Sullivan op-ed puts politics ahead of solutions

U.S. Senate candidate Dan Sullivan, the state’s former attorney general and commissioner of the Department of Natural Resources, wrote an opinion piece in the Anchorage Daily News on May 20. It is about the current scandal rocking the Veterans Administration.

I appreciate his opinion on this matter, and deeply respect his service to this country as a U.S. Marine Corps officer. I do, however, take exception to making this a political campaign issue to further his aim for the Senate seat.

This is my direct response to him:

From one GI to another, sir, I must say this. It isn’t about politics. It is not a Republican issue. It is not a Democratic issue, nor an issue of any political party ideology. This goes way beyond all of that.

It is, frankly, an American issue. It involves every veteran in the nation, you and I included. With all due respect, sir, leave the political posturing out of this mess.

This is deeply personal for me, as well. We do find ourselves in agreement there.

I’m a retired Army NCO and a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom-2. The VA is a part of my life, like so many veterans in our country.

I’m just as shocked about the allegations directed toward the Phoenix VA and, at last count, 26 other facilities. Anger just doesn’t cut it. Outrage comes very close to how I feel about this betrayal of our veteran community.

Here is what I want: truth and justice. I want all the allegations to be thoroughly investigated. I want the truth to come out, and if any of those allegations prove to be true, I want justice in the form of firings and resignations. If any of the allegations prove to be criminal, then prosecution with convictions and long prison sentences is in order for any involved.

Calling for VA Secretary Shinseki to resign is premature until the whole truth of the matter is brought into the light of day. Then if he is found to be part of the many problems affecting the VA, by all means he must go.

We just have to make sure he has plenty of company joining him on the way out the door. Heads must roll, and the entire VA system repaired and restored back to it’s true mission: the care of the American veteran.

Making the VA crisis into a pitch for personal political gain, such as a Senate seat in D.C., is wrong in my book. And that is my point of contention with your opinion piece. Your expression of shock and outrage at the Phoenix VA debacle is something all veterans share at this moment.

This needs to go beyond party politics. Both sides need to come together and put pressure on those investigating this. Keep them honest in the search for the truth.

Avoid making it a game of political football. Going down that path will lead to the whole thing getting hopelessly mired. That must not happen. Regardless of party or political ideology, we need to make sure that from the top down the truth is dug out of this entire fiasco.

Bottom line: The mixed message of your article, sir, isn’t helping.

Wasilla resident Daniel D. Grota retired from the U.S. Army after more than 21 years of service.