Opinion
This week, social media proved its usefulness with a viral Veterans Affairs memo posted on Site X by a popular account known for denouncing woke ideology in government. The memo called for the removal of the iconic World War II photo of a sailor celebrating V-Day by kissing a nurse in Times Square.
The memo asked VA facilities to remove the photo and replace it with something more in line with the organization’s values. Why? Because the photo was supposedly against the VA’s zero-tolerance policy toward sexual assault and harassment. Unfortunately, the memo was never authorized by VA Secretary Denis McDonough, who apparently first heard about it via viral social media posts.
Secretary McDonough made it clear that he would not approve the memo and that the photo would not be removed from any facility. However, questions still remain about why anyone thought the memo was a good idea and whether those who facilitated its creation will be held accountable.
Iconic photo from World War II that caused trauma?
In a memo signed by Assistant Under Secretary for Health and Operations RimaAnn Nelson, VA facilities were instructed to remove the famous photo showing a sailor kissing a nurse in celebration. According to the note, the photo shows “inappropriate behavior” and depicts a “non-consensual act.”
Ms. Nelson wrote that by displaying the photo in VA facilities:
“…could be interpreted as tacit approval of the inappropriate behavior you describe.”
The note goes on to state that:
“Employees have expressed discomfort with the display of this photograph.”
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Ms. Nelson continues to instruct facilities to remove the photo in order to:
“…promote a more trauma-informed environment.”
Nothing to see here
Once the memo went viral on X, VA Secretary Denis McDonough lifted the ban on the photography, stating that the photo would remain in VA facilities. He wrote bluntly:
“Let me be clear: This image is not banned from VA facilities and we will keep it in VA facilities.”
In response to calls to fire Ms. Nelson, Secretary McDonough wrote:
“Rima has dedicated her career to serving veterans. We are fortunate to have her at the VA and she will remain at the VA.
In fact, Ms. Nelson has a long history of working at the VA. And this isn’t the first time her ability to carry out her duties has been called into question. In 2016, Congresswoman Krysten Sinema and Congressman Matt Salmon asked then-President Barack Obama to block Ms. Nelson’s appointment at the then-beleaguered Phoenix, Arizona, Virginia hospital.
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Their reasoning was due to its track record in its previous location in St. Louis. They wrote to President Obama:
“Under Ms. Nelson’s tenure, the St. Louis hospital closed twice for unsafe and unsanitary conditions and was ranked last in the country for patient satisfaction out of 126 VA medical centers.”
However, their request was not granted, and here Ms. Nelson climbed the VA ladder, her abilities questioned and still protected from liability.
The wrong focus
This is not the first time the VA has made a decision based on woke ideology to try to erase history. Last year, the VA updated its motto to be more gender neutral after already updating it to include women.
The VA’s original motto came from President Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address. He declared that it was this nation’s solemn responsibility:
“Take care of him who has endured the battle, of his widow and of his orphan.”
The VA updated that motto to include women veterans like me, changing it to:
“To keep President Lincoln’s promise to ‘take care of him who has borne the battle, and of his widow, and of his orphan’ by serving and honoring the men and women who are America’s veterans.”
As if adding the second caveat that women like me now serve our nation wasn’t enough, the VA went a step further by changing the motto to:
“keep President Lincoln’s promise to care for those who served in our nation’s military and their families, caregivers and survivors.”
Removing the quote no longer makes me feel included as a class of veterans. It is an insult to my intelligence that I fail to realize that in President Lincoln’s day only men served in battle. Now the nation has evolved to allow women like me to serve in battle.
VA Bankruptcies
Additionally, thanks to President Lincoln’s quote and belief that the nation has an obligation to care for those who have “borne the fight,” veterans like me have healthcare options and other rights. I’ll leave you with some current statistics:
- In 2023, homeless veterans increased by 7.4%
- On a single night in January 2023, there were 35,574 homeless veterans
- Every day 17 veterans commit suicide
- An electronic health record problem could cause 250,000 veterans to receive the wrong medications from VA hospitals
I do not receive my medical care from a VA hospital. Not because of a WWII photo, but because I don’t trust that they will keep their solemn promise to take care of me, and could possibly make me worse. Maybe it’s time to focus on veteran care instead of trauma-inducing fictional photos.
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