ptsd Frustrated Vets

[Berta]

courtesy of Jerrel Cook- host- SVR Boardcast at Stardust radio:

"Berta this would be a good post for Hadit.. Jerrel

Frustrated veterans lash out at VA care

Web Posted: 08/05/2007 11:07 PM CDT

Tracy Idell Hamilton

Express-News

Angry veterans shouted down U.S. Rep. Ciro Rodriguez as he tried to bring order to a forum for veterans held downtown Sunday.

"We know, we understand, how crucial this issue is," the San Antonio congressman tried to tell an overflow crowd of veterans who had been invited to ask questions and share experiences with U.S. Rep. Bob Filner D-Calif., chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, along with Rodriguez and two other Democratic congressmen from Texas.

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But Rodriguez was drowned out and ultimately gave the floor to Jack E. Long, one of several vets who heckled the moderator as she tried to read e-mail questions that had been sent to the congressmen in advance.

"Don't try to talk over me!" Long yelled to Rodriguez as he clutched his wife's hand. "I've had PTSD for years, and I've been turned away from the VA five times! I served my country for 44 years!"

Veterans and their families around him cheered and clapped. Then they set about telling the congressmen that a nation that claims to support its troops hasn't done well by them since they served; many of them said they've had to deal with PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder.

Hancock Darrell refused to sit until he, too, could tell his story.

"I've had PTSD for 24 years," Darrell shouted. "I've been diagnosed five times. But what does the VA say? 'We need more information.' And they turn me down again."

Talk Back

What do you think about veterans' treatment?

Again the crowd erupted.

Filner then told the audience — packed into the Buena Vista Building Theatre at the University of Texas at San Antonio's Downtown Campus — that the House had committed "tens of billions" into the 2008 budget for PTSD. He said he was working to change the adversarial relationship the Department of Veterans Affairs has with so many veterans, especially those of the Vietnam era.

"I want to run a claim system like the IRS," he said.

(Gloria Ferniz/Express-News)

Don Frazier, an Army veteran who served in Vietnam, is one of many military retirees who participated in a forum organized by members of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee at UTSA's Downtown Campus.

Such a system would accept a veteran's claim on its face rather than force the veteran "to prove Agent Orange caused this."

"You shouldn't have to prove anything," Filner said. "You served us; now we should be serving you."

U.S. Rep. Charlie Gonzalez of San Antonio, who joined Filner, Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, and Rodriguez on the stage, took the microphone to plead for unity.

"We're not fighting smart," he said. "We're fighting ourselves here today. We have to show people that veterans are not part of our past."

The key to a healthy volunteer military, he said, is showing young people who might be interested in serving that they will be taken care of after they leave the military.

Rodriguez, who sits on the Veterans' Affairs Committee, noted that 80 percent of veterans get no care from the VA, many because they've become disillusioned with an agency that has a backlog of claims close to 800,000 — claims that can take years to resolve.

In his opening remarks, Filner said he had come to listen and learn, and he asked the capacity crowd how many had served in Vietnam. The majority in the room raised their hands.

"Thank you for your service," he said, "And I am sorry. We did not do the job for you."

More than 200,000 homeless Vietnam veterans will sleep on the streets tonight, he told the crowd, and as many Vietnam veterans have now committed suicide as died in the war.

"And that is a moral disgrace," he said to approving murmurs. "We must correct it as best we can and make sure it never happens again."

The ratio of injured to killed in today's wars is a staggering 17-to-1, he said. In Vietnam, it was 3-to-1.

"We spend $1 billion every two and a half days" in Iraq and Afghanistan, he said. "Supporting our troops at home needs to be part of that cost."

Congress has added $13 billion to the 2008 budget for veterans affairs, Filner said, calling it "the largest increase ever."

"The resources will be there. It's our job to make sure they serve you."

Long before the audience was ready, the hourlong session came to a close and the congressmen headed to Del Rio for another veterans forum Sunday evening."

www.angelfire.com/ca2/arresteddecaymusic/jerrelcook.html

[68mustang]

courtesy of Jerrel Cook- host- SVR Boardcast at Stardust radio:

"Berta this would be a good post for Hadit.. Jerrel

Frustrated veterans lash out at VA care

Web Posted: 08/05/2007 11:07 PM CDT

Tracy Idell Hamilton

Express-News

Angry veterans shouted down U.S. Rep. Ciro Rodriguez as he tried to bring order to a forum for veterans held downtown Sunday.

"We know, we understand, how crucial this issue is," the San Antonio congressman tried to tell an overflow crowd of veterans who had been invited to ask questions and share experiences with U.S. Rep. Bob Filner D-Calif., chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, along with Rodriguez and two other Democratic congressmen from Texas.

advertisement

But Rodriguez was drowned out and ultimately gave the floor to Jack E. Long, one of several vets who heckled the moderator as she tried to read e-mail questions that had been sent to the congressmen in advance.

"Don't try to talk over me!" Long yelled to Rodriguez as he clutched his wife's hand. "I've had PTSD for years, and I've been turned away from the VA five times! I served my country for 44 years!"

Veterans and their families around him cheered and clapped. Then they set about telling the congressmen that a nation that claims to support its troops hasn't done well by them since they served; many of them said they've had to deal with PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder.

Hancock Darrell refused to sit until he, too, could tell his story.

"I've had PTSD for 24 years," Darrell shouted. "I've been diagnosed five times. But what does the VA say? 'We need more information.' And they turn me down again."

Talk Back

What do you think about veterans' treatment?

Again the crowd erupted.

Filner then told the audience — packed into the Buena Vista Building Theatre at the University of Texas at San Antonio's Downtown Campus — that the House had committed "tens of billions" into the 2008 budget for PTSD. He said he was working to change the adversarial relationship the Department of Veterans Affairs has with so many veterans, especially those of the Vietnam era.

"I want to run a claim system like the IRS," he said.

(Gloria Ferniz/Express-News)

Don Frazier, an Army veteran who served in Vietnam, is one of many military retirees who participated in a forum organized by members of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee at UTSA's Downtown Campus.

Such a system would accept a veteran's claim on its face rather than force the veteran "to prove Agent Orange caused this."

"You shouldn't have to prove anything," Filner said. "You served us; now we should be serving you."

U.S. Rep. Charlie Gonzalez of San Antonio, who joined Filner, Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, and Rodriguez on the stage, took the microphone to plead for unity.

"We're not fighting smart," he said. "We're fighting ourselves here today. We have to show people that veterans are not part of our past."

The key to a healthy volunteer military, he said, is showing young people who might be interested in serving that they will be taken care of after they leave the military.

Rodriguez, who sits on the Veterans' Affairs Committee, noted that 80 percent of veterans get no care from the VA, many because they've become disillusioned with an agency that has a backlog of claims close to 800,000 — claims that can take years to resolve.

In his opening remarks, Filner said he had come to listen and learn, and he asked the capacity crowd how many had served in Vietnam. The majority in the room raised their hands.

"Thank you for your service," he said, "And I am sorry. We did not do the job for you."

More than 200,000 homeless Vietnam veterans will sleep on the streets tonight, he told the crowd, and as many Vietnam veterans have now committed suicide as died in the war.

"And that is a moral disgrace," he said to approving murmurs. "We must correct it as best we can and make sure it never happens again."

The ratio of injured to killed in today's wars is a staggering 17-to-1, he said. In Vietnam, it was 3-to-1.

"We spend $1 billion every two and a half days" in Iraq and Afghanistan, he said. "Supporting our troops at home needs to be part of that cost."

Congress has added $13 billion to the 2008 budget for veterans affairs, Filner said, calling it "the largest increase ever."

"The resources will be there. It's our job to make sure they serve you."

Long before the audience was ready, the hourlong session came to a close and the congressmen headed to Del Rio for another veterans forum Sunday evening."

www.angelfire.com/ca2/arresteddecaymusic/jerrelcook.html

I live in San Antonio and did not find out about the meeting until it was too late. I did not see any notices about the meeting until it was mentioned in the news. While it was good that the meeting was held 1 hr. is not enough time to hear veterans' complaints. Maybe they only make it for 1 hr. because so many veterans would complain and they don't want the media to air that.

68mustang

[Pete53]

Well I agree with Filner that the Veterans should not have to prove anything. If the Vet has PTSD and served I think that they should be compensated and the VA should help not hinder the Veterans. No Veteran with PTSD should ever be turned down at a VA Medical Facility.

We also should not have to wait for so damn long either.

Course if you noticed I bet there was nt a single Republican Representative talking to the Vets which is part of the problem. Republicans and Dems need to come together and fix the problems and not try to patch with a little money here and a little money there. To fix it right they should offer Service Connected Veterans a choice to use the same Medical Insurance that Congress has or the VA. Maybe they should make Congress use the VA till they fix it?

[SLEDGE]

"Maybe they should make Congress use the VA till they fix it?"

DUH!

However, the double standard was invented by congress and is controlled by congress.

At least until we come together and help ourselves through the vote.

sledge

[Speaking Out]

Here is an idea...Let's ask all of our elected officials that are going to be asking us for our votes in '08 to sign a pledge that if elected, they'll use the VA or a military treatment facility for their and their families primary health care provider. The money that is saved from paying for their private insurance can be put into the VA budget. If the VA health care system is good enough for us, isn't it good enough for them? If we let them know that we are tired of their temporary fixes and empty promises and will vote by who is pro vet, we might get some attention.

[john999]

You can bet the congressmen would get the best the VA has to offer while we get the left overs. Can you imagine the ass kissing that would go on if Filner took his kids to the VA to get treatment? They would fly the best doctors in from all over the USA to treat his kids and dependents and then fly them back at our expense.

[Josephine]

I would just love to see Senator Warner going to the VA hospital for treatment. I believe he heads to the Mayo Clinic in Minn.

Josephine