The wounded left to suffer

The Herald
Feb. 27, 2007

Hundreds of American military men and women seriously wounded in Iraq have endured deplorable and inexcusable conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington.

An investigation by reporters Dana Priest and Anne Hull of The Washington Post found mold, rot, mice, cockroaches and -- even worse -- convalescing outpatients forced to fend for themselves in a bureaucratic jungle.

Post stories on Sunday and Monday prompted promises of action from military and government officials.

President Bush first learned of problems with outpatient care at Walter Reed when he read Sunday's story, said spokesman Tony Snow. Snow said Bush told him: "Find out what the problem is and fix it."

The Post reports also were news to Army Secretary Francis Harvey. On Tuesday, he called the conditions at some parts of the Walter Reed complex a failure "that should never have happened, and we are quickly going to rectify that situation."

Americans, especially combat veterans and their families, deserve to know why outpatients at the nation's premier military hospital received abysmal support and attention. A congressional investigation should be conducted to ensure that all wounded veterans receive the treatment and disability payments they deserve.

Walter Reed has spotless, state-of-the-art surgical wards, where government leaders -- including President Bush -- frequently visit patients. The hospital also has dedicated staff members.

But Post reporters also visited -- without asking permission -- a 700-patient building on the 113-acre complex. There, outpatients of relatively low rank convalesce. Some remain in limbo for months -- and up to two years -- while the military decides case by case whether an individual should be returned to duty or discharged.

For the Post stories, go to the Web site www.washingtonpost.com. Be prepared to weep or get angry -- or both -- and to contact your representative in Congress.