CNN Too Slow to Hear Veterans Screaming For Help!

Troubled Iowa veteran sought help from VA hospital before freezing to death
CNN
Jake Tapper, Kim Berryman and Glen Dacy
Updated 4:47 PM ET, Thu March 19, 2015

Des Moines, Iowa (CNN)"I need help."

On February 15, Iraq War veteran Richard Miles entered a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs hospital in Des Moines, Iowa, and told the staff: "I need help," according to hospital records obtained by CNN.

He had told friends he was going to check himself in. He was diagnosed with "worsened PTSD," anxiety and insomnia, but Miles was not admitted to the hospital.

Five days later the 40-year-old father was found dead in the woods, having taken a toxic amount of sleeping pills, according to a toxicology report obtained by CNN. He died from exposure to the elements.

Now those who loved him want to know why the VA hospital did not admit him when he showed up that night.

"That was his cry for help and it was not taken seriously or received the way it should have been received," said Katie Hopper, his ex-girlfriend and mother to their daughter Emmalynn.
read more here

It was a cry for help. A cry released in anguish by veterans every day that the national media has been all too slow to hear.

CNN finally reports on veteran after suicide from February.

Wounded Times managed to get the story about Missing Veteran Richard Miles Found Frozen in Park a day after it was reported on.

Friends Question If Veteran’s Death Could Have Been Prevented
13 News WHO TV
BY JODI WHITWORTH
FEBRUARY 21, 2015

Miles visited the V.A. Hospital numerous times and was treated with medication but he wanted long term hospitalization and evaluation. Allers says, “He [ Miles] did seek out that help and went through the appropriate channels he knew to follow, unfortunately it’s our belief he was let down with the assistance he was given which potentially lead us to where we are today.”

Any idea how many were lost in the month it took to tell his story? Nope and the press doesn't either.

According to the press, yet again, too removed from the topic of veterans committing suicide as well as the number of active duty members, the majority of the American people believe it is 22 a day. It is far from it.

We can start with Fort Hood and how they lost at least 8 to "under investigation" just since the beginning of the year. Here is the DOD latest report up to the 3rd quarter of 2014.

As for veterans the reports coming in from across the country on local level reporters in state after state puts the number of veterans committing suicide at double the civilian rate. The majority of them are over 50. As bad as that is years after the DOD started to do "prevention" programs, the rate of younger veterans committing suicide are triple their peer rate. These veterans are no longer counted by the DOD and they sure as hell can't count on the abysmal training they received to "prevent" them from doing it. It is such a huge issue members of Special Forces have been committing suicide.

To regular readers of Wounded Times I beg you to forgive me since I must seem like I have forgotten how many other times I have post the same thing. I know that it can be annoying for you, so you can move on since I won't really be saying anything new on this post. There's some really good ones out today including the story of Navy SEALS from PBS. I just can't give up on the rest of the country. Somehow, someway, someday, they'll finally figure out they have not been told the truth by the reporters they trusted.

February 26, KTBC News reported "On Monday Brett Aycock, a U.S. Army sniper veteran, killed himself."

Police said William Dean Poole, 52, fired the first shots after he called the Hotline for help.

How many have to scream for help before CNN, FOX and NBC hear them? How many families have to reach unspeakable pain discovering someone they loved decided to leave them and die?

How many times will it take for the rest of this country to finally discover that folks on the national level stopped reporting on their own investigations and started letting stories driven by Facebook decide whose story matters.

The rest of us know they all mattered!

Massachusetts Representative Defends Comment on Florida Air Force Suicide

Freshman state representative's comments about military suicides, police shootings spark backlash
By State House News Service
March 17, 2015

"If that controversy starts a discussion that will get the media to pay attention to the onslaught of veterans suicides then I say that's a good thing. So if this ends up being a conversation starter, then that's a good thing. People always have a right to disagree with me, but I feel very strongly about this issue," Whelan said.

BOSTON - A social media post authored by a freshman representative from Cape Cod about military suicides and police shootings drew criticism for being racist on Tuesday as the lawmaker defended himself by putting the focus on the media's handling of both issues.

Brewster Rep. Timothy Whelan's Tuesday morning Facebook post shared a photo originally posted by the veterans advocacy website Americanstrong.com and featured Capt. Jamie Ann Brunette, a 30-year-old Floridian and 11-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force, who reportedly committed suicide Feb. 9, according to online obituaries.

The full post reads as follows:

"Know her name. Know it, and honor this woman who suffered mental wounds that you cannot see while serving our Nation with honor. The media has made sure you know Trayvon Martin's and Michael Brown's name, and they represent the worst our society has to offer. Instead, know the name of a hero like Captain Brunette. Thank you, Ma'am, for your honorable service defending our freedoms."

Whelan's post was later edited to remove the entire sentence which referred to Brown and Martin.
read more here

No Longer Untold Story of Navy SEALs

There seems to be a lot of action for a PBS documentary on Navy SEALs. I don't like to use what some people put up especially when it appears they are not part of the original work done. I tracked back the video to PTSD and the original video.

If you want to see a fantastic documentary, you need to see this one!

Navy SEALs - Their Untold Story

“The SEALs’ history has never been truly told before. This is the first time that Naval Special Warfare has assisted with the research of a documentary about the Teams and their forefathers.” – Filmmaker Carol L. Fleisher

Navy SEALs – Their Untold Story premiered on Veterans Day, Tuesday, November 11, 2014, 9:00–11:00 p.m. ET.

SEAL Team TWO L to R: Gordy Boyce, Dennis Drady, Wally Schwalenberg and Silver (dog).

Despite the widespread attention paid to the Navy SEALs (Sea, Air and Land) since they killed Osama bin Laden, the story of how these clandestine warriors evolved in response to changing threats — from WWII to the War on Terror — and how their extraordinary abilities shaped U.S. and world history, has remained untold.

Few people know the unheralded tales of the first frogmen who dared to face almost certain death with little training, scant equipment and untested tactics.

Narrated by Gary Sinise, Navy Seals – Their Untold Story recounts the ticking-clock missions of the “Commandoes of the Deep” through firsthand accounts — including that of a D-Day demolition team member — and through never-before-seen footage, home movies and personal mementoes. Admirals, master chiefs, clandestine operators, demolitioneers and snipers all reveal how U.S. Navy SEALs morphed into the SEALs.

Throughout the storied history examined in the film, the Navy SEALs accomplish seemingly impossible tasks. For this willingness to take extreme risks, many SEALs have been awarded the U.S. Armed Services’ highest honor.

The following Navy SEALs have received the Congressional Medal of Honor:

LT Thomas Norris – Vietnam
LT j.g. Joseph R. Kerrey – Vietnam
EN2 (SEAL) Michael Edwin Thornton – Vietnam
LT Michael P. Murphy – Afghanistan
MA2 (SEAL) Michael A. Monsoor – Iraq
Here is the link to PBS and you can watch the video here.

Washington National Guardsman Vindicated by Jury After Job Loss

Jury Finds County Discriminated Against Iraq Vet
Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, Wash.
by Andrew Binion
Mar 18, 2015

TACOMA -- Kitsap County deliberately discriminated against an Army National Guard veteran returning to work in the Fire Marshal's Office and retaliated against him after he filed a complaint by demoting him and passing over him for a promotion, a federal jury decided Monday.

The county's attorney said she disagreed with the verdict in the case of former Deputy Fire Marshal Craig D. Hanson, saying the county's hiring process that Hanson disputed had picked the most qualified candidate for the promotion.

The first trial in August in U.S. District Court in Tacoma ended in a hung jury. In the most recent two-week trial, jurors sided with Hanson in three of nine claims, awarding him about $65,000.

Hanson's attorney, Matt Crotty of Spokane, said the jury's finding that the discrimination and retaliation was "willful" was uncommon and could allow for the doubling of the award.

Hanson, now retired from military service, was a master sergeant in the Washington National Guard and also had served in the Army and Marines. 

He started with the Fire Marshal's Office in March 2007 and left in November 2009 when he was called to active duty. One of his deployments during that time was for a year in Iraq.

He returned to work in the office in December 2012 but claimed in court documents the work environment had turned hostile and resulted in him being demoted. Fire Marshal David Lynam did not return a call for comment left at his office Monday afternoon.
read more here

Pentecostal Chaplain’s Religious Accommodation Request Denied

I know this may flabbergast some folks but it seems the Chaplain wanted accommodation for his views at the same time he disregarded the servicemembers going to him for help.

This has been a huge issue in all branches as more and more servicemembers were seeking help from some Chaplains only to be told they were going to hell or that their suffering was judgement of their sins. Yep~ So a young Soldier, Marine or Sailor or Airman would be dealing with PTSD and moral injury, then walk away feeling even worse.

If you think that's bad, try working with them on their spiritual need after they had been put through hell by a Chaplain.

To all the great military Chaplains out there, and there are many, this makes me appreciate all of you even more!

Commander denies Pentecostal chaplain’s religious accommodation request
Stars and Stripes
By Jon Harper
Published: March 18, 2015

Congressional law and Defense Department regulations require the military to accommodate the religious beliefs of servicemembers to the extent practical and prohibits the military from taking disciplinary action against servicemembers or chaplains for expressing their religious views unless their actions and speech threaten “good order and discipline.”

On Monday, Fahs sent a memorandum to Modder denying his request for religious accommodation, arguing that the chaplain violated Navy regulations.

“In your case, I find that your ability to express your religious beliefs during pastoral counseling has not been restricted or substantially burdened,” Fahs said. “The decision to relieve you from your duties is based on your failure to uphold … the professional standards of conduct and the guiding principles of the Chaplain Corps.”

WASHINGTON — The commander of Naval Nuclear Power Training Command has denied a religious accommodation request by a Pentecostal chaplain who was removed from his post for allegedly making inappropriate comments to sailors and being “intolerant” of those who don’t share his religious views.

Last month, NNPTC commander Capt. Jon Fahs requested that Navy chaplain Lt. Cmdr. Wesley Modder be “detached for cause.” Fahs also recommended Modder be denied promotion and made to show cause for retention in the Navy.

Modder, a member of the Pentecostal Assemblies of God denomination, has been removed from his post at NNPTC and temporarily reassigned to Naval Support Activity Charleston as a staff chaplain while Navy Personnel Command reviews Fahs’ recommendations.
read more here Linked from Military.com

Sarasota Veterans Community Joins Forces for Afghanistan Veteran

Veteran with PTSD needs new home for dog
FOX 13 News
By: Crystal Clark
Mar 18, 2015

SARASOTA (FOX 13) - A veteran in Sarasota battling PTSD must now let go of the dog he rescued in Afghanistan to undergo treatment.

A non-profit organization in St. Petersburg hopes to find the dog a new, permanent home.

Kathy Smith, Founder of Dog Tag Heroes, was contacted by a Vietnam War veteran in Sarasota through her Pet Foster Car Program.

The veteran told her about a young soldier who recently returned from Afghanistan.

He is being treated in Sarasota for severe emotional Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

The soldier's condition is said to be so severe, he will likely by institutionalized for an indefinite period of time, leaving the dog he raised in Afghanistan and brought back to the states without a caregiver.

"We really want to find a good home for this dog and not let this dog end up in a kennel," said Smith.

According to Smith, the dog is currently in the care of a foster mom in Sarasota.

Smith has made helping veterans her mission in life since her husband, Dennis, a veteran of the Navy, died in 2006 from the effects of Agent Orange.
read more here

Fort Hood Lost 8 Soldiers Since January

January

Spc. Joshua Avery Snapp, 30, of Spartanburg, S.C.

Spc. Jason Krusczynski, 35, was found dead on January 27th.

Spc. Kendrick Vernell Sneed, 24, January 13, 2015

Cpt. Jonathan Nyle Muniz, 42, Rocky Ford Colorado, January 11, 2015

February

Spc. Casey Andrew Chapman, 20, was found unresponsive in a vehicle

Atase Giffa, opened fire on three people, killing two and injuring one before forcing his wife, 28-year-old Dawn Giffa, into another home, where he killed her and then himself.

March

Pfc. Elvis Lee Bingham, 35, was pronounced dead at 10:20 p.m. Saturday by Bell County Justice of the Peace Garland Potvin

And now

A 33-year-old Fort Hood, Texas-based soldier was found unresponsive at his off-post residence Sunday and pronounced dead, according to a Tuesday news release from the installation.

Sgt. Geraldo Andre Mora-Cruz enlisted in 2000 and had been assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 48th Chemical Brigade, at the Texas base since July 2012, the release states.

He deployed twice in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, once in 2003 and again from November 2007 to January 2009.

Miller Forgets History Has A Long Memory on Veterans Issues

Ok, so the story goes like this. Congress decides to fund construction for VA hospitals, then slams the VA. Oh, wait, they only do it when the head of the VA is appointed by the opposing party.

The latest boatload of BS is about the Denver VA Hospital going over budget.

Cost of New Denver-Area VA Hospital Swells Fivefold to $1.73 Billion
Here are a couple of quotes from the AP report.

"The VA couldn't lead starving troops to a chow hall when it comes to managing a construction project," U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman, a Republican from Aurora, said Tuesday. "The VA's mismanagement of this project is beyond belief and brings into question the competence of their leadership at every level."

On Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller -- a Florida Republican and chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs -- called the Aurora project "the biggest construction failure in VA history."

Here is Florida we have our own mess to deal with. Back in 2008 I attended the groundbreaking shindag complete with a high price caterer and best part was they handed out engraved shovels with the date on it, 10/24/08 a month before the election, but they thought no one would notice that. We sure noticed the shovel and there were a lot of jokes about that since they were not even planning to start construction until 2010.

The Orlando Sentinel reported this way back in 2007.

Veterans hospital comes to Lake Nona
An agreement brings the $553 million facility to Orlando's new medical campus.
Harry Wessel Sentinel Staff Writer
December 19, 2007

The two-decadelong dream of a VA hospital in Central Florida took a big step toward reality Tuesday when the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the Tavistock Group signed an agreement to bring the long-awaited facility to a planned "medical city" in the southeast corner of Orlando.

"Finally, the largest metropolitan area not serviced by a VA medical center will now have a facility at Lake Nona," said U.S. Rep. Tom Feeney, R-Oviedo, who said he would push for full funding of the VA hospital in the federal government's fiscal 2008 budget.

Congress has previously authorized money for the Orlando VA hospital, including $35 million to purchase the property. Terms of the agreement Tuesday were not disclosed, though Feeney's office noted the authorization amount had not changed and that the total amount for the VA hospital "will be over $377 million."

It should be well over that. The total bill for the VA-hospital project will be an estimated $553 million, according to a letter sent Tuesday from U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez to Veterans Affairs Secretary Dr. James Peake.

These guys actually think we believe them?

The House approved $220 million in August of 2008. But a month later the information from just a year before turned into this.

The 65-acre parcel in southeast Orlando will house the $656 million, 314-bed VA facility, one of the crown jewels in a 600-acre "medical city" at Lake Nona being pieced together by the Tavistock Group. The purchase price for the property was about $39 million, said Barry Stanley, spokesman for the Orlando VA Medical Center.

Construction is set to begin next year, and the state-of-the art facility would open its doors to Central Florida's 400,000 veterans in 2012.

Guess we were right to make fun of the shovel. Here it is 2015 and we still don't have a VA hospital.

In 2012 they were saying it would happen in 2013.

Construction delays and design errors have pushed the opening of the new $665 million medical center from October to the summer of 2013 — at the earliest, VA officials told the Sentinel on Tuesday.

The best part of all of this is what Representative Jeff Miller said about this back in 2012 in his press release as Chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee. (Yep he had the job back then too)

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, Rep. Jeff Miller, Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, issued the following statement regarding the construction of the new Orlando Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center, which will serve approximately 300,000 veterans and is already two years behind schedule:

“VA has painted a rosy picture for the public and the veterans of Florida for the past two years regarding the construction of the long-overdue Orlando Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center. VA’s confidence in the timely and on-budget completion of this project was so great that it devoted ‘bid savings’ from this project for use elsewhere around the country. Needless to say, that confidence has given way to a somber reckoning of serious delays and potential cost-overruns.

“A Contract Cure Notice issued today by the Department of Veterans Affairs has the potential to stop construction at the Orlando site and increase the costs moving forward exponentially, if a resolution is not reached. The Committee was assured by VA officials on March 27, and again on May 18 of this year, that VA was working collaboratively with the contractor to ensure issues surrounding the construction of the facility would be resolved and the new timeline set forth by VA would be met. That was clearly not the case.

“This project has been a multi-million dollar debacle, and a failure of this magnitude deserves accountability at the highest level. Unfortunately, we have seen this pattern before. VA management and oversight of large construction and IT projects across the country has been sorely lacking and fraught with incompetence.

“The current situation in Orlando is inexcusable. Pointing fingers and laying blame will not build the medical center the veterans of Central Florida deserve. I expect answers immediately from VA on the status and cost of this project, and the implication of today’s decision on the delivery of care and services to our veterans.”

This is 2015 so who did he think was going to be fixing this? All this would really be funny unless you're a veteran waiting to be able to get the care you were promised when you served the country and ended up paying for it with your health. But it isn't funny at all to the 400,000+ veterans and family members in Central Florida.

The rest of the hospital isn't opened but already in September of 2014 there was this report.

The Orlando Veterans Affairs Community Center opened in December, and it's the only part of the behind-schedule hospital project that's finished.

"It's isolated to this facility. Good news of it is two patients did recover. Unfortunately one person did pass away, but that person had underlying health conditions," said Dain Weister, with the Orange County Health Department.

Guess Miller has forgotten a few things. Like it was President Bush in the chair when this started and Democrats controlled the House and the Senate. They were not happy with James Peake, the then head of the VA after James Nicholson and Anthony Principi.

Their control ended in 2011 after losing the House in the 2010 election. Ever since then the Republicans have controlled the House and yes, the Veterans Affairs Committee. Do you think they could have fixed all this by now if they wanted to? This is how veterans get screwed all the time. They remember risking their lives but politicians can't remember what they were supposed to fix before it got even worse!

Mom of Combat Wounded Son Still Doesn't Know Why He Died

2 years after N.J. soldier who lost legs in Afghanistan dies, mom still wants to know why
NJ.com
By Alex Napoliello
March 18, 2015

"Today is my son's 2 year angelversary," she writes. "He fought for 20 months at Walter Reed to recover from his injuries in Afghanistan. While I am forever thankful and grateful for those extra 20 months, he was still taken from us way too soon. I miss him each and every day."

"Puppy Derek" was named in honor of U.S. Army Sgt. Derek Tra McConnell. During the Star-Spangled Spectacular in Baltimore in September 2014, "Puppy Derek" made some new Marine friends.
(Courtesy of Janet Lally)

PARSIPPANY — Two years ago today, Siobhan Fuller-McConnell's 23-year-old son died shortly after being released from a military medical center. She says she's still wants to know why.

"I try not to think about it," Fuller-McConnell said. "I try to do things that keep his memory alive. ... I will never officially get word from Walter Reed about what happened to Derek."

U.S. Army Sgt. Derek Tra McConnell lost his legs and suffered severe blast wounds in July 2011 after two improvised explosive devices hit him while he was on patrol in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

He seemed to be doing well, recovering at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., learning to walk with his prosthetic legs.

He and his fiancé, Krystina Dressler, were to marry soon after they won an online contest for an $80,000 wedding.

But those plans vanished on March 18, 2013.
read more here
Double amputee Afghanistan Veteran Derek McConnell passed away

"Wounded Times" Copied Title But Not Work on PTSD

There is something called "Wattpad" and it looks like my site name has been hijacked. It is called, of all things, Wounded Times. It has nothing to do with me, my work or anything else. No clue who they are or what this is all about but ticks me off! Not putting up the link since I don't want to hand them over more traffic. You can search for yourself.

George Washington Law Student's Death Ruled Suicide

Second-year law student's death ruled a suicide 
The GW Hatchet
by Colleen Murphy
News Editor
Issue: March 16, 2015

Media Credit: Photo courtesy of Kristen Tassone. Gregory Levine with friend and GW Law School classmate Kristen Tassone. Classmates said they would remember Levine, who was found dead on Nov. 13, as a loyal friend and strong student.

Second-year law student Gregory Levine’s death has been ruled a suicide, the D.C. Chief Medical Examiner said Monday.

The 27-year-old was found dead in his Jefferson House apartment on Nov. 13.

Levine was originally from Woodmere, N.Y. and was interested in international criminal law and space law.

Friends and professors said he was kind and attentive to the people he loved.

Levine externed with U.S. Army JAG in Fort Belvoir, Va. during the fall semester. He was a member of 11 student organizations at one point during his time at GW, including the Military Law Society, Space Law Society and Criminal Law Society.

He was also the historian of the American Constitution Society for the last two years.
read more here

Double Amputee Iraq Veteran Noah Galloway Shined Dancing With Stars

You may remember reading about Noah Galloway, a double amputee, Iraq veteran not about to let anyone put up barriers to him. Well, he just showed that he wasn't even going to be afraid of dancing, not only in public but in front of TV cameras and a huge audience.

From battle to ballroom: Double amputee war hero Noah Galloway’s amazing journey to 'DWTS'
FoxNews.com
By Carole Glines
Published February 26, 2015

LOS ANGELES – Motivational speaker Noah Galloway is set to become one of the most inspiring "Dancing with the Stars" competitors ever.

But it hasn’t been easy as the Army veteran who lost two limbs while fighting in Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2005 hit rock bottom before pulling himself out of a major depression.

“In my second tour of duty in Iraq, I was injured and lost my left arm and left leg” during an improvised explosive device attack, former infantry sergeant Galloway told FOX411 at Tuesday’s DWTS season 20 cast event. “When I woke up in the hospital, it was a struggle. It was really tough and that bothered me for the first couple years -- and I became out of shape, drank a lot, and would sit around the house.”

But Galloway said thoughts of his three children pulled him out of the funk and he vowed to get back in shape.

“I wanted to be a better father, better person, better man,” the divorced warrior said. “I owe it all to my children.”
read more here

Here is the video from Dancing With the Stars
DWTS Season 20 Week 1 - Noah and Sharna (3/16/15) Full performance
Honestly, I think he did a lot better than a lot of men dance with all their limbs. He looked like he was dancing on cloud 9.

Veterans Suffered and Died While Boehner and McCain Tried to Kill the VA

Every member of Congress needs to face veterans in their districts and explain why the VA is still such a mess, especially when the facts prove, they just don't really care.

Start with the veterans in Ohio and how Speaker of the House John Boehner decided it would be better for veterans to kill the VA and let them face for profit corporations. After all, there are no waiting lines in regular hospitals and no long waits to see a specialist. Sure everything is perfect in the world civilians live in.

It seems Boehner has been trying to do exactly that and is no longer ashamed to admit it.

The Columbus Dispatch reported this May 24, 2014 when everyone was trying to blame the mess in the VA on Eric Shinseki, including Boehner pointing his finger at him so no one would remember how long the horror stories had been coming out or how long veterans had been hearing promises at the same time this man was doing all in his power to destroy the VA.

Privatizing VA still appeals to Boehner

WASHINGTON — More than two decades ago, House Speaker John Boehner said, he floated an idea that was controversial: Why not privatize the Department of Veterans Affairs?

The idea was soundly rejected by veterans’ organizations.

Now, in the midst of a sweeping scandal over allegations that government officials falsified reports on how long veterans were waiting for medical treatment, Boehner said yesterday that the idea still has merit.
“I still like the idea, and especially now,” he said.

There were a lot of reports last year that made it seem as if all these problem were new and no one had any clue how bad things were. The trouble is, Congress Collective Amnesia on Veterans Affairs has a long list of all the years they knew exactly what was going on.

This isn't about Democrats or Republicans, since both parties managed to fail veterans over and over again, then pretend they had nothing to do with any of it for decades. It is all about Congress and blindsiding veterans. They actually think they can tell us they care at the same time they screw things up on purpose and hope we just didn't notice.

Boehner isn't the only one trying to destroy the VA.

Senator John McCain shocked veterans last year calling for it too, but it was the same thing he said when he was running for the Presidency. We have to go all the way back years to see what he really felt about the VA and the Huffington Post still has up a fabulous list of what McCain was against doing for veterans. He hasn't been so great for the troops either but that is another part of the story on the article.

This one is the best of all when it comes to his desire to kill the VA.

Disabled American Veterans Legislative Director Said That McCain's Proposal Would Increase Costs For Veterans Because His Plan Relies On Private Hospitals Which Are More Expensive and Which Could Also Lead To Further Rationing Of Care. "To help veterans who live far from VA hospitals or need specialized care the VA can't provide, McCain proposed giving low-income veterans and those who incurred injury during their service a card they could use at private hospitals. The proposal is not an attempt to privatize the VA, as critics have alleged, but rather, an effort to improve care and access to it, he said. Joe Violanti, legislative director of the Disabled American Veterans, a nonpartisan organization, said the proposal would increase costs because private hospitals are more expensive. The increased cost could lead to further rationing of care, he said." (Las Vegas Sun, 8/10/08)

These were also and the list and I found them very interesting considering that my husband's claim was filed in 1993 and was not approved until 1999. Yep, we had to fight 6 years back then. Imagine how I feel about all this still going on at the VA because members of congress never really gave a crap.

McCain Voted Against Providing Automatic Cost-of-Living Adjustments to Veterans. McCain voted against providing automatic annual cost-of-living adjustments for certain veterans' benefits. (S. 869, Vote 259, 11/20/91)

McCain Voted to Underfund Department of Veterans Affairs. McCain voted for an appropriations bill that underfunded the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development by $8.9 billion. (H.R. 2099, Vote 470, 9/27/95)

McCain Voted Against a $13 Billion Increase in Funding for Veterans Programs. McCain voted against an amendment to increase spending on veterans programs by $13 billion. (S.C.R. 57, Vote 115, 5/16/96) McCain Voted Against $44.3 Billion for Veterans Programs. McCain was one of five senators to vote against a bill providing $44.3 billion for the Department of Veterans Affairs, plus funding for other federal agencies. (H.R. 2684, Vote 328, 10/15/99)

There are a lot more reports on many different people we elected to lie to us. It's all political bullshit as the facts have shown yet this is what CBS news let stand when they did the report on McCain's thoughts in 2014

"Unfortunately, as this scandal at the VA escalated for nearly two months, President Obama was nowhere to be seen," McCain wrote. "There were expressions of anger through presidential proxies, but nothing from the commander in chief himself. And when the president finally did speak about the crisis on Wednesday, there was only a recitation of talking points, expressions of confidence in the system, without a real sense of emotion and urgency."

The GAO came out with a report that there is no accountability with the VA claims process. This didn't just happen. The report came out in 2008.

They were right but things didn't change much by 2014 when FOX news reported on Milton Rachham, a WWII veteran fighting for his claim to be honored for 68 years. He wasn't alone. In 2008 there were many reports of older veterans seeking help from the VA for the first time.

As World War II veterans have aged, and reflected on the dreadful experiences of war and carnage, more and more exhibited the symptoms of a malady unheard of when they went off to battle 65 years ago: post traumatic stress disorder.

The only way these people can pull this off is to make sure the VA is as bad as it can be and destroy it. After all, how can their rich buddies make more money when the VA is still taking care of veterans? Guess they didn't stop to think about all the veterans and families suffering and dying in the process while they play deaf, dumb and blind hoping we didn't notice any of this.

Veteran Killed by Police After Call to Suicide Prevention Hotline

Police: Vet shot, killed by police after firing weapon at them
WSOC 9 News
By Blake Hanson
Monday, March 16, 2015

GASTON COUNTY — A veteran was shot and killed by police Monday after he fired his weapon at them, Gaston County authorities said.

The shooting happened on Wedowee Lane.

Police Chief James Buie addressed the media Monday night, calling it an "unfortunate situation."

Buie said Gaston County Communications got a call from the National Veterans Hotline concerning a suicidal man at 5:08 p.m.

Police said William Dean Poole, 52, had told the hotline he planned to kill himself and not to send anyone to his home because it would not end well.

When officers arrived at about 5:25 p.m., Buie said Poole was sitting on a lawnmower and fired multiple shots at police first.

The officers returned fire, killing Poole.

The four officers involved in the shooting were not injured, police said.
read more here

Update from Gaston Gazette
Police: Veteran fired at officers before fatal shooting

Hinson says the man suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of his time in the U.S. Navy and had a broken back from a motorcycle crash.

"Why did it have to come to using that excessive force?" Hinson asked. "I could have reasoned with him if it had gotten to that point."

Louisiana National Guard aviators killed in Black Hawk crash called 'heroes'
NOLA.com
The Times-Picayune
By Paul Purpura
March 16, 2015

They piloted helicopters into harm's way in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kosovo, delivering infantry and special operations troops to battle and pulling out the injured. At home, they helped rescue thousands of people who were trapped in flooded neighborhoods after Hurricane Katrina.

They were:

Chief Warrant Officer 4 George Wayne Griffin Jr., 37, a Delhi native who lived in Hammond

Chief Warrant Officer 4 George David Strother, 44, of Alexandria

Staff Sgt. Lance Bergeron, 40, of Thibodaux, the crew chief

Staff Sgt. Thomas Florich, 26, of Baton Rouge, the flight mechanic.

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