A new collection of musical stories about the Irish experience of the US Civil War – AUDIO

WoundK:NO, the nearest I got to Vietnam was the Naval base at Subic Bay, Philippines, where I spent 1½ years ('62 -'64)as a marine. But it wasn't until the late '80s that I found out that I was eligible for membership in the American Legion. Then in 1999, to my great surprise, I discovered that I'm considered a Vietnam era era veteran and entitled to health care in V.A. hospitals, but I have to make out-of-pocket payments for treatment of a condition that isn't service-connected. (In W.W. 11 many military people spent the war years in plush offices here in the states, but they were still entitled to many of the benefits available to combat soldiers).

Seanmor: Let me get this straight. You served in Vietnam but it wasn't until 1999 that you realized you were a Vietnam veteran? I'm missing something here...

It is estimated the 63,000 young Irishmen joined the Union Army upon arrival in NYC in the early 1860s. In those days and for at least another century, U.S. immigration authorities were empowered to enforce the nation's immigration laws, and there was no subsidised housing, clothing allowence, food stamps or free health care available to immigrants, legal or illegal. Irish immigrants have participated in all f America's wars, including its War of Independenc. Besides, ountless thousnd of us have served in the U.S. military during peace time. Around the mid 1960s, I was one of 10 from the same parish in Ireland who were serving or had served in the this country's military. But I didn't find out until 1999 that I am a Vietnam era veteran and entitled to treatment at V.A. hospitals. Irish newspapers in the U.S. should keep their readers informed about the rights of honorably discharged veterans, including those of us who served in the Marine Corps, By the way, the word is pronounced "core", not "corpse" as Prez Obama called it.