Comments on: Your Voice: Military Malpractice Case

CBS News Viewers React To The Haunting Story Of One Marine's Misdiagnosed Cancer

[gracie12251]

First, my thoughts and prayers go out to the Rodriquez family. I served in the US Navy and also was misdiagnosed (or undiagnosed actually) and am now fighting for a disability rating through VA. Despite a positive blood test and supporting symptomology during my time in service, I was never diagnosed with Lupus (SLE). Instead, the Navy sent me to a PSYCHIATRIST! Basically they told me it was all in my head. I was discharged with "personality disorders" being depression and anxiety (but, of course, not treated for that either) and never received an actual diagnosis until two and a half years later due to lack on insurance and no money with which to pay for a doctor myself. I often wonder if the years of pain I suffered and the stroke the Lupus eventually caused could have been avoided with an early diagnosis by a competent doctor instead of a quack that did the Navy''s bidding because they didn''t want to have to pay me following a medical discharge.

[ntsunchaser]

The most appalling story I''ve seen in years. How can we tell other countries how to treat their people when we treat ours so shamefuly. I hope our voices and your story inspire the goverment and the USMC to take action, so this never happens again. Please let this brave marine''s death mean something positive. That no more ever have to follow him.

[candle66]

It was a tragedy what happened to this Marine.
The negligence of both providers that saw him and did not take it further, the cruel injustice of the family not being able to sue for malpractice,and the insult to Carmello and his family by not awarding him a military funeral all add up to an embarrasment and
callousness on the part of our military. What a horrific story!!!! Shame on the goverment!!!!!!

[mzjzy50]

First of all I like to say my heart really hurts for the late Sgt Pitts family and close friends. WHO AND WHAT IS THE GOVERNMENT! HOW CAN WE CALL OURSELVES A GREATFUL NATION WHEN WE''RE ALLOWING OUR SOLDIERS TO BE TREATED SO TERRIBLE? WE ARE REACHING OUT TO OTHER COUNTRIES TO OFFER OUR FRIENDSHIP AND HELP AND OUR BRAVE SOLDIERS ARE BEING TREATED WORST THEN WE TREAT THE ANIMALS HERE IN AMERICA. THOSE DOGS GOT MORE ATTENTION AND MONEY WHEN THEY WERE BEING ABUSED THEN THE AMERICAN SOLDIERS GET WHEN THEY''VE BEEN ABUSED BY THE GOVERNMENT. THE ANIMAL ARE MORE IMPORTANT THEN OUR AMERICAN OUR SOLDIERS. I AGREE SOMETHING HAS GOT TO BE DONE!!

[john43988]

I am a Vet-Nam era solider. I seen kids die in nam wher I had a mind to shoot the doctors. Its pretty bad when you fight for this country and the service realy doesn;t care a damm about you. Just another story about soldier who was just a number.

[jb2old]

fI am apalled at the story about the marine Consuelo Martinez that died so horrible from melanoma when it wasn''t necessary.
Something must be done about the treatment of our young men who volunteer to protect us and get such ridiculous treatment .
Do away with the Feres Doctrine and get some real MD''s that care As a senior citizen I am used to being shafted by the government and the politicians but I am not as important as these boys are and should be given the best of treatment. and their funerals should all be paid for. Is a sickening smear on the reputaion of U S that their men are not treated any better than this.

[soccerguy191]

The service that young man did for our country gets paid back by a doctor''s ignorance and stupidy resulting in death. We are so called the greatest, richest country in the world but the military won''t even pay for the funeral. It made me sick, sick to my stomach to see it. I think not only the doctor should be held accountable but the whole military and goverment as well.

[soccerguy191]

The service that young man did for our country gets paid back by a doctor''s ignorance and stupidy resulting in death. We are so called the greatest, richest country in the world but the military won''t even pay for the funeral. It made me sick, sick to my stomach to see it. I think not only the doctor should be held accountable but the whole military and goverment as well.

[vnvet3]

My heart goes out to the Rodriguez family. I am a vietnam vet. I was mis-diagnosed while in Vietnam, with "warts", when in fact I had jungle rot on my feet. (Pitted keratalysis). A study showed 53% of Vietnam vets have it. The VA does not recognise it as a compensatable problem. Many of the doctors who treat me at my local VA, are incompetent or refuse me proper treatment from a specialist in a given field. Many vets are treated by resident student doctors, who feel challenged if we ask for a senior doctor. I asked to be tested for STD''s and my immigrant primary VA doctor wrote in my files, that my visits are time consuming and that I am "paranoid of rare diseases". I would not consider being tested for HIV and Hep B&C "rare" diseases in this day and age. I even had one doctor tell me I was "not on the front lines" in Vietnam...duh...there were no front lines lady!! She went so far as to say I was not in combat while in VN, but I have since been diagnosed and treated for PTSD. I find that I am still in battle. This time, it is the government, who years ago drafted me. It is time we took America away from the corporate suites, and special interest groups. And I did not fight years ago, to give more rights to immigrants, both legal and non legal, than what I myself have today. The system is very sick and we had better fix it. Our reputation as a great nation is declining around the world, and I know why.

[joyhunter]

I am a wife of a veteran of the military and I was ashamed to see how this young soldier and his family was treated. I see recruits from the military all the time trying to recruit our young people and they paint this wonderful picture for them. I hope before they join they see this because this was and eye opener.