Bill will ensure 'sole survivor' veterans get full benefits

It's been more than 65 years since Thomas and Alleta Sullivan of Waterloo, Iowa, lost all five of their sons as the result of combat action in the Guadalcanal Campaign during World War II.
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The tragic loss of the Sullivan brothers in 1942 led the U.S. military to adopt a "sole survivor" policy. The policy provides that when several siblings are in the military, and all but one is killed, the sole survivor can be discharged before his or her enlistment period is complete.

But the policy has a catch, which Jason Hubbard discovered after he and his two younger brothers all served in Iraq. After Jared and Nathan Hubbard were killed, Jason Hubbard left the Army under the sole survivor policy.But then the California resident discovered that his discharge left him without any of the Army benefits to which he normally would have been entitled, such as health coverage and access to the GI Bill for educational benefits. He even was asked to repay some of his enlistment bonus.

Lawmakers were justifiably shocked to learn of Hubbard's predicament, and last month the U.S. House of Representatives passed the "Hubbard Act," to ensure that sole survivors are entitled to the same benefits as others who are honorably discharged from the military. The U.S. Senate passed the bill last Friday and President George W. Bush is expected to sign it soon.

The Hubbard Act is retroactive to Sept. 11, 2001, and the Defense Department says there are at least 50 sole survivors who stand to benefit from the measure. That is the least that we as taxpayers can do for people whose families have endured the ultimate sacrifice - sometimes multiple times - on behalf of this nation and our freedom.