Disabled Minnesota veteran inverts American flag after losing job in federal downsizing
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As the Trump administration continues laying off thousands of employees in an effort to downsize the federal workforce, some of the people hardest hit have been military veterans. That includes Minnesotans.
On Feb. 25, Amity “Joy” Marver, a 20-year military veteran who is 90 percent disabled following several deployments overseas, was fired from her job at the Veterans Benefit Administration near Ft. Snelling. Marver was notified of the decision through a Post-it note after being unable to access her email during an early morning shift.
She was just months shy of completing a one-year probationary period as a new hire.
“I've never been kicked to the curb like this without no explanation, why and what to do next,” she said. “I can't even file for unemployment to supplement the loss of income.”
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Marver said navigating unemployment has been difficult because she was not given any paperwork related to her termination. Last week she reached out to the HR department via email looking for guidance.
“I have a lot of questions. I have to insure my family. I know I get free health insurance through the VA. I'm covered, but my family isn't, not until I'm 100 percent disabled,” she said. “So now I got to figure out those kinds of issues, and I'm not getting those answers.”
On her drive home that day, Marver said the reality of her situation hit her all at once.
“I was crossing the bridge, and I had a moment of, ‘Do I just drive off this bridge?’” she said. “I was ready just to just drive off. What's the purpose of really living at that point?"
Knowing that she was in crisis, Marver drove to the Veterans hospital and parked her truck.
“I just text my wife, saying, ‘Hey, I'm triaging myself into mental health. I'm sorry. I love you. I lost my job. I'm OK,’” Marver said. “So, she woke up to that and did not know if I'm coming back that day or not. It's kind of jarring but I had to do it at the time.”
After speaking to a health care professional and being treated Marver was released. It was then she said her anxieties turned to anger. When she got home, she went to the basement, grabbed her American flag, went outside and hung it upside down. Long seen as a distress signal, the inverted flag has also become a sign of protest in recent years.
"It's not an easy gesture, especially after serving for 20 years for the flag. I do respect it, and I still do. This is a statement. This is a big statement. There's a lot of veterans that are going to get hurt through this, and I think everybody needs to know,” Marver said. “I'm slowly hearing stories of people starting to realize how many veterans are getting affected. But it needs to be heard and shown in whatever way we can."
Following a request for comment, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs released a statement attributed to Public and Intergovernmental Affairs Press Secretary Pete Kasperowicz.
“The Minneapolis VA Medical Center has dismissed a limited number of probationary staff. This decision will have no negative effect on Veteran health care, benefits or other services and will allow VA to focus more effectively on its core mission of serving Veterans, families, caregivers, and survivors. We cannot discuss specific personnel matters due to privacy concerns.”
If you or someone you know is struggling, please know trained help is available. Call or text 988 to get connected with a counselor or visit 988lifeline.org to start a chat.
