Honor fallen and veterans

Editorial by Greenville Daily Reflector, May 24, 2014.

Memorial Day is dedicated to remembering and honoring those brave men and women who have fought to preserve American freedoms, and in doing so made the ultimate sacrifice. Although all reverence, honor and appreciation expressed during this holiday can never be compromised, it will not be possible to celebrate the lives of the fallen on this Memorial Day without noting the current failures of our government regarding the needs of so many veterans who remain.

The inspector general at the Veterans Affairs Department recently reported that 26 VA facilities are under investigation. A Phoenix hospital is at the center of allegations of treatment delays and secret waiting lists designed to hide delays in care.

It is alleged that some 40 veterans may have died due to such shameful and irresponsible behavior.

Even before this scandal broke, the Obama administration was being widely criticized over its management of VA services as it faces a rising tide of veterans returning from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Aging veterans from the Vietnam War also are adding to the number of veterans needing care.

This latest scandal appears linked to something Rep. Walter B. Jones Jr. has been warning about for years: that the Veterans Affairs Department is not equipped to handle the volume of health care needs produced by more than a decade of war.

In an opinion piece published in The Wall Street Journal on Friday, Sen. John McCain said it is “the height of shame and tragedy that on this Memorial Day the nation is seized with the unfolding scandal of government’s failure to meet its highest responsibility to veterans and wounded warriors.”

McCain and others are calling for swift action to hold those responsible accountable. Along with Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), McCain is crafting legislation aimed at strengthening VA oversight and giving veterans greater flexibility for finding and receiving care.

Many veterans and wounded warriors connected to military bases in North Carolina receive care right here in Greenville. Citizens here and nationwide can honor our country’s fallen heroes on this Memorial Day through reaffirming our support for meeting the needs of all veterans, and by demanding no less from our government than to fulfill its obligation to care for those who have borne the battle on our behalf.

http://www.reflector.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-honor-fallen-and-veterans-2487823