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'IT'S LIKE BEING KICKED IN THE TEETH BY A HORSE'

September 17, 2007 8:29 AM

"I've been sitting here for THREE YEARS.  I don't even know 'what going on with my life' means.  I WANT TO SCREAM AT THE TOP OF MY LUNGS.  I'M AT THE END OF MY ROPE." 

That is what staff sgt. John Daniel Shannon, a soldier who suffered a severe brain injury in Iraq, told WASHINGTON POST reporters Dana Priest and Anne Hall for their Saturday article entitled "ALMOST HOME BUT FACING MORE DELAYS AT WALTER REED."

After three major investigations, all sorts of congressional hearings -- Priest and Hall say Shannon testified before some of them -- promises from President Bush and Defense Secretary Robert Gates, some things at Walter Reed still just don't work. 

According to the article, after nearly three years at the army hospital during which time his wife and family had nearly gone broke and "lived five to a tiny room" so they could be near and help care for him, Shannon had been given a 30 day leave to prepare for civilian life in Suffolk, Va., where his wife had started a house cleaning business to support the family. 

But Priest and Hall say that was when Shannon got word some signatures he needed on his disability forms were missing and others had expired.  He had to come back to Walter Reed, check himself in again, make new appointments to be reevaluated and get new signatures before he could finally go home for good and that was going to take a lot of time.  Clearing frustrated, he told the reporters, "IT'S BEEN 33 MONTHS, WHAT KIND OF BEER ARE THEY DRINKING?"

Priest and Hall got Walter Reed spokesman Charles Dasey to admit that "THERE WAS A FAILURE OF PAYING ATTENTION TO THE CURRENCY OF HIS PAPERWORK" and Dasey added the army has NOW decided the signatures Shannon has already collected are just fine and the "LAST STEP, DETERMINING SHANNON'S ARMY DISABILITY PAY AND BENEFITS" WILL BEGIN TODAY. 

The article says Shannon would like to take over the job of his case manager at Walter Reed and help other soldiers get what they deserve. "I WISH I COULD TAKE HIS JOB SO I COULD KICK SOME DOORS IN AND SAY, 'HEY! WHAT'S GOING ON HERE!' "             

September 17, 2007 in Iraq | Permalink | User Comments (0)

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