Depleted Uranium: States Take Action to Protect Their Soldiers and Veterans

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Fri, 15 Jul 2005 08:19:30 -0700 (PDT)

Depleted Uranium: States Take Action to Protect Their

Soldiers and Veterans

 

 

 

Source: http://democracyrising.us/

 

 

 

July 12, 2005

An Interview with Bob Smith

Depleted Uranium: States Take Action to Protect Their

Soldiers and Veterans

 

By KEVIN ZEESE

 

Louisiana recently passed legislation giving all returning

veterans the right to get a best practices health screening test for

exposure to depleted uranium. Interviewed here is Bob Smith, one of

the activists that helped make this bill possible. He is with the

Louisiana Activist Network. He is also I am a member of Veterans for

Peace and the Viet Nam Veterans Against the War. Born a Texan and

raised in a Navy family with three siblings, moved to Louisiana in

1977 a few years after returning from Viet Nam. He worked with

adolescents in a psychiatric hospital where he met his wife, a

co-worker, returning to the military and retired eight years ago as a

Command Sergeant Major. He became actively involved the day Congress

gave the President unconstitutional, power to make war on Iraq and has

been active ever since in the peace movement and with the Presbyterian

Church.

 

Zeese: What made you pursue legislation regarding depleted

uranium in Louisiana?

 

Smith: As a twenty year veteran I have been concerned

about veterans health since I returned from Viet Nam. From first hand

experience I knew the treatment of veterans by our country was highly

inadequate after their service. Each year after Gulf War I, more and

more veterans were being diagnosed with a mysterious illness, Gulf War

Syndrome (GWS) without significant research for cause and effect much

like what happened with Agent Orange contamination.

 

I learned about how the government dealt with Agent Orange

contamination during the eighties as an outreach counselor at the VA's

Viet Nam Veterans Outreach Center or Vet Center here in New Orleans.

We were actively involved in trying to alert the VA to the effects of

Agent Orange contamination. For twenty five years a government study

done by the Rand Corporation denied any cause and effect between Agent

Orange and health problems experienced by veterans and their

offspring. Just this week the VA has finally recognized the connection

between Agent Orange and diabetes. Remember the last troops returned

from Viet Nam over thirty years ago. Worth mentioning is that the same

Rand Corporation now denies any cause and effect between depleted

uranium contamination and health.

 

Late last year after a lot of reading I found out about

depleted uranium. In January at the Jazz Funeral for Democracy, a

peace march in New Orleans organized by the Louisiana Activist

Network, I met a young Gulf War I veteran, Dennis Kyne. He talked with

me about what he knew first hand as a combat medic about illnesses of

our veterans even before they returned home and what he has found out

about DU since returning home. I then did more research and studying.

In March I met Leuren Moret, a geoscientist, who reaffirmed everything

that Dennis Kyne had told me and reaffirmed what I had been reading. I

then did more research and studying including conversation with Doug

Rokke. Doug was the overall supervisor in charge of the clean-up after

Gulf War I and is an expert in depleted uranium. Thirty to forty

percent of his team are now dead.

 

I then became concerned about what could be done to bring

this issue out into the public conversation. Leuren told me about a

young lady in Connecticut, Melissa Sterry, who was doing something

about it. Working with Rep Patricia Dillon of Connecticut they were

introducing a bill to have all of their state's veterans tested. The

always unselfish Melissa willingly shared a copy of the Connecticut

bill with me. Melissa had been a member of a depleted uranium clean-up

team after Gulf War I. She herself was very sick and had six of her

eight team members die since returning home. All six were less than

thirty-five years old.

 

Taking the Connecticut bill, changing the name to a

Louisiana bill, and making a few minor amendments preceded a call to

my Louisiana congressperson, Rep. Jalila Jefferson-Bullock. The

submission deadline was less than twenty-four hours after our meeting.

Rep. Juan LaFonta sponsored and Rep. Jefferson-Bullock co-sponsored

the bill. The deadline was made.

 

Zeese: What does the legislation accomplish?

 

Smith: The legislation will allow all returning veterans

to have the right to get a best practices health screening test for

exposure to depleted uranium. The test will use a bioassay procedure

involving sensitive methods capable of detecting depleted uranium at

low levels and the use of equipment with the capacity to discriminate

between different radioisotopes in naturally occurring levels of

uranium and the characteristic ratio and marker for depleted uranium.

 

This test will determine if a soldier has been

contaminated. It will prevent mis-diagnosis so soldiers are not given

the wrong medications that usually make them sicker. It will allow the

contaminated soldier to decide about parenting further offspring who

have an increased chance of serious birth illnesses or defects.

 

The bill also prescribes a reporting mechanism from the

Louisiana's Attorney General to the legislature that requires that

awareness sessions and training have been done as required by Army

regulations.

 

Zeese: What tips do you have for activists in other states

interested in pursuing this in their state?

 

Smith: Stay focused. Depleted uranium testing is for

discovery of contamination of a very hazardous material made from

radioactive nuclear waste. This is something that truly supports the

troops. Remind your elected representatives of that often. Read,

study, and discuss with the experts and others experienced in this

type of legislation. Other advocates should remember that the weapons

manufacturers do not want this in the public. They make a lot of money

off this death bringing material. Likewise the military does not want

to give up these very effective offensive weapons regardless of how it

effects our soldiers or civilians, enemy soldiers, or the environment.

Although we did not encounter resistance from those two potential

adversaries, weapons manufacturers or the military, others might and

they should be prepared to bring in experts. Having veterans testify

helps. Another veteran, Ward Reilly, from Baton Rouge was instrumental

in helping get the bill through committee.

 

Zeese: What were some of the challenges you faced with

this legislation and how did you overcome them?

 

Smith: The only real obstacle we encountered was educating

our representative. We knew we would have to educate her and do it

quickly but fortunately she agreed to a minimum one-hour meeting. We

were lucky as both representatives cared deeply about our troops and

taking care of them after they come home. There were no other obstacles.

 

Zeese: What are your next steps?

 

Smith: We have been having awareness sessions at

coffeehouses and public events to educate the public, either by

passing out literature, making educational speeches, posting

literature on the internet, or showing documentaries. We are also

communicating with advocates in other states by sharing information,

resources, networking, and offering tips to help. And if that doesn't

work I may just stand on top of the roof and scream out the truth.

 

Note: I retired after 20 years in the Army and National

Guard as a Command Sergeant Major, serving three tours in Viet Nam as

a Special Forces Green Beret and was mobilized for Desert Storm.

Education includes a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and a Bachelor of

Science in Mechanical Engineering. Currently employed as an engineer

living in New Orleans with Julie my wife and life partner for over

twenty-six years and our dog, Maggie. Member of Veterans for Peace,

Viet Nam Veterans Against the War, and the Louisiana Activist Network.

 

Kevin Zeese is a director of Democracy Rising. You can

comment on this column on his blog spot at DemocracyRising.US.