Comments on: Sgt.'s Death Not Counted As War Casualty

Family Says "Undetermined" Cause Of Death Following Battlefield Injury Puts Son In Limbo

[feelfree1]

In light of this article, I wonder what the REAL U.S. military death toll is from Iraq, so far?

[pfd572]

My father spend 26 years in the military, he is one of the ''Greatest Generation''. One of the things he was promised when he enlisted, if he made the military his career, was life long health care. Since he retired, he has lost more than half the benefits he was promised for serving his country in three war zones - WWII, Korea, Viet Nam. Example, each year the gov''t reduces his prescription benefits. Wait, one correction, these reductions have occurred when the Republicans controlled Congress and the White House. So don''t talk about something you know nothing about. That is the thanks veterans have been getting from their country. BTW, Postal Employees have ten times the benefits military retirees receive. Do you see something wrong with this?

[pfd572]

Joan McDonald, my prayers and best wishes are with you in your quest for justice. However, I understand that Justice, the military and isolated Republicans (Bush, et al) is an oxymoron.

Your son, and too many like him, deserve so much better. I, for one, will write to my Congressmen to demand they take notice and appropriate action for your son and the others.

May you and your family find peace in the caring thoughts of millions of Americans and Justice for your son.

[pfd572]

jamesm...
So how do you excuse and propagandize the Bush administration''s abandonment of 1,000''s of veterans who have been denied disability, sent back to the war zone before medically cleared, who are not getting adequate post-injury medical care, who have been lied to by recruiters, who are losing homes and savings because they are inadequately paid, etc. etc. etc. Sounds to me like all you can do is the typical right wing, brain-washed mantra-make inane, unsupported comments and name calling to cover up your ''short'' comings. Just what have you and your friends got to be so smug about? Bush and Cheney, et al, have sent this country into a tailspin diplomatically, economically and morally. 70% plus of Americans have such a low opinion of Bush, the lowest approval rating of ANY president. Seems to me most of them are intelligent, reasonable people who have reacted to Bush''s incompetence, lack of empathy and ''let them eat cake'' mentality. Thank God you and your midget minded friends are in a minority.

[fstop100]

Hey George, sleep tight tonight. You are one hell of a leader!!!

[antoniof123]

And another one dies in a useless war of vanity. I hope the neo cons are enjoying this because this will be the last year they ever see power in our life time.

I intend to vote 100 percent Democrat from now on.

Fool me once (Nixon) shame on you, fool me twice (Bush) shame on me, fool me three times never again.

[cyberus-2009]

I guess this is another example of how the Bush Administration stands behind the troops ... to bend them over and ram it to them.

[vincan-2009]

How horrible and unnecessary that so many have died in this war of Bush and Cheney. How terrible that so many have suffered and will continue to suffer because of this war for oil.

[dannysnana]

This poor women lost her son in a usless war. I agree with her that if this wasn''t going on for the good ole boy''s getting rich,her son would be alive today.

[ranger1948]

I would like to give credit where credit is due. I have been treated at Ft Sam Houston Army hospital many times. This hospital and its staff are second to none. They do fantastic job. A lot of wounded soldiers are sent there for treatment. I can say i was proud of everyone i met working in that hospital. I had a heart attack and was treated in the emergency room. They had three heart spcialists working on me that night and my hear attack wasn''t even a severe one. I have total respect for the men and women working there. They are the best i have seen anywhere.

[ranger1948]

dowjones20k
With all due respect for your beliefs, he was perfectly healthy until wounded. Sometimes wounds take a long time before killing you. I am 100% disabled from Vietnambut when i die i will not be counted as a war casualty, even though i will die froma direct cause of the war. Agent orange. Barry Sadle who wrote and sang the song "The Green Berets ", died from a gunshot wound to the head 9 months after being shot. Supposedly he was drunk and oplaying russian roulette in a taxi when he shot himself. The man was a trained professional and was working as an arms dealewr when he was shot. I personally think it was an assination. He spoke out against our govt after the war and maybe he was dealing guns to someone our govt didn''t approve of.

[randynason]

So, is this going to be yet another case of the American government sucking dry life energy from it''s finest young men and women and *ucking over yet another grieving family? There''s is something very wrong with the way this government determines what is legitimate and what is ususal "collateral damage," which they (the government) have no responsibility.

[MekhongKurt]

I can conceive, if just barely, some reason not to count this soldier as a *known* battle casualty.

But it''s really stretching a point, i.e., so, the autopsy didn''t conclusively establish a link to his war service. Yet it''s inconceivable that he would have died had he *not* served in combat.

Besides, it''s really stretching a point to say, "Well, yes, he got hurt badly, and did suffer a severe brain injury, but we can''t count him as a war casualty."

I reckon his Mother is right: had he not served, he likely would have lived, barring the possibility of accident we all face every day.

I guess the Army folks who determine this stuff have as part of their charge the consideration of legal liability.

It''s sad to learn of an honorable veteran of war only because his status becomes newsworthy. It''s even sadder to see some of the completely irrelevant comments regarding the war, President Bush (whom I don''t like for the record), and so on. The story''s about one vet -- not the amount the war has cost, not the WMD b.s., none of that stuff. It''s about a man who died after serving his country.

[ranger1948]

jinxy013
Have your friend contact the DAV. They helped me get my disability. They are a great organization and thy helped me when i wasn''t even a member. Afterwards i bought a lifetime membership for myself and my father. They refuse to take no for an answer.

[ranger1948]

Our government has lied and hid the true figures of war casualties thruout history. They said 58,000 died in Vietnam. They lied. They play with the figures. If a person was wounded and sent out of country for treatment and died he wasn''t considered a war death, If a soldier was snake bit, caught a disease, killed in an accident not combat related, he wasn'';t countesd as a war death. I saw the bodies being shipped home daily, i saw the figures of the actual casualty count. We lost a lot more than 58,000. Write our senators ? They are a part of the govt, they will close ranks and protet their own. Exposure to agent orange will eventually kill me. I am 100% disabled because of it, yet when i die i will not be considered a war casualty. I hope this mother does fight and screams until she gets some answers. My condolences to her and all families who have lost a loved one. My daughter is presently srving in Iraq. Each time i hear another soldier has been killed i wait to get a message from our govt or if i am lucky get an email or im from her.

[alphaa10-2009]

jamesm12341 said, "lol...the meeting of the feebleminds has started..."
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Nope, not yet. Your Bushbot partners have left.

[alphaa10-2009]

lyndajean asks, "How dare they say that her son, James McDonald was NOT a war casualty?! ... What morons!!"
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By now, most Americans can recount some anecdote of blatant Bush lies. Some remember "We know Saddam has WMDs..." That one''s good, but how about this-- when Bush was asked what 911 had to do with Iraq, Bush said, "Nuttin''"

Calling Bush the "Rhinestone President" is giving him too much credit. "Astroturf President", maybe, but with less emphasis on "president".

After all, Bush is the guy who, in November, 2005, facing an assembly of his own party members critical of his NSA spying program, bristled like a teenager caught drinking after curfew-- "Stop throwing the Constitution in my face! It''s just a GD)((#@*! piece of paper!"

Is this figure, who claims to be president of the United States, the same who pledged an oath to "protect, preserve and defend" the document he calls a "GD)((#@*! piece of paper"?

Xlib wrote:

"Let''''s take a look at a precedent for such a tragic death after coming home from the war. Let''''s take a look at how these deaths were treated in the past.
THis is just another misleading story by this liberal site. That''''s it."

It seems to me that it''s Republicans who have abandoned our troops - and especially so when they return home in need of help.

Inadequate health care (especially psychological care) and financial support are costing lives - and Republican scum choose to ignore it.

Republicans put profit above supporting our troops - and people like you ensure that continues to happen.

[alphaa10-2009]

Bushbot Anti-patriot Whines about Congress--

Says he, "You want the democratic congress to investigate the military??? The same democratic congress that has demeaned and bad mouthed our military?? The one that sits on funds for our military??..."
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Words are cheap, Bubba, and yours need some research behind them.

By mistreating the military, do you mean the occasion when Bush cut appropriations for aid to military families, which congress was ready to provide to spare military families from living on borderline poverty?

Or do you mean running soldiers through two, maybe three tours of duty under an indefinite obligation of service?

Or, do you mean spending on high-cost new weapons systems, but so little on armor for troops, they have to ask their families to help them buy their own? (Talk about outsourcing the military budget.)

(see Bushbot anti-Patriot Whines about Congress-- 2)

[pfd572]

How many more service men and women have to be abandoned and mistreated by the military and this administration before we start screaming to our Congressmen to do right by these veterans. Write, march, volunteer...do something tangible. This means you xlib.