Those who can relate most to the injuries of the Boston Marathon victims are amputee military veterans. A veteran group for injured military personnel called the Semper Fi Fund has decided they wanted to help. The group has set up a Boston Marathon fund for those who suffered injuries in the blast. The Semper Fi Fund has raised $74 million over the past ten years to help assist injured members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families financially. The group provides relief for financial needs that arise during the hospitalization and recovery process for veterans, and now they would like to do the same for victims of the Boston bombing.

Soldiers from the Semper Fi Fund have also made the trip to Boston to visit patients and their families at four different hospitals. These soldiers are passing on a message that emphasizes the importance of getting active as soon as possible and setting goals to aim for in their recovery process. Many of these visiting soldiers are members of Team Semper Fi, Semper Fi Fund’s program that promotes “recovery through sport.” The team is made up of over 450 servicemen and women “who have overcome significant challenges in their service to our country, and have embraced the fighting, athletic spirit on their road to recovery.” These soldiers aren’t done though; they plan to visit the hospitals again at the end of the week.

The most famous victim of mesothelioma was Steve McQueen, who died in 1980 at the age of 50. McQueen was an iconic actor from the 1960s and 1970s. One of his best-known roles was Virgil Hilts, “The Cooler King”, in the movie “The Great Escape.” Hilts’ character was an Air Force pilot during World War II.

In real life, McQueen served in the United States Marine Corps. According to the National Archives, he entered the service in 1947 and was honorably discharged in 1950. It was during those years that he may have been exposed to the asbestos that caused his cancer and ended his life.

A Veteran Health Risk

Of the many groups distinctly affected by mesothelioma, United States military veterans have some of the highest health risks. In fact, nearly 30 percent of all mesothelioma cases can be traced to military service. Veterans in all branches of the military are at risk, especially Navy personnel.

The Navy used asbestos everywhere: engine rooms, boiler rooms, storage rooms, navigational rooms, galleys, mess halls, sleeping quarters and more. Asbestos covered the ceilings, walls and floors of these rooms. The Army, Air Force, Marine Corp, Coast Guard and National Guard also used asbestos, but not to the extent of the Navy. For many servicemen, asbestos exposure was unavoidable.

Veterans who served during World War II, the Korean Conflict, and the Vietnam Conflict are more likely to develop mesothelioma than those who served in other wars. In later wars, some veterans likely encountered asbestos in older vehicles, machinery and equipment. Iraq War veterans may have been exposed to asbestos from old buildings that were destroyed or damaged.

The Miracle Mineral

At one time, asbestos was known as a miracle mineral. Made from six naturally occurring minerals, it had many desirable properties. It was strong, durable, heat resistant and flame retardant. Asbestos was a favorite additive for many American manufacturers and the United States military used many of their products.

Asbestos was used extensively in Navy shipyards, construction projects, and the automotive industry. It was a manufacturing mainstay from the Industrial Revolution until the mid-1970s, when the federal government banned most asbestos use.

The miracle mineral was found to be a cancer-causing toxin. In a solid state, it posed relatively few health problems. However, many things could damage the material: age deterioration, breaks, tears, cuts, and sanding during installation. When this happened, tiny asbestos fibers were released from the material and became airborne.

When asbestos particles are breathed into the lungs, they can embed themselves and cause disease over time. Unfortunately, mesothelioma symptoms do not appear until the cancer is in the advanced stage. The latency period for this cancer can be 40 years or more.

Federal Government Assistance

The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) lists several occupations that may have exposed veterans to asbestos poisoning. They are shipbuilding, insulation work, construction, demolition, mining, and milling are among them.

Former members of the United States military may be eligible for government assistance if their health problems are linked to asbestos exposure during their service. They are encouraged to talk to their health care provider or an environmental health coordinator for the VA.

Veterans who qualify for assistance may receive health care benefits or disability compensation. In some cases, their dependents are also eligible for financial assistance. Additional information about asbestos-related health problems is available from the Agency of Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.

Over 30 percent of all individuals diagnosed with mesothelioma are veterans. With approximately 3,000 individuals diagnosed annually with mesothelioma, those who have served their country remain at serious risk for this type of cancer as well as skin, prostate and lung cancer. Despite the danger, those currently serving in Iraq are still being exposed to potential carcinogens.

All Military Personnel are at Risk

Certain military groups carry a higher risk than other personnel do. These groups include those involved with Navy shipyards, ship boiler rooms, mines, the construction industry and demolition teams. Due to the prevalence of asbestos in a wide variety of insulation applications, fire-retardant clothing, materials and military gear, all veterans and their friends and families carry a certain degree of risk for service-related cancers and conditions, not just those in the Navy. The actor Steve McQueen is a good example of that.

Steve McQueen died on November 7, 1980 at the age of 50 from peritoneal mesothelioma. What is mesothelioma? Well it is a particularly aggressive cancer that affects the lining of the lungs, heart or abdomen. Being exposed to asbestos is the only way you can get mesothelioma. In Steve’s case, he served as a U.S. Marine from 1947 to 1950. He worked at shipyards where he stripped asbestos from pipes used on Navy ships. Diagnosed in 1979, his fight with cancer was long and painful. Like today, the prognosis back then was dim. There is no cure for this type of cancer.

Treatments, dietary interventions and exercise can help lengthen your life, but there is no way to get the asbestos out of your lungs once it gets in there. Unfortunately, service men and women are not the only ones at risk. Due to its stickiness, its tendency to get all over everything like pet hair and the easiness with which it passes from one person to another, families and friends of those exposed to asbestos can accidently breath in the fibers the same way.

In addition, the symptoms of breathing difficulties, exhaustion and coughing mimic many other disease states or simple viruses, so diagnosis is often delayed until the cancer is well advanced. By the time Steve McQueen was diagnosed, he was already physically weak and seriously ill. This lengthy dormant period between exposure and diagnosis often extends as far as 50 years. In Steve’s case, it was a little more than 30.

Extensive Military Use of Asbestos

The military began using asbestos as early as World War II due to its fire-retardant and extremely proficient insulation capabilities. At that time, it was not known to be dangerous or carcinogenic, so it was used extensively in all sorts of products including military vehicles, aircraft, clothing, buildings and military housing. Millions of personnel and their families were exposed to the toxic substance before any danger of mesothelioma was realized.

In addition, older buildings and structures known to include asbestos have not been torn down and replaced. While risk is confined to breathing in the fibers or dust created when the particles become airborne, damaged buildings such as what happens during time of war, demolition or simple wear and tear puts everyone present at risk. Due to differences in laws outside of the United States, troops who currently serve in Afghanistan or Iraq continue to be exposed to the dangers of asbestos without adequate protection.

If you were exposed to asbestos during your length of service, was close to someone who was or just believes you might have been, it’s a good idea to discuss any concerns you have about that potential asbestos exposure with your doctor. This is especially important if you are experiencing breathing difficulties or have any lung issues, even minor ones.

Military service is crucial to ensure the success of the United States. Fortunately, citizens of the United States volunteer willfully and a draft has not been necessary since the Vietnam War. While the nation strives to offer those who serve proper compensation, there are a number of risks involved with service. While some are clear to those who sign up, others are relatively unknown.

The most obvious risk for service members relates to combat. Ultimately, militaries exist to protect nations and resources and the threat of combat looms large even over those in the world's safest regions. Fortunately, military medical care has improved dramatically and many troops are able to survive incidents that would have claimed their lives in the past.

Mental health issues are also common. Too often, the media and public do not fully consider the effects that combat has on the mind. Unfortunately, troops often fail to fully accept the severity of their mental health problems, and too many resort to substance abuse and dangerous behavior. The good news is that mental health problems, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, are being taken more seriously and many troops are receiving the care that they need to resume healthy lives after their service has ended. Medical science is finding new, better techniques for dealing with these traditionally ignored, yet serious health threats.

The risk of disease also threatens the health and safety of our troops. The realities of military life and warfare often dictate that soldiers live in close proximity to each other. These conditions allow diseases to spread easily from troop to troop. The Spanish Influenza outbreak that claimed between 50 and 130 million lives is partially blamed on World War I, which had many soldiers living in close quarters. Most of these diseases are self-limiting or treatable, but the risk of infection looms over the heads of soldiers.

Another risk is posed by environmental factors. In some cases, these factors have lead to diseases. Because of the usefulness of asbestos, it has been used in military applications for thousands of years; ancient Greeks noted its insulation and ability to limit the spread of fire. Unfortunately, it has also been conclusively linked to mesothelioma, a dangerous form of cancer. For decades after the link between asbestos and mesothelioma was made clear, the military continued to use asbestos, and many soldiers, especially those from the Vietnam Era, are now battling mesothelioma.

Military service comes with risk, and many soldiers pay the ultimate price on the battlefield. Frequently, however, soldiers are also paying a heavy cost decades after their service has ended.

Consider the wedding day. After much anticipation and planning, the big day finally arrives. It’s time for that ceremonial walk down the aisle. The bride and groom face each other and prepare to say their wedding vows. The have likely rehearsed and are familiar with what they have to say. But have they really studied the words? Do they understand the commitment they are about to make?

How many of us really paid attention to the words as we stated them in front of a member of the clergy or Justice of the Peace? Likely, very few of us…myself included!

For that reason, I believe it is important to review them once again.

Because no matter how strongly you believed in your vows at the time you stood across from each other and recited them, nothing tests your commitment to each other more than when one of you is informed by a member of the medical community that, “You have cancer.”

Let’s focus on a traditional version of the wedding vows and review their meaning:

Part 1: I (name) take thee, (name) to be my wedded (husband/wife)…

Yes, I admit it. I wondered if I was making a mistake. I was in love, but when you say you take a person to be your “wedded wife,” that was the biggest commitment I had ever made up to that point in my lifetime. It was hard to grasp the enormity of that statement. Until the words actually departed from my lips, I never truly considered it.

Today, my pledge has never wavered…not through my wife’s two episodes of cancer, her heart stopping and restarting in front of me, or the amputation of her leg due to the deadly disease. She is, and will always be “my wedded wife.”

Part 2: …to have and to hold from this day forward,

It’s not easy going from a single person to a married couple, where all decisions are suddenly made in tandem. This is forever. Part-time applicants need not apply.

These words are very important when cancer enters the picture. An instruction manual does not come with your marriage license. If one existed, I’m sure the words “abandon ship” are not included. Some take it upon themselves to do exactly that. However, “to have and to hold from this day forward” comes with no guarantees. And yet, it is forever.

Part 3: …for better, for worse,

Some call it “for worse.” I look at it differently. There are many uphill climbs a loyal and dedicated married couple must make. While most couples hike up rolling hills, cancer patients and their caregivers have just been handed a roadmap with a sign that states, “This way to Mount Everest!”

When life deals you a bad hand, such as mesothelioma cancer, this is the most important time to remain closely aligned to each other. The pronoun “you” or “I” needs to be stricken from your vocabulary. Now, more than ever, the word “we” should be used at all times. “We are in this together! We are, and will remained married ‘for better, for worse’.”

Part 4: …for richer, for poorer,

Like many newlywed couples, I used to save for many of the materialistic items most couples envy. That mindset changed dramatically when cancer knocked on our door. What I learned is that cancer does not discriminate. It attacks everyone, no matter his or her social status or financial standing.

Without the health and wellbeing of your significant other, nothing else should matter.

Part 5: …in sickness or in health,

According to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (Nov. 10, 2009), a woman is six times more likely to be separated or divorced soon after a diagnosis of cancer or multiple sclerosis than if it occurs to a man in the relationship.

When making the commitment of “in sickness or in health” few consider what that means. Disappointingly, too many “healthy spouses” take the easy way out. They leave their “in sickness or in health” commitment behind, along with their once significant other. I find this to be deplorable.

Part 6: …to love and to cherish,

The second time my wife had cancer, I learned more about myself than I ever thought imaginable. She had only a 30 percent chance of survival. One physician stated he did not expect her to live long enough to celebrate the next holiday season, which was less than five months away.

At that moment, I found that I fell more in love and cherished my wife more intensely than I could have ever imagined. Rather than throw up my hands and accept defeat, I fought as if my very being was under attack. That one simple word, “cherish,” has been by my side since the day I uttered that word so many years ago. It will never depart.

Part Last: …'til death do us part.

The divorce rate in the United States in 2012 is 46 percent. It means that almost one in every two marriages, under normal conditions, will not last long enough to test the final portion of the marriage vow…the one that addresses mortality.

There are so many promises encased in these ceremonial wedding vows. The commitment is enormous. Imagine the strain cancer can place on the best and most loving relationship.

It is then that you truly grasp the meaning of your wedding vows and whether your commitment was truly “until death do us part.”

About the author:

Rob Harris is a caregiver to his wife, Cindy, who is a two-time cancer survivor. Rob's professional areas of expertise include: strategic business partner, employee relations, stand-up trainer and course developer. In his spare time, Rob writes, blogs and enjoys cooking and sports. You can read more articles by Rob on his blog, Robcares.com

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