Veteran Memorial Park that doesnt honor it's vets.

[tdeane]

Hey all, it's been a while, but we are back home. After taking a week to be with the family I decided to go back to work at Battleship Memorial Park in Mobile.

Only after a few weeks I found out that they did not honor the ESGR laws that protect soldiers who deploy.

As a five+ year employee I was entitled to certain seniority and benefits and found out I was getting neither. What the office did was take the time from my two deployments (13 and 14 months), plus "other" ADSW duties and added them together and changed my hire date from 2001 to 2004. The red flag came on at that point!

The office worker told me I had to give them proof of why my times couldnt change. So, I said ok and called the ESGR. They were so helpful.

Now, let me tell you this...in October of 2006 since it was my second deployment, I visited the ESGR website and nominated my employer for the 5-star Employer Award. They (the ship) accepted the award the same day we were rocketed. So, when I called the ESGR the woman had to me ask me twice who I was and then said, "You put them in for a 5-Star Award didnt you?" I answered yes, and she responded, "So, how does it feel to be stabbed in the back?". Like shit!!!

They had 10 days to fix everything before we sent the DOL and ESGR into investigation mode. Would you believe that the Assistant Executive Director called me personally and told me that no one could have changed my employee information and that only three people have access to these files. I had to explain to this person that she can stop because her assistant already showed me the documents and the signatures and how my time was changed (she took the time to explain everything to me). After I told her this she got quiet and said she would correct everything. On the 8th day, with two days to spare, the blinked and fixed it all.

There is another guardsman that works there, and now he has questions about how and why his retirement time from the ship keeps slipping.

This park was built to honor veterans from all wars. I am a veteran of two wars (ODS and OIF), with three tours under my belt, including an injury in my first tour to OIF, so you can imagine my hurt and my anger. And this is how they treat the veterans??? You have got to be kidding me...I hope they rip up their ESGR award!!! I took the picture down off my wall in my house that showed my son with the ship executive director and the ESGR people, accepting the award on the bow of the ship in 2006.

After this was fixed I immediatley placed my two week resignation...I didnt trust them anymore. I couldnt. I couldnt continue to work in that place knowing what they had done. So, I have some ADSW good until the end of the month and then start a job search...oh joy. I know you never quit a "sure thing" like being employed, but there was no more trust there at all.

Now, I hear from a former co-worker that they have started rumors about why I had left so no one would know the truth of why I really left. WHAT THE HELL!!!

Each day I become more and more angry with this entire damn episode. My SGM and a few others said I should have gone ahead and filed a suit against them, just to teach them a lesson. They ought to be thankful they still have an office to work in, I dont really think they know just how close they came to being in serious trouble with the DOL. Maybe I should have gone ahead and filed a suit.

But, keep this in mind;
Battleship Memorial Park, Mobile Alabama, home of the USS Alabama DOES NOT honor it's veterans!

Thanks for letting me vent! Out here.

[DMZ-LT]

T , thank you for your service and welcome home. Sue the MF's

[b3196]

TD
If you can backtrack the rumors to a confirmed source. With a good lawyer anything is
possible. Thank you for your service and welcome home

[Packo]

Thanks for your service and for surviving two wars. I agree with Bob and Lt....check and see if you can still sue the MF's. I believe ANYTHING today. I won't go into it but went through something like this when I worked for the Marine Corps Air Station. I found out that sometimes NOBODY including some active duty REMF'S give a crap about Combat Veterans. My advice....do what you believe in your heart is the right thing to do. My pride wouldn't let me resign knowing I had no reason too, but if I had it over to do again, I'd have been gone.

Good luck no matter what.

Pack

[reconeil]

WOW!!!,...Mobile too???
Thought only s--t like that was normal for: "FRISCO" (tee-hee)***Nuts?

Neil

***Know for a fact that most San Franciscans don't
like: "Frisco" ever referred to as;"Frisco",...
so screw them also, and just like The Mobile Nuts.