Why Was Question About War Hero’s Dilemma Deleted From Yahoo Q@A?
Question by ToYou,Too!: Why was question about war hero’s dilemma deleted from Yahoo Q@A?
“‘Are you telling me that I can’t go to the ceremony ’cause I’m an amputee?‘” asked David Thomas, an Iraq war veteran who was awarded a Purple Heart. That was the question posted here last week and then deleted by a participant from this board?
Thomas was told he could not wear shorts to attend a ceremony with President Bush because the media would be there, and shorts were not advisable because the amputees would be seated in the front row. His stump would be exposed to cameras and speakers.
David responded, “I’m not ashamed of what I did, and y’all shouldn’t be neither.” When the guest list came out for the ceremony, his name was not on it. John Aravosis tracks other cases of disgraceful treatment toward veterans. Was someone offended by the story about this hero? Why do people abuse this board?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/18/AR2007021801335_5.html
Best answer:
Answer by John B
Military members who receive awards in which they are not restricted to a bed, are required to wear a uniform, and no uniform regulations for award ceremonies allow shorts, or pant legs to be rolled up. Don’t make a conspiracy out of general rules. And the article does not say it is because his stump would show, just that he has to wear pants if he sits in the front row. That is more formal than shorts and it is a FORMAL ceremony, not a Bar-B-Q
Answer by Joe Doc
I had the honor of working in a few medical rehabilitation programs at the major Army Medical Center‘s during Vietnam,
as an enlisted medic, before I completed college, he issues are well not very good as I write this.
“Walter Reed” has well: “s—-ed the pouch” as we once said.
The Army has been a bit slow and “tight” about handing down disability ratings and such, well Congresional “oversight” is now upon them and I suspect that changes will be extreme.
Tis not an issue of his dress that day but a decision made by a “low level” person, who likely messed up.
There are soldiers-patients that will never be photographed while they are in any military medical facility.
During Vietnam the Army would have never kept so many in Army hospitals but shipped them off to VA Hospitals: that was tragic and cruel.
One issue is the Army has few real “Rehabilitation” experts, sure the short term therapists but few that grasp the “big picture”
So after the wounded finish with the Army they “battle” the VA but the VA is at least a chance to get things corrected if anything is “wrong’.
Some “photo ops” are against regulations, sometimes they are vague. Perhaps better to err in caution than show something that may cause even more issues.
I did not allow any reporter or such to freely photograph much, many did, it all is so much depending on the staff, professional, who are at best overtaxed with work.
We are dealing with complicated “red button” issues, people will get emotional, span the range of views, often missing the real issue.
I read about the “Dixie Chicks” CD, there is an example: all over the USA “Country Music” stations not playing the CD;s, but trust me: in every military PX-BX the CD selection for the “DC” is well stocked and sells well.
Some say in combat “Let God sort it out”
Today it is again the “VA” that will have that task, do pray they are funded and can handle such.
As for me: I worked the Army’s “Surgical research Unit” SRU at Fort Sam Houston, texas: The “Burn Ward”. This was before and between my Vietnam tours.
After the war I completed school, and worked as a psychologist.
And: I still cannot figure out what is going on.
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Tags: amputee rehabilitation, david thomas, walter reed, the army, medical rehabilitation programs