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Off to a flyin' start...

a voice from the Heartland...

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We got this E-mail via the VVAW mail list-serve. It is indicative of yet another year of the VA hierarchy, in cahoots with the Bush administration, maintaining an advesarial role in it's relationship with America's Veterans. Like the author, we do not lay this outrage at the feet of the tireless underpaid and underappreciated VA employees. We lay it at the feet of upper management and our elected and appointed government officials whose duty it is to serve America's Veterans, not stand in the way of their care, as is so often the case. Want your voice heard? E me, willie.hager@vetspeak.org, Subj: VetSpeak Submit, please include a short bio. America needs to hear your voice. WH

-------- Original Message --------

Date: Thu, 3 Jan 2008 15:07:14
From: < >
To: < >
Subject: You are not going to believe this. My experience with VA Hospital, Lincoln, NE

This is the experience I had with VAhospital in Lincoln, NE:

1. A nurse swabbed my throat at 1330 yesterday (2 Jan 08).

2. I took the swab upstairs to the lab.

3. The Lab sends it to Omaha today (3 Jan 08)

4. In three or four days, we get the results back.

Meanwhile...if I have strep, it has just gotten worse over a three or four day period.

I am a 100 percent Service Connected, 21 year Veteran of the US Army. Not that all that matters, but how do they treat the guy with just a few years of service?

And they wonder why I drink? Hell...I don't need a script for Jim Beam!

No...I am not going to drink, but...I will call my Congressman and my Senators. Barrack Obama needs to hear about this and the funny papers too!!! Is that show: Believe it or Not, still running?

My civilian girlfriend and her kids went to a civilian ER, got swabbed, got the results back and had their medication all in about two hours. Now...I have their illness...I served my Country and got injured in the process, but I have to wait four days? I am sorry, but that is unacceptable!

I don't think I am the only one that feels that way either! I'll bet there are a lot of Veterans that have stories to tell about their experiences with the VA Hospitals in Lincoln and across this country.

This is not the fault of many of the dedicated employees and volunteers at the VA. Most of them do a fantastic job. However, somewhere at the top, there is a problem. Someday, across this Country, we are all going to hear a loud boom...it will be the pop of someone in Washington DC pulling their head out of their butt!

WILFRED F. MARKS

Lincoln, NE 68505

www.vetspeak.org