Some US troops question Woodruff coverage

monsters and critics ^ | Feb 1, 2006, 0:10 GMT | By Pamela Hess

[Buddy B]

Here's to a real war correspondent, Ernie Pyle

"In 1940, with war raging in Europe, Pyle went to England to report on the Battle of Britain. By 1942, he was covering America’s involvement in the war. During the next three years, battle campaigns took him to North Africa, Italy and the Normandy Beaches in France.

In 1945, Pyle accepted what would be his last assignment—the Pacific theater. His death silenced the pen of a man whose writing had served as the link between men at the front and their loved ones back home."

[Squantos]

"I hate newspapermen. They come into camp and pick up their camp rumors and print them as facts. I regard them as spies, which, in truth, they are. If I killed them all there would be news from Hell before breakfast." --- Civil War General William Tecumseh Sherman

[oceanview]

because the media is able to use this story to further their "iraq is spiraling out of control" mantra that they spoon feed to the sheeple.

trust me, if the truth be told, alot of folks in the media elite were quite content this happened to Woodruff - not on a personal level, but with respect to how they can use the story.

[sarasmom]

BTTT
BTW, I love your tagline!

[Enchante]

'It`s a bit stunning to us over here how absolutely dominant the story is on every network and front page. I mean, you`d think we lost the entire 1st Marine Division or something.

Yet more evidence of the warped priorities of the MSM - they are always in "group grope" of caressing each other and enjoying stroking their own bloated egos, instead of focusing on serious national priorities. Yeah, it's too bad that two newspeople were wounded, but when did the MSM ever expend any similar concern for our troops, except when they can wield a club against Bush?

[Constantine XIII]

I can see Adam Sandler acting that out. :P

[Buddy B]

"What would you say to military retirees who are turned away becasue there is no "space available" for treatment and yet they have room to treat a civilian journalist? I don't understand this situation."

Do you suppose I could walk into the "Naval Hospital at Bethesda" with my "Military Retiree ID" and request medical care?

Slim chance...I'd get treated...

[clintonh8r]

So any civilian should be able to get treated at a U.S. military hospital just by paying for it?

I neither said nor implied that. I simply wondered if, the treatment having already been provided, Woodruff's and Vogt's employer would reimburse the government for the cost of the transportation and the care.

[Squantos]

Drove home , and repeated in 26 years of military service and my daily life still thank you !

Stay safe !

[solitas]

Here's another link to the same: http://www.upi.com/SecurityTerrorism/view.php?StoryID=20060131-041958-8164r

An EXCELLENT article.

[FreedomCalls]

I neither said nor implied that.

I'm sorry if you took it that way. I just am questioning how any civilian can get treatment at Bethesda -- even if paid for. It just doesn't work that way. There's something that isn't right here. I don't understand. Military retirees are turned away every day from military treatment facilities (MTFs) because they will treat them on a "space available" basis, but they always claim they have no space available. That's why Tricare was set up -- so that retirees could get treatment from civilian doctors because there was no room at the MTFs.

[pierrem15]

After a few minutes, that was my thought, too: why so much coverage for them and so little of our military casualties (except as Dem photo ops)?

[clintonh8r]

I just saw on another thread that ABC or its insurance company will pay the bills. If true, they're doing the right thing. No way this should be a taxpayer expense.

[OldFriend]

The media celebrates the loss of military life.

And that's the tragic truth.

[Buddy B]

"I just saw on another thread that ABC or its insurance company will pay the bills. If true, they're doing the right thing."

Not true...if ABC or its insurance company pay.

He is taking up a medical space that an injured GI could have occupied!

[Bernard Marx]

because the media is able to use this story to further their "iraq is spiraling out of control" mantra that they spoon feed to the sheeple.

I agree 100%. It's all an exercise in megalomania and cynicism.

[clintonh8r]

Uh, the treatment has already been rendered, so nothing can be done about that, right or wrong. The fact that ABC will pay the bill is the right thing, regardless of whether you agree that treating them at a military hospital was proper.

Nobody's advocating that a civilian should be able to show up on the doorstep of a military or VA hospital and demand treatment, paid for or not.

[Buddy B]

"I wonder if ABC will reimburse the taxpayers for all the expenses...."

Here is an article from Slate.com | Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2006

Who's Going To Pay for Bob Woodruff's Medical Care? / Do military hospitals take insurance? / By Daniel Engber / Posted Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2006, at 6:17 PM ET

Interesting...

[PeoplesRepublicOfWashington]

Amen.

[clintonh8r]

Thanks. Bookmarked to read in the AM.