Mr. BRICKFIELD. That came in in 1948, Mr. Fino. Mr. FINO. How about the other benefits that you enumerated? Mr. BRICKFIELD. I am advised that medical treatment has always been available for service-connected disabilities. I could supply for the record this item 13 which say "Others" and break it down. Mr. FINO. Mr. Chairman, could he do that and place it in the record? Mr. KORNEGAY. Yes; if you will do that, please. Mr. BRICKFIELD. Yes, sir. (The information requested follows:) COMPARISON of Cost of VETERANS PROGRAMS THROUGH JUNE 30, 1963 Mr. TEAGUE of California. Mr. Chairman, I think this is the appropriate time to ask for something else to be put in the record if you do not have these figures immediately available, and I understand you do not. There were roughly 12 times as many participants in World War I as there were in the Spanish-American War. I am interested in the annual outlay for benefits, recurring items such as expenses for disability compensation, now for World War I, which is roughly 40 years after the end of World War I, with a comparable figure, which would be 1940, for Spanish-American War veterans. I think that would be helpful to us, well knowing we will have to take into consideration inflation and things of that kind, but what I am talking about is the annual benefits for veterans, some comparison between World War I and Spanish-American War veterans. Mr. BRICKFIELD. I have some figures here I could give you. If you wish others, I could supply them for the record. My figures here show there were 392,000 Spanish-American War veterans who participated in that conflict, and that there were 4,744,000 World War I veterans who participated in World War I. Now, as to the annual cost per participant, we have broken this down into what we term 1962 dollars, we have adjusted the dollar value. As to the Spanish-American War veteran, the annual cost per Spanish-American War veteran to the Veterans' Administration is $194 a year. As to the World War I veteran, the annual cost per participant to the Veterans' Administration is $242 a year. And the annual cost per participant for the World War II veteran is $202 per year. Mr. TEAGUE of California. That will suffice for my purposes. Mr. BRICKFIELD. Mr. Kornegay, I have this chart which I think would be most helpful to the committee in its consideration of these questions. It contains pretty much what we have been discussing and with your permission I would like to offer it for the record. Mr. FINO. Mr. Chairman. Mr. KORNEGAY. Mr. Fino. Mr. FINO. Mr. Brickfield, getting back to the figure of 392,000 participants in the Spanish-American War and 4,744,000 participants in World War I, these are the actual participants in the wars? Mr. BRICKFIELD. Yes. Mr. FINO. Of the 392,000 participants in the Spanish-American War, how many are participants in benefits, receiving one kind of benefit or another? Mr. STRATTON. You mean today, Mr. Fino? Mr. FINO. Yes. Mr. STRATTON. There are about 18,600 living veterans of the Spanish-American War drawing pensions. Mr. FINO. Are all living veterans of the Spanish-American War drawing pensions? Mr. STRATTON. For all practical purposes that is true because all of them are eligible if they have the 70- or 90-day service required. Mr. FINO. Of the 4,744,000 participants in World War I, how many are participating in the benefits in some manner, shape, or form? Mr. STRATTON. Participating, that would be approximately 1 million we have on the pension rolls and on the compensation rolls 133,000. This would be just over 1 million participating in direct payments of money, living veterans. Mr. FINO. Out of how many? Mr. STRATTON. About 2.2 million. Mr. BRICKFIELD. It is a little less than that. Mr. KORNEGAY. Mr. Brickfield, these figures you have just given us of the annual cost per participant as to each war, is that related to the total number of veterans who served in the Spanish-American War, World War I, and World War II? Mr. BRICKFIELD. That is right. Mr. KORNEGAY. Is that the average annual cost or is that the annual cost at a certain time? Mr. BRICKFIELD. This is the annual cost for us for this particular year. This is an annual cost per participant. Mr. KORNEGAY. Of course, in computing that you would take into consideration the number of veterans living in that particular year and the number who participated in the benefits program? Mr. BRICKFIELD. That is right. Mr. KORNEGAY. Do you have any figures that would indicate the overall annual cost? By that I mean going back and taking the total amount that had been spent on all the veterans of each war and figuring it out as to the average annual cost? Mr. BRICKFIELD. I must has misunderstood you, Mr. Kornegay, because my answer to your present question is the $194, $242, and $202 figures which we have just supplied. Mr. KORNEGAY. I can see where there would be a difference in the way in which it is computed. Do you see what I mean? Mr. BRICKFIELD. Yes, sir. Mr. KORNEGAY. We would like to have in the record the average annual cost which would take into consideration the total cost of the programs and the total number of men participating through the years. Mr. BRICKFIELD. I do not have that right now but we will supply it for the committee. (The information requested follows:) Cost per participant, fiscal year 1963 2 It would be unrealistic to show the cost per living veteran because of the great variation in the ratio of dependents of deceased veterans to living veterans on the rolls, i.e., over 3 to 1 for Spanish-American War and less than 1 to 3 for World War II. Mr. KORNEGAY. Mr. Fino has to go to another meeting. We appreciate your coming and staying with us, Mr. Fino. Without objection, the chart which has been submitted by the Veterans' Administration will be placed in the record at this point. (The chart referred to follows:) Comparison of cost of veterans programs through June 30, 1963 1 VA Controller's report, June 30, 1963. 392,000 4,744, 000 16,535,000 0 $3,875, 674 8,443, 687 5,876, 552 4 1,871, 548 (2) 2 $4, 536, 755 1, 954, 104 (2) (2) 347, 475 0 0 0 24, 252 0 6,757 0 8, 264 43, 142 1,317, 023 0 644, 865 0 240, 918 4,951,624 35, 435, 835 2 Compensation and pension total, breakdown not available. Includes medical, hospital, and domiciliary care, loans to veterans in training, counseling of veterans in training, travel of beneficiaries, direct home loans to veterans, loans for the operation of hospital canteens, and payments under the "Soldiers and sailors civil relief" "and Marine and seamen's insurance" appropriation. Excludes premium and other collections-$456,595,000. Mr. KORNEGAY. Now, Mr. Brickfield, would you continue to give us the benefits which the veterans of World War II have enjoyed. Mr. BRICKFIELD. Yes, sir. To state it briefly, to begin with, Mr. Kornegay and Mr. Teague, they participate in 12 out of the 13 major direct benefits as listed in the chart which we have just submitted. They did not receive the bonus and that is the only one they did not participate in. However, they do get death compensation which to date amounts to $4,775 million. They get the disability compensation which of course veterans of all three wars receive, and this is $18,226 million. They receive also the pensions, which they share with the World War I and Spanish War veterans. This adds up to $1.5 billion. They receive medical care, of course, which includes hospitalization and domiciliary care. To date this amounts to $8,241 million. They of course participate in the insurance program. This is called NSLI as distinguished from the World I program which is USGLI. This has amounted to $4,752 million. The next item is readjustment allowances. They also receive vocational rehabilitation. This has amounted to $1,621 million. They were the first group to receive benefits of our GI housing program and to date that has amounted to $1,412 million. Korean conflict veterans are also eligible for this benefit. They all get the burial allowance of $250 which to date has amounted to $147 million. They receive benefits of housing for the disabled, the paraplegic. and this has amounted to $55 million to date. They receive education and training, which to date has amounted to $14,596 million. And then we have "Others" which have amounted to date to $4,486 million. And here we will submit in detail the breakdown of this category 13. Mr. KORNEGAY. In other words, the veterans of World War II receive benefits under 12 of the 13 categories? Mr. BRICKFIELD. That is right. Mr. KORNEGAY. And they have received the readjustment allowances and GI housing benefits which the World War I veterans did not receive? Mr. BRICKFIELD. That is right. Mr. KORNEGAY. World War I veterans received a bonus which World War II veterans did not receive? Mr. BRICKFIELD. That is right. Mr. KORNEGAY. Was mustering-out pay given to World War II veterans? Mr. BRICKFIELD. Yes. Mr. KORNEGAY. How much was that per veteran? Mr. BRICKFIELD. I will have to submit it, Mr. Chairman. 1. Highest rank 0-3 (captain in Army or equivalent) 2. Payments (a) Three hundred dollars for 60 days or more service, including service outside continental limits of United States. (b) Two hundred dollars for 60 days or more service, no part outside continental limits of United States. (c) One hundred dollars for less than 60 days service. Mr. BRICKFIELD. I am informed that was $100, $200, and $300. Mr. BRICKFIELD. Nothing beyond the rank of captain, that is right. Mr. KORNEGAY. So that we will have the record complete, I do not believe I asked you if the veterans of the Spanish-American War received mustering-out pay. Did they? Mr. BRICKFIELD. No, sir; no bonus. Mr. KORNEGAY. I am not talking about a bonus. At the time of their discharge, did they receive an amount? Mr. BRICKFIELD. No mustering-out pay; no, sir. Mr. KORNEGAY. Counsel has a question. STAFF DIRECTOR. In the figures you have furnished the committee, trying to put this on an overall basis, the World War I veterans comprise 15 percent of all the participants in U.S. wars since 1776 and they receive 28 percent of all the Nation's expenditures for veterans in the amount of about $35.5 billion. Will you confirm that? Mr. BRICKFIELD. Yes, sir. Our statistics show that the World War I veterans make up 15 percent of all the participants of all the wars and that the World War I veterans have received 28 percent of all the benefits. STAFF DIRECTOR. I think you have also furnished us figures that show that World War I veterans make up 11 percent of the living veterans today and the budget of the Veterans Administration will run about $5.3 to $5.4 billion and this 11 percent will receive between 35 and 40 percent of this figure. Will you confirm that? Mr. BRICKFIELD. Yes, sir. World War I veterans presently comprise 11 percent of the living veterans and they receive between 35 and 40 percent of the benefits. To bring it down to dollars and cents, we receive a budget from the Congress of about $5.5 billion of which $2 billion goes to the World War I people; yes, sir. Mr. KORNEGAY. On page 9 of your statement you make the statement that H.R. 2332 provides no increase for the most needy veterans. There are 90,868 veterans with one dependent who had less than $1,000 annual income, and they are now receiving $90 per month pension. What increases would these veterans get under H.R. 2332? Mr. BRICKFIELD. These 90,000 veterans, Mr. Kornegay, as you point out, have less than $1,000 a year and we feel they are the most needy. They would get under H.R. 2332, $10 a month more. Mr. KORNEGAY. There are 5,897 veterans with 2 dependents who have less than $1,000 annual income and they are now receiving $95 a month. What increase would this group get under H.R. 2332? 33-917-64- 38 |