TESTIMONY OF MICHAEL MOSES—SUB. H.B. 173

Chairman Johnson, Members of the Committee, I represent the Ohio Association ofCounty Veteran Service Commissioners and Ohio State Association of County Veteran Service Officers.

I want to first thank Chairman Johnson, Representatives Terhar and Anielski and members of the committee for the opportunity to speak regarding Sub. H.B. 173.

Like each of you our associations want what’s best for the veterans and shows the proper respect and gratitude for their service. The rights you and I exercise and enjoy, and which we often take for granted, are a direct result and benefit of their sacrifice.

We appreciate the consideration shown by the committee in delaying action on this legislation until time was taken to study the federal ID card legislation enacted last year.

As I believe, concerns have been expressed previously, about three areas on this issue: (1) cost, (2) duplication or confusion with the impending issuance of a veterans ID card by the VA, and (3) potential fraud.

The first two concerns are related: we don’t believe that the veteran should have any cost in obtaining the card, given their sacrifice and service, particularly, since he or she will soon have a federal ID card. Secondly, there is the potential for merchants who will come across both the federal card, this card or, perhaps, a DD-214. In any event, merchants don’t consistently seem to honor the cards for discounts and other benefits.

Finally, there have been instances of fraud and stolen valor in the issuance of Purple Heart license plates, for example (see attached). Without the ability to access the correct federal databases, we see areas of concern in the area of verification of honorable conditions of discharge, especially, since DD-214’s are sometimes replaced and reissued after some misconduct or other incident which disqualifies the veteran from honorable character of their service on that document.

The current substitute version does go quite a way toward alleviating our association’s concerns, and we certainly appreciate the efforts of Rep. Terhar and Rep. Anielski in crafting new language, which is (1) not mandatory on counties to issue a card, and (2) addresses the verification of the character of discharge.

A couple minor concerns remain, however, (1) cost of the card, (2) one of the major associations, the State Association of County Veteran Service Commissioners, is omitted from Section 2, to deal with implementation, and, most importantly, (3) R.C. Sec. 317.241(G)(3) needs to provide for verification by the county veteran service officer in accordance with R.C. Sec. 317.24. Because of the makeup of the veteran service commissions, commissioners are typically part-time, and are not in the office on a daily basis, so, the veterans service officer is going to be the one to verify the character of service when contacted by the County Recorder, as they have access to the federal databases to see the most recent DD-214.

I believe the proposed substitute bill provides a better alternative than the mandated language in previous legislation, and I recognize the proposed amendment we submitted was at the 11th hour, and we will definitely work with the Committee to incorporate the type of language we sent over at the next appropriate time.

Again, I want to thank Chairman Johnson, Rep. Terhar, and Rep. Anielski, and their hard-working staffs for working with veterans on improving this legislation.

At this time, I would like to defer to our next witness, Nichole Coleman, 1st Vice President for the OSACVSO. Nichole has been the Executive Director and County Veterans Service Officer for the Hancock County Veterans Service Commission since December 2011.

Charge: Purple Heart faked

July 11, 2014

By CHRISTOPHER BOBBY , Tribune Chronicle

WARREN - A former Marine recruiter who worked the downtown beat enlisting potential soldiers is free on bond after pleading not guilty Thursday to charges that he falsified records to get free Purple Heart license plates for his cars.

Keith Chandler, 33, of Bushnell-Campbell Road, Kinsman, posted a $20,000 bond on the two counts of tampering with records to ensure his court appearance at a preliminary hearing Aug. 4 in Warren Municipal Court.

The Marine, who reportedly served in Iraq, lost his status as a recruiter and was issued a bad conduct discharge from the military after he was convicted in February of 2006 of assault - a felony - and placed on one year probation by former Judge John M. Stuard. He had other previous arrests for domestic violence.

The Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles investigated the latest case against Chandler, filing the two third-degree felonies for his applying and getting the special license plates designated for wounded war veterans.

''When the BMV investigator approached us about filing the charges, we jumped at it. There are too many good young men and women who didn't come back, and their Purple Hearts were given to mom or dad,'' said Warren Law Director Greg Hicks, a veteran.

''I have those Purple Heart plates on my car. It's an honor. And displaying the plates without deserving the medal is really sad and pathetic,'' said Herm Breuer, who heads up the Veterans Service Office of Trumbull County.

Besides free license plates in Ohio, those who earned the medal in combat also are entitled to other benefits including discounts or scholarships from certain schools of higher education.

TribToday