Veterans deserve better healthcare

Politicians promise to provide the best medical services possible for our veterans. In reality, those promises are seldom realized.

President Bush has had nearly eight years to fulfill the promises, with negligible results. As a United States senator for many years, John McCain has had oversight of the Veterans Administration operation of veterans hospitals.

Scandals concerning substandard care of our veterans at Walter Reed and another veterans hospital in Marion, Ill., highlight the urgent need to completely change the way we treat our veterans. Attempts to correct conditions at veterans hospitals have failed, as the recent scandal at Fort Sill has revealed.

Wounded soldiers at Fort Sill have complained of breathing and throat problems resulting from infested mold in ventilation ducts in their barracks. Colonel Robert Bridgford, garrison commander at Fort Sill, said he ordered workers to replace ventilation ducts encrusted with mold in two 48-room wounded soldier barracks at the base.

As a former United States Marine, I have been advocating improved medical care for all of our veterans.

Veterans could obtain services from every hospital and physician in the United States. They would be enrolled in Medicare at any age, if they are honorably discharged. Veterans would be required to show their Veterans Administration photo identity card, their Social Security card and honorable discharge papers for treatment by

hospitals and physicians.

Richard F. Nelson

Aurora