The Daily Bailey

New Blog

2008-04-26T09:27:00.000-07:00

My new blog Sorry I have started a new blog and if you want to read my 2008 columns you need to reset to this new address

"Baiting" Is it legal?

2007-09-25T05:13:00.000-07:00

When I first heard this story break, my first thoughts were like Abu Grahib, the peons were going to get shit on while the head cheese who authorized this program are going to skate free. More low ranking "troops" will go to prison for following orders. But as a NCO, I was trained to disobey illegal orders.

If you accept an illegal order, then you ARE guilty. I am sorry if it is illegal to "bait"shrimp in South Carolina, then any soldier should know it's illegal to shoot someone just for picking something up just because it's laying on the ground, especially since you are the one who put it there, KNOWING you are going to blow them away for picking it up. Bottom line it's a CRIME.

In this mornings Seattle Times this article goes into some of the details of the program that is supposed to have come from the Pentagon, a new office called the "Asymetric Warfare Group" unlike the program at Abu Grahib where it is surmised that Major General Miller brought to Iraq from Gitmo and the trail was never followed to the Pentagon. Leaving only the enlisted men and women to pay the price of torturing detainees in American detention, none of the people responsible for authorizing these reprehensible acts were ever held accountable.

I have no sympathy for the officers and NCO's of these units that accpeted these illegal "orders" or suggestions" on battlefield techniques, they need to be prosecuted as well as the soldiers that carried out these "bait" and murder missions.

The excuse that I was ordered to do it, is no more acceptable now than it was during the Nuremberg Trials in the late 40's. I hate relating anything to WW2 Germany, but unfortunately our military is not exactly clean in carrying out civilian approved illegal war crimes.

I am deeply saddened by the military, where I spent most of my adult life serving, has allowed itself to be used in the manner this administration has used and abused it. But it is time for the professional Officers and NCO's to keep their oaths to uphold the Constitution of the United States against all enemies "foreign and domestic" they have a duty to report "illegal orders" to their chain of command, and if they cI am deeply saddened by the military, where I spent most of my adult life serving, has allowed itself to be used in the manner this administration has used and abused it. But it is time for the professional Officers and NCO's to keep their oaths to uphold the Constitution of the United States against all enemies "foreign and domestic" they have a duty to report "illegal orders" to their chain of command, and if they carry out thse illegal orders, then they deserve to be prosecuted.

A Pentagon group has encouraged some U.S. military snipers in Iraq to target suspected insurgents who pick up scattered pieces of "bait," such as detonation cords, plastic explosives and ammunition, a tactic that allegedly led to the killings of Iraqis, according to military court documents.

The classified program was described in investigative documents related to recently filed murder charges against three snipers who are accused of planting evidence on Iraqis they killed.

"Baiting is putting an object out there that we know they will use, with the intention of destroying the enemy," said Capt. Matthew P. Didier, the leader of an elite sniper scout platoon attached to the 1st Battalion of the 501st Infantry Regiment, in a sworn statement. "Basically, we would put an item out there and watch it. If someone found the item, picked it up and attempted to leave with the item, we would engage the individual as I saw this as a sign they would use the item against U.S. forces."

Ian Urbina NY Times article on Sarin gas

2007-05-18T01:34:00.000-07:00

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/17/us/17sarin.html?bl&ex=1179633600&en=849e3ad2470dcca4&ei=5087%0A

Gas May Have Harmed Troops, Scientists Say
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By IAN URBINA
Published: May 17, 2007
WASHINGTON, May 16 — Scientists working with the Defense Department have found evidence that a low-level exposure to sarin nerve gas — the kind experienced by more than 100,000 American troops in the Persian Gulf war of 1991 — could have caused lasting brain deficits in former service members.

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Rick Friedman for The New York Times
Roberta F. White of Boston University led the study of sarin nerve gas, which used new scanning technology.

Multimedia
Graphic
Possible Sarin Exposure in Iraq, 1991 Though the results are preliminary, the study is notable for being financed by the federal government and for being the first to make use of a detailed analysis of sarin exposure performed by the Pentagon, based on wind patterns and plume size.

The report, to be published in the June issue of the journal NeuroToxicology, found apparent changes in the brain’s connective tissue — its so-called white matter — in soldiers exposed to the gas. The extent of the brain changes — less white matter and slightly larger brain cavities — corresponded to the extent of exposure, the study found.

Previous studies had suggested that exposure affected the brain in some neural regions, but the evidence was not convincing to many scientists. The new report is likely to revive the long-debated question of why so many troops returned from that war with unexplained physical problems. Many in the scientific community have questioned whether the so-called gulf war illnesses have a physiological basis, and far more research will have to be done before it is known whether those illnesses can be traced to exposure to sarin. The long-term effects of sarin on the brain are still not well understood.

But several lawmakers who were briefed on the study say the Department of Veterans Affairs is now obligated to provide increased neurological care to veterans who may have been exposed.

In March 1991, a few days after the end of the gulf war, American soldiers exploded two large caches of ammunition and missiles in Khamisiyah, Iraq. Some of the missiles contained the dangerous nerve gases sarin and cyclosarin. Based on wind patterns and the size of the plume, the Department of Defense has estimated that more than 100,000 American troops may have been exposed to at least small amounts of the gases.

When the roughly 700,000 deployed troops returned home, about one in seven began experiencing a mysterious set of ailments, often called gulf war illnesses, with problems including persistent fatigue, chronic headaches, joint pain and nausea. Those symptoms persist today for more than 150,000 of them, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs, more than the number of troops exposed to the gases.

Advocates for veterans have argued for more than a decade and a half that a link exists between many of these symptoms and the exposure that occurred in Khamisiyah, but evidence has been limited.

The study, financed by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is the first to use Pentagon data on potential exposure levels faced by the troops and magnetic resonance imaging to scan the brains of military personnel in the exposure zone. It found signs of brain changes that could be due to exposure, showing that troops who had been exposed at higher levels had about 5 percent less white matter than those who had little exposure.

White matter volume varies by individual, but studies have shown that significant shrinkage in adulthood can be a sign of damage.

The study was led by Roberta F. White, chairman of the department of environmental health at the Boston University School of Public Health. Dr. White and other researchers studied 26 gulf war veterans, half of whom were exposed to the gases, according to a Defense Department modeling of the likely chemical makeup and location of the plume. The researchers found that troops with greater potential exposure had less white matter.

In a companion study, the researchers also tested 140 troops believed to have experienced differing degrees of exposure to the chemical agents to check their fine motor coordination and found a direct relation between performance level and the level of potential exposure. Individuals who were potentially more exposed to the gases had a deterioration in fine motor skills, performing such tests at a level similar to people 20 years older.

Dr. White says this study and the results of research from other studies provide “converging evidence that some gulf war veterans experienced nervous system damage as a result of service, and this is an important development in explaining gulf war illnesses.”

Phil Budahn, a spokesman for the Department of Veterans Affairs, said the research required further examination.

“It’s important to note that its authors describe the study as inconclusive,” Mr. Budahn said, adding, “It was based upon a small number of participants, who were not randomly chosen.”

Dr. White said she did not describe her study as inconclusive, though she said it would be accurate to call it preliminary.

I have sent the following to Senator Patty Murray's office and the other Edgewood Arsenal Volunteers who have been researching chemical weapons exposures since our use was learned in the late 1990's and early 2000's

To bring everyone up to date on my actions for the past month or so, I have been in contact with Senator Patty Murray's office about the Edgewood veterans and the lack of help from the VA and DOD on the status of claims processing for the many claims we have filed in the past five years.

Many of us have claims either in the system, on appeal or have been partially granted, most of them are granted for reasons other than the experiments or any secondary conditions that may be linked to any of the exposures.

For those of you that are not aware of the 77 toxic substances found in the drinking water, streams and ponds and the soil of the training areas of Edgewood, that were found by the EPA when they did the first assessments for the Superfund projects in 1978, the amount of environmental contamination led the EPA to force the DOD to cap the bases water wells where all the drinking, bathing and personal use water was drawn. The government was then forced to use bottle water and pipe in water from the White Mountains in 1978. The base is one of the most contaminated pieces of real estate the United States owns. Here is the link to the EPA report on EA http://cfpub1.epa.gov/supercpad/cursites/csitinfo.cfm?id=0300421 this is the list of the 77 known toxins we were exposed to environmentally http://cfpub1.epa.gov/supercpad/cursites/ccontinfo.cfm?id=0300421 I have ran them thru the CDC database in Atlanta and they are linked to every known medical problem a persons body can suffer from, if you can name it these chemicals are linked to it from Cancer to hemorrhoids, pulmonary, gastrointestinal, neurological, autoimmune disorders, cardiovascular, blood disorders.

There is also this manual published by the VA in October 2003 that deals with all the CBR programs from WW2 thru present which includes both Edgewood Arsenal programs WW2 and the Cold War http://www1.va.gov/vhi/docs/CBR_www.pdf

I obtained a full copy of the 1975 DA IG Report on Human experimentation which led to the closure of the "medvol" program in 1975. I wrote the Office of the Inspector General on the Internet and within 10 days they mailed me a complete copy of the report.

http://archive.gao.gov/t2pbat2/152601.pdf 1994 GAO Report on Human Experiments

http://www.sipri.org/contents/cbwarfare/Publications/pdfs/cw-delayed.pdf a German doctors report on the health of Wermacht soldiers exposed to chemical weapons in WW2 Germany

http://www.ehponline.org/members/1994/102-1/munro-full.html Jan 1994 report on health effects of exposure to Organphosphate weapons GA, GB and VX

http://archive.gao.gov/d37t11/148642.pdf 1993 GAO Report on Secret tests

http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d04821t.pdf GAO Report on DOD's statements on Gulf War Illness can not be supported

http://mailer.fsu.edu/~cfigley/vets/documents/VAletterRIN2900-AM09.pdf link between PTSD and heart disease accepted by the BVA on appeals for secondary conditions for soldiers with PTSD

http://mailer.fsu.edu/~cfigley/vets/health.html other supporting research on heart disease and PTSD

http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d04410.pdf page 20 of this GAO report shows that DOD had no intention of finding the 7120 men of Edgewood until the Bush Administration left office in 2009, despite the fact they knew where we were based on the data gathered in FY2000 for the March 2003 IOM Sarin Report

I have asked Senator Murray and Congressman John Hall Chairman of the VA Subcommittee on Investigations to look into the way DOD and the VA has treated the Edgewood veterans.

Mike Bailey

http://fairuse.100webcustomers.com/fairenough/nyt969.html

"On May 2, after learning about the research, Senators Patty Murray, Democrat of Washington, and Christopher S. Bond, Republican of Missouri, wrote the Defense and Veterans Affairs Departments, asking about their plans for outreach and expanded benefits for exposed troops."

I think Senator Murray would be interested in this information as it shows that DOD and the VA have been knowingly lying to her and the Senate since at least March 2003 release of the IOM's Sarin report. But it is more likely before that as they have known of the existence of these chemical weapons studies for years.

This article in today's NY Times shows the tip of what I have been claiming for the past three years the link between known chemical weapons medical problems and the exposures at Kamisayah Iraq in 1991 and the 7120 men of Edgewood Arsenal.

They don't need more government studies there are more than 30 years of them in existence now, from the 1975 SIPRI report based on Wermacht soldiers of WW2 http://www.sipri.org/contents/cbwarfare/Publications/pdfs/cw-delayed.pdf

Then there is the January 1994 National Institute of Health report on Sarin and other nerve agents here http://www.ehponline.org/members/1994/102-1/munro-full.html

The March 2003 IOM report based on the Edgewood veterans by DR William Page ignored these reports as they showed links to cardiovascular problems, neurological, gastrointestinal, an d pulmonary, all of the bodies main systems, the costs for medical care and or compensation to the veterans of the First Gulf War would run into the trillions over the next 6 decades or longer.

I also have the links to GAO reports, DOD reports and VA statements that are just flat lies, not misstatements. But known deliberate misinformation. Mike Bailey 803-739-5749 the Edgewood volunteers are the key to the Gulf War veterans and it is my belief that is why DOD and the VA are deliberately ignoring us here are all the names of the volunteers I am in contact with as of today

Veterans Lament Hurdles at VA Medical Centers and Regional Offices

2007-05-11T11:05:00.000-07:00

VETERANS LAMENT VA HEALTH HURDLES --

"It's like running into a brick wall, again

and again and again."

Story here... http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/
news/story.php?story_id=117873247666111500

Story below:

---------------

Veterans lament health hurdles

Gathering in Forest Grove highlights obstacles facing soldiers returning from combat

By Walt Wentz
The Forest Grove News-Times,

“It’s like running into a brick wall, again and again and again.”

Kurt Carlsen’s opinion of the Veteran’s Administration echoed that of other speakers at “Supporting the Troops,” a recent panel discussion about the problems facing veterans returning from overseas conflicts.

About 30 people listened and joined in the discussion between veterans, veterans’ spouses and Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs employees, held last Sunday, April 29, in Forest Grove.

Mike Van Dyke, a veteran of the first Gulf War, recalled that his claims for a service injury were at first “rejected every single time I went in– I had to fight.” His paperwork was “lost” for two years in the bureaucracy. “A lot of people just give up, that’s the sad part,” he said.

Jeff Rogers, an Air Force veteran and mental health specialist for Oregon veterans, said it took two years and multiple appeals to get a hearing aid to help him cope with an ear injury he sustained while in service.

Bill Croft, a 21-year veteran of the Coast Guard, recalled the Veteran’s Administration clerk who told him, “Coast Guard? You aren’t a veteran,” and had him escorted out of the building by security guards.

Croft now works as a service officer for the Washington County Veterans Services office and helps ex-servicemen cope with just that sort of official ignorance.

What’s wrong with the Veterans Administration? The problems are many, the speakers agreed. Prior to 9/11, the agency was closing offices and dropping employees because the number of veterans was declining nationwide. Today, with the war in Iraq ramping up and more injured veterans coming home, the agency still hasn’t rebuilt, speakers said.

The VA does not hire many veterans, they said, preferring to hire young people who are less likely to feel camaraderie with applicants.

Many complaints voiced at the forum were about the backlog of claims.

At present, 850,000 claims are facing a delay of up to 180 days. In an effort to reduce the lag to 150 days, speakers said, VA employees find it easier and faster to reject claims than to give them careful consideration.

Croft said he’s seen a lack of consistency in the VA’s decisions. He said he’s seen some veterans’ claims rejected, while the claim of another veteran with similar injuries is accepted.

The Veterans Administration can be reformed, the speakers agreed, but it will take widespread public outrage to start the process.

And, the speakers said, there are other obstacles for returning veterans.

Enlisting out of high school, many vets have no marketable skills.

Carlsen helps young, disabled vets find work through his job at Worksource Oregon, the state employment department. He said some employers take advantage of government incentive funds for providing a year’s employment, then drop their new employees after the money dries up.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), not recognized until recently, imposes a huge burden on veterans and their families. Even today, recalled one audience member, an 83-year-old grandfather, a Navy veteran, suffers terrifying “flashbacks” to the attack on Pearl Harbor.

The speakers said that many young, troubled vets come home these days and struggle to reconnect with spouses and young children.

Mina Schoenheit, a mental health counselor on the faculty at Oregon Health and Science University, said the entire community can help hold these young families together with a simple gift of time.

“Young veterans I’ve talked to say they need one-on-one time with their spouses to rekindle the relationship,” she said.

Schoenheit proposed that ordinary people band together as “surrogate grandparents” or “surrogate families” to give an hour or two a week to struggling couples, by providing baby-sitting or chores so that spouses can have some crucial time together.

“This is the missing piece,” she says. “Let’s start locally, and then go globally.”

The April 29 forum was sponsored by the Peace and Conflict Studies program at Pacific University and the West County Council for Human Dignity.

---------------

Larry Scott --

Time for VA Colonel to Resign, for the veterans

2007-05-11T10:28:00.000-07:00

I would use the word, inflate or exaggerate, except that James Nicholson has a pattern of making blatantly false statements to veterans, reporters, Congressional Representatives and to this nation's Senators. It appears from his numerous statements publicly and on the record that there is nothing he will not distort for the purpose of advancing the Presidents agenda, regardless of how it affects this nations disabled veterans and their families.

Quite frankly the veterans and disabled veterans and their families deserve better from Presidential Appointees, and Senate confirmed Cabinet Officer's. What makes matters worse is that the Veterans Administration is a law unto itself, the Secretary of the VA, can make medical problems service connected by a signature on a piece of paper, as Secretary Principi did for brain tumors for veterans of the first Gulf War, based on the facts of an IOM study published in March 2003. The VA has powers that no other agency has, and has no control except by Congress and the President, they can and do ignore court orders.

What inspired me to write today's column is the report in McClatchy's newspaper, by an investigative reporter Chris Adams, he has spent the past few years doing a lot of work involving the Veterans Affairs, compiling data bases of benefits, compensation, how many veterans per state are disabled and drawing what percentage of compensation. It is his and others from McClatchy's organization that has led to the Illinois review called for by Senators Dick Durbin and Barack Obama, last year.

This new article deals with the smoke and mirrors of what a "great agency" the VA Colonel has been portraying it for the past few years, since taking the helm from Secretary Anthony Principi. Chris Adams lays the case out here

QUALITY

To prove the quality of the VA's medical care, Nicholson and others - often using identical words to Congress or the news media - repeatedly have cited a study by the nonprofit RAND Corp.

In the last two years:

Nicholson said RAND ranked the overall quality of VA medical care as significantly higher than any other healthcare system in this country.

Dr. Jonathan Perlin, then the top VA health official, said in a radio interview that RAND "compared VA care to 12 other healthcare organizations, some of the best in the country," and found VA superior. Studies such as RAND's showed the agency's care to be "the best that you can get in the country," he said.

Kussman wrote in a statement to McClatchy earlier this year that RAND "recently" reported that veterans "receive better health care than any other patients in America."

The VA's public affairs department wrote in a magazine that the study "was conducted by the RAND Corporation, an independent think tank," as well as researchers from two universities.

As it turns out, the RAND study was neither fully independent nor all that recent. A VA grant helped pay for it. Two of its main authors had received VA career-development awards, and four of its nine listed authors were affiliated with the agency, according to the study's documentation.

It was published in 2004 but used data from 1997 to 1999, when the system treated far fewer patients than it does now.

The study does show that VA patients are more likely than non-VA patients to receive a range of needed tests and procedures. In the eyes of health experts, that's a real achievement; other studies have found similar results.

But Nicholson's claim that the agency performed better than "any other healthcare system in this country" and Perlin's assertion that RAND compared the VA with 12 other healthcare systems are wrong.

The study didn't compare the agency with other systems; it compared patients in the VA with those who weren't.

The non-VA patients were drawn from 12 large metropolitan areas across the country, while VA patients were drawn from two of its 21 regions. The two groups were surveyed with very different methods, and the non-VA sample had a far lower response rate than the VA sample.

Asked about the study, the VA said the agency had partially funded it but that the preponderance of money came from other sources; RAND has a long "reputation for independent evaluation," it said.

The VA did say that Perlin's quote was "partially inaccurate in describing the study," which it chalked up to confusion. It stood by the other statements.

In this article from Playboy of all places is an extensive article on James Nicholson and the VA it is an eye opener and I am sorry I haven't seen it before tonight.

Soon after Nicholson moved
into his new offices, the
VA, like the DOD, began to
aggressively roll back its
support for PTSD. ”

The story written by Mark Boal is long, 10 pages, but it is worth the read.

The government's attitude seems to be having the desired effect of keeping PTSD patients out of the DOD health care system and transferring the caseload burden to Veterans Affairs when the soldiers return home. Since the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan started, 631,000 people have been discharged from the military, including National Guard and Reserve soldiers who are now deactivated. Of those, 73,000 have sought mental health treatment at the VA.

Critics say the VA, like the DOD, is falling short. A rumor going around the veterans community claims that, even in cases of existing injuries, military doctors are under diagnosing PTSD at military hospitals, preferring instead to use labels that do not entitle the soldier to combat-related compensation. "We've been hearing it all the time from our guys in the field who are working with these Iraq vets," says Joe Violante of Disabled American Veterans. Military doctors "are being told not to diagnose PTSD."

In 2004 leadership changed at the VA. The head of the agency, Anthony Principi, a longtime favorite of veterans groups, resigned. The timing of his resignation was suspect, as it came shortly after he told Congress the agency lacked funds to take care of veterans, and the move was widely interpreted as a firing. Bush replaced Principi with a high-level party operative named James Nicholson. A Republican power broker and a party heavyweight, he chaired the Republican National Committee during the 2000 presidential campaign, when he called Dick Cheney "one of the most qualified, beloved people in America."

Soon after Nicholson moved into his new offices, the VA, like the DOD, began to aggressively roll back its support for PTSD. First, in a move that echoed Burkett's charges, Nicholson ordered an investigation into the files of 72,000 veterans who had received PTSD compensation. Senate Democrats managed to undercut the review. In response, Nicholson commissioned a study at the Institute of Medicine to craft a new definition of PTSD, one more restrictive than that used by the American Psychiatric Association. That too fizzled. Finally, a second study was commissioned to "assess how PTSD compensation might influence beneficiaries' attitudes and behaviors in ways that might serve as barriers to recovery."

This new study from the IOM was released this week after two years of work, it was a critical report, although not the one the Veterans Affairs expected, it did show there are major problems with the diagnosis and compensation ratings across the nation, but not because of anything the veterans are doing, rather it is the fault of the VA Regional Offices and the lack of training for the adjudicators on how to assess and rate the cases for compensation. If this report is accepted as it should be, the implications are that compensation for PTSD will be greatly expanded.

Here is the story from the
VA Watchdog.org about the findings and attached newspaper articles.

The long-awaited IOM study on PTSD compensation is out...and, it's not good news for the VA...but, it could be good news for veterans.

If all the recommendations in this report are implemented, and they probably will NOT be, it would cost the VA billions and give veterans better and more consistent PTSD diagnoses and higher compensation because ratings would be based on how PTSD affects all aspects of a veteran's life, not just the ability to be employed.

At the time I put this together, the report was not posted. If you can't find it at the IOM web site (see press release below) and want a copy, just email me and I'll forward it to you.

We have three stories...first from The Washington Post...second the IOM press release and third an AP story.

The IOM PTSD
can be found here you can read it online for free or you can order it for 33.00 dollars, me I will read it online. I already have most of it.

To sum this up, Congressman Phil Haire has called for Secretary Nicholson to resign, he is a square peg in a round hole and does not have a clue on how to manage the largest healthcare system in the nation, nor manage the claims processing system that this nations disabled veterans depend on. There are an estimated 850,000 compensation claims on appeal in the VA system, either at local Regional Offices, the Board of Veterans Appeals or the Court of Veteran Appeals, many of this nations veterans will die before their claims process is completed, why? In this day of computers why are the claims files still handled the same way they were in 1945, all paper, folders that are measured in feet, not pages.

This is not political, this is just a statement of fact, the time is up for the VA Colonel, James Nicholson, you have proved you are nothing but a party shrill, and quite frankly Sir, this nation deserves better, as a veteran yourself, and an Officer, a Colonel, think of the men under you, the 26 million veterans and their families that deserve good leadership, and you have failed in that, you owe them and the President your resignation.

I ask the Kos Community to take the time today to either write your elected officials, Senators and Congress critters and let them know that we as Americans are fed up with a Cabinet Officer that lies to this nations veterans, their widows and all of the people they are accountable to, it is time for a change at the Veterans Administration and the VA Colonels time is up!!!!!!

Gul War Vets Need Your Help

2007-03-28T09:10:00.001-07:00

Please help us on this action!
--------------------------------------

All citizens, veterans, veteran family members and friends, employers and
employees can help! Let's make the effort to find research answers for
diagnosis and treatment for gulf war veterans both Operation Desert Storm
(90-91) and our current Operation Iraqi Freedom and Afghanistan Enduring
Freedom! It is simple show support by signing petition just sign on the
petition and then exit the site(
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/GulfWarillness/index.html) no
contribution is necessary!
We are using this as just a visual show of support. The Representatives we
are contacting listed below are being made aware of the response to the
petition in our letters and calls to them. We are also notifying media
sources of the responses to the petition when we are approaching them to
follow this issue. So we are using it as a visual demonstration of support!

Yes we have other supporters helping but we need more help with phone calls!
This is not just a one person effort but a combination with service
organizations, you, and civilians.

Then help by using a few minutes to make calls to the Defense Appropriations
Subcommittee Members in DC! Let them know America wants this done! More
Specifics
follow. Thank You for your help and time
Sincerely,
Denise Nichols
Gulf War Veteran Nurse
Specific Directions

Sign the petition
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/GulfWarillness/index.html
limit comments to appropriations (defense subcommittee) for Congressional
Direct Medical Research on gulf war illness and support for 30 million in
research funds for that in FY08.

The Defense Subcommittee on Defense appropriations (both House and Senate)
have just started this process for FY08.

When making the calls to each office ask for the staffer in charge of
Defense Appropriations!

TALKING POINTS

-The Congressional Direct Medical Research on Gulf War Illness within the
Defense Appropriations got FY06 5 million FY 07 ZERO

We want this in FY 08 at a level of 30 million

- 175,000 Gulf War veterans still suffer from chronic multisymptom illness
related to the 1991 war, according to the latest Department of Veterans
Affairs study

- There are no effective treatments.

- The VA Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans Illnesses has
found that evidence supports a probable link between exposure to neurotoxins
and the
development of these illnesses.

- Treatments and diagnostic markers identified through the GWVRP would also
serve to protect the health of current and future military personnel and
civilians at risk of similar health effects.

---30% of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom are also
returning
with ill defined conditions/syndrome Source VA document

- A $5 million pilot research program open to all researchers and conducted
by DoD attracted 80 proposals to identify treatments and diagnostic tests in
2006, compared to two treatments studied in the previous fifteen years.

- While $5 million will support only a fraction of these studies, this
response demonstrates the interest of the scientific community in improving
the health of ill Gulf War veterans.

Action requested:

- As Congress appropriates needed billions for the care of those returning
from the current war, we urgently ask that it fund this treatment research
program for ill Gulf War veterans at the $30 million level traditionally
funded by DoD for Gulf War illness research before it was eliminated from
the budget in recent years.

-

- All major veterans organizations support $30 million funding for the Gulf
War Veterans Illnesses Research Program of the DoD Congressionally Directed
Medical Research Program.

Make the phone calls:

REMEMBER ASK FOR STAFFER DEALING WITH DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS

Concentrate on HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE MEMBERS FOR DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS
this week here is the contacts for those members:

House Committee Appropriations Defense Subcommittee

John P. Murtha (PA), Chair
202-225-5916
202-226-1176(fax)

David Morrison, Subcommittee Clerk
Room H-149 The Capitol
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-2847

Democrats
David R. Obey, Wisconsin, Chair (202) 225-3365

Republicans

Jerry Lewis, California, Ranking Member (202) 225-5861

Fax: (202) 225-6498

MAJORITY

Chair: John P. Murtha (PA
202-225-5916
202-226-1176(fax)

Norman D. Dicks (WA)
(202) 225-5916 [voice]
(202) 226-1176 [fax]

Peter J. Visclosky (IN)
phone: (202) 225-2461
fax: (202) 225-2493

James P. Moran (VA)
Phone: (202) 225-4376
Fax: (202) 225-0017

Marcy Kaptur (OH)
Tel: (202) 225-4146
Fax: (202) 225-7711

Robert E. Bud Cramer, Jr. (AL)
202-2254801
202-225-4392 Fax

Allen Boyd (FL)
(202) 225-5235
(202) 225-5615 Fax

Steven R. Rothman (NJ)
202-225-5061
202-225-5851 fax

Sanford Bishop (GA)
Phone- (202) 225-3631 Fax- (202) 225-2203

Dave Obey (WI), Ex Officio
202-225-3365

MINORITY Republicans

Ranking Member:
C.W. Bill Young (FL)
202-225-5961

David L. Hobson (OH)
202-225-4324
fax 202-225-1984

Rodney P. Frelinghuysen (NJ)
202- 225-5034

Todd Tiahrt (KS)
202.225.6216
fax: 202.225.3489

Roger F. Wicker (MS)
202-225-4306
202-225-3549 fax

Jack Kingston (GA)
Phone: (202) 225-5831
Fax: (202) 226-2269
Email: Jack.Kingston@mail.house.gov

Jerry Lewis (CA), Ex Officio
(202) 225-5861 Fax: (202) 225-6498

Iraq, the 4th Year ends

2007-03-19T11:21:00.000-07:00

What happened to the Vice President's "we will be greeted with flowers and candy"? This will be a short war, and it won't cost more than a billion dollars, can anyone remember the name of the man who was fired for stating that the estimated the cost of the war to be 100 billion dollars? I can't, and even he was wrong with this new supplemental request the cost of the two wars will exceed 500 billion dollars, this year.

There is also no end in sight, there are also the future bills that this war has created that no one is accounting for, what of the tens of thousands of men and women who will require medical care, pyschiatric care and compensation for the next 50-70 years? How many billions of dollars or is that going to hit trillion dollar marks?

What have we done to the Iraqi people while freeing them, how many families have been destroyed in the Neocon ideal for a "free middle east", PNAC got the war they wanted, but I can not for the life of me think even they wanted this to be the end result, unless it was really about no-bid contracts for Hallibutron and other administration friends like IAP Services, SAIC, and other military industrial complex benefactors of the war machine, they only make profits if we are at war. I hope this war was not about money, but it is begginning to see it as any other reason. The "oil contract" with the new Iraqi government seems to benefit American oil companies more than it does the Iraqi people.

The Walter Reed fiasco has shown what privatization has done to building maintenance at our nations premier medical care facility for the wounded, and has now opened the question about the VA medical care facilities. Many of us disabled veterans have known for years the mismanagement of these facilities, and we have been calling our elected officials, Congressmen/women and Senators, seldom is anything done to correct the issues. In 2004 the VA decided to review 72,000 cases of PTSD that had been awarded compensation at either the 70% TDIU rate or the 100% schedular rating, they suspected large cases of fraud. After a few suicides of Vietnam veterans upset about having to reprove or vailadate again the issues which caused their PTSD symptoms some ate bullets or overdosed due to the stress. The VA cancelled the review after Congressional pressure and the initial review of 2100 files showed there was no fraud on the veterans part, all the evidence showed was poor paperwork processing by the VA Regional Offices employees who took short cuts, or failed to put the right papers in the files that verified the veterans "stressor" and Secretary Nicholson ended the witch hunt.

The largest problem remaining today is the months and years it takes for the claims process to approve or deny the claim, many of us know that the VA will approve a claim but instead of the 50% or 70% the PTSD symptoms may warrant the VA first awards 10% or 30% to see if the veteran will be satisfied the the lower amount, and not file any appeals, then if the veterans have a piss poor Service Officer, they will tell them they should be grateful for the 10 or 30% and shut up. I know this because when I was awarded my 50% and wanted to file the Notice of Disagreement I had an American Legion Rep at the Blue Goose in August Ga tell me that very thing, "you should be happy with 50%, you weren't even in combat" yes I was but not for the incident that was the main focus of my PTSD. I had several "stressor incidents" during my 14 years of Army and national Guard service. But the claims system needs one incident to focus on for the award of benefits, and in my case they chose the attempted murder and robbery by 7 fellow soldiers in Feb 1975 when they left me for dead in a snowbank unconcious at Fort Wainwright Alaska after robbing me.

I am still appealing heart disease and other issues I feel are related to the chemical weapons and drug experiments at Edgewood Arsenal in June thru August 1974, but the VARO is acting like a brick wall when it comes time to discuss these issue's. I will keep appealing it until my family gets the security they deserve, or I die, whichever comes first. In the veterans claims process the claim dies with the veteran. Like my step father one of the Air Force veterans who flew thru the Nuclear clouds in Nevada, he died before the RECA Act was approved paying compensation to the men and women exposed to radiation that caused cancer, Dale had three types of cancer on the RECA list, he was entitled to 75,000 dollars lump sum payment, he died before it was approved and the family can not collect it, just the widow, and Mom died before dale passed away.

I hope they don't do this to Gulf War Illness and depleted Uranium injuries, but it appears DOD is taking the same approach, by denying any links for decades, before allowing the links to be "discovered" as in the case of radiation illnesses and Agent Orange.

Iraq Memorial

2007-03-17T06:51:00.000-07:00

We will see if the imbedded images work or not good luck

the wicked witch is dead

2007-03-12T11:04:00.000-07:00

LT Gen Kevin Kiley (I don't do barracks inspections) has been forced to resign to be the Acting Secretary of the Army, since he hasn't been a 3 star long enough, he should be reduced to his permanent rank of Major General and be retired at the 2 star level, no one has deserved it more. As long as that sorry bastard stayed as Surgeon General no soldier would feel safe and secure being wounded, they would be worried about the treatment their families would be getting while they were at Walter Reed or other military medical facilities. There is nothing worse than treating wounded soldiers or their families like shit, especially by the Chain of Command, this is the worst kind of Command failure there is, it had to be nipped in the bud.

Blog name change

2007-03-10T11:35:00.000-08:00

Since I was asked a month or so ago to change the name of my blog, I have been thinking about what I really wanted to call it, and this is it, now will it actually be updated daily, I intend to but you all know what happens to best intentions, sometimes they just don't get met, but I will try that's all I can say. If you don't see what you are looking for here can I suggest the VA Watchdog and read today's headlines for VA news

McClatchy Papers blog

2007-03-09T12:38:00.000-08:00

The uproar from the Walter Reed fiasco has exposed the long known problems of military medical retirement boards and bad treatment for medical holding company personnel and the Veterans Affairs claims processing and the health care or rather the lack of it at the VA and this is one of the best blogs created about it by a newspaper http://washingtonbureau.typepad.com/veterans/ please go here and add your own comments and read the other stories there Hoooooah McClatchy

Frank Gaffney offends sensibility

2007-02-14T07:02:00.000-08:00

Glenn Greenwald of Salon has written an article about Mr gaffney's absurd article in the Washington Times here http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2007/02/14/neoconservatism/index.html

Frank Gaffney, one of the country's most influential and well-connected neoconservatives, has a column in today's Washington Times in which he argues that the debate taking place in Congress over the war in Iraq constitutes treason. Gaffney specifically argues that the condemnations of Douglas Feith from Sen. Rockefeller "really should be a hanging offense."

Gaffney begins his column by purporting to quote Abraham Lincoln. Gaffney claims that Lincoln said:

Congressmen who willfully take actions during wartime that damage morale and undermine the military are saboteurs and should be arrested, exiled, or hanged.
This quote has become a favorite weapon for those who want to criminalize criticism of the Leader and the War. Jack Murtha's opponent in the last election, Diana Irey, cited this quote while discussing Murtha's opposition to the war.

But this quote is completely invented. Lincoln never said it. This "quote" was first attributed to Lincoln by J. Michael Waller in Insight Magazine, in a 2003 article revealingly entitled: Democrats Usher in an Age of Treason. But as Waller himself now admits, the quote attributed to Lincoln is completely fraudulent. Waller wrote in an e-mail to FactCheck.org (h/t William Wolfrum):

The supposed quote in question is not a quote at all, and I never intended it to be construed as one. It was my lead sentence in the article that a copy editor mistakenly turned into a quote by incorrectly inserting quotation marks.
It was Waller, in The Washington Times' Insight Magazine, urging that anti-war Congressmen be hanged -- not Abraham Lincoln.

this is my response to the Managing Editor of the Washington Times

It does the country more harm to print false quotes attributed to famous and popular Presidents and inflame the Neocons into demanding the critics of the Iraq War be punished for doing their duty in Congress, to debate the most serious issue of our day.

The Neocons demanded the bloggers head for offending Catholics for far less than what Frank Gaffney wrote. Yet he is supposedly a great writer, why? Where is the accountability? Does your paper endorse enticement to riot? Does it allow false quotes to be printed as truths? The nation awaits your response.

New reading enjoyment

2007-01-23T14:09:00.000-08:00

There is a new book available and appears interesting for those of you interested here is an excerpt, and a link to the author's website: enjoy!

"The following is a brief excerpt of my book, "When The Angels Have Risen:"

Suddenly, back on the Earth plane, in Las Vegas while I continued to explain what was shown to me by the alien, the sky above opened up with a sudden, brilliant appearance of a very large rainbow manifesting itself just above the university. Everyone suddenly was quiet and in awe admiring the brilli ant panoramic view of this rainbow manifestation above. The rain had stopped, while the clouds quickly dissipated. A gentle breeze then crossed the campus. The cool spring like breeze refreshed and cleansed the air. Suddenly, I heard a bird chirp. “You all heard the little bird. I guess he wants me to continue.” I smiled and the students laughed.

Then I continued with the explanation of my inspiring dogma and the biblical history. I elaborated about the angels and the different souls, and, of course, what we thought were miracles, but were actually causations of aliens. At that very moment, I looked within the audience for that deranged idiot who was going to shoot me like I was John Lennon. But seeing that there was no barrel in the distance pointing toward me, I continued even while the feds and the cops began to tighten their encirclement of the quad.

And so I concluded with, “These institutions used religion to gain power. They used guilt and fear as methods of control. Now, the dark souls have evolved using the monetary system or economic system to control the masses.

Have you noticed how corporations are now in control of the governments worldwide? Quite similar to the religious institutions controlling the governments in the past... The religious institutions, corporations, and governments are married into the same covenant of the DARK. And now, the aliens of the LIGHT have come back in force to counter the DARK on the Earth plane. This war between LIGHT and DARK has been a continual war...”

Suddenly, the feds converged upon the students. From behind the buildings, campus police joined forces with the feds and Metro Police, and while trying to advance toward me and Kelly, they all began to ruthlessly beat any student who stood within their path. The students began to defend themselves.

Additional Metro Police appeared from the street side on Maryland Parkway. The Metro Police started shooting their canisters of tear gas at us and the students. The feds, riot geared Metro Police, and campus police then began to fall back. The students threw the canisters of tear gas back at their attackers. Rubber bullets began whizzing by the students as they ducked for cover.

Metro riot police with their shields held high were protecting themselves from the onslaught of bottles and rocks, and while pointing their guns toward the students marched in unison like the “goose step” of Hitler’s army. They continued to discharge their weapons at the students. This was Las Vegas in the year 2006 and not Berkeley of 1969. It was like Kent State all over again.

Through all the commotion and the smoke-filled air, Kelly, John, and I managed to sneak out of the Las Vegas riot. We quickly jumped into our van and headed off."

http://www.andrewfeder.com/

Thanks again,

Andrew Feder

Reason for the Blog name change

2007-01-20T18:42:00.000-08:00

I was notified on a reply to another post that the owner of a "highly popular website" wanted me to cease and desist from using "his" name Outside the Beltway. given that I have a website named Outside the Beltway.org which was taken down in October due to hackers, this blog also had the same name, I guess when I put the .org website back up I will have to change the name of it also. I did apologize and changed the name, plain and simple explanation. I am sure from my traffic count no one had the two sites confused if they did he is not as popular as he thinks he is.

Due to my mood

2007-01-13T20:32:00.000-08:00

It will be a day or two before I write a full response to this BS piece of work, but now I know how Jewish people feel when they hear people say the Holocaust never happened.

Dr James Ketchums new book

2007-01-13T20:30:00.000-08:00

http://www.10zenmonkeys.com/2007/01/10/hallucinogenic-weapons-the-other-chemical-warfare/

There were many acid tests happening in the 1950s and 1960s. Ken Kesey and his Merry Pranksters dosed sometimes-unsuspecting proto-hippies. The CIA was dosing unsuspecting mainstreamers. Leary dosed fully cognizant artists, therapists and students. But meanwhile, over at Army Chemical Center at Edgewood Arsenal in Maryland, psychiatrist James S. Ketchum was testing LSD, BZ and other psychedelic and deliriant compounds on fully informed volunteers for the U.S. military.

Dr. James S. Ketchum was hired by Edgewood, first as a research psychiatrist in 1961. He became Chief of the Psychopharmacology Branch in 1963, and then became Acting Chief of Clinical Research in 1966. After a brief hiatus at Stanford University, he returned as Edgewoods’ Chief of Clinical Research in 1968, staying there until 1971. Dr. Ketchum and his team were looking, primarily, for non-lethal incapacitating agents, and he was central to many of the experiments with these compounds that took place during that time.

Now, Dr. Ketchum has released his fascinating self-published memoir, Chemical Warfare: Secrets Almost Forgotten, primarily detailing his times at Edgewood. The book boasts charts, graphs and experimental reports — a veritable goldmine of information for those who are interested in psychedelics, deliriants, or chemical warfare. It’s also a funny, observant, and reflective personal memoir, casting a light not only on Ketchum and his work, but on a decade that saw 60s counterculture and the military share an oddly intersecting obsession with mind-altering drugs.

Dr. Ketchum himself has remained intrigued by these chemicals, as reflected in his ongoing friendship with Dr. Alexander (Sasha) Shulgin, who wrote a foreword for this book.

I recently interviewed him for The RU Sirius Show. Steve Robles joined me.

To listen the full interview in MP3, click here.

RU SIRIUS: Tell us about the research you did at Edgewood Arsenal with various substances as weapons. What was the political environment?

JAMES KETCHUM: It was during the Cold War and there was great concern about what the Soviet Union might be plotting. It was known that they were investing a lot of money in chemical warfare research — about ten times as much as we were. And at the same time, there was an interest in the U.S. in developing weapons that might be called more “humane” as opposed to “conventional” weapons. In 1955, Congress was entertained by Major General Creasy, who described what LSD could do. At the time, that was the latest drug of interest. And as he described it to Congress, they became very enthusiastic, and voted in favor of doing research into LSD as a possible incapacitating agent that would be life-sparing. Congress passed a resolution with only one vote against it, which is perhaps indicative of the philosophy of the times.

So money was allocated to build a project at Edgewood Arsenal, the army chemical center. And over the next few years the budgeting increased, supported by John F. Kennedy, among others. I was given the opportunity to go there after my residency in psychiatry in 1961, and I thought it would be interesting. I ended up spending about ten years there. When I arrived, the program was just in its nascency. There had been some work done by others there with LSD, but they had never had a psychiatrist. And they’d run into a few problems that made them think they ought to have one. So I was given pretty much a free hand over the next few years to develop a program that would be safe and also provide the information that was being sought, not only about LSD but about drugs like BZ, and others.

RU: So you actually ended up having a long strange trip of your own. You had some very interesting experiences with it.

JK: I enjoyed it very much. Unfortunately at the time, classification of that research was so great that very little of the information we found was leaked out to the public or allowed to be spread among the public. And as is the custom in the army — or was the custom — classified papers usually remained classified for 12 years before they’d be downgraded and made available. By that time, most people had gone separate ways. The program itself had been pretty much terminated. No one really wrote the history of that decade. I thought, later, that was a serious omission. And that’s what led me to write this book.

STEVE ROBLES: Did you find any evidence that the Soviets might have taken this tack in their own chemical warfare research?

JK: There was information indicating that, around 1960, the Soviet Union was importing vast quantities of contaminated rye from the satellite countries. This was interpreted as being indicative of their interest in producing LSD, since there’s not much use for contaminated rye except that it contains ergot, which is a form of contamination [ed: ergot is used to prepare lysergic acid, the raw material for LSD]. That made us think maybe they were having a big LSD development program of their own.

SR: So there was a different kind of space race going on at the same time.

JK: That’s right. Inner space.

RU: The meat of this book, and the fun part, is descriptions of people undergoing the experiments. I wonder if any moments in particular pop into your head showing the way that human beings behave under the influence.

JK: I watched a number of people — actually, more than a hundred — going through the experience of having BZ, which is a long-acting atropine type compound. It produces delirium if given in a sufficient dose. Half-a-milligram is sufficient in the case of BZ, as compared with about 10 milligrams of atropine. To describe the tripping in detail would take some time. In the book, I’ve documented an entire BZ trip over a hundred-hour period, including everything that was said and done.

RU: You had a man watching an entire football game on his fingernail or something?

JK: It was a tiny baseball game on the padded floor. The hallucinations were “real” hallucinations. I’d like to make a distinction between BZ hallucinations and LSD so-called hallucinations, which are really not hallucinations — they’re more illusions. People generally know that they’re not real, but produced by the drug. Whereas with BZ, the individual becomes delirious, and in that state is unable to distinguish fantasy from reality, and may see, for instance, strips of bacon along the edge of the floor.

RU: Belladonna would probably be the most common deliriant among drug experimenters.

JK: Right. Loco weed. Belladonna, in the form of Asmador, for example, was used for asthma and contains atropine. People were getting high on this in the 60s. My brother described one young man trying to crawl across a street in New York City and grabbing onto the pants leg of a police officer. People don’t know what they’re doing when they’re under the influence. They mistake people for objects and objects for people. They’ll salute the water fountain or bump into a nurse and say, “Excuse me, sir,” and the like.

RU: Were you guys doing a lot of chuckling while this was going on? You’re trying to maintain a certain degree of decorum, but…

JK: Yes. I would tell the technicians that it wasn’t nice to laugh at these things, even though the subject probably wouldn’t remember it later. It was sometimes hard to suppress it. Like when one individual asked another, in the same padded room, if he could have a cigarette. And then, when the other individual held out an empty hand that looked like it was holding a pack, he said, “Oh, I don’t want to take your last one.” So it was fully “out there” on a fantastic scale.

RU: I had a friend who took belladonna at a rock concert. And about halfway into it, he thought he was back in his own room and that the music on the radio really sucked, and he was going to turn it off. That basically involved twisting this girl’s kneecap until he got kicked out. Fortunately, it was just the kneecap.

JK: One young man tried to straighten out my arm, as if it were a pipe of some sort! He tugged on it, and pulled it, and didn’t seem at all aware that I might be discomforted by that.

RU: So this book, which is about a very serious subject, is actually quite an amusing read.

JK: Yeah, I tried to keep it from being too heavy, and included a number of anecdotes about people who weren’t delirious that were equally funny.

RU: Some of the inter-office activity was amusing too. Describe what happens when soldiers try to deal with mock-up battle conditions under the influence of BZ.

JK: Well of course, commanders wanted to know what would happen if this stuff were ever used in the field. So at first we set up an indoor type of situation, a sort of simulated command post with four soldiers in it. One of them was given a full dose of BZ while the others were given either small doses or none at all, in order to have some possibility of maintaining order. So this one individual would continually go to the door and try to get out. He’d turn around and say, “I’ll see you later,” but it was locked, and he finally concluded that he was trapped. When the cameras, which were behind these sliding plywood doors, were opened, he came over to one and looked into it as if it were the eye of a Martian. And then he tried to climb out through the medicine cabinet. Then he went over to the water bag and yelled, “Hey, this broad just committed suicide.” It took quite a bit of help from his teammates to keep him from hurting himself. But fortunately, nothing serious happened.

RU: You write that nobody was really injured or permanently damaged by these experiments, and you make a distinction between the work that you did at the arsenal and work done by the Central Intelligence Agency.

JK: I tried to dissect out the work done by the army from the work done by the CIA. The CIA, of course, was the first to undertake studies of LSD. They did it without any real scientific structure; and they took liberties that they shouldn’t have taken, giving it covertly to American citizens and the like. This was the MK-ULTRA program. Unfortunately, Edgewood Arsenal acquired a reputation for being somehow involved in the MK-ULTRA program — being somehow underwritten by the CIA. And this was not true. There were a couple of individuals who had a secret connection to the CIA, but the program itself was transparent, at least within the military, and there was none of the hijinx that the CIA carried out in San Francisco and other places. [ed: they gave LSD to customers in a house used for prostitution and watched them through a two-way mirror.]

RU: You recently gave testimony about the CIA program. Tell us a little bit about that.

JK: I testified on behalf of Wayne Ritchie, a deputy U.S. Marshall who had been an ideal officer — four years in the Marines, a year at Alcatraz as a guard. He was regarded as perfectly stable — normal. After a Christmas party, where people from the CIA office next door were present, he came back to his office and began to believe that everyone was against him. And then he went out on the street and walked home for the first time without his car, and was convinced that his girlfriend was against him; and the bartender was against him. So he decided to hold up a bar and get enough money for his girlfriend to fly to New York, and then he’d be arrested and they would kick him out of the US Marshal Service and everyone would be happy. So this is what he did, and this is what happened. And when he came to and realized what he’d done, he felt terrible. He wanted to commit suicide. He asked for a bullet to save the state some money, and he submitted a letter of resignation.

From that point on, he was regarded as a pariah and he spent the rest of his life believing he had committed a serious crime for which he’d never be forgiven. Then Sidney Gottleib — who was the head of the MK-ULTRA program — died. And in his obituary, it mentioned that he was supervising the administration of LSD to unwitting American citizens. [ed: The CIA also dosed unsuspecting attendants at office parties, as documented in Acid Dreams and elsewhere.] And so the light went on in his head at that point, and Wayne realized, or believed, that that’s probably what happened to him. So a case was eventually brought to court, and I was asked to testify on behalf of Wayne. I spent two-and-a-half days on the witness stand, mostly answering questions from CIA lawyers. Ultimately the outcome was not favorable, unfortunately. The judge didn’t feel convinced, and neither did the Appeals court. The judge said, in effect, “If you can explain this man’s criminal behavior with LSD, then I suppose you could blame anyone’s criminal behavior on LSD.” And this really wasn’t very logical and didn’t fit the facts, but that’s how it ended up. It was a rather unhappy ending to an unhappy story.

RU: A number of your volunteers in the LSD experiments expressed feelings of having had a profound experience. More frequently than not, they expressed a sort of regret in coming down and having the experience end.

JK: Yes. We were primarily interested in measuring performance on a systematic basis. But, of course, clinically it was pretty hard to ignore the differences in the responses to LSD that we observed. Some individuals would become very frolicsome and laugh a great deal. Some would become depressed and withdrawn; some became paranoid. Seeing the spectrum of responses in otherwise normal young men was quite interesting. One individual in particular, I believe, actually had a therapeutic experience. He was in a group of four, and we held a televised discussion after the test, and he admitted finally under pressure from his buddies that he had had some unacceptable erotic thoughts about the nurses that he was reluctant to reveal. And they told him that was all right, there’s nothing wrong with that. And when he went back to his unit, I heard indirectly that his personality was different. He became more sociable and outgoing. I have to give LSD some of the credit in that case.

RU: Also a frequent response from some of the volunteers was to find the tests just silly and absurd and to just laugh at the things they were asked to do.

JK: Yeah, under LSD, they perceived the absurdity of being asked to solve as many arithmetic problems as they could in three minutes. Sometimes they refused to do it all together. But in other cases they did their best, but couldn’t do as well as they did before the drug. I took it once and I had precisely the same difficulty solving arithmetic problems, but I didn’t have any of the wonderful visions and fantasies. I guess because I was thinking of the psychopharmacology of the LSD going through my raphe nucleus and so forth.

RU: You took 80 micrograms. It’s a little bit shy of a trip.

JK: Yeah. But it was chemically pure, U.S. Army-grade, 99.9 percent…

RU: Got any of that stuff left?

JK: Well, there was 40 pounds left in my office one day in a big black barrel…

RU: Oh yes! Do tell the story of the canister.

JK: I was chief of the department at that point. When I came into work one day, I noticed that there was a big, black, sort of oil barrel-type drum in the corner of the room. And no one said anything, or told me anything about it. So after a couple of days, my curiosity overcame me. After everyone had gone home, I opened it up and pulled out a jar. And I looked and saw that it was about 3.41623 kilograms of LSD. And so were the rest of the jars.

RU: Drop that baby on Iran and see what happens.

JK: But after another couple of days, the barrel was gone! I never heard anything; I never got a receipt for it. The LSD there was probably worth about a billion dollars on the street. And it just stayed there for a few days and went away.

SR: Speaking of getting onto the street, I’ve never heard of BZ, I guess it didn’t penetrate the black market?

RU: That’s really not the sort of thing people tend to want to take.

JK: Well, as I say, it’s similar to atropine or belladonna, which some people have taken for trips, and it’s been used through the ages for ceremonial purposes, for various purposes.

RU: I remember Durk Pearson saying it was interesting.

JK: It lasts about 72 hours in a dose that is just sufficient to incapacitate someone. It can last longer if you take more, but we kept the doses as low as we could. Delirium is not something that anyone particularly wants to go through. It’s more of a shipment than a trip, I would say.

RU: You don’t remember much. It’s probably more fun to watch other people take it.

JK: Right. Not too much intelligent insight emerges under its effects.

RU: Let’s get back to the purpose of this research. What you were hoping for?

JK: I felt I was working on a noble cause because the purpose of this research was to find something that would be an alternative to bombs and bullets. It could also be helpful in reducing civilian casualties, which have increased ever since the Civil War from almost zero percent to the eighty percent now or maybe higher — 90 percent perhaps in Iraq, because you can’t really avoid “collateral damage” if the enemy is going to hide among the civilians. Perhaps it’s a good time to rethink our use of incapacitating agents as a humane alternative.

The Russians did very well with this. When the Chechnyan terrorists took over an auditorium filled with attendees at a Moscow concert and held them captive for three days, the Russians brought in an incapacitating agent. It happened to be a morphine derivative of high potency, and they pumped it in through the ceiling and the floor, waited for a while, and then rushed in. And those terrorists did not detonate the bombs they had strapped to their bodies; they did not fire their weapons; they were all down on the floor unconscious, as was most of the audience. They were able to save about 80% of the audience.

RU: Do you feel that maybe they could’ve used a better incapacitating agent that would’ve allowed them to save everybody or nearly everybody?

JK: No, I don’t think there was anything better they could’ve used. This was a quick-acting drug, which is what it had to be. If they’d used BZ or some drug like that, the effects would have come on too gradually. The terrorists would have had time to figure out what was going on. So this was a knockout effect, and it worked very well. And I credit the Russians for doing this, although they seem to be embarrassed about giving out the details, because in the United States and the rest of the world in general, chemical warfare in any form is a no-no.

RU: It’s illegal internationally, isn’t it?

JK: A number of treaties were drawn up, the last of which was the chemical warfare convention. And it’s now illegal to use any drug that can either cause death or seriously disturbed behavior. And I think it’s unfortunate that we went in and agreed to this treaty because we’re now in a different kind of war from anything we’ve been in previously.

SR: I wonder what effect of LSD would have in either dislodging — or maybe even reinforcing – the beliefs of real serious believers, like fanatical Islamists, for example.

JK: Well, LSD was discarded pretty early on as an incapacitating agent when it was realized that it produced highly unpredictable effects and that people could still retain the ability to fire a rifle or push a button on a bomb-release mechanism. So I’m pretty sure LSD would not be used. It would have to be something in the opiate category, like what was used in Moscow; or perhaps one of the rapid-acting belladonna-like drugs. Incidentally, although BZ was adopted briefly and even packed into munitions, as far as I know, it was never used, despite rumors to the contrary. And later on we found rapid-acting compounds in the same category — short-acting, rapid-acting compounds that would’ve worked much better. But by this time, the whole notion of militarizing incapacitating agents had lost its window of opportunity. That’s one reason that all this research was kind of left in file cabinets.

RU: We’ve talked about psychedelics, and we’ve talked about deliriants. But what about disassociatives like ketamine and PCP? Do those hold any potential in your opinion, and do you know if they were looked into at all?

JK: A little work was done with PCP before my arrival. They had a complication. One individual became psychotic and required hospitalization. And this kind of scared them. In fact, that’s one reason I was asked to go there. So PCP would probably be an unacceptable drug.

SR: That’s not an uncommon reaction to PCP, right? Violence…

JK: It definitely can produce aggressive and resistant behavior that’s very hard to overcome.

RU: The 1970s was a time of great revelation of government crimes, and Edgewood Arsenal and your work got roped into the general attitude in the media towards the establishment, towards the military and so forth. Talk a little bit about how you feel the media misinterpreted your work.

JK: It grew out of the Congressional hearings, the most famous of which was the Kennedy hearings. The CIA was investigated. Congress attempted to find out just what they did with LSD in the early 50s. The CIA had destroyed all their records and the people who were still around claimed they couldn’t remember anything. But as a result of that, the army was asked to look at its work with similar agents. The Inspector General held a very comprehensive review, the National Academy of Sciences was asked to do a review of the work with BZ, and although they produced follow-ups finding no harm, somehow in the public mind, the CIA work and the U.S. Army work became interwoven. I believe that’s an unfortunate thing.

Another mistake was that the media characterized BZ as a super-hallucinogen, which really is not a good way to describe it. It’s a deliriant, basically — pure and simple.

RU: You’ve indicated the effects of some of today’s potential chemical weapons have been exaggerated in the media. You’ve spoken about the potency of VX, for example

JK: That’s right. This is in relation to nerve agents. I wasn’t an expert on that — that work was going on next door. But people have been told that a couple of drops of VX on the floor of Macy’s would wipe out the entire customer population. And things of that nature have been represented in programs like 24. (It’s a great series but…). People have a morbid fear of anything chemical, which has been encouraged by the media. Many inaccuracies have been brought out. As a matter of fact, ironically, nerve agents are a good antidote for drugs like BZ, and vice versa. Atropine’s used to treat nerve agent poisoning, and nerve agents can be used to treat atropine or BZ poisoning. We found this out in the lab. Of course anyone who heard that they were going to be treated with a nerve agent for their atropine or BZ poisoning would probably be very unhappy and nervous. But it works very well!

RU: So tell people how they can get a hold of this book. It’s an independent publication, with a unique design. It’s almost like a coffee table book.

SR: I thought you were going to say, “Tell people how they can get a hold of that black barrel!”

RU: Yeah. Where did you hide that black barrel?

JK: Here.

See also: Excerpts from Chemical Warfare: Secrets Almost Forgotten

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President Ford: Cheney has a Fever!!!!!

2006-12-28T01:41:00.000-08:00

In a article this morning from the http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/27/AR2006122701558.html Bob Woodward releases an embargoed interview with President Ford that could not be publicshed until after his death, and Bob waster no time in making front page news with it. He says these are not the people he knew three decades ago, that Cheney and Rumsfeld have contracted a war fever, and that he was under the impression that keeping Iraq contained was enough, spreading democracy was not a reason to invade another nation.

The article shows me that 1) I am not alone in my thinking 2) that Cheney and Rumsfeld have changed or become more reckless in their older age

"Rumsfeld and Cheney and the president made a big mistake in justifying going into the war in Iraq. They put the emphasis on weapons of mass destruction," Ford said. "And now, I've never publicly said I thought they made a mistake, but I felt very strongly it was an error in how they should justify what they were going to do."

In a conversation that veered between the current realities of a war in the Middle East and the old complexities of the war in Vietnam whose bitter end he presided over as president, Ford took issue with the notion of the United States entering a conflict in service of the idea of spreading democracy.

"Well, I can understand the theory of wanting to free people," Ford said, referring to Bush's assertion that the United States has a "duty to free people." But the former president said he was skeptical "whether you can detach that from the obligation number one, of what's in our national interest." He added: "And I just don't think we should go hellfire damnation around the globe freeing people, unless it is directly related to our own national security."

I was 18 when I traveled from Edgewood Arsenal on August 8th 1974, to Washington DC to be at the White House when President Nixon left and to see my Congressman from Michigan sworn in as the 38th President of the United States, I was a Private E-2 in the Army assigned to the 9th Infantry Divsion, Fort Lewis, Washington. But with 9 other men, we had been sent on a two month (60)day temporary assignment to the "medical research unit" the human experiments involving chemical weapons and drugs that the Army/CIA/DOD conducted from 1952 thru 1975.

It was party time in Lafayette Park right in front of the White House, hippies were hanging from the statues smoking pot, there were so many of them the police were not even trying to stop them. I was not the only curious person in DC that day, by the time the helicopter carring the ex President and Mrs. Nixon left the White House lawn there had to be 250,000 people between the Washington Monument and the South Lawn. I got to see the now famous photo where Nixon was doing the 2 handed peace signs as he left and the entire crowd was giving him the one finger salute in return.

As a soldier I was mixed, he was a crook, deceitful and a very manipulating man, on the other hand he gave the military the largest pay raises they had ever seen, my pay doubled from 200 a month to 400 a month under him. It had to do with changing the military to an all volunteer force.

I don't know what led Cheney and Rumsfeld to become the chickenhawks they have become, if it was a change of heart after they met Bill Kristol, the head of PNAC, or long held beliefs that joining this group allowed to surface. But the choices they made leading up to the Iraq war has just left me shaking my head, they ignored General Powell, who had led the military thru our most successful war in decades, General Shinseki, who told them they needed a force of 3-400,000 to occupy Iraq after the regime toppled.

The past three years have shown us that Generals Powell and Shinseki were right and Cheney and Rumsfeld were wrong.

I don't believe history will be nice to these men, they have done things that fly in the face of the Constitution, and they have attempted to resurrect the "Imperial Presidency" which I believe will come to a boiling point in the next two years during the investigations that are sure to begin in the 110th Congress.

PTSD and Futility

2006-12-22T08:53:00.000-08:00

This article from Mark Benjamin is an excellent read on the problems coming from the soldiers perceived use and abuse with no real understanding of their repeated deployments to Iraq.

Despite nearly a week of phone calls and e-mails, Army medical officials failed to make anyone available to Salon to discuss the issue. Ira Katz, deputy chief patient care services officer for mental health at the Department of Veterans Affairs, did speak with Salon. Not surprisingly, he seemed much more circumspect than the nongovernmental experts about any relationship between disenchantment and mental wounds. He emphasized that such a correlation has not been thoroughly studied. "I don’t think it is proven," Katz said. He then suggested that it might not even be worth studying. "Why does it matter? ... Our job is to treat suffering and impairment." (The outside experts also argue that discussing serious disenchantment with PTSD-afflicted veterans should be an important part of their therapy. Katz disagreed.)

Then there is this quote, oh my god Sally Satel agrees with other PTSD expects on this issue, did hell freeze over?

There is remarkable unanimity among experts on the issue, largely based on their experiences treating veterans. "When people have grave doubts about whether it was all worthwhile, it may make their psychological problems worse," explained Dr. Arthur S. Blank Jr., who helped pioneer the diagnosis of PTSD after the Vietnam War. Even those who question the pervasiveness of PTSD accept the connection between mental health and a belief in the military's mission. Sally Satel, a psychiatrist and resident scholar at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, has drawn fire from veterans' groups and some of her medical colleagues for claiming that PTSD might not be as widespread as some data suggests. But on the connection between disillusionment and PTSD, Satel and her peers agree. "Demoralization, or the difficulty of making meaning of a task, is one of the risk factors," Satel confirmed in an interview.

The families need more education on the problems that PTSD causes, the soldiers will more than likely ignore them or drink or try drugs, the families have to look for the signs of trouble and get help before it gets to late to help their loved one before they make their lives worse, by letting PTSD go untreated.

The Wheel of Fortune I am

2006-12-14T10:27:00.000-08:00

You are The Wheel of Fortune

Good fortune and happiness but sometimes a species of
intoxication with success

The Wheel of Fortune is all about big things, luck, change, fortune. Almost always good fortune. You are lucky in all things that you do and happy with the things that come to you. Be careful that success does not go to your head however. Sometimes luck can change.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

A friends blog had this learn what you are exam on it, and this is what I learned lol I am supposedly of "good luck" link to the post so you can take your own test and find out what card are you

http://txsharon.blogspot.com/2006/12/whats-your-card.html#links

Old Blogs

2006-12-12T18:29:00.000-08:00

there are some good articles and some really bad rants http://mikescorner.blogsource.com/ and then there is http://testvets.blogsource.com/ and there is also http://disabledvetopines.blogspot.com/ and then there is the Gulf War site http://gulfwarcouncil.com/edgewood_test_veterans.htm

this is a random collection of my writings off and on since I became disabled and started spending my time researching the Edgewood experiments and other mis-adventures of my youth

the men who replaced Van Sim and Siddell

2006-12-12T11:08:00.000-08:00

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/custom/attack/bal-id.blades10,0,388794.story?coll=bal-attack-headlines

He's been called one of the U.S. Army's premier chemical weapons experts, and has worked around the world to disarm rockets, bombs and shells containing some of the world's most toxic substances.

When it comes to handling and defusing weapons of mass destruction, Timothy A. Blades, a 31-year veteran of the Edgewood Chemical Biological Center, has few peers. "Tim has handled every dangerous and deadly and lethal compound known to man," said Jim Allingham, a retired spokesman for Aberdeen Proving Ground, where the Edgewood center is located.

William E. White, a retired Edgewood chemist, called Blades "an amazing person," as comfortable taking apart a chemical warhead as he is testifying before Congress.

At the Harford County military post, he has helped direct the disposal of tons of obsolete U.S. chemical arms. He and his crews have worked at poison arms depots, dump sites and disposal areas around the world. As a U.N. weapons inspector in the 1990s, he made 42 trips to Iraq.

At Aukheider, near the Iraqi city of Karbala, he drilled mustard gas bombs cooled by ice. He came to admire the resourcefulness of Iraqi weapons scientists. "They made mustard agent in an incredibly elegant way that was so simple," he recalled.

At Kamisiyah in southern Iraq, he supervised the destruction in 131-degree heat of 1,000 sarin-filled rockets that the Iraqis had incompletely burned and abandoned. In the United States, with its strict environmental standards, the project would have taken years and millions of dollars, he said. In Iraq, it took six days, with Blades and his crew working in lightweight protective gear because of the heat.

He has helped destroy stockpiles of aging Soviet chemical weapons in Romania, the Czech Republic and -- in recent months -- Albania.

As deputy director of Edgewood's Chemical Biological Services Directorate, Blades supervises a staff of 244 technicians and weapons experts from a small office in a one-room building, nicknamed "The Condo," on King's Creek in an isolated corner of the base.

Edgewood Arsenal 2006

2006-12-12T11:05:00.000-08:00

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/custom/attack/bal-id.edgewood10dec10,0,7347228.story?coll=bal-attack-headlines

This is just part of the article due to copyright laws I am posting just part of it under fair use of the news

Located on a neck of land in the northern Chesapeake Bay between the Gunpowder and Bush rivers, Edgewood's forests and fields brood over a minefield, a dump where workers once burned toxic compounds, former weapons test ranges and a factory-like structure built to dispose of unexploded chemical ordnance found on site. Once known as Edgewood Arsenal, today it is part of neighboring Aberdeen Proving Ground, the Army's oldest active weapons development center.

Edgewood has several abandoned brick buildings too contaminated to use, and too expensive to tear down. They sprout weeds and small trees. Labs that study super-toxic compounds bristle with pipes and ventilation ducts, and are surrounded by barbed wire and crash barriers. Medical evacuation helicopters stand ready on the base's central runway at all times.

For decades, Edgewood was one of this nation's most secret research labs. Even after the United States ratified the Chemical Weapons Convention outlawing chemical arms in 1997, the base has kept a low profile.

In the aftermath of Sept. 11, the National Guard set up machine-gun emplacements and tightened security. The Army accelerated plans to destroy 1,600 tons of mustard agent stored outdoors in steel containers, out of fear of an air strike that might create a lung-searing vapor cloud 30 miles from Baltimore's Inner Harbor.

Despite concerns about security, ECBC officials agreed last summer to give The Sun access to some of their scientists and programs. Officials there opened the doors of some labs, workshops and offices that had been closed to the outside world.

The result was a glimpse of a formerly secret world, inhabited by what one scientist called "the 100-pound brains" behind America's chemical defenses.

Until about a decade ago, the ECBC and other Edgewood labs seemed like quaint relics of yesterday's wars. Standard chemical weapons are more of an annoyance than a threat to well-equipped and well-trained troops. They are useless against insurgents and guerrillas, America's most likely foes.

Pic of me now I did not age well lol

2006-12-01T14:57:00.000-08:00

Open Letter to the new 110th Congress

2006-11-28T07:54:00.000-08:00

Most veterans as well as most Americans are expecting you to return to Capitol Hill, a missing piece of the congressional process OVERSIGHT we have all heard the campaign promises, now it is time for the real deal, ACTION we expect it and we DEMAND it.

We the citizens of this nation have paid the price of the "Contract on America" that Newt Gingrich and Tom Delay delivered and enforced, and we and our grandchildren will be paying for it for decades, now we need you to fix it, for all of us, every American and even the world, the conduct of this nation has been less than stellar for the past five years. We need to return to having a credible voice in world affairs.

I am a disabled veteran, 100% Permanent and Total, there is no surgery that can fix my problems, I am on a medicate until death regimen. What caused it? I feel it was my use in a program related to MKULTRA at Edgewood Arsenal in 1974, I like 7119 other Army and Air Force enlisted personnel had volunteered to test equipment and unifroms for the battlefield of the future and we were lied to by the recruiters for the DOD/CIA program. http://www.nap.edu/books/030904832X/... As you can see the Department of the Army's Inspector General found they were breaking international law, and after Congress learned of it, the program of human testing was stopped.

But by then the damage was done as shown by this report from the IOM http://www.iom.edu/CMS/3795/4913/584... it shows that as of FY2000, that 40% of the men, 2098 were deceased, and that 54% of the survivors were disabled, yet the report never stated why, was that to embarassing to the Department of Defense or to the CIA.

We like most veterans do not care what was the "actual" cause of our injuries, we want the "Promise" of this nation that is made to all of it's citizens when they join the military, "that if anything happens to you while on duty, we will take care of you and your family" I am sorry to say that DOD and the VA have worked in colusion to deny these 7120 veterans and their widows, the benefits they have earned by participation in the human experiments at Edgewood Arsenal.

We veterans do know that our best advocate Congressman Lane Evans retired this year due to medical conditions and he will surely be missed, we do anticipate another great Congressman Bob Filner to be named as the Chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee, and we are confident he will demand accountability from the VA for all veterans, not just the Edgewood veterans.

The new veterans being caused by Iraq and Afghanistan are coming back to a healthcare system ill prepared for the influx of PTSD cases, traumatic brain injuries that will require a lifetime of specialized care, expensive care, with attendants and special needs.

We hope that THIS Congress will see to it, that the VA healthcare becomes more on the lines of the Medicare Program, if the veterans need it they get it, no more partially funded, dollar restricted management, sorry no surgery for you no money until the next fiscal year, that is not good enough, pass the Fully funded healthcare this year, give the veterans what they have earned, RESPECT, and the treatment that goes with it.

This manual shows that the VA addressed the issue of the veterans used in the experiments from WW2 thru the end of the Cold War in this manual, yet they refuse to process the claims of the Edgewood veterans, why? http://www1.va.gov/vhi/docs/CBR_www.pdf I would also like to point out that this manual was written six months after the release of the March 2003 IOM Sarin report, why weren't those results included in this manual? Again to embarassing?

I was recently honored by one of the communities best diarists OPOL here by the mention of my name and a link to one of my diaries about MKULTRA http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/1... all I can say to OPOL is SALUTE you are one fine American.

In closing, I as many other Americans want is for Congress to do the job you were elected to do, the people's buesiness, not corporations with lot's of money for lobbyists, take care of us the average American, healthcare for all, a fair tax program, protect Social Security, pension programs, give us a reason to trust Congress again, is that to much to ask?

Future of Veterans and Military Care? a prototype

2006-11-26T08:56:00.000-08:00

http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?storyID=123032688

by Master Sgt. Kimberly Spencer
59th Medical Wing Public Affairs

11/24/2006 - SAN ANTONIO (AFPN) -- As the sound of sledge hammers swinging and bulldozers running fades, a new state-of-the-art medical facility on the north side of San Antonio is poised to open its doors.

The new North Central Federal Clinic, the first Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense venture using joint leadership and staffing, is scheduled to open Dec. 4

"The congressionally approved facility was chosen after a federal competition, and is a jewel in the crown for both federal agencies and a test bed receiving national recognition," said Maj. Eric Peipelman, the 59th Medical Wing project manager. "The clinic will provide pharmacy, radiology, laboratory and optometry services for those enrolled."

"We have several other facilities throughout the United States that are working toward the same goal we have achieved here," said Mark Goldstein with the South Texas Veterans Health Care System.

The clinic is designed to improve access to medial care for VA and DOD beneficiaries living on the north side of San Antonio. Currently those Air Force beneficiaries must drive across town to Wilford Hall Medical Center on the south side of the city on Lackland Air Force Base.

"The Air Force and the VA are both extremely excited to bring our quality care close to our patients living on the north side of San Antonio," said Brig. Gen. (Dr.) David Young, 59th Medical Wing commander. "This innovative partnership to improve healthcare will provide improved access to services for these beneficiaries."

Approximately 5,600 Wilford Hall patients have been identified and notified as those who would benefit the most from being seen at the NCFC. Officials looked at active duty dependents, retirees and retiree family members, enrolled in TRICARE Prime, who live in the north central San Antonio area. These individuals were then assessed by their medical needs and the level of services available at the NCFC.

The NCFC currently won't be open to active duty personnel. Active duty personnel will continue to be seen at their current care locations.

"Enrollment currently has been maximized," said Major Peipelman. "However, we will be looking at demand in the area and considering options over the next six months, such as active duty sick call, to increase access if demand warrants."

Hospital officials, along with congressional and federal leaders, will be following the success of the clinic closely for consideration for other joint facilities to begin using joint leadership and staffing.

How veterans can get copies of "lost" documents

2006-11-26T08:48:00.000-08:00

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-papers25nov25,1,1344383.story?coll=la-headlines-nation&ctrack=1&cset=true the Lost documents slow veterans' access to benefits LA Times ran an excellent article here for the purpose of showing the need for replacing your seperation papers commoningly known as a DD-214

Almost a million a year ask federal officials about retrieving papers they need to apply for valuable aid. Now forms are available online.
By Diane C. Lade, South Florida Sun Sentinel
November 25, 2006

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. — Harold Brewster certainly earned the right to veterans benefits. He was aboard the battleship New Mexico when a kamikaze pilot slammed into its bridge, killing its commanding officer and 29 crew members during World War II.

But when the former sailor now living in Boca Raton asked about the free plots that would be available to veterans in the new South Florida National Cemetery, he found out he needed documents that had been lost years before. Brewster's military papers and five medals were taken when his household belongings were stolen 10 years ago.

"I didn't know what we were going to do," said Brewster, 80.

Almost a million veterans a year ask federal officials about retrieving lost military documents, papers they need to apply for valuable veterans benefits like housing loans and low-cost healthcare.

The process now can be expedited by applying online. But some veterans and their families still find it cumbersome and confusing.

"Most people don't have the ability to do it on their own," said Floyd White, section manager with Broward County Elderly and Veterans Services.

At least one veteran a week comes into the office for help replacing lost papers, White said.

Brewster's family turned to the Mae Volen Senior Center in Boca Raton, where Brewster goes for activities and lunch.

Administrative assistant Grace Ginsberg pulled up the forms online and, within a few months, had the papers, as well as replacements for the medals.

CBS, NUMB3RS show BRUTUS Nov 24 2006

2006-11-25T09:40:00.000-08:00

Do you want to talk about fictional reality. I was told about the show's premise by my friend Jeff, asked me if I knew anything about the show, yes I have heard of it, and seen some parts of different episodes while channel surfing, but I can not claim I am a fan. Well after he told me last nights show mentioned MKULTRA, I had to find it and watch it, you all know me, a glutton for punishment. I went to CBS website and found the homepage of NUMB3RS and found the links to past episodes and located BRUTUS, I had to watch it twice to really comprehend it, the plot, the MKULTRA program the sub programs within it, etc, all to real, the only distortion is the fact they portrayed the government as paying Army retirement checks to us, nothing could be farther from the truth, the VA will not even process our claims for medical problems related to Edgewood Arsenal and MKULTRA. Here is a link to the website to view the episode click on BRUTUS it's all TO REAL http://www.cbs.com/innertube/player.php?cat=115576&vid=&format=&auto=1

open letter to Mike Barnicle of MSNBC

2006-11-23T19:19:00.000-08:00

Mr Barnicle, I have watched many of your interchanges with Joe Scarborough and know you are a thoughtful man. I just was watching you all speculate about the hatred between Rumsfeld and Bush 41.

I know where part of the bodies are buried in this mess, as I am one of them. It does go back to Rumsfeld and Cheney pushing George H.W. Bush to China and then they arranged for his post at the CIA where he had to help clean up the fall out from Cheney/Rumsfeld and the Ford-Nixon involvement in the human experiments using enlisted men at Edgewood Arsenal in chemical weapons and drugs like PCP, LSD and other such nice stuff, 254 substances in all.

Cheney had helped the CIA coverup the death of Frank Olson in New York in 1953, he worked for the CIA at Fort Detrick in the Special Operations Division (SOD) under Dr Sidney Gottlieb. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidney_Gottlieb let's just say he died in strange circumstances in November 1953, in 1975 the Ford Administration (Dick Cheney) arranged with then CIA Director William Colby a meeting with Mrs Olson and her sons, where he issued an apology by the Agency and a large sum of money was paid to the family 22 years after the death of Doctor Olson.

All the time this was ongoing the Department of the Army IG office had released this report on human experimentation which was controlled by Gottlieb and SOD at Edgewood Arsenal and it determined the CIA and the Army had been violating the Nuremberg Codes of 1947
http://www.nap.edu/books/030904832X/html/378.html this involved enlisted Army and Air Force soldiers from 1953 thru 1975. The Army Chief of Staff and the CIA Director William Colby fell on their swords for the Ford Administration and apologized to the public for their role in the human experiments.

What was not known at the time was the involvement of the German Doctors and Scientists snuck into the US by the Ghelen Organization and the OSS/CIA as later shown by Linda Hunt in a book titled Secret Agenda: Operation Paperclip, the same Germans who had worked with or for Dr Menegele and or Doctor Strughold had been put at Edgewood Arsenal to continue the experiments began at the camps of WW2 Germany. How would the American public felt about this less than 30 years after the trials at Nuremberg for this very same thing?

So as the Chief of Staff Dick Cheney got the heat off the of the White House since President Ford had inherited the program from President Nixon. Yet while Secretary of the Defense Donald Rumsfeld had been an active participant in the continuation of the human experiments of America's soldiers, first as the White House Chief of Staff for Ford, whom Cheney was the right hand man, thus elevating him to the spot when Ford nominated Rumsfeld for Secretary of Defense in 1975, which then again brought George H W Bush back into the US as the new CIA Director to replace the now disgraced and humiliated William Colby by the Olson and the human experiments and the violations of the Nuremberg Codes of 1947.

You will notice in all of this Donald Rumsfeld never apologized for the role DOD had played in the financing and protection of the secrecy of this program at the Army's chemical Arsenal at Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland a small very well protected piece of Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Rumsfeld just kept quiet while the mess blew over in Congress.

The Congressional investigations into this in 1975 and 1976 were extensive but somehow Rumsfeld avoided the finger being pointed at him. However he had sat on the Cabinet of Nixon as the head of the Office of Economic Opportunity, where he first met Dick Cheney whom he soon learned to admire his work ethic and standards and loyalty, so when Ford tapped him to be Chief of Staff in August 1974, he quickly brought Cheney into the West Wing with him. His work on the Olson settlement soon showed why he valued him....http://www.frankolsonproject.org/Articles/Steinberg-Cheney.pdf there are many points of Cheney's use to President Ford and Chief of Staff Rumsfeld in the Olson Family handling by the White House and CIA in 1975. Even copies of Memo's with Cheney's name and initials all over them.

They then had President Ford appoint George H.W. Bush to head the CIA where he had to help in the cover-up of the Olson mess and the use of soldiers in the human experiments and the continued cover-up of the Nazi doctors and scientists, who by the way have continued to be protected by the CIA until Senator Mike Dewine of Ohio forced CIA Director Porter Goss in Feb 2005 to open all the old OSS/CIA files pertaining to the Nazis by threatening to take him before an open Senate hearing and requesting the information publicly, the threat worked and the files were opened to the working group and all the information is due to be released in Feb 2007 http://www.historians.org/Perspectives/issues/2005/0504/0504nhc2.cfm last paragraph deals with it.

Why is this relevant to the issue's of today? Did we not just go to war with Saddam over the WMD issue and when that argument fell by the wayside, did not VP Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld go to the Saddam used weapons of mass destruction on his own people, the Kurds?

The problem I have with that argument coming from these two men, is I feel using chemical weapons and illegal drugs on your own soldiers to be a far more serious offense, especially since it was done knowingly violating the Nuremberg Codes of 1947, than to use chemical weapons provided by President Reagan's middle east envoy, none other than Donald Rumsfeld arranged for the sale of these materials in this now famous photo

http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB82/press.htm photo is dated 1983 the Kurds died in 1988

In my opinion the acts of Donald Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney are far more harmful to the United States of America, than anything Saddam Hussein has done to us. President Bush 41 knew containment of Saddam in the aftermath of the first Gulf war, was the best way to deal with Iraq, in the period following the first Gulf War, in which I served in the Army by the way.

Now why do the human experiments matter to Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld now three decades later and the relevance to today. The federal government despite the numerous investigations over the years, the VP Nelson Rockefeller Commission 1975, The Church Commission 1976, the National Academies of Science report Veterans at Risk 1993, and the Rockefeller Commission 1994 on human experimentation with a primary focus on radiation experiments, but the Edgewood experiements are again brought up in these hearings and investigations.

They the DOD and the Veterans Administration have never bothered to find these men used from 1955 thru 1975 to find out if they are healthy, except one badly put together health survey in 1985. They don't have a clue how they fared health wise, death rates, disabilities, nothing, out of sight out of mind, 7120 men as shown by the records.

It is not until after the first Gulf War and the destruction of the ammunition depot at Kamisayah, Iraq where the US Army destruction of Iraqi weapons released Sarin Gas, mustard agents, and other weapons into the desert winds to be spread all over the Arabian Peninsula. Now the US Government needs to learn how these exposures are going to effect the 500,000 US soldiers in the theater of operations. The only known group of men exposed to chemical weapons is the Edgewood Arsenal test veterans from 1955 thru 1975.

DOD awarded a contract to the Institute of Medicine to do the study in 1996, but they already know from previous health studies about chemical weapons that this study has to be carefully crafted on what to look for and what to ignore. S it took them until FY 2000 before the study was crafted and sent out. They hired a third party to gather the data a company called Roncha, Schnullman of New York, they rented an office in Silver Springs, Maryland to do the study gathering from the IRS, Social Security and the Veterans Administration, they sent me a letter to every rank I ever held in the Army E1, E2, E3, E4, E5 and E6 Staff Sergeant to my offical IRS record my PO Box in Augusta Georgia at the time.

It was a very extensive health study, it covered all the main body systems, pulmonary, gastrointestinal, cardiovasluar and the emphasis was on nuerological, the other questions were buried in "optional data" the focus was nuero symptoms. The trouble with this report it found medical problems no other chemical weapons study ever done before had found and there are not many of them here they are
Toxicity of the Organophosphate Chemical Warfare Agents GA, GB, and VX: Implic this was done by the US National Institutes of health in 1994 and then this one done by a German Doctor Karl Heinz Lohs in 1975 based on Wermacht soldiers of WW2 that worked with chemical weapons http://www.sipri.org/contents/cbwarfare/Publications/pdfs/cw-delayed.pdf if you are interested in Vietnam they have an interesting page about a defoliant used there on page 19, it woud be years before American scientists addressed Agent Orange.

Doctor Pages March 2003 IOM study is here, it is far more interesting in reading between the lines of what it doesn't say, than in what it does say, how ever you have to know what to look for. http://www.iom.edu/Object.File/Master/5/844/MilitaryMedicineSarin2003.pdf the study comes to two medical conclusions, a high rate of sleep disorders and 25 cases of brain tumors per 100,000 personnel (a fact no other study has ever found) it ignores all the known issues of the other two studies, pulmonary issues, cardiovascular and gastorinetstinal, why?

The facts from the Veteran Affairs web site show us there are 618,000 Gulf War era veterans drawing service connected compensation for medical problems that range all over the body, pulmonary, cardiovascular, gastorintestinal and nuerological as the NIH 1994 study and the 1975 SIPRI study show, which would explain the "undiagnosed illnesses" from Gulf War one.

The report states as facts that using the IRS, VA and Social Security data bases they could not find 2098 men aged 45 thru 65 in FY 2000, one can only presume they are deceased, men that age are either paying taxes or drawing government benefits, that is 40% of the 7120 men used.

Of the 4022 survivors they were able to find and get medical information from 54% of them or approximately 2200 men reported being disabled, yet the report never states what has caused the disabilities, why? If they connect the other main body systems to chemical weapon exposure does that make the federal government liable for nearly 618,000 totally disabled soldiers who they are now denying 100% bebefits to, and denying their families medical care and or college benefits?

The VA had a Doctor Susan Mathers testify to a congressional committee on March 10, 1993 that the VA would find the Edgewood Arsenal test veterans from WW2 and the Cold War and get them medical care and or compensation, it was never done. In October 2003 the VA Health Initiative released this manual co-written by Dr Susan Mathers about the human experiments from WW2 and the Cold War, they were already in possession of the March 2003 IOM report and the fact that 74.43% of the veterans were dead or disabled, yet the manual never mentioned it, why? http://www1.va.gov//vhi/docs/CBR_www.pdf

In April 2005 Congressmen Lane Evans and Ted Strickland now Governor elect of Ohio, sent VA Secretary James Nicholson a letter with the names and service numbers of the 7120 men of Edgewood Arsenal's chemical weapons and drug experiments and the names of the 2100 men used at Fort Detrick Maryland in the biological experiments asking him to use the VA's access to the IRS, VA and SS databases to find these veterans and or their widows to determine if they were entitled to benfits as a result of their use in the classified experiments during the Cold War, the letter was sent on April 28 2005 here is the link http://veterans.house.gov/democratic/officialcorr/4-28-05exposure.htm on October 5 2005 Secretary Nicholson sent this reply letter to them, he had found a way to help Donald Rumsfeld bury this information again, he sent it to the Pentagon and put it back under Rumsfelds control in the office of DHSD http://veterans.house.gov/democratic/officialcorr/pdf/10-5-05arsenal.pdf where in 2004 the DOD had already told the GAO in this report that they would not be able to find the men of Edgewood Arsenal until 2009 as shown on page 24 of 42 http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d04410.pdf

It would be very embarasing to Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney and President Bush to have to admit to the American public that they used and abused soldiers in illegal experiments in the 1970's, then have deliberately denied them and their widows their benefits while taking this nation to war over chemical weapons used by Saddam.

Of course Bush 41 hates Rumsfeld, look at the damn mess he has left Bush 43 in, if this becomes public information, Cheney and Rumsfeld should be charged for conspiracy and Nicholson also for denying veterans and widows their just due benefits. All to protect their own reputations.

I understand fully why Bush 43 dislikes Rumsfeld, what I don't understand is why he ever liked Cheney?

Mike Bailey a disabled Staff Sergeant test vet 6778A Edgewood Arsenal June 25 1974 thru August 22 1974

a picture of me at age 18 while doing an experiment at Edgewood http://www.thewhyfiles.net/images/edgewood03.jpg it was in the 1992 A&E documentary Badtrip to Edgewood http://www.propagandamatrix.com/multimedia/badtripto_edgewood.html

Then there is the issue of the soldiers used in the experiments

I have 4 years of government documents and research to back this up I will send you a copy of a letter to the VA Senate Committee next

Mr. Bailey:

Thanks for sending this. You have raised very serious and, I believe, very legitimate concerns. I have forwarded your email to the health policy staff on the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, as well as to an official within the VA, and have asked them to review it.

My hope is that others reading your email will take the issues you raised seriously and work to provide satisfactory answers.

Sincerely,

Jeff Schrade, Communications Director

U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs

Direct: 202-224-9093

http://veterans.senate.gov

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: TESTVET@aol.com [mailto:TESTVET@aol.com]
Sent: Wednesday, August 23, 2006 4:42 PM
To: Schrade, Jeff (Veterans Affairs); John.Conyers@mail.house.gov; len.sistek@mail.house.gov; piegan3@hur.midco.net; rweidman@vva.org; sharon.schultze@mail.house.gov; tomsegel@joimail.com; William.McLemore@mail.va.gov
Subject: the federal governments failure to honestly assess the health problems

of the veterans used at Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland and Fort Detrick, Maryland from 1952 thru 1975, in the chemical weapons and drug experiments primarily at Edgewood and the biological weapons experiments at Fort Detrick.

I realize I am beginning to sound like a broken record, yet after 31 years, nothing is being done to help these veterans or their widows, why?

About two weeks ago the Veterans Affairs Department released these two documents, filled with incorrect information why? http://www1.va.gov/vhapublications/ViewPublication.asp?pub_ID=1464 dated 14 August 2006 and http://www1.va.gov/EnvironAgents/docs/Fact_Sheet_Edgewood-aberdeen_Chemical_Agent_Experiments_Information_Paper.pdf Unknown release date.

No one has yet addressed the fact that the IOM has the names and addresses of the 7120 veterans used at Edgewood Arsenal, despite DOD's allegations they will be unable to find these veterans before 2009, Rick Erdtman 202-334-1925 of the IOM has stated that as soon as DOD authorizes him to release the data to the VA, he will do so, that he has been in possession of this data since FY2000, after the private contractor Ronca, Schullman etc. had contacted the veterans of Edgewood for the health study that the March 2003 IOM report http://www.iom.edu/CMS/3795/4913/5842.aspx . This report showed that 2098 of the veterans could not be found using IRS, VA and SS files, one can only assume they are deceased, men aged 45-65 years of age are either paying SS taxes, drawing SS or SSD checks or paying income taxes, or being seem at VA hospitals, they don't just disappear. That is 40% of the entire group of veterans used in the experiments.

The study also states in the fine print that of the 4022 surviving veterans that 54% of them are disabled, yet the study does not explain what caused these disabilities, again why?

The study seemed to have a very narrow focus, just Sarin exposures, yet mustard agents were released at Kamisayah Iraq in March 1991 also, why weren't these health effects studied? Why hasn't the government done more to study the long term health effects of the veterans used in the tests at Edgewood especially in lieu of the fact that this EPA report shows about 100 toxic chemicals found in the drinking water, ground water and soil of Edgewood Arsenal in 1978 and the EPA ordered the drinking water wells capped for the base and town of Edgewood, Maryland as the aquifer where they drew their water was also contaminated? http://cfpub1.epa.gov/supercpad/cursites/ccontinfo.cfm?id=0300421 the first four chemicals on the list show long term cardiac effects and I was so disgusted I quit looking at the CDC site http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/tp39-c2.pdf atsdr at CDC will show all the health effects of these toxic chemicals yet, DOD nor the Army ever contacted the veterans assigned to Edgewood Arsenal to warn them of the hazards of their exposures thru environmental causes, since this list became known to them in 1978, why?

When claims are made thru the Veterans Affairs claim process, they refuse to address the issue of the Edgewood experiments, when forced to they have lied to me, about me, denied I was ever there, then claimed I was taken ill and sent home before the tests ever began, yet I have the documents to prove I was there from 25 June 1974 thru 22 August 1974 when I was released from the test program. The government then claimed I was only used in a radio listening test, then this picture of me was found after that, and this does not look like a radio, does it?

In spite of the governments continued lack of honesty about the test program, the failure to properly handle the claims made thru the VA, myself and the other "test veterans" I am in contact with trust that one day our government will "find" us as they claim they are trying to do. I have the names and e mail addresses of 11 other veterans used at Edgewood, we all have the same problems, we are all disabled and the VA will not address our medical issues in the claims process.

We have tried to use, elected officials, the VA itself, the Army, everyone that we can think of, yet no one will deal openly and honestly with us about this problem, why?

We 7120 men were promised the "Soldier's Medal" for risking our health to tests the "gas masks and battlefield uniforms" of the future. The Army did not keep their promise of the medals, they awarded medals to DR Van Sim and DR Siddell, from DOD for using us in these experiments, they even named a learning center building in honor of DR Siddell at Aberdeen Proving Grounds in 2002 for his work, using us as human test subjects.

Yet, the soldiers who laid it on the line, were deprived even as much as an Army Commendation Medal, let alone the promised Soldier's Medal, now to be deprived of our veterans benefits, because of the failure of our VA system and DOD to properly handle this, it is becoming to hard to trust, that the government will ever help us let alone make right, the last 31 years of ignoring us and or our widows.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/8/6/102919/7467

Since Mike Barnicle and Chris Matthews were trying to figure out why Bush 41 does not get alone with Donald Rumsfeld, this MIGHT be part of it, it does have the possibility of leaving Junior left hanging in the wind for Cheney/Rumsfled's youthful indiscretions.

General Wesley Clark the right choice for 08

2006-11-22T14:24:00.000-08:00

I have been an ardent fan of General Wesley Clark since I first met him as a SSG at Fort Irwin Cailfornia when he was a Colonel, my admiration has only grown since those first days. I am proud to support him and urge him to annouce his intent to run as the next President for America, so we can back to being Americans, instead of Red or Blue Americans, we have spent the past 50+ years. trying to get rid of color barriers, Rove and the Neocons have spent the past 6 years recreating color barriers.

The General is the man that can lead us past this and back to world prominence.

Eric Muth, a 1958 Edgewood Veteran

2006-11-20T06:18:00.000-08:00

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=1347&dept_id=432990&newsid=17476068&PAG=461&rfi=9

Retired optician Eric Muth Considered a Military 'Hero'

MANNY STRUMPF, Correspondent November 16, 2006

To those who know Eric Muth and frequented his business, Park Lane Opticians in downtown Milford, he is a hard-working entrepreneur whose reputation extends from Broad Street throughout New Haven and Fairfield counties, the Naugatuck Valley and beyond.

Ophthalmologists throughout southern Connecticut frequently referred their patients to him for eyeglasses because of his honesty and professionalism.

However, few, if any, of Muth's customers and friends, or the physicians who referred patients to him, were ever aware of the physical sacrifices Muth made for this country during his military career in the late 1950s.

His pursuits following the military have been varied. In addition to owning and operating the successful optical business that he purchased in 1979 from his mentor and former employer, Ernest Smith, Muth wrote two textbooks that became standard texts in colleges and universities from coast to coast. He also contributed numerous articles to professional journals here and abroad.

When he retired and sold Park Lane Opticians in 2002, he donated his collection of close to 1,000 antique and rare eyeglasses - some of which had belonged to noted individuals and some that dated back to the 18th century -to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. and other museums in the United States and Europe.

As a businessman, Muth also was innovative. At one time there were three opticians in downtown Milford, but Muth eventually purchased a competitor's business on River Street, and the other closed after 17 years.

Putting himself at risk

Before the business world, military life absorbed Muth. His aforementioned sacrifices resulted from his volunteering to become a "victim" of government experiments on brainwashing techniques, both physical and chemical.

These experiments were authorized by the Department of Defense, orchestrated by Army Intelligence, funded by the CIA and conducted by the Army Chemical Corps, according to Muth. The programs and experiments were so risky that several of the 250 men who were test subjects died.

"I was one of the fortunate ones who was able to lead a normal life, raise normal children and enjoy my career and family, although I have permanent physical disabilities that are attributable to my military career," Muth said, though he declined to specify or elaborate on those disabilities.

Muth received an honorable discharge from the Army in 1959. The experiments were so secret, however, that it wasn't until the spring of 2004, some 45 years later, that a former high-ranking government official who participated in administration of these experiments acknowledged his contributions.

A commendation

Colonel Albert Dreisbach, director of medical research at the U.S. Army Chemical Warfare Laboratories in Maryland, wrote the following to then-Private Muth in June 1958:

"I wish to thank you and express my appreciation for your participation in the military volunteer research program conducted by this Directorate. You have successfully completed all phases of the experiments to which you subjected yourself. The results of these experiments were of a critical nature and highly important to this Directorate and to the Chemical Corps.

"You volunteered with the understanding that no consideration of any sort would be granted for this service. Your cooperativeness and performance of duties while acting as a subject are duly recognized and appreciated.

"You are hereby commended for exposing yourself to the experiments above and beyond the call of duty. Your performance and behavior are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service."

Forty years later, on July 2, 1998, the Rev. Albert Dreisbach Jr. of East Point, Ga., Col. Dreisbach's son, wrote to then-Sen. Max Cleland that "...years after my father's death, I learned that he had sought psychiatric counsel to deal with the internal conflict resulting from his oath as an officer to follow orders versus his previous oath as a doctor of medicine with regard to the research on human beings conducted at Edgewood under his command.

"As I began to recall some of our conversations after I had been discharged as an artillery officer in the Marine Corps and ordained as an Episcopal priest, I remember his discussing tests on a U.S. Army artillery battery at Fort Bragg, N.C., wherein LSD was introduced into the water supply of that unit to see what effect it might have on impairing the functional ability of those troops. He went on to say that he could not discuss same with me at the time because such information was then classified. The time period of this discussion was in the early '60s when LSD was the drug choice of hippies.

"...Regretfully, through the years, I have learned that the government, which I was raised to respect, serve and defend, has not always been truthful in its dealings with its citizenry. While I understand and respect the need for secrecy in the interest of national security, I also have a personal and professional commitment to ethics and justice.

"It is my belief that Mr. Eric Muth as a volunteer put his life at risk above and beyond the call of duty and rightfully deserves both the recognition and medals of honor even some 40 years after his actual service. We both well know that 'Justice delayed is justice denied.'"

Several years later, on July 24, 2004, Dr. Arthur Caplan, chairman of the Department of Medical Ethics and director of the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center in Philadelphia, issued the following statement:

"I am writing to call attention to the heroic behavior and sacrifice made by Eric Muth of Milford, Conn., in service to this nation. He answered this nation's call by his participation in highly risky medical experiments at the Army Chemical Center in Edgewood, Md., in the late 1950s. I have no doubt he was motivated to participate in experiments by patriotism, his desire to help his fellow Americans and to benefit the common good.

"Department of Defense has done little to recognize those who gave much through their willing, voluntary participation in these dangerous experiments. This can be rectified. It would be fitting to acknowledge his participation and sacrifice through the awarding of the appropriate medal, commendation or award. ... This would help bring closure to this era of medical experimentation during the time when this nation was engaged in a life-or-death Cold War struggle.

"It is my opinion that Mr. Muth's heroism is deserving of commendation and acknowledgement by his government and the armed forces that he so ably served. It is the kind of heroism that should be honored so that those who will be asked to serve this nation know what those who preceded them in service did. I am writing in the hope that justice can be done for Eric Muth."

Muth modestly confides that he eventually received nine awards from the military. The highest award was the Army Commendation Medal.

"I never said anything to anyone about my military career, since we were sworn to secrecy," Muth said.

To a question about his motivation for volunteering, Muth responded, "Weren't you 17 at one point in your life and willing to take risks and chances?"

Even now, almost a half-century after the secret experiments, Muth is reluctant to reveal much about what took place. A Government Accounting Office report in 1994, which the Mirror obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, acknowledges that during Word War II and the Cold War era, the Department of Defense and other national security agencies conducted or sponsored extensive radiological, chemical and biological research programs. Part of the report states:

"Precise information on the number of tests, experiments and participants is not available and the exact numbers may never be known. However, we have identified hundreds of...tests and experiments in which people were used as test subjects. These tests and experiments often involved hazardous substances such as radiation, blister and nerve agents, and biological agents...In some cases, basic safeguards to protect the people were either not in place or not followed."

(This reporter read the 1994 transcript that states further: "some tests and experiments were conducted in secret; others involved the use of people without their knowledge or consent or their full knowledge of the risks involved.")

The report continues, "The effects of the tests and experiments are often difficult to determine. Although some participants suffered immediate acute injuries and some died, in other cases adverse health problems were not discovered until many years later - often 20 to 30 years or longer."

Muth's role as a volunteer in these experiments is further documented by retired Army Col. Bernard G. Elfert, who now lives in Florida. He wrote in August 2004: "volunteer participants in the Edgewood Arsenal testing programs [which included Muth] deserve suitable recognition for their outstanding and exceptional service to programs then considered vital to the National Defense ...Justice demands suitable recognition for their acts of bravery. These men patriotically, admirably and courageously served this Nation in exceptional ways."

Immigrated as a child

Eric Muth was born in Munich to German parents. His parents divorced and his mother remarried an American GI from Bridgeport. They came to the U.S. in 1948 when he was 7 years old and settled in Bridgeport, where his stepfather owned a business.

Muth's brother still lives in Stratford, as does his 88-year-old mother.

Muth attended local schools but dropped out of high school when he was 17 to enlist in the Army. He was honorably discharged two years later and went to work as a civilian employee of the Department of Defense in 1960.

"I was assigned to the National Guard and wore a uniform," he said. "My first assignment was at the former NIKE Site on Eel's Hill off New Haven Avenue in Milford." When that site closed he transferred to nuclear Hercules missile site in Ansonia, and later to Texas.

After returning to Milford, he applied for jobs with the local fire and police department, and was offered a position as a dispatcher at fire headquarters on New Haven Avenue. A short time later he was offered a job with the police department and, while he held down the fire dispatcher's position he also became a supernumerary police officer.

"While working as a police officer, I became friendly with Ernest Smith, who had recently opened Park Lane Opticians on Broad Street," Muth recalled. "I guess he saw some potential in me and offered me a secure job as an apprentice with his store so that I could learn a trade. I apprenticed with Mr. Smith under the GI Bill, eventually went to work for him, and became a licensed optician in 1972 at age 32. I bought him out in 1979 and I owned and operated the optical business until my retirement in 2002."

Many benefits

Being an optician on Broad Street brought many benefits, such as meeting the woman who would become his wife.

"Rachel worked at another downtown store," he said. "We were married in 1971 and have two children."

Ernie Smith and Eric Muth got along well except on one occasion when they had a major disagreement.

"It was in the '60s and an eyeglass salesman came into the store to show me beautifully engraved, gold-filled frames in their original packaging. I saw an opportunity and placed a large order for them without telling Mr. Smith. Ernie was not happy with me but soon changed his mind when sales went through the roof."

The retired optician has many fond memories of downtown Milford.

"I received my high school equivalency certificate while in the Army and eventually earned bachelor's and graduate degrees while working at Park Lane," he said. "I thought I finally arrived, but there were still customers who would always ask for the 'older man'. I decided, therefore, that whenever someone asked me how old I was, I would say 57. They were always amazed at how young I looked.

"When I turned 57, on the other hand, my stock answer was that I was actually 35. No more amazement at how I looked," he chuckled.

His experiences and customers have left a permanent impression on him. "My eyes still glisten when I read obituaries of former clients," he said. "Moments of joy also include running into and chatting with old clients when I walk around town or go to the fitness center. I remember downtown Milford as few can.

"The Harrisons of the hardware store always came in to chat and, of course, the Park Lane Restaurant was owned by a dear couple, Jack and Betty Friedman. Jack's corned beef sandwiches and Betty's homemade rice pudding were the best. And there were many mom-and-pop stores where you could find most products you needed."

Downtown contributor

Muth also directly contributed to the excitement of downtown. On one occasion, he braved the ice under the bridge behind the former Capital Theatre on Daniel Street to pull two skaters out of the water.

"I recall cradling and calming one of the women with her head on my lap in the middle of Broad Street," he said. "As crowds gathered, someone shouted, 'Look at her ankle, she's got a compound fracture.' The only word that came to mind was 'idiot.'"

He subsequently was invited to Philadelphia to receive the Opticians Association of America Distinguished Member Award for his lifesaving effort. A young woman flung her arms around Muth and kissed him. "My wife was with me and I said to myself, 'Oh boy, am I in trouble now,'" he said.

Then he realized the young woman who had kissed him was thanking him for being her inspiration to become an optician, having read his articles in professional journals and magazines when she was a receptionist, and then reading his textbooks while she was training to become an optician.

There also have been sad moments, such as when a senior citizen left Park Lane Opticians, stopped for coffee at a downtown restaurant, then ventured toward the green, where she was run over and dragged under a vehicle. "Seeing her final winter breath exhaled was very sad," Muth recalled.

On another occasion a 21-year-old newlywed who worked at another downtown store mentioned to Muth that she recently had been diagnosed with a rare blood disease. Within a week she was dead.

There were more incidents that stuck in his mind. "As a parent, I was saddened to have to make a duplicate pair of glasses for the mother of a boy who was incarcerated in a state prison. On the other hand, it was gratifying to send a pair of glasses with the color changing lenses to a former Boy Scout from my troop who was serving in Vietnam.

"I was contacted on another occasion by a former Eagle Scout in Milford who had graduated from West Point and was serving at the American Embassy in Cairo," he related. "My son and I accepted his invitation to fly to Egypt, where the colonel thanked me for being his inspiration to join the Army. This was a humbling experience for me."

The retired optician and businessman is able to cite many other interesting experiences during his lengthy civilian career. "A local clergyman, for example, broke a lens in his glasses as he fell and died. I received an order to fabricate a lens for the wake but only had one identical lens in stock, and the law required heat-treating all lenses. This could have been risky since lenses could be ruined in the treating process. There was a momentary debate, but ethics prevailed."

Made a difference

Muth feels proud that he has come a long way from Munich where he was born, and survived the experiments he underwent as a young soldier.

"Milford has been good to me and I hope that I have demonstrated enough reciprocity to have made at least a small difference," he said.

In terms of making a difference, Eric Muth has contributed a great deal, not only to his hometown but also to his profession.

Muth has been a youth advisor, scoutmaster, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce Law and Safety Committee, a captain for the United Way, served the Red Cross, and was a member of the Lions and Rotary clubs.

He is a life member of the Society of the 3rd Infantry Division, American Legion Post 196 and Chapter 15 of the Disabled American Veterans. He was founder and chairman of the Korea-Vietnam Memorial Committee and an organizer of the World War II Monument Committee in Milford.

He finds time to volunteer at the Veterans Administration Hospital in West Haven, where he works one-to-one with hospitalized veterans. He also keeps in contact with other former GIs who underwent the same secret experiments that he did 50 years ago in Maryland.

Eric Muth, immigrant stepson of an American GI, a high school drop-out who gained success through hard work and entrepreneurship, and a strong contributor to his adopted community, claims he has much for which he is thankful and proud.

He is quick to point out, however, that his crowning achievements share a home in Morningside with him. He refers to Rachel, his wife of 35 years, his son Karl, who is a graduate student at Southern Connecticut State University and works part-time at Park Lane Opticians, and daughter Ellen, a professional actress who has appeared in several TV series and in films.

"Milford has been good to all of us, and I am grateful for the opportunity to call myself an American and a Milford resident," he said.

©Milford Mirror 2006

Published by Hometown Publications
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E-mail: milfordmirror@add-inc.com

Manchurian Veterans by Cdr. Jeff Huber USN Retired

2006-11-20T06:14:00.000-08:00

The Manchurian Veterans

by Jeff Huber
19 November 2006
Stories of American service members returning from the Middle East wars with physical and emotional scars have focused national attention on the plight of the country's combat veterans. But still overlooked are G.I.s who suffered severe damage from service to their country as human test experiments. The tale of the uniformed guinea pigs who participated in America's Cold War mind control program is, perhaps, one of the most disturbing chapters in the history of the country that became the world's "sole superpower."
The Mind Control Gap
The United States Army established its chemical experimentation facility at the Edgewood Arsenal in Maryland in 1917. But it wasn't until 1954 that Edgewood became a temporary duty station for G.I.s who volunteered to participate in Project MK-ULTRA and more than 150 other projects involved in the Central Intelligence Agency's mind control program.

In the early 1950s, reports of Chinese and Russian brainwashing techniques used on U.S. prisoners of war during the Korean Conflict had reached American intelligence operatives. In 1953, eager to close the perceived gap in mind control capabilities during the heart of the "red scare" era, then CIA director Allen Dulles launched a mind control program of his own.

To head the project, Dulles named Doctor Sidney Gottlieb, a shadowy figure whose personality reflected the bizarre and horrifying nature of the mind control program itself.
The Sorcerer
Born in 1918, Sidney Gottlieb was a clubfoot and a stutterer who earned a PhD in chemistry from the Chicago Institute of Technology. He became chief of the Central Intelligence Agency's experimental interrogation programs in 1953.
By some accounts, Gottlieb often took LSD, locking himself in his office and taking extensive notes of his psychedelic experiences. Gottlieb is also alleged to have been behind plots to disable or assassinate foreign heads of state, including Fidel Castro, by covertly exposing them to deadly or psychoactive drugs.
Much of what is "known" about MK-ULTRA is anecdotal. In 1972, Gottlieb destroyed most of his clinical records by order of Richard Nixon's CIA director Richard Helms. Before he died, Gottlieb testified before Congress that the CIA had administered LSD to at least 40 unwitting subjects who included prison inmates and brothel patrons. Other sources suggest that the real number of unwitting subjects was exponentially higher. Martin Lee and Bruce Shlain, authors of Acid Dreams: The CIA, LSD, and the Sixties Rebellion, state that CIA operatives tested LSD by agreeing among themselves to:
...slip LSD into each other's drinks. The target never knew when his turn would come, but as soon as the drug was ingested a ... colleague would tell him so he could make the necessary preparations (which usually meant taking the rest of the day off). Initially the leaders of MK-ULTRA restricted the surprise acid tests to [their own] members, but when this phase had run its course they started dosing other Agency personnel who had never tripped before. Nearly everyone was fair game, and surprise acid trips became something of an occupational hazard among CIA operatives.... The Office of Security felt that [MK-ULTRA] should have exercised better judgment in dealing with such a powerful and dangerous chemical. The straw that broke the camel's back came when a Security informant got wind of a plan by a few [MK-ULTRA] jokers to put LSD in the punch served at the annual CIA Christmas office party ... a Security memo writer... concluded indignantly and unequivocally that he did "not recommend testing in the Christmas punch bowls usually present at the Christmas office parties."Experiments with consenting subjects were, if anything, even more sadistic. One group of volunteers was given LSD for 77 consecutive days. Other volunteers were given LSD and locked in deprivation chambers. Some were recorded in therapy sessions while under the influence of LSD, then forced to listen to tape loops of their most degrading moments while confined in straight jackets and again dosed with the psychedelic drug.
Another reported experiment involved injecting subjects with barbiturates in one arm and amphetamines in another. That method was eventually discarded because it often killed the subjects.

To keep within the copyright laws I have cut the rest of the artilce, I encourage everyone to read it at E Pluribus Media linked below the color and the graphics are worth the click......

About the Author
Commander Jeff Huber, U.S. Navy (Retired) was operations officer of a naval air wing and an aircraft carrier, and he commanded an E-2C Hawkeye aircraft squadron. His satires and analyses of military and foreign policy affairs have appeared in Proceedings, The Navy, Jane's Fighting Ships, and other print periodicals. Some of his essays have been required student reading at the U.S. Naval War College, where he received a master's degree in national security studies in 1995. Jeff is a contributing editor with ePluribus Media and his commentaries on the current strategic situation are featured at Daily Kos, Booman Tribune, My Left Wing and Pen and Sword.
http://www.epluribusmedia.org/features/2006/20061115_manchurian_veterns_p1.html the graphics and the color make the article a better read here my eternal thanks to Jeff and the rest of the team members of E Pluribus Media for this

My VA Exam today

2006-10-30T07:47:00.000-08:00

After four years of dealing with the Veterans Affairs Department about my use in the "medical research unit" at Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland, known to most as operation MKULTRA, the government has finally acknowledged my use in this program and I was scheduled for a health exam at a nearby VA Hospital, when I went there three weeks ago with the letter the VA sent me from Washington DC on 27 Sep 2006, the people in the office that does special exams, said they had never heard of this program and they had to wait until DC told them how to handle it.

Yea right, it only took the government 31 years to acknowledge I had been used in these chemical weapons and drug experiments, and now they wanted me to wait for them to call me again, I didn't think so. I e mailed the individual who was involved in the notification process from the VA, and explained the situation to him, he said I would be contacted about an exam. True to his word, I received the letter from the Hospital about 4 days later scheduling the exam for Oct 30th at 1330 hours, Mr. David Abbott of the VA is the first man I have dealt with at the VA besides Admiral Cooper that has been truthful and honest in his dealings with me, that is a lot more than I can say about the VA Regional Office, in Columbia SC, lies, ignoring the facts, denial is a habitual problem with these people.

I am curious as to what the exam will entail, the letter did not adequately explain what today's special exam is about they noted it as being for Agent Orange. But I have the files about Edgewood, the pictures I have and the EPA superfund reports. Maybe this three decade ordeal will finally be dealt with to help my family deal with my multiple disablities caused we beleive by the many toxic exposures of the Edgewood experience, either by accindetal environmental exposure thru the water or soil of Edgewood or thru the test substances it should not matter to the government how I became disabled from it, just that I did.

In one way I know I am luckier than many of the "test vets" as of FY 2000 40% of them were presumed deceased, 2098 men that can't complain, about a failed follow up by our VA, at least I have that ability.

2006-10-29T13:04:00.000-08:00

Time for Change for veterans and Congress

2006-10-29T10:42:00.000-08:00

As a disabled veteran who is greatly affected by this administration's failure to properly fund VA health care and mental health programs for active duty troops and veterans, I urgently ask all my readers to help work for change in America

VA Update

2006-10-15T22:29:00.000-07:00

On 27 September 2006, the VA sent me a letter stating that DOD had notified them that I was one of the men used in the "medical research unit" at Edgewood Arsenal between 1955 thru 1975. I was supposed to take the letter to the nearest VA medical center for a exam, I did on 5 October 2006, of course the hospital staff knew nothing about the test protocols for the Edgewood veterans and told me they would contact me in the future when they learned of it. A week later I received a letter telling me to report on October 30th 2006 for an Agent Orange exam. This should be interesting.

Questions for Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and Nicholson

2006-07-02T04:50:00.000-07:00

http://www.politicalcortex.com/story/2006/7/1/12038/27575 From 1952 thru 1975 the United States used 7120 men in chemical weapons experiments using stuff like mustard agents, Sarin, other nerve agents, they also used some of the same veterans in drug tests at Edgewood Arsenal using LSD, PCP, etc in all 254 substances. Pages 20-23 show the Cold War tests http://www1.va.gov//vhi/doc s/CBR_www.pdf
This report published in March 2003 shows that 2098 of the men were dead in FY 2000 40%, and of the survivors 54% of them were disabled another 2200 men, for a total death and disability rate of 74.43%. The VA has failed to find these men and claim they can't "find" us until 2009, why? http://www.iom.edu//CMS/379 5/4913/5842.aspx
Questions I would ask the men involved, President Bush, VP Cheney, Sec Rumsfeld and Sec Nicholson of the VA. I really would like to hear the answers, so would the other 9000 plus veterans and widows............
1. President Bush, why did we have to go to war with Saddam because he used chemical weapons on the Kurds, your Vice President and Secretary of Defense used Chemical Weapons on America's enlisted Army soldiers in 1974 and 1975, what makes Saddam's crimes worse than theirs? http://www.nap.edu//books/0 30904832X/html/378.html
1975 DA IG Report on Human Experimentation that was ended in 1975 while Rumsfeld was Secretary of Defense and Cheney was Chief of Staff for President Gerald Ford, they both were among the men who approved of the program continuing after they inherited it from Nixon.
2. Secretary Rumsfeld you paid the IOM almost one million dollars for a Institutue of Medicine Report on sarin exposure that was published in March 2003, that did not reach any of the same conclusions that the only two previous studies on Chemical weapons exposure had shown, Cardiac, pulmonary, gastrointestinal and nuerological long term medical problems. Was is because the contract was so strictly worded that the researchers were prevented from examining the previous works, or were they intentionally kept away from cardiac, pulmonary and gastrointestinal problems? http://www.ehponline.org//m embers/1994/102-1/munro-ful l.html Jan 1994 National Institute of Health and the 1975 http://www.sipri.org//conte nts/cbwarfare/Publications/ pdfs/cw-delayed.pdf
Since most of the symptoms of Gulf War Illness are known medical problems caused by exposure to chemical weapons was a preordained determination wanted from the IOM and Doctor William Page?
3. Secretary Rumsfeld since the IOM has had the names and addresses of the 7120 men of the Edgewood Arsenal tests since FY 2000 when they gathered the data, and tracked the men or their widows down across the nation, why can't DOD identify these men to the VA before 2009?
In 2004 DOD personnel told GAO interviewers that they would not be able to identify the men of Edgewood Arsenal Cold War tests or the Fort Detrick Biological Weapons tests, yet DOD paid the IOM to find them, was it the fact that 40% of the men were prematurely dead and of the 4022 survivors, the report showed that 54% or another 2200 men were disabled, did the fact that 74.43% of the men were dead or disabled inspire you to not "find" the men, as quickly as possible?
4. Vice President Cheney and Secretary Rumsfeld, you allowed violations of the Nuremberg Codes of 1947, by allowing researchers to use chemical weapons and illicit drugs on America's Soldier's, don't you two find it hypocritical to demand the death sentence for Saddam, while you two are guilty of the same type actions. He was fighting with the Kurds, what had America's servicemen done to warrant, being exposed to chemical weapons and LSD, PCP and other substances, 254 in all?
5, Secretary R. James Nicholson, Sir, why when Congressmen Lane Evans and Ted Strickland send you a letter that contained the names of the 2300 men of Fort Detrick tests and the names of the 7120 men of the Edgewood tests, on April 28,2005. Did you decline to use the VA's access to IRS, VA and Social Security records to find these 10,000 men or their widows? Why did you find it necessary to send the names to DOD in October 5, 2005 as these 2 letters show? http://veterans.house.gov// democratic/officialcorr/4-2 8-05exposure.htm and http://veterans.house.gov// democratic/officialcorr/pdf /10-5-05arsenal.pdf
5. Secretary Nicholson your VA published a manual in October 2003 that shows that there are no KNOWN tests for exposures to chemical weapons or pesticides for months ago let alone decades ago, yet on April 3 2006, your spokesman Mr Pamperin was quoted in a newspaper article found here http://www.vawatchdog.org// old%20newsflashes%20APR%200 6/newsflash04-03-2006-8.htm stating that the VA did NOT think anyone was hurt but if they were, they would have to go to hospitals and have tests run to see if they were exposed to anything, how can they be tested for exposures when there are no known tests? pages 33 and 39 of the manual plainly states this to be the case http://www1.va.gov//vhi/doc s/CBR_www.pdf , I am glad he is not paid to guess your budget, no one hurt, 75% dead or disabled, man is he a bad estimator.Why did the VA fail to help these veterans as their reason for existence requires? Political decision or bad management?
6. Why can no one from the White House, DOD or the VA call Rick Erdtman of the IOM who has the names and addresses of the 7120 men of EDgewood Arsenal tests at least, call him at 202-334-1925 and authorize him to release this information to the veterans administration so these widows and disabled veterans obtain their justly deserved benefits after waiting for 31 - 50 plus years?

House Progress

2006-06-28T05:35:00.000-07:00

My exceptional wife Dori and her work crew, our daughter Michelle and Dori's friend Pat, spent the week ripping down wallpaper in all of the rooms and repainting the walls and ceilings before the crews arrived to lay the new hardwood fllors, carpet and linoleum. The before and after pictures really tell the tale, it is a night and day difference. The floor guys did manage to pizz me off before it was over, they did an excellent job of laying the wood, it's bueatiful and I do give them credit for the quality of their work, what gave me heartburn was the fact, they "forgot" to re-hang the french doors on the living room. So when I asked them to put them back, they would not open and close properly due to the difference in the height of the old carpet and new wood floor, he looks at me and says you need to get someone to shave the doors. Then they wanted me to give them a check for their work I told them I paid the floor center and they would get paid by them. Then they attempted to take the 4 left over boxes of flooring, I asked them what they were doing, and I was told that was "extra" and they were taking it back to the store. No, you are leaving it right there in the garage, I know that they brought 10% extra wood as it was required and I had to pay for it before they even left the showroom with it, so it was mine. The older guy told the middle aged guy to put it back which made him mad, but I will be damned if I am paying for Julio to re-sell my flooring and make another 5-800 dollars off of me. 4153 dollars for 2 days work, and I want President Bush to tell me again how the immigrant workers are only taking jobs most Americans won't do, I don't know many Americans that make 2075 dollars a day. Even divided by the 3 men it averages almost 700 a day each, although I seriously doubt they were paying the "gofer" that much. Any way the carpet guys are next lol, I wonder what games they will try and play? Cynical bastard ain't I?

I will be AWOL for a few weeks

2006-06-17T10:11:00.000-07:00

We are closing on the new home on Monday the 19th at 3pm, and I have the C&P exam for my heart on the 19th also at 0800 hours so Monday is a big day for me. My regular readers know how much I enjoy C&P exams, just as much as a trip to the proctocoligist. But by 4 pm we will have our retirement home in our possession and will be busy getting moved in, since you all know Dori, won't let me do anything, my job will be to sit in the hot tub and stay the hell out of the way. But until they get the new carpets in I won't have internet to update anything so it could be a few days and it might be a few weeks. We have a lot of stuff to do, new hardwood floors in the bedrooms, living room and dining room, new linoelium in the kitchen and laundry room. I will wait patiently (yea right) I have the patience of an elelphant wanting dinner now. lol

Sacrifice by Lt Col, Fred Seamon (ret)

2006-06-07T09:17:00.000-07:00

SacrificeMay 28th, 2006 -- Lt. Col. Fred Seamon (ret.)
I have an established Memorial Day ritual that I have followed since moving to the California Coast more than a decade ago. Each Memorial Day I slip away from family and friends for about an hour and head to the beach. There I find a quiet spot where I recall comrades who were killed in action in Vietnam while we were serving there in 1967-68.
This year I will continue my ritual, but I will also include in my thoughts our young men and women who have been wounded in Iraq. I have been preoccupied with them since last week when I was an organizer and participant in a local Armed Forces Day parade. This year we had special guests, seriously wounded young men and women undergoing rehabilitation at a nearby VA hospital.
After the parade, as I reflected on the time I spent with these typical young American servicemen and women and saw what they are going through, I became quite angry. One word, sacrifice, kept popping up in my mind. It seems to me that our military, including regulars, reservists and members of the National Guard, are the only Americans who have been called on to make sacrifices in what the Bush Administration calls the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT). And they are suffered inordinately because of the grossly incompetent manner in which the war has been conducted by civilian Bush appointees, who not only lack military experience, but avoided service during Vietnam, and have disdained the advice of our uniformed military leaders.
Since George W. Bush declared “Mission Accomplished” on May 1, 2003, we have suffered 2,323 killed (prior to that time only 137 were killed in action) and about 17,650 wounded. Would we have suffered these casualties had the Bush Administration taken the advice of our military leaders and attacked Iraq with sufficient troops to secure the peace according to plans drawn up by Central Command and the State Department, which it disdained?
Who else, aside from our men and women in uniform, has been called on to make wartime sacrifices? I can’t think of anyone. Our taxes haven’t been raised to pay for the war. Unlike World War II, there is no rationing. A draft has not been reinstituted to provide fresh manpower to the military.
Only our volunteer military forces that face frequent deployments to Iraq have been called on to make sacrifices. It is not uncommon to find soldiers returning for their third tour in Iraq in only the fourth year of the war. These deployments wreak havoc on military family life. The heavy demands of sustained ground combat are also depleting military manpower and equipment faster than they can be fully replenished and leave the military unprepared for either natural disasters or deployment elsewhere.
I am especially angered by Bush’s claims that he supports the troops. He initially failed to support them by sending them undermanned and ill-equipped to win the peace in Iraq. Now, in the name of deficit reduction, he is failing our wounded and veterans by asking them to make sacrifices for our country and then reneging on a commitment to provide them with lifelong healthcare.
In a war that the Congressional Budget Office projects to cost $691 billion ($811 billion including Afghanistan), the Bush Administration can’t seem to find the relatively small amount of money needed to support our disabled and aging veterans. It has consistently underfunded the VA healthcare system so that long-term care services have been cut back and the waiting time for care has become excessive for many veterans. It has recommended closing local clinics, introducing enrollment fees and co-payments, which particularly impact older, poorer vets, and will probably force many of them to drop out of the system. It attempted to redefine the American Psychological Association definition of PTSD and restructure veterans’ compensation to reduce growing healthcare costs. Only the strong opposition of veterans’ organizations and Democrats has prevented the Bush Administration from gutting the VA healthcare system
I could go on, but I think from the above that it is abundantly clear that our men and women in uniform and their families who are being asked to make exceptional sacrifices are not being supported by the Bush Administration.
So this Memorial Day, I ask you to remember the fallen and thank our men and women in uniform for their service by opposing the Bush Administration’s attempts to limit VA healthcare.

VA Data loss includes all active duty troops

2006-06-07T00:56:00.000-07:00

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/06/AR2006060601332.html as todays WAPO shows that the nations active duty military personnel's names and SSAN's were also in the database that has been stolen, why did that take another week to be announced? Why enter their names and numbers into the database at the time they enlist, they may get bad discharge papers and then they would not be eligible for veterans benefits, like I have said before there is more to this than what we the people are being told by this admninistration.

Nazi's still amongst us

2006-06-06T14:55:00.000-07:00

Appeals Court Revokes Ex-Nazi's U.S. CitzenshipMay 23, 2006 12:00 a.m. EST
Yvonne Lee - All Headline News Staff Reporter
Lansing, MI (AHN) - An ex-Nazi is denied U.S. citizenship after a federal appeals court decides there is enough evidence to prove he hid his past.
The Associated Press reports the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against Iwan Mandycz's efforts to retain his citizenship.
U.S. District Judge Paul Gadola had ruled last year that the 86-year-old Polish native was not eligible to immigrate to the U.S. in 1949.
The Justice Department accuses Mandycz of lying about his Nazi past in applications for displaced person status and American citizenship. He became a U.S. citizen in 1955 and has lived in Ohio since then.
He now faces deportation. Three judges on the 6th Circuit Court found enough evidence that Mandycz was an armed guard in 1943 at Poniatowa, a labor camp in Poland.
Jews were used as slave laborers there and then killed.
The court says, "In the face of considerable evidence that Mandycz was Guard 3308 and in the absence of competing evidence that he was not, we credit the district court's amply supported finding that that is who he was."
Defense lawyers argue that Mandycz has dementia and was unable to assist in his defense. They also contend there isn't ample evidence to prove he was a Nazi guard.

D Day and my Dad

2006-06-06T13:40:00.000-07:00

My step father Dale (No Middle Name NMN) Jennings and one of WW2's most famous days share it, it became Dale's birthday in 1908 when he was born in Missouri. I am sure he never imagined his birthday becoming such a day that would make him live to regret having to celebrate it.
Dale joined the Army Air Corps in 1942 like many other men of the time, their country needed them, Dale was a radio and telegrapher, he could send Morse code at a fast rate of speed. He found himself soon in England with a B-17 wing, they became famous because of the plane the Memphis Belle, but Dale remembered the other things that made them famous, the amount of bombers they lost over Germany during the bombing runs.

Dale would not talk about WW2 except on his birthday, normally Dale never touched alcohol before 3:00 PM as he called it "Tea Time" then he could put away scotch like Humphrey Bogart. June 6th was the exception, he started drinking as soon as he awoke, he hated June 6th, it would not let him forget, ever his bad memories of that War, and that says a lot, Dale served in Korea during the Korean War, he flew the Berlin Airlift, one of his greatest moments of pride, but June 6th just put him in a foul mood. He always took the day off from the Post Office where he worked as a clerk after retiring from the Air Force in 1963.
It was the only day of the year if you waited until about lunch time he would start answering questions about the war, I guess he had enough Scotch in him, he loved the Tuskeegee Airman, and that is saying a lot from a man born in 1908 Missouri, they begged for them to be the escorts planes for their bombing runs into Germany, why? They never lost a single plane to enemy fighters with the Tuskeegee Airmen providing cover. They each and everyone had Dale's highest regards.
Dale had a lot of friends thru out the Air Force, I learned how that network was used in February 1976, I was coming back from Korea on a mid tour leave of 30 days, I was hopping Air Force planes across the Pacific, it's free, just time consuming. I left South Korea and it was 10 below zero, I had my overcoat, long johns, etc., trying to keep warm, when we left Kadena AFB Japan, it was not much warmer, but when we landed at Clark AFB in Manila, PI, it was 70 degrees and humid at 3:00 am.
Most of us went into the air terminals bathroom and came out of the long johns and the overcoats were packed. When we were loaded back on the C-141 they had added some pallets in front of the seats, they were long aluminum boxes, there were two of them. A dependent went to set her purse on the top of them and the flight chief of the plane, loadmaster, the NCOIC, quickly grabbed it off of the box and handed it back to her and told her for the rest of the flight to not ever set anything back on top of the caskets again. My first experience with military caskets.
We arrived in Guam, and the free loaders like me that were flying Space A, which meant Available were told we were being bumped off the manifest for another flight crew going back to Norton AFB. I checked with American Airlines and they wanted 1200.00 dollars one way from Guam to LAX, I didn't have that kind of money. I called home, Mom told Dale what was going on and he said to call back in half an hour, he would put the Air Force Good old boys network to work.
When I called home, 30 minutes later Dale told me to go the the Base Escort Office which would be located in the air terminal. He gave me the Senior Sergeants name, but it slips me now, hey 32 years anyway guess what I got to sign for, remember those 2 caskets? Yup, I signed for them, they were priority so they left on a United Flight coming back from Thailand full of GI's and we went to Travis AFB, they were a rowdy group.
When we landed in Travis, a Colonel came on the plane and called out my name, they were expecting me, or let's say they were waiting for the caskets, I had never seen so many Generals in my life, Army, Air Force, Marine's Navy Admirals, it looked like a meeting of the Pentagon group on the West Coast. I had been traveling for 4 days in my Class A's and they were a mess, I had shaved on the plane, but I was a disagrace to the uniform. The Colonel quickly took the paperwork and signed for it, gave me a copy of the receipt, so I could prove I signed them over. He then had some Air Force people escort me into the terminal before the Generals all saw me.
I was there about 4 hours when a C 141 came in, sure enough it was the same one I got thrown off in Guam, I got back on and they were wondering how I beat them to Travis AFB, by the time we landed at Norton the morning papers were out and we all learned the truth, those 2 caskets were bodies that had been returned from Vietnam after the embassay had fallen, the Swiss had arranged the return of the remains, which explained all the Generals at Travis.
Dale was a good step father, he could say more just by talking to you without ever raising his voice, he was that kind of man, he taught my brothers and I many fine values. He was a man who coped with his PTSD very well, he was like most of the "Greatest Generation" they sucked it up and went on with life, they never talked about the war, unless you caught them at a weak moment, Dale tried to watch the movie "Memphis Belle" because he knew the crew in England he ripped the arms off his easy chair, during the first scene of flak during a bombing run over Germany, he was white as a sheet, he dropped the arms on the floor, stood up and walked out of the room, and it was never mentioned again. Tell me he did not have PTSD.
I felt sorry for him, that his birthday was one of the greatest days of death of WW2, and the memories it brought back to him, a day to celebrate became a day to mourn for him, and he truly was a great man, and all I can say is I wish more men had been like my step father who earned the name DAD, and if he had lived would be 98 today he died in 2000 at 92. With him a lot of history died.
After his death we cleaned out the desk, he had been awarded his Distinguished Flying Cross by Eisenhower in 1944 for landing a plane after the pilot and co-piloit had been killed, Dale was a radio operator, the plane it was said on the citation had 175 holes in it, he was credited with saving the life of the crew members. The only time I ever saw him cry was when we buried my mother and he learned at Riverside National Cemetary that they would inscribe all his medals above the Bronze stars for Valor into the headstone, his is quite full, his drawer was full of citations from WW2 and Korean War. I hope you and Mom are together in a better place and your eyesight came back. Dale I love you and Happy Birthday.

Say No Democrats or the Waste of Time Republicans

2006-06-05T16:55:00.000-07:00

They are leaving the average American voter with a bad taste in their mouths, long beofre the November 2006 mid-term elections. The Democrats do not feel compelled to produce a platform, their idea of a platform is watching the Republicans implode, from Jack Abramoff, Duke Cunningham, the extreme waste of time this week on a "anti-gay marriage bill" that has already been announced dead on arrival, so why do it? They are pandering to the extreme right who Dr Frist will need in 2008 in his quest for the Presidency, however even the conservatives know this is a waste of time and it is nothing but a desperate attempt to pander to them and it just disgusts them. The Congress has dug them a hole that not even a Ronald Reagan style Mea Culpa can save the Republican Party, their will be no falling of the "Berlin Wall" to save the Bush Presidency, he will rival the likes of Nixon, Grant, Coolidge and Hoover for the worst President ever.

VA Colonel lies to Congress

2006-06-04T15:56:00.000-07:00

Veteran Affairs Colonel Lied to the Senateby testvetSun Jun 04, 2006 at 01:51:41 PM EST
On May 28th 2006 Secretary Nicholson told the Senate Committee that the veterans data that was lost only was from veterans discharged after 1975 and veterans getting VA compensation.
He lied and here is the case to show it:
it is also posted on KOS and my website outsidethebeltway http://www.outsidethebeltway.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=45
Commentary :: ::
From this article we learn that on May 3rd 2006 the VA lost the data on 26.5 million veterans,
http://www.securitypronews.com/news/securitynews/spn-45-20060601FollowUpOnTheftofVAData.html
The VA declared it was the data on veterans who were discharged after 1975. Were they telling the truth?
"The data was stolen on May 3 and included names, Social Security numbers, date of birth and numerical disability ratings. No medical records or financial information had been compromised, Veterans Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson said.
At a press conference, neither Nicholson nor Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez would provide additional details about the theft. "We are working hard with local authorities and with the investigator general of the Veterans Administration to try to find out what has happened here," Gonzalez said. "For law enforcement purposes, it would be helpful not to get into specifics about what happened."
Under intense bipartisan fire from Capitol Hill, Veterans Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson said Wednesday he was outraged by his agency's decision to keep the theft of veterans' personal data quiet for two weeks."
The problem with this testimony to Congress on Wednesday May 28th Secretary Nicholson stated that the information was on veterans discharged after 1975. http://www.qgazette.com/news/2006/0531/Senior_page/009.html as shown in this quote from this article: "The 26.7 million veterans whose financial security may be compromised served in the armed forces from the mid-1970s and forward, Nicholson said.
In response to the data theft, which Crowley thinks may be the largest data theft affecting the federal government in history, he is a co-sponsor of a bill that would authorize the federal government to take a series of actions to protect the 26.7 million veterans."
However, this data from the 2000 U.S. Census shows that in 2000 that out of the 208.1 million Americans 18 or older, there was 26.4 million veterans, this is all veterans WW1, WW2, Korea, Vietnam and all veterans discharged since 1975.
http://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/c2kbr-22.pdf
This does not begin to be the testimony that the VA Colonel gave on May 28th 2006. I thought is was a crime to lie to Congress, what about lying to the American public? If he can't be trusted to tell us the truth about whose data was lost, why should we believe anything else he states?
Now we are hearing that 50,000 active duty Navy and Guard members data was also on the computer, why was active duty information on a VA database?
This also makes us question, exactly what project was this man working on that he felt the need to work on it at home, off the clock? At the Postal Service it was against the rules to work off the clock and you could be suspended, why would this government agency encourage it? Who was this man's boss and what was his function?
The White House 2005 Conference on Aging gave Mr. McLendon a special place on the President's web sites. The description below would indicate that Mr. McLendon is an "insider" neoconservative Republican who has climbed from agency to agency without any real expertise or accomplishment. He appears to be another "heckava job, Brownie" crony who was intimately involved in ways to "trim" rightful veterans' benefits.
Mr. McLendon is the founder of McLendon & Associates, a management consulting and public policy firm that provides a range of services to a diverse portfolio of state and local government, Federal agency, and private sector clients engaged in the health services, long term care, disability, aging and social service delivery, and information technology arenas. Mr. McLendon has also worked extensively in the international environment for the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, U.S. Agency for International Development, and the Department of Defense on a number of social service, pension and unemployment, resource and financial management, and strategic planning reform projects. Mr. McLendon has also served as a consultant and advisor for the National Academy of Public Administration, Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia, the Institute for Defense Analyses, and other organizations.
In December 2003, Mr. McLendon was appointed as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy in the Department of Veterans Affairs. In this position, Mr. McLendon exercises broad responsibilities including policy analysis of disability, long term care, the aging veteran population, and service delivery strategies.
Mr. McLendon was to be the featured VA speaker for Memorial Day in Wisconsin as announced on May 2, 2006. See: http://dva.state.wi.us/News_Releases/NA050206a.asp
A press release from Rep Steve Buyer (R-IN) gives even more insight into Mr. McLendon's VA concerns. See: http://veterans.house.gov/news/109/4-20-05e.html where the testimony was about "ways to achieve closer integration between the Department's VR&E program and the Department of Labor's Veterans Employment and Training Service". That translates into "vets get make-work jobs, not benefits."
Mr. McLendon's position in the VA "organization is found at http://www1.va.gov/op3/page.cfm?pg=10 and at http://www.gpoaccess.gov/plumbook/2004/p144-152_va.pdf.
A 2004 VA study in which Mr. McLendon was involved as a task force member was entitled "VA Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Task Force". Page 170 (numbered page 162) says it all: "Twenty-first Century views of disabilities have shifted from the negative aspects of disabilities to a focus on the abilities of persons with disabilities with a rapid return-to-work strategy" or more accurately "vets get make-work jobs, not benefits." See http://www1.va.gov/op3/docss/VRE_Report.pdf
A Google search of "Michael H. McLendon" shows that he is a charter sponsor of the Air Force Memorial Foundation with a rank of Lieuntenant Colonel. See: http://www.airforcememorial.org/ch_sponsors/index_results.asp?last_name=m . Members of his family may also be listed as sponsors.
Thanks to the Washington Post, (see: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/25/AR2006052501237.html ) we know the individual who had the hard drive stolen from his home with data about approximately 19 to 26 million veterans was a 60 year old GS-14 working as an IT specialist at VA. It is quite odd that McLendon was forced to resign before the IT specialist who had illegal possession of the data outside of the VA. Whoever heard of a 60 year old, GS-14 IT specialist? This GS-14 is probably playing some powerful cards on some powerful VA personalities.
my thank to Hugh Cox a veterans attorney and advocate who contributed this to the VA Watchdog.org.
So we had another political appointee at the VA, whose specialty it is to reduce costs, in otherwords find a way to reduce disabled veterans compensation payments, by creating them positions somewhere to make them employable, and with no guarantee the job would pay the equivalent of the VA compensation they would be losing by becoming employable under the proposed revamping. Nothing good comes out of sneaky stuff like this and the IOM PTSD review, and the Veterans Disability Reveiw Commission, all I see is a picture of the Republican agenda to reduce disabled veterans benefits, this during a time when they have us in a war of their making and choice. Tax cute for the ultra rich and compensation cuts for disabled veterans, Mr President your priorities are all wrong sir, and I hope the new Democratic Congress in 2007 stops all these fine plans you have crafting right now, you and your brain need to go back where you came from and take all of Turdblossoms friends with you.
PS Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out. Take the VA Colonel with you, he has no honor left like the rest of you, somehow when you get inside the Beltway, you lose all common sense._______

Free Speech, what's that?

2006-05-30T12:21:00.000-07:00

http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx? headline=Veterans+for+Peace+group+pulled+from+city+parade&articleId=1a6b 09d3-baff-4ce0-b9ad-a6eb1e838e92 Veterans for Peace group pulled from city parade By PAT GROSSMITH AND MARK HAYWARDUnion Leader StaffMANCHESTER – Members of Veterans for Peace yesterday were pulled out of the Memorial Day parade in Manchester and threatened with arrest for refusing to march without banners identifying themselves.They were later allowed to participate carrying their banners, one of which read, "Veterans for Peace Honor the Fallen."Melanie Martel, a Manchester resident, said she saw a police cruiser pull up with its lights on. She said the officer, identified as Sgt. Peter Bartlett, stood in front of the Veterans for Peace group and would not let them continue.For a few minutes, the parade behind the police officer stopped. Eventually, the officer forced the Veterans for Peace marchers to the west side of Elm Street, near the Brady Sullivan Tower. =Members of Vetrans For Peace, from left, James Romer, Joseph Turcotte, John Sanders and Will Thomas bring up the rear of Manchester's Memorial Day parade after being briefly denied entry into the parade over a sign they wanted to carry calling for troops to be brought home from Iraq and Afghanistan. (BOB LAPREE)"They were red-faced, screaming at each other," said Martel, a professor of general studies at the New Hampshire Technical Institute in Concord.Eventually, other people in red shirts came and talked to the police and Veterans for Peace, Martel said. Once the last marchers passed, the Veterans for Peace marchers fanned the banner across Elm Street and continued down the street, the police car following behind.Martel said her 10- and 13-year-old daughters were shocked."They thought it was something that would happen in Russia," she said. But one spectator shouted a compliment to the police officer."The people in the crowd were as polarized as the whole country," Martel said.Joseph Turcotte of Manchester, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who took part in the invasion of Iraq, was one of the Veterans for Peace members pulled out of the parade.He explained some of them were carrying protest signs that said, "Support the Troops, Bring Them Home."Turcotte said parade officials considered the signs politicial and inappropriate for the parade.Robert A. Howe, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served as one of the parade's coordinators, said he told Mike Lopez, master of ceremonies and an at-large alderman, and parade chairman Ronald Boisvert, about the protest signs.Howe said Lopez told Manchester Police Lt. Richard Valenti, who had Sgt. Bartlett talk to the peace veterans.Boisvert, when asked about the controversy, maintained the order came from Valenti. Both he and Lopez referred a reporter to Tony Karam, commander of the Manchester Veterans Council which sponsors the parade.Karam said protest signs are not allowed. Veterans for Peace, which has participated in the parade for several years, is aware of that rule, he said.Will Thomas of Auburn, a Cold War veteran and member of Veterans for Peace, said two years ago the group agreed not to march with protest signs. Last year, he said they did not bring protest signs.However, he said with polls showing 66 percent of the American people are against the war, some of the marchers brought signs stating, " Support the Troops, Bring them Home."Thomas said they agreed to put those signs away, but Bartlett insisted their Veterans for Peace banners were verboten as well."They actually threatened to arrest us," said Thomas, who last week was convicted of trespassing in Concord District Court for a peace protest sit-in at the office of Sen. Judd Gregg.Howe said it was all a misunderstanding. He said he talked with Bartlett, straightened out the situation and the small Veterans for Peace group, which included those who served during World War II as well as the Korean, Vietnam and Iraqi wars, was allowed back in.By then, however, they were at the tail end of the parade.They completed the march down Elm Street, from Webster Street to Veterans Park, and were met with sporadic applause.The desert camouflage Humvee and motor transport vehicle, however, were crowd pleasers and drew the loudest applause.

Request from a friend

2006-05-30T11:49:00.000-07:00

The VA is reporting a random act of stolen electronic information from 26.5 million veterans. The government is asking veterans [since 1975] to call 1-800-FED-INFO and listen to the instructions from the automated person. If you want to speak with a representative, then you can just hit "0".
Can you please post this information on both your blog and website?

WW1 Vet still lives at 110

2006-05-30T05:32:00.000-07:00

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/05/30/wwi_soldier_at_110_among_last_survivors_of_an_era/now this is a story worth reading, he served in France during WW1 and then served again in WW2, the things this man has seen many of us learned about in history class in the 50's and 60's and are not even taught any longer in elementary schools. True living history, talk about stamina.....SALUTE

from one of my fans lol

2006-05-29T18:48:00.000-07:00

FIRST OF ALL MIKE I ASK YOU THIS QUESTION! FROM YOUR ARTICLE ON FORSAKEN VETERANS, ARE YOU NOT ANY BETTER THAN THOSE SORRY ASS PUKES (CHENEY & RUMSFELD) WHEN ALL YOU WANT IS AN APOLOGY FROM THEIR LYING LIPS? I SHOULD THINK AS A DISABLED VETERAN WRONGED BY THESE PUKES YOU WOULD BE THE FIRST TO HAVE THEM PROSECUTED TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW, AS EVIDENCED BY THE NUREMBERG TRIALS. SECONDLY, I SHOULD THINK THAT YOU WOULD BE SCREAMING TO THE MASSES ABOUT THIS AS WELL AS WHAT HAS RECENTLY HAPPEND TO THE RECORDS OF 26 PLUS MILLIONS OF VETERANS!

JUST WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM WITH EXPOSING THESE ROTTEN NO GOOD SORRY SONS OF BITCHES? YOU KNOW AS WELL AS I, THAT IF THE FACTS WERE KNOWN AND THE SUPPORT OF EVERY VETERAN ABLED OR DISABLED, PUBLICALLY MASSED ON MEDIA, THAT THE PRESSURE WOULD FORCE THEM TO ADMIT, MUCH LESS GET THEM PROSECUTED AND PUT WHERE THEY BELONG IN LOCAL PRISONS, NOT COUNTRY CLUB GOLF COURSES AT EGLIN ETC.

DEMAND FINANCIAL COMPENSATION FROM THOSE SORRY ASS PUKES COLLECTIVELY, NOT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, AS THE GOVERNMENT IS BEYOND BEING BANKRUPT AT PRESENT, AND WIPE OUT THE OUT DATED MANUAL OR CODES.

WITH REGARDS TO THOSE SORRY ASS PUKES I AM TALKING ABOUT EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM GOING BACK AS FAR AS POSSIBLE LIKE IT WAS DONE IN THE NUREMBURG TRIALS, AND BET ME YOU WOULD SEE A GOVERNMENT TAKE REAL NOTICE NOT JUST SWEEPING THINGS OUT THE BACK DOOR, HOPING IT WILL BE BLOWN AWAY WITH THE NEXT WIND! AS YOU WELL KNOW THE LONGER YOU TAKE IN GETTING IT ROLLING THE LESS CHANCE YOU WILL HAVE OF SUCCEEDING IN THE END AS THEY WILL EITHER HAVED DIED OFF OR ESCAPED TO POINTS BEYOND PROSECUTION BOUNDRIES.

IN CONCLUSION I STRONGLY SUGGEST YOU GET OFF YOUR PITY ME TRIP AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, OTHERWISE, RESIGN YOURSELF TO LETTING THESE PUKES GET AWAY WITH MASS MURDER!

SINCERELY,

President Bush says more must die to honor those already killed WTF?

2006-05-29T13:54:00.000-07:00

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/29/AR2006052900409.html In a Memorial Day Address at Arlington National Cemetary the most revered burial place for service members President Bush said we needed to persevere in the war on terror to honor those laready killed. How does getting more killed honor those already dead, that logic makes no sense. It's time to admit PNAC made some bad estimates about the end result and withdraw our forces from Iraq, and let the chips fall where they may. We can not force our style of government on other nations, they have to want it to start with, this was a PNAC initiated war, urged by Chalabi and friends in DOD until he fell out of grace, when they learned all of his "reports" were bogus, from his "spies" so now the solution is to stay the course and watch more of this nation's children die for "what"? Mr Bush's place in history?

DU Killing our Soldiers?

2006-05-29T10:25:00.000-07:00

http://www.news-journalonline.com/special/uranium/Are U.S. soliders being killed by their own armor and weapons?
Dustin Brim went into the Army a healthy man. A year later, he returnedhome. His body was riddled with incurable cancer. Could his own weaponsand armor — made with a byproduct of enriched uranium — have been the cause please read the entire article and get educated about the effects of DU ask your elected officials to push for accountability on it's effects.

General Wesley Clark's Memorial Day Message

2006-05-29T06:17:00.000-07:00

Last week, I returned to Kosovo for the first time since I retired from military service.
For me, this trip was very personal. In 1999, I commanded the NATO forces that stopped the genocide against ethnic Albanians by Slobodan Milosevic and his Serbian forces. Now Kosovo is on the road to independence, a nation that respects the rights of all its citizens. It was so moving to return to Kosovo and meet thousands of people who had been liberated from Serbian oppression, hearing their stories and learning about their experiences. You can see some of the photos from my recent trip here.
This was an example of how we CAN do it right: diplomacy first, strong leadership, working with others, and using force only as a last resort. We had a plan for what to do after the operation before we began air strikes.
During the Kosovo War, we were fortunate not to lose a single American soldier in combat -- but in most military operations we aren't so lucky. We owe the men and women of our armed forces our deepest gratitude for their willingness to serve in harm's way, whether it's protecting Americans during natural disasters here at home or defending our country and defending freedom abroad.
Today across America, we take time to remember those who have given their lives defending the cause of freedom throughout our nation's history. This year, as our soldiers are serving with honor in Iraq, in Afghanistan, in the Balkans, and around the world, I hope you will join me in observing Memorial Day, whether it's attending an event in your local community or simply taking a personal moment to remember the men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country and to honor their families.
As this Memorial Day passes, I urge our leaders and all Americans to fully honor our troops and respect their sacrifice. That means ensuring our men and women in uniform are properly equipped, trained, and organized.
That means providing our troops and veterans the medical care they deserve, and providing Reservists and National Guard members health insurance for themselves and their families through TRICARE, the military's health care system, just as the active force does.
That means eliminating the "widow's tax," which penalizes the survivors of those killed in combat by reducing the benefits to which they are entitled.
Finally, as we embark upon our fourth year in Iraq and as the Bush Administration continues its heated rhetoric toward Iran, we owe it to all of our brave service men and women, their families, and to all Americans, to recommit to the principle that military force should only be used as the very, very last resort. Only when all diplomatic, economic, and political options have been exhausted should we send our military forces into battle.
After all, the greatest way to honor our men and women in uniform is to require their sacrifice the least.
Gert and I send you our very best wishes for a safe and happy Memorial Day.
Sincerely,
Wes Clark
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Wage peace not war

2006-05-29T05:33:00.000-07:00

These mist covered mountains Are a home now for me But my home is the lowlands And always will be Some day you'll return to Your valleys and your farms And you'll no longer burn To be brothers in arms
Through these fields of destruction Baptisms of fire I've watched all your suffering As the battles raged higher And though they did hurt me so bad In the fear and alarm
You did not desert me My brothers in arms
There's so many different worlds So many different suns And we have just one world But we live in different ones
Now the sun's gone to hell And the moon's riding high Let me bid you farewell Every man has to die But it's written in the starlight And every line on your palm We're fools to make war On our brothers in arms
Wage peace War is obsolete.

Missing Man Formation

2006-05-29T04:03:00.000-07:00

I posted this before last night. It's a published poem of mine. This time, it's just for you.
Missing Man Formation Near Punchbowl National Cemetery, Honolulu (Memorial Day, 1985)
I come into the kitchen, call the children to the sound: at first only a quickening at the temples, then the rumble of swift descent, invisible, like sudden spring thunder. The girls hurry toward the urgency in my voice. Two clutch fans of dealt cards, one pulls a brush half-caught through her tangled morning hair. We press together at the opened door;
nearby, the mynahs chatter fiercely--their rustling display and shrill pitch in vain competition with the four planes that appear now. They fly so low toward the crater we see numbers distinct on their wings, the pilots' faces obscured only by speed and the sky's glare. And the children, who have never left anyone behind, neither in their hearts nor the earth, are surprised when one jet hooks
upward to trace the long gray arc of disappearance. And in the seconds that the jet's firm grace takes itself from us, they are not astonished, as I am, that loss, at this distance, takes on such beauty.
It is never too late to be what you might have been...George Eliot
by begone on Mon May 29, 2006 at 03:33:28 AM PDT

Memorial Day letter from Congressman Walter B. Jones

2006-05-29T04:02:00.000-07:00

Dear Citizen:
As we each look back on the events and experiences in our lives, there are a handful of memories we cherish the most. As our nation looks forward to celebrating Memorial Day, I would like to share one of my most treasured experiences.
Like all members of Congress, I have visited wounded troops at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Bethesda Naval Hospital, and I have attended funerals of American military men and women who have lost their lives. It is a humbling experience to attend the funeral of a soldier who has given their life for this country, and equally humbling to talk to a soldier who has lost a leg.
One funeral in particular, a memorial ceremony in honor of Marine Sergeant Michael Bitz, is an experience I will remember for the rest of my life. Michael Bitz was a 31-year-old amphibian assault vehicle driver who was killed in Iraq in March 2003 while trying to evacuate wounded troops. It was an outside service held in my district on the grounds of Camp Lejeune, facing the banks of the New River.
I watched as Marines folded the flag that draped Michael's coffin, and presented it to his wife, Janina Bitz, who was seated next to me. When Janina stood and began reading from the last letter her husband sent her, it was obviously an emotional moment for everyone in attendance. This brave young Marine left behind a wife, a two-year-old son and a pair of newborn twins he never saw.
During the service, Michael's two-year-old son, Joshua, dropped a toy and a Marine gunny sergeant in dress uniform stooped to pick it up. As the Marine looked down and handed Joshua his toy, and the little boy looked up at him, it hit me - this child would never know his father.
That day was an awakening for me, as I realized the depth of the loss for families who have lost a loved one in the military. I was overwhelmed with appreciation.
As I drove 72 miles home to Farmville that day, I thought about what I just witnessed and began thinking of what God intended me to take from the experience. I felt that if everyone could see what I had seen, they couldn't help but view our brave military men and women with the same appreciation.
Shortly after Michael Bitz's funeral, I decided there was something I could do to show the families of our fallen troops that the gift of their loved one will never be forgotten. With the help of my staff, we began lining the hallway near my Capitol Hill office with posters bearing the "Faces of the Fallen" as a tribute to the troops who have given their lives in Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom.
Every day hundreds of visitors pass this display and many pause to look at the faces of the brave men and women who selflessly sacrificed their lives for our great nation and their fellow Americans. On more than one occasion, I have seen tears from visitors who are overcome with gratitude for the courage, bravery and dedication of these men and women who have died for their country.
To show my appreciation to these families in a more personal way, I have also felt called to write letters to the families of each U.S. soldier, sailor, and Marine killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. In these letters, I share a quote by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in a letter he sent to the family of a soldier killed in World War II: "He stands in the unbroken line of patriots who have dared to die, that freedom might live, and grow, and increase its blessings. Freedom lives, and through it, he lives - in a way that humbles the undertakings of most men."
These words are as fitting for today's heroes as they were for the heroes of yesterday.
Memorial Day is a day to reflect upon those who have given their lives in the past, as well as those in the present. This Memorial Day, I hope Americans will take time to remember and pay tribute to the men and women in uniform who have died serving their country. It is only because of their courage and their sacrifice that America is free.
May we never forget to say "Thank you."
Sincerely,Walter B. Jones

words from CW3

2006-05-28T06:03:00.000-07:00

I find it strange that the government now claims they are getting around to studying it again - will our new veterans have to wait for 30 some years before anyone decides that it actually does affect people and disable them? Will the claims be subjected to even more levels of scrutiny because all these vets are just frauds or malingering? If the VA cannot discourage enough veterans will they launch 3rd and 4th reviews to verify over and over what is already know to exist? Will the adjudication process simply wait until some sign of improvement is shown by the veteran to justify the extra low award that is given and state the veteran is expected to only get better?I really think the study is trying to simply determine which are the best drugs to apply in the "Medicate and Forget Them" policy that has be so consistently relied on in the past - That will also be the basis to announce that the veteran is now cured so there is no further need for disability payments - Any lie will work when the President's Prime Tax Cuts must be saved - :http://www.womensenews.org/article.cfm/dyn/aid/2755/context/archiveFemale Vets Come Home to Second War on TraumaRun Date: 05/28/06By Pamela BurkeWeNews correspondentMemorial Day offers time to remember U.S. casualties in Iraq and note that this war involves a historic number of women. Once home, many female survivors fight a second war against post-traumatic stress disorder. The VA is studying ways to help.SANTA CLARA, Calif. (WOMENSENEWS)--At a Rotary Club luncheon here recently, Major L. Tammy Duckworth showed a photo of the Black Hawk helicopter she was co-piloting in Iraq as an Army captain from the Illinois Army National Guard. Part of her mission on Nov. 12, 2004, was to drop candy and toys to children.An arrow pointed to the cockpit where she sat when the rocket-propelled grenade hit it and exploded.Duckworth woke up 10 days later at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., missing most of both legs, with a shattered right arm, limited movement in her left arm and hand."I was just in this despair when I thought I had crashed the helicopter," she said in an interview. "Later on, when I knew that we had been hit and that it wasn't a crash, I was relieved from the depression and all of the pain. I knew that I was fighting to do my job as a soldier and as a pilot until my last conscious breath."Duckworth, now running for an Illinois seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, is one of 11 female amputees to return from recent U.S. operations in Iraq and elsewhere.Women make up almost 15 percent of all active duty U. S. military personnel.Women are excluded by the Pentagon from front-line combat units, but improvised explosive devices, roadside bombs, and small arms fire have struck them and their vehicles from all sides.U.S. military action in Iraq has caused 2,460 U.S. military fatalities, according to Friday figures on Iraq Coalition Casualties, which operates a Web site that posts lists derived from deaths reported by the Department of Defense.That death toll includes 52 U.S. servicewomen who died in the Iraqi conflict, 34 by hostile fire. Seven more died as a result of operations in Afghanistan. One died on duty in Djibouti. These 60 deaths outnumber female fatalities in Korea, Viet Nam, and the first Iraq War combined.Wounded Women at Historic LevelThe numbers of wounded women and female amputees, meanwhile, are considerably less than their male counterparts--at least 378 wounded versus 17,490; 11 amputees versus over 400--but they are historic for modern day warfare.Many of the women wounded in the war undergo months of rehabilitation and face a second, psychological war. Also known as shell shock or combat fatigue, psychiatrists call it post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD.The Department of Veterans Affairs is currently spending $5 million for what it calls the largest clinical trial ever on psychotherapy for PTSD and the first to focus exclusively on female veterans with the disorder. Researchers recruited 284 women with current or past military experience and symptoms of the condition and tested two kinds of psychotherapy on them.A Pentagon study published in March on the mental health of soldiers returning from deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan found that more than one- third of U.S. soldiers received psychological counseling. A statistic buried in the study: 23.6 percent of women reported a mental health concern compared with 18.6 percent of men.Although strides are being made within the VA to treat PTSD, Duckworth says veterans and citizens must keep the pressure on."Parades are nice but if that person can't get help for her PTSD, you've not honored her sacrifice."One Woman Finds a Way to CopeAnn, a former supply sergeant in the National Guard, found a way to cope with her PTSD earlier this year. Although she's not ready for the public to know her real name, Ann believes in herself again after a long, uphill battle with the legacy of her time on the frontlines in Iraq.She told Women's eNews that she lived thru daily mortar attacks on her compound; duty at Abu Ghraib Prison when it was under constant fire; and the anxiety of avoiding roadside bombs while driving a five-ton truck to deliver food and equipment to troops in and outside Baghdad.She returned home in 2004 after a one-year tour of duty. The following year she was given an unexpected assignment. Her unit was sent to New Orleans, where, with no bullet-proof gear, she was threatened and shot at while patrolling streets."I had been struggling since I got back from the war," Ann remembers. "After the Katrina deployment, that tremendous fear for my life came back and it was the final straw."Following a lengthy and frustrating search for psychiatric help both in and outside of the VA, she finally was referred to the Women's Trauma Recovery Program in Menlo Park, Calif., a tiny, 60-day, 10-bed program hidden inside the VA's vast health care system.The program, which is included in the VA's Women's Mental Health Center and is part of the VA's National Center for PTSD, leads and explores cutting edge treatment for female veterans. It aims to boost women onto a recovery path and refer them to local healthcare providers to ensure continuity of treatment.Isolation on Home FrontTrauma survivors typically think that others can't possibly understand what they have experienced. They fear that if they share their deepest thoughts they will be rejected.Many veterans, especially those like Ann with children, survived in Iraq by blocking their feelings to get from day to day. Back in civilian life those defenses can cause them to suffer a sense of isolation from normal society. The recovery program addresses this by having patients relive their traumatic military experiences and discuss it with others trying to make the same transition. Vets who aren't ready to talk about their trauma concentrate on developing their interpersonal skills."These women are trying to reconcile the trauma they've seen in Iraq with our society which puts so much importance on where people get their hair cut," says Dr. Darrah Westrup, program director of the Women's Mental Health Center and the attending psychologist of the facility where Ann recovered. "They have been irrevocably changed and we have to help them believe that they still have a life here."As part of her recovery, Ann worked on a quilt. She stitched the phrase "Every day in every way I'm getting better" around a rainbow.She recently finished her treatment and is now one of almost 400 veterans from several wars to graduate from the Menlo Park program.She returned home to an office job with the military until she receives her discharge papers and to care for her two young children."It was hard on them for me to come to the center," she says. "I reminded them that it would make mommy better because I was sleeping 16-18 hours a day. I couldn't function. I thought it would be easier now that I'm home, but I'm taking it one day at a time."

Gulf War One statistics: troublesome

2006-05-25T15:30:00.000-07:00

http://www.gulfwarvets.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=10;t=000069;p=1#000000 the number shwon in this study has to make a sane person question if this many people can really all be "mentally" challenged or has the research data been manipulated to show no legitimate causes for all these real medical problems that are in the realm of know chemical weapons problems, cardiac, pulmonary, gastrointestinal and nuerological problems. There are two earlier health studies on chemical weapon exposures one bt eh National Institute of Health in January 1994 http://www.ehponline.org/members/1994/102-1/munro-full.html and then there is this German study based on WW2 Wermacht soldiers exposed to Sarin and Mustard agents during WW2 that were followed from 1945 thru 1975 by the German government http://www.sipri.org/contents/cbwarfare/Publications/pdfs/cw-delayed.pdf after seeing thse two reports I really have to question Doctor William Pages March 2003 IOM report that DOD commissioned to rebut claims that the Sarin and mustard agent exposures at Kamisayah in March 1991 has caused many of the GWS medical problems.

VA Colonel proclaims "Mad as Hell"

2006-05-25T11:16:00.000-07:00

Veterans Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson said Thursday he is striving to find out why it took his agency two weeks to reveal the theft of personal data from 26.5 million veterans, telling Congress he is "mad as hell" that he wasn't told right away http://www.forbes.com/home/feeds/ap/2006/05/25/ap2773085.html I am glad he is mad, but what is he going to do to FIX IT? As he was testifying we got another W moment in time, along the lnes of " A heck of a job Brownie" Tony Snow was telling the media that the President has full faith and confidence in Secretary Nicholson, I am glad he has, his data wasn't stolen as he was out before 1975, but my data as well as 26.5 million other veterans data is out there on the market so to speak, like a time bob just waiting to go off, and instead of offering us what companies do in data thefts, free credit checks, monitoring services etc, the VA wishes us luck that it won't be used against us, while protecting the employee who did this, they waited 19 days to even report it to the public and then have the nerve to state it was for "our" protection. The VA "Colonel" needs to be demoted, break his saber, rip the eagles off his uniform and throw his azz out the door. Does anyone in side the beltway have any "honor and dignity" left, is anyone responsible for anything, or is this the administration of "pass the buck" instead of "the buck stops here"?

Senate Democrats on VA committee's 2007 request

2006-05-24T12:01:00.000-07:00

March 2, 2006Views and Estimates Letter on the FY07 VA Budget Proposal - Signed by Ranking Member Akaka, Senator Jeffords, and the Democratic Members of the Senate Committee on Veterans' AffairsThe Honorable Judd GreggChairman The Honorable Kent ConradRanking Member Committee on the BudgetUnited States SenateWashington, DC 20510Dear Chairman Gregg and Senator Conrad: Pursuant to Section 301(d) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Democratic Members and Senator Jeffords of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs (hereinafter the “Undersigned Members”) hereby report to the Committee on the Budget their views and estimates on the fiscal year 2007 (hereinafter, "FY07") budget for Function 700 (Veterans' Benefits and Services) and for Function 500 (Education, Training, Employment, and Social Services) programs within the Committee’s jurisdiction. This letter responds to the Committee’s obligation to provide recommendations on veterans' programs within its jurisdiction, albeit from the perspective of the Undersigned Members. I. SUMMARYThe Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) requires, at a minimum, $3.45 billion in additional funding in FY07 to support its medical care operations. Our requested medical services increase is $1.49 billion over the Administration’s request. Once again, the Administration’s proposed budget includes a number of legislative proposals designed to generate additional savings and revenue. The Undersigned Members unanimously reject each of the legislative proposals – the increase in prescription drug copayments from $8 to $15 for “middle-income” veterans; the annual enrollment fee of $250 for “middle-income” veterans; and eliminating the practice of offsetting VA first-party copayment debts with collections from insurance companies.With respect to benefits, we disagree with the amount requested for staff at the Veterans Benefits Administration for compensation and pension, and at the Board of Veterans’ Appeals. We also recommend additional funding for the Department of Labor’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service. In addition, we believe it is time to provide non-service connected pension for Filipino veterans who served alongside American troops during World War II. The projections for discretionary account spending in the outyears are disturbing. The VA health care system would be decimated should the Administration’s budget for future years become a reality. It is our view that veterans, who have sacrificed for this country, are carrying a disproportionate share of the burden to balance the Federal budget. We believe that the Government can be fiscally responsible and reduce the Federal deficit and debt, and still fulfill our commitment to our Nation’s veterans. The cost of war must include the costs of caring for servicemembers when they return home.II. DISCRETIONARY ACCOUNT SPENDING A. Proposed Medical Services While we generally agree with the Administration on the level of funding required to support VA health care, we differ on the amount that needs to come from actual appropriated dollars, relative to the amount that can be garnered directly from veterans in the form of new fees and increased copayments, or “saved” by the use of less than concrete efficiencies.Prescription Drug Copayment Increase for Priority 7 and 8 Veterans: The Undersigned Members oppose the Administration’s increase to this copayment from $8 to $15, for a projected savings of $355 million from increased revenue and decreased enrollment of these categories of veterans. In large measure, Priority 7 and 8 veterans – earning as little as $26,902 – cannot afford to pay almost double for needed prescription drugs. $250 Enrollment Fee for Priority 7 and 8 Veterans: The Undersigned Members oppose the Administration’s new enrollment fee of $250, for a projected savings of $410 million from increased revenue and decreased enrollment of these categories of veterans. Again, this proposal is targeted at “middle-income” veterans, and we believe it is an unacceptable financing mechanism.Offset of First-Party Debt: The Undersigned Members of the Committee oppose a change in law which would eliminate the practice of offsetting or reducing VA first-party copayment debts with recoveries from insurance companies. Presumably, many of these veterans were drawn to VA because of low-cost prescription drugs. Yet, in most cases, acquiring these drugs requires visits to a specialty care provider. The vast majority of these veterans are elderly and on a fixed income. They are not "high-income" by any local economic standard but are certainly over the "means test" threshold. While the current primary care copayment of $15 is in line with most private insurance companies, VA's specialty care copayment is $50 per visit. The amount is high enough to be an instant disincentive to seeking medical care in VA. VA estimates this change would yield $31 million in increased collections.Efficiencies: The Administration is estimating cumulative efficiencies of $1.1 billion in FY07, which results in an additional $138 million in efficiencies for the medical services account. At the request of the Committee’s Ranking Member, the General Accounting Office performed an audit of VA’s management efficiency savings claimed for FYs03-06. GAO reported VA lacked a methodology for making these assumptions and found that the Department could not support its own estimates. VA has termed these efficiencies as “clinical” rather than “management” this year, but regardless of their classification, they should not be used to offset increased appropriations until such time as they are verifiable.1. Current Services (+$892 million)Payroll inflation, increases in the costs of goods, and other “uncontrollables” dictate funding increases of at least $892 million in FY07 simply to maintain the level of current services. VA’s medical care payroll costs will increase by $458 million in FY07 due to non-optional cost-of-living and within-grade salary and wage adjustments, as well as increases in government-paid Social Security, health insurance, retirement, and other benefits. The cost of inflation and rate changes for goods and services (including pharmaceuticals) dictates the need for an additional $434 million in funding in FY07.We are concerned that the Administration has not adequately budgeted for enough physicians and nurses to meet the increased demand for veterans seeking VA medical care in FY07. The number of physicians, Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses, Licensed Vocational Nurses, and Nursing Assistants in the Medical Services account has remained nearly flat since the FY05 budget submission. Although the FY07 budget shows a net increase of 100 Physicians (12,337 to12,437), there has been no increase in the number of Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses, Licensed Vocational Nurses, and Nursing Assistants. VA should make the establishment of a national nurse staffing standard a high priority and budget funds accordingly to accelerate the completion.2. Rescinding the Ban on Priority 8 Veterans (+$706 million)VA has seen a substantial increase in enrollment, especially in the number of “middle- income” veterans – those whose financial means are above the HUD geographical low-income threshold for their respective counties. In January 2003, the Administration halted enrollment for Priority 8 veterans.The Administration’s request for FY07 assumes the enrollment ban on Priority 8 veterans will continue. The Undersigned Members estimate that new resources of $706 million are needed to restore access for these veterans. We believe veterans needing VA care should not be prohibited from enrolling in the system. Indeed, adequate appropriated funding should be provided to VA so that all veterans have access to VA services. Additionally, many of these veterans bring health care coverage with them and continue to pay copayments for care and drugs, so, in effect, they actually bring revenue into the system, offsetting the cost of their care. We can think of no other health care system which discourages insured patients from seeking care.The Undersigned Members believe it is important to note that this cost estimate would be reduced if the ban was actually rescinded, due to the fact that the Priority 8 veterans who would come into the system would bring their third-party insurance with them, in addition to paying copayments for their care and prescription drugs. Both of these factors would generate revenue that would offset VA’s obligations. 3. Demand Changes (+$1.726 billion)In large measure, we support the Administration’s estimated cost for demand and case mix changes for all veterans’ priorities ($1.495 billion). It is abundantly clear that veterans are relying heavily upon VA for pharmaceuticals. In addition, older veterans present for care with debilitating and chronic conditions requiring a higher – and more expensive – level of care. We would also like to address the issue of returning servicemembers, as we believe the Administration is once again underestimating demand. VA has estimated that any potential workload from OIF/OEF will be negligible relative to the overall number of new enrollees each year. Such veterans cost VA $232 million to treat in FY05, and ultimately required an increase of that same amount in FY06 for a total funding level of $464 million. We believe that VA should keep their level of funding for treating these veterans in FY07 consistent with the current fiscal year, as these returning servicemembers are entitled to a two-year "automatic" window of eligibility for VA care upon their separation from service (Public Law 105-368). As such, we recommend a total funding level of $696 million for treating OIF/OEF veterans under current law, for an increase of $231.7 million over FY06.4. New Initiatives (+$123 million)The Undersigned Members of the Committee accept the Administration’s proposed new initiatives. While we support each of these initiatives, we believe that more can and should be done – especially in the areas of readjustment counseling and rehabilitative care. The first is critically important for returning OIF/OEF servicemembers; the second is a lifeline for veterans of all ages.Vet Centers. As the War on Terrorism continues, the number of veterans seeking readjustment counseling and related mental health services through Vet Centers will continue to grow. Experts predict that as many as 30 percent of those returning servicemembers may need some kind of mental health treatment – from basic readjustment counseling to care for debilitating PTSD. Furthermore, a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that 35 percent of Iraq veterans received mental health care during their first year home. Despite increases in the number of veterans coming for care to Vet Centers, the budget for the program has remained relatively stagnant. We note that legislation to authorize $180 million in funding for Vet Centers passed the full Senate last December. We therefore recommend that Vet Centers receive a funding increase of $81 million above FY06 to meet that end.Rehabilitation. The Administration is projecting a decrease in the average daily census for its residential rehabilitation care program. We believe that the rate of spending for this account should maintain the same rate of growth as in previous years. Rehabilitative care programs offer a full range of rehabilitation services in a supportive environment, with minimal medical care. We recommend an increase of $42 million for this program.Our overall views on medical spending are summarized in the chart below:Current Services$458 million -Salary and wage adjustments and increases in benefits$434 million - Inflation and rate changes for goods and services$892 million - Subtotal Current Services $706 million - Restoring Enrollment to Priority 8 Veterans Demand$1.495 billion - Administration’s Estimate for Demand$231 million - OEF/OIF Workload$1.726 billion - Subtotal Demand New Initiatives$81 million - Vet Centers (Readjustment Counseling)$42 million - Rehabilitative Care$123 million - Subtotal New Initiatives $3.45 billion -Total New Funding Needed for FY07 B. Proposed Discretionary Spending for FY08-FY11The Administration’s proposed budget for discretionary spending in the near term lays out a financial path which would devastate VA health care. The cuts over five years would total $10.3 billion, including $789 million in FY08; $2.33 billion in FY09; $4.033 billion in FY10; and $4.94 billion in FY11.We are fully cognizant that the proposed budget contains assumptions about future years. Nevertheless, we view the current strategy as one which gives in the first year and cuts heavily thereafter. Veterans groups know and understand that a frozen appropriation coupled with cuts in other programs will translate into a reduction of services and benefits. Any budget resolution must reverse these cuts in the future years.C. Medical and Prosthetic ResearchThe Administration's proposed FY07 budget for the direct costs of VA research is $399 million, representing a $13 million cut from the current year level of $412 million. This sum is insufficient to sustain current research initiatives or to provide the program growth necessary to attract and retain quality clinical staff; rather, it would result in the direct loss of 96 projects and 286 FTE. We believe that an additional $35.7 million to the Administration’s proposal is required to sustain the current VA research and development program commitments and cover inflationary cost increases associated with these commitments. This will ensure that VA is able to continue addressing the special needs of our country’s veterans, and enable VA to continue to recruit and retain the highest quality physicians. Therefore, we recommend a total funding level of at least $434.7 million to maintain current services and avoid any personnel or project cuts. D. Grants for State Extended Care Facilities (SECF)The Administration is proposing a funding level of $85 million in FY07 for the SECF Grant program, the exact same amount that VA estimates it will spend on the program in the current fiscal year. The Undersigned Members believe that this program should receive a slightly higher level of funding, as it is a cost-effective and successful long-term care program.SECF’s provide long-term care services to over 27,000 veterans in 119 locations across 47 States and Puerto Rico. Construction matching grants are awarded both for new construction in States with the highest needs as defined by P.L. 106-117, and for repair, renovation, or expansion of existing State Homes. Federal construction grants fund up to 65% of the cost of construction, with States contributing at least 35% of the total cost. In FY06, the Administration proposed zeroing-out the funding for the construction grant program from $104.3 million in FY05. Congress rejected this proposal, although the final appropriation level was reduced by $19.3 million to $85 million. With construction costs rising, and at least $237 million in pending SECF construction grant requests already approved by States, the Undersigned Members recommend that FY07 funding for SECF Construction Grants be increased from the FY05 baseline to account for inflation costs (current annual CPI index of 4%, accounting for $4.2 million of the increase), then by $19.3 million to restore the cut in FY06; for a total FY07 funding request of $127.8 million. This amounts to a net $23.8 million increase above the Administration's FY07 request of $85 million.E. Compensation and Pension ServiceVA anticipates an end-of-fiscal year 2007 pending workload of 396,834 receipts. Despite this projected inventory, the Administration’s budget would cut direct compensation staff by 149. We do not believe that VA can manage this increased workload without additional staff.VA has stated that caseload from the Vietnam and Gulf War eras is increasing rapidly and that this trend is expected to continue through the budget year. Additionally, the best indicator of new claims activity is the size of the active duty force. Over 616,000 veterans of the Gulf War era are in receipt of benefits from VA. More than one million servicemembers have deployed in support of Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom. Therefore, we can expect a large number of new claims as a result of these ongoing conflicts. These new veterans deserve to have their claims rated timely and accurately. We recommend an additional 200 FTE for direct compensation work. This number would help to reduce the expected end-of-fiscal year 2007 backlog. We ask for an additional $17.1 million to accomplish this goal.F. Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment We support the provision in the budget that increases staffing by 130 FTE over the FY 2006 level for VR&E to fully implement the Employment Coordinator position for the Job Resource Labs. The additional FTE will aid in the implementation of the Five-Track Employment Model, which was suggested in the Department’s April 2004 Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Task Force report.Additionally, VR&E’s workload is expected to increase 2.5 percent in 2007 as a result of the VBA-wide effort to increase outreach activities to separating servicemembers. VR&E expects more veterans to utilize their services as the number of wounded veterans from Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom increases. We will monitor staffing needs at VR&E to ensure that our disabled veterans are receiving the assistance necessary to enable them to become employable and maintain that employment, or achieve, to the maximum extent practicable, independent living. G. InsuranceVA’s insurance division is continually recognized for its excellent, professional service provided to veterans, active duty servicemembers, and their beneficiaries. We support the Administration’s request for this division.H. Housing Housing is one of the best-run VA divisions. VA helps veterans and active duty personnel purchase and retain homes in recognition of their service. However, we take note of the decrease of 17 FTE and will monitor whether Housing is able to continue its high standard of service given that VA expects more eligibles to take advantage of the loan guaranty as interest rates continue to rise. Additionally, VA anticipates defaults and foreclosures to increase consistent with the high volume of loans guaranteed in 2002 and 2003. We applaud VA’s efforts to assist veterans with foreclosure avoidance. We look forward to obtaining statistics on active duty military personnel and veterans who could not have purchased homes but for VA assistance.I. Board of Veterans’ AppealsThe Board of Veterans’ Appeals (BVA) is responsible for making final Departmental decisions on behalf of the Secretary for the thousands of claims for veterans’ benefits presented for appellate review. There is a glaring problem with BVA’s appeal resolution time despite its decrease from 622 days in 2005 to 600 days in 2006. The numbers are not expected to improve to the strategic target of 365 days (from receipt of the Notice of Disagreement to rendering of final decision) in the near future. While the Administration’s request of $55,309,000 would support 444 FTE, we recommend BVA be provided with 25 more employees at $2,875,000 above the Administration’s budget to reduce the backlog at BVA and decrease the average days pending.J. EducationWe support the Administration’s request of $90.1 million in discretionary funding for educational assistance administered by VA. The proposal calls for an increase of 46 FTE over the fiscal year 2006 level for a total of 930 FTE for fiscal year 2007. Education claims rose by 35 percent between fiscal year 2002 and 2004. We believe the additional FTE will increase the timeliness of education claims’ processing.K. Office of the Inspector GeneralThe work of the VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) has made significant contributions to management effectiveness throughout VA. Its independent oversight of VA’s programs and activities has resulted in a return on investment over the last three years of $128 for every $1 spent. Given the diverse and complex nature of VA’s significant and important mission, the VA could effectively utilize $10 million over the Administration’s request to improve service to our Nation’s veterans. We recommend that $4.3 million be used to support 20 additional FTE in the Fugitive Felon Program, and $5.7 million be utilized to support 51 FTE that would expand OIG oversight.In the Fugitive Felon Program to date, using about 17 FTE, the VA OIG identified $218.2 million in estimated erroneous payments, $237.3 million in estimated cost avoidance, and 1159 arrests– including 73 VA employees. We estimate that the additional $4.3 million and 20 FTE could result in cost avoidance reaching $209.6 million and 1100 arrests per year, as law enforcement agencies issue an estimated 2 million new felony warrants a year. These 51 FTE would support additional auditors, healthcare inspectors, and criminal investigators to focus on enhanced quality and safety of health care including issues of credentialing and privileging, identity theft to obtain medical care, and drug diversion; and systemic audits to improve financial management controls, information technology security, claims processing timeliness and accuracy, and procurement practices. L. Department of Labor, Veterans’ Employment and Training VA estimates that one in three homeless Americans has served their country in the Armed Services. Congress established the Homeless Veterans’ Reintegration Program (HVRP) in 1987 amid concerns that the number of homeless veterans has risen steadily since the Vietnam War. HVRP provides competitive grants to community-based organizations to offer outreach, job placement, and supportive services to homeless veterans. Homelessness presents a high barrier to employment, and homeless reintegration programs help break down that barrier with specialized support unavailable through other programs. HVRP also offers specialized support to compliment its employment services for many veterans who have been turned away from other programs because of substance abuse and post-traumatic stress disorder.The Department of Labor estimates that 16,250 homeless veterans will be served through HVRP at its fiscal year 2006 appropriated level of $21.78 million, nearly the same amount requested in the fiscal year 2007 request. This figure represents just 4 percent of the overall homeless veteran population, which VA estimates to be more than 400,000 over the course of a year. While the fiscal year 2006 appropriation was the most received by HVRP in any fiscal year, it funds the program at only 44 percent of the authorized level. An appropriation at the authorized level of $50 million would enable HVRP grantees to reach an estimated 36,820 homeless veterans. Therefore, we request an additional $28 million for HVRP. We additionally recognize that VETS would benefit from an additional $12 million for Veterans Workforce Investment Grants (VWIP) and the National Veterans’ Training Institute (NVTI). Give the unemployment rate for young veterans, VWIP should continue to expand its efforts to target recently separated veterans. Those involved in the delivery of services to veterans must be adequately trained. We expect that with additional funding, NVTI will develop new courses based on the Jobs for Veterans Act.III. MANDATORY ACCOUNT SPENDINGWe support the budget request of $42.1 billion for entitlement programs, and request an additional $106 million for non-service connected pension for Filipinos who served alongside U.S. servicemembers during World War II. This Administration’s requested increase in mandatory funds provides for a 2.6 percent cost of living adjustment in 2006. A 2.6 percent increase is the expected increase estimated in the Consumer Price Index and is the same increase expected for Social Security benefits. Other than the cost-of-living increase, there were no other legislative proposals for this mandatory account in the President’s budget. IV. CLOSINGWe thank the Budget Committee for its attention to the Undersigned Members’ views and estimates of the Administration’s fiscal year 2007 budget, and we look forward to working with the Committee in crafting a budget for VA that truly meets the needs of our nation’s veterans.

Staggering number of GW vets get compensation

2006-05-24T11:58:00.000-07:00

Additionally, the best indicator of new claims activity is the size of the active duty force. Over 616,000 veterans of the Gulf War era are in receipt of benefits from VA. More than one million servicemembers have deployed in support of Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom. Therefore, we can expect a large number of new claims as a result of these ongoing conflicts. These new veterans deserve to have their claims rated timely and accurately. We recommend an additional 200 FTE for direct compensation work. This number would help to reduce the expected end-of-fiscal year 2007 backlog. We ask for an additional $17.1 million to accomplish this goal.

Link to the Courant newspaper article

2006-05-24T07:23:00.000-07:00

http://www.courant.com/news/specials/hc-mental1a.artmay14,0,6150281.story This is one of the most comprehensive artcle seen on PTSD and the effects it is having during the current Global War of Terror or as W now tries to proclaim it WW3.

The recent VA debacle

2006-05-24T05:12:00.000-07:00

Hi - hope this will get passed up to my elected officials -I love this quote: http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,98337,00.html?ESRC=eb.nlAfter the incident, the employee promptly informed the VA, which did not tell FBI until late last week, according to two law enforcement officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to talk publicly about the investigation.Again this just shows the total disregard at all levels of rules and regulations routinely practiced by federal employees. Obviously something has got to start changing. Does anyone seriously expect us to accept statements that will not be owned up to? Now the media will probably have a field day creating more angst among the veterans.Another quote:"This is a scandal," said Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., in a briefing with reporters. "The information was kept from the American public. I would hope that the administration is figuring out a way to find out what happened and then find out some way to make sure that all these veterans are made whole."Here is a hint to " make sure that all these veterans are made whole. " Pass Mandatory Funding for veterans healthcare. At the very least schedule an up or down vote immediately in the US House and Senate or are the Republicans simply too cowardly to show their true levels of support? Demand that veterans can now at least be assured that there health care will be provided.Stop the piling on by muckrakers with their own agendas and the drooling dribble of various details - that will do no good for the victims of this crime - just fire the VA Colonel who failed to cover up this mess (thankfully) and hold the government accountable for all the problems (if any) that will be created later. Publish a report that identifies the scope of the damage and enact special penalties that can be applied to any future conviction if the victim is a veteran.

A Friends view on Attorneys for Veterans

2006-05-23T04:54:00.001-07:00

The expressed editorial opinion from the National Adjutant of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV), Mr. Arthur H. Wilson, is all well and good in so far as it highlights the issue underlying the claims process. The incredibly long amount of time that it takes for a claim to be processed within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). To quote from the article, " The real issues are the timeliness and accuracy of the decisions handed down by VA claims workers. " Yet this does not even begin to address the other issues that are so numerous that they are also staggering obstacles for a veteran to overcome. Yes, I realize that this may sound like a whacked out - unreasonable veteran simply howling at the moon. I am sure that many will try to discredit me (after all I am a VA mental case for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) rated at a hundred percent-total and permanent), and they will assail the points that I wish to put forward. Some may even go so far as to characterize this as an attack upon a national Veteran Service Organization (VSO) because they will misconstrue what I am trying to point out, and attempt to redefine my words to suit their own purpose. But I am willing to bet that there are a whole bunch of other veterans who actually have the same sentiments.I reiterate that I am not trying to attack any organization, but simply point out that there is a vast underlying discontent with a system that is so broken it should not be propped up with a few self serving remarks from a national level official of a veteran service organization that is existing only to serve its own interests despite any claims of altruism they may wish to profess. After all, why would a national service organization advocate a position that will ultimately restrict the options available to a veteran? And for the question as to why a veteran should pay for assistance, the answer is simple. He is already paying in so many unmeasured ways beyond reason in the incredible delays that are forced upon him. This mandatory waiting has become a routine factor in the claims process. Also I must question why Mr. Wilson is claiming that only " some attorneys advocate changing the system. " I would also require positive proof that attorneys are somehow cherry picking easy wins as implied in the statement that they " have the luxury of hand picking their clients. "This is especially so in light of his further statement as to the favorable percentage rates in performance of veteran service organizations when compared to lawyers. It could just as easily be stated that this result on the very face of it seems to indicate that attorneys may in fact be choosing to represent the more difficult cases. The veteran service offices clearly have the luxury of defining a loss as a lack of validity in the veteran's claim, and yet demand that the attorneys must now surpass some unspecified standard until now even unstated and that they be more successful. It is also unrealistic to expect that the probably inadequate statistics compiled to date will actually maintain any conclusions that may be based solely upon someone's conjecture. Not even the VA continues to keep statistical records on the numbers of claims that are denied as was reported in the VA Inspector General Report that was the smoke screen used to justify an unconscionable position that ALL claims for PTSD must now undergo an unscrupulous secondary review process before being granted. This was further described as a reasonable position because any claims that would result in a rating of 100 percent disability must also undergo a secondary inquisition. Therefore one injustice is cited as permission to commit another. Yet, the DAV does not stand up and adequately rail against this preposterous barrier to fairness in the claims process, nor has there been a continuous denunciation of those responsible for turning the " advocacy " process into one of a guaranteed adversarial contest.However, the DAV argument proffered by Mr. Wilson assumes that all veterans will actually have access to a qualified representative. This is a dubious assertion at best in light of recent reporting that the DAV just closed one office at a medical center in Texas. Why would any veterans service organization seek to limit the type and scope of representation that a veteran may choose from the myriad of possible selections? Does it not make more sense for an organization that is supposedly in existence to ensure that all veterans can obtain fair treatment from the government to celebrate anytime a veteran is successful in his claims regardless of the manner in which the individual was represented? Furthermore, if the DAV were to actually be a little more forward thinking on this issue, there are probably many attorneys who are at best reluctant to take on this type of claim, and would actually welcome someone's expertise in this field. If the DAV could then provide a type of para-legal service to those attorney offices at a rate of five or ten percent of the total fees collected, then the DAV could also have a wonderful new source of funding. Naturally, this would also mean that the claim must be won, and that the consequence would be the DAV is not paid if the veteran does not win. That extra bit of motivation (money) might even be a determining factor in raising the current DAV success levels that are claimed to be better than that of the average attorney practicing law.At any rate the real winner will still be the individual veteran. So again I ask why is a national veteran service organization opposed to permitting a veteran to simply exercise a freely made choice in selection of his advocate? Will we now see various national organizations make claims as to why people should join their crew simply because they have a higher rate of success in the claims process as compared to others? I happen to sense that there must be something drastically wrong in an organization that seems proud to report a record of less than a 20 percent success rate in the appeals process.Furthermore, the current DAV service officer in Sioux Falls, SD is apparently so universally disliked that few if any veterans will be happy with any results obtained. And also it must be pointed out that this NSO is virtually unassailable. If he simply decides that he does not like the veteran, then what controls are in place to stop him from simply screwing up the entire claim, and report that the veteran's case obviously has no merit. In short it is nothing more than this is what you get-if you don't like it, then lump it in with all of life's other dissapointments. At this point in dealing with the entire VA system, absolutely nothing would surprise me. There is no advocacy anywhere, just the lip service provided during the claims processing.

A Friends take on the Attorney Issue for Veterans

2006-05-23T04:54:00.000-07:00

Veterans Data stolen 26.5 Million

2006-05-22T10:32:00.000-07:00

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/05/22/vets.data.reut/ in a theft of all data for america's veterans names, SSAN etc a identitiy thiefs dream cache.....how long did it take this person to download this much data and why wasn't he caught doing it?

The Ins and Outs of PTSD

2006-05-22T07:03:00.000-07:00

http://www.gulfwarvets.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=20;t=000004;p=1#000001 This link is one of the most comprehensive listings of how to file a PTSD claim with the VA and with links and resources for treatment assistance for the problem

New Mexico Honors Vietnam Veterans

2006-05-21T02:55:00.000-07:00

http://www.gallupindependent.com/2006/may/052006vvmgr.html in a grand way the state of New Mexico has commemorated a new monumnet to the men of New Mexico that served this nation in Vietnam, when a picture becomes available I will get a link posted to it.

How Iowa deals with PTSD

2006-05-21T02:49:00.000-07:00

http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060521/NEWS11/605210341/1001/NEWS&lead=1 Many states could learn a lot about how to deal with combat veterans returning home from war, by watching how Iowa has dealt with it, you have to be pro-active, due to the warrior culture soldiers are not usually going to say Hey I have a problem, I need help, by the time that happens it is already to late, in my case it took 32 years and 4 marriages, I wish these programs had been around years ago, I might have enjoyed life more, read and learn. Please help them help you

Rep. Murtha and Haditha

2006-05-21T02:41:00.000-07:00

http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,97896,00.html?ESRC=eb.nlAnybody up for bets on this one?? Think back to My Lai and 1Lt Calley - - so who is the guy going to be that takes the fall on this one? Think Bush and Rumsfeld will actually let it go up the chain? Or will some 2LT be sacrificed as the scape goat for Bush's War Crimes ??Now don't get me wrong - this was in fact wrong - should be investigated - tried by court martial - and convictions to follow --- just like the CW3 who was convicted for the murder of his subject undergoing interrogation techniques - they will probably get a letter of reprimand - I guess that is probably fair because they were just following orders that included the demand that they show everyone who was the new sheriff in town.

Purple Hearts for PTSD ?

2006-05-21T02:38:00.000-07:00

http://members.aol.com/warlibrary/theheart.htmWar related PTSD is a psychological-rooted condition that may or may not manifest physical symptoms based on a singular or multiple incidents resulting from real, imagined, or combination of real and imagined memories that an individual claims or believes they are unable (or unwilling) to resolve unless perpetual therapeutic and/or financial assistance is provided them. However, regardless of any physical ailments or manifestations associated with war-related PTSD this psychologically based condition is neither a wound nor injury caused by enemy or friendly fire. PTSD is a negative by-product of a human memory phenomenon that occurs normally but can some times be attached by the individual to an unwanted memory or series of conscious or unconscious memories that if obsessed can lead to physical symptoms such as irritability, sleeplessness, bedwetting, aberrant, unsociable or anti-social behavior, etc. PTSD is strictly an individual condition that is not shared by everyone experiencing the same or similar wartime incidents. That is, if all members of a platoon are shot at the same time by an enemy they will all suffer gunshot wounds. But if all members of a platoon experience a psychologically upsetting situation not all will later claim symptoms typically diagnosed as PTSD. Lastly, the physical symptoms claimed by PTSD petitioners were never medically certified at the time the claimant asserts precipitated them. Both the Department of Defense (DOD) and Congress have relied on objective scientific studies to conclude that PTSD is neither an enemy or friendly fire inflicted wound or injury. The Department of Veterans Affairs provides treatment and/or compensation for diagnosed cases of PTSD. No United States military medal has ever been established by DOD or Congress for post-service psychological based symptomatic disorders. Previous petitions by veterans or veterans groups to make this condition eligible for a new or existing medal were not approved.

VDBC Votes 11-2 to check SSD payments and reasons

2006-05-20T14:06:00.000-07:00

http://www.vawatchdog.org/old%20newsflashes%20MAY%2006/newsflash05-21-2006-7.htm well that damn camel got his nose under the tent flap, I can see huge prolems coming if Congress does not become Democrat in Jan 2007, we can see where the republicans put their priorities tax cuts for the rich, it sure in't on disabled veterans. As they pointed out we that draw SSD and VA comp are only 15% of the vet population drawing SSD, so we are a vulnerable group, if they get us this time who's next, everyone getting less than 50%? Once they get a taste of blood, they always want more...

widows can appeal denials of SC death benefits

2006-05-20T05:02:00.000-07:00

http://www.venturacountystar.com/vcs/lifestyle_columnists/article/0,1375,VCS_432_4713139,00.html This is an article that is written by a retired Colonel that is the Veteran Service Officer (VSO) for Ventura County California other good info to.

House approves 12% increase for vets's healthcare

2006-05-20T04:52:00.000-07:00

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2006/05/20/house_oks_12_increase_on_veteran_health_benefits/ this article from the Boston Globe explains the amounts and where the money is supposed to go, it also highlights the fact that a Republican lawmaker used parlimentary procedures to strip 500 million from the VA building budget, which means some hopsitals and clinics will not be funded this next FY. Again cut the vets, while cutting taxes for the rich, a nice gesture to show how much america's veteran are appreciated by the Republicans. Does this mean that the campaign slogan "A Promise Made Is A Promise Kept" was just more lip service?

Disabled vets denied healthcare

2006-05-19T13:58:00.000-07:00

The VA does it again this story in the Marine Times out 30 minutes ago says it best, http://www.marinetimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-1813135.php to say it does not surprise me would be an understatement

South Carolina elected officials voting records for veterans issues

2006-05-14T19:40:00.000-07:00

Disabled American Veterans807 Maine Avenue, SouthwestWashington, DC 20024Phone: 202-554-3501"Formed in 1920 and chartered by Congress in 1932, the million-member DAV is the official voice of America's service-connected disabled veterans -- a strong, insistent voice that represents all of America's 2.1 million disabled veterans, their families and survivors."The following ratings indicate the degree that each elected official supported the interests of the organization in that year.

DAV Compilation of South Carolina Elected officials voting record on veteran friendly issues

SC
U.S. Senate
Sr
Lindsey O. Graham
Republican
42
SC
U.S. Senate
Jr
Jim W. DeMint
Republican
33
SC
U.S. House
1
Henry E. Brown
Republican
0
SC
U.S. House
2
Addison G. 'Joe' Wilson
Republican
0
SC
U.S. House
3
James Gresham Barrett
Republican
0
SC
U.S. House
4
Robert D. 'Bob' Inglis
Republican
0
SC
U.S. House
5
John McKee Spratt
Democrat
100
SC
U.S. House
6
James E. 'Jim' Clyburn
Democrat
100

the rest of Congresses voting record is available here.

http://www.vawatchdog.org/old%20newsflashes%20MAY%2006/newsflash05-14-2006-1.htm

a friends letter to his Senator

2006-05-14T15:13:00.000-07:00

During its March 2006 meeting, the Commission discussed the Congressional intent of Public Law 108-136, which created the Commission. Specific focus was on interpreting the intent of the law and what that means in terms of the Commission's authorities. Also discussed by the Commission members was how data could be acquired from the Social Security Administration (SSA) and how it could be matched to administrative data from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) as well as how results could be interpreted, if SSA data were collected. Some veterans in receipt of VA disability compensation also receive SSDI; some for the same disability, some for a combination of service-connected and nonservice-connected disabilities, and some for disabilities unrelated to their service. The frequency and amount of benefits received is not known."

The Social Security System does not care what caused the disability only that you qualified for it by working! That is one issue. The other issue is the Social Security System for 100%, which is all it is concerned about, allows cumulative total effects, regardless of cause. The VA rating system is totally different!

The VA disability rating is for Service Connected disability. Of course the most common of these is with exceptions is the wounding by the direct actions of the enemy soldier or the result of serving in a combat environment.

The whole process of getting the Congress to interpret its own laws was unconstitutional and shows just how much support there are for Veterans.

No one, not one of you is going to tell me this is NOT a Bush Administration initiative to not only offset but this will be very similar to the Veterans Disability Tax that has robbed Veterans of disability for over 130 years in the Billions of dollars and maybe in the Trillions. All so, the government can hand out Billions to folks that are not even supposed to be here and all these failed socialism programs. I.e. Bush hands out an EXTRA billion dollars to illegal alien health care with the stroke of a pen. Then our congress argues for months on end whether to fund an extra 1.5 billion to support the VA. Slight difference in earned value here but you see who is important and who is not.

Just how long do you think that you will be able to treat Veterans this way and then get young men and women to support your actions. We are becoming like the Roman Empire and will before long be outsourcing our defense to third party companies like Haliburton.

You as a decorated veteran should have more feelings for what is going on. You get $15,000 a month for life if you leave the Senate and yet that organization is constantly trying to cut benefits to veterans. Why don't you support a bill to decrease the amount of retirement received by congress personnel and senators? One term and $15000 retirement. I did 20 years and I get $1,400. My duty led me to potential risk, your duties containing no risk. Where is the logic?

Welcome Home
Joe

DAV editorial on Offsets

2006-05-13T15:21:00.000-07:00

http://www.2ndbattalion94thartillery.com/Chas/DAVoffset.htm this is a great article that explains what the VDBC is attempting to do please contact your elected officials and tell them to stop this now.

2006-05-13T13:06:00.000-07:00

Why is DOD Ignoring these "Hero's" From 1952 thru 1975 there were a series of "classified medical research" projects paid for by the CIA and DOD, they used "volunteers" in the tests, the majority of the time, there are 2300 known volunteers for biological tests at Fort Detrick 1952 - 1972 and 7120 enlisted men used in the chemical weapons and drug experiments at Edgewood Arsenal. These men have been forsaken by their government for compensation and recognition

WHY NO MEDALS OR RECOGNITION FOR "TEST VETS"
In the years between 1952 thru 1975, the DOD authorized enlisted men to be used for human experimentation. The CIA funded these tests along with DOD, they were primarily conducted at three military bases, although there were many other tests conducted from the Pacific to the East Coast, to these men, it was all a test board.
The bases discussed by this article are Fort Detrick, Maryland, Deseret Test Center, Utah and Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland. The people in primary charge of the programs were mainly at CIA Langley, VA and at Special Operation Division, (SOD) of Fort Detrick. The person in overall charge was named DR. Sidney Gottlieb of the CIA, it has been reported that in 1953 he controlled 6% of the entire CIA budget, with no oversight for these projects, impressive to say the least.
The scientists in charge of these tests at Edgewood Arsenal were all highly decorated by the government for their roles in this research using chemical weapons such as Sarin, BZ, mustard agents, nerve agents, drugs such as LSD, PCP, scopolamine. In all the scientists used 254 different substances at Edgewood Arsenal on 7120 enlisted men from the Army and Air Force "volunteers."
They received the highest awards DOD could bestow on civilian employees. In 2002 the Army honored a Doctor Frederick Siddell by naming the new learning center at Aberdeen Proving Grounds the Siddell Learning Center, before DR Siddell passed away. His University of Alabama Medical School, has honored him in their Hall of Fame, by putting up the following statement "Doctor Frederick Siddell has treated more chemical weapons victims than any other Doctor in America. He was sent by the Sate Department to Tokyo in 1995 for the Tokyo Subway Incident." They left off the part that he was the one who had exposed all his victims to the chemical weapons and it was silent on the use of the LSD, PCP and other drugs utilized at Edgewood Arsenal. The enlisted men did not even get certificates of appreciation for their part.
In 1975 the Department of The Army Inspector General conducted an investigation into the human experimentation and issued a report now known as the DA IG Report of 1975 on Human Experimentation, the Army keeps titles simple. It states that the DOD, CIA and the Army were violating the Nuremberg Codes of 1947 with the conduct of these experiment for the past 23 years. The Secretary of the Army ordered an immediate stop to human testing, and in 1976 President Gerald Ford issued an Executive Order banning all human experiments with chemical weapons and drugs for military purposes. The CIA and the Army apologized for their roles in this mess. The DOD headed by Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld remained silent.
It is now May 2006 and here is an update on where the "test vets" are now, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released a report based on health data gathered in FY2000 from the 7120 men of Edgewood Arsenal, the study can be found online at the NAS/IOM site under the author's name Doctor William Page or here is the link http://www.iom.edu/CMS/3795 /4913/5842.aspx, This report shows that by 2000 that using IRS, VA and Social Security Records they could only find 4022 survivors, which indicates that 2098 of the men were already deceased, a few may have moved overseas after their service and left the US behind, doubtful that all of them did though or even a majority of them. That is 40% of the men probably dead.
Of the 4022 that did respond, if you look in the fine print you will learn that 54% of the men or about 2200 men are disabled, yet the report does not go into the why's or the medical problems causing these statistics. The purpose of this study funded by DOD at the amount of one million dollars was to determine if the personnel exposed at Kamisayah Iraq in March 1991 when they destroyed the ammunition depot there, and exploding the Iraqi Sarin filled weapons and mustard agent filled weapons and other CW weapons because no one knew how to read the Arabic labels.
DOD needed to know what these veterans would face in the next twenty to forty years, and what kind of financial liability the federal government was facing. The only pool of people the government had that were exposed to Sarin was the Edgewood Test Veterans from 1952 thru 1975. Obviously the study was not very thorough and was extremely focused, it looked primarily at neurological problems, totally ignoring, cardiac, gastrointestinal and pulmonary. Despite the fact that previous studies on Sarin and other chemical weapons and linked the exposures to neurological, pulmonary, gastrointestinal and cardiac related problems. These studies are here, the first is a report from a German Doctor who treated "Wermacht Soldiers" from WW2, from 1945 thru 1975, so it is very general in it's terms but the conclusions show that all of the problems are related to Chemical Weapons exposure (CW) it was written in 1974 and published in 1975, two items of notable interest the part where he discusses the "beagle farm" at Edgewood Arsenal, and the fact that the international CW and Biological Weapons Research knew that the animals were a joke and that in fact the Americans were doing human experimentation there. Then he also discusses the use of a defoliant in Southeast Asia called Agent Orange, long before the Vietnam Veterans started to complain about it. http://www.sipri.org/conten ts/cbwarfare/Publications/p dfs/cw-delayed.pdf
The other report is from our own National Institute of Health in January 1994 on Sarin, BZ and other similar type weapons it reaches basically the same conclusions as does the German study but in far more technical terms, none of which Doctor William Page found when he was doing the March 2003 IOM study for DOD, which makes a sane man or woman question what was the real intent of the study prepared by DR Page, his conclusion match none of the known data, why? http://www.ehponline.org/me mbers/1994/102-1/munro-full .html
In 2005 one of the test veterans attempted to receive his promised "Soldiers Medal" his fight for it has taken him thru the Board of Military Records Correction, Department of the Army JAG, from which he received the statement, in their legal opinion they state "In fact Mr. XXXXX did participate in the tests at Edgewood Arsenal in 1958, he did no more or less than other test participants and therefore is not entitled to the award of a medal of exceptional merit"
Taken in that context, no Mr. XXXX did not go above and beyond his fellow test participants, what they did not consider is the fact that all 7120 men of Edgewood Arsenal Experimental Test Program went above and beyond what the other soldiers in the Army did during the same time period.
It was due to these men volunteering they developed Chemical Weapons suits they use today called MOPP gear, PAM2 as antidote's, the current gas mask in use, and many other item's used by military and civilians world wide, developed thru the experiments. The fact that 75% of the men are either prematurely dead or disabled shows they paid a great price for their "volunteering" and in return what they have received is nothing, no veteran benefits related to the tests, no recognition for the hazardous assignment they participated in. The men that used them were recognized and hailed as hero's, why? DR Van Sim and DR Siddell were the scientists that violated the Nuremberg Codes of 1947 with the highest approval of government for all practical purposes a Presidential Signing Statement that began under President Truman and that continued thru President Ford.
Lt. Colonel (Retired) Bernard G. Elfert of Florida in an interview last year with Thomas D. Segel a highly decorated Korean War and Vietnam War veteran, stated that :"Clinical and other testing was conducted to determine the effects of various agents on humans. The testing programs were highly classified. I am unaware as to the current security classifications of the toxic chemicals and phychochemicals employed there, so I cannot specify their designations, the agents involved or regimens. However, I have heard that since then most agents tested have been outlawed for military use." Elfert says, "In the absence of volunteer participation the various chemical agents could not have been tested. The nature of the testing involved agents that posed unknown risk factors and such hazards could not be forced on military personnel as a duty." He believes the exposure to these various tests placed volunteers in danger and at great personal risk going far beyond the call of duty. In his opinion, those who underwent the tests were heroic." http://www.gopusa.com/comme ntary/tsegel/2005/ts_07221. shtml
In lieu of the fact that we now know that during the First Gulf War that Officer's of the Army were awarded Bronze Stars just for being assigned to the theater of operations, Supply Sergeants were awarded Bronze Stars for having toilet paper for their Commanders comfort, the Army's current position that these men do not deserve an award of the Soldier's Medal as they had been promised, let alone not even an Army Commendation Medal, for going above and beyond.
These men all 7120 of Edgewood Arsenal and the 2300 men of the biological tests at Fort Detrick all meet the criteria for award of the coveted Soldier's Medal for their volunteering for these hazardous tests, and the Army or DOD needs to get off the dime and award them before the last of these men die. Posthumous Awards are nice, but they are better presented while still alive.
3-12. Soldier's Medala. The Soldier's Medal, section 3750, title 10, United States Code (10 USC 3750) was established by Act of Congress 2 July 1926.
b. The Soldier's Medal is awarded to any person of the Armed Forces of the United States or of a friendly foreign nation who, while serving in any capacity with the Army of the United States, distinguished himself or herself by heroism not involving actual conflict with an enemy. The same degree of heroism is required as for the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross. The performance must have involved personal hazard or danger and the voluntary risk of life under conditions not involving conflict with an armed enemy. Awards will not be made solely on the basis of having saved a life.
The above was taken from the regulations for awards. Myself I don't think I did anything heroic, but if they have a medal that says "Hey stupid, we told you not to volunteer for Anything" I need one of those.
My last thought and it isn't very nice, but I don't know what else to think, because it is a very real possibility, but the fact these men or their families can not be recognized, is that in doing so it would highlight the roles of Vice President Richard B. Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld in their approval of enlisted men in the chemical weapons and drug research in 1974 and 1975 at a time in history when they are demanding Saddam be prosecuted for using chemical weapons on the Kurds in 1987 and 1988. The embarrassment might be more than the current administration wants to deal with given, Katrina, NSA spying, Iraq itself, and now the contemplation of war with Iran.
I hope this administration is not that petty that they refuse to give these veterans the medals they deserve and the veteran benefits they are entitled to, by the heroism of volunteering for these tests, despite the fact that the recruiters for the tests deceived them, and flat out lied in stating that the tests were in fact not hazardous.

where did it go?

2006-05-13T02:30:00.000-07:00

http://www/gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-04-410 supposed to be three recommendations that DOD agreed to, but someone has deleted the file why? This file was dealing with veterans who were exposed to chemical weapons and or drugs while in service before 1975 when the tests were supposedly stopped. Who, why and when did they delete this? hmmmmmmmmm

from a Vet in Florida

2006-05-13T02:27:00.000-07:00

For the Nay Sayer Veterans out there on this Veterans Disability Commission Social Security offset issue, you better wake up!

From one of the AO group who obviously lives in Florida.

Today May 11, I called both Senator Nelson, and Congressman Putman who both sit on the Veterans Committees in both houses. Senator Nelson knew all about the Offset of Social Security Disability and V.A. Disability and said that panel was holding secret meetings that he was opposed to and he said it would never get the votes.

Congressman Putman said he was unaware until he just found out today. He is opposed to it also.

One is a Dem. and the other a Rep. Sen. Nelson has taken time to talk to me personally many times.

I called the VFW in Washington and left a message to talk to someone about why the VFW isn't concerned. I was not there but my wife got a call from a Mr. Jim Adam's tel 202-608-8372. I got his number off the web stating if you have any questions about upcoming legislation on benefits to call this number. While I was out he called my wife and without knowing, the subject laid into her and said I should not call there especially if it concerns the Bush administration.

He said if I have any problems to call my Rep's. If I still needed to talk to him to call him, back.

He was not even aware of my position of asking why the VFW is not supporting us VET's on this issue and why.

I feel like burning my life membership card with the VFW.

My wife said he was very rude and condescending. By the way, I'm an Independent not a Dem. or a Rep.

I just want you all to know about our great VFW who works so hard for us.

They seem quite political to me.

Mike

"Testvet"

2006-05-13T01:26:00.000-07:00

To explain this, I chose the name due to the fact that in May 1974, I "volunteered" for a medical research unit that was doing experiments at a place called Edgewood Arsenal in Maryland. I was assigned to Company C 2/47th Infantry, 9th Inf Div Fort Lewis Washington. I was selected along with nine other men, and we left Fort Lewis on 18 June 1974 to drive our cars to Edgewood. We arrived there on 25 June 1974. The purpose explained to us was to test uniforms and equipment for future use in the military. We were told the experiments were so "safe" that there was no reason to follow us once we left the program, at the end of our TDY in August 1974. None of us ever gave it a second thought, you trust the Officer's over you right, the Chain of Command would not allow anyone to abuse the troops now would they, not intentionally. We were poked and prodded, peed in the cup, gave up many tubes of blood and then we were classified into 4 groups, A, B, C and D, of course we did not know any of this back then, I learned this in October 2002. I knew in 1974 that I had a clearance to be used as a Level A subject for use with pyschochemicals in a note to a Dr. Drederick Siddell. What I was exposed to there, I can't tell you as I don't have a clue. We all carried cards for the police so that if we were stopped they had a telephone number to call where there was laways someone on duty 24/7 to get the cops to release us if they were holding us for suspected drug users, we all had so many needle marks we looked like junkies. Blood tests sometimes as often as every hour, injections etc. I remember sealed rooms, that had self contained ventilation systems, where they could spray something into the room as an aerosol, then pump out the contaminated air and replace it with fresh air. A state of the art lab was opened about three weeks before we arrived as a group. We were the first "test group" to utilize the facility. It was nice. We had been promised 4 day work weeks with 4 hour work days. No KP, No guard duty, no details none of the normal garbage the Army has to fill a Private's normal day. In other words we all looked on it as a three month vacation from the Army. It paid well to, with mileage allowance, per diem, and 2 dollars a day TDY pay, we each collected right around 4,000.00 dollars on 2 September when we got back to Fort Lewis. The Master Sergeant in the Finance office decided he wasn't going to pay us, as POV travel was to expensive, he wanted us to take what a plane ticket would have cost the government about 400.00 dollars each so instead of the 4,000 we were entitled to we would only get about 900.00 each, by losing the milage and 18 days per diem, 9 days each way. A staff Sergeant with us, told us no way, he went to the IG's office, he came back with a Lt Col about 15 minutes later, the Lt Col, told the Master Sergeant that the money was not coming out of his pocket and that the travel was completed, if he objected, it should have been done before we left, not after we got back. The Master Sergeant was stammering, needless to say we all got our 4,000. each. We went to a steak house in Tacoma to celebrate. Thus what we had been was Chemical Weapon and Drug Test subjects, and now I am a veteran, so I called myself TestVet the rest of all that was way to long for a screen name, and since I was one, I gave myself the nickname, besides it was better than my other alternative what else do they call a guy with the last name of Bailey why "Beetle Bailey" of course. I answer to either one lol. Mike

More on VDBC from SP5 Kelley

2006-05-12T08:46:00.000-07:00

More on this issue of offset and if Veterans do not get up off their Butts and contact their congressmen and senators and tell them if this thing is not stopped and not stopped now; then no incumbent will be in office in 2006 and 2008. If we do not act and NOW then we deserve what we get. This is still supposed to be a free country with a constitution that should apply to everyone. Not just those that never wore the Uniform.

We need to tell them they must come out publicly in the media against such anarchy against a single segment of society. Just telling the Veteran individually they are not for it - means nothing! These politicians with few exceptions have no shame.

What counts is the final vote! By that time, it is too late. It is time we made them accountable in mass and NOW!

Bush is on his way out and don’t any of you Veterans or Widows think this guy won’t do this and don’t any of you think the DoD and the VA is not behind this in mass. The VA will just be the puppet with the government pulling the strings of integrity and criminal acts.

"WASHINGTON, May 8 /PRNewswire/ -- The Veterans' Disability Benefits Commission is considering whether Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) should or should not be included in its analysis of compensation and earnings of service-disabled veterans.

During its March 2006 meeting, the Commission discussed the Congressional intent of Public Law 108-136, which created the Commission. Specific focus was on interpreting the intent of the law and what that means in terms of the Commission's authorities. Also discussed by the Commission members was how data could be acquired from the Social Security Administration (SSA) and how it could be matched to administrative data from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) as well as how results could be interpreted, if SSA data were collected. Some veterans in receipt of VA disability compensation also receive SSDI; some for the same disability, some for a combination of service- connected and nonservice-connected disabilities, and some for disabilities unrelated to their service. The frequency and amount of benefits received is not known."

So what, on all of this Disability Commission Bull Shit and comparisons.

The Social Security System does not care what caused the disability only that you qualified for it by working! That is one issue. The other issue is the Social Security System for 100%, which is all it is concerned about, allows cumulative total effects, regardless of cause. The VA rating system is totally different!

The VA disability rating is for Service Connected disability. Of course the most common of these is with exceptions is the wounding by the direct actions of the enemy soldier or the result of serving in a combat environment. The exception is of course death and disability caused by our own arrogant White House and DoD that seems they can get away with murder and medical mayhem and have no responsibility to those in uniform. Of course, I am talking about the toxic chemicals, the Gulf War Issues, the lab rat usage of our men and women in uniform in biological chemical warfare testing that the DoD because of the Feres Doctrine leaves our Veterans powerless to seek any kind of justice for crimes against humanity. Veterans we hanged folks for this exact same thing after WW2.

As the Supreme Court Justice said:

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."

Again, Veterans thought there is no way congress would pass this. Yet, they did exactly that! Why? Because congress wanted to divest themselves of the responsibility for Veterans not only of the legitimacy of claims but also the cost of the DoD mistakes.

The Veterans Disability Tax passed by once again our own congress not for some form of morality or conflict of law but only because it was presented as, a government cost saving Tax tool. That Veterans shafting has existed for over 130 years.

Don’t anyone tell me that this congress will not do the same thing. A lot of these so called honorable same men and women have stood by and let Veterans die uncompensated from DoD lies and VA lies with our own government using scientific misconduct and more lies and manipulations to deny death and disability from DoD mistakes. Mistakes made by your friend and mine the arrogant President Johnson and the galactily “stupid” Robert McNamara. How many of these honorable congressmen and senators have actually helped you, other than say we checked the status of your claim. No challenges to the facts of scientific misconduct. Damn it, read my book and see just how honorable these constituent representatives have served you in your hour of need.

All you get is, we cannot put pressure on the VA. Horse Crap, the congress makes the laws and can mandate the VA follow them or charge them with criminal acts. The VAC subcommittees charge is they are supposed to make sure the intent of congress is followed by the VA and in a timely manner.

Christ, any of you seen this happen? Any of you seen where the mandated benefit of the doubt is calculated. Have any of your elected officials told you where this government myth is located in the process? No, they cannot because it is as large as the myth of Hercules. It is a sham.

Instead, they play paddy cake with each other with a wink and nod and then say was it good for you all that money we saved to take back home!

No one, not one of you is going to tell me this is NOT a Bush Administration initiative to not only offset but this will be very similar to the Veterans Disability Tax that has robbed Veterans of disability for over 130 years in the Billons of dollars and maybe in the Trillions. All so, the government can hand out Billions to folks that are not even supposed to be here and all these failed socialism programs. i.e. Bush hands out an EXTRA billion dollars to illegal alien health care with the stroke of a pen. Then our congress argues for months on end whether to fund an extra 1.5 billion to support the VA. Slight difference in earned value here but you see who is important and who is not.

Moreover, I voted for this guy, twice! Next time he is in a photo op with the Military you might want to stand close to the toilet so you can PUKE!

All so the government can throw money at other things to keep themselves elected and for social programs as a reward for breathing the free air provided by those that earned their disability in service to the nation; not just for being in it!

"At issue is whether the Commission should include this information in its assessment of the appropriateness of the level of benefits provided to veterans for disabilities resulting from military service. Allegations have been made that the Commission intends to propose offsetting benefits or reducing benefits. This definitely is not the intent of the Commission. In January 2006, the Commission contracted with the Center for Naval Analyses Corporation (CNAC) to gather data and assist with the analysis of certain aspects of disability and survivor benefits related to military service. The effects of disability on average and individual loss of earning capacity, quality of life, and individual unemployability are some key questions to be addressed by CNAC's research.

CNAC's data gathering will include both surveying disabled veterans and survivors and an economic analysis comparing earnings of disabled veterans to a sample of veterans with no service related disabilities. A decision on SSDI was deferred until the next meeting of the Commission. In the interim, the Commission staff has been researching the relevance and usefulness of the SSDI data, and the Chairman offered the Armed Services and Veterans Affairs Committees of the House and Senate an opportunity to comment on the issue. The Chairman's offer and the Committee responses are posted on the Commission web site:
www.vetscommission.org/whatsnew.htm.

Anyone interested in the SSDI or other veterans' benefits issues is invited to attend future Commission public meetings and present oral statements to the Commission. Oral presentations will be limited to no more than five minutes. Interested parties are also encouraged to provide written comments for review by the Commission prior to the meeting by e-mail to: veterans@vetscommission.intranets.com or by regular post to Mr. Ray Wilburn, Executive Director, Veterans' Disability Benefits Commission, 1101 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, 5th Floor, Washington, DC 20004."

Veterans are to drive hundreds of miles at their own expense, maybe even having to stay overnight, to testify or bring forth issues at this committee and they get five minutes. Let me tell you these commissioners are handsomely rewarded on this thing like over 100,000 dollars a year PLUS EXPENSES. Moreover, to listen to Veterans for at least 15 minutes is not such an outrageous request with money being made.

Then they want to extend this committee sham for another year. No - shut it down now!

This whole thing is becoming a sham the more we find out about it. With their secret meetings and secret votes. As I said, before whom do you hold responsible since the congress will say “oh but this so called independent commission recommended this or that. Never mind the fact the president and congress appointed the membership and then they secretly vote. What kind of political kangaroo court is that? Sounds like the VACEH all over again.

Now how many times have you seen where this commission is advertised as an independent committee? In case you do not know the Executive Director mentioned above; guess whom he works for. Give you one guess!

You are absolute correct. Mr. Wilburn as the Director of this political sham of a committee works for the Department of Veterans Affairs. Independent? In a pigs eye!

Sorry for the rant folks but this has got to be stopped and now and as you can tell I am very angry that this subject has even been considered.

I thought at one time we were on the offensive with the AO stuff with data I have gathered and published in the book as well as the immune system study I am doing. Now we have to go on the defensive to stop this anarchy.

Some have suggested we contact those by state since we have enough folks to cover all the states as constituents and then have me state-by-state post the responses.

While I would do that, I have tried that before and either Veteran do not care about these issues or they never received a response.

My suggestion would be to post "a no response" as a defacto "I am for this obscene Social Security offset."

If you want to do this, I will do it at my cost on my links. Send in your statements and questions to your elected officials but hold off sending them to me until at least the 24th of May as I will be leaving for Fort Sill next week and will not be back until the 23rd at the best.

Kelley

Veterans Organizations and Buyer

2006-05-12T07:23:00.000-07:00

http://www.vawatchdog.org/newsflash/newsflash05-12-2006-8.htm as usual Congressman Steve Buyer can not do his dirty work himself, he leaves it to a staffer to bad mouth the veterans groups, claiming they are wasting the congressman's valuable time, he is supposed to be the main man in Congress FOR the vets, not against the vets........

More on VDBC

2006-05-12T05:12:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON, May 8 /PRNewswire/ -- The Veterans' Disability Benefits Commission is considering whether Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) should or should not be included in its analysis of compensation and earnings of service-disabled veterans.During its March 2006 meeting, the Commission discussed the Congressional intent of Public Law 108-136, which created the Commission. Specific focus was on interpreting the intent of the law and what that means in terms of the Commission's authorities. Also discussed by the Commission members was how data could be acquired from the Social Security Administration (SSA) and how it could be matched to administrative data from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) as well as how results could be interpreted, if SSA data were collected. Some veterans in receipt of VA disability compensation also receive SSDI; some for the same disability, some for a combination of service- connected and nonservice-connected disabilities, and some for disabilities unrelated to their service. The frequency and amount of benefits received is not known. At issue is whether the Commission should include this information in its assessment of the appropriateness of the level of benefits provided to veterans for disabilities resulting from military service. Allegations have been made that the Commission intends to propose offsetting benefits or reducing benefits. This definitely is not the intent of the Commission. In January 2006, the Commission contracted with the Center for Naval Analyses Corporation (CNAC) to gather data and assist with the analysis of certain aspects of disability and survivor benefits related to military service. The effects of disability on average and individual loss of earning capacity, quality of life, and individual unemployability are some key questions to be addressed by CNAC's research. CNAC's data gathering will include both surveying disabled veterans and survivors and an economic analysis comparing earnings of disabled veterans to a sample of veterans with no service related disabilities. A decision on SSDI was deferred until the next meeting of the Commission. In the interim, the Commission staff has been researching the relevance and usefulness of the SSDI data, and the Chairman offered the Armed Services and Veterans Affairs Committees of the House and Senate an opportunity to comment on the issue. The Chairman's offer and the Committee responses are posted on the Commission web site: www.vetscommission.org/whatsnew.htm. Anyone interested in the SSDI or other veterans' benefits issues is invited to attend future Commission public meetings and present oral statements to the Commission. Oral presentations will be limited to no more than five minutes. Interested parties are also encouraged to provide written comments for review by the Commission prior to the meeting by e-mail to: veterans@vetscommission.intranets.com or by regular post to Mr. Ray Wilburn, Executive Director, Veterans' Disability Benefits Commission, 1101 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, 5th Floor, Washington, DC 20004.

CNNpresents Wounded Warriors

2006-05-12T04:54:00.000-07:00

Karen Karen M. Myers, U.S. Army Retired VA/DoD Coordinator Seamless Transition Program Coordinator NF/SG Veterans Health System Acting VISN 8 OIF/OEF POC 1601 SW Archer Road (00A3) Gainesville, FL 32606 PHONE: 352-379-4190 CELL: 352-316-2546 PAGER: 352-380-1353 FAX: 352-374-6116 Subject: CNN TV SPECIAL "Wounded Warriors" 27 & 28 May 8PM and 11PM (EDT) (UNCLASSIFIED) Please join us in watching a very special hour of award-winning journalism. We extend our invitation to you and your staffs... and the entire military community and their families to watch CNN PRESENTS: "WOUNDED WARRIORS" on Saturday and Sunday, May 27TH and 28th at 8pm and 11pm eastern. Please share this invitation with all your service members and their families. CNN PRESENTS: WOUNDED WARRIORS (airing Memorial Day weekend May 27th & 28th) Americans trust, if their sons, daughters, husbands or wives are sent to Iraq, that the military will take care of their loved ones and bring them home quickly should they be injured. On a very special documentary CNN PRESENTS: "WOUNDED WARRIORS" we will show you exactly how that happens. from the point of injury on the battlefield. all the way home. CNN Correspondent Alex Quade follows the medical care our troops receive in Iraq at each "level of care": from the time they are wounded, through "the golden hour" with buddy care and helicopter medevac, to field hospitals, and then aeromedical evacuation to Landstuhl, Germany, where these wounded warriors have more treatment before returning to Walter Reed and other facilities in the U.S. Ms.Quade follows a number of these warriors as they receive stateside treatment and make hard decisions about their futures. For more than 18-months, Ms.Quade has been documenting the stories of these battlefield heroes. not only those who have been wounded but those who are providing medical care. She also came across what could become a brand new level of care for all branches of the military: the first "Wounded Warriors Barracks" in America, an experiment conceived by one of the injured Marines Quade has covered from the moment he was wounded near Iskandiriyah, Iraq. It is unprecedented coverage. An inside look that civilians have not seen. Alex Quade traveled to Iraq on several occasions to embed with units in all branches of the military. not only with combat medical teams, but also field hospitals and air medevac units on the frontlines. She was given permission from the injured, and their families, to share their personal stories. And, for the very first time, to show their faces. The footage was shot carefully and respectfully. Quade's initial "Wounded Warriors" stories on CNN garnered an overwhelming response from across all branches of the military, as well as families of servicemen and women. Several U.S. military units are now using copies of it as part of their training for troops about to deploy to Iraq. And now with brand new follow-ups 18-months into the recovery of the wounded... this has become a very special one hour documentary for the award-winning CNN PRESENTS unit. Maj. Gen. Don Shepperd, USAF (ret.), CNN military analyst has this to say about CNN PRESENTS: "WOUNDED WARRIORS"... "The piece is one of the best and most powerful pieces of TV journalism you will ever see. You cannot view it without a lump in your throat and mist in your eyes - the strength of our troops, the strength, expertise and kindness of those who care for them and the strength of the families will make you feel inadequate." GySgt.Mel Greer, USMC, one of the wounded warriors Quade followed for 18-months, from Ramadi, Iraq to Camp Pendleton, California, has this to say about this CNN PRESENTS special: "You do not get shot and get home and everything is fine, as Hollywood would like you to believe. It is a long process. Recovery takes time, for some people, it takes years. And by showing viewers this, they will see the truth and it will help their families and other servicemen and women going through the process." A final word from Gen.Don Shepperd (USAF, ret.): "We are well to remember that there are those who also serve in danger in addition to our troops; however, Alex's piece is a tribute to our military and to America." Thank you.

a vet speaks out about SSD vs VA

2006-05-11T15:11:00.000-07:00

Forwarded Message:
Subj:
Our Great VFW Rep in Washington, D.C.
Date:
5/11/2006 4:31:17 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From:
B8Ral
To:
Brenhay, knueppelt@comcast.net, rpwalsh@sbcglobal.net, mslyon@att.net

Today May 11, I called both my Senator Nelson, and Congressman Putman who both sit on the Veterans Committees in both houses. Sen Nelson knew all about the Offset of Social Security Disability and V.A. Disability and said that panel was holding secret meetings that he was opposed to and he said it would never get the votes. Congressman Putman said he was unaware until he just found out today. He is opposed to it also. One is a Dem. and the other a Rep. Sen. Nelson has taken time to talk to me personally many times. I called the VFW in Washington and left a message to talk to someone about why the VFW isn't concerned. I was not there but my wife got a call from a Mr. Jim Adam's tel 202-608-8372. I got his number off the web stating if you have any questions about upcoming legislation on benefits to call this number. While I was out he called my wife and without knowing the subject laid into her and said I should not call there especially if it concerns the Bush administration. He said if I have any problems to call my Rep's. If I still needed to talk to him to call him back. He was not even aware of my position of asking why the VFW is not supporting us VET's on this issue and why. I feel like burning my life membership card with the VFW. My wife said he was very rude and condensending. By the way I'm an Independent not a Dem. or a Rep. I just want you all to know about our great VFW who works so hard for us. They seem quite political to me.

Mike (Have a Good Day)

McDermott comments on passage of the DU bill

2006-05-11T12:30:00.000-07:00

"There are too many legitimate medical questions concerning possible adverse health effects on our soldiers in Iraq from the U.S. military's use of depleted uranium," McDermott said. "We owe it to our soldiers to get answers."
Earlier in this Congress, McDermott introduced H.R. 2410. This bill calls for a comprehensive study of health effects from exposure to DU, a study of the environment where DU has been tested in the United States, and mitigation and cleanup of contaminated sites, if studies find DU to be harmful.
The Pentagon routinely states that DU is a safe and effective weapon, and the Republican-controlled Congress refuses to hold a hearing on the issue or McDermott's legislation. However, many veterans of the Gulf Wars believe that exposure to depleted uranium could be a cause of Gulf War Syndrome.
"As a medical doctor, I know the difference between a cursory and a comprehensive study," McDermott said. "We don't have the kind of credible, independent, scientific evidence on which to judge DU harmful or not. U.S. soldiers deserve better than 'trust us,' which is what the Pentagon is saying. They said that before during the Vietnam War when concerns were raised about the use of Agent Orange. Decades later, the Pentagon finally admitted Agent Orange was harmful. I have the same concerns about DU."
McDermott said his amendment differs from his legislation in order to jump parliamentary hurdles to be included in the DoD authorization bill. The amendment Reps. McDermott and Shays submitted calls only for a comprehensive study of health effects on U.S. soldiers.
"I was willing to scale back my DU legislation to fit the narrow requirements of the Rules Committee," McDermott said, "because U.S. soldiers have every right to know if exposure to depleted uranium might harm them now or in the future."
"Our soldiers deserve our thanks, and they deserve our commitment to a comprehensive medical study that will answer scientifically and independently whether DU poses health dangers."

McDermott amedment on DU passes

2006-05-11T11:59:00.000-07:00

The McDermott(WA) amendment to the DOD bill for a study on DU passed the floor of the House at approximately 2:27 EST! It was carried in floor proceedings carried on CSpan, the Committee did not fight the amendment and it was passed by voice vote to be included in the Defense Bill.

Sincerely,
Denise
DSNurse

McDermott Presses Amendment to Study Possible DU Health Impacts on U.S. Soldiers, notes Ken Kadlec
2006-05-11 Jim McDermott's amendment, which adds a provision to the DoD Authorization measure to require the U.S. Secretary of Defense to conduct a study on the health impact that Depleted Uranium has on soldiers, will be considered on the House floor today (Thursday, May 11).
Majority has indicated that they will accept the amendment, and it will pass the House later this morning. Ken KadlecPhoto of an Afghani child victim of “Depleted” Uranium (DU), courtesy of the Afghan DU & Recovery Fund: http://www.afghandufund.org Please have the courage to view other photos on the above website and at: The Center for an Informed America: NEWSLETTER #13 August 13, 2002; http://davesweb.cnchost.com/nwsltr13.html For greater clarity, please click the photo and then continue ...
Select Legislative DayMay 02, 2006May 03, 2006May 04, 2006May 08, 2006May 09, 2006May 10, 2006May 11, 2006
CURRENT HOUSE FLOOR PROCEEDINGS LEGISLATIVE DAY OF MAY 11, 2006 109TH CONGRESS - SECOND SESSION
H.R. 5122:
to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2007 for military activities of the Department of Defense, to prescribe military personnel strengths for fiscal year 2007, and for other purposes
2:28 P.M. -
DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 811, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Tierney amendment.
Amendment offered by Mr. Tierney.
An amendment numbered 22 printed in House Report 109-461 to restructure the missile defense program to be consistent with a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) alternative proposal; to prohibit the deployment of: (1) Ground-Based Midcourse Defense beyond the authorized systems; and (2) any space-based interceptors; and reduce the Missile Defense Agency's (MDA's) $9.3 billion budget by $4.747 billion so as to still enable the MDA to focus on research and development as well as testing and upgrades to current systems.
2:27 P.M. -
On agreeing to the McDermott amendment Agreed to by voice vote.
2:23 P.M. -
DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 811, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the McDermott amendment.
2:22 P.M. -
Amendment offered by Mr. McDermott.
An amendment numbered 13 printed in House Report 109-461 to direct the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Secretary of Health and Human Services, to conduct a comprehensive study of the health effects of exposure to depleted uranium munitions.
On agreeing to the Hooley amendment as modified Agreed to by voice vote.

VDBC sux on SSD

2006-05-11T11:49:00.000-07:00

Subject: Veterans Disability Commission speaks out on SSDI review/crossoverVeterans Disability Commission speaks out on SSDIreview"VVA Government Relations Department" Date: Tue, 9 May 2006 17:04:57 -0400 (EDT)*Veterans Disability Commission speaks out on SSDI review*Press Release Source: Veterans' DisabilityBenefits CommissionVeterans' Disability Benefits Commission - AQuestion Is RaisedMonday May 8, 1:31 pm ETWASHINGTON, May 8 /PRNewswire/ -- The Veterans' Disability Benefits Commission isconsidering whether Social Security DisabilityInsurance (SSDI) should or should not be included inits analysis of compensation and earnings ofservice-disabled veterans.During its March 2006 meeting, the Commissiondiscussed the Congressional intent of Public Law 108-136, which created the Commission. Specific focus was on interpreting the intent of the law andwhat that means in terms of the Commission'sauthorities. Also discussed by the Commission members was how data could be acquired from the SocialSecurity Administration (SSA) andhow it could be matched to administrative data fromthe Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) as well as how results could be interpreted, ifSSA data were collected. Some veterans in receipt ofVA disability compensation also receive SSDI; some forthe same disability, some for a combination of service- connected and nonservice-connecteddisabilities, and some for disabilities unrelated totheir service. The frequency and amount of benefitsreceived is not known. At issue iswhether the Commission should include this informationin its assessment of the appropriateness of the level of benefits providedto veterans for disabilities resulting from military service.Allegations have been made that the Commissionintends to propose off setting benefits or reducingbenefits. This definitely is not the intent of theCommission.In January 2006, the Commission contracted withthe Center for Naval Analyses Corporation (CNAC) togather data and assist with the analysis of certain aspects of disability andsurvivor benefits related to military service. Theeffects of disability on average and individual loss of earning capacity, quality oflife, and individual unemployability are some keyquestions to be addressed by CNAC's research. CNAC'sdata gathering will include both surveying disabled veterans and survivors and an economic analysiscomparing earnings of disabled veterans to a sample ofveterans with no service related disabilities.A decision on SSDI was deferred until the nextmeeting of the Commission. In the interim, theCommission staff has been researching the relevance and usefulness of the SSDI data, andthe Chairman offered the Armed Services and VeteransAffairs Committees of the House and Senate anopportunity to comment on the issue. The Chairman's offer and the Committee responses areposted on the Commission website:http://www.vetscommission.org/whatsnew.htm .Anyone interested in the SSDI or other veterans'benefits issues is invited to attend future Commissionpublic meetings and present oral statements to the Commission. Oral presentationswill be limited to no more than five minutes. Interested parties are also encouraged to provide written comments for review by theCommission prior to the meeting by e-mail to:veterans@vetscommission.intranets.com http://us.f321.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=veterans@vetscommission.intranets.com>or by regular post to Mr. Ray Wilburn, ExecutiveDirector, Veterans' Disability Benefits Commission,1101 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, 5th Floor, Washington, DC 20004.For more information about the Commission and itsactivities, please visit the website at http://www.vetscommission.org.

CW3 replies to my ltr to Editor

2006-05-11T09:01:00.000-07:00

Hey Mike -Hope you don't mind that your email list got a note that more than one vet knows you are correct -You are right on - there is no possible reason for the VA to complain about having to fix a problem that they CREATED - typical government response of BLAME THE VET for all the administrative problems - it is incredible that they think that the new vets would somehow also take the VA side and tell the world the vets who have claims in the system that they are wrong for insisting that the VA give compensation and healthcare for disabilities incurred while serving the country through military service -I wonder what will the government say when it gets to the point where the homeless veterans start forming brand new Bush/Cheney towns reminiscent of the 1930's Hoovervilles - will they bring back old stormin norman to kill a few as they are ordered to disperse and once again become the invisibles with all the invisible wounds that Buyer likes to say he is treating -- PLEASE EXPLAIN HOW BUYER CAN TREAT SOMETHING HE WILL NOT EVEN SEE !!!!And don't look to the major veterans service organizations when an executive director of one goes on record in the major media to tell Americans that Principi is a great guy and his personal friend as he gets $1.2 Billion of taxpayer funds for not even conducting the examinations that are used to determine levels of disability - there is Congressional Testimony and allegations from Hugh Cox that details how the QTC Management Inc policy is to schedule appointments, mail out the notices after the appointment, and then report that the veteran failed to show for his exam as the justification for denials of all claims - this is also a cute trick to further obfuscate the truth - Principi was always a great one for lies - or any other tactic that would so frustrate the veteran that they just give up and go away - and die somewhere else -So to the media that clammers only for the sensational - pay attention when the sick and disabled vets in America point to the government and claim that the "public servants" are not wearing any clothes - this is not the act of crying " WOLF ! " Yellowstone National Park is not the only location that has been setup for the predatory pack that pick out the only the weakest to consume -As AlwaysFrankOn May 9, 2006, at 6:57 AM, TESTVET@aol.com wrote:>> Sir, I enjoyed your article on the VA complaining about having to deal > with the possibility of a potential 300,000 "new claims" they are not > new, they were improperly decided and adjudicated to start with, they > are being "focred" to deal with this, because of the systematic > procedures in these states by the DRO's to low ball the awards. They > have saved the VA (federal budget) millions over the years at the > expense of disabled veterans.> > I find it appalling that the VA dares to complain about being swamped > for this reason, they should be ashamed it even has to be done, the > problem is the current administration will NOT hire additional help to > process this paperwork.> > There is already 825,000 CA claims on appeal to the BVA due to > disagreements with the awards or lack of awards by the DRO's and the > rating teams. What this is going to do to the process only God knows, > but rest assured it will not speed up anyone in the government, now > they just have a new reason to blame the delays on nationwide, it's > all those Illinois vets complaining's fault that the rest of you will > just have to wait. Months extra if not years. Do you really think the > VA or the White House cares how fast ot even if these claims are > readjudicated before the veterans die, they haven't so far, so why > expect them to care now?> > Some claims now take years to get thru the system and if you have an > issue the VA and DOD do not want to even talk about, such as the > Atomic tests, the SHAD/112 experiments, the chemical weapons and drug > experiments from 1952 thru 1975 at Edgewood Arsenal Maryland, or the > biological weapons test at Fort Detrick from 1952 thru 1972 or any of > the other "classified" research type projects you may never get your > claims addressed before you die, look at the example of Frank Wong, a > WW2 aviator that had an eye injury and dpent 60 years fighting with > the VA before they finally awarded his claim just last year in 2005 > after Knight Ridder picked up his story and told it nationwide.> > It wasn;t that the percentage of the award was that high, it was like > a 20% injury, it was the fact it took 60 years of fighting his own > government for the benefits, he earned in WW2 thru an injury. His > battle lasted a lot longer than his combat time. There is no excuse > for things like this to happen in America. These are the men and > women who wore this nation's military uniforms in protection of this > nation. They deserve a truly non-adversarial system, a fully funded > health care system, similar to Medicare, if they need it they should > get it, not be told there is not enough money in the budget this year > for your surgery, as Portland Oregon VA Hospitals did last year. Many > VA hospitals have let all their Dentists go,and are not doing any > dental work, it's cost effective, if the veteran needs it he will pay > out of his pocket at a private dentist. That is truly disgusting. They > earned full health care if they are 100% disabled.> > Sir, the reason I am ware of all of this, I am one of the 7120 > enlisted men used at Edgewood Arsenal, in the chemical weapons and > drug tests at Edgewood Arsenal. One of the programs the VA and DOD do > not want to discuss, I have been told it is a sensitive issue, yes I > guess it is, it's an ugly black eye for America. Violations of the > Nuremberg Codes of 1947, by our own government, that started just five > years after they created them.> > Another little "signing statement" by another President, Harry S > Truman, that just kept being re-approved thru Eisenhower, Kennedy, > Johnson, Nixon and Ford. It was not until the Army's Inspector General > learned of it and did an investigation in 1975, about the treatment of > the soldiers, that they issued the 1975 DA IG report on Human > experimentation. http://www.nap.edu/books/030904832X/html/378.html > this is a summary of it.> > This manual is written by the VA in October 2003 to to explain the > illnesses associated with CBR so the doctors and nurses will > understand what they are seeing and yes America did use soldiers in > tests of these substances, it isn't all X file stories. > http://www1.va.gov/vhi/docs/CBR_www.pdf> > This report from the Institute of Medicine in March 2003 shows that of > the 7120 men used 40% are dead 2098 as of FY 2000, the men would have > been primarily 65 or younger then. It also shows that of the 4022 > survivors that 54% of them or 2200 men are disabled, yet the study > does not say why. > http://www.iom.edu/CMS/3795/4913/5842.aspx> > The above study on Sarin does not reach any of the same conclusions as > another government report from January 1994 National Institute of > Health, why I don;t know expect that the IOM report was used by the > DOD and VA to determine medical liability for the Gulf War veterans > exposed to Sarin and mustard agents at Kamisayah Iraq in March 1991, > my guess is the 1994 study would have exposed DOD and the VA to very > extensive financial liabilities, for cardiac, pulmonary and > gastrointestinal problems, so Dr Page just ignored it.His report > concluded the only problems with Sarin exposure is sleep disturbances > and 25 per 100,000 will get brain tumors, no other research has ever > shown that problem, I guess 25 per 100,000 was a cheap way out for DOD > and the VA to accept it as a problem.> Toxicity of the Organophosphate Chemical Warfare Agents GA, GB, and > VX: Implic 1994 report> > The government has told so many different versions of my test > experience, first was that I was never there, then it became yes I > volunteered but I got sick on 10 July 1974 and I got sick before the > tests started and was sent home, so none of my current medical > problems could possibly be related to Edgewood or the tests, then when > I was able to prove I was there for the entire 60 day TDY period, they > claimed I was only used in a tests that I listened to a "radio" > equipment only. Then I found this picture that came from an A&E > documentary called "Bad Trip to Edgewood" that was produced and aired > in 1992. Needless to say I was surprise to see a picture of me at age > 18 at Edgewood Arsenal, in a supposedly "classified photo" that I was > not even aware of http://www.thewhyfiles.net/images/edgewood03.jpg > this obviously is not a radio is it?> > The VA still will not deal with the Edgewood Arsenal test issues after > 4 years, it is still on appeal and my file has never been sent to the > BVA for a hearing. I have had 7 heart attacks, a stroke, COPD, > Congestive heart failure, skin abnormailites, burn scars, ED, PTSD, > and emphysema all but the PTSD is from the toxins I was exposed to at > Edgewood, my heart disease started at age 36, I am now 50. I was one > of the youngest men used at Edgewood and I was there in 1974, most of > the other men are older than I am.> > Two of the men are up north in your area, Michael Elleks father Albert > was a test vet in 1958 his e mail address is educationillini@aol.com > and the other is Lerry Meirow his e mail address is Lamei2006@aol.com > and he was at Edgewood in Nov and Dec 1972. I am also in contact with > 8 other "test vets" none of us can get the VA to discuss our test > experiences.> > Here is my web site there is other info available about this issue > there. outsidethebeltway.org> mike's links to information > > I do not feel sorry for the VA because now they have "more" work to > do, it should have been done right in the first place, they have spent > decades cheating Illinois vets and others from across this nation and > the sorry part is, they were created to take "care" of us, no one just > specified what "care" was. Really they still haven't many of these men > will die without ever seeing an increase in compensation, let alone > back pay for the low awards from years ago, and I am sure that was not > the Senators intent.>

CW3: on QTC

2006-05-11T08:59:00.000-07:00

Dear Mr. Cox -I listened with an acute attentiveness to the testimony you provided to the congressional investigators which I downloaded from: http://www.attorneys4veterans.com/ HDC_interview_House_Subcommittee_vetAffairs_5Kbps_2006_05_04.wma . However, I do not believe the responses you provided were recorded in context to the question that was posed. Perhaps you would be kind enough to publish a complete transcript of your recording or provide a URL site so that the transcript could be obtained if it were placed into the Congressional Record.I also note that the QTC Management Inc has put out a press release trying to beatify the former VA Secretary as the Patron Saint of Veterans and Lost Causes. The information is available at: http://www.qtcm.com/press_releases/times2.aspx .I must admit that I had a strong sense of reading a non-denial denial of the charges and note with some alarm that they are boasting of attaining a quality level of 92 percent with the VA but there is no mention of how this numerical value was obtained or what standards were used in determining this accomplished metering. Nor does it indicate what if any actions were taken to remediate any failures to do the job correctly.I also find it completely disingenuous for the QTC people to say they do not have any part in the adjudication process. The examining physicians must be fully cognizant of what will result when selecting the use of one word over another and the effects that it will have upon a claim. The very nature of their job is to provide a "layman" with an understandable portrayal of the effects that a disability has upon a veteran. So they not only have a large part in the adjudication process, they are indeed the key point in the entire process which determines how much if any a veteran will receive. It is also critical to point out that in the examination procedure, the physician is actually requested to state the levels of probability that there is in fact a service connection to the disability being evaluated.Please continue helping veterans and do not hesitate to force the budget thieves to face up to the obvious disingenuous nature of the lies that are presented in the non-denial denial that they have published. The issue of "apples to oranges comparison" obviously misses the fundamental point of comparisons which is the "bottom line."Sincerely,

A friend's column let's say he is CW3

2006-05-11T08:57:00.000-07:00

http://www.cobizmag.com/articles.asp?id=983Perhaps this will get you to wonder which is more offensive: the damnable lies or the damned liars? I have taken the time to comment on some of the most offensive elements that scream out from the printed page. Of course I am very angry at these continuing outrages that routinely make veterans into victims of the government. If you can ever recall the feelings you dealt with when you knew your child, spouse, or some other person was lying to you, then stand up and call the government on the current lies that are being practiced; also demand the media explain why they support this betrayal of American service men and women. How can you possibly accept this type of governmental management?It is extremely critical for Americans to come to an understanding of a simple truth; the veteran who risked so much for you is now totally dependent upon YOU insisting that the government provide adequate funding to take care of ALL legitimate needs. This much has been earned. Even though I name the republican party at this time, the next election may very well provide us with a new crop of democrats who will continue the deliberate denials and welch on the deal that has been made with veterans since we began as a collection of colonies.Quoted:But the budget debate cuts to the heart of a philosophical question: Exactly how much does a grateful nation owe its servicemen and women, and their dependents? Especially since hundreds of thousands of those vets are currently and continually returning from two war zones overseas.Answer:The implication or inference that the newer veterans, who have also sacrificed so much already, somehow deserve greater attention than those of previous conflicts, is a pathological sickness seen only among the super rich republicans and their paid for sycophantic elected officials who are loathe to spend any taxes on maintaining the lives of those who have served. After all, it is clear that these tax burdens must somehow be eliminated as soon as possible; and any outright lie or line of political propaganda is acceptable if they can make enough Americans believe it. This tactic and strategy of divide and conquer will eventually also be used against the elderly or other Americans who are either so weak, infirm or disabled that they are unable to fight back in self defense. Let me make this perfectly clear: just because an American is in need of help does not make him an enemy of the state. But, it seems, they are marked with an invisible bulls-eye as the next targets to be destroyed by the far right philosophies and neo-conservative values.I am also questioning if there will somehow be a time factor imposed. Any service provided prior to three years from a current date will negate any governmental obligations because the warranty has somehow expired. However, stay tuned in because after the next elections the final acts of the VDBC will be implemented. Apparently the answer to the question posed above will be a simple one - hopefully nothing, but at any rate the absolute minimum we can get away with.Quoted:Should a veteran who saw action abroad receive the same benefits as one who remained stateside? Should a veteran who made the military his or her career be treated the same as the citizen soldier of the Reserve or National Guard? What does the public still owe older veterans of other wars who have succumbed to self-induced illnesses, such as the diabetes that accompanies obesity, or lung cancer from a lifetime of smoking?Answer:Again the implications and inferences that illnesses, such as diabetes or cancer are somehow the products of " Willful Misconduct " brought on by the individual through other known risks, are therefore the blame, instead of simply owning up to the contaminants of war such as agent orange, depleted uranium or other factors of testing programs such as SHAD 112 or those of Edgewood Arsenal, that are faced by those who serve in the research arenas or combat area of operations are simply the most egregious and outrageous insults imaginable to the honesty, integrity, valor, and gallantry of those who have served our nation. To now require that they accept the patent denial process is an American shame that can only be erased by adequate, and yes, even mandatory funding streams to care for all veterans. It is what they have earned. Furthermore, since all veterans stand in harms way and are subject to combat at any point during their duty commitments, to suggest that they are somehow a lesser deserving individual because they were not in combat is so outrageous that a law should be passed that protects us if we respond to this type of provocation with any level of violent reaction against the perpetrator. The key factor to remember is that a disability was incurred through service in the United States Armed Forces. Does it really matter if the cause was a gun shot, IED, malaria, anthrax or accidental? The constant rhetoric of this issue is akin to actually yelling fire in a crowded theater. If the provocatuer is actually cornered and confronted, then it is only just for him to suffer the consequences of his free speech.Quoted:Jim Nicholson has a clear answer to all those concerns.Answer:So far everything seen has been nothing but a pack of the Big Lies that would even gain a semblance of respectful admiration from the Nazi or Communist propaganda mills. It is truly staggering that an American media which is supposedly so good at getting to the truth, instead, simply propagates this published puss as meaningful information.Quoted:“Our priority is the men and women who need us most — service-connected disabled veterans, veterans with no other health-care options, veterans who need our highly specialized services,” he said in an ongoing interview conducted for this report over several sessions spanning February and March of this year.Answer:Why am I not surprised that somehow if a veteran has an illness or disability that is service connected, then by virtue of his personal fortunate conditions, he may have other resources available, that the VA Colonel appears to believe it is justifiable to demand there is no longer any need or obligation to actually treat the service connected condition. Perhaps I have parsed the words erroneously, but that seems to be the justification for the budget slashing that has taken place - the hope is simply that those veterans with other resources will simply not bother the VA even if that means the vets have to pay for healthcare themselves. Truly a shameful state of attitudes and behaviors among this administration and the running, lackey dogs that serve it. It is time that the VA Colonel actually state in clear and concise terms who is deserving of what levels of service and provide honest justifications for those positions.Quoted:“Our priority is the men and women who need us most — service-connected disabled veterans, veterans with no other health-care options, veterans who need our highly specialized services,” he said in an ongoing interview conducted for this report over several sessions spanning February and March of this year.Answer:At what point was the entire priority system, developed by Anthony Principi, during the Reagan Administration completely replaced and forgotten? I realize that all category 8 and new category 7 veterans can no longer get even a band aid from the Veteran Health Administration, however, the priorities of care have been clearly an established policy that was practiced since the Presidency of Saint Ronnie, The Acting President. What is really curious, now, is that in the current blood sport of politics, where the line crossed is at best murky; it appears that Congressman Buyer will attempt to completely white wash the gross enrichment plans of Anthony Principi via his QTC Management Inc. The republican leadership will attempt to somehow convince us that it is just business as usual for former cabinet level officials to be rewarded with $1.2 Billion of tax funds through a new business venture. The QTC managment people have shown they are determined to use any and all methods to diminish or outright deny veteran claims for compensation. This is a process that could be accomplished by VA employees at only twenty percent of the costs levied against the tax payers by Principi and his felonious creation. Is it any wonder there is not enough money to be found to actually hire sufficient numbers of staff positions.Quoted:Nicholson was ranked No. 25 on the 3rd annual ColoradoBiz 25 Most Powerful list published in January, having served nearly a year by then as the second Coloradan in President George W. Bush’s cabinet. Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton was named to the Bush administration’s original cabinet, but resigned at the end of March. As Norton was literally leaving office, Nicholson was attending the April 2 opening of the 20th National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic at Snowmass in Colorado.The visit was symbolic of the secretary’s own and his department’s strong ties to the state. The VA operates medical centers in Grand Junction and Denver, and 10 outpatient clinics throughout Colorado. In 2005, the federal agency spent $1.5 billion in Colorado, providing health care, disability pay, pensions or other financial benefits to 60,000 of Colorado’s 433,300 veterans. The department employs almost 3,000 people in the state to provide those services.Answer:Simple photo opportunities do not provide meaningful health care to veterans. And if it is so critical for the leadership to show their fantasy support for the real veterans to somehow momentarily boost their morale, then make it a law that the vacation trips must be paid for by the official from his personal funds and the amazingly generous salary he gets which puts him in what is probably the top ten percent of American wage earners. See how many vacations they start showing up for then, especially if it is not permitted to be a tax write off.Sorry, but I find that continual bouts of wretching vomit have made it impossible to continue with the media's efforts to pander with propaganda on behalf of the VA Colonel. I hope that someone will continue this undertaking, and the total effort will be circulated for all veterans to consider. One thought that really struck home as I started to peruse the remains of this dreadful publicity was if Colorado and Texas are to be provided for before all others elements in the VA system, then why doesn't the federal government simply try to turn the veteran problem back to the state governments. Could it be that it actually is a promise made by the nation that veterans who have borne the battle will be cared for along with the widows and orphans? But then that will probably be attempted when the democrats are in power.Oh yes, and was there not some raised eyebrows when it was determined that the VA was required to pay exorbitant amounts for the Colorado hospital property rather than simply accept the transfer of an asset from the Department of Defense? Whatever happened to that story? Maybe we should see who else enriched themselves as part of the veteran pork projects besides the personal friends of the VA Colonel.

This should change people's mind about joining Army

2006-05-11T03:20:00.000-07:00

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/10/AR2006051002061.html talk about a detriment to recruitong efforts, who wants to join the Army Reserve if it means you joined for life (or at least until the Army says you can leave, (8 years what 8 years?) you use to be able to count on being left alone after the 8 year committment was met, most people do 3-4 years active then the other years in what is called the IRR, Inactive Ready Reserve, now they have decided the Officer's can't resign after the 8 years is up, who wants to join under these rules?

DOD is ignoring 78% of PTSD service members

2006-05-11T03:15:00.000-07:00

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/10/AR2006051002195.html It was bad enough to hear a few months ago about the Army deploying troops back to Iraq with pockets full of anti-depressants and anxiety pills. Now to learn they are just outright ignoring PTSD possible veterans, if they don't treat them does this mean they don't have it, a great way to show there is no problem, just IGNORE it. Candidate for Countdown's worst person of the day DOD is hereby nominated......

The Time has come for this

2006-05-10T07:56:00.000-07:00

http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/May-09-Tue-2006/news/7294441.html veterans have been deprived of an American right for to long, they are not allowed to use attorney's in their fight with the VA for their benefits, the last place in America, where it's citizens do not have that right. I hope this passes but it needs to be along the same guidelines as Social Security Disability anything different is a dis-service to the veterans of this nation, don't they deserve the same rights as other disabled Americans?

I can see this happening to me one day sooner than later probably lol

2006-05-10T07:52:00.000-07:00

http://www.hutchnews.com/news/local/stories/Deadissue050406.shtml they just did a paperwork error, oh well another day in government, will anything happen to the employee that did it, not likely..........

VA to seek vets who were low balled

2006-05-10T07:49:00.000-07:00

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/southsouthwest/chi-0605090078may09,1,5837368.story?coll=chi-newslocalssouthwest-hed or http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newjersey/ny-bc-nj--veterans-disabili0509may09,0,6070840.story?coll=ny-region-apnewjersey here was my response to this article
Low pay. The simple fact is that VA Regional Offices have a lot of wiggle room on many of the cases they decide, let's use the big one for the example PTSD. That is in the press a lot, and it is a subject I have personal familiarity with, as I have it.

The shrinks and social workers do the write ups on every visit, they make notes, on things like your wife is wearing a shirt that says F.T .Army or BUCHITS or anything else that they feel like, such as the veteran states that if we don't do this he is going down the hall and call his Congress person or Senator. Stuff that has no place in a medical record. They assign what they call GAF scores, an assessment of how your are functioning at that given hour, to their observations. The score's range from 0-100, most veteran get scores that range from 30 which is not good to scores in the 70's which means yes he has issues, but the veteran is handling it really well.

This gives the Regional Office rater and DRO's plenty of play room, they can pick good news out of your records or they can pick the bad news, they can assess the medications you take for PTSD or they can choose to ignore them. Then there is the dreaded C&P exam, which stands for Compensation and Pension Exam, the VARO's hire outside shrinks to assess you, now a company that is headed by ex VA Secretary Anthony Princippi, named QTC, supplies most of these doctors, or Nurse practitioners at a cost on average of between 400 - 500 per exam, some of these exams last 10 minutes.

Some are very thorough and last the time period of one and half hours as the guidelines call for, but the fact is before QTC came along, they use to pay these doctors about 100-200 dollars. But now the QTC doctors all know what the VARO's want them to fill out and how to fill out their paperwork. It makes the veteran question is this doctor writing the right information down or assessing me so the VA can pay me a lower award for my service connected problems. Even a smart man or woman has to look at this question with a raised eyebrow. QTC corporation enjoys it, when Principi was the head of it before he was named VA Secretary they were billing the VA 47 million a year, they now have contracts that will pay them 1.2 billion in the next five years. Yes, a nice deal for QTC and their stockholders. How good a deal it was for veterans, remains to be seen. But bottom line this excess money is money that could have been used for veteran care, that they will now be deprived of. Was this a good deal for the taxpayers?

My own case for example, I was diagnosed with PTSD by a VA shrink in May 2003, I had been seeing him since January when I had a melt down. I have had problems for years, but like most veterans I found a way to cope with them, work, drinking, drugs etc. I ignored the "problems" until one day, I no longer could. I have many of what they call "stressors" fire fights, training accidents, in service deaths of friends, but the main stressor for my case was the fact that 7 fellow soldiers decided they wanted my wallet on a payday in February 1975, and they beat me unconscious and left me, the problem was the place they did it was Fort Wainwright Alaska and it was 20 below zero, that night.

They were charged with robbery and attempted murder, four of them were sent to Leavenworth Barracks, the military portion of the prison system, in Leavenworth Kansas. The other three were given what they call non-judicial punishment, and I asked for a transfer to South Korea, the Army moved me a month after the court-martials ended in August 1975.

Because of an American Legion Service Officer who refused to file a claim for PTSD for non-combat reasons, I did not get my claim filed until after I fired him and revoked his power of attorney in DEC 2003. In 2004 they denied the claim, in May 2005 they finally approved it but at the 50% rate, I appealed it, my shrink has been saying for 2 years that my GAF score was 30 - 35 and that I was permanently and totally disabled by my PTSD. The VARO denied it again, I asked for a BVA hearing and wrote Senator Larry Craig a letter about my problem with the VARO in Columbia, SC, in October 2005 I received a letter from Renee Szybala, Director of Compensation and Pensions. In November the Columbia VARO scheduled me for another round of C&P exams.

On April 6th I received a new award letter granting me 100% P&T for my PTSD with an effective date of DEC 2003, when I had originally filed for it. The key was persistence, the fact that the VA counts on is that service members usually accept what they are given and do not complain, except to family and friends. They have the attitude if they deserved more then the VA would have given them more. The idea of fighting with the government that they served and fought for, does not usually enter their minds, they just grumble about the low payments, and wonder how Joe got a larger award for the same problem and Joe is not near as physically disabled as I am.

What the VA is doing now is after the investigation last year, it not to go back and re-look automatically at the decisions and re-judge them, they are taking the position that if you want it upgraded, then you have to ask for it, thus creating a new date of eligibility, from the day the increase is asked for, forget about getting back pay to when your claim was first awarded and the veteran may have deserved the higher award from the beginning, it is now an effort to save money at the expense of disabled veterans and or their widows.

Then to have the nerve to blame the new backlog on veterans asking for the new look at the old awards, is just ridiculous, they already have 825,000 cases on appeal to the Board of Veteran Appeals, from veterans who did not agree with their awards or lack of them. The VA just needs to hire more people and get this mess cleaned up, within a reasonable time period, the bad part is no one is mentioning the time lines here, right now the average wait for a claim is 1-2 years, a BVA hearing is 2-4 years and the Court of Veteran Appeals is a minimum of a five year wait, many veterans die waiting on the VA to adjudicate their claims.

Injuries that are cut and dry like a loss of limb are much easier for the VA and veterans to understand, the major problems come from mental issues, and any other problems that have an area where there can be interpretation, some raters interpret better than others, some grant in favor of the veterans, while others are more cynical and grant in favor of the government, they can claim the VA claims process is non-adversarial all they want, the system is broke and in need of a major overhaul. The large veteran service organizations really do not serve the needs of veterans as an individual, they see the big picture, the trouble is each veteran is a snapshot, and all claims need more than a 10 minute meet and greet, some take time, some take investigation and real hard work, in the VA claims system they try and use the KISS method, (keep it simple stupid) great for the SO but lousy help to the veteran and his family.

Veterans have to remember that it is their claim, they need to find the evidence, do not expect anyone else to do it, get and keep date stamped copies of all paperwork, your spouse may need them after you pass away. Remember you do have the right to revoke a power of attorney if your Veterans rep is not doing his/her job the way you feel it should be done, bottom line it is your claim and your benefits, the people that handle your claims are all getting paid if you win or lose your claim, it's your stay on top of it, and fight for your family's benefits and yours, you fought for your country, now fight for what is right.

Michael G Bailey
301 Harbor Heights Dr 21D
Lexington SC 29072

found the missing link

2006-05-09T15:52:00.000-07:00

I have been searching for months for the site where I saw the fact that DOD had stated they would not be able to identify the Edgewood test vets before FY 2009. I found it today in a GAO report and it says they will not be able to identify any of the veterans used in hazardous substance tests other than SHAD/112 before 2009. Convenient since the Bush administration leaves office in January that year and Rumsfeld and Cheney were involved in authorizing the tests in 1974 and 1975. Especially since they are now claiming that we HAD to go to war with Saddam since he had used chemical weapons on the Kurds, it might prove embarassing to answer questions about their use of enlisted men in chemical weapons and drug tests like LSD and PCP while asking for the world to support them in wanting Saddam executed for the same type of actions, the difference is Saddam was fighting with the Kurds, what did we enlisted men ever do to Cheney and Rumsfeld to make them approve violating the Nuremberg Codes of 1947 in this manner. No wonder things like torture and rendition don't bother them, it appears that it is just business as usual for this bunch, the world prosecuted the last bunch of men who acted like this, the Third Reich wasn't it. I know it is a bad comparison, but they made the record I am just reporting the facts they created. I am just one of their victims, I am 50 years old and totally disabled and I am one of the lucky ones, in FY 2000, 40% of the men in these tests were dead already 2098 of them, and of the survivors 54% are disabled, can you all explain that my Cheney and Mr Rumsfeld, and you are right I am not showing you any respect. In the Army I learned respect was earned and quite frankly you have not earned mine, you are just disgusting, reprehensible old men, that deserve to be on trial and sued for every dime you have, not only did you use us, you have denied our families out veteran benefits for the past 31 plus years, some of the men have been waiting for justice since 1952, how do you plan on making that up to them? Dig them up and say I am sorry to the corpse? http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d04410.pdf pages 18 and 19 show the fact they will not identify the Edgewood test veterans or any other exposed veterans before 2009, five years after this report was written and published. Yet this report shows they found us in FY 2000 and they have known the extent of the harm at least since March 2003, and they still refused to speed up the process to find us, why, questions they didn't want to answer maybe? Better question is why won't the Mainstream media pick this story up? http://www.iom.edu/CMS/3795/4913/5842.aspx DA IG report of 1975 on human experiments http://www.nap.edu/books/030904832X/html/378.html, and the VA Manual published in October 2003 after the IOM report was issued showing the harm caused yet in this manual they never mentioned it why? http://www1.va.gov/vhi/docs/CBR_www.pdf the letters from Lane Evans and Ted Strickland show they tried to help but were ignored by the VA letters that pertain to this issue are 28 April 2005 and the VA reply on October 5 2005 http://veterans.house.gov/democratic/officialcorr/official.htm and last but not least the govt has told me I was only used in equipment tests this pic was found last month on line , it was in a 1992 A&E documentary on Edgewood called "Bad Trip To Edgewood" talk about being shocked to see it, I never knew it existed http://www.thewhyfiles.net/images/edgewood03.jpg, last but not least a 44 minute video called "Bad Trip to Edgewood" video is poor quality but the audio is excellent http://www.propagandamatrix.com/multimedia/badtripto_edgewood.html hey you two time is up answer the questions about why you have let disabled vets and widows be deprived of their veteran benefits?

Vets need to get vocal over the SSD vs the VA comp offset before it happens

2006-05-08T17:43:00.000-07:00

Forwarded Message:
Subj:
Re: Please Pass On this Website to ALL~ Thxs Brenda
Date:
5/7/2006 8:07:35 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From:
B8Ral
To:
Brenhay, mnorton@satx.rr.com

Someone needs to start sending message to all Vets and Vets groups, and all our Federal Reps about trying to come up with the stupid idea of taking away our Social Security Disability pay that we all have paid into if we have VA Compensation. May 19th is coming upon us quickly and this is when Congress and the bush administration will decide. My Veterans lawyer Mr. Robert Walsh said he believes it will pass because non of the Vets are aware of it and most will not protest to their reps in Congress. Maybe your web site will help.

Air Force 2 Star out of order

2006-05-06T18:22:00.000-07:00

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/05/AR2006050501535.html

The WAPO has a story about a General that sent out a letter encouraging his classmates from 1975 class of the Air Force Academy to send money and vote for a retired Air Force officer who was also a strong "christian man" and they all know that Congress needs more Christians in it, and especially those from the Air Force since there is no representation from retired air force types, in the beltway.

Needless to say he realized his mistake the next morning after a friend called him and said hey "dumb azz" you used your work computer, and he then attempted to recall it, about as much use as trying to put a bullet back in the gun after you squeeze the trigger, ooops don't cut it, baliff whack his peepee!!!!!