Voices

Veterans merit better care than VA gives

I enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1968 at 17 years old. By enlisting I could at least choose a military specialty that would give me some kind of training other than the infantry. My intentions were to do my three years and get out. I was sent to Vietnam on my last year of service and got out of the military when I came home.

As a Vietnam veteran in northern California, let us just say there were no parades to welcome us home. When people would find out that I was a veteran I could see them physically pull back. It was not entirely their fault. The war had lasted too long; it was unpopular; the news media was biased against it; and if you were to be considered COOL, you needed to be against the war and the military. I was only out of the military for 18 months before I went back in. I needed to be around soldiers who understood me and with whom I felt comfortable. Soldiers understand that being a combat veteran is nothing to be ashamed of. I retired in December 1989 as a first sergeant.

In the late '70s and '80s the American people started to understand that they had not done right by the veterans that they sent to Vietnam. They had a big parade in New York City and things sure changed; suddenly people that had never been to 'Nam were claiming to be a veteran. It became popular and cool to know someone who had post traumatic stress syndrome. I guess it made the American people feel better.

Then came the first Iraq war, Sept. 11, 2001, Afghanistan and the second Iraq war. People put stickers and flags all over their vehicles declaring their support of our soldiers. Even those who disagreed with the wars supported our troops. It made me proud to think that my country had finally got it right -- actively and openly supporting our soldiers and veterans.

That is really all these veterans want, our support and for us to keep our promise to treat their injuries. I know all too well what it is like not having that support and I understand its importance.

Now we hear of the Veterans Administrations hospitals allowing our veterans to live in horrendous conditions. Of veterans having to beg for treatment, being denied treatment and disability payments for injuries sustained in combat. And to add insult to injury, now it appears that Veterans Administration hospitals have failed to properly sterilize the equipment it uses to perform a colonoscopy, infecting veterans with HIV, as well as Hepatitis A and C.

I've never told anyone how devastated I was 38 years ago when I returned from 'Nam. Understand I do not want nor do I need anyone to feel sorry for me. I am proud of my service and have no regrets.

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I only tell you this so that you may understand how important your support and the medical care is to those veterans who are returning now. The stickers and flags are nice, but our veterans deserve better treatment and we owe them that much. These repeated failures are not just errors and mistakes. When taken as a whole they represent a clear pattern of disrespect and neglect by our government officials. Is this really the best we can do for our veterans? Will this be the standard for government-run health care?

If General Motors, AIG, Chrysler, our banks and other financial institutions fail I understand how devastating it would be for our country. If our country continues to fail our veterans, how devastating will that be?

Frank E. Miller lives in Wasilla.

By FRANK E. MILLER

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