Honor The Names

Company C, 1st Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment in Haiti

2010-01-21T09:24:00.002-06:00

Company C, 1st Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment in Haiti

Major aftershock brings panicked evacuation at hospital
By Megan McCloskey, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Thursday, January 21, 2010

Megan McCloskey / Stripes
Soldiers help carry a patient shortly after the earthquake hit Port-au-Prince Wednesday morning. Patients had to be evacuated from the buildings and then lined up in a manner so doctors could attend to them.

Megan McCloskey / Stripes
Sgt. Willie Green, left, elevates the broken leg of an 8-year-old boy after he and other patients were moved out of the hospital buildings after the earthquake hit Port-au-prince Wednesday morning. Pfc. Anthony Invzitari, right, helps. PREVIOUS STORY: 82nd Airborne bringing calm to chaos at Port-au-Prince hospital

See Stripes reporter Megan McCloskey's Twitter reports from Haiti here.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Wailing echoed around the hospital here after another earthquake hit Wednesday around 6 a.m, sending doctors and relatives of the injured into a panic to get patients out of the shaking buildings and onto the street.

They frantically carried patients out on hospital beds, in rolling chairs and in their arms, as the U.S. military tried to maintain some semblance of order in the moments following the 5.9-magnitude temblor, the strongest of the dozens of aftershocks to hit in the last week.

The soldiers of Company C, 1st Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, who are tasked with securing the hospital, jumped in to help, donning blue latex gloves, carrying patients and sending their medics to attend to patients.

As a doctor used a bullhorn to tell the patients what was happening, soldiers, two on each end of the hospital beds, started spreading the patients out into a line so doctors could get to them. Others ran into the building to carry out supplies.

In the early morning light, many patients were sitting forlorn on pieces of cardboard. Some started swaying and singing. Others wore the blank expression of shock and resignation. Two men got into a shoving match. And off to the opposite side, one body laid on a mattress covered in a yellow blanket.

Outside the pediatric ward, parents were sitting on the ground holding their quiet, injured children, many of whom had bandages wrapped around their heads or covering the remaining part of an amputated limb.

At the time of the quake, at least three women were in labor. In the middle of a crush of patients, an aid worker rushed to get masks on the doctor and nurses as one woman delivered on a hospital bed right outside the door of the building. Then the medical crew ran to another woman.

“This is a breech baby! I can’t deliver a breech baby on this bed!” a doctor shouted with frantic emotion cracking her words as a nurse hurriedly tied a new blue gown around her.

There were calls for supplies: “I need two pieces of rope. And scissors!”

“I’ve got scissors,” an aid worker with a flashlight taped to his ball cap responded, running over to the bed where nurses were trying to better position the pregnant woman for a difficult delivery.

They turned to the Army, pleading with them to get an obstetrician to the site. A soldier ran off to ask the captain.

Before the quake, the hospital crews had been working largely in the dark throughout the night. Vanessa McAlmon, a nurse from New York, said she was dressing a large leg wound when the tremor happened.

“The building started to shake and the residents panicked,” she said. “Family members started to cut, cut people out of their tractions and carry them out of the building.”

Staff Sgt. Julio Escareno was securing a condemned building when the quake hit.

“I was pointing out the point you can’t go past when it started shaking and we started running,” he said.

Company C’s medics started tending to patients, fighting through the language barrier, as family members standing over the hospital beds waved away the flies.

An 8-year-old boy with a broken leg was crying when Sgt. Willie Green went over to see if he could help. With Pfc. Anthony Inzitari comforting the boy, Green inspected the leg. He ran to go find something — anything — to splint the leg.

Inzitari sighed and said softly: “This is horrible.”

Green had no luck with a splint but was able to find something to elevate the injured leg, and through a translator the young boy said that made him feel better.

A relative calm started to fall over the patients as some semblance of order was restored. But returning to the hospital was going to be a challenge.

“Every time they feel an aftershock they do not want to go back in,” McAlmon, the New York nurse, said. “They’re scared. You know how long it’s going to take us to get them to go back inside?”

President Obama’s Afghanistan Plan in 4 Minutes

2010-01-21T09:23:00.000-06:00

Below link to video of speech.

President Obama’s Afghanistan Plan in 4 Minutes

The main points of President Obama’s plan for Afghanistan as delivered on December 1, 2009 at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. (Public Domain)

http://www.whitehouse.gov/photos-and-video/video/president-obama-s-afghanistan-plan-4-minutes

VA Announces Study of Vietnam-Era Women Veterans

2010-01-21T09:19:00.001-06:00

VA Announces Study of Vietnam-Era Women Veterans

On November 18, Secretary, Eric K. Shinseki, announced VA's launching of a comprehensive study of women Veterans who served in the military during the Vietnam War to explore the effects of their military service upon their mental and physical health.

For additional information regarding the study, please contact Dr. Tracey Serpi, by phone at (410) 642-2411, extension 6122, or by email at tracey.serpi@va.gov.

Special Monthly Compensation

Did you know you may be eligible for a special monthly compensation? VA broadened its coverage of special monthly compensation for women Veterans who suffered loss of breast tissue related to their military service. The benefit covers those losing 25 percent or more tissue from a single breast or from both breasts in combination. It includes loss by mastectomy or partial mastectomy, or following radiation treatment. In addition to breast tissue loss, special monthly compensation rates also apply when a Veteran experiences loss of a reproductive organ or its use. Women Veterans with service-connected breast tissue loss who are not receiving the special monthly compensation should contact VA (1-800-827-1000) to find out if they are eligible.

Click on the link for additional information on the special monthly compensation: http://www.vba.va.gov/VBA/benefits/factsheets/serviceconnected/smc.doc

Lioness

Lioness, a documentary that takes an intimate look at war through the eyes of U.S. military women, follows five female support soldiers who served together for a year in Iraq supporting Marine Corps units in direct ground combat. PBS will air an encore showing on June 2, 2009. Check your local listings for channel and time. http://www.lionessthefilm.com

VA Links

1. VA Women Veterans Health Care
http://www.publichealth.va.gov/womenshealth/

2. 25 Most Frequently Asked Questions and Responses
http://www1.va.gov/womenvet/docs/25FAQs_web_version.pdf

3. Center for Women Veterans Fact Sheet
http://www1.va.gov/womenvet/docs/CWV_Fact_Sheet_Final_August_2008.pdf

4. Advisory Committee on Women Veterans
http://www1.va.gov/womenvet/page.cfm?pg=67

5. Reports of the Advisory Committee on Women Veterans
http://www1.va.gov/womenvet/page.cfm?pg=54

6. National Summit on Women Veteran's Issues
http://www1.va.gov/womenvet/page.cfm?pg=70

7. Statistics on Women Veterans
http://www1.va.gov/womenvet/page.cfm?pg=53

Center Mission

In November 1994, Public Law 103-446 established the Center for Women to monitor and coordinate VA's administration of health care and benefits services and programs for women Veterans. The Center serves as an advocate for a cultural transformation (both within VA and in the general public) in recognizing the service and contributions of women Veterans and women in the military, and in raising awareness of the responsibility to treat women Veterans with dignity and respect. The Director, Center for Women Veterans, acts as the primary advisor to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs on all matters related to policies, legislation, programs, issues, and initiatives affecting women veterans.

Director, Center for Women Veterans
Irene Trowell-Harris, RN, Ed.D

Associate Director, Center for Women Veterans
Betty Moseley Brown, Ed.D.

Secretary Shinseki Releases Hospital Report Card

2010-01-21T09:16:00.001-06:00

Secretary Shinseki Releases Hospital Report Card

December 9, 2009

Transparent Look at Quality and Safety Gives VA High Marks

WASHINGTON – For the second consecutive year, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has released a “hospital report card” as part of VA’s effort to provide the public with a transparent accounting of the quality and safety of its care.

“This report demonstrates VA’s determination to be open and accountable,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “As a health care organization, transparency of information is essential to providing quality care for our Veterans.”

In addition, for the first time, data from both the 2008 and 2009 reports will be available to the public in machine-readable format on Data.gov. To empower Veterans and the public at large to track quality, safety and access to Veterans Health Administration (VHA) facilities, VA’s hospital report cards include raw data on care provided in outpatient and hospital settings, quality of care within given patient populations, and patient satisfaction and outcomes.

VA issued its first facility-level report on quality and safety in May 2008. As part of the Obama Administration’s commitment to open government and accountability, VA highlights its rigorous quality programs and actions taken to address the issues VA identified from the last report.

The report gives the health care system high marks, with VA facilities often outscoring private-sector health plans in standards commonly accepted by the health care industry.

“Patient-centric care is our mission,” said Shinseki. “As Secretary, I am committed to continuing to meet and surpass our high standards of care each and every day.”

In addition to allowing VA to demonstrate the quality and safety of its care, the report card provides opportunities to enhance health services.

Some of the marked improvements that VA showed in 2009 include:

• Smoking cessation counseling provided to 89 percent of Veteran patients, a 6 percent improvement from 2008; and

• Among all ages at risk, 94 percent of Veterans received a pneumonia immunization, a 4 percent improvement.

The report notes there is more to be done for women Veterans. To address this priority and provide women Veterans with the highest quality care VA has implemented several initiatives, such as placement of women advocates in every outpatient clinic and medical center, and creating a “mini-residency” program on women’s health for primary care physicians.

The report also found minority Veterans are generally less satisfied with inpatient and outpatient care than other Veterans. In addition to targeting outreach efforts to these Veterans, a minority Veteran program coordinator has been placed in every medical center.

“VA’s hospital report card will become a valuable resource of information for Veterans, stakeholders and the department.” said Shinseki. “It will allow VA’s health care system to be forward looking and focused on advancement.”

VA’s 2008 and 2009 hospital report cards can be found at http://www.va.gov/health/HospitalReportCard.asp.

Do You Qualify For VA Health Care?

2010-01-21T09:11:00.001-06:00

Do You Qualify For VA Health Care?

Answer a few questions to find out if you qualify for free or low-cost health care benefits from the US Department of Veterans Affairs.

Do you receive money from VA for a service-connected condition?
Yes No

Are any of these statements true?

You served in the active military, naval, or air service and were honorably discharged or released

You were/are a Reservist or National Guard member and you were called to active duty by a Federal Order (for other than training purposes) and you completed the full call-up period

You were discharged or separated for medical reasons, early out, or hardship

You served in theater of combat operations within the past 5 years

You were discharged from the military because of a disability (not preexisting)

You were A former Prisoner of War

You received a Purple Heart Medal

You receive VA pension benefits

You receive state Medicaid benefits
Yes No

Go to this link - answer the questions and submit:

http://www4.va.gov/healtheligibility/Library/tools/Quick_Eligibility_Check/index.asp

D.C. World War I Memorial PSA

2009-12-14T09:50:00.001-06:00

What will happen to the Museum in Kansas City, Kansas that they named the National WWI Memorial?

Special Thanks to the National Park Service who allocated over 7 million dollars to restore the D.C. World War Memorial. The fight is still not over. HR 482 calls for the expansion and restoration of the memorial to serve as the DC and National WWI Memorial. ...

David DeJonge talks about the abandoned World War One Memorial on the National Mall in Washington DC. With Interviews with Frank Woodruff Buckles and others at the Memorial. 90 years after 116,000 men ...

From Paul Courson
CNN

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- At 107, Frank Buckles must know there is not much time for him to honor the memory of his comrades who served the United States during the first World War. He's the last surviving U.S. veteran of what then was called the Great War.

Frank Buckles is 107 years old and the last surviving U.S. veteran of World War I.

The old soldier comes to Washington Tuesday hoping to turn a run-down local memorial on the National Mall into something in keeping with other, permanent monuments to Americans who've sacrificed in other wars.

Buckles, who left the Army as a corporal, first visited the site back in March. "I think it was a very nice idea," he said from his wheelchair, after he and an aide had toured the gazebo-styled structure.

Buckles noted that the memorial is not national but was built primarily to honor about 500 veterans from the District of Columbia.

"I can read here that it was started to include the names of those who were local," Buckles said.

He has since joined a crusade to establish the site as a national memorial, which includes a legislative push from Texas Republican congressman Ted Poe. He and Buckles plan to announce details of their mission at a 2 p.m. news conference held at the D.C. memorial site.

Also pushing the overhaul and upgrade are the D.C. Preservation League and the World War I Memorial Foundation.

The site of the current monument -- in dense woods not far from the fresh and elaborate World War II memorial -- is hard to find, even in the dead of winter, when Buckles last visited.

Don't Miss
Senate honors last living 'Doughboy'White House honors last WWI veteran
"We just saw it through the trees," tourist Regina Duffy told CNN back in March. "I was surprised when we got over here that it was a World War I memorial because I thought it would be more prominent."

With summer foliage fully in bloom, the city's monument is almost completely obscured.

Zeke Musa of Florida said it "looks like it's been neglected."

"If you just look at the walks here, all the stones are broken and everything. These guys served their country, you know? It's a shame," said Musa, a Vietnam veteran.

According to an autobiography released earlier this year by the Pentagon, Buckles was eager to join the war. Although only 16 in the summer of 1917, he lied about his age to get into the armed services.

He said his recruiter told him "the Ambulance Service was the quickest way to get to France," so he took training in trench casualty retrieval.

Buckles eventually was an officer's escort in France before joining a detail transporting German prisoners of war.

He now lives on his family's cattle farm near Charles Town, West Virginia.

We upgraded!!!!!!! Welcome to our NEW Blog

2009-11-30T10:33:00.001-06:00

We just completed a platform rebuild on our server. We actually have not been able to upgrade or manage the site since November 1st.

During this time our site remained up and forum functions worked but we could not control the content.

When we came back online at midnight we found that we were "blasted" from foreign lands far and wide with enough XXX pictures and ads to start a new business.

Therefore, here we are in our new home. We hope this will allow us to interact with you about military and veteran affairs without interference from the gremlins.

Robin Silva
President
Honorthenames

Please help if you can------------

2009-11-30T10:27:00.000-06:00

IMPORTANT research studies

Attention!

Please help if you can------------

Healthy Veterans Gulf War Illness (GWI)

Men and Women

Take part in IMPORTANT research studies

FREE exercise stress test

fMRI “Brain Scans”

Muscle strength

Blood and other tests

Expenses paid for Participation, Travel and Parking

202-687-8231
gwiresearch@georgetown.edu

http://www9.georgetown.edu/facul...
James N.Baraniuk, MD - Georgetown University

Letter from James A. Bunker , President , NGWR Center, Inc.

2009-11-30T10:22:00.000-06:00

Reposted by Honorthenames do to upgrade:

Letter from James A. Bunker , President , National Gulf War Resource Center, Inc.

This last quarter for the National Gulf War Resource Center (NGWRC) has kept us on our toes. We had our membership meeting in Louisville KY as a joint meeting with the Veterans of Modern Warfare (VMW). While we were led to believe that we were there to find a way to work together, it was apparent they never had that as their plan. Rather, the VMW wanted us to close up shop. This was something that did not go well for our member groups' voting-reps at the meeting. Therefore, we asked them to return all of our property; we hope to see it soon.

On August 12, the VA sent letters went out to many Gulf War veterans, some Vietnam veterans, and some Korean veterans erroneously informing them that they had an ALS diagnosis. The NGWRC became the first on the scene to set the record right. We sent press releases, we posted articles on our website, and we called the VA central office to let them know what was going on. The VA Chief of Staff and I fought together in the same battalion in the Gulf War. He did agree to become our Executive Director. Two months later he was called to do a job a will help even more veterans.

The Resource Center was flooded with requests for interviews over a week and half period on the ALS letters. Denise Nichols and Brent Casey helped the President in fielding some of the reports. FOX and CNN both wanted to do their reports early in the morning, so I had Brent spoke on behalf of the NGWRC and also from the perspective of a veteran who received one of the letters. I did an interview with Katie Couric, AP, AP Wire, CNN radio, MSNBC radio, and CBS radio just to name. There was no one from the American Legion, VFW, DAV or any other veteran organization except the VCS a day later. VMW said it was nothing for them to worry about.

I sent a letter to the Secretary of the VA with recommendations to include reimbursing out-of-pocket expenses incurred by veterans. They did everything we asked. We were on top of the issue. We got our name out into the news again. I would like to thank Denise Nichols and Brent Casey for helping out with the interviews. During that same period, we had thousands of hits to our website and the self help guide. It still is the most hit page on the site.

Before that was cleared up, the VA announced it was cutting funding to the Texas University study and Dr. Haley's research. Denise and I worked together to put out a press release on it, which generated some more interviews with a couple places in Texas and some research magazines. I called the VA central office and sent a letter to the Secretary on how important it was to keep the funding; however, the forces wanting the money to end won.

I spent most of September working the phones and writing letter to Capitol Hill on getting $12 million in funding for research into treatment and diagnostic tests for gulf war illness. The House passed a $8 million funding packet for Gulf War Illness (GWI) as a part of the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP). The Senate lumped all of the money into one pot, meaning we could get none. Once again we took the lead and worked the Senate to amend the Department of Defense (DOD) appropriations bill with the $12 million. The Senate did so and we were able to keep the $12 million in the final bill that will be signed. I would like to thank Denise for her calling over 90% of the Senate.

To those that have not been to the NGWRC website as of late, you do need to come by. It is an article-driven site where members cannot only send in ideas but can help add to the site. We all need to keep in mind that The Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans Illnesses pulled together work of scientific and government investigations and found the evidence "leaves no question that Gulf War illness is a real condition."

James A. Bunker
President
National Gulf War Resource Center, Inc.
2611 SW 17th St Topeka, KS 66604
Cell 785-221-0612
Toll free 866-531-7183
http://www.ngwrc.org/

Gulf War Syndrome: Killing Our Own

2009-11-30T10:19:00.001-06:00

Gulf War Syndrome: Killing Our Own

After the Vietnam War, hundreds of thousands of U.S. veterans suffered toxic reactions, neurological damage, and rare cancers due to exposure to 2,4,5,-D and 2,4,5-T dioxin that was used in the form of the defoliant Agent Orange. Unfortunately, the U.S. military denied the problem and failed to heed any of the lessons of this chemical butchery. Instead, it expanded its harmful legacy to the current generation of soldiers and civilians exposed to new, more deadly chemical toxins in the Persian Gulf. Join accomplished filmmaker Gary Null, PhD, as he explores the real truth about Gulf War Syndrome and the secrets about chemical and germ warfare that the U.S. government is hiding from its veterans and the public. Dr. Null uncovers the hidden truths about Gulf War Syndrome, including the deadly and toxic effects of armor-piercing radioactive depleted uranium, the use of experimental and risky vaccines on over 1,100,000 U.S. troops, and the indescribable chemical contamination and environmental devastation that the military caused during the Persian Gulf Wars. In this film, Dr. Null relies on compelling testimony from eyewitnesses who served in the military, leading doctors and scientists who specialize in chemical exposure, and those veterans still suffering from the effects of their tours of duty.

Watch the full documentary now

http://globaldocumentaryfilms.com/?p=518

GULF WAR VETERANS DIE WAITING FOR ANSWERS

2009-11-30T10:15:00.001-06:00

Gulf War Veterans Statistics for September 09 and Editorial
Posted on October 11, 2009 by DSNurse

GULF WAR VETERANS DIE WAITING FOR ANSWERS

DESERT STORM VETERANS ENDURE THE BATTLE AS VA CUTS OFF

CRITICAL UTSWMED FUNDING

In September of 2009, 19 years after the First Gulf War in 1990-91, Desert Storm Veterans death count by online obituaries hit a record of 64 in one month.

Ten deaths occurred in the 30 year old group, 38 in their fourties, 11 in their fifties, 3 in their 60's, and 2 in their seventies. This is upside down from what you might normally expect. This fact alone is reason for alarm bells to be going off for our fellow gulf war veterans and their families. Also to the survivors of those who have died in the past 19 years. To VA, Congress, and to the President alarm bells should be signailing ALERT RED. Our veterans of other wars, all Americans, and media journalist should be joining this fight to get answers NOW. These veterans are dying too young for having as was said the shortest war with the least casualities.

Some veterans even in the past said Operation Desert Storm was not a war but a Cake Walk and administrations, congress, and the media celebrated and called the first Gulf War a Victory that chased the Ghosts of Vietnam away. I am afraid they were all wrong, the Gulf War veterans knew and have stood up to do battle since shortly after they came home. They are sick and they are dying! Yet even those that are sick and need to conserve their energy are having to go to DC every year to beg for research funds. They are having to wage a war after the war!

Their hope and unity sometimes is the only thing that holds them together. Those hopes were broken when VA stopped funding the VA Research Collaborative Center at the UTSW Medical University at Dallas, Tx. How can VA or anyone in this administration be so blind to the Desert Storm Veterans needs.

Uniformed services lost 64 veterans! 27 were Army, 26 were Army Reservists, 2 were Army National Guard, 12 were Air Force, 6 were Marines, and 8 were Navy. How many of these had family members, employees, friends, and neighbors that have served since 911 in OIF and OEF(Iraq and Afghanistan). Shouldn't we be investigating why we have the death rate in the Navy or the Air Force that supposedly were not in the areas of Kamishea chemical exposure?

How many more of the Desert Storm Veterans, Gulf War I (90-91) will continue the tradition of military service in their offspring? How many of these had been family members of Vietnam Veterans that suffered thru the Agent Orange effects that followed the Vietnam War, or were offspring of the Atomic Veterans, or defense and civilian workers that worked in nuclear industry or chemical or medical industries that had knowledge and possible ill health affects also? How many had multiple family or extended family members affected by illnesses after each of these? Do you expect that this will impact the future for recruitment when promises of VA care and compensation are left as empty unfulfilled promises and empty words! Yet it is happening again and again leaders on the hill thump their chest and make empty promises that they, the VA, and the White House quickly forget! Yet again we hear the words we will get you VA care and compensation and LEAVE NO STONE UNTURNED as they did just this past week with the Iraq Veterans that were exposed to a known deadly carcinogenic substance!

WE had one veteran that had served in WWII, Korean War, Vietnam and Operation Desert Storm die in September. We had one that had served in the Korean War and Desert Storm. We had one that had served Vietnam and Desert Storm, and Operation Iraqi Freedom and we had one that had served Vietnam, Desert Storm and Operation Enduring Freedom die in September. We had 6 that had served Vietnam War and Desert Storm ie Gulf War I that died in September. We had two that had served in Gulf War 1, Kosovo, and Operation Iraqi Freedom and 2 that had served Gulf War 1 and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

14 Total Patriotic Americans that had served more than once in wars that had pledge to support the Constitution against foreign and domestic enemies! Were their service recognized by Purple Hearts from the unseen wounds of war and exposures to wartime hazardous exposures? Were their service and the others that served in the Gulf War that are now dead awarded service connection to these war time exposures? Or did they have to fight the VA and their country to their deaths? Were their survivors cared for and received their benefits as they would be if they had been service connected? Are their survivors and offspring recognized annually in DC as our OIF and OEF killed in battle are being recognized? The answer is NO.

This is the Thanks of a Grateful Nation? To be ignored by US Representatives, Senators, Presidents, VA, the military services, and last but not least the media!

We lost 3 pilots, 2 submariners, 1 Doctor, 1 Medic, 1 Chaplain, 1 Navy Seal, 1 MP, 1 First CAV, 82nd Airborne, 1st Anglico Surveillance Reconnaissance Specialist and probably many more in the elite divisions. We lost 2 Navy LCDR, 1 Navy commander, 1 Command Sgt Major, 1 Chief Master Sgt, 3 LTCol., 1 Captain, 3 Master Sgts, and others undesignated by their ranks.

Highly experienced, trained, and educated veterans that could have served their communities more. Read their obituaries so many were outstanding Americans that were truly the best of the Best. WE heard of the greatest generation of WW2 and now the War on Terror (OIF and OEF) referred to as the Next Greatest Generation. I do wish that America would realize how the Gulf War Veterans of 90-91 had some of the highest educations and longest military service in years than of the previous eras/wars! WE are sick of being the so soon to be forgotten ones!

As far as causes of death for this month's 64 veterans what we do know is limited to what we can find mentioned in the obituaries. There was 1 Suicide, 3 automobile Accidents, 3 Cancers, 1 Brain Cancer, 1 ALS, 3 Cardiacs, 1 Diabetic, 1 Lung, 1 Kidney, 3 lengthy illnesses, one brief illness, 5 sudden deaths, 12 died at home, one died in his sleep, 10 died in a hospital, 1 died in a health care facilty, 8 at least with no known factors, and the overwhelming majority had no cause of death just that they died at home or hospital. Four female veterans of the Gulf War 1 died this month.

Certainly this calls for a response to the calls to set up a Death Registry on line at the VA website to list name, age, rank, duty code, unit and location in theater during the Gulf War 1, diagnoses, and cause of death. Certainly we need to also have a registry of diagnosed illnesses on Gulf War 1 veterans identify by a code number, unit assigned in Gulf War I, location in theater, age at diagnosis. I believe that is the least this government could do for the gulf war I veterans.

This data would help the veterans and their families, the surviving family members, the health care providers, and the researchers.

The Social Security and IRS data for those deceased could be readily accessed monthly to give monthly data on deaths.

And I think the US Senate VA Committee owes it to the Gulf War Veterans to hold full and complete hearings on the cancellation of the Gulf War Research that was entering its third of five years at Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. I think they owe it to all Americans! The VA Committees of both the House and Senate should be holding joint hearings on the Gulf War illness now and in the future to hear from the Researchers, the Gulf War Veterans Advocates(all), and many individual gulf war veterans and their families until VA compensation and care problems are truly resolved and until all research is completed and treatment is being received by these veterans!

WE just had a dog and pony show of a Gulf War Veterans VA Advisory Committee turn in their shamefully limited report to the Secretary of the VA. This report does not even include the recommendations made by veterans advocates or individual veterans and their family members that although sick and ill and a few survivors of some of the dead traveled to meetings, paying out of their pockets to represent the other hundreds of thousands that served during Desert Storm/Gulf War 1990-91. The veterans saw early on that this was not going to be truly a benefical endeavor and that again they were being brushed aside and ignored. And again they were right because again the recommendation to put them into a program that is developed and run by psychologist is not the right way to go. In addition to mixing apples and oranges and trying to put veterans of Gulf War 1 in with OIF and OEF veterans is not going to work. And most of all no mention is made of training doctors and health care providers on the PHYSIOLOGIC needs of the Gulf War I veterans and research that has been done in the last five to ten years. The Gulf War Veterans are not praising this effort at all.

The Gulf War Veterans want a Congressionally directed Advisory committee on Gulf War Veterans to deal with care, treatment, compensation, the needs of their family members and the needs of the survivors of the dead gulf war veterans since the gulf war that have experienced ill health since returning. WE want this as an open ended committment with no end date. WE want representatives of the gulf war veterans that are and have been true advocates to serve and not just those from service organizations that are nominated that have not had the historical background and knowledge of what has gone on for 19 years! So congress and the hill in DC get busy and get us a bill now!

The White House and the President needs to speak out and lead on this issue. There can be no excuses at all accepted. The Excuse of funding, geopolitical situations, reputations of past DOD, VA, and Presidents or other officials can not be protected when they have left their soldiers on the field after the war of 1990-91.

And it is well pass time that national media to include all television stations, radio stations, newspapers, and print media cover the story of the Veterans of Gulf War 1 (1990-91) Operation Desert Storm.

___________________From previous posting:

This is truly heartbreaking as we watch our fellow soldiers die from the Gulf War 90-91 monthly. They are dying too young! In the meantime the gulf war advocates battle on for 12 million dollars in the Defense appropriations for 2010 for continued research to find treatments for gulf war illness. The 12 million is a very small amount to be expended to help find answers for them! The 12 million dollars is for the DOD Congressional Mandated Research on Gulf War Illness ( DOD-CDMRP-GWI).

At the same time they are battling the VA to restore funding of a landmark VA Collaborative Center of Research between VA and UTSWM in Dallas which has been halted in this same time period. That Center was entering its third year of a 75 million dollar project to get answers to the neurological damage done in Gulf War 90-91. It was 15 million for each of 5 years. It was headed up by Dr Robert Haley who has been dedicated to the Gulf War Veterans fight since Ross Perot recruited the help from his local medical university following a meeting of Navy Seabees that approached Mr Perot in 1994 for help after they had experienced high levels of illness following their return in 1991 and saw that again their nation had not learned from the lessons of Agent Orange or the Atomic Veterans. Dr Hailey had recruited other researchers from multiple universities and is fighting gallantly to keep this dedicated group of researchers together to help the gulf war veterans.

He had accomplished several milestones including a reevaluation of the Seabees at the ten year point after their initial study with expanded diagnostic testing that took 7 full days for each to complete. This evaluation enabled him to do a review of their health changes over the last 10 years, to fine tune the evaluations of diagnostic test to refine it to the best testing into a four day period of tests for his next planned sudy of 2,000 veterans drawn from another part of the 5 year study that included a nation wide phone survey of gulf war veterans that took each of the veterans multiple phone interviews to complete the detailed phone interview survey. This phone survey took over a year to accomplish and was subcontracted out as part of the five year project.

The original survey used on the initial Seabee study had been expanded and further refined. ALL of that work is at a stand still and a stand off initiated by the VAOIG. It did not help that Senator Akaka, the chairman of the Senate VA Committee, took it on himself to send a letter to the VA to back up their VAOIG and decision to stop the funding without even holding a FULL AND COMPLETE SENATE VA COMMITTEE HEARING to have both sides come forward to testify to the FULL SENATE VA COMMITTEE. Is this how the Senate and our government is suppose to work and provide oversight and investigate departments within our government? And the White House and thus the President has yet to step into this situation and lead. Was this the Change we were expecting?

The Gulf War Veterans are asking for all Americans to step forward to send letters, fax, email and yes make calls to DC to the President and to their US Senators and call for this whole situation to be reviewed. While we just had hearings this past week of more chemical exposures on soldiers during the OIF war in Iraq and exposures on bases in the US and chest beating that the DOD had done poorly again and in light of Gulf War Illness that they should know better. We wonder where is the Senate and the White House on following up on the mess of Gulf War Illness from 1990-91 and Operation Desert Storm veterans who are dying too young and without VA care and Compensation and without answers to diagnostic tests to use and treatments to offer to help them.

The VA is without an active training and education program for VA doctors that concentrate on actual physical damage to these veterans. For way too long since they returned in 1991 these Desert Storm - Gulf War Veterans of 90-91 have been pushed to the psychologist and psychological care with funding that concentrated on PTSD and stress while the Congressionally Directed VA Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Illness has stated in multiple reports starting in 2004 that the damage done was not PTSD and Stress. These veterans are dying too young and at an alarming rate. Their fellow veterans and survivors need help and answers now not standoffs, denials, delays, backstabing of researchers and other DOD, VA, political or medical research interruptions.

Detection of an Infectious Retrovirus, XMRV, in Blood Cells.

2009-11-30T10:11:00.001-06:00

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Detection of an Infectious Retrovirus, XMRV, in Blood Cells.

Published Online October 8, 2009

Science DOI: 10.1126/science.1179052

Science Express Index
Reports
Submitted on July 14, 2009
Accepted on August 31, 2009

Detection of an Infectious Retrovirus, XMRV, in Blood Cells of Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Vincent C. Lombardi 1, Francis W. Ruscetti 2, Jaydip Das Gupta 3, Max A. Pfost 1, Kathryn S. Hagen 1, Daniel L. Peterson 1, Sandra K. Ruscetti 4, Rachel K. Bagni 5, Cari Petrow-Sadowski 6, Bert Gold 2, Michael Dean 2, Robert H. Silverman 3, Judy A. Mikovits 1*

1 Whittemore Peterson Institute, Reno, NV 89557, USA.

2 Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, Frederick, MD 21701, USA.

3 Department of Cancer Biology, The Lerner Research Institute, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.

4 Laboratory of Cancer Prevention, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, Frederick, MD 21701, USA.

5 Advanced Technology Program, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, Frederick, MD 21701, USA.

6 Basic Research Program, Scientific Applications International Corporation, National Cancer Institute-Frederick, Frederick, MD 21701, USA.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Judy A. Mikovits , E-mail: judym@wpinstitute.org

These authors contributed equally to this work.

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a debilitating disease of unknown etiology that is estimated to affect 17 million people worldwide. Studying peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from CFS patients, we identified DNA from a human gammaretrovirus, xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV), in 68 of 101 patients (67%) compared to 8 of 218 (3.7%) healthy controls. Cell culture experiments revealed that patient-derived XMRV is infectious and that both cell-associated and cell-free transmission of the virus are possible. Secondary viral infections were established in uninfected primary lymphocytes and indicator cell lines following exposure to activated PBMCs, B cells, T cells, or plasma derived from CFS patients. These findings raise the possibility that XMRV may be a contributing factor in the pathogenesis of CFS.

New American Legion Website

2009-11-30T10:06:00.000-06:00

New American Legion Website

The American Legion launched a new website to increase the visibility and local activities of posts in communities throughout the U.S. and overseas. The American Legion invites posts and Legion family members to tell us their stories by posting blogs and photos on the new Legiontown website.

The organization also recently published two, new booklets -- "Legiontown, U.S.A." and "The Four Pillars of The American Legion." To order a copy of each booklet, e-mail pr@legion.org or call (317) 630-1253.

For more information, or to join The American Legion go to http://www.legion.org./

VA Restarts Vietnam Vet Study

2009-11-30T10:04:00.001-06:00

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VA Restarts Vietnam Vet Study

House Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Bob Filner (D-Calif.) commended Department of Veterans' Affairs (VA) Secretary Shinseki for agreeing to restart the National Vietnam Veterans Longitudinal Study. VA initiated the study in 1984 as a result of a Congressional mandate. In 2000, Congress again directed VA to reassess this generation of veterans in a follow-up study and provide a report by October 2004. However, this directive hasn't been carried out by the VA until now.

Learn more about what the VA:

http://www.military.com/benefits/veterans-health-care

Court Says GI Funeral Protests Legal

2009-11-30T09:47:00.004-06:00

Reposting by Honorthenames – We thank the Baltimore Sun for bringing this to light once again. The staff at Honorthenames as veterans are completely fed up with the so called political correctness of today’s society. What happened to the rights of the soldier and his family?

Court Says GI Funeral Protests Legal

September 25, 2009
Baltimore Sun

RICHMOND, Va. -- A federal appeals court ruled Thursday that a fundamentalist Kansas church's protest outside the funeral of a Westminster Marine killed in Iraq is protected speech and did not violate the privacy of the service member's family, reversing a lower court's $5 million award.

The ruling from the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va., held that the signs and writings of the Westboro Baptist Church, which included anti-gay and anti-military messages, are protected by the First Amendment. The Topeka-based congregation has protested at military funerals across the country

"Notwithstanding the distasteful and repugnant nature of the words being challenged in these proceedings, we are constrained to conclude that the defendants' signs and [what it has on its Web sites] are constitutionally protected," Circuit Court Judge Robert B. King wrote in the majority opinion.

Margie Jean Phelps, an attorney for Westboro and the daughter of the church's leader, said "it was an absolute shame to have a little church put on trial because of your religious beliefs."

"Everyone knows that we didn't disrupt a funeral," said Phelps, daughter of the Rev. Fred W. Phelps Sr. "Our speech, on our signs and our Web sites, is public speech. It's not on private matters. It's on public issues, so it's protected."

Sean E. Summers, an attorney for Albert Snyder, of York, Pa., the dead Marine's father, said he will appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.

"The most troubling fact is that it essentially leaves grieving families helpless," said Summers. "There are a lot people sending their kids over to war, and unfortunately, they're not all coming back. You would think that at least we could offer them dignity and respect."

Summers said that Albert Snyder would not comment on the decision. At trial, Snyder testified, "I had one chance to bury my son, and they took the dignity away from it."

Fred Phelps, two other adults and four children picketed the March 10, 2006, funeral of Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, holding signs that said, "Thank God for dead soldiers," and wrote on the church's Web site that Snyder's parents "taught Matthew to defy his creator."

Matthew Snyder, a 2003 graduate of Westminster High School, was 20 years old and had been in the war zone for less than a month when he was killed in a vehicle accident in Anbar province.

Westboro church members believe soldiers are being killed in Iraq and Afghanistan as punishment for what they say is the nation's tolerance of homosexuality. The church has about 75 members, most of whom are related to Phelps.

Albert Snyder sued Fred Phelps and two of his daughters, Rebecca Phelps-Davis and Shirley Phelps-Roper, for invasion of privacy and emotional distress.

In October 2007, a federal jury in Baltimore awarded the father nearly $11 million, ruling that the family's privacy had been invaded. In February 2008, a federal judge reduced the damages from $10.9 million to $5 million, citing constitutional concerns of appropriateness.

"The amount was set with a goal, and the goal was to silence us," said Margie Jean Phelps. "In this country, you don't get to claim damage over words you don't agree with. ... Because we've trained a nation of crybabies doesn't mean we change the law."

© Copyright 2009 Baltimore Sun. All rights reserved.

The above post was sent to us by a veteran who wished to let the whole world know that this is not right.

"Find the Truth About Gulf War Illness"

2009-11-30T09:30:00.001-06:00

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DALLAS MORNING NEWS EDITORIAL:

"Find the Truth About Gulf War Illness"
Dallas Morning News Editorial

(Dallas, Tex. - September 1, 2009) -- Just a few weeks ago, congressional influence and a large dose of common sense seemed to have saved UT Southwestern Medical Center's research efforts into why so many veterans of the 1990-91 Gulf War returned home with unexplained illnesses.

But despite the efforts of Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Waco, to resolve the dispute, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs last week pulled the research plug.

It's critical that this potentially ground-breaking research doesn't wilt on the bureaucratic vine. Unless a new arrangement is reached quickly, the VA's decision would dash the hopes of veterans seeking answers to their illnesses and could leave UT Southwestern holding the bag for millions of dollars in research for which it hasn't been paid.

The solution rests with the VA. In the same report in which it urged termination, the VA's inspector general noted that the project could have been funded with a federal grant instead of a contract. Moreover, it was noted that this change would have reduced bureaucratic red tape associated with federal contracts and averted the disputes that led to the contract's cancellation.

It is particularly ironic that it was the VA that originally pressed for a contract instead of a grant, which is the more common scientific research agreement.

This strikes this newspaper as a relatively simple change that would allow the research to move forward.

Research findings could change the lives and treatment options for thousands who bravely served their country and have lived for nearly two decades without answers. Reactions to nerve gas, other chemical weapons, pesticides, depleted uranium munitions or some combination are among the possible causes being investigated.

Too many avoidable squabbles have stalled the research since Hutchison earmarked the original $75 million in 2005 to fund the five-year research program. VA officials say the agency will continue its own research into the source of the illnesses and not abandon Gulf War veterans.

Perhaps, but given the ongoing battle between Vietnam veterans' organizations and the VA over the effects of Agent Orange, a chemical defoliant used throughout that conflict, we think Gulf War vets deserve the sort of independent research that UT Southwestern can provide.

In late August, the commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan submitted a report on the status of the conflict and needs for the future to President Obama. General McCrystal requested 20,000 new troops immediately, and stated that this would only prevent immediate defeat, not guarantee victory. A long term success would require more troops, more resources, and much more time. After weeks without a response from the White House, someone passed the report to the Washington Post.

http://www.cfr.org/publication/20241/