West Palm Beach VA Doctor Shot by Double Amputee

UPDATE

'Heroic' doctor subdues gunman at veterans hospital, authorities say

The gunman was identified as 59-year-old Larry Ray Bon.
ABC NEWS
By Morgan Winsor
February 28, 2019

A doctor is being hailed a hero for stopping a patient who opened fire in the emergency room of a veterans hospital in South Florida on Wednesday night.

The patient, a double-amputee, came to the West Palm Beach VA Medical Center in Riviera Beach for treatment but became combative with staff members and was taken to the emergency room. He pulled out a small handgun from his electric wheelchair and started firing as he was about to undergo a mental health evaluation around 6:20 p.m. local time.

The doctor was shot in the neck, and another hospital employee was grazed by a bullet, according to Justin Fleck, assistant special agent in charge at the FBI's Miami field office.

The wounded doctor, whom Fleck called "very brave," was able to jump on the patient in between fired rounds and disarm him before more shots were fired.

read more here

Doctor shot at VA hospital in West Palm Beach, Florida

STARS AND STRIPES
By NIKKI WENTLING
Published: February 27, 2019

WASHINGTON – An employee was shot Wednesday evening at the Department of Veterans Affairs hospital in West Palm Beach, Fla., the VA confirmed.

An emergency room doctor was shot in the neck by a double amputee in a wheelchair, according to local news station CBS12. A hospital tech was in the restroom with the shooter and saw him loading a weapon, the report said. When the tech went to seek help, the shooter came out of the restroom firing.

The VA Sunshine Healthcare Network confirmed in a statement that one VA employee was shot at about 6:20 p.m. The employee was taken to another hospital and was in stable condition Wednesday night.
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Reminder, not all VA hospitals are the same

Dealing with my own health problems with civilian doctors and waiting for appointments, most of the time, in pain, like now. Understand me when I say that sending veterans into this system is wrong! They deserve better than what members of Congress have told us for years is bad for us. Remember the votes on killing the Affordable Care Act? Yep, that system!

Death rates, bedsores, ER wait times: Where every VA hospital lags or leads other medical care

USA Today 
Donovan Slack and John Kelly and James Sergent
February 7, 2019

The analysis produced some positive findings for the VA. As of June 30, a majority of VA hospitals reported lower death rates than other facilities. Many VA medical centers stacked up better on prevention of post-surgical complications such as blood clots.

When Navy veteran Phyllis Seleska, 66, arrived at the emergency room at the Department of Veterans Affairs hospital in Loma Linda, California, in August 2017, the waiting room was crowded with dozens of veterans, some in wheelchairs lined up to the entrance.

Seleska suffered throbbing pain after shattering her wrist but received no medication and had to wait more than seven hours to see a doctor, records show. By then, the orthopedics staff had gone home. A nurse strapped a Velcro splint on her wrist and told her to come back in the morning.

“I don’t know why it took so long to get back there to be told, 'We can’t do anything to help you,' ” said Seleska, who worked on the flight deck of aircraft carriers in both Iraq wars.

Her experience wasn’t unusual. At roughly 70 percent of VA hospitals, the median time between arrival in the emergency room and admission was longer than at other hospitals, in some cases by hours, according to a USA TODAY analysis of the department’s data. That included Loma Linda, where the median wait is more than 7½ hours.

The USA TODAY analysis provides the most comprehensive picture of how 146 VA medical centers compare with other health care facilities on an array of factors. The analysis is based on scores of spreadsheets the VA posted online in recent years containing comparisons of its medical centers with non-VA averages on everything from the ER wait times to infection rates and patient-survey results.
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When will the VA explain death of Dale Farhner ?

update 

KC homicide detective investigating why veteran died after VA police confrontation

Kansas City Star 
BY ANDY MARSO 
JULY 10, 2019 

The Kansas City Police Department is investigating the death of a veteran who had a fatal brain hemorrhage after a confrontation with Veterans Affairs Police last year.

Department spokesman Jacob Becchina said the case of Dale Farhner has been assigned to Sgt. Richard Sharp, a longtime homicide detective. “The results of our investigation will ultimately be compiled and forwarded on to the prosecutor’s office for their decision as to what if any applicable charges may apply,” Becchina said. 

“There is little info that can be released at this point, as it is now an open death investigation on our end.” The VA has said the incident has already been investigated by federal law enforcement, and its officers have been cleared of wrongdoing. read it here

How did a veteran end up dead after a fight with police at Kansas City’s VA hospital?

Kansas City Star
Editorial Board
January 25, 2019

A man named Dale Farhner died in May after a confrontation with Kansas City VA Medical Center police. The VA has declined to provide any information about his death.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Kansas City’s VA Medical Center must fully disclose the facts surrounding the arrest and subsequent death of a veteran on their campus last May.

To date, unfortunately, the VA has stonewalled legitimate efforts to help the public understand what happened last spring. 

A veteran, 66-year old Dale Farhner, was detained by VA police after he apparently drove the wrong way down a driveway.

Farhner allegedly struggled with the officer and was injured or became ill. Later, the veteran was transferred to the University of Kansas Hospital, where he died.

read more here

Traffic stop at VA left veteran dead!

Exclusive: Internal documents detail VA police altercation with veteran who later died

USA Today
Donovan Slack
Dec. 14, 2018

Kansas City Star reporter Andy Marso confirmed the veteran who died was Dale Farhner of Kingston, Missouri. But the VA refused to say what happened, so the reporter filed a records request under the Freedom of Information Act.

WASHINGTON – A 66-year-old veteran was found severely injured and nearly unconscious following a traffic stop by a Veterans Affairs police officer in May, and he died two days later, according to an internal report obtained by USA TODAY.

The VA has repeatedly refused, even seven months later, to disclose any details about what happened, citing an ongoing investigation.

But the internal report provides an account of a tragic altercation between the veteran and officer outside the VA medical center in Kansas City, Missouri. “After being pulled over, the patient began making inappropriate gestures and physically threatening motions with his arm,” the report says.

The officer also noticed a “large ‘bulge’” by the driver’s abdomen “(later found to be due to recent hernia surgery).” He decided to detain him. The man “struggled.” So the officer “brought the patient to the ground.” He then completed the “handcuffing process.”

During the incident, the patient’s son approached “from behind.” The officer directed him to stay back, and he called for backup.

But something was awry.

“While being brought to the ground, the patient seemed to suffer some injuries,” the report says. So he was taken inside the hospital to be checked out.

“Upon arrival to the Emergency Department the patient was non-verbal, moaning with a decreased level of consciousness,” the report says.

Medical workers found he had a gash in his scalp and “multiple” cuts and bruises on his face. A CT scan of his head showed areas of bleeding around his brain, one on the left frontal lobe and another on the right.
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Another Suicide in lobby of Nashville VA Hospital

UPDATE
News4 has learned the name of the man who walked into the Nashville V-A hospital Friday and killed himself, as terrified people looked on. Forty-one year old Derrick Macklin turned a high powered rifle on himself in the lobby.

Man dies by suicide at Nashville VA Medical Center

WSMV News
Kara Apel
Posted on Nov 16, 2018

ASHVILLE (WSMV) - Police have confirmed that a man died by suicide at the Nashville VA Medical Center on Friday morning.

According to the Metro Nashville Police Department, the man died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in the lobby.

The incident happened around 9 a.m. Friday at the facility on 24th Avenue South, which is near the Vanderbilt University campus.
go here for video

Reminder this is not the first time, John Tooms hung himself two years ago.

Day after discharge, veteran's body found in VA parking lot

UPDATE

Marine veteran loved to fix things — but the VA offered no plan for him to help himself

He sought help from the VA while struggling with suicidal thoughts – feelings of helplessness, frustration and anxiety. After spending four days at an inpatient mental health unit, he left the hospital, went to his car and shot himself. Police found his body the following day, his phone full of voicemails and texts from his father, Greg Miller, with one message sent over and over again: “I love you. We love you. Come home.”

Watchdog finds deficiencies in care for vet who committed suicide in Minneapolis VA parking lot
STARS AND STRIPES
By NIKKI WENTLING
Published: September 25, 2018

The next day, police found the veteran dead in the parking lot of the Minneapolis VA hospital, with a gunshot wound to the head. The local medical examiner determined the death a suicide.

WASHINGTON — A government watchdog determined a Department of Veterans Affairs mental health unit in Minneapolis didn’t follow VA policies before discharging an Iraq War veteran who committed suicide in the facility’s parking lot less than 24 hours later.

The Office of Inspector General reported Tuesday that VA staff didn’t collaborate on a discharge plan for the veteran, didn’t ensure the veteran had a follow-up appointment about newly prescribed antidepressants, and didn’t adequately document whether they had access to firearms. 

Though the VA failed in several areas, inspectors said they couldn’t determine whether the mistakes directly led to the veteran’s suicide.

The Minneapolis VA made similar errors in 2011, when a Vietnam War veteran committed suicide while under the facility’s care. A VA Inspector General report in 2012 found the hospital was “deficient” in how it handled the situation. Four of the recommendations the IG made after that suicide apply now, the IG wrote in its report.
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A senior veteran can be fully restored too!

This morning on PTSD Patrol, we're talking about how some people want to think veterans are all broken, damaged beyond repair. You know, the ones who think we're all supposed to feel like giving up.

After over 3 decades, it would be easy for me to explain the difference between "broken" and what a survivor looks like. 

It is like looking at a vintage car that has been fully restored.

From 2015 Open House at Lake Nona VA Hospital

A senior veteran can be fully restored too!


PTSD Patrol Sunday Morning Empowerment Zone

Your ride may be getting old, but it is far from ready for the junk yard. Most people value antiques and if you are a senior veteran, that is a great way to look at what comes with age.

You have a lot of miles on your spare tires. Your shock absorbers may be a little worn out. You may need some body work. The truth is, you survived all of the events that put miles on your ride. A lot of them were bad but more of them were good times.
read more here

Hit and Run driver destroyed DAV Van

Hit and run driver wipes out hospital transportation for area disabled veterans
ABC 8 News
By: Kristin Smith
Posted: Aug 15, 2018

SPOTSYLVANIA, Va. (WRIC) -- A hit and run driver wiped out transportation for sick and disabled veterans near Fredericksburg.

The driver plowed into the only van those local veterans use to go back and forth to Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center.

"I was devastated," says veteran Roy Murphy.

After he learned the van was destroyed, Murphy realized getting to Richmond would be a struggle. The disabled marine is legally blind.

"Basically I'll have to rely on friends or somebody to get me to the VA so that you know I can actually go through my appointments," added Murphy.

The Fredericksburg Disabled American Veterans van transported about 90 veterans a month. It takes them on the hour-long trek to and from McGuire.

DAV transportation coordinator Kristi Corbett explained to 8News, "This is their way to get there. This is their only way to get there."

But now the van is ruined and there's no backup vehicle to replace it. So many veterans won't get the medical care they need.

"I have patients who go 40 days straight due to radiation," said Corbett "And they must go every day or they have to start their whole thing over again, so it's a hardship on them a lot."
read more here

Topeka VA Employee found dead in office

Employee found dead inside Topeka VA Medical Center office
Topeka Capital Journal
Katie Moore
August 14, 2018

A Veterans Affairs employee died Tuesday morning inside an administrative office at Topeka’s Colmery O’Neil VA Medical Center.

Joe Burks, spokesman for the VA Eastern Kansas Health Care System, said the employee died of an apparent suicide.

“Today we suffered a great loss and our hearts are broken,” Burks said in a statement.

Officials are still working to understand the circumstances.
read more here

A message to VA’s workforce from Secretary Robert Wilkie

A message to VA’s workforce from Secretary Robert Wilkie

Hello, I’m Robert Wilkie and it is an overwhelming honor to serve along side you as Secretary.

There are two emotions today.

The first emotion is feeling very humbled. I was humbled by the honor of being a candidate for this job; I was even more humbled by the call to be your next Secretary.

The second dominant emotion is that of being very, very excited—thrilled! Thrilled to be part of this department.

I’m deeply grateful to President Trump for the opportunity to serve for him and for America’s Veterans. I am also grateful to the United States Senate for their vote of confidence.

First off, I want to thank you, the staff of the VA. Whether you are at a health care facility, on the Benefits team, serving at our cemeteries, or here as part of our staff at the headquarters. You may not hear enough, but I want you to hear it from me. Thank you for your tireless work and devotion to our Veterans… and thank you for all you do to help them and their families everyday.

When President Herbert Hoover signed the executive order in 1930 creating the Veterans Administration, he consolidated Veterans programs and created a new independent administration “for the relief of veterans.” Eighty eight years later, that is still our charge.

Serving our Veterans is a noble calling. We have a solemn responsibility to our Veterans – not just today, but in the months and years to come, to set the standard for the millions coming into our VA, and for the millions who will join the ranks down the years.

During my confirmation hearing, and in previous messages to you while serving as the Acting Secretary, I shared with you my philosophy – customer service.

Customer service must start with each other-not talking at each other but with each other across all office barriers and across all compartments. If we don’t listen to each other, we won’t be able to listen to our Veterans and their families…. and we won’t be able to provide the world class customer service they deserve.

Next, we must have a bottom up organization. The energy must flow from you who are closest to those we are sworn to serve.

It is from you that the ideas we carry to the Congress, the VSOs and to America’s Veterans will come. Anyone who sits in this chair and tells you he or she has the answers is in the wrong business.

I want to share a story with you from President Eisenhower.

Five months after his inauguration, about forty Korean War Veterans climbed aboard the presidential yacht Williamsburg—many were missing limbs, some were horribly disfigured. When Ike arrived at the pier, the Secret Service began running up the plank to separate the President from his troops. Before they reached the deck, Eisenhower yelled “Halt! I know these men.” The agents retreated, and the soldiers gathered around the President.

He said there was nothing the country could do for them that could compensate for what they had given to America. He then addressed them at attention, and those who could stand did, and said you will never put away your uniform, you are always on duty. “You must get well, to remind your countrymen everyday that freedom is never free.”

This is our VA. We are here to care for all of our nation’s heroes whose service and sacrifice inspires us all. That is our important and non-negotiable mission. The President and Congress support us, and I’m honored and excited to lead this organization.

I look forward to meeting you, listening to you and serving alongside you. I value your thoughts and insights as we improve our department for the challenges in the years ahead.

Thank you and God bless.

VA finds 'deteriorating' conditions at DC hospital

This is what happens when the President decided that it was a good thing to privatize the VA and then appointed people to make sure that happened.

Too bad when people tried to warn about this, some just passed it off and wanted to "give him a chance" to pull it off!

He is finishing the job the others in Congress started a long time ago. Destroy the VA instead of honoring the fact that veterans, unlike civilians, prepaid for the care they need BY GETTING DISABLED IN THE FIRST PLACE SERVING THIS COUNTRY!

Memo: VA finds 'deteriorating' conditions at DC hospital
STARS AND STRIPES
By NIKKI WENTLING
Published: August 1, 2018

Since then, inspection reports from the Food and Drug Administration and the VA’s National Program Office for Sterile Processing have revealed ongoing problems. The reports, obtained by Stars and Stripes this spring, detailed instances of dirty syringe bottles, unsanitary conditions, rooms in disarray and staff and supply shortages that led to canceled procedures.

WASHINGTON – After being deemed high risk in January, the flagship Department of Veterans Affairs hospital in Washington has continued to deteriorate in quality during the first six months of 2018.

The hospital was designated “critical” and its performance is under administrative review, including possible changes of leadership, according to a memorandum sent to the D.C. hospital July 17 from Carolyn Clancy, then executive in charge of the Veterans Health Administration. The memo was obtained Wednesday by Stars and Stripes.

“Unfortunately, we have not seen the amount of improvement desired over the past two quarters and now see benefit in utilizing additional measures to support the facility in stabilizing the hospital’s quality to the extent that it can be sustained,” Clancy wrote.

According to the memo, the hospital isn’t getting better, despite public assertions from VA officials over the past several months that problems there were being fixed.
read more here

VA kicking out experienced staff for what?

How fast did the word "privatization" pop into your head?


Trump loyalists at VA shuffling, purging employees before new secretary takes over
Washington Post
By Lisa Rein
July 18 at 2:32 PM

Ahead of Robert Wilkie’s likely confirmation to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs, Trump loyalists at the agency are taking aggressive steps to purge or reassign staff perceived to be disloyal to President Trump and his agenda for veterans, according to multiple people familiar with the moves.

The transfers include more than a dozen career civil servants who have been moved from the leadership suite at VA headquarters and reassigned to lower-visibility roles. The employees served agency leaders, some dating back more than two decades, in crucial support roles that help a new secretary.

None say they were given reasons for their reassignments.

The moves are being carried out by a small cadre of political appointees led by Acting Secretary Peter O’Rourke who have consolidated power in the four months since they helped oust former Secretary David Shulkin.

read more here

NBC Anchor says "in Nevada 20 veterans a day commit suicide"

Nevada VA takes new approach to combat rampant veteran suicides
NBC 3 News Las Vegas
by John Treanor
July 15th 2018

“A veteran can walk into our facilities and seen, and if they say ‘I’m in crisis,’ they can see someone that day,” said Dr. Komanduri.

LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — Suicide is still a serious problem plaguing our veterans. An average of 20 veterans take their own lives each day.

The alarming number of veteran suicides has been an ever-present shadow cast over our country. It’s a number that represents a sad fact in America.

read the rest here

The sad fact in America is reporters do not seem to care enough to learn anything about this!

What is really alarming is when a reporter says that the "20 a day" veterans committing suicide are from Nevada! "Believe it or not" he really did say that.
Here is the clip!

If he blames the teleprompter, then he should have known better!

Veteran shot himself at Phoenix VA hospital Chapel

Man in critical condition after shooting himself at Phoenix VA
Associated Press
July 13, 2018

PHOENIX (AP) - Authorities say a man has been critically injured after shooting himself on the grounds of the Phoenix Veterans Affairs complex.

Phoenix police Sgt. Armando Carbajal says the shooting occurred just after 11 a.m. at the central Phoenix facility.
read more here

VA ID card sponsored by Office Depot?

VA issues long awaited veteran ID card, but it comes with an ad on the back
NCPR
by Bobbie O'Brien (American Homefront)
July 5, 2018

The VA is now mailing identification cards to veterans who want tangible proof that they served in the military. But after waiting almost three years for the new government-issued I.D., some veterans are not happy that the card contains an advertisement.

President Obama signed the law creating the card in July 2015, but it included no funding, so it languished for more than two years. Eventually, the VA struck a partnership deal with Office Depot, in which the retail chain is paying to print and mail the cards.

The company logo appears on the back, along with the taglines, "Saluting you today and every day. Thanks for taking care of business."

That disappoints Air Force veteran Carl Hunsinger, chairman of the Manatee County Veterans Council in Florida. For years, he had lobbied Congress to create the card, because many of the 40,000 vets the council represents have little or no proof of their service.

"A majority of the ones I know are looking for a sign of professionalism. 'Hey, I'm a veteran this is my I.D. card,'" Hunsinger said.
read more here

Kansas City VA found liable for Iraq veteran committing suicide

Court Slaps VA With Damages After Finding It Liable In Suicide Of Kansas City Veteran
KCUR
All Things Considered
Dan Margolis
July 3, 2018

On St. Patrick’s Day, 2010, after arguing with his girlfriend, Draughon shot and killed himself in front of his girlfriend and brother. He was 28 years old.

Cpl. William Draughon in his Marine Corps Blue Dress uniform.

DONALD AND LAURIE DRAUGHON

After finding the Veterans Health Administration liable earlier this year for the suicide of an Iraq war veteran, a federal judge has awarded more than $480,000 to his father and two children.

In what was thought to be one of the few verdicts of its kind, U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson ruled in February that the negligence of the VA directly contributed to the death of Cpl. William Draughon of Kansas City.

Draughon was a squad leader and gunner in Iraq for seven months in 2004 before he was honorably discharged from the Marine Corps.

After he returned to the Kansas City area, he began drinking heavily and was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. During one of several hospitalizations at the Kansas City VA, he’d been flagged as being at high risk for suicide. Although no risk assessment was done, a suicide prevention coordinator at the hospital removed the high-risk flag from his electronic medical records 90 days later.
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VA Police Officer Plead Guilty After Abusing Veteran

Former officer to surrender license, plead guilty in assault at Indianapolis VA hospital
The Indy Channel
Jordan Fischer
Jun 29, 2018

In a plea agreement filed in federal court Wednesday, Kaim acknowledges that the victim was already walking out the door of the hospital after being told to leave when Kaim shoved him out of the door and pushed him against an exterior wall of the building. Kaim then caused the victim to fall face-first on the sidewalk, before striking him in the head six-to-seven times.

INDIANAPOLIS -- A former officer with the Veterans Affairs Medical Center Police Department has agreed to surrender his law enforcement license as part of a plea agreement over an assault at the Indianapolis VA hospital in April 2017.

Officer Michael Kaim was indicted in January on a civil rights violation and obstruction of justice for allegedly writing a false report about an arrest at the Richard L. Roudebush Veterans Affairs Memorial Center.
read more here

Vietnam Veteran left Leavenworth VA Hospital with gun in parking lot

Veteran found shot in VA parking lot
Leavenworth Times
June 19, 2018

A Vietnam War era veteran died from an apparent suicide last week on the grounds of Department of Veterans Affairs hospital in Leavenworth, according to a statement released by a hospital spokesman.

A Vietnam War era veteran died from an apparent suicide last week on the grounds of Department of Veterans Affairs hospital in Leavenworth, according to a statement released by a hospital spokesman.

The veteran, who was identified as Michael Douglas, died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound at about 4 p.m. Wednesday in the emergency department parking lot of the Eisenhower VA Medical Center, according to a statement issued by Joseph Burks, public affairs officer for VA Eastern Kansas Health Care System.
read more here

And how many more to the uncounted?

How many more of these older veterans will keep being left off the list of veterans who matter?

PTSD Between Salvation and the Grave

This is what is happening to veterans! 
This was on the New York Post

Shuttered clinics and transferred doctors have veterans fearful the Brooklyn VA hospital is on its way to closing. 

The Bay Ridge facility’s ear, nose and throat clinic – which treats vets exposed to everything from Agent 

Orange in the Vietnam War to new toxins in America’s Mideast conflicts – is losing its contingent of doctors from SUNY Downstate Medical Center. A sign on the clinic door alerted patients that it was closing for good on June 27. 

After a rally by veterans groups and ongoing pressure from Rep. Dan Donovan, the head of the city’s VA hospital system told The Post the clinic will, in fact, remain open. Martina Parauda said two to three part-time staff doctors will be hired to replace the SUNY physicians by the end of the month. 

But vets suspect the VA ultimately wants to shut down the Brooklyn hospital, which sits on valuable oceanview property, or at least ax the last of its inpatient care.

Oh, but we were told that veterans would get such great care! None of the politicians bothered to fill us in on what century that would happen!

WHERE IS AMERICA WHEN VETERANS NEED AMERICA? That is the question publicly asked back in 2006 when I wrote the following. It is a question I have been asking all my life.

I grew up surrounded by veterans from WWII and Korean War. Then I married into another military family. My husband and his nephew fought in Vietnam. My Father-in-law, along with three of his brothers, fought in WWII.

I saw all the parades and saw the ambivalence when veterans were forced to fight battles against the government after they fought for the nation. Promised care was just never there, ready for when they needed it.

In 2003 I was writing about PTSD and what it was doing, just as I was back in 1993 when I got my first computer and jus as I did back in 1984 when the media was not paying attention, so I wrote in the local newspaper. Why am I still asking the same question?

PTSD Between Salvation and the Grave

WHERE IS AMERICA WHEN VETERANS NEED AMERICA? 

Am J Psychiatry 1991; 148:586-591 Copyright © 1991 by American Psychiatric AssociationSuicide and guilt as manifestations of PTSD in Vietnam combat veteransH Hendin and AP Haas Department of Psychiatry, New York Medical College, NY. 

OBJECTIVE: Although studies have suggested a disproportionate rate of suicide among war veterans, particularly those with postservice psychiatric illness, there has been little systematic examination of the underlying reasons. This study aimed to identify factors predictive of suicide among Vietnam combat veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). 

METHOD: Of 187 veterans referred to the study through a Veterans Administration hospital, 100 were confirmed by means of a structured questionnaire and five clinical interviews as having had combat experience in Vietnam and as meeting the DSM-III criteria for PTSD. 

The analysis is based on these 100 cases. 

RESULTS: Nineteen of the 100 veterans had made a postservice suicide attempt, and 15 more had been preoccupied with suicide since the war. Five factors were significantly related to suicide attempts: guilt about combat actions, survivor guilt, depression, anxiety, and severe PTSD. Logistic regression analysis showed that combat guilt was the most significant predictor of both suicide attempts and preoccupation with suicide. For a significant percentage of the suicidal veterans, such disturbing combat behavior as the killing of women and children took place while they were feeling emotionally out of control because of fear or rage. 

CONCLUSIONS: In this study, PTSD among Vietnam combat veterans emerged as a psychiatric disorder with considerable risk for suicide, and intensive combat-related guilt was found to be the most significant explanatory factor. These findings point to the need for greater clinical attention to the role of guilt in the evaluation and treatment of suicidal veterans with PTSD. http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/abstract/148/5/586

Although the link is from 1991 it applies even more now.

Today the lives of Vietnam veterans are still being claimed by suicide, but now added to the lists of the killed after action by war wounds, are those returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Why? We have studied PTSD. We know the price of war. We know the treatment necessary. We know the medications that have been proven to relieve symptoms. Yet with all we know, what we do not know is how to remove the stigma of those suffering with it. We have yet to change the mind set of the "normal people" who remain safe in a secure world and oblivious to the one certain fact that it very well could have been them suffering instead of standing in judgment and positioning themselves between salvation and the grave.

How many more do we have to lay to rest because of PTSD and suicides when help is there for the asking? How many will we loose because they have to wait too long for treatment when they do finally seek after it? How many more will we loose because of fools mouthing off about something so easy to understand had they managed to find the ability to reach the one shred of compassion they have left within them? What is even more appalling is the fact that none of these deaths by suicide needed to happen had humanity bothered with those who suffer for what we sent them to do. The shame is not their's. The shame belongs to all of us who refuse to stand up for them, to give them a voice, to help them to find hope and help them to heal.

There are more parrots running around the country than patriots screaming "we support the troops" but are no where to be found when they are asked to prove any of their claims. Where are they when the veterans need funding for services they would not have to have had it not been for them being sent to risk their lives? They are telling the veterans they claimed to have supported when they were active, to get over it and deal with it.

Kathie Costos
Namguardianangel@aol.com

******

We knew what was coming back in 2006 and reported on the Kansas City Star.

"The miscalculation on PTSD echoes last year’s underestimation by the Bush administration of how many Iraq and Afghanistan veterans would need medical treatment. It had underfunded VA health care by $1 billion, despite assurances to Congress that the department had enough money."

WASHINGTON –– The number of troops back this year from Iraq and Afghanistan with post-traumatic stress disorder could be five times higher than the Department of Veterans Affairs predicted. 

Instead of 2,900 new cases that it reported in February to a veterans advocate in Congress, the increase could be 15,000 or more, according to the VA. 

At the Kansas City VA Medical Center, only nine vets from current combat were diagnosed with PTSD in 2004. 

Last year, it was 58. In just the first three months of fiscal 2006, the hospital saw 72. 

“It’s absolutely incredible,” said Kathy Lee, at the Missouri Veterans of Foreign Wars. 

A former Army nurse in Vietnam who works at the hospital, Lee said, “Every single Iraq vet who comes in, I give them a list and say, ‘How many of these (PTSD) symptoms do you have?’ It’s almost nine out of 10.”

Most of the PTSD cases the VA sees involve veterans from earlier conflicts, primarily Vietnam. 

It was a year of telling reports, almost a prediction of what was to come. All of these headlines are still being repeated. 

VA Broken

26.5 million veterans had personal data stolen from a VA employee

2.2 million records stolen from active duty troops

Veterans fighting for jobs

Families need help to cope

Veterans Suicide Wall

When I came home, homeless veterans

PTSD veterans and kids

Congress to cut funds for veterans

The Wall Hand Against Stone

Two words that should not be "Homeless" and "Veteran"
(yes, the original one before it was used in a commercial)

VA underestimated cost of caring for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans by billions while many had to wait years for benefits

Sexual abuse cases in the military

Veteran Centers being overwhelmed by veterans seeking help

Camp Pendleton Marine families in bread lines

To save money, instead of lives, they were closing Psych Units

Vietnam Veteran told meds may be cut off at 75?

Local veteran looking for some answers
Courier News
Sean Ingram, Section Editor
6/17/2018

“With all of the other problems that are occurring in the world, why would the government want to cause a huge commotion amongst the veterans?”

Ira Johnson served his country in the Vietnam War. His medical list of conditions includes photosensitivity and exposure to Agent Orange. He is on 44 medications altogether.

He wants his fellow veterans to know he was told recently by his primary care physician at the VA Hospital in Fayetteville that his meds would be decreased, and when he reached age 75, they may be cut off completely.

"What purpose is this serving and what will happen to the veterans who are in need of their medications and are unable to obtain them?” Johnson said in a letter. “ ... This is a problem that needs to seriously be investigated, thoroughly reviewed and re-evaluated before any type of action occurs. Why would there be a reason for the medications to be discontinued if they are not being monitored?"
read more here