Disabled vets set up an online ‘march’

Published 10:26 pm Tuesday, September 15, 2009

WASHINGTON — The Disabled American Veterans service organization is encouraging veterans and others to march in Washington — online at least.

In what it dubs the “Million Claims March,” the advocacy group is using social networking sites to encourage veterans to participate online in chats about the backlog in disability claims at the Veterans Affairs Department and other veterans issues.

The Web site is www.dav.org/VirtualMarch.

The virtual “march” includes video messages posted by veterans, lawmakers and government officials.

To participate, veterans must be at a computer. About 15,000 people have signed up so far.

The number of claims that needs to be processed by the VA is approaching 1 million, creating a financial burden for many injured veterans.