Wounded Soldier Blogging From Walter Reed

Posted on March 15, 2007

A wounded soldier has started a blog about life inside the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The blog, called "This Veteran's Life" is located at Blogspot. It also goes by the short hand name @WR. Walter Reed has been at the center of a scandal over inadequate health care according to CBS News.

The description for the @WR blog on Milbloggers reads, "Welcome to Walter Reed. Home of warrior care. Or so we are told." The Walter Reed blogger says he and other soldiers have been mistreated.

I have been called a patriot, and treated like a criminal. I have been called a Soldier and treated as the enemy. I have been told to get a hair cut and not to eat the civilians. My humor misses most people. Sometimes it is too rough, too dark, and too close to home. But that is what happens when you have seen too much and spoken too little. It finds a way to the surface. A way to be heard.
I have stood by long enough.
I have been mistreated, and I have seen others mistreated. I had the system that is supposed to help me, hurt me. I have seen it hurt others. I have seen this place break a Soldier down. I have seen the hope slowly leeched from a Soldier. Vibrant and full of pride, ready to be healed and return to the fight, broken down, spirit trampled, and hope taken from them. I have seen it. And I have been that Soldier.

The soldier at Walter Reed is also blogging about pills and PTSD and continuing to fight: "Fight to get better, fight to leave here, and fight to maybe even change the things that are wrong with the system."

Note: The soldier's blog is no longer live.