Military surviving spouses are the 1% of America this day and age. They are also forced to remain single or give up their benefits that their military spouse died for if they want to remarry before the age of 55. We as a country owe these spouses and their families these benefits regardless if they choose to marry or not.
I, myself have always wanted to be married and share my 50 year anniversary but on June 18, 2007 my life was flipped upside down. I was 20 years old and pregnant with my 3rd child. My husband Specialist David Wilkey Jr and I had been married since December 3, 2005.
A knock on the door early in the morning brought the worst news of my life. My best friend, my husband had been killed in an accident the previous evening. The previous evening happened to be Father’s Day. An IED changed my world forever. My life was just beginning as a wife and now it was over.
Raising three children, I eventually moved back home and through many trials and tribulations I found love. But I constantly struggle with wanting to be married again but saying no because the benefits would stop. We sacrificed our whole lives and our benefits shouldn’t have stipulations. Money isn’t everything but it is a struggle raising three children alone.
So help us widows protect the benefits our loved ones so selflessly sacrificed themselves for because they knew their loved ones would be taken care of.
Recently, lawmakers plan to change current laws came from Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., who had introduced an amendment relating to legislation that dealt with survivor benefits. Committee Republicans rebuffed the measure, and said thst it would cost more than $1 billion over the course of a decade.
So currently it has gone no where.
