opinion, this is the highest and best use of the land.”
– Ralph Tillman

VA bureaucrat Ralph Tillman approved this public playground on Veterans property for a “Celebrity Carnival Fundraiser” sponsored by Disney. When asked why he allowed a carnival to take place on Veterans property while they are trying to heal from war, he replied: “It’s not a carnival.” A small child would laugh at his stupidity, not to mention shame him for his disrespect.

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“In the VA’s opinion, this is the highest and best use of the land.”
– Ralph Tillman

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“In the VA’s opinion, this is the highest and best use of the land.”
– Ralph Tillman

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“In the VA’s opinion, this is the highest and best use of the land.”
– Ralph Tillman

CARNIVAL NEWS – Special Events
By Natasha Garber
September 1, 2005

Fringe Benefits: Edgy Galas Draw Crowds and Cash

Currently in its 16th year, the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation’s annual celebrity carnival manages to combine star power with child’s play in what has become one of Los Angeles’ premier charity events. And while the formula has served the event well, success doesn’t mean changes aren’t part of each year’s plan.

One of the carnival’s most recent updates was last year’s move from media mogul Ken Roberts’ estate in the tony Brentwood neighborhood, where the event was held for more than a decade, to the sprawling grounds of the nearby Wadsworth Theatre. While the move has allowed the carnival to accommodate a crowd that has swelled to nearly 2,000 attendees since its modest beginnings, according to Glaser Foundation director of development for events Philip Dufour, it has also challenged organizers to maintain the event’s low-key, high-fun vibe.

“The thing we pride ourselves on and have to make sure we never lose is the feeling of a family carnival and picnic, something so much fun {attendees} won’t forget it,” he says.

Notice how Ms. Natasha Garber conveniently sidesteps the fact that this is on Veterans land by referring to “the sprawling grounds of the nearby Wadsworth Theatre” that just happens to be on Veterans land.

Try real hard to contain yourself on the last sentence offered by a Mr. Philip Dufour, about “something so much fun {attendees} won’t forget it.”

Try real hard not to think that this is sacred land where Veterans are trying to heal from war and there is absolutely nothing “fun” about it, and war is something they are trying to forget.
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Try real hard not to think that this is a National Home for Disabled Soldiers and that there are 20,000 homeless Veterans in Los Angeles, and that our nation is engaged in two wars.

Try real hard not to think that this celebrity carnival was previously held on the “estate” of media mogul Ken Roberts, and they moved it to the sprawling grounds on Veterans land while 20,000 Veterans are homeless.

Try real hard not to think that the attendance of wealthy, high-fun, carnival-loving attendees has swelled to 2,000 ($1,000 per person and up) and that just a few years ago there were only 15,000 homeless Veterans in Los Angeles and now that number has swelled to 20,000 … and swelling.

Try real hard not to think that this fundraiser is NOT for America’s Veterans.

Notice how Ms. Garber repeatedly refers to this as a “carnival” even though Mr. Tillman says it isn’t. In fact, the sweetheart “sharing agreement” Mr. Tillman signed with Richmark Entertainment Group to lease the Wadsworth Theater and adjacent Veterans’ property for 20 years, specifically states on page 1)
Restriction: The Department of Veterans of Veterans Affairs (hereinafter: “DVA”) prohibits the use of VA Property for the purpose of carnivals (i.e., amusement rides of any kind and animal display / acts). The DVA prohibits the parking of vehicles on grass and tree areas of the ground, unless prior approval of the DVA has been obtained and such approval is incorporated into this Contract.

Well, there’s no prior approval in the “sharing agreement” and it is definitely a CARNIVAL and they park vehicles on the grass and tree areas of the ground. But why bother honoring a simple “sharing agreement” when Mr. Tillman refuses to honor an Act of Congress and a legal Deed.

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Is This an Illusion?

According to the “Sharing Agreement” that Mr. Tillman signed with Richmark Entertainment Group, “The VA prohibits parking of vehicles on grass and tree areas.” What a relief! Just imagine what veterans land would look like if the VA didn’t prohibit parking of vehicles on grass and tree areas.

Try real hard not to think of how sleazy Ralph Tillman really is and how little he cares for America’s Veterans.

Dereliction of Duty
Mr. Tillman spends an enormous amount of time accommodating the wealthy non-Veterans with specially-privileged land deals for carnivals and whatnot, while totally neglecting his primary “duty” as director and manager of Veterans’ assets which encompasses protecting and managing all aspects of property at the largest VA in the nation, including such things as land, buildings, roads, sidewalks, bus benches, and other tangible assets supposedly for the benefit of Veterans.

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The VA Has $1,000,000 for a Fence to Beautify the Entryway to the Neighboring Fat-Cats, But Has No Money for a Veterans’ Bus Bench.

More Stolen Valor
The above photo shows a dilapidated bus bench with slats missing and bolts protruding, making it a hazard and very dangerous for any Veteran, let alone a Disabled Veteran, to sit and wait for a bus at the Los Angeles VA.

Even worse, this bus bench is on Eisenhower Avenue, and the Avenue is obviously named in honor of General Dwight D. Eisenhower, a West Point graduate, General of the Army and a two-term U.S. President.

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Dwight D. Eisenhower, General of the Army and
Supreme Allied Commander, Europe – World War II.

One would think that everything about this Avenue would be presented with the utmost of dignity, honor, and respect befitting such a distinguished Military hero and elected public servant.

Well, it would be … anywhere else … but this is under Mr. Tillman’s watch. Why, even Third-World dictators offer their citizenry much better bus benches than Mr. Tillman offers America’s Veterans.

Consequently, when it comes to providing the very best for the defenders of our Nation’s freedom and independence, Mr. Tillman has no concern or respect whatsoever. His only interest is in kowtowing to the “wants” of the rich and infamous while neglecting the “needs” of Veterans.

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This broken, rotting and dilapidated bus bench is on Dewey Street at the Los Angeles VA,
named after famed U.S. Navy Admiral, George Dewey.

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George Dewey, Admiral of the Navy from 1899 until his death in 1917,
the only officer of the United States Navy who was ever so commissioned.

The two disgraceful bus benches were an insult to America’s Military Veterans and to two of our Nation’s most prominent Military leaders. After much complaining and contacting the Washington D.C. Office of the Veterans Affairs under then-Secretary James Nicholson, the bus benches were replaced.

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$1 a Year Deal!
“In the VA’s opinion, this is the highest and best use of the land.”
– Ralph Tillman

Notice the difference in benches for owners of dogs that run freely “off leash” on Veterans property, and the benches for Disalbed Veterans waiting for a bus on Veterans property.

It’s Enough to Make Grown Men Weep
The bus bench fiasco was reprehensible, but certainly not an isolated case. Virtually anywhere that you travel on these revered grounds you will find a complete collapse of responsibility and respect to America’s Military Veterans and their sacred land. In fact, if their land isn’t being given away rent free or leased away for $1 a year, then their outdoor furniture is so disgraceful and hazardous that it’s enough make grown men weep. This is Stolen Valor in magnitude!

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Standing Room Only

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Sit Down, the VA Wants to Thank You for
Your Honorable Duty to Our Country

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Life is No Picnic When You’re a Disabled Veteran

Two Commanders of the Military Order of Purple Heart, Walter Martin of Chapter 1898 and Luis Rivera of Chapter 83, both Disabled Veterans, inspect broken benches at the Los Angeles VA that are supposed to be for Veterans use. There are several benches on this brick patio area and they are all broken, dilapidated, and dangerous, including the brick itself.

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This is Not Haiti After a 7.0 Earthquake.
No … It’s the Largest VA in the Nation After
Ralph Tillman Was Put in Charge of “Asset Management.”

Clearly, Ralph Tillman has been seriously neglectful and failed miserably in every aspect of his duty as manager of Veterans assets.

Disabled Volleyball Net for Disabled Veterans
Ralph Tillman has shown unending disrespect for Veterans and their assets and a total disregard for their safety.

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Here’s just another example of disrespect, as Veterans had to attach a standard pole to uphold a torn and tattered volleyball net to a table and it still ended up as a deplorable means for recreation at the Veterans Home. If this isn’t Stolen Valor, what is?

While Disabled Veterans have to settle for a disabled volleyball net as their only source for recreation, Ralph Tillman negotiated another privileged, non-Veteran “sharing agreement” with Brentwood School, one of the wealthiest private schools in the nation to build a multi-million dollar athletic field on 21 acres of Veterans’ land, which is off-limits to Veterans, i.e., they cannot “share” it.

The sweetheart deal allows the school to pay $1,500 per acre per month, a pittance of its true value. In fact, dirt farmers and share croppers would pay far more for this extremely valuable and fertile land.

As Mr. Tillman likes to say: “In the VA’s opinion, this is the highest and best use of the land.”

While wealthy kids have a first-class athletic field on Veterans property, Disabled Veterans have dilapidated benches and broken recreation equipment, and 20,000 Veterans are homeless in Los Angeles.

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Twenty-One Acre Athletic Field for Wealthiest Private School in the Nation
Disabled Veterans Keep Out — For Wealthy Brentwood Kids Only.

Veterans cannot “share” this athletic field on their own property, even though Mr. Tillman signed a “sharing agreement” with the private school.

Even worse, the VA donated $1,000,000 of Veterans’ healthcare money for a pretentious wrought iron fence on the exterior to beautify the entryway into neighboring Brentwood, but cannot afford a few hundred dollars to repair Veterans benches, picnic tables, bricked patio, and a volleyball net on the inside.

VA Dirt is Cheap, But VA Incompetence Is Not
How long do you think Mr. Tillman would last in the private sector? Would you hire someone like him to look after you assets? Actually you are, because your tax dollars are being paid to him to give away Veterans land.

What if our Active Duty Military were under a neglectful commander such as Mr. Tillman? How can he possibly sign his name to the backside of a government check? Even worse, taxpayers will be paying a lifetime pension to this incompetent man. An even more important question is why is he still working for our government and more specifically, as manager of Veterans’ assets?

With unemployment in the Los Angeles nearing 15%, certainly the VA can hire several competent individuals who respect America’s Military Veterans for the same amount of money that Mr. Tillman alone consumes at the public trough, which is more than $100,000 annually.

Facilitator to Traitor
Mr. Tillman, himself a proclaimed Veteran, has facilitated a series of long-term, low-rent, and so-called “sharing agreements” for Veterans property to non-Veteran organizations who do not share these facilities with Veterans.

Here’s a partial list of predatory land-use agreements that Mr. Tillman has facilitated at the expense of his fellow Veterans:
· • The WLA VAMC entered into a 20-year sharing agreement with Brentwood School, one of the wealthiest private schools in the nation, for 21 acres of Veterans land to build an athletic field that is off limits to Veterans. The sharing agreement expires in 2020 and the athletic field is not “shared” with Veterans.

• The WLA VAMC entered into an agreement with Breitburn Energy. The land use agreement is for drilling oil on Veterans land and the Department of Interior controls the mineral rights agreement.

• The WLA VAMC entered into a 20-year sharing agreement with Richmark Entertainment Group, Hollywood / New York entertainment business, for the Wadsworth and Brentwood Theaters, the only two theaters at the National Veterans Home. They are no longer available for Veterans use but have become readily available for a “cultural community center” for high-priced plays, operas, symphonies and movie premieres for the neighboring elite.

• The WLA VAMC entered into a 10-year sharing agreement with Sodexho Marriott on Building 224 for laundry services for their hotels. The agreement expires in March 2010.

• The WLA VAMC entered into a no-bid, rent-free enhanced sharing agreement with Veterans Park Conservancy, which is not a Veterans organization but a wealthy neighboring homeowners group, for a 16-acre billion-dollar parcel of Veterans land to build a public community park. The agreement was signed on August 24, 2007 and is a 20-year contract with a 10-year option.

• The WLA VAMC entered into a 10-year enhanced sharing agreement with UCLA for a baseball diamond and the agreement expires in 2011.

• The WLA VAMC has entered into a 20-year enhanced sharing agreement with the Salvation Army for Building 212. The agreement expires December 2025.

• The WLA VAMC has entered into a 10-year enhanced sharing agreement with the Salvation Army for building 207. The Agreement expires April 2015.

• The WLA VAMC entered into a 20-year enhanced sharing agreement with Westside Services for parking lots on Veterans land that includes the Brentwood Village lot. The agreement expires in 2020.

• The WLA VAMC entered into a special agreement for Community Soccer Leagues to use MacArthur Field on Veterans land.

• The WLA VAMC recently leased the 20+ acres of the “Vets Garden” to another “non-profit” organization, which is the Santa Ana Botanical Garden, even though Veterans wanted to create and develop individual “plot gardens” to grow their own fresh vegetables.
• The WLA VAMC has operated the 15-acre Veterans nine-hole golf course that allows the public to play and more than $200,000 has been stolen / embezzled by the employees working at the course. Now Mr. Tillman is negotiating another sharing agreement with “non-profit” organizations and a front-runner claims to be a family member of the original donor of this land in 1888, even though Arcadia de Baker died in 1912, had no children, and left no will.

The list goes on, and In spite of the numerous Resolutions of Veterans and Political organizations calling for an immediate halt to the land giveaway, Mr. Tillman has completely ignored the will of the people and his fellow Veterans and continues to give this sacred land away … or extract a whole dollar-a-year for 75 years.

What’s Mr. Tillman’s favorite line? Oh yeah, “In the VA’s opinion, this is the highest and best use of the land.”

Compromises at the Highest Levels of Government
A major question amongst fellow Veterans and concerned citizens is where has Congressman Henry Waxman been during all of this confiscation and misappropriation of Veterans land? After all, he is the elected steward of the largest VA in the nation that is included within his 30th Congressional District, and it is his fiduciary responsibility to prevent the abuse and misuse of any Veterans land here, not facilitating it.

When Sue Young, the executive director of the homeowner park group was asked by the “Brentwood News” how she was essentially able to acquire 16 acres of Veterans land (valued at nearly a billion dollars) for a public park, and rent free, she responded:

“Because this arrangement was unprecedented, it required lengthy discussions and compromises with Veterans Administration in Los Angeles and Washington. The agreement also called for approvals at the highest levels, i.e., Secretary Nicholson, and the involvement of the Congressional delegation.”

The Department of Justice / U.S. Attorneys’ Office and the FBI need to fully investigate this interstate transaction that required unprecedented compromises at the highest levels of our government, while 20,000 Veterans remain homeless. An Act of Congress and a legal Deed were not just “compromised,” they were seriously violated and flagrantly breached.

“Missing Money”
Currently, Mr. Tillman is in the final process of cutting a privileged deal with another so-called non-profit organization for the 15-acre, nine-hole Veterans Golf Course that will be open to the general public.

Recently, an estimated $200,000 was been reported “missing” and “unaccounted” for from the Veterans Golf Course. While the missing money is purportedly still under investigation and some suspects have pleaded guilty, it’s just another case of mismanagement by the VA’s department of asset management, of which Mr. Tillman is the director.

PGA’s Privileged Parking
Two weeks ago, and like he’s done for over a decade, Mr. Tillman accommodated another privileged deal with the Public Golf Association (PGA) for their annual professional golf tournament at the exclusive Riviera Country Club in the wealthy enclave of Pacific Palisades. The celebrity-studded tournament is title-sponsored by Northern Trust Bank.

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Sacred Land Becomes a Public Parking Lot for PGA Tournament

Last year, attendees to the PGA Tournament park their cars on the grass of the “Veterans Grand Lawn” where Veterans from the Civil War once walked, and were shuttled back and forth to the tournament in huge luxury tour buses.

This year because of rain, the cars were parked on a paved lot. This is another disgraceful abuse of Veterans hallowed ground for the benefit of wealthy, non-Veteran organizations, and at the tragic expense of Veterans, more specifically homeless Veterans.

Freedom of Information is Not Free
On March 5, 2009, I sent a letter to the West LA’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requesting information for following”
1) All agreements between the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System and Northern Trust Open (Riviera Country Club PGA Golf Tournament); Nissan; and any other agreements pertaining to sponsors of the tournament to include parking, buses, RV, and vendor agreements.
2) The Act of Congress dated March 2, 1887 for the location and erection of a branch home for disabled volunteer soldiers West of the Rocky Mountains.
3) The hand written deed dated March 3, 1888 with John P. Jones and Arcadia B. de Baker and certification of said deed

On April 30, 2009, Jenelle Happy, the FOIA Officer of the West LA VA, sent a letter stating that “The search and duplication fees associated with processing your request have been estimated at $2,508.38.

The number of hours and pages to retrieve each line item in addition to 16 hours to review the documents:
Item #1 will take approximately 40 hours and 200 pages.
Item #2 will take approximately 16 hours and 10 pages.
Item #3 will take approximately 16 hours and 10 pages.

That comes to a whopping 88 hours, two full work weeks and one full work day.

Why doesn’t Mr. Tillman have a copy of the Deed of 1888 and the 1887 Act of Congress in his desk? After all, he is the “director of asset management” at the biggest VA in the nation, yet it will take him nearly a week to locate these two noble Documents that authorize the use of this land.

It’s important to know that I applied for and received my own Certified copy of the handwritten Deed of 1888 from the Los Angeles Registrar’s Office for $16, and a Certified copy of the 1887 Act of Congress from the Library of Congress for $0, and it took me less than 15 minutes to do this over the phone.

The reason I made my FOIA request is that I want to know if Mr. Tillman and the West LA VA have the same certified Deed and Congressional Act that I received, because the Documents that I have clearly shows that Mr. Tillman has seriously violated both.

If readers of this article would like to get information on how much the VA charges the PGA, contact Stephen Kupcha and ask him to divulge the numbers.

And tell him that the PGA needs to find another place to park the cars of their tournament attendees, because this is a National Home for America’s Disabled Veterans to heal from war, and not a public parking lot.

Stephen Kupcha
StephenKupcha@pgatourhq.com
Manager, Public Relations
PGA TOUR Golf Course Properties
100 PGA Blvd
Ponte Vedra Beach , FL 32082
Office 904-280-4796 / Cell 904-303-1542

26,000 Marathon Runners to Stampede Through Veterans’ Land
As though Mr. Tillman has not abused, misused and done enough damage to Veterans’ sacred land, he has given permission for the Los Angeles Marathon to run through the VA grounds on March 21, 2010.

While Veterans are trying to heal from war on these historic grounds, he’s allowing 26,000 people from around the world to illegally invade the Veterans Home and run through it. That’s 6,000 more than there are homeless Veterans in Los Angeles. But who cares? Certainly not Ralph Tillman.

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It’s None of Your Business
Over the years, Veterans and legitimate community leaders have asked for the accounting of the leases the West LA VA has with non-Veteran entities and Mr. Tillman has essentially said it is none of your business. Isn’t that the same response Bernie Madoff gave when questioned about his financial scam?

If you file a request with the VA’s FOIA for this information, Mr. Tillman trumps-up the financial charges the same way his VA police trump-up criminal charges against innocent Veterans.

While Mr. Tillman has never dealt honorably with any Veteran or legitimate community leader, James Duvall, the former Chief of Public Affairs did offer some insight in the VA’s finances in an interview with the “Brentwood News,” in the local magazine’s January 2007 issue.

Mr. Duvall: “The Veterans Health Administration had promised years ago to Congress that 10% of its budget will come from non-appropriated (outside) sources in order to reduce costs to taxpayers. VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System (VA GLAHS) attempts to reach this 10% goal through the medical care collections fund (MCCF) that bills third-party insurers for medical care that VA GLAHS provides to insured veterans as well as the co-payment non-service connected care that veterans pay for medical visits and prescription drugs.

The second way is through enhanced sharing agreements that generate alternative revenue. Together these two programs generate about 5% of the VA GLAHS total operating budget of approximately $522 million.

When the Brentwood News asked Mr. Duvall “How much money does the VA take in each year from various outside ventures (theaters, parking lots, temporary use rentals, baseball field rentals, etc.),” he answered: Four previous fiscal year that ended on September 30, 2006, the alternative revenue generated for VA GLAHS was approximately $5 million in cash and non-cash revenue.”

Just think about all the carnivals, sharing agreements and other intrusive and objectionable events that take place on this sacred land and it only generates a pitiful $5 million a year, while Congress doles out hundreds of billions of dollars to corrupt investment and banking companies.

And think how much money is lost when Mr. Tillman either charges a dollar-a-year for Veterans property or gives it away free for a public park and in the VA’s opinion for “the highest and best use for this land.”

Did I mention there are 20,000 homeless Veterans in Los Angeles and this is their legally deeded Home?

Money is Thicker than Homeless Veterans
While many homeless Veterans sleep in their cars, campers, vans, etc., it’s still dangerous to park anywhere overnight. And in most communities within Los Angeles, it is against the law to sleep in a car. Even worse, the VA will not allow Veterans to park and sleep on their own rightful property.

On the other hand, if you’re a giant Forbes 500 Company like Enterprise Car Rental, you can cut a bargain deal with Ralph Tillman to lease acres-upon-acres of Veterans property to park thousands of cars on a privileged “storage lot.”

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Enterprise Car Rental’s acres-upon-acres car storage lot on Veterans’ Property

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Two mammoth auto carriers loaded with more cars to park on Veterans Property.
Note: U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein’s Los Angeles Office is in the large office tower in the background

Has Mr. Tillman lost his moral compass so badly that money trumps Veterans safety and rights? Why does the VA have to lease this property to anyone for money? The government printing machines are running 24/7 to bail out banks, and insurance companies, to fight wars, to send spaceships on faraway explorations into outer space, while Veterans are denied the most basic necessity of shelter on their own property.

Stolen Property = Stolen Valor? You bet it does … and the grievances against our government and politicians are manifold and Veterans want restitution. What’s taking place today as our government continues to insult, neglect and abuse Veterans is beginning to make the famed Bonus Army scandal look like child’s play.

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A Gigantic Fleet of School Buses Take Over Acres of Veterans’ Land

But, It’s For the Children
Anyone who subscribes to this forced guilt trip is sadly mistaken. If there’s a need of land for public school buses and an athletic field for a private school, then drive less than a mile west to the Brentwood Country Club and ask them for some land. They have far more “open-space” land than Veterans do.

And if think they’d part with one-square inch without demanding full market value, you are again sadly mistaken. Do you think anyone could get a dollar-a-year lease agreement for acres of prime golf course land? Ha! They wouldn’t care if it’s for the children or alligators … they’d demand top dollar.

A Bureaucrat That Only the Government Could Love
The list of land giveaway at the National Veterans Home continues to go on and on, and so does the homeless Veteran problem, which has grown to 20,000 without shelter in Los Angeles.

Mr. Tillman, the West LA VA bureaucrat-in-chief, is the person who facilitated and signed the privileged agreement for 16 acres of Veterans land that was given away rent free for a public park. The parcel is considered to be one of the most valuable in Los Angeles, yet not one penny is generated for America’s Veterans, who by the way, are the sole beneficiaries of this exclusively deeded land.

It should come as no surprise that it was also Mr. Tillman who facilitated the desecration of West Point’s revered creed and allowed the affluent homeowner group to plagiarize and transmogrify it into “Beauty, Honor, Country,” and then irreverently engrave it in stone on Veterans property.

As the director and manager of assets for this revered and strategic VA facility, and with all his giveaway of Veterans land for non-Veteran use, it doesn’t surprise any Veteran that Mr. Tillman would have no scruples when it comes to besmirching West Point’s creed and the Active Duty of our Military and America’s Veterans.

Does the Name Benedict Arnold Ring a Bell
Have we forgotten the full history of West Point? Lest we’ve forgotten, in 1780, when General Benedict Arnold was Commander of the West Point fortification, he conspired with British General Henry Clinton to surrender this revered and strategic Military base for 20,000 British pounds, which would be the equivalent of $3 million in today’s U.S. dollars.

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General Benedict Arnold

Fortunately, vigilant American Military soldiers stopped Major John Andre, a British spy courier, and found a coded message in his boot from America’s General Arnold to the British’s General Clinton. Had Benedict Arnold succeeded in his traitorous act, it is quite possible there would be no America as we know it today.

There’s a disgraceful parallel between Benedict Arnold’s attempt to surrender West Point to the British, and Ralph Tillman successfully surrendering our Veterans land to non-Veteran organizations.

Ironically, not since Benedict Arnold tried to surrender West Point to the enemy 230 years ago, has there been such a treasonous act for such hallowed grounds, and against the very men and women who have defended America’s unparalleled way of life.

When Mr. Tillman and the powerful politicians actually facilitated the shameful denigration of the West Point creed by allowing it to be plagiarized and disparaged on Veterans property, it far exceeded the shame of Benedict Arnold’s failed attempt in his traitorous dealings.

The difference between Benedict Arnold and Ralph Tillman is that Mr. Tillman has succeeded in surrendering land at the National Veterans Home and General Arnold failed in surrendering land at West Point.

But the real difference between Ralph Tillman and Benedict Arnold is that Mr. Tillman tragically makes Benedict Arnold look like an American patriot … 20,000 times over.

Robert Rosebrock

U.S. Army, 1965-67, Schofield Barracks, Hqs., U.S Army, Hawaii. Director, The Veterans Revolution, Captain, the Old Veterans Guard, and Director, We the Veterans.