Book: “Vietnam’s Rain Agents Orange, White, and Blue
Book: “Vietnam’s Rain Agents Orange, White, and Blue”
20051126
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS PRESENTATION
by CHARLES W. KELLEY
December 6th 2005
PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY CAUSED BY THE DIOXIN TCDD, OTHER TOXIC CHEMICALS
THE VETERANS WERE EXPOSED, OR TO WARTIME SERVICE IN VIETNAM IN A TOXIC
CHEMICALS (PLURAL) ENVIRONMENT STILL DENIED BY THE VA AFTER 40 PLUS
YEARS I am the author of the newly released book “Vietnam’s Rain Agents
Orange, White, and Blue (Weapons of Mass Destruction)”.
http://www.2ndbattalion94thartillery.com/book/bookorders.htm
This book documents a four year review of DOD/VA/Government activity in
denying the many effects of our Toxic Chemicals (Plural) Legacy. Up
until our “Vietnam Veterans Toxic Chemicals (Plural) Legacy” it had
always been the policy of the Veterans Administration (VA) and “Is
currently the portrayed policy of the United States,” with respect to
individual claims for service connection of diseases and disabilities,
that when, after consideration of all the evidence and material of
record, there is an approximate balance of positive and negative
evidence regarding the merits of an issue material to the determination
of a claim, the benefit of the doubt in resolving each such issue shall
be given to the claimant. The VA in promulgating the rules specified by
the Dioxin Standards Act of 1984, not only confounded the intent of
this perceived intent of Congress, but directly contradicted its own
established practice of granting compensable service-connection status
for diseases on the lesser showing of “an increased risk of incidence”
or “significant correlation” demanding instead the more stringent
requirement that compensation depends on establishing a “cause and
effect” relationship. Veterans are now calling this “Dioxin Standards
Act” and this so-called “benefit of the doubt mandate” only a “painted
and portrayed congressional deception.
In direct opposition to the stated purpose of the Dioxin Standards Act
of 1984 to provide disability compensation to Vietnam Veterans
suffering who were exposed to Agent Orange, the VA continues to
improperly and illegally deny and stall compensation for death and
disability. With the VA’s definition of when the Veteran’s claim ends,
one would logically conclude the VA is now legally allowed to and in
fact in many of my guys and my Marines “stalls to the death” of the
Veteran. This includes the VA’s refusal to change the service connected
gate for mortality that applies to surviving widows and children that
would be compensated at an additional three hundred dollars a month.
Considering that toxic chemical cancers have a six month to two year
mortality or free of cancer, it makes it impossible to for the Vietnam
Veterans to even cling to life to make the extra years required for the
special widows and orphans compensations. Toxic chemical cancers can go
undiagnosed for decades and are symptom less until it is too late. This
is certainly a conflict since the entire United States Government with
over 25 years of stalling denied any damages from herbicides as
Veterans died from the very cancers that were 25 years later pronounced
“as associated.” Both of these issues are definite and defined
“conflict of interests” between the Veterans and the sole power given
to the Secretary of the VA and this very adversarial federal agency.
I would ask the congress how it can possibly take 14 to 18 month to put
a copy of DD-214 in a folder; a copy of those associated cancers,
begrudgingly admitted to after over two decades of stalling, in that
same folder; a copy of the cancer diagnosis, more than likely from a
doctor that works for the VA itself, in that same folder and stamp it
approved and get it over to dispersement. So the Veterans family can
have the financial support they need while fighting with everything
they have “the government/DOD caused cancer.” This seems like a 10
minute job done by a sophomore in high school. Not a 14 to 18 month job
done by educated federal civil service workers. One would have to
wonder are they really that bad and inept; or they just directed to be
that bad by the VA management.
Recently in the news, it seems that even out and out VA murders of five
Veterans were attempted to be covered up by this federal agency.
Including the firing of those VA pharmacy workers that came forward
with the data and facts. The VA promulgating of the requirements was
also found in a courts review in Nehmer v. U.S. Veterans Admin., 712 F.
Supp. 1404, 1408. (N.D. Cal. (1989) wherein the court found after
reviewing the legislative history of the Act that Congress intended
service connection to be granted on the basis of “increased risk of
incidence” or a “significant correlation” between the dioxin TCDD and
various diseases.” There are many Veterans, there are many members of
Congress, there are many Americans who believe the Department of
Defense and the Veterans Administration have been less than candid
about the health effects that Agent Orange has had on them as well as
on veterans’ children.
While the Government has acknowledged that some illnesses the Vietnam
veterans developed are associated with Agent Orange exposure, and that
these veterans can receive disability and death benefits. Many veterans
believe that the health problems associated with Agent Orange are far
more serious and widespread than the Government has acknowledged up to
this point. The search for latent illnesses associated with exposure to
“herbicides” (plural) in our toxic chemical legacy demands persistence,
confronting hard truths, and above all integrity. The United States
Government has failed miserably with “purpose and intent” in these
issues. Prior to any studies or evaluation of these toxic chemical
damages commencing there is evidence of the government/VA dragging its
collective feet with total bias in addressing these issues with any
kind of persistence and meeting the hard truths that hard data
uncovered in our returning campaigners and meeting behind closed doors
with chemical company lead scientists and medical directors.
The head of the VA’s Environmental Hazards Group went out into the
medical community early on and pronounced that any scientists that
found a problem with dioxin was nothing but a Witch Doctor.
Revealing the VA’s total bias against Veterans and their families. We
now know who the biased Witch Doctor really was and is and who was
behind this bias. The VA’s own committee (VACEH) that held Vietnam
Veteran’s fate for 13 years operated from 1979 to 1991 was also heavily
criticized for bias and lack of integrity. When independent prestigious
scientific sources reviewed what this committee was doing and their
processes; statements were made that nothing this committee was doing
should be used “for anything” much less medical implications that would
result in Veterans Compensations from death and disability.
The NAS/IOM that took over in 1991 seems to be just a continuation of
this bias and also less than forthcoming and honest in their
assessments with regard to proof of associations that are really
required in a court of law versus what the White House/VA wants, which
as I found out is totally impossible scientifically and medically.
Twenty three years ago, the Air Force began a 25-year, $140 million
research program to assess the relative health of 1,300 ranch hands,
air and ground crew members who handled and sprayed Agent Orange and
other herbicide defoliants in Vietnam. The Ranch Hand Study was
designed to generate significant scientific data and analysis to be
used by the Department of Veterans Affairs [VA], and others in making
health care and compensation decisions regarding Vietnam Veterans.
Nevertheless, according the General Accounting Office [GAO], Ranch Hand
has been slow to publish findings, unwilling to share data,
inconsistent in conveying design limitations, and resistant to
congressionally mandated participation by “independent parties.”
Controversial from the outset, the Ranch Hand study has been
consistently criticized for both scientific and administrative
shortcomings. Many believe Ranch Hand has so far failed to fulfill its
promise as the pivotal longitudinal study of herbicide toxicity. Some
conclude it never will. Others believe this research was designed to
fail, or manipulated to avoid controversial findings.
Senator Daschle concluded when the first report was released in 1984
when compared to the original scientific draft that this was not just
an interpretation of the medical facts found but the “perpetration of
fraudulent government conclusions.”
After reviewing the transcripts of the government oversight committee
on Ranch Hand and the testimony of scientists themselves that were a
lead part of the Ranch Hand, the head of medical research at Kansas
State University (a two time member of the Ranch Hand study), and an
advisor to the VA Secretary from Yale University; it was painfully
obvious this study deserves this well-founded criticism. There were
direct charges of command influence being used, the changing of cleared
for publication medical facts that were found, the changing of
established protocols directed by using the name of the Surgeon
General, linear dioxin dose responses to medical disorders that were
not understood were and are not reported found, disorders found at a
50% increase or more are not reported because no dioxin linear dose
response could be determined, etc, and an overall total lack of
integrity.
Additional charges were made that the study was only crafting for peer
review and publication; not actually publishing the found facts. The
ultimate lack of integrity charge was that for 20 plus years the study
had and continues such cover-ups to have never given the Veterans a
fair and unbiased assessment of their toxic chemical health status in
birth defects, other cancers, heart disease, vascular disease,
neurological ailments, endocrine disturbances, and hematological
difficulties.
I would also add even B and T cell dysregulaton found that may even be
the secondary root cause of all of our wide variety of issues of death
and disablement is ignored. This includes down and up regulation in
Interleukins 4 and 10, Interferon, and some disturbance of the tumor
necrosis factor.
Some suggested that the Congress had given entirely too much power to
the Secretary of the VA and its White House directed philosophy. I
would add that Congress assuming “integrity” gave too much power, when
there is very little government integrity that accompanies any “sole
power” in our government. Some in congress have even suggested that
data should be from some outside agency and not from a major role
player such as the VA and the Air Force. I would add that after my four
year review of these so called toxic chemical assessments, I would
conclude it would have to almost be an international committee of
totally independent scientists; not associated with the EPA, VA, FDA,
any branch of the DOD, and certainly out of the mandatory influence of
our own White House. Very similar to what the EPA did in their dioxin
reassessments of 1992-1996 where they used over 100 independent
scientists NOT associated with the EPA or any government influence. The
EPA’s previous history in the 1970’s and the 1980’s is certainly
tainted with some EPA scientists with integrity finding the chemical
company studies being presented in court were fraudulent. Their reward
for demanding something be done was suspension. One EPA scientist wrote
a scathing report shooting holes in the chemical company studies and
issues. His report was summarily shelved in 1979 by the EPA. Yet, it
documented many of the findings that would be presented in the EPA’s
“dioxin reassessment” some two decades later. Another 20 years went by
while our most noble of all citizens died or became disabled since
their doctors had no idea what to look for and no one in our government
gave them a chance at a first medical strike against a cancer or an
autoimmune disorder. One of the most despicable events I ran across in
my review of the Ranch Hand Transcripts was when one scientist, not
wanting to duplicate his work asked; Would it not be better to wait to
review the chapters until the Air Force gets done with all its changes?
The leader of this group then stated we do not want to say “changed.”
The scientists then said, “OK how about Airbrushed” as laughter broke
out in the room.
Veterans are going uncompensated in death and disability and this group
is laughing at the fact the Air Force is going to change what they as
scientists have found or suspect. To include charges were made that
totally rewriting some chapters was only to “deemphasize” the real
findings. This White House philosophy made “not to support our Vietnam
Veterans” in lieu of protecting and minimizing chemical company costs
that would be incurred (*reference White House memo put out to federal
agencies) and then deny Vietnam Veterans and their families death and
disability benefits seems to be now “ a learned and accepted practice”
by our government.
The White House Bureau of the Budget put out a memo to all the agencies
of government in essence not to find a correlation between Agent Orange
and health affects. Stating that it would be most unfortunate for two
reasons:
The cost of supporting the Veterans.
The court liability to which corporations would be exposed.
This White House/DOD/VA philosophy seems to permeate research and
similar studies for Gulf War Syndrome, anthrax vaccine recipients, the
Veterans of Project 112 testing and SHAD testing, and the Edgewood
Arsenal testing, etc. There is also the known previous history of
DOD/VA cover-ups in Nuclear Testing and LSD testing. It is time all
past; present, and future Veterans make this White House/DOD/VA
philosophy a National Security Issue. This especially holds true for
the mothers and fathers that this government wants to send their sons
and daughters into harms way. They need to realize “The Last Battle
They Will Fight” is against our own government.
In Attachment 1, I have provided the various and wide variety of
symptoms of this peripheral neuropathy debilitating disorder in nerve
damages as well as the wide variety of severity of this toxic chemical
caused nerve damage disorder. In Attachment 2, I have provided the
overwhelming medical and statistical evidence that categorically
supports this chronic and debilitating disorder of peripheral
neuropathy is associated to the dioxin TCDD and/or Service in Vietnam
regardless of which toxic chemical or group of toxic chemicals was the
causation. This evidence goes back to 1949, as well as present day
epidemiological studies; including Office of Technology Assessment
results commissioned by congress itself in 1989.
While the VA wants to contend that only diabetes can create this nerve
disorder you will see in ATTACHMENT 2 the p-values found and other
studies as well as our own government studies conclude that this
disorder is far from only associated to diabetes and with respect to
Agent Orange and is the “most prolific disorder found” as a standalone.
Medical and study evidence shows far and above the VA’s
notorious statement “just as likely as not.” Time permitting I will
review these submittals. Time not permitting I will leave it up to the
members to review this direct evidence and move on in the presentation.
Most of you are lawyers, so when you review this evidence put yourself
in the position of a practicing attorney and in a “real legal system”
where evidence means something; not this trumped up Veterans’ Board of
Veterans Appeals. Decide for yourself if I have proven my case
medically, statistically, and scientifically to what congress intended
to be compensated for government mistakes. Then multiple that by
thousands of disabled Veterans with the same issue that this government
is letting down with no financial support for “government wrong-doing
and out and out government mistakes.” Also, please review the BVA case
file in ATTACHMENT 3 that categorically demonstrates that even when
everyone concluded this Marine’s nerve disorder was at least a 50/50
chance caused by his toxic chemical exposures. The BVA then states they
give more evidentiary weight to the “medically astute Secretary of the
VA and his statements made that denies such associations.
http://www.2ndbattalion94thartillery.com/Chas/VACAttachment3.htm
The White House had already decided this Marine’s case in 1984 with
their philosophy “not to support the Veterans.” It was not decided in
2003 at the BVA after fighting for eight years to even get that point
of an appearance at the BVA. The whole VA legal system is a joke that
operates around a mandated budget only. Not truth or evidence of facts
as in a real legal system under the constitution. No different than
they find a way to trump the entire congress at the behest of White
House Budgets, not facts. When MD Anderson Cancer Center one of our
nations most prestigious cancer treatment and research hospitals, also
known around the world, indicates that one of my Marine’s diagnosed
cancer is from TCDD and Agent Orange from a statement made by one of
our nation’s foremost doctors at MD Anderson; this is also overridden
by the medically astute Secretary of the VA and his staff. Even though
his cancer shows a residual dioxin TCDD attachment of 22 parts per
trillion. Plus, studies show a Risk Ratio of over 2.3 for that cancer
because of dioxin exposures. When studies show an increase of 5.6 risk
ratio directly related to a group of Veterans in a single Corps Area
and to the dioxin TCDD to such cancers as brain cancers.
The VA overrides such studies even when these studies are quoted by
Cancer Treatment Centers. Even when there are at present over 3400 BVA
appeals for the same brain cancer of those men that are still alive and
should be considered hard data of Service in Vietnam. This also is
totally ignored just as much of the hard data at the BVA is also
ignored. When totally blind studies, unlike our own government studies,
show a p-value of association to the dioxin TCDD in one disorder of p =
0.039 and when the comparison of difference between Vietnam Veterans
and Non-Vietnam Veterans shows an astounding p = 0.0042 proving both
statistically and medically this debilitating disorder is associated;
this medical disorder is still denied by the Secretary of the VA and
his staff. When a second study confirms this disorder as “the most
prolific disorder found in Vietnam Veterans” this disorder is still
denied by the Secretary of the VA and his staff. The whole premise of
our Nation’s legal system in setting precedence’s is outlawed in this
VA court and so stated as such. This is one reason why it takes a
Veteran’s claim 10 to 20 years to get through this government sham and
why there are over 500,000 cases in the system at the BVA level alone.
One hundred thousand cases can be identical and yet each one is
considered totally separate with no regard to what one BVA sham of a
court found over another. Either these BVA officials are our Veterans’
judge, jury, and executioner or they are not. If they are, then there
is no reason in this legal world that one decision as a precedent
cannot be used in making approval decisions in a matter of minutes; not
decades. If these legal folks are only there to enforce a White House
mandated budget or create a Veteran’s Lottery; then admit it is a sham
and let the Veterans go back to a constitutional real court where
evidence actually means something to include 100 year old precedence in
legal rulings and medical findings. The head of the BVA at his senate
coronation suggested that VA benefits are “gratuities,” which would
indicate gifts. I do not think you will find that word used in the
recruitment and NCO retention speeches. Instead these are benefits
earned by deeds, valor, and honorable service to a government that now
treats it promised Veterans as “used up obsolete government assets.”
Maybe that also should be included in the recruitment and retention
speeches. ATTACHMENT 4 documents statements made by some of the
Edgewood Arsenal testing Veterans. A despicable government act indeed.
http://www.2ndbattalion94thartillery.com/Chas/VACAttachment4.htm
ATTACHMENT 5 documents statements as just one example made by the
daughter of a Veteran and how the government has treated him. Does
anyone really believe that she will recommend any military service to
her offspring or any one else she comes in contact with after she has
lived the government/DOD/VA treachery. Yes, I deleted her name for fear
of VA reprisals from the local VA avenging angels.
http://www.2ndbattalion94thartillery.com/Chas/VACAttachment5.htm So
much for the “Mandated Benefit of the Doubt,” the “Congressional
Mandates,” and the “Congressional Dioxin Act of 1984.” The VA just in
turn, adds legal nomenclature to C.F.R 38 that trumps anything Congress
has intended or “at least on face value had intended” to accomplish for
Veterans. Veteran’s cannot only get the mandated benefit of the doubt
as to causation but even when the entire United States Medical
Community categorically states that in 33% of the cases you will never
know the causation the VA then demands that very fact! Demanding
medical facts that our most prestigious research hospitals cannot give
those facts. For a Federal Agency to be this poor in performance, it
has to try real hard to be just that. Not only poor in performance but
integrity as well. Make no mistake; this is a very adversarial agency
that works at the behest of the White House, not the Veterans. As a
side note, I have to smirk at all the present political wrangling going
on with the Supreme Court Justices. For Veterans of this nation it is
irrelevant who is on the Supreme Court or even the constitutional legal
system that guarantees protection for the rest of the Nation’s Citizens
against government corruption and collaborations. With the power
congress has given to the Secretary of the VA and to each successive
White House; for the Veterans and their widows the Secretary of the VA
becomes not only the executive and legislative branch of government but
also their Supreme Court, as all their real legal rights “as citizens”
are laid aside. Without question, the Feres Doctrine has denied
American service members, veterans, and their families “equal justice”
under The United States Constitution. Many federal judges, scholars,
lawyers, doctors, veterans and their families argue that the Feres
Doctrine is unconstitutional since it violates the “due process, equal
protection and separation of powers” clauses of the Constitution. The
most significant dissenter in modern times is sitting Supreme Court
Justice Scalia as cited in the case of United States v. Johnson,
(1987): “Feres was wrongly decided and heartily deserves the
widespread, almost universal criticism it has received.” Furthermore,
“Congress’s inaction regarding this doctrine and its doing little, if
anything in the way of modifying it to prevent Constitutional claims is
clearly unjust and irrational. Again, allowing such power to military
leaders can and does result in abuse therefore, where are the checks
and balances on the military.”
Yet, still to this day Congress will not address this issue of the DOD
is presently allowed to do anything it wants with no accountability,
including what many consider “crimes against humanity itself,” which
this very country hanged individuals for after WW2. Thus leaving the
Veterans with no legal redress as guaranteed by the constitution that
“they alone” so valiantly and honorably fought to protect. Add to this
the omnipotent sole power and a “totally separate legal system” with no
rules of any constitutional oversight given to VA by Congress in C.F.R
38, paragraph 510 and you have total government anarchy for one
complete segment of society in this nation called “Veterans.” The
pledge that congress repeats daily is: I pledge allegiance…with
liberty and JUSTICE FOR ALL. This pledge does not have an extra note
that says “ALL” is not inclusive for those citizens that once wore the
uniform of the United States Military.
The evidence I have submitted to you in ATTACHMENTS 1 AND 2 are
strictly on this one disorder of nerve damages but there are many
disorders that have an equal amount of medical evidence that I can
address should you choose to “hear the truth.” You just have to give me
time to address each issue, as I am physically able to do so. When
President Clinton approved this nerve disorder as being associated the
nomenclature used was; “ACUTE NEUROPATHY.” The DVA/White House to
control the Veterans’ compensation expenditures put a time limit on
this prolific nerve disorder with a time limit of resolution and/or
cure of this nerve disorder. The first proposal was for a 10-year time
limit and a two-year resolution. Many scientists and doctors protested
even this VA action to Secretary Derwinski. What it ended up was a oneyear
time limit and a two-year resolution announced in 1996. Which
makes about as much sense as concluding the following: “That within 678
and one-half days the Veteran must manifest in order to draw disability
compensations.” It does not take a mathematical genius to crunch the
numbers and calculate that even when this nerve disorder was announced,
“As Associated,” no Veteran at that time could qualify or would ever
qualify. Nice propaganda move on the part of the VA, its’ Secretary,
and the White House. The VA then classified this nerve disorder;
“transient acute and sub acute peripheral neuropathy,” which no Vietnam
Veteran has submitted for compensations.
In the VA propaganda magazine “Agent Orange in Review” which should be
“Dioxin TCDD in Review” since no (zero) “U.S. Government Study” has
done any studies on the herbicide Agent Orange, the issue was falsely
printed as Peripheral Neuropathy. Only after protests by Veterans, such
as myself, that this was a VA mischaracterization to the public did
they finally change the listing to some form of truth. Including
complaints from Veterans, such as myself, of Veterans’ Magazines
reprinting the bogus VA claims. In which, editors printed retractions
after realizing the truth. By associating this medical disorder and two
other disorders to a time limit, the VA has distanced themselves from
the real causes of the three time limit disorders. In fact, by
determining a time limit and pronouncing that a cure is available or at
least the nerve damage will resolve itself over time; the DVA and the
National Academy of Science Institute of Medicine (NAS/IOM)**, the
hired guns of the government replacing the despicable Veterans Affairs
Chemical and Environmental Hazards Committee that operated from 1979 to
1991, certainly must have concluded the following: a.. The concluding
morphology of how the dioxin TCDD directly creates this transient acute
and sub acute peripheral neuropathy outside of an antigenic response
since scientists categorically state that the single dioxin (TCDD) does
not create a body antigenic response such as spider bite or even some
poisonous plants that are ingested. Therefore, one must conclude that
the VA and the NAS/IOM have discovered this morphology and have kept
this medical secret to themselves. a.. The VA and the NAS/IOM certainly
have concluded not only the morphology, since the time limit of
manifestation is now mandated. They certainly must have established
either the minimum “total body threshold” regardless of means of
ingestion or at least the minimum “dose rate” by specific methods of
ingestion that equates to a mandated manifestation within one year of
exposure to the dioxin TCDD. a..
The VA and the NAS/IOM have some how determined that every Veteran
serving in theater during his or her 12 -18 months wartime service
shall have achieved this magic “minimum exposure” required to the
dioxin TCDD to manifest within the year after leaving the wartime
theater. This would also include those that were wounded within three
months of entering the war and left theater. Yes, all of this is
government/VA medical nonsense. The VA and NAS/IOM have concluded a
cure or resolution for this nerve disorder does exist. Yet, in seeing
three board certified neurologists; one of whom was the head of
neurology at Emory University indicates this nerve damage is chronic,
debilitating, and not curable. It is self-manifesting from the
secondary effects of the toxic chemicals. Not an antigenic response and
more in the form of an autoimmune disorder, which is one of the
cruelest of all diseases and disorders.
Some have suggested that to have this nerve disorder this badly it had
to be caused by either heavy metals or toxic chemicals and not a
diabetic connection. Once again it seems the VA and the NAS/IOM know
how to cure this nerve disorder when the rest of the nations board
certified doctors/neurologists seemed to be nothing but board certified
quacks. The Congress has gone along with this DOD/VA collaboration that
everything is associated to one single toxic chemical component (the
dioxin TCDD) of three major Herbicides used; which is shear and total
scientific nonsense. We know that “Agent Blue” was a form of arsenic
acid that is noted for its neurotoxicity properties including warnings
of creating nerve damage such as peripheral neuropathy as well as many
issues that overlap what the VA is saying is only the dioxin TCDD
causations. We now know that “Agent White” with its DOW chemical
proprietary formula had other forms of dioxins outside of the dioxin
TCDD, and closely related furans, as well as nitrosamines. And that
this fact was never made known to the FDA, EPA, or to any other federal
agency. We now know that Agent White contained Hexachlorobenzene, a
noted liver damage toxic chemical. “Nitrosamines are a type of
carcinogenic chemicals that are known to cause cancers and other
medical problems. Exposure to high concentrations of nitrosamines is
associated with increased mortality from cancers of the esophagus, oral
cavity, and pharynx. When used in pesticides or herbicides it may cause
DNA damage and cell death.” Congress must realize the synergy effect of
all these toxic chemicals used in one area can increase the potency and
generated outcomes by a factor of 1600 times when using only two toxic
chemicals over what a single toxic chemical can produce.
The bottom line for Vietnam Veterans is that no one will ever know what
caused what to some level of “cause and effect” that the DOD, the VA,
and our White House is demanding to a single toxic chemical element for
death and disability compensations. Attachment 2 documents just how
ridiculous this stand by the VA really is with respect to actual
science, medical facts, statistics, and above all common sense with
regard to this most prolific Vietnam Veterans nerve disorder. With wide
ranging symptoms from constant discomfort and much pain to mimicking a
muscular dystrophy issue with wasting and weakness of the limbs
requiring a wheel chair or leg braces.
**(NAS/IOM is the government-contracted agency that associates Veterans
Medical Issues in assisting DOD cover-ups and mistakes.
The same government contracted agency that for 10 years led the finger
pointing that stress in a 100-hour war where the enemy was retreating
and being slaughtered caused all the death, disability, and birth
defects in our returning Gulf War Veterans.) Veterans now know better
after 10’s of thousands became disabled and/or died and other
INDEPENDENT studies show stress had nothing to do with this death and
disablement. Many Veterans that have dealt with the NAS/IOM and their
total bias are now concluding they work at the behest of the White
House/DVA connection only. Given requests to IOM to define the
“evidences” of presumptive service and service connection, but in no
way does anyone specify what that is or what level of proof is
required; at least that anyone will admit. Because NAS/IOM is a
separate and private entity from the VA then the IOM is wholly subject
and liable to both political and legal methods. Many are suggesting
Veterans and their families take NAS/IOM (and specific individuals
within the NAS/IOM) to task under tort claims and malpractice,
discrimination, and bias inside the Veteran’s arena.
(Very similar to those individuals within the top levels of the VA that
the Vietnam Veterans of America are now taking to court for their
willful and wanton cover-ups of SHAD testing.)
Since they signed the papers and documents, they must now defend their
convictions regardless of who in the DOD/VA directed such nefarious
actions against Veterans for the sake of the DOD and/or politics and
money. One of the jobs of our congress as our elected government
officials is to make sure that no government collaboration or
conspiratorial actions can or will take place against any single
segment of society. It should not matter that we once wore the uniform
of the United States Military. When you created the Veteran, you do not
lay aside the citizen. Is this then their reward for serving an
ungrateful Congress and President(s) who would rather protect chemical
companies than support those who defended the constitution and then
have no rights to its very protection. One of the definitions of
“honorable” is, “characterized by integrity: guided by a high sense of
honor and duty.” While that certainly fits the men this nation sent to
do battle for 10 years. In our toxic chemicals (plural) legacy our own
government has not been forthcoming nor honorable.
I will close with a statement by Congressman Shays from the 2000
Government Oversight Review of the Ranch Hand Study: “At what level do
you think Government should consider compensation? Should we have a no
shadow of a doubt? The reason why I am asking the question is I have
concluded, based on our work that we have done on Gulf War illnesses,
based on our review of Agent Orange, that I have to be honest with our
veterans.
By the time we will know the scientific data, you are dead. You will
either have died early or you will have died in your old age in pain,
but you will not get help from the Federal Government.”
What the congressman left out was; this is all White House/DOD/VA
purposefully calculated and planned.