thinkprogress.org — ABC's Bob Woodruff reports on Sgt. James Coons, who checked into Walter Reed, was forgotten and then hanged himself in his room. Now his family wants answers...but they aren't getting any from the Army.
Apr 24, 2007 View in Crawl 4
seamowseApr 25, 2007
My eyes have tears in them. My hats off to Bob Woodruff for telling such a poignant story. I grieve for this soldiers family. This is so tragic and so unnecessary. I see Bush as a murderer. He should be tried for his war crimes.
cwo655321Apr 25, 2007
in soviet russia periods are an excuse for you (cuz you're a girl)
omessiahoApr 25, 2007
I think I've told this story before but I will again. When I started my new job I noticed my co-worker walked with a limp and a cane. When I inquired about I was told he had an IED go off under his truck in Iraq and now is injured. I then found out that the goverment wont pay for his treatments. They sent him off to get wounded and wont care for him when he's back.My cousing fought in Aphganistan as well as Iraq. While in Iraq he had an IED go off under his truck that killed his buddies and brock his back and ripped flesh from his legs. When his time was over and he requested his scholarship money (what they always tell you about in the ads) he was refused it. It took calling a congressman and threats of legal action for him to get what he was promised. The next time you look at your "support our troops" magnet on your bumper think about what that really means and if YOU really mean it.
d00ley_Apr 25, 2007
Is there a 'news' category in the Video section now? If not, STFU.
15charmaxwtfApr 25, 2007
Before anyone even tries to say it: Walter Reed was NOT privatised. The government hired some cronies from the private sector. So, as there was no choice in the matter for patients it was NOT the free market. When this happens it is like another arm of the government.
Closed AccountApr 25, 2007
They won't testify, because this is a fraud.A man checked into a hospital and killed himself, and these parents are upset they weren't notified until two days later, when they weren't even ON the list of those to notify in the event of his death.They should be raking their daughter in law over the coals to find out why SHE didn't tell them he'd killed himself shortly after checking into the hospital. Notice how the report mentions his wife, but never goes into detail? That's because revealing that SHE was notified when her husband killed himself before his first appointment would shake the basis for their story.
pfhreakApr 25, 2007
"Bash those in power all you want, believe me if I was in power things would be much different. But don't tell me what I am or am not."Those in power (Bush) were the ones who popularized the term "compassionate conservative". Nobody's telling you what you are or are not, they're ripping apart more of Bush's rhetoric.
monk22Apr 25, 2007
@morgar, eunosxits because most of us have JOBS, and FAMILY to take care of and dont have time to sit around and troll digg complaining that no one is doing anything. i have two jobs, between that sleeping i dont have alot of time to make national policy change a big priority. thats what they congress is there for, not that they are aware of that apparently. they would rather squable and bitch then fix anything. and im a conservative and i also think what happened at walter reid is disgusting, so everyone who continues this "you conservativesliberals blah blah evil blah sweeping generalization blah" bulls**t can STFU. are you really that ignorant to think your views are the right ones? thats the whole point of this damn country is that i can think whatever i want and you cant do a damn thing about it except hope that more people vote for your side than mine. you want change, then go vote simple concept.
caffeinateApr 26, 2007
Very sad. We desperately need change in this country. When our people are sent to war and then have health problems, they need to be helped, not ignored. This is tremendously sad. Whoever tried to hide this needs to be brought to trial along with whoever is responsible for the poor treatment our men and women are receiving at this "hospital".We are to blame if we let people pass the buck, cover up, and avoid accountability for crap like this. I have to go do something else now; this made me 2 parts mad as hell, and 3 parts sick inside. This isn't about politics - this is about human decency.