Lupe Valverde: Vets get worse treatment than illegal immigrants

For awhile, I have been hearing and reading how “hard” working in the fields is. It can’t be harder than it was in the 1920s, ’30s and ’40s, with work that is no longer done by hand, thinning sugar beets, picking lemons, etc. We never got handouts, as these foreigners get as soon as they arrive.

My father came to this country in 1922, raised a family of 12 and never got any federal aid. He never complained. He had five sons who fought in three wars and still said, “This is a good country.”

When I was discharged, I went to barber college. During my time as a barber, I had customers from all walks of life. Some had worked in trades for 20 to 25 years but their employment ended with disabilities. One stands out, a police officer, a good friend and customer for 18 years. When he went on the disabled list, his wife would walk with him to the door and wave.

Farm work is not “hard” when you’re getting federal aid. When we veterans need to go to a hospital, we have to go to Palo Alto; the foreigners can go to any California hospital. It’s not fair.

I have been very fortunate. I’m a conservative Republican.

This story was originally published January 5, 2015 at 11:35 AM with the headline "Lupe Valverde: Vets get worse treatment than illegal immigrants."