VA tried to say this soldier didn't deserve 100% disability (WARNING picture)

[ShaneGR]

http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/11/15/wounded.marine/index.html

More than 28,500 troops have been wounded in Operation Iraqi Freedom, including about 8,500 that have needed air transport, according to the U.S. military.

A recent Harvard study found that the cost of caring for those wounded over the course of their lifetime could ultimately cost more than $660 billion.

In Ziegel's case, he spent nearly two years recovering at Brooke Army Medical Center in Texas. Once he got out of the hospital, he was unable to hold a job. He anticipated receiving a monthly VA disability check sufficient to cover his small-town lifestyle in Washington, Illinois.

Instead, he got a check for far less than expected. After pressing for answers, Ziegel finally received a letter from the VA that rated his injuries: 80 percent for facial disfigurement, 60 percent for left arm amputation, a mere 10 percent for head trauma and nothing for his left lobe brain injury, right eye blindness and jaw fracture.

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. Yep the VA is right, he doesn't, slacker :Sarcasm:

there are days....

[tabasco]

2. Bush's way of supportin' those troops!

Cut the VA funding.

It took a rat-infested Walter Reed hospital to get anybody's attention.

[walldude]

6. Too bad the attention span of most Americans is about 3 seconds

This kind of hypocrisy is sickening. I'm forwarding this to Olberman, maybe he'll report on it...

[ChairmanAgnostic]

3. when is it right to be ashamed of your country?

Exhibit A: see above.

[Sabriel]

4. Can't they call him up again?

He could still do another tour, couldn't he?

(It's appalling, the shit treatment the armed forces have to put up with. Where the hell's all that "defense" money going, anyway?)

[Schema Thing]

5. Who ARE we?

[robinlynne]

8. !

[Greyskye]

7. Thank you for your sevice

:sarcasm:


The military is also discharging personnel for what they are calling "Personality Disorders". Which means that the military is saying that these service men and women have been fucked up their entire lives. (Gee, I wonder how they made it past their initial medical screenings when they enlisted?) It also means that the military will NOT provide ANY medical/mental health services.

In reality, these people have PTSD which, if diagnosed, would require long term disability pay and care. But evidently, doing THAT isn't really 'supporting our troops'. Double :sarcasm:

:puke:

[malaise]

9. About time KO puts these injured vets on TeeVee

Let America see what they're government has done.
No need for a warning - that's his face after Bushco.

[ThomCat]

10. Billions to fight the war and nothing to support the permanently disabled.

:cry:

This is the kind of thing that really shows you where your country stands. :(

[zabet]

11. This. Fucking. Breaks.

My. Heart.
:cry:
Angers. My. Soul.
:grr:

[Bigmack]

12. The thing to remember....

is that this pic and this man's situation pisses us off right now.

Thirty years from now, we'll be concerned/worried/pissed off about a whole bunch of new things, but this guy will still be enormously fucked up from his injuries. We will forget him. Our society will forget him. He'll just be another fucked up guy on the street or hiding in his home. He won't be a war hero, or a wounded vet.... he'll just be somebody we'd all rather not see or deal with.

We gotta quit making so damn many veterans!

[babylonsister]

13. Oh, this is heartwrenching, and screw the VA for considering men

in his condition as just numbers, instead of having any humanity.

[BrklynLiberal]

14. Guess it is a safe bet that prez shit-for-brains is not going to be doing any photo-ops with this

wounded soldier!!!
Gawd. I just despise that man and everything he stands for.

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

15. O-M-G!

:cry:

I'm so sorry!!! I AM SO SORRY!!!!

:cry:

Young man, you are CERTAINLY ENTITLED TO 100% disability benefits and don't you EVER LET THEM TELL YOU OTHERWISE!!!

:grr:

[eppur_se_muova]

16. I've already seen the pic. It's the story that appalls me. nt

edit: speeeling

[rocktivity]

17. Is this the guy in that wedding photo?

Yes.

Note how the bride looks even more shellshocked than he does.

:(
rocknation

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

18. I am kicking and recommending because these young men and women DESERVE BETTER!!!

I am absolutely appalled at how this young man is being treated,...like a "throw-a-way"!!!

[MANative]

19. CNN reported on air this afternoon that the VA had

revised his disability rating to 100% after "further review". No specific link, but the original story includes this line buried at the bottom "Ziegel eventually won his battle. Still he feels for so many others he believes are getting cheated by the system."

I'm hoping that this is indeed true - that he really is now receiving the support he deserves.

[ShaneGR]

20. Ya, amazing to me there was ever even a question...nt

[Imagevision]

21. And asswipe Anderson Cooper is keeping them honest over there at CNN...! bastard!

[OzarkDem]

22. I will hire him

in a minute. I'm sure his skills are good.

[Quantess]

23. time to kick