Wronged Veteran: my story
My name is Keith LaClair. I went to VA hospital and went in for bereavement classes and as soon as I walked through the door, they locked me in for ten days and I could not even go out for a candy bar. The VA hospital in Syracuse, NY is a deplorable place. I am a veteran with two honorable discharges and held a top secret clearance.
My mother was dying of cancer and the comondant of the United States Marine Corps gave my brother Carl, also a U.S. Marine in Japan, and I a hardship transfer to the Brooklyn Naval yard, which was four and a half hours from home. However, we never got it. My mom died when I pulled up in front of my house, I didn't make it inside in time. My brother Carl didn't get home until the day she was being buried. Thank you America.
In Puerto Rico, I saved a man's life in a fire while the great Marines on the sidelines were screaming "leave him you stupid bastard or you are both going to die." We were on a force marchin Puerto Rico and a little italian Sargeant was begging for some one to take his back pack so I did and those behind me said I was going to get my ass kicked. Well, I was almost killed for being a good christian. I was in the blockade around Cuba and went back again for the bay of pigs. When they sent me to Hawaii, I had to stop over in San Francisco. As soon as I arrived, after flying all the way across the country and mourning the loss of my mother, they immediately put me on guard duty. When I walked in I sat down on my bed and passed out exhausted. They put me in jail for two weeks at hard labor. Some country huh?
When I got to Hawaii, Marine Barracks West Lock, naval ammunition depot, they gave mea top secret clearance. I helped clean up two spills and they say all it caused was blisters on my feet. When I left the Marinesthey wanted me to jointhe Navy Seals. They said they would mke me an E-9. I said "no thanks, I've had enough bullshit from the military. So thanks, but no thanks."
I went into the VA hospital in Syracuse, NY, in the waiting room I leaned against the wall and one of the said to get up or he would kick the shit out of me. I replied to him "if I had a gun, you would be dead already." Two cops came. Then they put me on a stretcher and brought me into the emergency room. My sister, Betty was thereand I asked for a blanket. The nurse said "we don't have blankets", and two minutes later came back and threw it at me. Then a male nurse came in and put it over me. He took me up to the sixth floor and a few moments after that the two cops came to my room and asked if I was Keith LaClair. I said yes and asked were they there to arrest me. It doesn't matter what I said, they left immediately. They were supposed to take me to Buffalo for heart surgery, but left without me for fifteen days. When I finally got to Buffalo, they operated on my heart for thirteen and a half hours. Then they sent me back to the Syracuse VA hospital, where they were supposed to keep me for ninety days of heart rehabilitation. They didn't keep me for even one day. They hooked me on morphine and sent me home. Where was the honor?
I could go on and on but what for? Only money talks in America. If you people don't help me then God will answer for me.
I can't even get a ride to the VA hospital anymore because some jerkcalled me on my cell phone, which I had turned off two months earlier. He finally called me on my house phone to tell me he was outside. I went out and got into the van and he started going up one side and down the other. I got mad and told him to stop the van and I would kick the shit out of him even though he was two feet taller than me. As soon as we got to theVA hospital, he got out of the van and ran straight into his office. They still won't pick me up even today. The USMC sucks and so does the VA hospital. Both have wronged me.
Just a little more, a ladyI know needed a place to live so I rented an apartment for $1,250 and then I went to the VA hospital for ten days. When I got back, the lady next door said she was down at the end of the road doing drugs with her friends. So I started movingout. She came back to the aprtment and started moving her things out. Then a cop came and cuffed my right arm. He got me to the floor and started beating right on my heart. I told him I just had three new heart valves and a three way by-pass surgery. He said he didn't give a four letter and anyone who beat on a woman deserves to die. He was a sargeant in the Oswego County Sheriff's office. I never beat on a woman in my life! They put me in Oswego County jail for ten days. I did not plead guilty. I promised my wife, before she passed, that I would not kill anyone or that cop would already be dead, and I don't need a weapon. That cop should be in prison.
I took care of my wife at home for 8 months. She had pancreatic cancer. Seems like the good people always have it the hardest in life. God will answer for me.
I'd like to hear from anyone that has gone through similar incidents, or who feels that they too were wronged by our system. Please fill in the cracks about you.

Keit J. LaClair
100 LaMadre Way
Baldwinsville, NY 13027
Phone number: 315-635-5201