About a month or so ago (8/2008), GM announced that retirees would be losing their insurance coverages beginning at age 65. I'd like to share something that I discovered through a gentleman who just happened to come through the department that I work in on my part time job.

He was simply passing through and we struck up a conversation. In little time, we discovered that we had both been in Vietnam the same year, only 10 miles apart from one another. He asked me if I'd been down to the local Veterans Administration Hospital. I said no. He suggested I go as soon as possible. I did go, I got registered and now I have coverages for which I never knew I was entitled!

The qualifier is that you "must" have served time in Vietnam. Actually physically put feet on the ground during that particular war. If you did, you were exposed to Agent Orange. That alone makes you eligible for benefits.

For me it was a breath of fresh air. I'm only 60 now, but the thought of not having coverage from the company with which I spent 36 years of my life at age 65 was stressful.

I urge any of you who might fall under this same criteria to go to your local Vet. Admin. and get yourself signed up!