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Winter Soldier: Iraq & Afghanistan 2008
By Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans
War Comes Home
The horrible, honest reality of the American occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan like you havenāt heard it before.
Winter Soldier: Iraq and Afghanistan, features testimony from U.S. veterans who served in those occupations, giving an accurate account of what is really happening day in and day out, on the ground.
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Soldiers In Revolt
By David Cortright, Howard Zinn (introduction)
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If you can make a contribution to help keep us going, please do.
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US Deaths in the Iraq War
They shall grow not old,
as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them,
nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun
and in the morning
We will remember them.
--Laurence Binyon
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Your country needs you, again!
Big and small things, all important, that you can do, that we can do, to make a difference.
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To read why veterans and their families opposed this war, go to the Sound Off Board:
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Join our forum! Lots of discussions, facts, action alerts, etc...
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Cost of the War in Iraq
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In their youth Chickenhawks were extremely skillful at evading the military, while today they are fervent advocates for war.
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There has always been a higher percentage of veterans in Congress than in society as a whole, but not today.
CLICK HERE!
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"Whatever our political persuasions, we all are patriots. We must rally around the flag to protect it from being stolen from us."
--Robert T. Flint, USN, 1954-1958
"If we have to go to war against Iraq because they are lying about their weapon systems, then we have to go to war against most countries, including the United States.
--Phil Hartman, USMC, 1966-1968
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"The following comes from a woman who works in the VA system in Shreveport, LA."
<font class=author>Congress.org
September 3, 2005
For what it's worth...
After the situation in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast stabilizes...the injured are receiving care, the dead and missing have been recovered and respectfully laid to rest, the missing are accounted for, the displaced have decent housing and interim jobs, and the rebuilding process begins...I personally feel that every FEMA manager should be personally reviewed and held accountable. They must answer for their actions or inactions.
Every hospital in New Orleans is, and has been, without water, electricity, proper sanitation, and in many cases food. Back-up generators are either underwater or out of fuel and are therefore inoperable.
I want to know why three days later children still have not been evacuated from the Children's Hospital. I do not know the accuracy of the following statement, but my sources have told me that some infants have passed because there was no means to continue their life support.
There are 750 people comprised of patients, staff and families at the VA hospital in New Orleans. A plan had been established to evacuate these people on Tuesday. The evacuation had been coordinated with the air force (Barksdale Air Force base who was coordinating transport planes with another base) and an army national guard/reserve unit with Black Hawk helicopters (I'm sorry but I don't know which unit.) FEMA took over the evacuation because they said it was their jurisdiction. I don't understand this but FEMA apparently also denied other agencies and other VA facilities from directly contacting the New Orleans VA. "Informal communications" are still taking place whenever possible. However, the people there are still waiting.
Three vets have passed; maybe more. There may be an evacuation this evening; the other VA hospitals that make up this region have decided to bypass FEMA and have sent their own convoy of buses and supply trucks with their own VA security guards and have also arranged for a C-130 transport plane to rescue this hospital. A couple of VA hospital directors probably have put their careers on the line by doing this, but I say thank God for their care and compassion.
Charity Hospital in New Orleans was to have had patients airlifted out Wednesday. The staff moved patients to the roof of the facility and waited. The helos never came, because, as one person put it, "The Feds decided not to send them and didn't bother to tell us about it." Several people have passed. And according to the evening news, the others are still waiting.
While the patients are suffering, the medical staff is devastated. They are unable to give the care they were trained to give. Oxygen supplies have not been replenished. And without power, ventilators are inoperable; the critical must be bagged by hand, 24 hours a day, until they are rescued or until they pass. Can you imaging holding an infant you know is going to pass because you cannot give it the care it needs and deserves? It is emotionally untenable for the staff.
Yet the attention is on the Superdome because that's where the cameras are. Which brings up this point: should you see any television interviews regarding the supervision or management of the various agencies, so far the Coast Guard and military and National Guard are pretty much accurate. Justice and Attorney General are too. However, FEMA has been doing what seems to be a passable job of avoiding the truth. It truly makes me angry.
When some stability finally comes to this situation, I ask you to email, write, call your Senators and your congressmen to initiate an investigation into FEMA and demand that these people answer for their bureaucratic incompetence. Homeland Security indeed!
On the other hand, thank God for the Coast Guard. They just moved in immediately and started doing what they do best. And their actions are truly magnificent. Thank God for the Red Cross. They, too, moved in immediately -- without anybody's permission, without some handwritten authorization - and started taking care of people's needs, setting up shelters, and collecting and distributing necessities. Thank God for all the cities and towns across the region and as distant as San Antonio, who went into action immediately setting up and stocking shelters and making arrangements to transport and take care of their share of the refugees. And than God for all the individuals who volunteered immediately from all across the nation to help in rescue and recovery. Thank God for those people who don't think like bureaucrats.
One more thing: if you have the ability, please drop some pocket change into a Red Cross canister or make a donation to them by phone. It will make a difference in many people's lives.
Thanks.
cont.:
Over the years, many news programs have been highly critical of a few hospitals within the VA Hospital system. And frankly some of those hospitals needed dressing down. However you can be proud of the hospitals belonging to the region consisting of Louisiana, Mississippi, and part of Texas. They take care of their own.
Yesterday a convoy of three transport buses and some trucks carrying supplies left the VA in Shreveport with 6 nurses, several armed VA guards, and volunteer drivers. They stopped at the Alexandria, LA VA to pick up additional support personnel. Some backdoor arrangements were also made to have a C-130 transport to fly to the New Orleans airport. Their sole mission was to do what FEMA in all their bureaucratic incompetence could not seem to able to do: evacuate the VA hospital in New Orleans.
Getting there took most of the night.
At 4:30 this morning word came to the Shreveport hospital than the C-130 transport would land at Shreveport Regional with at least 50 critical patients. The buses were on their way to the Alexandria VA, which has been designated the staging area, with at least 50 more wheelchair patients. The buses will then turn around and go back for more. The people involved said that NONE of the people in that facility will be forgotten. EVERYONE, including the staff, families of patients, and families of staff who are in the hospital WILL be rescued.
There isn't any word on the nurses, guards, or drivers at this point. We assume that the medical staff will remain to help relieve those who have been working around the clock since the hurricane hit. Please pray for their safety and well-being.
By the way, about 12 hours earlier another convoy from Shreveport preceded the rescue convoy to deliver water, food, medicines, and other essentials to the facility.
It is good to know that there are those who will take action. I hope FEMA is taking notes.
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