Vietnam Veteran determined to share 'good news' about VA

WOUNDED TIMES
Kathie Costos
May 2, 2014

Are there problems veterans should never have to face? Absolutely! If everything remains secret, then nothing gets fixed. News reporters doing their jobs and bringing the problems to the public makes things happen because the American public does care. They just need to be notified to take action.

There is another side to their stories that hardly ever get mentioned.

This was on AZ Central news. Vet determined to share 'good news' about VA hospital and EJ Montini should be congratulated for writing it.

All of this has greatly troubled the local vet, named Terry.

Not only because it pointed to potential problems at the VA but because he believes news like this causes veterans who need help to avoid getting it.

He knows.

He was one of those veterans.

He wrote in part:

"Myself, like many veterans, Vietnam, Iraq or Afghanistan did not seek treatment at the VA for a number of reasons: red tape, bureaucracy, distrust, thinking you're strong enough to overcome any problems you may be having.

"Your (newspaper's) reporting has magnified this distrust and negative feelings toward the VA.

"Do you know what happens to soldiers, Marines and sailors when there is no place to turn? Check out the suicide statistics.

"Now my story: I was a serious alcohol and drug abuser for 36 years. I finally overdosed on alcohol and was hospitalized in intensive care for seven days. While I was in the hospital my younger sisters went down to the VA and got me enrolled in their 'Intensive Outpatient Co-occurring Treatment Program.' Co-occurring was my substance abuse, PTSD and depression… After completing the 12-week program I continued my recovery by attending aftercare one- to two-times weekly for approximately a year and a half. I have been clean and sober for over eight years I have a good job, good dog, good home and I can play golf, go fishing, camping and vacation anytime I want. That's what the VA did for me and thousands of veterans just like me."

The VA has almost 4 million veterans receiving compensation. We read about veterans in the news all the time and most of the reports are bad ones yet there are 21,973,000 veterans in this country.

7.3 Million Vietnam Veterans

Much like reporters printed headlines with Vietnam veterans in trouble with the law, the fact is, most of them were not. Veterans behaving properly were just not "news worthy" enough to report on. OEF and OIF veterans are facing the same issues. Their stories are told when there is trouble but hardly ever when something is right about them.

On VA claims the press loves to attack "current" problems but never seem to be able to take a look back at what happened before. President Clinton left over 400,000 in the backlog for President Bush and he left over 800,000 when President Obama took office. If nothing gets fixed, then Lord only knows how many will be left for the next president.

It is refreshing to read about a veteran talking about the good since that is what most veterans experience. There are problems that need to be fixed but lets stop pretending that any of this is new. If we don't face the past, then we will never, ever live up to taking care of our veterans for once and for ALL!