Rep. Roy demands answers from VA on employee’s brutal assault of 73-year-old Vietnam vet

On Monday, I asked the VA to hold an employee accountable for brutally beating and choking a 73-year-old Vietnam veteran at Fort McPherson VA Clinic in Atlanta, Georgia; the victim suffered numerous injuries and was hospitalized for three days due to a brain bleed from the assault.

The assailant, Lawrence F. Gaillard, Jr. is a VA patient advocate who was arrested and charged with a felony for the assault but was ultimately released on bond. Reports indicate that Mr. Gaillard is still employed by the VA.

This vile display of behavior is horrifying and antithetical to the VA’s critical mission of caring for ‘those who have borne the battle’ in defense of our nation. Every veteran who walks through the doors of a VA facility should be treated with the utmost respect worthy of their service to our country.

I called on the VA to investigate the incident and terminate Gaillard.

The VA must take immediate action to hold this employee accountable – the least of which is removing him as an employee of the VA.

Full text of the letter can be found below and at the link here.