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VA problems ‘a national disgrace,’ Warner tells Gloucester gathering

U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, on the campaign trail Monday, stopped by the Disabled American Veterans office in Gloucester to find out what local veterans think of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. He got an earful.

Veterans told Warner stories of appointment delays and cancellations, inability to get through on telephone calls, inadequate coverage, lost records, and rude treatment at VA hospitals.

As each person talked, Warner approached him or her and listened quietly, occasionally patting this or that one on the back for comfort.

One man said that he was experiencing dizzy spells and had blood in his urine and arrived at the Hampton VA hospital only to find that his appointment had been cancelled. Another questioned why he had to go all the way to Hampton or Richmond for treatment in the first place when there’s a hospital “right down the street.”

“There would be better care for veterans if local hospitals could provide care,” he said.

Cathy Hinson...

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