PRESS RELEASE #15

Former Arizona Sheriff Voices Support For Beery’s Efforts To Protect Veterans Benefits

WWW.FIREBASE.NET

By Staff Writer: Rick Townsend

firebaseadrian@tc3net.com

09/21/04

Former Sheriff of Maricopa County, Phoenix, Arizona, Richard Godbehere has voiced concern over a court ruling in the state of Georgia. Godbehere, who now lives in Kapaa, Kauai, Hawaii, was Sheriff of the third largest Sheriff’s Office in the United States for 4 years between 1985 and 1989. In addition to his public service as Sheriff, Godbehere also retired from the Navy as a Lieutenant Commander in 1979.  

In March of this year, Georgia Superior Court Judge, Alan Keeble ordered Vietnam combat disabled veteran Jere Beery to pay his ex-wife $24,000 in alimony from his VA disability compensation. Beery, who lived 8 months in a Georgia homeless shelter while awaiting his divorce to become final was severely wounded in Vietnam in 1968 by a Viet Cong anti-tank rocket and currently has only his earned VA disability compensation to live on. Beery and Sheriff Godbehere served together in Vietnam. In fact, Lieutenant Godbehere was one of Beery’s superior officers of the special warfare PBR unit Beery served with during 1967 and 1968.

Richard Godbehere, then a lieutenant in the Navy was Seaman Jere Beery’s patrol officer onboard a river patrol boat in 1968 when his patrol was ambushed by the Viet Cong. Godbehere’s patrol was hit many times by machine gun and rocket fire. Of the 5 men onboard the small river patrol boat, 4 were badly wounded, including Lt. Godbehere. Beery was severely wounded by a near direct hit from a well-aimed anti-tank rocket. “Jere Beery was a 50 caliber gunner on my boat, he was wounded very badly and none of us expected him to survive”, Godbehere stated. “The young sailor’s guts were hanging all the way to the deck and his face, arms and legs were covered in shrapnel wounds. Beery’s left eye was hanging out of its socket”, Godbehere explained. Godbehere and other crew members ignored their own wounds and worked feverishly to control Beery’s bleeding. “I have never seen anyone survive injuries like that,” Godbehere added.

Now, 36 years later, Godbehere has come to Beery’s aid once more. “If my understanding of the federal law is correct, Judge Keeble has violated laws that protect Beery’s VA disability compensation from direct or indirect attachment”, Godbehere said.  “Beery earned his VA disability compensation literally with his blood and guts. I find it very disturbing a judge would vicariously award any part of it to an able bodied non-veteran,” he added. Godbehere also voiced dismay that the Department of Veterans Affairs and the national veterans service organizations have not come to Beery’s aid in this matter. “We have laws on the books that are supposed to protect our troop’s benefits. One would think, at the very least, the federal agencies and national organizations that represent our veterans would offer an opinion on this case. By remaining silent and avoiding involvement these so-called veterans’ advocates are condoning this unjust practice by state judges,” Godbehere said.

Rick Plymale, lead investigator on the Beery case agrees with Godbehere. “If attorney Jack Nebl and I hadn’t volunteered to take Mr. Beery’s case Pro Bono, and if we hadn’t filed a Motion for a new hearing, Mr. Beery would be either incarcerated right now, or be a fugitive from justice in the great state of Georgia. All because Mr. Beery refused to voluntarily give up $24,000 of his VA disability compensation,” Plymale stated.

Dave Otto of Jefferson, Ohio is another Vietnam combat veteran, and was also a member of boat crew on the night Beery was severely wounded. “Jere Beery came about as close to having his name placed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial as anyone could. His VA benefits belong to him, and only him,” Otto stated.  

Jere Beery is also a noted veteran’s rights activist that has been very active for many years in the state of Georgia. In 1987, Beery went undercover to expose deplorable conditions within the VA hospital in Decatur, Georgia. “I was taking hidden cameras into VA hospitals long before ABC’s Primetime Live did,” Beery claimed. His investigation led to a 3 full page story with shocking pictures in a local news paper. Then, in 1988, Beery organized and lead a 4 day demonstration at the Democratic National Convention in Atlanta for improved VA health care for veterans. Beery is convinced there is more to Judge Keeble’s ruling than just settling a simple divorce. “My efforts have embarrassed many people in high places and I have made my share of enemies over the years. I have been very bold and outspoken in the fight for veteran’s benefits, which has caused me to be targeted by federal, state and county elements that want to silence me. I have even been turned away by the VAMC in Decatur, Georgia for much needed medical treatment. There is very little doubt in my mind that Judge Keeble’s attack on my VA disability compensation is just the latest retaliatory effort by my critics,” Beery suggested.

Currently, the Beery case is in limbo, as Judge Keeble ordered a continuance in Beery’s motion for a new hearing stating he (the judge) needed more time to review federal code.

Another disabled veteran facing a similar situation in Tennessee is Vietnam combat veteran Dale Van Luven. “I’m facing 12 counts of contempt because I refuse to use my VA disability compensation to pay court ordered alimony. I could go to jail at any time,” Van Luven stated.

Both Beery and Van Luven have vowed to do whatever it takes to insure federal laws designed to protect veterans’ benefits are enforced.  

Jere Beery jerebeery@aol.comm                             Dale Van Luven firebasetn@aol.com

For updates on this story – WWW.JEREBEERY.COM
 

Click here for contact information for

JUDGE MURIEL ROBINSON,

JUDGE ALAN B. KEEBLE,

Attorney at Law - CHARLES GALBREATH,

Attorney at Law - JACK NEBL,

Criminal Investigator - RICK PLYMALE