Vets' group forms to support Del. Nichols

Del. Paul F. Nichols, who faces a 30-year Air Force veteran Nov. 3, announced Tuesday the formation of a group of military supporters.

Veterans and Military Families for Nichols is headed by Bruce Holley, a retired Marine and Korean War veteran.

Holley said he was particularly impressed with a bill the Democrat co-sponsored in 2008.

The legislation, which didn’t make it out of committee, would have created a “Military Service Personnel Bill of Rights.”

It would have given active duty troops tax and insurance benefits as well as providing supplemental pay to state employees called up to active duty if their military compensation was less than their civilian wages.

It also would have given service members and their spouses the ability to freeze access to their credit reports to guard against identity theft or other mischief.

“The bill that he has is very, very appropriate,” Holley said of Nichols.

Holley was joined by eight other veterans at a press conference at Nichols’ law office in Lake Ridge.

Lawmaker and supporters discussed additional items that could be added to the 2008 bill, including spousal support, protection against property foreclosure and preferential treatment for veterans seeking state employment.

“So, all things being equal, you’ve got two people vying for a job, the veteran returning from serving our country should have a slight edge,” Nichols said.

He added there should be mandatory insurance coverage for such maladies as post-traumatic stress disorder.

Preferential hiring and a PTSD mandate are issues that also have been mentioned by this year’s gubernatorial candidates, the former by Republican Robert F. McDonnell; the latter by Democrat R. Creigh Deeds.

It might seem that a group of veterans would lean toward the veteran in the 51st District House of Delegates race, GOP challenger Rich Anderson.

But Sgt. 1st Class Rick Baucom of the Virginia Defense Force, which supports the Old Dominion’s National Guard, said he felt Nichols would represent constituents best.

“I want a candidate who is going to be working for the general good of the Commonwealth of Virginia,” said Baucom, an Army veteran, “and Mr. Nichols represents that to me, and I hope to other people, as well.”

Anderson, whom Holley described as a “very worth opponent” for Nichols, joked that he was going to form a “Lawyers for Anderson” group.

On a more serious note, however, he said he was thankful that Nichols wanted to hear what veterans had to say.

Anderson said that he’s been meeting with a group of about 50 veterans since Feb. 1 and that he plans to release his own “comprehensive” veterans legislative package soon.

He said he’s confident that veterans will pick him on Election Day. “I’m a veteran for vets,” he said.

Staff writer Jonathan Hunley can be reached at 703-369-5738.