What has the Operation Desert Storm brought to American soldiers after supporting the government in pushing out the Iraqi troops out of Kuwait? The government was never able to topple down Saddam Hussein and he continued to remain in power. After all the hard work from American servicemen and women nothing really came about with the war.
What the war had achieved are the 159,705 injured or ill veterans and 10,617 veterans who died of combat related injuries or illnesses since the Gulf War during August 1990. Another group of 5,884 casualties from the start of the second Gulf War came next.
Most of the veterans who went on active duty knew that they will be coming home either dead or alive or wounded. They know, too that it is part of their job.
Two months ago some veterans were interviewed and they chose not to be identified because they said that it is the government and they know what the government is capable of doing. It is best for them to keep their identity.
Report says that one soldier went to the Veterans Administration to ask for help for combat – related injuries but was turned down because of missing records. The strange part is all his medical records when he was in the states or at the time he was in the country were all there. For everything that had happened outside the country, his records were not there.
This story is no longer new to the Veterans Administration as they have heard similar complaints before. The shocking truth is that the Department of the Army had issued a letter after the Operation Desert Storm which had never been made public wherein units were ordered to destroy all their records. Furthermore it says that there is no room to ship all the paperwork back in the states. It also says that it was in direct contradiction of the Army regulations.
The letter was shown to one of the regional directors of the Disabled American Veterans and was surprised that the units were ordered to do that and putting it into writing is more surprising. Considering the number of soldiers who would need help after the Gulf War means not only hundreds but thousands of them.
Yes, they were welcomed with cheers from people unlike the Vietnam soldiers who were not welcomed when they came back. But, is this the price they have to pay for the gallantry and valor they have shown? The regional director says there should be backups to the destroyed records at the Persian Gulf. But several years later when soldiers started claiming their medical benefits, it was discovered that all records below the brigade level are no longer there as stated on the Army’s letter. The director agreed that some could have been destroyed.
There are files that show records that the veterans had served when they come to the Veterans Administration to seek help but they are being turned down because their medical records can’t be found.
One Gulf War veteran who served in the Army for 20 years as an Army ranger for the 82nd Airborne Division had been denied help because his medical records are gone. Come to think of this man had made 125 parachute jumps, loss his hearing and had an ankle and back injury and this is what he gets in return.
What is disturbing is that the Department of Defense sent this soldier a letter saying that he and others in his unit were in an area that could have been possibly exposed to nerve agents and that he should not worry about any ill effects.
These men placed their lives on the line and all the military could say is it is never going to affect them after being exposed to a nerve agent. Is this how the government or the nation will treat them? Turn their backs on them when they come home with injuries from keeping their country safe but when they were well and able they sent them to war?
Isn’t it time for the government to wake up from their sleep and stop thinking of their interests? Everyone has to do their job and these men had done theirs, now it is your time to do that part of your job. Treat them well and don’t just call them heroes of the country. More than the medals and awards this is the time they need your help and understand what they have been through and what they are going through. Do not let their efforts die in vain and be deaf to their pleading.
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