Ms Steeves you called about my concerns about the well being of the Honourable Veterans Peter Blendheim and Frank Rusling

---------- Original message ----------
From: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 9 Jun 2016 11:28:12 -0400
Subject: Ms Steeves you called about my concerns about the well being of the Honourable Veterans Peter Blendheim and Frank Rusling
To: shelley.steeves@globalnews.ca, "Kent.Hehr.a1" <Kent.Hehr.a1@parl.gc.ca>, "neil.robinson" <neil.robinson@vac-acc.gc.ca>, "Jacques.Poitras" <Jacques.Poitras@cbc.ca>, Jericho.Knopp@cbc.ca, "Melanie.Joly" <Melanie.Joly@parl.gc.ca>, Richard.Woodbury@cbc.ca
Cc: David Amos <david.raymond.amos@gmail.com>

Global Television - Moncton Bureau
150 Edmonton Ave. Unit 4
Moncton, New Brunswick, E1C 3B9
Shelley Steeves and Brion Robinson
Email : maritimes@globalnews.ca
shelley.steeves@globalnews.ca
brion.robinson@globalnews.ca
alexandra.abdelwahab@globalnews.ca
Phone : (506) 862-5101
Shelley Steeves: (506) 866-4794
Brion Robinson - (506) 866 3601
Alex Abdelwahab - (506) 651-5421
Fax : (506) 457-0213
Web Site : http://www.globalnews.ca/new-brunswick


Its kinda obvious what I did on their behalf. Twitter tells a true
tale doen't it?

A better question to ask is why has Global and CBC etc been ignoring
me for 14 years? However you would not answer that question would ya?

https://twitter.com/DavidRayAmos/with_replies


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: CBC Feedback <cbcfeedback@cbc.ca>
Date: Thu, 9 Jun 2016 10:37:22 -0400
Subject: changes to CBC.ca comment spaces
To: motomaniac333@gmail.com

Hello Mr. Amos,

Alex Johnston shared your correspondence with us. On her behalf, we’d like
to acknowledge receipt of your email and thank you for sharing your
feedback regarding comment spaces on CBC.ca.

We'll ensure your concerns are relayed to the moderation staff at CBC.ca.
Your feedback will be kept in mind going forward.

Thank you again for taking the time to share your thoughts.

Sincerely,

CBC Audience Services


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Neil Robinson <Neil.Robinson@vac-acc.gc.ca>
Date: Sat, 04 Jun 2016 23:17:16 -0300
Subject: Re: Attn Peter Blendheim Re Veterans Affairs I figured you
ignored me so I went ahead and did it Now just whisper my name in to
Kent Hehr's ear and your troubles with the crooks within Veterans
Affairs are over (Out of Office)
To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>

I am on annual leave and will not be returning to the office until the
date of my retirement.

If you require assistance on a current file, please contact Laura
Nicholson at  902-566-8798 or laura.nicholson@vac-acc.gc.ca

Thank you.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Blendheim, Peter" <Peter.Blendheim@novascotia.ca>
Date: Sun, 5 Jun 2016 00:57:48 +0000
Subject: RE: Attn Peter Blendheim (902 491 4589) I called from (902
800 0369) about I can help with Veterans Affairs
To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>

Thank you David for your concern. I heard your message. I do know what
you mean. I am getting that word in the ministers ear. If you know of
any other ears let me know. I am open to suggestions. I have been
contacted by over 100 people so it took time to get back to you

Peter Blendheim

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/petter-blindheim-norwegian-war-veteran-canada-1.3619770


Norwegian Petter Blindheim, 94, gets Allied veteran status, but still
no Canadian care
Decorated war hero remains denied entry to Halifax veterans' facility
By Richard Woodbury, CBC News Posted: Jun 07, 2016 8:35 AM AT



A 94-year-old Norwegian veteran living in Canada has been classified
as an Allied veteran, but that doesn't mean he will automatically be
allowed entry into a Halifax veterans' facility for care, his son
says.

The case of Petter Blindheim, a decorated war hero who received six
medals while serving with the Royal Norwegian Navy, has sparked
outrage in Canada and in Norway because of the Canadian government's
initial refusal to classify him as an Allied veteran. That
classification has prevented him from being allowed into the Camp Hill
Veterans' Memorial hospital, which is where he would like to be cared
for.

Allied veterans are entitled to benefits under the War Veterans Allowance (WVA).

Blindheim was turned down for care, because he enlisted during the
German occupation of Norway during the Second World War and fought as
part of the "resistance" effort, Veterans Affairs Canada ruled.
Petter Blindheim

Petter Blindheim served in the Royal Norweigan Navy during the Second
World War. (Peter Blendheim)

Blindheim's son, Peter Blendheim, says he received a call recently
from Veterans Affairs Canada stating his dad would now be recognized
as an Allied veteran.

"Here's the catch — Camp Hill [is] specifically for three groups of
people, I've been told: Canadian vets, Allied vets who meet special
requirements, Korean vets who meet special requirements. So, now we're
going further down the rabbit hole," Blendheim told CBC's Information
Morning on Tuesday.

"What's special requirements? It turns out special requirements are
specialized care that cannot be provided by the community facilities
that exist."
'We would never have made a stink'

Blendheim says the Veterans Affairs person told him that an example
would be something like a contagious disease.

"If they were going to make it so difficult for an Allied veteran to
get admitted to Camp Hill, they should just say point blank, 'We're
not taking Allied veterans in Camp Hill. There's no application form
for you,'" said Blendheim. "We would never have made a stink. We would
never have complained."

He says the family first applied about a year ago to have his father
admitted for care at Camp Hill.

In Canada, the case has generated an outpouring of support for Blindheim.
'They didn't surrender'

In Norway, the case is attracting lots of media attention, but the
focus is more on the Canadian government's view that Norway
surrendered to Germany in the Second World War, says Blendheim.

"What is this business about surrender? They were occupied, they
didn't surrender. They don't see it as a surrender," he said.

Blindheim is one of the only Norwegian Second World War veterans
living in Canada.

During one particular battle in 1942 aboard the Montbretia, a
Norwegian corvette, he was honoured for saving the lives of his fellow
crewmen in between torpedo attacks when he removed the primer of a
depth charge at his battle station.

With files from CBC's Information Morning

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http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/saint-john-veteran-denied-care-1.3622831

94-year-old British war hero ineligible for long-term care in Saint John
Frank Rusling served in British Royal Navy for 10 years before becoming Canadian

By Jericho Knopp, CBC News Posted: Jun 09, 2016 8:00 AM AT

After news that a Norwegian Second World War veteran was denied access
to a long-term care facility for vets in Nova Scotia, CBC News has
learned of a New Brunswick veteran in a similar situation.

Frank Rusling, 94, was born in the United Kingdom and served in the
British Royal Navy for 10 years, including all of the Second World
War.

He moved to Canada almost 60 years ago and is a Canadian citizen, but
because he served in the British Army, he isn't eligible for long-term
care in the Ridgewood Veterans Wing in Saint John.

Elsie Rusling is Frank's wife, and his primary caregiver. They spend
their days drinking tea and watching television or reading in their
sunroom in Lorneville, overlooking the Bay of Fundy.

Rusling has some difficulty with basic household tasks, but he is
still able to live at home. When the time comes, though, they'd both
like to see him enter the Ridgewood Veterans Wing.
Elsie Rusling

Elsie Rusling said she and her husband spend their days drinking tea
and watching television or reading in their sunroom in Lorneville.
(Brian Chisholm)

But when Elsie Rusling talked to a few of her husband's friends at the
local Royal Canadian Legion, she learned that may not be possible.

"It was just quite a shock to hear that because he's been very well
all his life, very active, but in the last year and a half, he's not
so well," she said.

"It just makes you wonder about those things. How are we going to cope?"

Elsie Rusling has not yet formally applied for her husband to get into
the wing because he doesn't need it yet, so she hasn't received a
formal letter of rejection from Ridgewood.

However, for years, she'd been under the impression that her husband
would be welcomed there.

"We've talked about it, and we were always told that the veterans were
allowed to go there," she said.

"But when I talked to someone not too long ago, they were told that
they are no longer letting British veterans in, only Canadian
veterans."
10 years of service
Young Frank Rusling

A photo of a 15-year-old Rusling during his military training. He had
a decade-long military career in the Royal Navy, where he worked in
visual signalling on ships. (Brian Chisholm)

Rusling had a 10-year military career in the Royal Navy, where he
worked in visual signalling on ships. He quickly rose through the
ranks, eventually becoming a Yeoman of Signals.

His career took him around the world, landing him in many close-call
situations in Malta, in battles against German soldiers during World
War II.

In fact, many of his stories are chronicled on the Veterans Affairs
website, as part of the Heroes Remember series.

After retiring from the navy, he worked as a policeman in England for
10 years before immigrating to Canada. When he arrived, he joined the
Canadian Pacific Police and worked with them for 30 more years before
retiring at 65.

"I enjoyed every moment of it, I'll tell you that," he said.

Even though his memories were immortalized on the Veterans Affairs
Canada website, he is still an allied veteran.
2 types of long-term care
Frank Rusling today

At 94 years old, Rusling is less active than he used to be. (Brian Chisholm/CBC)

Veterans Affairs says there are two long-term care options for allied veterans.

The first is a community bed: a bed in a community facility not
specifically designated for veterans, such as a long-term care unit in
the hospital or a nursing home.

"Veterans who served with Allied armed forces, War Veterans who served
in Canada only and have a low income, and Canadian Armed Forces
Veterans who need care due to service-related disability can receive
long term care in a community bed," the department said in an emailed
statement.

The other, a contract bed, is available for Canadian veterans who have
served overseas, who are income qualified, or who have a disability
related to their military service.

For allied veterans, this option is only available if they have
special needs that can't be met in a community bed.

Ridgewood Veterans Wing operates contract beds, so Rusling isn't eligible there.

Also, Veterans Affairs states that veterans may be eligible for
programs such as the Veterans Independence Program, which provides
home care support that can help veterans stay in their own home as
long as possible.

Rusling said he has generally been treated with respect, but he said
this policy is unfortunate.

"We should all be treated the same. We're doing the same work, we're
the same people," he said.