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Depleted Uranium: States Take Action to Protect Their Soldiers and Veterans
Tue, 19 Jul 2005 06:17:50 -0700
Kevin Zeese
Democracy Rising
Jul 29, 2005
By Kevin Zeese
Louisiana passes law giving returning veterans the right to get tested
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 VAs 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 states 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 Louisianas 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 doesnt 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.
For more on DU, see GNNs book True Lies. Authors Lapp? and Marshall travel to
Iraq to conduct their own radiation tests.
