WAPO Article on Walter Reed Outpatient Services

Milhouse VanHouten

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/17/AR2007021701172.html?nav=hcmodule

This is probably old news by now, but I read it today.

Here's a small bit from the 5 page article:

"Staff Sgt. John Daniel Shannon, 43, came in on one of those buses in November 2004 and spent several weeks on the fifth floor of Walter Reed's hospital. His eye and skull were shattered by an AK-47 round. His odyssey in the Other Walter Reed has lasted more than two years, but it began when someone handed him a map of the grounds and told him to find his room across post.

A reconnaissance and land-navigation expert, Shannon was so disoriented that he couldn't even find north. Holding the map, he stumbled around outside the hospital, sliding against walls and trying to keep himself upright, he said. He asked anyone he found for directions.

Shannon had led the 2nd Infantry Division's Ghost Recon Platoon until he was felled in a gun battle in Ramadi. He liked the solitary work of a sniper; "Lone Wolf" was his call name. But he did not expect to be left alone by the Army after such serious surgery and a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder. He had appointments during his first two weeks as an outpatient, then nothing.

"I thought, 'Shouldn't they contact me?' " he said. "I didn't understand the paperwork. I'd start calling phone numbers, asking if I had appointments. I finally ran across someone who said: 'I'm your case manager. Where have you been?'

"Well, I've been here! Jeez Louise, people, I'm your hospital patient!"

prism

I just read this, my friend gave me a copy of this story that was reprinted in the Seattle Times. my Uncle would be rolling in his grave at Arlington if he knew this was going on at Walter Reed. I'm totally disgusted that wounded Veterans are being treated this way.....there's no excuse for this.