My Gulf War 1/Veterans Day editorial printed today

[w8liftinglady]

http://www.thedailylight.com/articles/2010/11/07/opinion/doc4cd6429d8a77a845763757.txt

As Veterans Day 2010 arrives, let’s remember one group of veterans who seem to have disappeared. As a member of Veterans for Common Sense, I have promised the veterans of Operation Desert Storm/Operation Desert Shield that they won’t be forgotten by the nation they served.

Over 524,000 troops were deployed to Iraq and Kuwait from Aug. 7,1990 - April 11,1991. There were only 137 troops killed in action during this time — a number considered “acceptable” by war officials. The war was viewed in a positive fashion by all.

Over the next few years, over 200,000 troops began getting sick. All of these veterans began experiencing the same symptoms-profound fatigue,gastrointestinal disorders, respiratory disorders, joint and muscle pain and neurological symptoms (memory loss, depression, dizziness). As the veterans entered the Veterans Administration system, they were informed that their illnesses were “psychosomatic” and did not warrant disability payments. This was despite the fact that many veterans WERE disabled by their symptoms.

Thanks to research funded by H. Ross Perot and performed by UTSW under the supervision of Dr. Robert Haley, it was determined as early as 1994 that Gulf War Illness was due to exposure to chemical or biological warfare agents, pyridostigmine bromide prophylaxis,and vaccinations for botulinum toxoid and anthrax. The combination of these created a toxic environment inside these troops ... one which took almost two decades for the DoD and VA to admit.

With the appointment of Eric Shinseki as Secretary of the Veterans Administration, aggressive actions have taken place in the treatment of previously-denied Gulf War One veterans. I encourage veterans or those who have family who were deployed during this time period to research two sites:

Gulflink is the official site of the Special Assistant for Gulf War Illnesses

http://www.gulflink.osd.mil/index.jsp

The National Gulf War Resource Center is an independent veterans group with excellent resources

http://www.ngwrc.org /

If you have been previously denied VA disability/compensation and are a Gulf War One veteran, please apply again. We are fighting for you. The nation remains grateful for your sacrifice. We support you.

[Dystopian]

1. KandR

Excellent letter.
Keep up the great work...informing the public regarding the horrific suffering of our veterans and families.
Thank you for all you do...

Stay strong...still have you and your family in my thoughts and prayers.:hug:
And remember to take good care of yourself....precious.


peace~

edit for tpyo...

[w8liftinglady]

4. thank you,my sweet friend...

i am strong...thanks to you all.

[Bigmack]

2. Kicked.....and please know I'm ...

sending this to everybody I know on Veteran's Day.

We have simply got to stop making so many veterans.

[w8liftinglady]

3. exactly...and take care of the ones we HAVE made.

[bobbolink]

5. Thank you so much for writing this and posting here! Last week I spoke with the head of the local

Veterans For Peace, and he was saying we all need to be more aware of the problems with depleted uranium on the returning Vets.

It is a horrible mess, and I am sure you are much more conversant on this than I am, and look forward to being able to kick and rec your writing on it.

Thanks so much for your loyalty on this! :pals: :patriot:

[w8liftinglady]

6. thank you...my next editorial will invove Texas poverty..and invite my representatives to FINALLY do

something...list facts and solutions...

DU will follow at the end of the month.

[unhappycamper]

9. As I have been saying for a long time, Deleted Uranium is Agent Orange on steroids.

If you liked Agent Orange, you'll love Depleted Uranium.

[w8liftinglady]

13. absolutely-Depleted uranium needs to be addressed on its own...it will affect

three gens of vets.

[TacticalPeek]

7. Thank you for writing this

and for posting it here.

:patriot:

[w8liftinglady]

8. my ex- and partner are both GW 1 vets(partner act. VN and GW1)

I am tired of seeing them completely ignored.
They are my cause.

[Madam Mossfern]

10. Excellent

May I have your permission to read your letter in my Veteran's Day speech?

I would also like to provide a hand out to the people there of organizations they can contact or things they can do to support veterans of all wars. If anyone has a good link or information, I would appreciate that.

[w8liftinglady]

11. Absolutely-I would be honored...and grateful.I don't want to wait 40 years for these guys

[w8liftinglady]

12. and THIS post has lots of links

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=259x29687