Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Vietnam veter with bureauci By R. VANCE BUTTS Gamecock Staff Writer Talk to any Vietnam era veteran on campus, and you discover at least two things they all seem to have in common-they have all been shot at, and they have all had their hassles with Veterans Ad ministration (VA). Despite the reorganization of the veterans' affairs into the federally financed office of Veterans' Student Affairs, many vets seem unfamiliar with new office. Vet's complaints run the gamut, from a lack of work-study jobs to the mountains of bogging paperwork each vet is confronted with in his at tempts to secure a college education. Most discouraging to the vets seems to- be the wall they confront at the regional VA office on Assembly on Assembly Street: "A lot of people that work at the (Regional) VA are very sympathetic- they try to dd teir best with the system... however, there are some who are gonna do it rote-- by the book- and they don't care how bad it put you out," one veteran said. With the treatment that some vets receive at the regional office, they complain, there is little wonder that bad feelings often spill over into the university VA affairs office, that was, until about ttwo years ago, a small records office with no other function than paper work. Another veteran said he had a problem a couple of years ago when his VAGI-Bill checks stopped coming after three months when he had been qualified for nine months of funds. "I tried calling on my own,"' HE SAID, "and got the biggest runaround I've ever seen in my life." The vet said when he tried to solve his problem, "I was told to go to about three places, and after (visiting) the third, I was back where I started." After contacting a friend who worked at the Regional VA office, he was told that his payments had indeed run out. However, he had a computerized form letter telling him he had qualified for nine months of funds. Later he received a post-dated form le4ter 'People have a low SGA as it is. In fact, opinion at all of SGA. SGA hopes to veep problemi By DAN BRANYON Gamecock Staff Writer Student Government Association (SGA) members have expressed hope that the recent charges against Vice President Trey Lott can be worked out within the SGA. Student Senator William Matthews said that he had heard Lott had been slack in hiring an SGA secretary. "I hope the SGA can work everything out,' Mat thews said.. "It is my opinion that this Is an SGA matter and that the SGA should handle it,"' Sen. Danny Sansbury said.. Sen. Willis Walker, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said he had not investigated the charges to sa)whetherthey are true or false. Sen. Alan Cusher said if the charges warrant in vestigation they will be investigated. "The charges haven't been brought before the senate yet," he said. Last week Lott was charged with neglecting the duties of his office by SGA President Steve Hill. Hill I Send the Gamer -ans hassle 7atic red tape telling him that his funds had been canceled. When he again went to the regional office, he was told "You're shafted. Get off our case." He also said that he received no help at all fronk theUniversityVA office. He went away ., disgusted, with the feeling that the campus office did nothing more than pass information- one way- and shuffle papers. He summed things up by saying, "I have never seen them solve anyone's problem." Now, it is said, things have changed. The USC Veterans' Student Affairs Office, headed by Robert G. Thruber, is seeking to get in touch with all campus veterans. Thurber, said his office is trying to establish a newsletter, and has already handled an orientation program for new veteran students. The office also handles relations with the veterann's record office concerning problems of records, registration, certification, drop-add and addresses. If a vet is faced, for example, with a GI-Bill payments problem, Thruber said "The first thing I automatically check is the paperwork. He said 99.9 per cent of the time, it is a mistake in the paperwork, if there is a continued problem, Thurber calls one of tone of the new Viet Name Era Veteran Representatives,. either Jim Tayor or Mike Collins. Taylor explained these representatives have a new office this year, in the accounting annex. The representative has access to a special group at the VA regional office. Taylor said he or the group could pinpoint the source of a vet's problem within a week. He siad it was also his job to help the vets with any problem he could, from settling a red tape hassle to explaining the legalistic language confusing to so many people. Thurber and Taylor are working to get their offices consolidated in one building. Thurber said an office consolidation would save vets a lot of the frustration they sometimes encounter trying to solve their problems. He added he hoped to get some response from the Carolina Veterans' Association, which m'eets in the Russell House every second Wednesday of each month. enough opinion of the most people have no -SGA Attorney General Steve Brown work out i by itself said Lott was negligent in codifying SGA statutef hiring an SGA secretary and keeping SGA senator informed of the organizations's summer activitief Sen. Dave Wilsford said the matter should hay been kept within the SGA for a couple of weeks befor it was revealed. "If the matter couldn't have bee worked in this way, then it should h'ave been blow open," Wilsford said. .Sen. John Blackmon said he considered himseli informed this summer. "I saw Trey at summer school and so I knew what was going on," Blackmori said. Steve Brown, SGA attorney general, said he couk not investigate the charges until impeachment wat formally proposed in the senate. "Impeachment has been mentioned to me by people involved in the SGA,". he added. Brown said he hoped the mattei could be worked out within the SGA. "People have a low enough opinion of the SGA as It is. In fact, mosi people have no opinion at all of SGA." ock to a friend Bicycle Center of Columbia 746 Harden Street (at Green) .799-3382 n hinain dol I YOU'l be an expression of oriental loveliness in this Mandarin long dress with peek -a-boo open neck. Perfect for at home entertaining, or a romantic evening out. s Black with red cord trimming around neck and sleeves. ie h5-13.. .44. DOWNTOWN RICHLAND MALL DUTCH