War Amps Writes VAC
Minister About Amputee Vets' Wait for Surgery
World War II
Amputee Casualty
OTTAWA, June 1 /CNW/ - The National
Council of The War Amputations of
Canada viewed the June 1st article by Heather Sokoloff of
The National Post
regarding the long waiting period for a hip replacement for
Don Latter of
Abbottsford, British Columbia.
Mr. Latter is a member of The National
Council of The War Amps which
directs the activities of this organization which has looked
after war
amputees (and amputee children) for more than 50 years.
"We are taking immediate steps to
bring this matter to the attention of
the Minister of Veterans Affairs," Cliff Chadderton,
Chief Executive Officer
of The War Amps, stated today.
He indicated that The War Amps could not
consider the case of Mr. Latter
as being in any way "ordinary." "We are not requesting the Minister
to arrange for this man to 'jump the
queue' but it must be considered that he has lived with this
amputation since
March 1945 - a period of nearly 60 years," Chadderton
said.
"In addition to a very aggravating
stump which must carry his 210-pound
frame, day in and day out, he has more than 20 other
disabilities which are
the direct result of his amputation," he said.
Chadderton suggested that: "This
places Mr. Latter in a priority
position, bearing in mind his age of 77 and the fact that he
is entitled to
live in comfort for the rest of his years."
Copies of Chadderton's letter to the
Minister, appended herewith, will,
in accordance with the policy of the Association, be sent to
all leaders of
the Opposition parties.
Letter to Minister:
June 1, 2004
RE: Mr. D.J.
Latter (File #0680561)
World War II amputee casualty
Dear Minister:
Reference is made to the excellent
article by Heather Sokoloff in The
National Post of June 1, 2004. The article properly
identifies an
unconscionable waiting period, during which Mr. Latter has
been on the list
for an artificial hip replacement for close to a year. He
lost his leg from
the shell of a German antitank gun in March 1945.
It was our National Service Bureau which
gave the information to Heather
Sokoloff so that the matter could be brought to the
attention of the public.
Our plea now to you, as Minister of Veterans Affairs, is to
make the necessary
arrangements which have provided special consideration to
war amputees who
suffered loss of limbs from both World Wars and Korea.
We understand that the Department has the
responsibility to provide
treatment under the Veterans Pension Act, based on the least
possible delay.
We believe that Canadians expect no less for those amputees
whose situation is
the basis of a $3.5 million commemoration to be held at Juno
Beach where the
Canadians landed on June 6, 1944.
Yours sincerely,
H. Clifford Chadderton, CC, O.Ont., OStJ,
CLJ, CAE, DCL, LLD Chief Executive Officer
For further
information: Communications at 1-877-60MEDIA or
e-mail, communications@waramps.ca
Reprinted by permission
of The War Amps of Canada
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