Outrage

In just two weeks it will be Memorial Day weekend, when we remember the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces.

When we hear reports of veterans who may be dying on our own soil while they're awaiting care at VA hospitals in this country, it should concern every American who lives free thanks to their sacrifices. Almost three weeks ago, a retired VA doctor from Phoenix said that more than 40 American veterans have died waiting for care at the VA hospital there. So far, three executives at the Phoenix facility have been placed on administrative leave.

The VFW has asked for an independent review of the Phoenix situation, separate from the VA Inspector General review, which it says was "akin to asking the fox to guard the hen house." Over the past six months, other cases of men dying due to delayed care have been reported at hospitals in South Carolina, Georgia and Texas.

This week, The American Legion, the nation's largest veterans organization with more than 2.4 million members, demanded the immediate resignation of Veteran Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki, along with two other top VA leaders, citing a pattern of "poor oversight" and "failed leadership."

Pete Hegseth, CEO of the Concerned Veterans of America, supported the Legion's call for Shinseki's dismissal and "their demands for accountability at the very top of the Department of Veterans Affairs."

U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller of Florida, chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, said for nearly a year he's been pleading with top department leaders, as well as the president, to take immediate steps to stop the growing pattern of preventable veteran deaths and hold all VA workers accountable who have allowed patients to slip through the cracks.

The result, he said, has been "disturbing silence from the White House and one excuse after another from VA."

The idea of veterans dying on our home soil because of a mismanaged, broken health care system and attempts to cover it up are an outrage. Any bureaucrats or political hacks responsible for putting the lives of our veterans in jeopardy should be dealt with swiftly and harshly.

By Jim Zbick

editor@tnonline.com