DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — Today marks the 81st anniversary of D-Day, and veterans in Palm Beach County, among others across the nation, took to the streets to advocate for their benefits.
About 40 protesters gathered in Delray Beach, while thousands participated in similar demonstrations nationwide in response to the Trump administration's proposed cuts to funding and jobs at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
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The protesters are demanding that veterans retain their benefits and that VA employees keep their jobs. Organizer Philip Katz highlighted the gravity of the situation, stating, "There's 80,000 proposed cuts that are going to happen nationwide. They've already begun."
Currently, the VA employs approximately 483,000 individuals. In a letter, the VA's chief of staff indicated the need to reduce the workforce below 400,000 to comply with the DOGE workforce initiative.
Protester Lynda Bernstein expressed her concerns, stating, "These people shouldn't be losing their jobs."
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Vietnam veteran Moshe Szabo, who was drafted into the Vietnam War, shared his personal connection to the issues at hand, recalling a friend who did not return from a mission.
"He said, 'I'll take his place. I want to get some revenge.' And he never came back," Szabo said.
Reflecting on his health challenges, Szabo noted, "Agent Orange really took over my body… I'm 100% military-connected, disabled. I'm also being treated for cancer right now, which I got in Camp Lejeune, drinking the water."
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He expressed deep concern that funding cuts could impact his benefits, stating, "I don't pay for anything. If they take away my benefits, I'm going to have to go back to Israel."
Szabo participated in the protest today not just for himself but for fellow veterans, stating, "My parents went through the Holocaust. I support every veteran going back to the Civil War."
