WALLA WALLA-- Veterans are ready for a fight, after the VA closed down the only urgent care mental health beds in the region.

The VA says it's temporary, but vets don't buy it. They confronted Goveronor Chris Gregoire about their concerns yesterday.

It's been less than two months since an inspector swept into the VA and closed down its nursing home, blaming the aging infrastructure and staff incompetence.

Now the VA has closed down the facility's only two urgent care psychiatry beds and its one detox bed. The VA says both closures are temporary, but vets aren't buying that answer. They tell action news it's all a lie.

"This is absolutely unacceptable," said roxanne Hinkle, ______ of Vets of Foreign Wars.

"We kind of see a pattern here, of deception and intent on the part of the VA to close this hospital as soon as they can," said Rondald L. Fry.

"I don't know what he's smoking, but we need them beds," said Kenneth Silver.

They took their complaints to the governor when she was in town campaigning Friday. The face-to-face confrontation wasn't on the agenda.

"We're not taking care of the veterans that we already have, and now we have vets coming home by the hundreds, by the thousands, and we need to take care," said Hinkle. "Because when they said, i do, and the government said they would, we trusted them to follow through."

They say it's crucial vets, new and old, have a plce to go in a mental health or substance abuse emergencies.

"The nightmares, they are so intense for a veteran," said Fry. "They are with them all the time, those kinds of thoughts and visions."

Action News called up VA spokesperson for specifics. What part of the building didn't meet code?


[CG :Lower 3rd\1.37/1.45\Buddy Georgia\VIETNAM VETERAN]

ACTION NEWS CALLED UP THE VA SPOKESPERSON TO BE SPECIFIC -- WHAT PART OF THE BUILDING DIDN'T MEET CODE?
WE DIDN'T GET AN ANSWER -- JUST THAT IT DIDN'T MEET CODE.
SO WE ASKED WHEN THE NURSING HOME AND THE URGENT MENTAL CARE BEDS WILL BE BACK ONLINE.
THEY DIDN'T KNOW THAT, EITHER.

Buddy-- These veterans can either be treated in a medical environment, or be ignored to the detriment of the communities they live in and be dealt with in the judicial system. But they will have to be dealt with, one way or the other.

IN WALLA WALLA-- RUDABEH SHAHBAZI-- ACTION NEWS.

THE VA SAYS THEY'RE REFERRING VETS TO OTHER FACILITIES TO MEET THEIR NEEDS--
AND THEY'RE WORKING TO OPEN A STATE NURSING HOME IN PLACE OF THE ONE THAT CLOSED LAST MONTH.
THEY SAY THEY ALSO HOPE TO HAVE A NEW MENTAL HEALTH FACILITY IN 2009--
AND THAT THEY'RE WORKING ON AN OUTPATIENT FACILITY AND A SPECIALITY CARE CLINIC PROJECTED TO OPEN IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS.