60 Minutes Takes on the VA

Every veterans’ advocate knows well the U.S. Dept of Veterans Affairs is an unholy mess made worse by the American Enterprise Institute and the Bush-Cheney administration. 60 Minutes is on the case.

As one commenter, "cincystop," writes on the 60 Minutes site:

DENY-DENY-DENY UNTIL THEY ALL DIE The unwritten motto of the V.A. I was a grunt (ground pounder) in Viet Nam. I was hit 5 times in Nam & Cambodia. In 1970 the V.A. gave me a 30% rating. I was examined several times over the years. After 19 & 1/2 years I was called back in and cut back to 10%. Years later I found out after 20 years my rating could not be reduced. Even though my condition had not improved any I did not fight it just figuring somebody out there needed it worse than me. After my injuries were becoming worse and affecting my every day activities I filed new claims. It took almost 4 years to get back to 30& where I was almost 4 decades earlier. The V.A hospital has almost became my second home the past few years. There are some good people in the V.A. but there are some who should be thankful I believe in the here after. I started PTSD thearpy this past year. All they done was dig up old bones and greatly inflame a lot of stuff I had spent 40 years trying to put behind me. I finally told my therpist we had to end it or I was going to have to kill him. He had read the textbook and had a sheet of paper hanging on the wall but no Idea, of what I had been through. After re-uniting with the guys I served with I discovered the V.A. regional offices are not the same with their ratings. The Cleveland office is like pulling teeth where some of the others are much more liberal with theirs. I am being forced into early retirement because of my combat injuries. I am in a dog fight now for 100% because I can not even hold a job of a greeter. I can only be on my feet for short periods of time. In 1969 I did not go to Woodstock or Canada. I answered my countries call and went to Viet Nam. I have never asked for anything from anybody over the years but I feel I paid a severe price for my country and all I want is be treated the way we were promised. We were treated like crap when we came home. Now the wanna-bees daily are stealing our valor we earned & we are still fighting to receive what we so dearly paid for in our youth