[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 17 (Monday, January 29, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1262-S1263]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             VA HEALTH CARE

  Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, on Saturday of this past weekend, I was in 
Minneapolis, MN, for some meetings. In the Minneapolis Star Tribune 
newspaper, there was on the front page a story that I read with 
substantial disappointment and concern. I will relate it to my 
colleagues.
  Kevin Giles for the Minneapolis Star Tribune wrote a story:

       This Marine's death came after he served in Iraq.


[[Page S1263]]


  The subhead is:

       When Jonathan Schulze came home from Iraq, he tried to live 
     a normal life, but the war kept that from happening.

  The story is a lengthy one about a man who served in Iraq, was a 
marine, very proud of being a marine, a combat marine. His name was 
Jonathan Schulze. In Iraq, he carried a heavy machine gun as part of 
his combat experience. He apparently indicated he had watched about 16 
of his unit members and close friends die in some very aggressive 
fighting in Iraq, described the battles. He was twice wounded, earned 
two Purple Hearts, came back to this country, was discharged, and had 
very serious post-traumatic stress disorder, severe psychological 
problems. He couldn't sleep, reliving the combat during his sleep and 
then having flashbacks when awake.
  On December 14, he went to the VA center in Minneapolis, met with a 
psychiatrist, according to this news account, and was told that he 
could be admitted for some treatment in March. This was December. On 
January 12, a couple of weeks ago, he went to the VA hospital in St. 
Cloud, according to this account. He told the people at the VA hospital 
in St. Cloud that he was thinking of committing suicide, thinking of 
killing himself. His parents were with him at that point. They verify 
that is what he told the VA hospital in St. Cloud. He was thinking of 
committing suicide, and he wanted to be admitted as a patient. They 
told him they could not admit him as a patient.
  The next day, he called the VA, called them back, and they told him 
that he was No. 26 on the waiting list. Four days later, he hung 
himself. This young man who served his country honorably as a U.S. 
marine reached out for help. According to his parents, who were there 
at the time, he went to a VA hospital and said: I need help, I want to 
be admitted, I am having thoughts of suicide, and he was refused. The 
next day, he was told he is 26th on the list.
  I don't know all of the facts about this. I only know the facts I 
have read in a newspaper. But the story is nearly unbelievable to me. 
The newspaper description of the flag-draped coffin of this young 
marine who earned two Purple Hearts fighting for his country in Iraq 
contains a sad, sad story of a young marine who should have gotten 
medical help for serious psychological problems that were the result of 
his wartime experience.
  I am going to ask the inspector general to investigate what happened 
in this case. What happened that a young man who was a marine veteran 
with two Purple Hearts turns up at a VA center and says: I am thinking 
of committing suicide, can you help me, can you admit me, and he is 
told: No, the list is 26 long in front of you? Something dreadfully 
wrong happened. The result is a young man is dead. What happened here? 
Does it happen other places?
  We know the heavy toll war imposes on these young men and women who 
wear America's uniform and who answer this country's call. My 
colleagues and I have all been to Bethesda and Walter Reed, and have 
visited the veterans who have lost arms and legs, who have had head 
injuries, especially, because the body armor these days means that the 
injuries more often sustained are the loss of an arm or a leg or a 
brain injury due to the improvised explosive devices. We know about the 
VA health care system. The VA health care system has been excellent in 
some respects. It has gotten good reviews. But what has happened here? 
Are there others who show up at a VA center and say: I need help, only 
to be told no help is available? I hope that is not the case.
  But I am going to ask the Inspector General to investigate this case 
and find out what happened. Is it happening other places? And what can 
we do to prevent this from happening again? It is the unbelievable cost 
of war.

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