Rep. Tom MacArthur Forgets VA Was Failed By Congress Decades Ago

Nation can do more to help its veterans 
Philly.com
By Tom MacArthur
POSTED: Tuesday, May 5, 2015

One man from Marlton described it as "something you always live with." Another said: "Trying to live with this stuff . . . it's hard. It's really hard." They're not talking about physical afflictions.

These men are both veterans of our Armed Forces, and they're talking about their post-traumatic stress disorder. For them, it's the constant reminder of their time in Vietnam more than 40 years ago. 

"When I first got home, my parents sent me to a psychologist, and he said I was suffering from malaise," one former Army sergeant told me. "I didn't know there was anything available to help me.

Nobody ever told us that. I didn't talk to anybody."

A former Marine corporal explained it this way: "I know what it's like to spill blood for your country, and when you come home with problems, you're smacked in the face and told, 'There's nothing wrong with you. Come on, suck it up, you're a Marine.' "

These are the voices of the people I represent, and they speak for veterans all across the country.
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Wounded Times Blog •
Seriously? How do politicians actually try to ignore the fact that they are responsible for what the VA does and does not do? How do they completely avoid mentioning that taking care of veterans has been their job all along? The first House Veterans Affairs Committee was seated in 1946. The VA didn't have a Secretary to blame until President Reagan turned it into cabinet level. They have been funding the VA to take care of PTSD veterans since the early 80's but now they wonder why they are still not seeking help? Still wondering why there are so many suicides after they spend billions a year to "prevent them" from happening? Both sides failed veterans and all of this goes back decades!

"Nation can do more to help its veterans?" Then why don't you guys get it right and actually do it instead of blaming everyone else?