A flood of stressed vets is expected

A flood of stressed vets is expected
C.W. Nevius

Sunday, December 9, 2007

Last May, Tim Chapman was sitting in his car on the edge of a cliff, weeping. If he took his foot off the brake, he would go over the edge - to silence, to peace, and to death.

"It was a truck stop in Truckee," Chapman said. "I was driving to Reno. I was literally going to kill myself. I kept thinking: I should have stayed in Iraq. I should have died over there."

The 23-year-old National Guardsman, just six months back from a tour in the combat zone, sat on the brink for two hours. Even today, he isn't sure why he didn't launch himself over the side.

Instead, he backed off the cliff and drove himself to a hospital in Roseville. Within three days, he was in the psych ward at a Veterans Affairs hospital. Today, after extensive therapy, he thinks his life is beginning to make sense again.

It's a wrenching story. But this isn't the end of it. It is just the beginning.
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Since 2001, when Afghanistan was invaded up until today, we've heard more than enough speeches and testimonies about what they need to do, what they plan to do, but have seen very little of it getting done. They've had six years to get this right and haven't managed to come close to taking care of the wounded. When the cameras are rolling and the microphones are plugged in, we hear a lot coming out of their mouths, yet when no one is watching, the wounded wait for something to change. Maybe Congress feels as if they take care of a hundred more or so, they have done their jobs, but they end up shutting out thousands and then wonder why it's happening. This used to be a national disgrace, but it has sunk so low it should be called treason against our veterans and their families. Use them, abuse them and then abandon them! All they do is take care of the veterans who have turned to the media for help to put on a good showing. Too many others are left to suffer from all this neglect. kc