Jerry Noonan Guest Column One veteran feels VA system is in shambles A few nights ago, ABC TV, Channel 7, had a documentary report about news reporter Bob Woodruff, who suffered a massive head injury last Jan. 29, 2006. It happened while covering the war in Iraq. He received expert care in Iraq, and was transported to Germany for an operation and more intensive care. He was then flown to Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington, D.C. The first half hour of the show was mainly about Mr. Woodruff, his slow but miraculous recovery from his brain injury. Some six months later he returned to Walter Reed to meet with other soldiers and marines with severe head wounds, to see how their recovery was coming along. Some were doing well, many were not. Woodruff interviewed a marine and his wife who was doing well, but was sent home and was told the nearest VA hospital would be in touch with him to continue his rehabilitation, but no one called. When they called the VA, it seems they didn't even have his medical records. He eventually went back to Walter Reed, which he never should have left, and is doing much better. President Bush and Vice President Cheney should have been strapped to a chair to watch this program. Bush, because this is his war of choice, and Cheney because of his five deferments during the Vietnam War (he said he had other priorities) and he was Secretary of Defense under daddy Bush. How do these men sleep at night? I guess their orders of not showing the flag-draped coffins of our troops returning home for burial is comforting for their egos. Back to the VA system and the already infamous Building No. 18. Patients are sent there for more rehabilitation. It now seems that for the last three years, the place has been rodent- and roach-infested. Secretary of Veterans Affairs R. James Nicholson told Bob Woodruff the place is unhealthy because the patients leave food around. This guy should be fired. What were his credentials anyway? Oh, yes, he was once the chairman of the Republican Committee and an old Bush crony. I guess that qualifies him. So, for the last three years, Lt. Gen. Kevin Kiley was the commanding general at Walter Reed. Then he was replaced by Maj. Gen. George Weightman. Weightman was recently fired and replaced with (are you ready for this one) Lt. Gen. Kevin Kiley, again. One more thing about Secretary Nichols, of the 1.5 million men and women who have served in Iraq, 205,000 have sought treatment at our VA facilities. He said he didn't know that, but he made this remark that not all are combat related, many are there for dental treatment. Is this guy nuts? I guess he doesn't know that according to VA health-care services, in general, dental benefits are limited to service-connected dental conditions or to veterans who have VA 100 percent service-connected disability rating. The Secretary of the Army, Francis Harvey, doesn't know what's going on either. I guess President Bush didn't figure there would be 3,000 killed in action and growing, or 23,000 wounded and growing and 600 plus amputees. This is your war, President Bush, got any ideas? Jerry Noonan is a Carteret resident and a member of Avenel Veterans of Foreign Wars