William J. Simmons, Sr.
WebMaster
Lieutenant
251st Evacuation Hospital
Columbia, SC
Last Update: November 25, 2007
This Webpage and all works by the Lieutenant are dedicated to God for giving me the strength to stand for truth and justice, those who have suffered from the first Gulf War, and those who have fallen ill with the second stinct with Saddam Hussein...
Gulf Vet/Advocate/Author/Poet - Sings - Just Click To Listen or Free Download - For A Limited Time
The Book is on Audio CD which contains the songs that you listened to along with the readings of my 21 poems that can be purchased from Amazon.com. If you decide to purchase the book, you will have the illustrations and space in the book for responding to my personal accounts that I hope will assist others to gain therapeutic healing, or you can use the space to start your own book. For every book purchased or CD sold, I will be donating back to various Veterans Organizations. I have donated in the past to the National Gulf War Resource Center which I use to be a voting Representative from South Carolina, Alston Wilkes Veterans Home in Columbia, SC where I resided when I had no place to stay, and others that I just can not recall...
| On Friday, November 2, 2007 from 12 PM until 2 PM, I will be signing my books, "The Gulf War Anthology of Poetry" at Borders in downtown Detroit, MI. As of this weekend, this book has been placed on Amazon.com's BestSellers Lists of Single Authors. Hard work will eventually pay off, and not to mention keeping the Faith. |
Attention Veterans: As of yesterday, Thursday, October 18, 2007, I was informed by the VA Appeals Management Center in Washington, DC that the medical records that are needed to substantiate our claims are not automatically sent/received to/by the Appeals Management Center by the various VA Medical Centers. Therefore, if you file a claim like I have done and been waiting for 10 plus years as we struggle and suffer, and if you do not sign the medical release form that the Appeals Management Center requests from us then this is a basis to possibly deny our long awaited fight for truth and justice (claims). So if you get to this stage of the strategy, please fill-out the forms and submit to the VA Appeals Management Center so that they can not use the excuse - That you or I did not sign the release form. This is another strategy to continuously denying Vets as we slowly die from exposures from our service, etc... Will God Bless America???????
Today is Sunday, November 25, 2007 and I am now 44... What a B-Day. First on Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, I went to Columbia, SC at the Dorn's Veterans' Hospital. My ailments were lower back pain, muscle aches, hip pain, etc... It took me all of about 2.5 hours to get there, but the real surprise may not have been my complains but what I discovered and found out when I got there. There were four people or shall I say vets that caught my attention. First there was the Caucasian male, he had his leg stretched across a chair that I assume for comfort of some sort. Well, can you believe that the security guard came by and made him move his leg off the chair. Humm... The guy later decided not to sit in the chair nor keep his foot on the other chair, but he sat on the floor with mild expression of disgust. The second person that I encountered was a black male from the Vietnam War. He told me that he gets 80% and that he has been waiting to see the doctor since 3 PM. I looked at my watch and it was after 6 PM. I arrived around 5 PM. This soldier began to tell me his story about the VA. He stated that they threatened to cut off his VA Compensation because he missed his Compensation Appointment. He told me that he never received notice from the VA. I believe him because of how I have been treated over the past 12 years... The next story was really a shocker. I met this beautiful Hispanic woman. When she began to tell me about her VA plight, I thought that perhaps she was prior army. She then stated that she had Traumatic Brain Injury from an attack while station in Iraq and that her left knee was replaced. She stated that she was blind for 3 weeks while in the VA in Columbia. She further stated that she almost died at their hands. She said that one nurse saved her life and eyesight by giving her steroids. While she was blind and under the VA care that found out that she had a Masters in Psychology and Medical background. The medical notes began to say comments like, "Be careful she has a Masters in Psychology, Be careful she is medical savvy. All I could do is stare and think about how I was treated over the years by the VA and people that we swore to protect and now we ask for what? The story does not end with her ailments. The Airman began to tell me that there is a bacteria that is in the soil in Iraq and soldiers who get injured regardless of the severity have to get antibioitics. She told me that soldiers are being deliberately not being labelled as casualties of war because many die after they leave the war theatre. She told me so much that I fought it difficult to believe, but of course I believe every word that she stated... Now the final encounter on this day at the VA in Columbia. As I was talking with the Black male and the Hispanic female, a vet in a wheelchair roled by but I said to the Black vet, "I know that guy so please excuse me." I went briskly behind and I called, "Hello Sir, I believe that I know you." I walked in front of him and stared and sure enough he was from my unit, "The 251st Evacuation Hospital." I could not remember his name so I asked him, "What is your name?" He told me, "Travis." I then restated, "Sergeant Travis you are from the unit." He stated that he has had several strokes. I could no longer get angry any more or shed a tear because I have loss so many friends and comrades from the first Gulf War. He told me that he is on ward 3 East and I stated to him that I would be back. Of course, if they do not arrest me or something of that nature... Believe me Veterans are treated like trash after the war... So I walked away and told my fellow veterans who I met and about the number of Gulf War Vets that I know of that have died or have severe ailments... Right now, my back is in severe pain but I press on before I won't be able to continue the fight... Will God Spare America? I sort of doubt it at this point... We talk a good game...
The former Lieutenant will be recording his version of the National Anthem soon. Thus far, he has sung at the 10th Anniversary (February 28, 2001) of the Gulf War at the State Capitol in Columbia, SC; Columbia African AMerican Writers Alliance Christmas Extravaganza of 2002; Ft. Jackson, SC Black History program of 2003; Bible Way of Atlas Road Children's May Festival of 2003; Heritage and Roots Festival of 2003 in Greenville, SC; The Carribbean Festival of 2003 in Columbia, SC.
The Army Song
Simmons book, The Gulf War Anthology of Poetry, has been termed as "Prophetic" and should be published as a novel. In 1996, Simmons placed an open-end question symbolizing the pending diaster that has now hit America. In August 2002, Simmons grieved with two of his friends about the upcoming second Gulf War that was going to take the lives of the military personnel that he loved... Now as American military personnel continue to die on a daily basis a year later after receiving his "Prophetic" encounter, Simmons cries for the family who have lost love ones for a war that should not be if not for the love of money...
For More Information about the books of the Forgotten Gulf War Hero go to: GulfWarBooks and More
The former Lieutenant takes a snapshot with the Syrians, Egyptians of the first Gulf War and talks about evacuating a soldier of South Carolina. It is now some 9 years since the former Lieutenant has filed for disability compensation and the VA Regional in SC states that he did not perform the duties of an Evacuation Officer - lies. Simmons was in command of four (4) German ambulances which was responsible for ensuring that US and Coalition Forces was transported into and out of the Moda Hospital in King Khalid Military City, Saudi Arabia.
Aiken Residents remember the Gulf War. Shortly thereafter Simmons and other Gulf War Vets became ill and so did their families and unborn children... Simmons resided in Aiken form 1989 until 1986. He lost his job with Westinghouse - SRS. The former Lieutenant's life was plotted against... To this day, Simmons continues to struggle, but the source of his strength is from God...
Simmons did his job but it was not appreciated by the government that he swore to protect...
Simmons was one the first to come up with the hypothesis about what was causing the Gulf War Syndrome... His comments have been published in the government journal on the Gulf War Illnesses, other newspapers. He has appeared on several radio and TV programs...
Simmons books expresses his thoughts before, during, and after the first Gulf War.
Simmons, Lowry, Butler and others coordinated the 10th Anniversary of the Gulf War in Columbia, SC.
Gulf War Vets and Families remember those who have died and suffering from the Gulf War Syndrome, Anthrax Shots, etc...
Governor Hodges and Mayor Coble Proclaim "Gulf War Veterans' Day"
Elementary School calls Gulf War Vet - A Hero...
Join the National Gulf War Resource Center
One of the Leading Voices for Gulf War Vets...