Declaration of Enforcement
Manifesto of the Veterans, By the Veterans, and For the Veterans,
to Honor the Congressional Act of 1887,
and to Protect, Preserve and Defend the
Deed of 1888 and the Los Angeles National Veterans'
Home
WE, the Veterans of the United States Armed Forces,
in order to form a more perfect National Home,
establish justice, ensure tranquility, provide for
the necessary healthcare, promote the general
well-being of our fellow Veterans, and secure the
blessings of respect for ourselves and our
posterity, do ordain and establish this
“Declaration of Enforcement” for protecting and
preserving the Land Grant Deed of 1888 and The Los
Angeles National Veterans Home. IN ACCORDANCE with
the Congressional Act dated March 2, 1887, and the
guiding principles and patriotic spirit of the Land
Grant Deed dated March 3, 1888, which was
unselfishly bequeathed and faithfully entrusted to
the United States Government on behalf of America's
Military Veterans, this “Declaration of
Enforcement” shall protect and preserve in
perpetuity, their exclusive and inviolable
proprietary rights to the Los Angeles National
Veterans Home, and said Declaration reconfirms and
reestablishes the following:
THIRTEEN ARTICLES OF ENFORCEMENT
ARTICLE I. This Declaration faithfully and
honorably protects, preserves and defends all land
conveyed under the 1888 Land Grant Deed and
guarantees its uncompromising and unconditional
preservation in perpetuity. Accordingly, this
deeded land shall be permanently maintained under
the same guiding principles and patriotic spirit
that it was so generously donated by the Grantors,
Arcadia B. de Baker and John P. Jones, which is to
establish and permanently maintain a National Home
to care for America's Military Veterans. ARTICLE
II. The Deeded land west of the 405 Freeway and
north and south of Wilshire Boulevard shall be
officially and respectfully called “The Los Angeles
National Veterans Home," hereinafter referred to as
the "Home." It is with full and absolute
understanding that the Home shall be permanently
maintained for the sole, specific, direct and
unequivocal benefit of America's Military Veterans
representing all official Branches of the United
States Armed Forces. ARTICLE III. The United States
Department of Veterans Affairs, hereinafter
referred to as the “VA,” shall continue to be the
authorized steward and fiduciary administrator for
the Home. Correspondingly, the VA's
responsibilities shall be to morally and faithfully
honor the Congressional Act of 1887 and the guiding
principles and patriotic spirit of the Deed of
1888, while simultaneously providing the highest
quality of medical, rehabilitative and preventative
healthcare services for America's Military
Veterans, and further maintaining the highest
quality of upkeep for the Home and its hallowed
grounds. ARTICLE IV. Specifically, the guiding
principles and patriotic spirit of the legal Deed
of 1888 and the moral purpose for which it was
unselfishly bequeathed, are inviolable and
non-negotiable. Accordingly, the Deed must be
honored in perpetuity without compromise.
Consequently, under no circumstances shall the VA,
or any other government agency or entity of any
nature or kind whatsoever, including but not
necessarily limited to, any elected
representative(s), hired or appointed employees,
agents, consultants or officials of the federal,
state or local government, lease, loan, share,
exchange, trade, auction, sell, encumber, or
otherwise reduce, diminish or dispose of any piece
or parcel of this land and its improvements,
including but not necessarily limited to, air,
mineral and petroleum rights, to any non-Veteran or
outside source(s) for any purpose(s) whatsoever.
Absolutely no term or condition in this Declaration
allows for the Deed of 1888 to be negotiated or
infringed upon that would advantage any other
parties other than for and toward 100% of the sole,
specific, direct and unequivocal benefit of
America's Military Veterans. ARTICLE V. Any and all
existing leases, sharing agreements, or any other
arrangements of any nature or kind whatsoever,
including but not necessarily limited to, land,
building, air, mineral, petroleum, or any other
considerations of any nature or kind whatsoever,
which are now in effect or existence, or in the
process of negotiation, that does not solely,
specifically, directly and unequivocally benefit
America's Military Veterans 100%, are null and
void, and in violation of the guiding principles
and patriotic spirit of the legal Deed of 1888,
including the specific purpose for which this land
was morally and unselfishly bequeathed.
Consequently, any and all such leases, agreements,
arrangements or considerations of any nature or
kind whatsoever, shall be terminated forthwith and
all rights and benefits shall fully and exclusively
revert back under the stewardship of the VA and be
permanently maintained to serve the healthcare
needs, rehabilitative services and general benefits
of America's Military Veterans. Any and all lessees
or sharing agreement holders, including services,
businesses, non-profit organizations or other
occupants of any nature or kind whatsoever, that do
not solely, specifically, directly and
unequivocally benefit America's Military Veterans
100%, must unconditionally vacate the deeded
property posthaste. This includes, but shall not
necessarily be limited to, the Wadsworth and
Brentwood Theaters, commercial office space, car
and bus storage lots, laundry services, oil
drilling and explorations, private school grounds
and all public parks of any nature or kind, plus
all other occupation and exploitations of the
premises that violate the integrity and legacy of
the Deed. In keeping with the guiding principles
and patriotic spirit of the Deed of 1888,
absolutely no term or condition in this Declaration
allows for this hallowed land and appurtenances
thereupon to be negotiated with any other parties
whatsoever, other than for 100% of the sole,
specific, direct and unequivocal benefit of
America's Military Veterans. ARTICLE VI. In
accordance with the guiding principles and
patriotic spirit of the Deed of 1888, the Home
shall be permanently maintained as a safe haven and
must always be considered "Home" to all of
America's Military Veterans. Accordingly, The Home
must be continuously and readily available at all
times for any individual Veteran of America's Armed
Forces to be cordially welcomed with the immediate
availability of professional and courteous medical
and rehabilitative healthcare services and
treatment. In accordance with the 1887 Act of
Congress, there shall never be a “homeless
Veteran,” because this is the rightful and legal
Home for any American Military Veteran who is in
need of shelter, healthcare or rehabilitation.
ARTICLE VII. The United States Government and the
VA shall never underfund the operating budget for
the Home and it must permanently maintain a policy
of mandatory funding in order to provide quality
medical, rehabilitative and preventative healthcare
facilities and services, including, but not
necessarily limited to, providing quality upkeep
throughout all of the land conveyed under the
guiding principles and patriotic spirit of the
legal Deed of 1888. It is imperative that the Home
be permanently maintained as the finest medical and
rehabilitation center in the world, which is a
small token of gratitude for the world's greatest
defenders of freedom and democracy. ARTICLE VIII.
Historically, particularly during its formative
years and for decades following, the Home had an
American Military Veteran who was also a
professional Medical Doctor / Physician as its
Chief Administrator, and was honorably and
respectfully called "Governor.” In keeping with
this proud heritage and to ensure that a spirit of
understanding, cooperation and camaraderie is
always present, the Chief Administrator must,
whenever possible, be an American Military Veteran
and Medical Doctor / Physician of high moral and
professional standards who is devoted to the needs
of the Veterans-at-large, and the rank-and-file in
particular, and is wholly dedicated to serving
their best interests first and foremost. In
addition, he or she must never be pre-empted or
distracted with the wants and desires of
surrounding communities, special interest groups,
and/or commercial enterprise, nor bow to the
passion and prejudice of political pressure and
dictates when it comes to permanently maintaining
quality healthcare and rehabilitative services for
America's Military Veterans, and providing quality
upkeep of the Home and its hallowed grounds.
ARTICLE IX. As originally envisioned by the
Grantors of the 1888 Land Deed, the legacy of the
Home is that after Dutifully and Honorably serving
our Country in the Military, disabled Veterans
lived on these therapeutical grounds and became
independent and self-sufficient while maintaining
upkeep of the Home through farming, gardening,
carpentry and other skilled trades that made them
proud and productive individuals. The guiding model
for the medical and rehabilitative services for
today's American Military Veterans convalescing at
the Home, where physically and mentally possible,
must adhere to a policy that maintains similar
self-sufficient programs and self-sustaining
activities, that are holistic in nature and
wholesome to the degree that patients will have the
equal opportunity to learn a rewarding and gainful
trade or profession, or how to become self-employed
as an entrepreneur, while being respectfully
rehabilitated. The VA shall immediately begin
providing full therapeutic value by expanding upon,
maintaining, and perpetuating the natural
environment, the flora and fauna, and, the gainful
inclusion of America's Military Veterans who are
patients in any and all restoration and maintenance
projects at the Home and throughout the grounds.
Whenever and wherever possible, America's Military
Veterans must be hired and contracted over any
other considerations of non-Veteran employees or
contractors. ARTICLE X. As steward for the Home,
the VA, along with the VA Greater Los Angeles
Healthcare System, hereinafter "VAGLAHS," shall
work in a cooperative alliance with a Veterans
Oversight Board, herein referred to as "VOB," and
made up of local Military Veterans that shall be
judiciously and evenly selected from independent
Veterans-at-large, Veteran advocate organizations,
and Veteran Service Organizations. Their
responsibilities shall be to oversee, monitor,
report and advise on the day-to-day operations at
the Home, thereby ensuring that the guiding
principles and spirit of the Deed are fully
honored, and that the VA and VAGLAHS are providing
permanent quality care and services for America's
Military Veterans at the Home. The VOB shall have
immediate, full and unencumbered access to the
operating budget and its day-to-day expenditures to
ensure that there is no waste, neglect, or fraud.
In the event of unresolved issues that would upset
the sanctity, quietude and general flow of
rehabilitative efforts at the Home, the VOB will
have direct and immediate reporting access to the
offices of the Inspector General, and all Senators
and Congresspersons whose responsibilities are
extended for the stewardship and oversight of this
hallowed land. ARTICLE XI. In brief, the sanctity
and integrity of the Home must never be
compromised. This is historic and revered land with
a century-old proud tradition and it must be
perpetually honored, protected, preserved and
maintained with the highest regard and the utmost
of safety, dignity, respect and decorum.
Accordingly, all public access and thoroughfares
shall be immediately terminated and thereafter
prohibited on and throughout the grounds of the
Home, and nobody except America's Military
Veterans, VA employees, and those on official
Veterans business shall be authorized to enter
these hallowed grounds. Correspondingly, a
guardhouse shall be erected at each entry into the
grounds and a sentinel or federal police shall be
posted to monitor and facilitate ingress and egress
of the Home. ARTICLE XII. The Deeded land east of
the 405 freeway shall be officially and
respectfully called "The Los Angeles National
Veterans Cemetery," herein referred to as the
"Cemetery." Because of its near full capacity, the
Cemetery no longer accepts ground burials for
America's Military Veterans. Therefore, in order to
continue honoring the remains of America's Military
Veterans, the VA shall design, develop and maintain
a Veteran's Memorial Columbarium for ashes in
cremation urns in a location of serenity, dignity
and decorum. At no time shall any land at the Home
ever be declared, “excess,” as any such land shall
then be converted into Cemetery burial plots.
Accordingly, the VA shall diligently seek to expand
the Cemetery burial grounds along with mausoleum
entombment wherever possible, including all Deeded
grounds west of the 405 Freeway, if any portions of
that land are no longer occupied, or required for
medical, rehabilitative or preventative healthcare
services. ARTICLE XIII. This Declaration of
Enforcement shall supersede any and all previous
Congressional Documents of Legislation pertaining
to the interpretation of, and adherence to, the
Congressional Act of 1887 and the Deed of 1888.
Contrary to previous and ongoing
misinterpretations, misconceptions and flagrant
violations, the guiding principles and patriotic
spirit of the legal Deed have always been, are now,
and shall always remain, morally and patriotically
inviolable. Furthermore, there shall be no other
Congressional or Senatorial bills or pieces of
legislation attached to this Veterans' Declaration,
nor shall this Declaration be attached to any other
Congressional or Senatorial bill or document for
endorsement and enforcement. More specifically,
this Declaration shall stand independent on its own
merit with absolutely no conditions, compromises,
provisions, modifications or amendments, except for
implementing further considerations that will
greatly improve and enhance the sole, specific,
direct and unequivocal benefit of America's
Military Veterans.
So Declared on the Third Day of the Twelfth Month
in the Year Two Thousand Seven
In Honor of This Unified Alliance of Fellow
Veterans of the United States Armed Forces:
Robert L. Rosebrock – Francisco Juarez
Co-Directors, We, the Veterans
Agreed
Ray Delgado Dave Culmer
Pete Ramirez Richard H. Breithaupt
Joe Romo John L. Stamatiades
Michael V. Sedano Richard H. Herkert
Gilberto (Gil) Flores Gilbert Sanchez Lujan
T. Steven Palmer Bruce A. Jones
David Bischoff Ernie Hilger
Luis Rivera Ralph P. Cingo
Walter Martin Mario Trillo
Newton Young Larry Cardenas
Bob Handy Steve Crandall
Rudy Garcia Robert Sigala
Daniel Overmyer David Plumb