Everything's hunky-dory at Walter Reed,
says Nat'l Guard Adjutant General
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by Sharon Rose, Unknown News
March 7, 2007
When the Washington Post first broke the story about the situation for our wounded and disabled veterans at Walter Reed hospital, a liberal radio talk show host that I enjoy listening to was talking about the inadequate treatment our returning soldier were receiving. Listeners were calling in and an idea was born... Contact our state governors and ask them to reclaim their state's solders. Bring them home to their own communities, where they can be near their families, for treatment and support. Then locally provide them with assistance with medical care, rehabilitation, transportation, education and job training... whatever they need... as well as help with whatever paperwork needed to be done.
So I wrote my Governor, Phil Bredesen of Tennessee, and included a copy of the Washington Post article that originally exposed this problem. Honestly, I didn't really expect that any of the governors would follow through with this "reclaim our state's soldiers" idea, but at least it would let them know that Americans were aware of the unacceptable way our Veterans were being treated, and were not going to tolerate it.
Seems my letter was forwarded over to Major General Gus. L Hargett, Jr., and I received a reply from him. I couldn't believe my eyes. In a nutshell, he wrote that his staff contacted "every soldier that is or has been" at Walter Reed Hospital and that they all were satisfied with their care there, with the exception of one person, adding that "there will always be a time where a patient is not satisfied".
Here's the text of my original letter to Gov. Bredesen. Gen Hargett's reply follows, below.
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February 22, 2007
Dear Governor Bredesen,
In light of the exposé in the Washington Post (February 18, 2007 -- a copy of
the article is enclosed) about the deplorable conditions our returning
soldiers face at Walter Reed Hospital, a movement to Support These Troops
has begun. We are urging all our Senators, Representatives, and Governors to
reclaim our returning Veterans from Walter Reed Hospital -- bring them back
to their home states, welcome them like the returning heroes that they are,
and provide them with whatever care they need in their own communities --
whether that be in a VA Hospital, outpatient clinic, or a private facility.
These Veterans may also need auxiliary support, such as help with
transportation, housing, and job training or employment. Furthermore, because
these troops are currently under federal control, assistance must also be
provided to complete whatever paperwork is necessary to comply with any
federal requirements.
We are not blaming Walter Reed Hospital or the Veteran's Administration for
this problem -- we understand that the large number of new patients, combined
with the inexcusable underfunding of the VA, must make the situation
overwhelming -- however, our brave men and women cannot be left to languish
in the conditions described in the Washington Post article.
Thank you for your attention in this matter.
Sharon Rose
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I scanned and posted Gen Hargett's response here.
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March 7, 2007
On behalf of Governor Phil Bredesen, I am responding to your inquiry of our Tennessee National Guard soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC). As your inquiry came to my office, my staff was researching this issue. I want [to] thank you for your concerns for the great men and women of our military.
I had my staff contact every soldier who is or has been stationed at Walter Reed. In reply, each soldier provided a response and a description of their care to date. In all instances, I am happy to report, the soldiers were satisfied with the hospital care. Only one has expressed any negative remarks regarding the care or service at WRAMC. My staff will continue to monitor their progress.
I have personally visited WRAMC on numerous occasions. Each time I was privileged to meet with our men and women assigned there. At the time of my visits, I received no complaints. Our military hospitals are regimented and directed to operate under strict guidelines and responsible medical care plans. However, there will always be a time when a patient is not satisfied. And knowing this, we must strive harder to ensure our servicemen and women are receiving the best care possible and then returned to their families.
Your point is well-made, and I respect your dedication to our troops. Should you receive any further issues like this for our soldiers, please let me know or contact my Secretary General Staff, MAJ Eric Goslowsky, at (615) 313-0524, or email at mailto:eric.goslowsky@ng.army.mil.
Very respectfully,
(signed)
Gus L. Hargett, Jr.
Major General
The Adjutant General
Tennessee Army National Guard
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Note that in the reply he says he's responding to my "inquiry of or
Tennessee National Guard Soldiers", however my letter wasn't limited to the
TN National Guard, I asked about all returning Veterans from state -- no
matter what branch of the service.
And I find it pretty hard to believe that
the Major General's staff contacted "every soldier who is or has been
stationed" at Walter Reed. While I have no doubt that you could find many
soldiers who could tell you about excellent care at Walter Reed, this
response pretty much dismissed any concerns!
Perhaps the Major General has only been shown the clean and shiny wards and
the satisfied soldiers at Walter Reed. I'm reminded of that story about the
three blind men and the elephant -- one touches it's tail and declares that
an elephant is like a rope, one touches it's tusk and says "no, an elephant
is like a spear", and the third touches it's leg and says "you're both
wrong, and elephant is like a tree"... it's easy to get a limited impression
of something if you only examine selected portions. So maybe I'm only seeing
the smelly pile the elephant left behind (of course it would be an elephant,
wouldn't it?), and it's not a complete picture... but soldiers are
suffering! Even if it's only a small percentage, it is unacceptable.
Frankly, to me, the response I received had a real "pat her on the head,
tell her everything's okay, and make her go away" kind of feel to it.
© by the author.
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We appreciate the heck out of everyone who helps.
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"I had my staff contact every soldier who is or has been stationed at Walter Reed.
"In reply, each soldier provided a response and a description of their care to date.
"In all instances, I am happy to report, the soldiers were satisfied with the hospital care.
"Only one has expressed any negative remarks regarding the care or service at WRAMC."
Major General Gus L. Hargett; Jr.
Tennessee Army National Guard
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There's much more than this at Unknown News.
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