Stop spitting on our wounded veterans

“If they were good enough to get into the military to serve, then they are good enough to get medical care for their injuries,” stated Rep. Bob Filner at the community forum last Thursday in Fallbrook. He was speaking of the high rejection rate by the military of injury claims by wounded troops. Filner, the liberal San Diego Democrat, explained that if the military can find any prior existing history or allegation of mental or psychological impairment, the military is refusing to pay for brain injuries sustained in Iraq.

The signature wound of this Bush War is not from bullets but from exploding IEDs, which have added a new dimension to battlefield injuries: wounds and even death among troops who have no external signs of trauma but whose brains have been severely damaged. This brings a new, literal meaning to the old World War I term “shell-shocked.”

Congressman Filner, truly the champion of veterans, was explaining how helmet design captures the upward explosive blast wave from IEDs and channels the pressure upward between the soldier’s helmet and skull, creating injuries that are devastating, though often invisible. No helmet or armor can defend against such a massive wave blast.

I was shocked to hear Congressman Filner state that 30 percent of troops who have engaged in combat may be affected by such wounds. Upon investigation, I found a report from neurologists that stated that well over 100,000 of our troops who have rotated into combat in Iraq have such injuries. Many still do not know their invisible brain wounds are responsible for their debilitations. The government does not want to know.

What is most shocking to me is how our government is spitting on these wounded warriors when they return home by denying their injury claims.

Filner, the new Democratic Chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee, is waging battle against the Republicans in Congress and the White House to secure fair treatment for these veterans. Already, in just six months, he has secured a record 30-percent increase in funding for veterans’ medical care.

Joseph Crews