I didn’t believe this could be true, so I verified with snopes. And they confirm that this is in fact the case.
I don’t want to address the charges of racial discrimination. I don’t think there’s enough evidence to support this allegation, and I don’t think the Army would be so blatantly racist as to discriminate against such a high-profile soldier.
What I do want to discuss is the way benefits are handed out. Why don’t veterans get full benefits? They risked their lives and got seriously injured serving their country…I don’t know why the American People can’t pick up the full tab to see that they heal. Why don’t Johnson and Lynch both get 100% coverage? If the president gets sick, does he have to pay 70% of his medical bills?
Also, why don’t all soldiers get the same treatment? If Lynch gets 80%, why doesn’t everyone? Doesn’t this kind of system just ask for calls of discrimination?
Can someone help me understand this situation better? Preferably someone with military experience.
Well, it seems pretty simple to me - Lynch was judge by the review board to have a higher disability level due to her injuries than Johnson had with her injuries. People with higher disability levels get higer disability pay - seems perfectly fine to me.
From watching her interview with Diane Sawyer, Pvt. Lynch can only walk about 40 steps without crutches, her lower spine is held in place by screws and rods, she has no control of bowel or bladder function, she has no feeling in her upper legs and her left foot is shattered.
If that information is correct, seems to me the difference in pay is justified.