Comments on: Number Of Disabled U.S. Veterans Rising

More Wounded, Disabled Vets Translates To A Projected Doubling Of Costs Associated With Their Care

[dakotaclark]

Hmmm...

You know what? It appears as though the VA more or less keeps everything about disability a big secret. I found out about it by word of mouth %u2013 from a disabled veteran.

When I applied for disability benefits, it was 30 years after my service%u2013connected injuries. Then, it took an additional several years of providing justification for each service related disability.

I have eleven conditions that are service%u2013connected disability issues. All of these issues existed at the conclusion of my military service in 1966, yet I did not know that I could file a claim for disability until 1996. Finally, after fighting the VA every step of the way, in 2005 the VA awarded me 100% disability status.

Although I am very grateful to receive the VA disability payment, I would much rather not have the daily pain and discomfort residuals of the injuries I received, or the PTSD (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder) nightmares and difficulty sleeping, that I experience every night.

Every veteran I meet, I ask them if they were sick or injured during their military service, so I can mention the claim process; and, how to get help filing a claim with the VA.

The Bush Administration is the most unfriendly toward veterans ever in the history of the U.S.

[naucoming4u]

The cost to our government (us taxpayers) will be NOTHING compared to the costs (physical, mental, and financial) that our wounded soldiers will have to live with...

... FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES!

[justba]

As a about to expire.. X jarhead from the 50''s & 60''s..
I have to thank my friends of the party with the larger trunks, because it was they who voted to even us all out.. now hardly anyone will notice the large unpayed debts I have accumulated and have to leave behind.

[ontheleft]

The world is a different place because of this war. Bush has irrevocably changed the course of history and ruined the lives of many people. People will be paying the price for it for many years to come. Very sad.

[nonayabiness]

How come, as with Prez. Clinton, impeachment only seems to come AFTER, or perhaps JUST BEFORE a President leaves office? Isn''t that a little too late? We need a better system.

[nonayabiness]

Ya, the number of disabled veterans is rising due to an immoral, unjust, and failed war that George W. Bush instigated. So, add their care to the cost of the war in Iraq. Therefore, it''s more expensive than the govt is telling us. Not only has George W. ruined America''s reputation, and the economy, but he has ruined the lives of many of our service men and women as well as their familes. Shame, shame, G.W.

[singingrick]

Don''t worry vets. Help is on the way. Bush is sending you all shiny new "support our troops" bumper stickers courtesy of the RNC.

[tbweb]

Americans are tired of being over Taxed, but there should be a separate and independent Tax and Fund set aside exclusively for Veterans, Disabled Veterans, the Veterans Administration, Veterans Nursing Homes and Hospitals, this exclusive fund could also address Veterans homelessness, education cost and funerals. Every American should share the burden of this exclusive tax through retail and payroll. It''s the least we as Americans can do for the nations Veterans for without them America would cease to exist! Removing Veterans expenses from the national budget would also remove an enormous expense and provide a much needed boost to the dollar!

[randynason]

"This is a cost of war," says Steve Smithson

The tragic thing is that this was never a true war. Instead, this was an occupation of a foreign sovereign nation for oil profit. So, tell it like it is, Mr. Smithson. Don''t be afaid to tell the truth, even if it is a disgusting reflection of our greedy reality.

[closethippy1]

Here''s my rendition of a neocon wearing a cowboy hat:
"These soldiers volunteered to do this job and as such I don''t see why we should take care of them when they get hurt doing their trash picking duties! To hell with them and to hell with our government and all that constitution stuff!"

[idnnsg]

"Of that group, the VA says more than 181,000 are collecting disability benefits."

That''s 181,000 US CASUALTIES of war! (Plus, don''t forget to add the 4000+ confirmed dead.)

And Bush/Cheney/McCain thinks we''re "winning"!

War: the ONLY winning move is not to play the game.

[bobnjersey]

[She comes once in a while, post a comment and runaway with her tail between her legs.]
[Posted by BagdadsHere at 05:16 PM : May 11, 2008]

where does ''tail between the legs'' sit relative to ''head up the a$$'' ... which is apparently the condition you suffer from?

how does one debate a delusional fool (ie. you)?

[bobnjersey]

[We won the war in Iraq and the war on terror. No more truck bombers on crowded markets, Anbar province is now a touristic place ...]
[Posted by BagdadsHere at 05:40 PM : May 11, 2008]

what''s this ... the fireworks for the wedding?

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/05/01/iraq/main4062342.shtml?source=search_story

[bluestardad]

Posted by cb_brooklyn at 07:18 PM : May 11, 2008


HOOK UP THOSE ATTORNEYS TO START WAR CRIMES TRIALS!

[bobnjersey]

[the government expects to be spending $59 billion a year to compensate injured warriors in 25 years, up from today''s $29 billion, according to internal documents obtained by The Associated Press. And the Veterans Affairs Department concedes the bill could be much higher. ]

is this number coming from the two yo-yos that were just testifying to the congressional committee about suicides? the same ones that said 700 or so suicides a year ... when the number was really 10 times that.

the real figure can''t be estimated ... since they''re denying the scale of the psychological cost to these soldiers that are being abused by the republican ''deferment club'' that are defining the policies that send them on endless extended tours ... shorter inter-tour terms ... and prevent them from leaving w/ stop loss shenanigans.

and all while they and their delusional supporters cry ''support the troops''

shameful ... nothing less than shameful

[actornaught]

Posted by demslie at 08:07 PM : May 11, 2008

Now THAT is a wildly dummass comment, from a raging wacked out Hypocrite. You don''t even have a warm IQ, do you...

[mcvet]

President McCain will take care of these brave warriors, who paid a price for protecting our freedom in the USA. Many stand against us, but many will never win, John McCain will be our next Commander in Chief !!
Forget about the economy, think about freedom and fighting terrorist, send us your sons and daughters !!


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Posted by blackwater66 at 07:43 PM : May 11, 2008
+ report abuse

Well SURE! NEVER mind that there WERE NO terrorist in Iraq BEFORE we invaded. Forget that those who DID attack us are all safe and sound in a SAFE HAVEN WE created... They are now as strong as ever SEVEN years AFTER they Attacked us! Oh! And be sure to forget the economy... we can keep borrowing the money to fight these war''s for Weapons that never existed or for OIL as McSame said the other day!! ROFLMAO These freaks have been getting their BRAINS kicked in and they want to just "STAY the COURSE"! ROFLMAO No wonder they are BOOTLICKERS!! They aren''t intelligent enough to KNOW they are getting the butt whoopin of the decade so what else would you expect! SIEG HEIL BUSH!! ROFLMAO

[mcvet]

No you idiot, middleman8 is a Democrat. Whenever a soldier is killed the Democrats blame it on Bush. But if a terrorist is killed IRAN, AL Qaeda and Democrats respond with Hate, Rage and Anger. No Democrat alive has ever expressed the level of anger toward terrorists that they do toward America. The boots on the ground have said for two years that IRANIAN supplied weapons, money and training are killing Americans. But the only time Democrats get Angry about it is when Bush says we need to do something about IRAN. Democrats could not give a DAMNN about dead soldiers because it fits perfectly into their evil political agenda.


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Posted by demslie at 08:07 PM : May 11, 2008
+ report abuse

YOU sir are an EMBARRASSMENT to me and the Thousands like me. We walked into combat so you can believe in your PURE and TOTAL FASCISM! You have NO view except for the PARTY, you have no tolerance for anyone who isn''t a FASCIST Republican and it''s a disgrace. I have sat and listened to you defend an INCOMPETENT PIECE of TRASH that you and a few others still call a PRESIDENT but have NEVER heard you defend the 935 LIES he told us in a two year period to start a NEEDLESS War which resulted in ALL these Disabled Veterans! Now stand and let the fuhrer KNOW you''re out here licking those boots!! READY?? SIEG HEIL BUSH! Slime like this does NOT belong in this great nation.

[flagship-usa]

Can war be such a great instrument where one man can start, while other men have to finish. The cost of the war is shared by all, although, the burden rest upon those left to fight, and those left wounded by it. This unfortunate situation, driven by misguided intentions - has brought upon the American people a great cost to bear. As a nation of fair minded citizens, we have but only one right course to follow. We must put aside our discontent for this irrational war, and care for our wounded. We can not, responsibly neglect to fulfil our obligations, no matter how great the cost. We will have to pay the penalty for our negligence and short sightlessness, since we have failed to undertake, and understand, by all means - the cost of war. Thus not our fellow American''s have a greater pain of abandonment, than that pain suffered in combat. Such a sad affair has mobilized our nation in peace and war. Again our wounds have blistered, and our pride is left open to infection. Should war corrupt this man, his wounds become our responsibility. We had the strength to commit our troops as combatants, now we will find our strength in compassion.

[kb9rbt]

I,m a WW2vet,Our good goverment members truly promised us free medical ,the rest of out lives,those of us that were in during the war months,Since then ,enough of our nonpatriotic senators and congressmen so called americans have taken a lot of those promises away,we now have to pay co. payments ,and deductables,I have no supplement insurance because we were told we didnt need any!!!AND A L;OT OF THOSE TAKING OUTB RIGHTS AWAYB ,WOULDNT EEVEN BE HERE IF IT WASNT FORN THE WW2 VETS!!!!!!!!!