By Denise McHugh
I have written many versions of this letter. Some versions are too angry, some too sad, some too frantic and all too long. This letter is not about the right or wrong use of military force. It is about the medical care, or lack of care, deserving veterans receive after active duty.
I want to share one retiree’s experiences with the VA health care system. First, let me give you a brief summary of this person’s military career. He joined the Navy at 19, right after graduating from high school. After boot camp, he went directly into combat. He served five tours of duty in Vietnam from 1967 through 1972. When the war ended, he served with Quick Find, a program training sea lions. After 12 years in the Navy, his military experiences took a toll on his mind and body. In 1978, he retired from the Navy with a 100% service-connected disability. Eventually, that disability was made permanent and total. His Agent Orange exposure also added to his ratings and medical problems. All his medical conditions are service-connected. No matter how great the need or where the responsibility falls for the condition, treatment stops when necessary services do not exist within the VA system.
My friend’s military service left him with a great mistrust of government. Because of this, he did not use the VA health system. He received care from nongovernmental sources. In 2019, the first serious symptoms and conditions, all service-connected, started to surface. Because he is my dearest friend and because his conditions all stem from his military service, I encouraged and persuaded him to seek help from the VA health care system. The staff at the Seattle VA hospital is superior! Experts in their fields, showing endless compassion and kindness. The system, not the professionals, falls far short of superior.
It is hard to see my closest friend in his current condition. Until August 2021, his decline was evident but manageable. At that point, he became a patient at the Seattle VA hospital. While there, his condition has continued to deteriorate. Walking is difficult and speaking is almost nonexistent. His behavior in the hospital is that of a war prisoner. He paces nonstop, checks every door and often refuses to take pills or eat. He is always on guard, looking for escape possibilities. He has been violent. Although his military career was impressive and his current condition stems from that career, necessary health services are not provided by the VA.
Soon the VA system will transfer my friend out to private patient pay care because his service-connected ailments require long term care. When a soldier gives his best, the Veterans Heath System should have what it takes to do their best. All veterans deserve quality care; they earned it. Protect and serve should be the oath our government pledges to our veterans. Currently, our veteran’s health system is not protecting or serving the needs of every veteran.
In short, the current Veterans Health System needs to expand its services to meet the needs of all veterans and all their health issues. Although the Department of Veterans Affairs annual budget has increased greatly since 9/11, there are still gaps, shortcomings and failures in the VA health care system. A larger percentage of eligible veterans are now seeking care from the VA health system. Like everywhere, the cost of medical care is raising. More entitled, injured veterans receive care for service-connected disabilities, and veterans are living longer. These factors are putting a strain on the system. The Veterans Health Care system needs to assess, update and mend itself. It needs to honor veterans by caring for them properly.
I do not believe my friend is the only veteran facing these same circumstances. If you see yourself or a dear friend in the same predicament, my pleas are for you, too. I feel obligated to speak out. Maybe the pages of a small, local newspaper are not the most effective way to air my concerns about the Veterans Health Care system, but it is my hometown paper. I know this is a caring community; an audience close to home seems natural.
Denise McHugh is a Langley resident.
