Why are the wounded from Iraq neglected?

Goat Princess

I don't know but it's completely unacceptable......they can embrace a returning hero (who's lucky enough to be in one piece) and they can mourn over the coffin of a fallen warrior, but those coming home physically and mentally broken are thrown by the wayside - maybe it's because they represent an even uglier side of the war a constant reminder and the gov't can't figure out how to spin it so they pile up in a poorly maintained warehouse (not literally of course) for broken people...besides remember that poem "Dulce et decorum est" it's both beautiful and noble to die for your country living as a cripple isn't glamorous...

airborne11binfantry

Stop believing everything you hear in the news. That is an isolated event. I am a soldier and vet of operation iraqi freedom. The Army treats us well. My father is a retired Army 1st Sgt, was wounded in Vietnam and the Army treats him well.....And we are both black men born in New York City,... I heard somebody on here tried to make it a race thing, smh stop using the race card, support your troops we would appreciate it!

Campo

By asking "why," you assume that it is true. Remember, you read it in the Washington Post.

Orion

*sighs*

That article was about PART of ONE building in the Walter Reed complex. It was a deliberate hit-piece by the Post.

Read the attached link for more information on that story and what's behind it. It's basically a distortion.

Orion

Pablo

Did you catch the show last night "To Iraq and Back"? It was a good resource to show how we show and talk about the body count but the men injured each day are just not mentioned. It is vague to me now but I think about one hundred thousand troops will be treated in Iraq and visit the VA for support and or services. Not all the VA hospitals can help the problem you may have and there is a chance that help will come slow if at all with the help that we need. People need to remember the VA helps all veterans from all wars and service groups. It is a large burden but as a nation we need to shoulder the responsibility.

Baby Raptor

because theres no big contracts in it for Halliburton. America has a long history of disposable heros!!

Point Guard

They are not ALL neglected. There are plenty who are well taken care of. You have to understand that there is an overflow right now of patients coming in and out during times of war and this is the sad truth. This is not Bush's fault. Do i like Bush.........helllllllll f'ing NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO WAYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111 Cannot stand that S O B! I am Independent btw. Anyways...this is a result of cutbacks by the Democrats while they were in office. Yes, they cut back big time on military benefits..including YES HEALTHCARE!! You think ANY president that comes into office is going to be able to suddenly get approval OUT OF THE BLUE to build up military hospitals and get funding how??? and for what reason??? Oh yes, now of course people would pay for it...but give it time...after the war is over and done with and the vets are forgotten? The hospitals are soon run down and forgotten again.......so you ask..what is wrong with this country???? Look in the mirror at yourself.....and at the vets that came before those before the present ones...........did you care about those? This is nothing new dear.............vets have been treated like **** before this....

Psy_Chick

since vietnam, the press has been walking on eggshells around the topic of the wounded, partially because the government doesn't want alot of media attention on the subject (they claim its for "national security")...remember what happened in vietnam once the press began to show the dirty details of the blood and gore? people got queasy and wanted out. When you see the sheer numbers of guys and gals coming back with their lives in shambles, the war dead numbers pale in comparison.

I have never worked a vet hospital, but i have worked in a military hospital. we gave our wounded and sick the best care to the best of our abilities and staffing. rumor had it that it wasn't the case at the va hospitals, due to underfunding. I know from my own experience that even the military hospitals are understaffed (and generally underfunded). If Congress put the same priority on caring for wounded GI's as it did voting for its own pay raises, this wouldnt be a problem. Congress may write laws for this land, but the GI's actually give life and limb to protect it, so who should get priority????

The reality is that our fighting soldiers have always been kicked to the curb when they return home. It has always been like this and will continue until our country grows a conscience.

They will call you a hero, weep publicly for your wounds, pat you on the back when you come home, give you your medals and then they want you to go away.

Don't believe it? Ask a wounded Vietnam or Korean War Vet....check out the other deplorable military hospitals in the U.S.....Walter Reed is supposed to be the finest Veterans hospital in the country.....imagine what the rest must be.

slew

Don't blame Bush exclusively. Its been like that since I've remembered it. THe VA hospitals always has been deplorable. I remember visiting my grandfather and I was horified. It was the worse place I have ever been in. I worked for a couple of them and some are relatively "descent", but by and large ghastly. THe employees don't care about the vet and the corruption was horrible. THe abuses on Vets and Employees was off the charts.

PJPeach

I don;t know if you saw it or not, but there was a very good show on last night with Bob Woodruff, the news anchor who was so seriously wounded while covering the war, He had an almost miraculous recovery from the brain injury he sustained, and it has brought a lot of attention to bear on the entire situation with the wounded vetrans and their treatment. They interviewed the Secretary of Vetran's Affairs on the evening news tonight, and it really does sound as though steps are being taken to try to improve the situation. We can watch and hope. . . and take action, if necessary, to care for these people who have given so much for all of us.

MikeGolf

Why are you making an assumption that this is the case for all injured veterans?

You saw one article that talked about conditions in part of one building. Do you really think that this is representative of the conditions for all wounded soldiers?

The Washington Post has a long history of distorting the news.

ecthelion

Sorry, I couldn't answer the question because I'm still reeling from the homeless people and others being kicked out of hospitals and dumped into lanes and alleys in LA. Don't worry they aren't alone.
Apparently everyone is suffering.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/02/09/homeless.dumping.ap/index.html

PROUD TO BE A LIBERAL TEEN!

ahaaha your funy, you actually Bush cares about the American People?

Bush doesnt care about anything other than war, he doesn't even care about the people who are out there dying for him.

Moe M

All what can I see is the real face of Mr Bush and his administration by treating our wounded soldiers

JOHN D

All wounded and disabled soldiers have allways been treated badly VA's are terrible and unless that is your only option should be avoided at all costs.

beaudrewufl

Standard military procedure. They treat wounded enlisted like garbage because the military doesn't have anymore use for them and don't want to waste any money on them. They have done it for every war. It's even worse if you are not white and wounded and disabled from war wounds.

Just look at the disparity between the pension benefits to two Army POWs, Spc. Shoshanna Johnson and Pvt. Jessica Lynch. And how each was treated by the military. Both went through the exact same thing and sustained similar wounds and disabilities yet Lynch gets twice as much in disability payments than Johnson. The only difference is Johnson is black and Lynch is white.

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