More Spit on the Military by San Francisco?

San Francisco, Ca., April 27, 2007 Is it MUNI this time? The relationship between the City of San Francisco and the U.S. Military has deteriorated since the image of a returning Viet Nam Veteran being spat upon by an anti-war protestor was flashed across the world by national network TV. In a recent conversation at City Hall a young aide who wasn’t alive at the time observed that, “a hippie spit on a soldier.” Aside from the fact that a true hippie would have thrown flowers not sputum, the image stands as a marker in time of the diminishing presence and pride of the military in the City.

The Sixth Army Headquarters at the Presidio of San Francisco and Hunters’ Point Naval Shipyard were the cornerstones of a large military presence that contributed more to the local economy than any other single segment of the community. The military presence contained two medical facilities that stood at the forefront of modern medical care and treatment, Letterman General Hospital at the Presidio and the Veterans Administration Medical Center at Fort Miley. Between the two facilities they provided a full range of medical care and treatment to the hundreds of thousands of wounded soldiers returning from Viet Nam and veterans from the two world wars, Korea and other conflicts.

The Veterans Administration Medical Center at 42nd Avenue and Clement is the only major facility related to the military in the City. Recent changes in MUNI service to the VA suggest that the needs of the military, more specifically the individual soldiers are being met with spit. The changes have been necessitated by the initiation of construction on an earthquake retrofit that has closed the main entrance to the Medical Center.

Until the start of the construction the 38 Geary – VA Fort Miley route terminated approximately fifteen yards from the main entrance to the center. Bus drivers took breaks before resuming their routes back downtown. Drivers had easy access to the rest rooms and the cafeteria on the base and they could go inside during inclement weather to get out of their busses. Over time very positive relationships have formed between the drivers and the veterans. Occasionally drivers on the 38L, which normally bypassed the Fort on Geary and 42nd Avenue, would take ten or more veterans up the hill to the hospital to save them the strenuous walk that was worse in bad weather.

In early March 2007, MUNI posted an alert that effective March 14, 2007, the bus stop was being moved off the Fort to the Northwest corner of Clement and 42nd Ave.. The move has proven to be a hardship to many of the veterans who suffer from grave physical disabilities and illnesses that are severely aggravated by the walk up a rather steep hill from the bus stop to the temporary entrance to the hospital. Despite assurances in a letter sent to the patients that transportation up the hill would be provided by the VA, such has not been the case to date. The promised shuttle service has been has been infrequent, sporadic and absent for veterans outside the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

On Monday, April 23 at 9:30 a.m., fifteen passengers exited the bus at 42nd and Clement, all destined for the Medical Center. Eight of the passengers were physically impaired and should have been shuttled to the entry. Two of the passengers were using walkers and one was using a cane. Three others stopped several times while walking uphill. At 10:25 a.m., ten people departed the bus, six of whom should have been shuttled judging by the difficulty they had climbing the hill.

On Thursday, April 26, at 8:32 a.m., twenty-one passengers exited a bus, four of them using canes, one without a cane limped badly, and three elderly veterans walked very slowly uphill, stopping several times. A van and driver were stationed at a shuttle stop overlooking the Clement Street terminous. When asked, the driver said that he had just arrived. No mention was made of the people straggling up the hill at the time. At 9:05 a.m., ten people departed a bus, four of whom had demonstrable difficulty negotiating the hill. The van being used as a shuttle was once again parked at the top of the hill and did not make a move to meet the bus.

Ronald L. Hunt, Marketing and Community Relations Director for the VA San Francisco Medical Center recalled the discussions with MUNI about moving the stop. He said that MUNI had originally agreed to stop at a site near the temporary entrance with the busses proceeding on a route behind the hospital and out the back of the Fort where the busses originally exited the Fort onto 43rd Avenue at Clement. Mr. Hunt recalled that MUNI representatives told him that the route was unacceptable to the MUNI drivers union. MUNI subsequently moved the stop to the current location and the VA set up the shuttle system to accommodate the change.

In theory, the shuttles are supposed to pick up the passengers from each bus and bring them to the temporary entrance to the Medical Center. A phone connected to the security dispatcher is supposed to be there for anyone who needs help to call. When informed that the emergency phone has never worked and was currently wrapped in plastic, Mr. Hunt expressed surprise. He insisted that the shuttles were working the way they should.

The most enduring observation occurred on Friday, April 24, when one passenger debarked the bus and proceeded up the hill. The veteran appeared to be at least eighty years old. Using a cane, he hesitantly made his way up the hill, stopping every two or three steps, often breathing deeply for several steps. When asked if he needed any help, he said, “I’ll make it.” and continued on his way.

The veterans who fought the “War to end all wars” are diminishing in numbers. They deserve to be honored through the rest of their life and after. Anything that makes their lives harder demonstrates a lack of respect for them. Veterans who came after them have fought in some conflicts of questionable political motivation and justification. But they also deserve respect and honor for following their consciences in fighting for what they were told were just causes. Many discovered the true reasons for the conflicts and became active protestors against the very wars they fought. (i.e. Veterans for Peace is currently active and many of the members fought in Iraq)

Anthony Chandler, an aide in Supervisor Chris Daly’s office, himself a Veteran is investigating MUNI’s role in the loss of services to the veterans. He expressed a desire to find a solution to the problem as soon as possible. He also expressed a desire to help change the image of San Francisco’s anti-military stance and erase the seemingly indellible image of a poorly dressed aggitator spitting on a soldier as the symbol of that stance.

With Memorial Day at the end of May, it would be a good time to start the rehabilitation of the City’s image. MUNI could make changes to accommodate the soldiers of by-gone wars and the growing number of disabled veterans from current conflicts. Most people in San Francisco are capable of making the distinction between an un-lawful war and the young, misguided soldiers who have fought them.

The 38 GEARY – Fort Miley drivers are taking the brunt of the complaints about the service changes. They all appear to support the veterans in their efforts to improve service. They watch the old soldiers climbing one more hill in their battle to stay alive in a hostile environment. If the route around the back of the Fort is unacceptable to them, perhaps an alternatinve route providing a quick turn-around using the front parking lot only could be established. From what the drivers have said, their union acted without consulting them, as did the Veterans Administration.

When advised that Supervisor Chris Daly’s office had been contacted on this matter, Mr. Hunt said that he had been previously contacted by Supervisor Jake McGoldrick. Nothing appears to have come from that contact. While a better solution is being sought, Mr. Hunt should consider getting a MUNI schedule for the 38 GEARY – Fort Miley route and have a shuttle meet every bus to transport the more severely disabled up the hill. Parking at the top of the hill provides a more social atmosphere for the shuttle drivers, but the drivers should take their responsibility to serve the veterans more seriously.

A cardiologist at the hospital reports that he has seen two patients who have suffered from chest pain requiring them to take nitroglycerin during their walk up the hill. One of those patients was treated in the Emergency Room and required twelve days of hospitalization with the primary diagnosis of Congestive Heart Failure. The need to act on this problem is critical, truly a life or death situation.