Russia invades Georgia and Brentwood invades the National Veterans Home

Russia invades Georgia and Brentwood invades the National Veterans Home

by Robert L. Rosebrock, Co-Director, We the Veterans
    
No doubt everyone has been following the sequence of events regarding Russia’s recent invasion and occupation of certain parts of sovereign Georgia.  It’s been hard not to follow with all the press coverage that it has received through the USA media and our politicians offering their varied two-cents worth here and there, including the President and Secretary of State demanding a cease fire along with both sides signing a truce agreement.

But where were all these politicians and reporters when Brentwood’s Veterans Park Conservancy (VPC) recently invaded the National Veterans Home and stole a billion dollar parcel of our hallowed land to occupy as their own public community park?

Remember, this invasion and occupation happened right here in the United States, in the State of California, in the community of West L.A. (Los Angeles), and on Veterans exclusively deeded property, without a bullet being fired. It happened because our U.S. government and politicians did not come to our defense, nor did the press cover it except to praise the perpetrators who stole the land for purporting to build a public community park as a “shrine in honor of our veterans.”

Last year, a fellow Veteran was at the National Veterans Home taking photos of another invasion on our property, which was the Los Angeles Times and their annual CINE Business Expo. The Veteran was ordered to stop taking pictures, but when he rightfully refused, the federal police handcuffed and arrested him for trespassing and resisting arrest.  He was acquitted of trespassing but found guilty of resisting arrest and he’s now appealing that charge.  Where were our politicians coming to his defense and where was the press? 

Oops … almost forgot … this was a Los Angeles Times business event making a nifty profit at the expense of Veterans. 

Now seriously think about this; a Veteran is on Veterans’ land and he is charged with trespassing and arrested by our federal government, while non-Veteran businesses and special interest organizations are welcomed by our federal government and invited to negotiate and occupy our exclusively deeded land for personal gain, and at the tragic expense of Veterans who are here for convalescence and rehabilitation. 

Richmark Entertainment Group occupies both the Wadsworth and Brentwood Theaters on Veterans land for public plays, operas, symphonies, etc.  Brentwood School, one of the wealthiest private schools in the nation, occupies more than 20 acres of Veterans land to use exclusively as their own athletic field. Enterprise car-rental occupies a large swath of Veterans land to store cars and trucks, as does Burgie Ford and Tumbleweed buses.  Breitburn Energy  controls several acres of Veterans land for oil drilling with the royalties going to the Department of Interior. UCLA occupies numerous buildings for "research."

This invasion and occupation of Veterans land goes on and on, but where is our own federal government and politicians when it comes to defending this sovereign land that was exclusively deeded 120 years ago to be permanently maintained as a National Home for America’s Military Veterans?
 
The above notwithstanding, the recent invasion by VPC added insult to injury because the VA gave this very wealthy group more than $1 million of Veterans seriously needed healthcare money to build a pretentious fence to beautify the entryway into Brentwood.

As though building an unnecessary fence wasn’t insulting enough, the group arrogantly and audaciously denigrated our Military watchword of "Duty, Honor, Country" by engraving in stone, on Veterans land, "Beauty, Honor, Country."  Quite simply, the group plagiarized this time-honored creed for which our nation’s freedom and independence rests upon, to use as their own mission statement to enhance the beautification of Brentwood. 

So where were are all the politicians then, who are now defending Georgia?

If you will recall, Susan "Sue" Young, Executive Dictator of VPC, bragged that she was able to expropriate Veterans land for a Brentwood community park by boasting: "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." 

So why should we expect our federal government and politicians to protect Veterans land when they were negotiating and facilitating the land heist by driving the getaway car? If you or I did this, we would be charged with "aiding and abetting."  We’d also be charged with giving aid and comfort to the enemy. 

When Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili responded to the Russian invasion, here’s what he had to say:  "Who invited this trouble here? Who invited this arrogance here?"

Well, this brave patriot didn’t need an answer because he answered his own questions by declaring: "Not only those people who perpetrate them are responsible, but also those people who failed to stop it."  Sound familiar?

Notice how VPC is operating no different from the Russia of today than the Russia of old when Nikita Krushev said: "What’s ours is ours, and what’s yours is negotiable."

Make no mistake; VPC’s so-called “shrine in honor of our veterans” is nothing more than a modern-day Trojan Horse designed to subvert the Deed of 1888 so they can invade, conquer and build a massive public park on Veterans’ sacred land as their own amusement playground and entertainment center.

VPC confirms their plans for an all-encompassing community park on Veterans land by declaring that the 16-acre parcel is only the beginning, as it will “Demonstrate the positive community impact of reclamation of open space for public use, setting a precedent for discussion about the remaining federal property.”

During VPC’s manipulation of "getting approvals at the highest levels of government," they orchestrated a brazen behind-the-scenes, no-bid, rent-free agreement for a public community park, and it was deceptively conducted under the guise of “honoring our veterans.”

Moreover, Veterans will not get one penny in return from this billion dollar porkbarrel earmark that Congressman Waxman gave to his wealthy constituents in the 30th District that he represents, which also includes the largest VA in the nation serving more than 1 million Veterans within a 50-mile radius. Never mind that Veterans healthcare and rehabilitation services are seriously underfunded and woefully inadequate to care for those who are "healing from war." 

Fellow Veterans, where is your passion to defend our sovereign National Home and to fight back the same way the Georgians stood up and fought the big bully Russia?  Remember, VPC is also a big bully that wants to occupy Veterans sovereign territory for their own "central park west" playground.  The main difference is whether or not Veterans will stand up and fight Brentwood the way the Georgians stoop up and fought Russia. 

Let us commit ourselves to the same defiance and loyalty that President Saakashvili declared on behalf of Georgia and its citizenry, just as we must defend our National Home and fellow Veteran patients. 

Here’s what President Saakashvili said in standing up to his neighboring bully dictators:  "We will rebuild.  We want them out.  I want the world to know: Never, ever will Georgia reconcile with occupation of even one square kilometer of its sovereign territory. Never, ever!"

He speaks like our Founding Fathers and the Revolutionaries once spoke when building and defending our National Homeland, and now we must speak the same as fellow-Veterans in defending and rebuilding our National Home.

The question is this: Will you join the Veterans Revolution every Sunday?

The next question is: Have you signed the Veterans "Declaration of Enforcement," which is attached?  If yes, thanks!  If not, why? 

In summary, will you faithfully commit to attending the Sunday Rallies to "Save our National Home" the way Georgians fought to "Save their Homeland?"  Will you demand that our own President and all politicians sign our truce agreement (Declaration of Enforcement)? It’s the only we can evict the occupiers of our sovereign Home Land and return this sacred Veterans Estate to its original purpose and promise when it was patriotically bequeathed to all Veterans in perpetuity by Senator John P. Jones and Arcadia de Baker on March 3, 1888.

When we raised our right hand and pledged our lives to support and defend the Constitution of the United States, it was against all enemies, foreign and domestic. We must make that same commitment now to defend the Deed of 1888.  Both are sacred Documents.

Article II of the Military Code of Conduct states:  "I will never surrender."

"We the Veterans" are extremely proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder every Sunday with the most loyal defenders of our National Veterans Home that one could ever ask for.  A few are in their 80s, many are in the 70’s and some of us youngsters are in our 60s.  One thing we individually have in common when executing this Veterans Revolution is this: "I will never surrender." 

Please join the Veterans Revolution.  Today’s Veterans need your help, and so do future generations of Veterans. 

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.