Reservations re the VA

[betovernetcapper]

My nephew did 2 tours in Iraq. He was a truck driver, which was one of the more dangerous jobs. When he came home, he began drinking a lot. He'd call and set up times to go shooting or visit an OTB, but rarely followed through. He'd show up from time to time unannounced and we'd talk, have pizza or Chinese food & when he got too drunk to drive, I'd steal his keys until he'd slept it off. When asked I made a few phone calls on his behalf. Typical uncle stuff.
He applied to the VA hospital 4 times for treatment for PTSD & alcoholism. On the 4th time, he was placed on a waiting list. One day last summer, he called their suicide hot line & got a message that someone would get back to him. They returned the call 26 hours later. About two hours after the call, he laid down on some train tracks and an Amtrack train transformed him into hamburger meat.

http://dailycaller.com/2016/03/03/ve...-to-voicemail/

http://abc7chicago.com/news/suburban...icide/1230344/

http://www.combatptsdwoundedtimes.or...ide-after.html

http://www.kirk.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=1671

I can't help but feel the VA is a disgrace and our vets deserve better.

[woodtoo]

R.I.P. Mr. Young
My prayers are with you.
This is a disgrace on the VA

[MutuelClerk]

I'm very close to my nephews and nieces. Such a sad story. Your nephews' service is greatly appreciated by all. The VA is truly a disgrace. I hope you're getting through all this the best you can. Best of luck to you and your family in the future.

[azeri98]

Anyone who has fought for the country should be able to go to any Dr. or hospital and be taken care of, why a specific place where they get substandard care, they take a chance of losing there life and then don't get taken care of when they get home, shameful.

[davew]

It is sad that government employees are not held accountable and yet military service personnel place their lives on the line.

[OntheRail]

My Deepest Sympathies.

It maddening how he and to many others are treated by the VA.

[Tom]

My prayers fo out.
The VA is a disgrace.
This country is a disgrace.

Aside from a parade an lot of flag waving, we do shit for our troops.

[Dave Schwartz]

Stories like this make me just plain angry.

Then I am forced to ask, "Where is the outrage?" Why do more people not see this is very wrong?

[betovernetcapper]

Part of it is that PTSD doesn't look like a war inflicted wound. Our surface impression may be that the guy is just a drunk or junkie or crazy. This isn't a new thing. Many soldiers come back broken. I had an uncle that served in WW2 and came back highly decorated. He started drinking and died of a alcoholism related illness at age 50. I knew a guy that served in Vietnam and drank a 5th of brandy every day and died in his early 50's. His girl friend said he couldn't sleep without a nightlight and the radio or TV on.

Another component is that many people who would be outraged, give money to organizations like Wounded Warriors. They then feel less outraged. I'm not saying that organizations like WW don't do good work. They do & I'm sure they are goop people. I just feel that they shouldn't have to. Under our system if an employee is injured at work, the company pays the bill to "make them whole". IMO the government has a moral & legal obligation to make our vets whole.

Some terrorist organizations take care of the families of suicide bombers. Even some drug cartels & criminal organizations will take care of their people when they're busted or injured or killed. If pond scum like this can sometimes do right by their own people, shouldn't our government?

[Hoofless_Wonder]

Sorry to hear of your loss Betovernetcapper. Unfortunately, for those of us who can connect the dots, I look at this story as providing a picture of what future health care in this country will look like. As long as the health care monopoly is in place, costs will continue to rise, quality of care will go down, and stories like this will become common....

[Inner Dirt]

Sorry to hear about your loss. I had an older vet friend I used to take to the VA hospital from time to time calling the VA a disgrace is an understatement.
People that put their lives and mental health on the line to keep us all safe aren't even treated as good as illegal immigrants by our government. That is downright pathetic. There is no way a normal person who goes to war comes back without some mental scars, they deserve the best care money can buy at no cost to themselves, but they get cared for like they live in a 3rd world country.

[PaceAdvantage]

Very sorry for your loss. A total tragedy in every way...

[Grits]

I'm really sorry for your loss of your nephew. That no one heard him. So sorry that he took his life.

I'll ask you though...have you ever been inside a VA hospital? To say the least, it's mind blowing. There are so many men being cared for on an outpatient basis--one sees far more older men there, from say, WW11, Korea, Vietnam, etc, than the more recent Middle East wars.

All of their medical care, all of their drugs, all of their travel-to and from the VA is paid. They visit their doctors, every few months (usually 4 to 6,) line up at the pharmacy awaiting the filling of their prescriptions, and then on to another window to stand in line to get reimbursed mileage to and from the hospital.

The overload, as we all know, is off the charts. The waiting, the mismanagement is, as well--at all VA centers.

I can also tell you, first hand, that not every former soldier that has served our country--is honest. In my city, there's a guy who served in Vietnam. Supposedly, he came home all messed up. Remember Agent Orange? He's on full disability--has been for decades. The VA takes total care of everything about him that is medical related. He won't go to any hospital or ER. Instead he drives 70 miles to the closest VA center. He refuses to pay any amount of his care. He's part of the revolving door that's in and out of the VA. He doesn't even buy eye glasses, much less drugs, or insurance premiums.

Here's the thing, though. When he's not at the VA, he's mowing up to 70 lawns a week. He won't take you as one of his customers unless you agree to pay him in cash. He pays no taxes on this income.

.... He is part of the problem.

There are many crowding the halls of the VA centers who want to coast for the rest of their lives. Funny how one can be so disabled, yet, mow grass when its 95 degrees.

[Inner Dirt]

Originally Posted by Grits

I'm really sorry for your loss of your nephew. That no one heard him. So sorry that he took his life.

I'll ask you though...have you ever been inside a VA hospital? To say the least, it's mind blowing. There are so many men being cared for on an outpatient basis--one sees far more older men there, from say, WW11, Korea, Vietnam, etc, than the more recent Middle East wars.

All of their medical care, all of their drugs, all of their travel-to and from the VA is paid. They visit their doctors, every few months (usually 4 to 6,) line up at the pharmacy awaiting the filling of their prescriptions, and then on to another window to stand in line to get reimbursed mileage to and from the hospital.

The overload, as we all know, is off the charts. The waiting, the mismanagement is, as well--at all VA centers.

I can also tell you, first hand, that not every former soldier that has served our country--is honest. In my city, there's a guy who served in Vietnam. Supposedly, he came home all messed up. Remember Agent Orange? He's on full disability--has been for decades. The VA takes total care of everything about him that is medical related. He won't go to any hospital or ER. Instead he drives 70 miles to the closest VA center. He refuses to pay any amount of his care. He's part of the revolving door that's in and out of the VA. He doesn't even buy eye glasses, much less drugs, or insurance premiums.

Here's the thing, though. When he's not at the VA, he's mowing up to 70 lawns a week. He won't take you as one of his customers unless you agree to pay him in cash. He pays no taxes on this income.

.... He is part of the problem.

There are many crowding the halls of the VA centers who want to coast for the rest of their lives. Funny how one can be so disabled, yet, mow grass when its 95 degrees.

Why don't you report the guy?

[Grits]

He's, from my understanding, been reported. However, the only government department with greater management problems, as you may well know, than the VA, are the IRS and Social Security Administration.

What can any of us say, but ...good luck.