To the Boston Globe on a much-deserved Pulitzer for their work on bringing Bush’s “signing statements” to light. “Straining to Keep A Promise,” on the lack of funding and staffing at the VA for returning vets, is up to that same high standard:

Until then the system faces troubles of the sort Dr. Frances Murphy, the under secretary for health policy coordination at the VA, outlined in the medical journal Psychiatric News last year. Murphy wrote that mental health and substance abuse care are not accessible at some VA facilities. When the services are available, Dr. Murphy asserted that, “waiting lists render that care virtually inaccessible.”

Jeff Lennon knows all about that.

The lack of consistent and easily accessible care, Lennon believes, has made it difficult for him to heal. Last week, he was again trying his best to navigate the VA. He was wandering from one floor to another in the Brockton VA Medical Center, trying to renew his prescription for depression and anxiety medicine and running into problems and paper work.

The receptionist could not find his prescription history for anti anxiety drugs in the computer tracking system so he was told to go to a basement unit where it might be located. He tried to get an appointment with a psychiatrist and was told the earliest date was six weeks out.

“They didn’t plan the whole damned war,” he said. “So why the hell would we think they’d plan for those of us coming home with these problems?”