Comments on: Your Voice: Military Malpractice Case

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

[rakreb]

This story is just one more indication of why this country and its government will eventually fail. To take this Nation''s young and use them up and then casually throw them away is not only repulsive but utterly reprehensible. A Nation devoid of HONOR, INTEGRITY, CONSCIENCE, JUSTICE and every other attribute that made this Nation great and bound to succeed in its inception will sadly slip silently
into oblivion as SELF-SERVING POWER and GREED rule through to its demise. And we are supposed to be the FREE government that all other governments should emulate. How Sad is that?

[maeve8473]

How can we expect the bravest and most honorable among us to defend our freedom when our government fails them so miserably with regards to pay, health care, or the benefits they are more than entitled to receive? Yes, Mr. Bush,they are entitled! Shame on all of us! Our apathy and abuse in failing Marine Sgt. Carmelo Rodriquez and others in Byron Pitt''s report occurs too frequently when soldiers require medical attention. THIS IS A NATIONAL DISGRACE! We demand immediate action on this matter before another brave and honorable soul is the victim of the government''s abuse and neglect. Sgt. Rodriquez will not come back, but it would honor his memory if the military gave his family the benefits he fought so bravely to provide them. I offer my sincere condolences to Sgt. Rodriquez''s family! You are in my thoughts and prayers.

[emz22-2009]

I was very moved by this story. I am hoping that the goverment of congress will soon enact a law to correct the injustice done to our military. Soldiers put their life at risk to serve the country, thinking that they and their family will be taking care of. I believe that America is a good place but the morality is sliding fast. Something about doing the right is missing now. The fact that Sgt Rodriguez''s family had paid in honor of his funeral is embarrasingly bad. My thoughts and prayers goes to Rodriguez family....Grief is a long and difficult journey that sometimes we travel alone, sometimes with others, and always, with God.
Matthew 5:4
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

[queenietpb]

This has to be one of the most heartbreaking stories that has come out of this illconceived, wrong headed, stupid war. My heart just breaks for this family as it would for any family who had someone killed as a result of this war but adding insult to the entire story is the fact that they had to pay for their own funeral. This has to change, and at the very least, the government should reimburse the family for the cost of burying this handsome, brave soldier. I am so sorry for this family.

[granny_1945]

Ms. Couric:
I would like to commend you and Byron Pitts for your handling of Sgt. Carmelo Rodriguez story. Thank you for bringing this injustice to the attention of the nation. My son is a career Marine and I think the handling of this situation is absolutely shameful. I contacted CBS for how to contact the Rodrigues family.
If our government won''t act honorably in this matter, the USMC family will take care of it''s own.
Thank you for your time,
granny_1945

[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!!

[kldempsey-2009]

Couldn''t believe my ears when I heard. My thoughts are with the family of this soldier. Unfortunately, his doctors were military. Having dealt with military doctors as an active military, a military spouse, and in-law to a current military member, I''m not surprised at this story. Unfortunately, I can see it happening. I am not trusting of military doctors and this is another reason why. I see doctors as pill pushers--if there''s a problem that needs researching and/or testing, they don''t bother testing to solve the problem. They just give pills for the pain. Have a lot to say on this issue but space is limited. One comment--not to put down the soldier or his family; if a doctor said something about a skin lesion on my body, I''d be keeping an "eye on it" by requiring second and third opinions. My brother was told about a possible prostate issue but he nor his civilian doctor followed through and he died from cancer. Had he immediately demanded testing, he may still be alive. Again, my sympathy to the soldier''s family.

[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!!

[guitpicker2]

I too had a horror story about the Military Hospital system. I had my PSA Test put in my file in 1997 and was never notified. It was already at 19.8%, indicating Prostate Cancer. I did not get diagnosed until 2000, until my PSA was already at 50% plus at which I got a Radical prostectomy.

[grunt6969]

I severed 6 yrs in the military and i''ve seen alot of these cases and thats why i had to leave the military. I think Congress needs to look over this bill about not being able to sue. If we can''t sue the military then we should be able to sue the doctors in volved. Some of the doctors that diagnosed recruits are LTs right out of medical school which in the military they are PA''s (Physician Assistants). Military gets mad if we see a doctor outside of their own. Why should we join the military if they can''t take care of use?