The Invisible Wounded

Injured soldiers evacuated to the U.S. never arrive in the light of day -- and the Pentagon has yet to offer a satisfactory explanation why.

http://dir.salon.com/story/news/feature/2005/03/08/night_flights/index.html

"From Andrews, some of the most seriously wounded are driven to Walter Reed or Bethesda Naval Medical Center in buses, ambulances or unmarked black vans. Photos of the arrivals at the hospitals are prohibited. (Salon obtained the images of wounded arriving at Walter Reed at night despite the ban. The images do not show the identities of the patients.)

Nearly 4,000 soldiers hurt in Iraq have been bused from Andrews Air Force Base to Walter Reed, according to the hospital. Because the planes come in late at Andrews, patients arrive at Walter Reed after dark and after the hospital's clinics are closed. The wounded are unloaded into hallways empty of the patients, families and media who typically are present during the day. They are not unloaded into the common entrance closest to the emergency room.

On one recent night at Walter Reed, about 10 hospital medical officials wearing green camouflage lined up gurneys in the empty hospital lobby just before 10. At around 9:45 p.m., someone announced that the "buses are here," and staff began putting on light blue rubber gloves. White school buses converted into ambulances and marked "Walter Reed" pulled up. Two unmarked black vans did too. The convoy did not go through the main circular drive to a covered entrance close to the emergency room and pharmacy, where most patients go in and out. The vehicles instead pulled into a raised drive above that entrance and unloaded the wounded under the open, dark sky.

The medical officials slowly unloaded the wounded who were on stretchers. Others entered in wheelchairs, hobbled in on crutches or walked. Two soldiers brought in on wheeled gurneys were swollen-looking, appeared unconscious and were fully intubated with large ventilators strapped across their beds. A bag of what could have been bloody urine hung off the side of one gurney.

The walking wounded were handed white bags from the Red Cross off a cart outside. A handful of civilians came in at the time and walked solemnly through the empty hallways to the hospital's Family Assistance Center with suitcases in tow. I witnessed two other arrivals like that on cold winter nights. Soldiers I know at Walter Reed have seen many more."

can really see the damage to our women and men in the services.

darkness. These soldiers deserve better. :(

I know they are treated before being sent back to America, but I have to wonder if their treatment is complicated by decisions to transport only at night, and quietly arrive at WR. How much medical assistance can be given on a 10-hour flight with patients stacked up? These are the most critically ill... why are they in buses and vans for the drive from Andrews?

The stories of the mistreatment of wounded troops need to stay at the top of the fold on every major newspaper.

As someone who has spent quite a bit of time in military hospitals, I find this absolutely outrageous.

The mere fact that they choose to move these guys in the dark - with all of the inherent risks - just infuriates me.

In addition, neglect is nothing new.

In our name, this has happened, we are all complicit.

Lots of us have tried, keep trying, have given up, lost hope, keep trying. Some good is coming out.

We have to stick with it this time.

We have to end the military, industrial, congressional complex.

Then and only then can we facilitate change for the good.

www.reclaimdemocracy.org

glad you found us, and a belated welcome to DU.