"THESE WOUNDS ARE NOT THE RESULT OF INSURGENTS, THEY ARE THE RESULT OF INCOMPETENCE ON AMERICAN SOIL

[sabra]

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicsasusual/2007/11/these-wounds-ar.html

"THESE WOUNDS ARE NOT THE RESULT OF INSURGENTS, THEY ARE THE RESULT OF INCOMPETENCE ON AMERICAN SOIL."

Steve McCarty was a Lance Corporal in the US Marine Corps Reserve when he was sent to Fallujah in September of 2006 to drive a 7-ton refueling truck.

Last February he became very sick but continued driving his truck. When he came home from Iraq, prodded by his parents, he stopped by the VA hospital in Marion, Illinois.

There an ER doctor diagnosed his symptoms as possible appendicitis and last June he had surgery. But after the operation he was told "THE APPENDIX DID NOT LOOK AS BAD AS THEY HAD ANTICIPATED."

...

He ran the same tests the ER doctors at the VA Marion hospital ran, but came up with a far different diagnosis. The ER doctor discovered Lance Corporal McCarty had a perforated colon and his waste was pouring into his abdominal cavity.

Today McCarty has a colostomy bag, an ileostomy bag, a large open wound, and multiple laparoscopic incisions.

"I HAVE NO SOURCE OF INCOME and I am told it will take ONE YEAR for the VA to PROCESS MY DISABILITY REQUESTS."

In his prepared testimony before the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee he says "THE ACTIONS OF THE VA HOSPITAL IN MARION have REMOVED THIS MARINE and COUNTLESS OTHER VETERANS from the WAR ON TERROR. THESE WOUNDS ARE NOT the RESULT of INSURGENTS, THEY ARE a RESULT of INCOMPETENCE ON AMERICAN SOIL."