Los Angeles VA Fails Again!

by Robert Rosebrock

Following is an e-mail sent to VA Secretary Eric Shinseki last evening following the VA’s an incredulous handling of a homeless Veteran right outside the Los Angeles VA.

The U.S. Attorneys who have been fighting the ACLU lawsuit which would provide housing and care, and U.S. District Judge S. James Otero (not a Veteran) who has ruled against providing housing and care for homeless Veterans, should all be fired from public service.

Congressman Henry Waxman, the elected public servant entrusted to protect Veterans property and provide then with proper housing and care, has instead aided and abetted in the giving away of Veterans property to a wealthy homeowner group for a public park and other misuse.

They are all a disgrace to America!

Thug prisoners at LA County jail and thug terrorists at Guantanamo Bay get far better treatment than America’s disabled and disadvantage Veterans who are homeless in Los Angeles.

Instead of taking care of disabled and homeless Veterans on property legally deeded to Veterans as a “Home” in 1888, Secretary Shinseki has turned the “stewardship of the entire property” over to Veterans Park Conservancy (not a Veterans organization) to operate a “heritage museum” and tourist attraction that includes 41 “historic” buildings with a macabre past, of which 11 are vacant.

Meanwhile, 20,000 disabled and disadvantaged Veterans have been dispossessed and exiled and live homeless and hungry on the dangerous streets of Los Angeles.

It’s time for CHANGE!

Stand up and speak out!

God Bless America and the Veterans Revolution!

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From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Sent: 8/5/2012 7:53:57 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time
Subj: Los Angeles VA Fails Again!

August 5, 2012

General Eric K. Shinseki (US Army, Retired)

Secretary, Department of Veterans Affairs

Washington, D.C.

Dear Mr. Secretary:

The Los Angeles VA never ceases to amaze me at their dismissive, apathetic and inhumane attitude toward homeless Veterans.

Today, during our 230th consecutive Sunday Rally, I noticed across the street, on the south side of Wilshire Boulevard, an individual laying on the sidewalk, motionless. (see following photos)

Instead of calling 911 and getting the usual runaround about whether this is LA County or LA City sidewalk, I took the advice of new LA VA Police Chief Ed Casey and called his Department and explained that a man was down and we needed help.

The desk dispatcher told me to call 911 but I informed her that Chief Casey told me to call the VA Police first for assistance whenever we needed emergency help. She then contacted one of their officers to go to the site.

I crossed the street to assist until help came. I also called 911 because the VA police would not make that call.

The downed individual was moving and responding to my questions and he was coming to his senses. He appeared to be inebriated.

The VA police drove by and I had to wave him back.

I asked the individual if he was a Veteran and he said yes, that he served in the Army and was honorably discharged.

To further engage him, I asked if he enjoyed his time in the Military and he said he actually wanted to make it a career. He showed me a silver star on his color and said “I promoted myself to Brigadier General.”

The VA police officer offered no assistance but wanted the Veteran’s ID. He said he lost it and gave his name and the VA police officer called it in, apparently first wanting to know if there were any warrants for his arrest before offering any aid — which he never did offer.

When the Paramedics arrived, the VA police officer split. The Paramedics asked the Veteran if he had any ailments and the Veteran said he had “cancer,” but they never questioned him further about it, nor did they take any vital signs.

The Paramedics offered no further assistance and told him to walk down the sidewalk and to be careful. They left.

That was it … and another homeless Veteran crying out for help in front of the Los Angeles VA (The Los Angeles National Veterans Home) and the VA and LA Paramedics let him go to further fend for himself on the streets of LA, alone, unemployed, homeless and hungry. If this is the treatment homeless Veterans get on one of the most visible, highly traveled streets in the nation and in front of the largest VA in the nation, what kind of treatment are they getting on skid-row, under bridges and in back-alley squalor?

This is inhumane; it is cruel and unusual treatment; it is un-American! It is criminal in the highest degree!

Donna Beiter, Ralph Tillman and Bill Daniels are always boasting that if there are any homeless Veterans, just let them know and they will take care of them.

I called today, so why didn’t the VA Police officer stay and tell the Paramedics to take the Veteran to the VA emergency for observation and help, particularly for his apparent alcohol problem?

Attached is about an incident nearly a year ago where a female Veteran was refused shelter at the VA because she wasn’t an alcoholic or drug addict and subsequently lived five days outside the VA until LA County Supervisor Mike Antonovich responded to my call for help sent out to all elected government officials — local, state and national — and top-level VA bureaucrats, yourself included.

If your LA VA bureaucrats had cared as much about the homeless Veteran today who needed serious help as they did in harassing, intimidating, stalking, spying and photographing the Old Veterans Guard, and ultimately illegally removing our rightful distress call in 2009 that the lives of our homeless Veterans are in extreme danger and so is their property, the homeless Veteran problem in Los Angeles would’ve already been resolved.

If you and your Department would spend 1 / 100th of your time helping homeless Veterans as you have spent in fighting the ACLU lawsuit which is trying to help disabled and homeless Veterans, the homeless Veteran problem in Los Angeles would have already been resolved.

General, our patience and tolerance with you and your Department are running mighty thin. Donna Beiter not only violated my Constitutional Right to Free Speech, but she is also in violation of her Oath of Office for failing to support and defend the U.S. Constitution. What more should I have expected today from such “leadership” at the most disgraceful VA in the nation.

It just keeps getting worse, and you refuse to do anything about it!

This is to respectfully request (demand) that you immediately construct tented shelter like we had for Vietnam Refugees at Camp Pendleton in 1975 (attached), open the front gates, and we’ll take care of our homeless Veterans.

As West Point Military genius General Patton said: “Either lead, follow, or get the hell out of the way.”

Sincerely,

Robert L. Rosebrock

Director, Old Veterans Guard

Director, Veterans Revolution

Robert Rosebrock

U.S. Army, 1965-67, Schofield Barracks, Hqs., U.S Army, Hawaii. Director, The Veterans Revolution, Captain, the Old Veterans Guard, and Director, We the Veterans.