Kily/Weightman et al. fall on swords (Ooops Part III)

[Judy G. Russell]

Oh, and I forgot to mention this one. A whole bunch of folks in the Army and Defense Department have fallen on their swords over the utterly deplorable conditions at Walter Reed -- the supposedly top flight military hospital in Washington DC where many severely wounded veterans are sent from the battlegrounds of Iraq and Afghanistan. And more are likely to have to sing the mea culpa blues as the investigation widens into conditions at veterans' hospitals across the country.

What a difference a serious press coupled with real Congressional oversight makes!

[ndebord]

Oh, and I forgot to mention this one. A whole bunch of folks in the Army and Defense Department have fallen on their swords over the utterly deplorable conditions at Walter Reed -- the supposedly top flight military hospital in Washington DC where many severely wounded veterans are sent from the battlegrounds of Iraq and Afghanistan. And more are likely to have to sing the mea culpa blues as the investigation widens into conditions at veterans' hospitals across the country.

What a difference a serious press coupled with real Congressional oversight makes!

Judy,

The topflight hospitals in DC and NYC and a few other locations are the best the VA has. The rest are rat traps and have been since 'Nam. Had a friend with multiple fractures in his leg after an RPG round hit him and he developed a bone infection for which the solution was multiple operations to remove parts of the shinbone. Two years, lots of metal parts and horrendous conditions in a VA hospital in Nashville and he committed suicide. Took pills and they didn't discover him until they made rounds the next day. (No nurses around on the night shift.)

As for Walter Reed. It is due to be "decommissioned" in the language of the military, as it is old, outdated and too expensive to renovate. They will consolidate everything at Bethesda, which will grow dramatically in size. I suspect they were penny wise and pound foolish in spending any money at Walter Reed and its satellites, but the conditions there are similar to others. The Pentagon officials in charge of funding are bean counters: one from NE HMOs and the other a 'Nam veteran (if you count Saigon) with experience in cost benefit analysis. Two Republican stalwarts in the best tradition of the pre-FDR Republicans. (Let them eat cake.)

[Judy G. Russell]

Two years, lots of metal parts and horrendous conditions in a VA hospital in Nashville and he committed suicide. Took pills and they didn't discover him until they made rounds the next day. (No nurses around on the night shift.)Appalling. Absolutely appalling.

[Lindsey]

What a difference a serious press coupled with real Congressional oversight makes!
Too bad it took us six years to get there.

--Lindsey

[Judy G. Russell]

Too bad it took us six years to get there.Agreed. But six years is better than eight. Or never.

[ndebord]

Appalling. Absolutely appalling.

Judy,

He was a superb athlete before and mourned the loss of his leg (even though they were trying to fix it). He also had multiple wounds which although technically healed, were causing him grief. He needed psychological counseling and although I, among others, visted him when we could, it was not the same thing as receiving professional help. They never could stop the bone(s) from deteriorating and that weighed heavily on his mind. Twenty-four months is a long time to be in a hospital with constant operations. I know, as I was off my right foot once for 18 months with only 3 operations before I could walk without crutches.

[Lindsey]

Agreed. But six years is better than eight. Or never.
This is true.

--Lindsey

[Judy G. Russell]

He needed psychological counseling and although I, among others, visted him when we could, it was not the same thing as receiving professional help.As I said, appalling. Horrible to think of a life that could have been saved with so little effort... after asking so much of that man.

[ndebord]

As I said, appalling. Horrible to think of a life that could have been saved with so little effort... after asking so much of that man.

Judy,

What was that cop story? "There are a thousand stories in the Naked City" (If memory serves.)

Most of those stories will never be told. They're nobody's business but my own and those involved and although I speak just for myself, I know others who feel the same way.

[Judy G. Russell]

Most of those stories will never be told. They're nobody's business but my own and those involved and although I speak just for myself, I know others who feel the same way.They're everyone's business, Nick. The fact that we as a nation have sent men and women into harm's way and then turned our backs is our business.

[ndebord]

They're everyone's business, Nick. The fact that we as a nation have sent men and women into harm's way and then turned our backs is our business.

Judy,

Nope. You're wrong here. Once had a talk about this with that Marine Uncle of mine who did WWII and Korea. Some things you just don't talk about.

[Judy G. Russell]

Nope. You're wrong here. Once had a talk about this with that Marine Uncle of mine who did WWII and Korea. Some things you just don't talk about.I think we're talking about different things, Nick. There are things my uncles who were in WWII don't talk about, some they're just starting to talk about now. But the nation's debt to them? Now that is everybody's business.

[ndebord]

I think we're talking about different things, Nick. There are things my uncles who were in WWII don't talk about, some they're just starting to talk about now. But the nation's debt to them? Now that is everybody's business.


Judy,

Yes we are talking at cross currents here. You're right and so am I.

SIGH