To the Editor:
The VA has been caught with its pants down. Forty-plus veterans died while waiting up to 21 months to be seen by specialist doctors for various life threatening illness’ at the VAMC Phoenix, Arizona. More deaths are also reported at other VAMC’s nationwide. This is blatant mismanagement if not criminal under the supposedly watchful eye of VA Secretary Eric Shinseki.
Military veterans organizations are calling for the secretary to be fired and prosecuted for mismanagement and answer for these untimely deaths. The Inspector General of the United States has been directed to conduct an investigation.
Paul E. Travis, MSgt, USAF, retired, veterans’ advocate said, “It’s time that all veterans unite to stop the mismanagement atrocity known as Veterans Affairs from further harming veterans.” Travis is well known among the veteran population.
John Paul Rossie, Executive Director, Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Association also spoke out to Congress to conduct a Congressional investigation concerning the VA scandal.
“Veterans are treated like a piece of meat. Often they are handed pills, narcotics for pain and antidepressants to calm them down and shoved out the door. Medically this sort of action solves nothing. Is this proper care for our veterans at VA hospitals? I think not.”
The American people should demand our Congress to step in and stop the atrocities that takes place at VA Medical Centers. Demand our veterans be properly cared for, they gave their all for our country, we now need to give our all to them.
John J. Bury, US Navy, retired
Media, Pa.
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