Reporter Bob Woodruff, who suffered traumatic brain injury in an explosion in Iraq, had a TV special on his remarkable recovery and on returning injured vets. He also made an astounding revelation: Casualty figures in Iraq are said to be 3,200 dead and 21,000 wounded, with Afghanistan’s far lower.
Woodruff obtained a confidential Defense Department report showing Veterans Affairs has actually treated 205,097 since fiscal year 2002, 976 percent higher than the official figure.
Officially, the report says 1,835 servicemen have TBI. Dr. Steven Scott, a founder of VA polytrauma centers, believes 10 percent of the 631,174 veterans from both wars have some brain injury. So the real number is actually 63,000-plus veterans returning brain injured. Other numbers:
— Post-traumatic stress syndrome, 33,754.
— Nondependent abuse of drugs, 28,732.
— Depressive disorders, 23,462.
— Neurotic disorders, 18,294.
— Affective psychoses, 12,386.
— Alcohol dependence, 5,413.
— Sexual deviations/disorders, 3,239.
— Special symptoms, not elsewhere classified, 3,178.
— Drug dependence, 2,387.
— Acute reaction to stress, 2,273.
Even more disgraceful is ABC parading Woodruff all over television, yet ignoring the distorted figures on its later Nightline broadcast. Woodruff’s interview with the VA secretary was truncated, and the most important parts were omitted from the Web site.
This is an outrage. We have a right to know the real cost to the servicemen who fight in our name. I challenge the media to report these figures aggressively and ask questions. I challenge any conservative to defend either the numbers or this lying administration. And I challenge Rep. Elton Gallegly to call for immediate congressional hearings on the real casualty figures. Either that, or he should never parrot the hollow, meaningless words “I support the troops� again. It’s time for him to stand up or step down.
— Bruce C. Marshall, Santa Paula
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