Military Law
Dec. 29, 2009
Simply Surviving, 40 Years After War
Second of Five Parts. At 63, Ron Varela lives in his 1990 Toyota pickup and subsists on monthly stipends of $179 in food stamps and $229 in general relief. Two and a half years ago, he applied for Veterans' disability benefits. He's still waiting.
Daily Journal Staff Writer
LOS ANGELES - Ron Varela joined the U.S. Marines on June 27, 1966, 10 days after graduating from Van Nuys High School.
He wasn't ready to go to college and wanted to avoid being drafted into the Army. He knew he'd be sent to Vietnam and figured he'd have a better chance of survival with the Marines.
Varela did survive - even after duty as a perimeter guard duri...
For only $95 a month (the price of 2 article purchases)
Receive unlimited article access and full access to our archives,
Daily Appellate Report, award winning columns, and our
Verdicts and Settlements.
Or
$795 for an entire year!
Or access this article for $45
(Purchase provides 7-day access to this article. Printing, posting or downloading is not allowed.)
Already a subscriber?
Sign In