Veterans Deserve More
28 March2001By PAULINE JELINEK .c The Associated Press
WASHINGTON (March 27) - Up to several dozen U.S. Special Forces soldiers may have been exposed to nerve gas when they secretly went into Iraq ahead of the Gulf War ground campaign, the Pentagon said Tuesday.
The Department of Defense released a report on air strikes between Jan. 19 and Feb. 24, 1991, as coalition forces hit an Iraqi weapons storage site at Muhammadiyat. Among Iraqi munitions in the depot were bombs filled with mustard agents and the nerve agents sarin and cyclosarin.
``With the possible exception of a few forward-deployed Special Operations Forces in Iraq, U.S. forces were definitely not exposed to chemical warfare agents as a result of the bombing,'' the department said in a statement. For those few, it said, ``exposure is characterized as indeterminate from the facts available.''
An analysis of data on the weapons, weather at the time and other factors indicated that U.S. forces in Saudi Arabia were 35 miles away from nerve gas that might have been released in the attacks. American troops were 125 miles away from a ``possible mustard hazard area'' believed caused by air strikes on Feb. 10, Feb. 12 or Feb. 16.
The Muhammadiyat ammunition site was about 95 miles west of Baghdad, officials said. An international coalition launched a six-week bombing campaign on Jan. 17, 1991, followed by a four-day ground war to drive Iraqi troops from Kuwait and reverse Iraq's Aug. 2, 1990 invasion of the neighboring emirate.
``There were some Special Ops guys in Iraq during the time of those bombings - for security reasons, no one can talk about exactly what they were doing or exactly where they were,'' said Austin Camacho, spokesman for the Pentagon's special office on Gulf War illnesses.
``But it's possible that a small number of them may have been exposed to a small amount of sarin or cyclosarin.''
He said the number of people is ``less than 76'' and that they will be notified of their possible exposure in coming weeks.
In a separate statement released Tuesday, officials said U.S. service members ``definitely were not exposed'' to chemical warfare agents during bombing to destroy another weapons site, at a place called Al Muthanna.
In that bombing, on Feb. 8, 1991, ``most of the possible nine tons of sarin'' in the Iraqi rockets ``was destroyed by a very hot fire that ensued,'' the statement said.
It said some 22 pounds of the gas was estimated to have escaped into the atmosphere, but U.S. forces in Saudi Arabia were hundreds of miles away and no Special Forces units were in the area.
The Pentagon has done several such studies on Gulf War incidents that might have involved chemical exposure in its investigations into the cause of still-unexplained illnesses experienced by some veterans who served in the conflict.
I wish to thank geocities now yahoo geocities for allowing me and others to have a place to present our virtual webpages .
If you feel there is something here of value pass it on.
If you dont then keep in mind that I have the right to thoughts possesions and my personal freedom.
I have decided to make this webpage a few years ago and it has grown to what you see today.
that is the problem? Are Senate and Congress too busy trying to find out how to Suck our pockets dry.
Campaign Reform (soft money) the cure to getting the public to Ignore Veterans?
your sucking hundreds of thousands of $$$ in salary and expense accounts. While Honorable Veterans who served this Great Nation Die.
went to war like our Fathers and live or die we did our job. It is time for you to do yours.
American Fighting soldiers aint just kids who need to die so you can say your did your job. Now you may think it will disappear well it wont SO FORGET IT.
America live up to your agreement and take care of your veterans Militray Funeral Honors
about 1,500 die each day, two-thirds veterans of World War II.
Last year, more than 550,000 veterans died, the department said.
My point is clear more vets die without proper healthcare now they get Taps on CD !!!!!!!
Yes I am Angry and have a right to be. If my opions bother you Please leave this page now.
THANK
A VET
Webdesign by wildcard Special thanks to Geocites for Page support BOOKMARK NOW
"Palmeto Govt Health Care region 3-4,1-800-403-3950"
My Country IS GREAT
My POLITICIANS and APPOINTED OFFICALS SUCK.
By LARRY MARGASAK
.c The Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) -
Veterans Affairs Secretary Togo West Jr. cost taxpayers thousands of dollars by shunning commercial flights as required by federal rules and instead traveled on military aircraft on two trips, to Alaska and Louisiana, in 1998, the agency's inspector general says.
In another instance, the report said a 1998 dinner West gave at his home for then-Navy Secretary John Dalton and his wife was permissible but ``fueled the perception of waste,'' because it cost $283 a person for 31 guests - a total of $9,340.
However, the report concluded it was improper to charge taxpayers $375 for a plaque awarded to Mrs. Dalton at the dinner, which featured the U.S. Army Band. The inspector general told West to reimburse the government.
The report, obtained Friday by The Associated Press, said West concurred with the findings. Agency spokesman Terry Jemison commented, ``The report speaks for itself.''
West has said he would leave his post before the Clinton presidency ends. He has been criticized by veterans groups, who contend he has not fought hard enough to increase the budget for veterans.
The inspector general's report said West should not have used government aircraft unless no commercial flights were ``reasonably available'' and the cost of using the government plane would not exceed the cost of flying commercially.
West and a party of five left on an Air Force plane for Alaska on Oct. 14, 1998, with the secretary planning to speak to a native Alaskan convention, and visit a VA medical center, a VA regional office, a national cemetery and a joint facility built with the Air Force.
The VA originally planned to pay the Air Force $60,000 for a round trip.
``If the travel of Secretary West and the other five VA employees had ... been booked on available commercial aircraft at the same government rate, their total scheduled airfare would have been $4,302,'' the report said.
After arriving in Alaska, West was asked by the White House to travel to Casper, Wyo., to represent President Clinton at the funeral of Matthew Shepard, a gay University of Wyoming student beaten and left to die in a well-publicized killing.
The Air Force flew the party to Wyoming on Oct. 15 and returned to Washington. A separate Air Force plane was dispatched to Wyoming on Oct. 16 to take the group home.
``We checked commercial flight schedules in force at the time and found there was a commercial flight leaving Casper'' within an hour of the Air Force plane's departure, the report said. ``Had the secretary and his party traveled on this flight or another flight the following morning the use of round-trip military aircraft from Andrews AFB to Casper ... and back could have been avoided,'' the report said.
The Defense Department billed the Veterans Affairs department $29,600 for a one-way trip to Alaska - the portion not requested by the White House. The report did not list the cost of the Casper-Washington commercial flights.
For the Louisiana trip on Oct. 24, 1998, West and three others traveled on an Air Force aircraft to Baton Rouge to speak at a banquet for former prisoners of war. The four returned the same day on an Army plane. The Pentagon billed the VA $3,396 for the Washington-to-Louisiana leg, but no bill had arrived for the return flight.
``If the four individuals who traveled on the military aircraft had planned their travel on commercial aircraft at the government rate, the total cost would have been $944,'' the report said.
The report said that no documentation on cost comparisons was provided to the inspector general. ``We were told that it had been destroyed during the normal course of business,'' the report said, pointing out that the records should have been retained for a minimum of two years.
``The secretary's office did not abide by applicable ... regulations governing use of government aircraft nor did the circumstances of the travel justify the use of government aircraft,'' the report said
TO POLITICIANS.
The politicians send American Troops to War and put them on the Back Burner after the Job is Done.
Memorial Day 1999 & More Disabled Veterans Die @ home. Veterans are dropping dead waiting for VA Claims to get decisions .
THE COMMITMENT OF THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT to Veterans continues to ERODE !!!
Now Say to us Sorry BUT !!!
What Happened ? Elected Officals Tell Us !
Stop the Lies !
18 March 1998 100% Disabled Vets Loose Champus . Now Disabled Vets can only use a VA Medical Facility.
Disabled Veterans are Veterans.
How many Senate & Congressional elected officals who are in office today Served in the Military ?
for thoes beneficiaries who enroll in part B during this period & remain enrolled , TIRCARE CHAMPUS eligbilityu will continue until you become age 65.
PH: Ca 1-800-334-4162 AL Haw 1-800-527-5602 All Oth States Ph:
1-800-538-9552.
WHY DID IT TAKE A YEAR TO GET THIS LETTER ???
This page will grow. I do hope you like it.
you will find this place to be enjoyable. If you have an idea. Please,
email it to me and i will consider adding your idea to this page. If you
have a site you know or a personal web page email me the URL I will look
at your page and then email you if you become linked. THIS PAGE IS FOR
ALL VETERANS,FAMLIES AND FRIENDS OF VETERANS. "Always UNDER CONSTRUCTION"
WILDCARD : SEND EMAIL TO wildcard@wildcardsworld.com
Why Military? WWhen
I was a young boy in nyc, My daddy told me . Finish school
,,.,
Serve my Country , Raise a Family . My Dad
was a special man.who was not born in the USA
at age 13. My daddy told me how he stood in Bread
Lines in Russia, how he put his hand out
and recived a piece of bread in one hand and butter
in the palm of his other hand..
My dad grew up most of his life in America. He
served in WWII. He was a good honest man .I am Proud to be his son.
Here is a photo of my oldest son
I am PROUD of him he served his Country, and is a disabled Vet USAF
I have one more boy he is age 12 I
hope he grows up a PROUD American too "I DONT WANT HIM IN THE MILITARY"..
Me
THANK
A VET
