Gulf War Vets

[Berta]

I mentioned her email on the air and the radio show host called her and she discussed the latest email she has sent out-

this is a call to arms and as Denise said -it can help many other similiar issues like SHAD and AO and it also sets the stage for Iraq vets-

Here is her email:

Dear Veterans, Family members, Friends, Citizens,

I sit here wondering what it takes to get people motivated to do something productive to help the gulf war veterans. I am speaking of the 696,842 that served in Operation Desert Storm of which 278,713 have filed claims with the VA. I am speaking of the ones that served after Desert Storm to the present. WE have a problem that being Gulf War illness. The definitive answer to which has not been stated yet but seems in most likelihood to be somehow connected with vaccines, chemical exposures, depleted uranium, and a host of other environmental exposures. WE can not say for sure what percentage of our current troops are developing the same symptoms and problems but I feel sure it will show up to some degree or percentage.

For 16 years, a group of us have led the fight to find answers and help not just for ourselves but for others that served or are now serving. WE have fought through the US HOUSE AND SENATE by way of hearings, proposed bills, passage of laws, investigations, Presential advisory committees, Presidential Oversight Boards, Defense Department Office of Special Investigation, CDC, Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Science reports over 16 years now. We fight because it is important! Impostant to those of us that are ill, our current troops, and you the American Citizens. It is important for our troops that fought with us from the UK and Australia and others.

What if it is related to vaccines or chemical exposure or depleted uranium which we firmly believe that it is? What implications are there for civilian preparedness? What if it is chemicals that the American public could be exposed to in an attack on a metro subway like what happened in the Japan Subway? What if we did have a terror type attack in the US? What if we had exposure from the decommissioning of nerve agents at chemical depots here in the US? All they, the government, ever offered was duct tape and plastic.

WE need answers not just for us but for all America! We need to find adequate diagnostic tools, biomarkers, but most of all we need to find treatment options! Yes there are people suffering from the Japanese Subway Sarin attack that appears to be in similar manner as what we are seeing in Gulf War illness.

The advances made during Vietnam War with the use of Air evacuation by helicopter has reached all of America by Flights for Life and use of helicopters here to transport civilians and to save their lives. The experience of war brings many advances in medicine that does then gets transfer to civilian that ends up saving lives!

The money spent in research to find answers for gulf war illness will impact civilians and therefore a huge impact could be made. We have civilians in the hundreds of thousands with chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, multiple chemical sensitivies, MS, and other neurological autoimmune disorders that might also benefit in the end. We do not and will not know unless we move forward and to move forward we need research funds.

The impact on the veterans of Operation Desert Storm who are ill which is estimated to be one in four with gulf war illness is huge. We are trying to find the abilities and tools we need in regards to diagnostic tools and treatment. We have researchers in civilian life that have become interested and want to help. But without the funding we are stuck and therefore condemned to continue to suffer and die! WE have seen the steady progressive downward impact of the gulf war illness and we need your help.

I am asking that each of you that reads this responds by emailing and faxing your U S Representative and Senator and ask them to support our efforts to get 30 million into the Defense Appropriations bill for FY08 for the Congressionally Directed Medical Research program(CDMRP) for gulf war illness.

The initiation of this process is being led in the Us House of Representatives by Representative Shays, Kucinich, and +7 other representatives(Berkley (NV), C Brown(Fld), J Conyers (MI), Hirono(HI), Cohen(TN), and Baldwin

(WI).

In the US Senate the effort is being led by Senators Sanders, Clinton, Kennedy, Bayh, Akaka, Kerry, Boxer, Tester, Obama, Bingaman, Byrd, and Lautenberg.

We are trying to assure that this is in the Defense Appropriations bill original that comes out of the Defense Appropriations Committees of the US House and Senate.

If it doesn't happen that way then we have to hope for floor amendments in both House and Senate....and then we have to then hope those carry from floor amendments in both House and Senate and then track thru conference committee on to the final Bill re Defense Appropriations.

What is the problem people this should be burning up the fax and email lines to DC. This is a symptom of the problems we are having in America a blind eye and muffled hearing and apathy toward our veterans and troops! The press is strangely quiet and the reason are many but that can change through your actions to help.

Please I am begging you as a 20 year veteran officer and Gulf War Veteran Nurse (MSN) and who served on the border of Saudi and Iraq. I am doing all I can are you?

Sincerely,

Denise Nichols

DSNurse@aol.com

See additional info in past updates, sample letter in there, and at end list of Senators to contact.....

UPDATE: Okay you all are probably tired of this but we need to

now and

> finally target the Senate side of the capitol on this issue. The

Senate List is

> at the bottom!

>

> Ladies and Gentleman we need all of you to help on this. Research

on Gulf

> War illness is now focused on diagnosis, biomarkers but especially

treatment.

> Since 2001 the money in the Defense appropriations went from 30

million

> annually to nothing! Great way to let us all die echoes of agent

orange and

> atomic vets resound!

>

> In FY 06 we got thru the efforts of Rep Shays and then

Representative now

> Senator Sanders(Vermont) 5 million dollars in the Defense

Appropriations under

> Congressional Directed Medical Research(CDMRP). The announcements

of who got

> that funding should be out soon....you see the process of call for

letters

> of intent under that program started in November 06 they , the

researchers, had

> one month to submit a letter of intent....then in December-80 of

them- were

> invited to send full proposals....the Review of proposals(31)

occurred in

> March and April 07. It was the first time CDMRP had been used for

Gulf War

> illness. We found that this program is very viable and involves

more community

> input to the process than other Defense Programs in the past.

>

> WE got zero funds in 07! WE are pushing with all we have for FY08

> appropriations! The request has been made to Defense

Appropriations committee in both

> House and Senate. We are trying to assure that this is in the

> Appropriations bill original that comes out of the committees. If

it doesn't happen that

> way then we have to hope for floor amendments in both House and

Senate....and

> then we have to then hope those carry and then track thru

conference

> committee on final bill re Defense Appropriations.

>

> WE need all the support we can gather!

>

> Without the funds we will not make the headway we need!

>

> WE do have VA research with UTSW collaborative center but that is

for the

> long haul. What is hoped is with the Defense Appropriations in

CDMRP we can

> find some quick treatment trials that may result in breaking

research and

> help...re High Risk high gain! Researchers are interested as

shown in 80 letters

> of intent received on extreme short notice. WE need the

funding.....and

> this is how you can help make it happen!!!

>

> The Legion, VFW,DAV, National Association of Veterans Affairs, and

the

> National Vietnam and Gulf War Veterans Coalition have all lent

support. Your

> individual help, your veteran organizations(AMVETS, etc ) your

posts, state and

> district levels need to be heard from. Plus Veterans, civilians,

family

> members, and friends...they all can help!

>

> WE now need you also to target the Senators! See list at end!

>

> Senators that have already endorsed this effort include: Senators

Sanders,

> Clinton, Kennedy, Bayh, Akaka, Kerry, Boxer, Tester, Obama,

Bingaman, Byrd,

> Lautenberg.

>

> At least three separate week long visits to the hill have occurred

among the

> advocates for this issue. Faxes Campaigns have been ongoing.

But now we

> need the masses! Write your letters and email them and fax them!

>

> This is the all out effort to garner up all the support on the hill

that we

> can!

> You have to have funds to get the breaks in diagnosis and treatment

that is

> so desperately needed!

>

> ----------------------------------------------------------SAMPLE LETTER_____________________

----------Here is a copy of the letter I wrote, you can use this as a

starting place for your letter.

>

>

> 7 May, 2007

>

>

> Dear Representative Nancy Boyda,

>

>

> I am a veteran that is affected by Gulf War Illness stemming from