Just out of curiosity, but have you tried using refill cards bought through a dealer or retailer? PagePlusCellular has a no-contract plan that uses the Verizon network for
$69.99 month, which includes unlimited calls/text and 5G of mobile data. Refill cards can be purchased through
dealers. You can use most any Verizon smartphone. Even buy a refurbished Motorola Droid 2 or a Droid X for $49.99, or a Droid X2 for $69.99 on Ebay.
On months you don't need it but want to maintain the phone no, then just switch to
PAYGO for as little as $3. per month to maintain the account. Switch back to a data plan when you're traveling stateside.