Operation Just Cause... ...for as long as it takes
National Vietnam and Gulf War Veterans Coalition
Sent in by Veterans News and Information Services
From: DSNurse@aol.com
Presidential Oversight Committee Chairman, Members of committee, and those in attendance today, I am Denise Nichols Vice-Chairman of the National Vietnam and Gulf War Veterans Coalition and a Gulf War Veteran who served as a nurse in Operation Desert Storm.
Gulf War Veterans are disturbed that DOD continues to disregard the truth. The foundation of National Security is protecting the health of all citizens. We swore to defend our country against all enemies foreign and domestic. We are dismayed that 10 years has past without truth, responsibility, and accountability in holding to these same foundations in relationship to Gulf War veterans.
It has been verified the chemical-biological logs were deliberately(GAO and Seymore Hurst) destroyed, fox vehicles chemical detections tapes were confiscated in theater never to be seen again, and that soldiers were exposed to oil fires, chemicals, DU, Carc paint during the war and would warrant medical care. The documentation and directives of all these incidents and more were made by theater Medical Staff. Many of these staff members have attempted over the years to communicate this to the PAC, PSOB, OSAWGI, IOM, and congress but OSAWGI and other agencies seem to arrogantly continue to delay, deny, and outright disregard the truth. When will the truth be told and when will those individuals that knowingly obscured the truth be held accountable for their willful and known violation of US Laws, military orders, and written directives?
We feel until this occurs that nothing of value such as adequate medical diagnosing and treatment or compensation will be obtained. We ask how OSAWGI and others can continue to ignore actual documentation?
When will the President and other Congressional Leaders realize that this lack of integrity and morals are a growing mailgnancy for our country, its citizens, and its current military force.
Our FIRST demand is that the synergistic relationship of the multiple vaccinations and medications given prior to, during deployment, and while in theater be evaluated along with environmental hazards the troops encountered for untoward effects on the immunological and neurological systems.
This review would include oral polio vaccine, IGG, ISG, anthrax, botulim, hepatitis, pyridostigmine bromide, and any other medications that were administered. This review must be done by an independent non governmental commission consisting of pharmacologist, environmental health experts, toxicologists, neurologists, and immunologists. This has not been done for over ten years and is a gross OMISSION. We Need this immediately.
SECOND, that the Army Preventive Medicine team from ARCENT during the war take over the investigation. This investigation should be chaired by Retired Major General Don Edward.
THIRD, we recommend that an independent Judical Committee be appointed to investigate individual accountability for abandoning the Ill veterans.
FOURTH, all laws,regulations and directives must be immediately implemented and enforced.
FIFTH, government grants and funds be made available immediately for Independent Researchers and doctors.
SIXTH, we demand that funds for independent testing and treatment costs be provided immediately.
SEVENTH, an INDEPENDENT and Non-Governmental, Medical Commission be established. This commission would be composed of the doctors and health care providers that served in theater at command and subordinate units; the independent doctors, and researchers and other civilian experts as needed. This commission would provide medical reccommendations for testing and treatment of Ill Gulf War veterans to be distributed widely to VA hospitals, DOD medical Facilities, civilian doctors, and to the public.
EIGHTH,The truth is that we have lost too many gulf war veterans already who did not receive appropriate medical care or compensation. The surviving family members of deceased Gulf War veterans must receive full compensation for their loss now.
NINTH, An independent non governmental commission of forensic pathologists and coroners to review all gulf war veteran deaths and autopsy records.
TENTH, Immediate correction of claims compensation problems. A Compensation ACTION hotline to get answers and help to these veterans within 30 days.
The truth is that the system is broken. It has a direct impact on our current forces' beliefs, trust, recruitment/retention and on our everyday Citizens trust of the government. The evidence: the opposition to the use of the anthrax vaccine by parents of our current service members; the individual service members doubts and fears of the mandatory vaccine program; congressional questioning of this program, and the growing concern of all parents to vaccination programs for children.
ELEVENTH, stop the mandatory vaccination program until the possible synergistic effect of multiple vaccinations, medications, and potential environmental hazard is fully evaluated by competent medical and scientific leaders.
The policies instituted by our government in regards to atomic veterans, agent orange veterans, and gulf war veterans are based on statistics and economics after a war. Why is it that the checkbook is wide open on deployment and activation for war or conflict yet afterwards when soldiers' health has been affected that the checkbook is closed? What happens is that many veterans, suffer, die, receive no compensation because we have to validate and have statistics to show a connection before action is taken.
TWELVETH: these policy decisions and directives be openly and publicly reevaluated in a full public forum and on capital hill.
Morally, it is wrong for a nation of our strength and position in the world to treat veterans who risked their lives to anything less than the finest medical care available. It is morally wrong to make this country's veterans who are ill fight their own government for those earned benefits and compensation for years/decades or to wait out the statistics and final medical answers before assistance is rendered. If they were healthy before they went to war and return ill or develop illnesses within 15 years or maybe even longer, then something definitely contributed to their health decline and they should receive compensation in order that we don't have more divorces, homelessness, and other consequences to compound the nation's problems.
This moral duty is much greater when one realizes that the US was the leader of the Coalition in the Gulf War. So our government's policies are also impacting veterans of other countries and the civilians living in the environmentally impacted areas of conflict.
THIRTEENTH: As the leader of the Free World, it is imperative that we provide medical care reccommendations to the citizens of the area involved in US led combat actions that continue to contaminate the environment and contribute to short and long term health consequences.
FOURTEENTH: A presidential and DOD apology for the pain, sufferring, and death that has occurred within the Gulf War veterans population.
Thank you for this opportunity to express our thoughts and reccomendations and to exercise our freedom of speech.
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