Douglas Karr, Petty Officer Second Class, United States Navy Veteran
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Veterans Blog - February 2010
Like asbestos, hexavalent chromium a "ticking time bomb" for vets
Think of hexavalent chromium and you may recall the movie Erin Brockovich. But the health consequences of exposure to this harmful contaminant are more devastating than anything you have seen in the movies.
At Qarmat Ali, a water treatment plant in Iraq, at least ten members of the Oregon Army National Guard were exposed to hexavalent chromium. They were attempting to protect employees of KBR, a war contracting company. The contaminant was spilled by Iraqis.
If you didn’t know, hexavalent chromium is so toxic that exposure to a grain-sized amount greatly increases a person’s likelihood of developing certain cancers, including lung and brain cancer. The service personnel who were exposed at Qarmat Ali were told that the exposure would not result in any serious health problems, and were given excuses by KBR as to why they were suffering from various symptoms, including nose bleeds [KBR told them that this was a reaction to the desert sand].
Now, a total of 21 soldiers from Oregon and other states have filed a lawsuit against KBR. However, the company firmly believes that it was not at all responsible for the spillage of hexavalent chromium at the Iraq plant, and that the company went so far as to post warning signs about the dangers of the substance. KBR blames Army engineers for the incident.
U.S. Senator Ron Wyden from Oregon met with some of the men exposed to hexavalent chromium during a press conference recently. One man, veteran Larry Roberta, made his way up to the podium to speak. As he stood next to Sen. Wyden, Roberta coughed and struggled to catch his breath. His breathing and stomach problems are a result of hexavalent chromium exposure.
“There was no way to get away from it [hexavalent chromium],” Roberta said. “Our job was to watch KBR’s back.”
In addition to the 21 individuals who filed suit, the Oregon National Guard is still seeking about 40 additional soldiers who may have been exposed and did not respond to a letter sent by the Guard.
Sen. Wyden thanked Roberta at the press conference, and became visibly angry after watching him struggle in front of reporters and community members.
“Precautions should have been taken and they were not,” Sen. Wyden stated. “That is inexcusable. The soldiers have become critically ill…that, again, is inexcusable.”
Roberta testified in front of the Oregon Legislature in 2009 in an attempt to start a foundation for soldiers who develop cancers as a result of hexavalent chromium exposure. The 44-year old veteran also started a website dedicated to all veterans who may have been exposed and are now suffering as a result.
Most of the men exposed are in their mid-thirties or early forties, and have children. All are worried about what will happen to them health-wise in the future.
Former Sergeant Major Kevin Stanger of Carlton, Oregon, asked the media at the press conference to imagine the soldiers standing in swirls of dust at the water treatment plant, with “this stuff [hexavalent chromium] all over the place.” It was close to 140 degrees, and the men were wearing heavy body armor and trying to stay hydrated. His fellow soldier, Stephen Mueller, said he now has what he describes as a “chest cold year round.” He came on behalf of the soldiers who were exposed but are still actively serving in the military and cannot speak out.
Former medic Sergeant Jesus Bruno told the media that he is afraid that he won’t see his three children grow up.
“This stuff is like a ticking time bomb. You don’t know when it’s going to go off.”
The same could be said about asbestos. Exposure to asbestos – even in small amounts, like hexavalent chromium – may lead to the development of mesothelioma, a fatal form of cancer that affects about 3,000 Americans each year. Well over 20% of those diagnosed happen to be veterans. Asbestos diseases have a latency period of up to fifty years, so those exposed may be well into their sixties or seventies when mesothelioma symptoms arise. Like the symptoms attributed to hexavalent chromium, mesothelioma symptoms include difficulty breathing and a lingering cough.
For more information about hexavalent chromium, please visit fellow veteran Larry Roberta’s website: http://www.qarmat-ali-vets.com/.
A search for information about hexavalent chromium on the VA website turned up very little information; however, the Dept. of Labor website does provide the following: http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/hexavalentchromium/index.html and more information can also be found by visiting http://www.hexavalentchromiumdangers.com/.
Attention: Raffle for injured Afghanistan war veteran
Jeff Jackson of the Soldier Support Project passed this along to me and I wanted to garner support via our blog.
Marine Corporal Josh Sweeney lost both of his legs after he stepped on an IED in Afghanistan. He was serving with the ¾ Scout Sniper Pit after enlisting with the Marine Corps at age 18. He was deployed on October 4, 2009 and just 24 days later he stepped on an IED while on patrol in the Helmand Province. Corporal Sweeney lost both of his legs above the knee, injured both hands, and has endured close to a dozen surgeries.
He says “I was prepared for what I was doing both physically and mentally before I left for Afghanistan. I knew what all the risks were and am glad to be alive.”
Now, Corporal Sweeney is looking forward to getting a brand new Ford F250. Gotta love a big truck!
The Soldier Support Project is holding a raffle to benefit Corporal Sweeney’s care and recovery. Tickets are $20.00, and the winner will receive a 2010 Ford Mustang, PA tax and vehicle fees fully paid.
If you would like to donate in lieu of purchasing a raffle ticket, please do so by emailing donate@soldiersupportproject.org. Or, you can visit the Soldier Support Project website, print up the raffle ticket entry form, and mail it to their headquarters.
If you’re on Twitter, please retweet today’s blog post & this information so that others can support Soldier Support Project in their efforts.
Women veterans invited to health fair on February 25th
Female veterans in the Saginaw, Michigan area are invited to attend a Women’s Health Fair from 10 AM until 2 PM at the Aleda E. Lutz VAMC Auditorium, in Room 1-1370 this Thursday the 25th.
In fact, all women in the community are welcome to attend, and children are welcome to tag along. The cost is FREE. Those seeking information about disease prevention, healthy lifestyles, parenting resources and other health-related topics should definitely put this in their calendar.
In addition, there will be massage therapists on site, as well as yoga demonstrations and free educational materials. Who doesn’t love free stuff? [There will also be free refreshments!]
Women vets are without argue faced with a number of different health concerns than their male counterparts. The VA, as many female veterans know, often struggles to meet their unique needs. The VA provides a number of female-specific healthcare services to women vets, including screening for female cancers and mammograms, maternity care, and more. However, as the number of females in the military continues to increase, some say that the VA must readjust their approach to serving this group of enlisted and veterans.
The VA reports that, in 2007, about 7% of veterans were women in their late forties. This makes the average age of female vets about twenty years younger than male veterans, and women in their late thirties to early fifties require unique care. And, as of 2008, 11% of Iraq and Afghanistan vets were women. About 44% of all female Iraq/Afghanistan vets were receiving healthcare services from the VA, and almost that same percent had utilized VA services more than once [Source: http://www.publichealth.va.gov/womenshealth/facts.asp].
Iraq and Afghanistan vets of both sexes are still faced with the risk of asbestos exposure, much like vets who served during WWII, in Vietnam, and Korea. Asbestos is the only determined cause of mesothelioma, a fatal form of cancer that affects the mesothelium, or lining of the internal organs. The majority of vets who suffer from asbestos cancer are diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma, which manifests in the lining of the lungs, but many have also died as a result of peritoneal mesothelioma, or cancer of the lining of the abdomen.
30% of all veterans diagnosed with this illness served in the Navy, and the number of mesothelioma navy cases remain the highest. It is important to remember, though, that servicemen and women from all branches are at risk.
To learn more about the Women’s Health Fair, please visit http://ow.ly/18hSj or call 989-497-2500 extension 11468 to speak with Sue Calentine, Women Veterans Program Manager at the Saginaw, MI VA.
Hey, are you following us on Twitter yet?
I am proud to report that our Twitter account now has over 300 followers! This is excellent news, as it allows us to reach more people and share our information. If you’re on Twitter, visit us at www.twitter.com/veteransblog and see what the buzz is about! All of our blog posts are posted via our Twitter account following posting, and I update daily [okay, sometimes not EVERY day…] with important veteran-focused news, health information, and updates. If you have a veteran-related story or alert that you would like for me to share with our over 300 followers on Twitter, please send me an email at dkarr@mesothelioma.com and I will be happy to pass it on!
NYPD releases latest images of September 11, 2001 attacks
It never gets any easier to look at images of the September 11, 2001 attacks on America. The New York City Police Department has released new aerial photos, taken by the NYPD Aviation Unit, which were posted on the ABC News website.
The thirteen images show the World Trade Center towers after American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175 crashed into them. Huge clouds of dark smoke trail from the top portion of the towers while the sun shines down on NYC. One of the most powerful images displays an unbelievable cloud of dust and rubble as it spreads out over Lower Manhattan. Included in the cloud of debris that settled over Lower Manhattan were airborne asbestos fibers, which are conclusively linked to the development of a fatal form of cancer, known as mesothelioma.
The World Trade Center towers were constructed before the institution of asbestos-usage laws by the federal government, and the 10,000 construction workers who worked at the site were likely exposed to asbestos during construction. Asbestos materials such as insulation, drywall, drop-ceiling tiles, floor tiles, and plaster were used inside the World Trade Center, and when the towers were damaged on 9/11, asbestos fibers became friable and subsequently were released into the air. For weeks, first responders, volunteers, and residents were breathing in airborne asbestos, not to mention other contaminants.
If inhaled asbestos fibers – which have a unique claw-like architecture – can lodge in the mesothelium, or lining of the body’s internal organs. In the case of NYC residents, cleanup volunteers and first responders, asbestos was likely inhaled and the fibers settled inside the pleura, or lining of the lungs. Eventually, these asbestos fibers may form a malignancy known as pleural mesothelioma. In some cases, those who ingested asbestos fibers may develop a malignancy in the peritoneum, or lining of the abdomen, and in even fewer instances, the fibers may have lodged themselves inside the pericardium, or lining of the heart.
An estimated 400 tons of asbestos was present inside the towers when they fell. While exposure to asbestos may not have immediate health consequences, those exposed may very well begin to experience symptoms decades after they were exposed in 2001. Mesothelioma symptoms include difficulty breathing, a lingering cough, chest or abdominal pain, or the presence of fluid within the lungs. First responders – police, firefighters, and EMTs – are considered to be among those at the most risk of developing mesothelioma in the future. Members of the military who made their way to NYC in the days and weeks following 9/11 to assist with cleanup efforts are also at risk (as is any military veteran who may have been exposed to asbestos during their time in the service – Iraq and Afghanistan war vets too!).
As you look at the newest images of the 9/11 attacks, take the opportunity to remember the events of that day and the sacrifice that our military men and women have made since then in an effort to protect our nation.
VA: Crews on several naval ships were exposed to Agent Orange, herbicides
The Agent Orange Exposure Compensation & Pension Service has reportedly collected data that confirms exposure to Agent Orange and other herbicides on at least sixteen U.S. naval vessels during the Vietnam War.
Robert Mitchell, a writer with the Saratogian online newspaper, stated that a number of sources confirmed that offshore naval vessels known as “blue waters” conducted operations in inland rivers and deltas in Vietnam (these inland rivers and deltas were known as “brown water” areas). Veterans who served on those “blue water” vessels were more than likely exposed to herbicide agents, including Agent Orange. The list of ships provided by the Saratogian included the USS Carronade IFS-1, the USS Clarion River LSMR 409, the USS Francis River LSMR 535, the USS White River LSMR 536, the USS Ingersoll DD-652, the USS Mansfield DD-728, the USS Richard E. Kraus DD-849, the USS Basilone DD-824, the USS Hamner DD-718, the USS Conway DD-507, the USS Fiske DD-842, the USS Black DD-666, the USS Mahan DLG-11, the USS Niagara Falls AFS-3, the USS Providence CLG-6 and the USS Okanogan APA-220.
Agent Orange is one of the most well-known herbicides used during the Vietnam War. It refers to a group of herbicides used between 1961 and 1971 that was sprayed over the Vietnamese jungles to deaden the leaves from the trees and expose enemy forces that were hiding there. The U.S. military sprayed millions of gallons of Agent Orange, exposing their own military men as well as Vietnamese forces and civilians. There are a number of diseases caused by Agent Orange that are recognized by the VA, including B Cell Leukemias, AL Amyloidosis, Peripheral Neuropathy, Lymphocytic Leukemia, and Multiple Myeloma.
Vets who served in Vietnam do not have to provide proof of exposure to the VA to receive benefits; Vietnam veterans who served during the aforementioned ten-year period are eligible for veteran health care benefits related to Agent Orange exposure. Children of Vietnam-era vets who have spina bifida or other qualifying birth defects may also be eligible for VA health care.
Like previous exposure to asbestos, Agent Orange can cause a number of serious, perhaps even fatal ailments. The men aboard naval ships in Vietnam not only had to be wary of herbicide exposure, but exposure to carcinogenic asbestos as well. Asbestos exposure on board U.S. Navy ships has led to the development of mesothelioma cancer in countless war veterans. Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that has no known cure and is extremely aggressive.
Vietnam vets who served on board any of the ships mentioned above should contact the VA and inquire about further medical tests and benefits. For more information please visit http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/treatment.asp.
February 4, 2010 is World Cancer Day
Today is World Cancer Day, a day when people worldwide are invited to learn more about cancer, which happens to be one of the leading causes of death across the globe. It is important to learn as much as we can about how to prevent cancer, which happens to be this year’s World Cancer Day theme. The World Health Organization, or WHO, stresses a renewed focus on preventative measures that can help people across our world avoid a cancer diagnosis. These measures include sticking to a healthy diet and exercise plan, avoiding or limiting alcohol intake, the avoidance of tobacco products, and vaccination against certain diseases that can lead to the development of cancer.
For more information about World Cancer Day, visit the WHO website.
