Remember
Our
Veterans

THANK YOU! Since my first newsletter I’ve had many calls, faxes, and letters. The response from you has been very positive and I am forever grateful. It is YOU who will make the newsletter fantastic, not I.
    "OOPS" means dismay—chagrin—and blunder.
    What I’d like to accomplish is to match symptom with symptom. What has possibly helped your child (whether it be an understanding, knowledgeable physician a herbal medication, etc.) may help another. We can give each other support and friendship via letters and phone calls, 24 hours a day – 365 days a year.
    Just a bit about me. Our only son served in the Gulf with a National Guard unit from Iowa. He was in transportation, hauling God knows what to God knows where. He was in Kuwait for a month as the oil fires were burning. Home to restlessness, night sweats, always cold, all that due, we thought was to the change in climate. Then he got sores in his mouth, rash over his entire body, and his toenails and fingernails were gone. Could it have been that he was using the wrong detergent and/or diet? The end result, 7 weeks after the doctors removed ALL of his skin hoping to get to the root of the problem, he died. Never once did we receive a concrete diagnosis, the condition was labeled UNKNOWN. Autopsy said: kidney failure, lymphoma, blood - poisoning.

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    This article is about someone I’ve never met. I’ve met his parents at meetings where we tried to get answers concerning Gulf War Veterans. Great Minnesota folks! You might say I consider this person to be "my adopted son", so you’ll no doubt be reading lots about him in this newsletter in the months to come.
    The reason he is so special is because he kept a diary of all his days in the army, with hopes of someday getting it published. Not only did he write a diary, he wrote poems

and with his permission I will include some of them from time to time. They are awesome! Diary and poems, copy-write applied for. All rights reserved. No part used in any other publication with out writers permission. Contact person, A. Siefken.
    He not only served 4 years in the army, he was sent to the Persian Gulf. Now his mind and body are sick, as is his wife. His was a brilliant future snuffed out! He can no longer write, concentrate or work. Briefly his words: "Have you ever asked yourself, I wonder what it would be like to join the army? Well, I did for 4 years. I thought I would keep a diary of each day so I could write a book to help others decide if the army is what they want."
    JULY 17,1989_--"The day I left for the army. I thought it would give me a job, let me travel the world, and pay me while I did it. We arrived at 12 A.M., did paperwork, bag check, and marched in the rain until 3 A.M. At 4:30 A.M., out of bed, 15 minutes to make the bed, dress, and be on the street in the rain in formation. March a mile with bags, 40 and 32 pounds, then 32 pushups, 60 sit-ups, 40 jumping jacks in 20 minutes."
    JULY 26, 1989- "Blister on my tailbone from sit-ups. The food is good. I never have time for myself. At the most 20 minutes and then I shine my boots. Six hours of sleep, if I’m lucky. No pain, No gain!"
    AUGUST 3, 1989- "I keep going on pride and dedication!"
    AUGUST 10, 1989- "One guy took an overdose of pills. He hates it here. He wrote a suicide note. It’s not that bad here. You have to will yourself. (He made it)"
    AUGUST 12,1989- ‘‘ Classes, Firing Range, Gas Chamber, Tests, Church. Phone to call home, finally!"
    AUGUST 18,1989-" 7 mile march, PT daily. 215 jumping jacks, 235 sit-ups, 75 mountain climbers, 57 pushups, run 2 miles, 10 50 yard sprints in 1 hour. Read Bible. Pray."

    SEPTEMBER 21, 1989- "Graduation day!"

This is one of Jon’s poems I’d like to share with you.

Like a hunk of dried-out clay
That was us on our first day
They added water, our own sweat
And shaved all the fat they could get.
As the days went by we started to mold
And remembered the things we were told.
The shape was forming for all to see
What my Drill-Sergeants’ made of me
They took me apart from head to toe
And built back my mind, body and soul
I’m sure at first they had a doubt
If the 3^rd platoon would even turn out
But, with the thrashing and knowledge we got—3^rd platoon went straight to the top!
Our thanks to Drill-Sgt. Beauford and Drill-Sgt. Bayard . From the 3^rd Platoon

    I want to add to this. Because space will not allow me to copy every word he wrote, I want everyone to know what a great buddy he was to have in his unit. Whether it was making beds, cleaning bathrooms, picking up garbage, or PT, he ALWAYS went the extra mile and did more than asked. Simply because he wanted to feel good about himself. He had a marvelous sense of pride in his job, for his country, for his family, and for his God. Due to that he was known to usually have a smile on his face. His idea was that if you wore a smile on your face, the world would smile back. To be continued……..

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"MARCH FOR MOTHERS"
OF GULF WAR VETERANS

    It has been suggested to me that we organize a "MOTHER’S MARCH" with signs, ETC. My suggestion would be in Washington, DC, May 28^th near the Vietnam Wall. We

may get some much needed support from those Veterans, they’ve been there, done that. Your input would be appreciated. Is it possible to show AMERICA THAT WE WON’T TAKE ANY MORE LIES?
And we’re fighting MAD!

CHILDREN

    Veterans are having children born with defects at an alarming rate. Miscarriages and stillbirths must also be counted. Let us not forget the children left motherless and fatherless. I have three grandchildren left without a father; Trent and Justin, you remember Daddy and miss him. Ryan, we can only tell you about Daddy as you were born two weeks after he died. You are the one who asked Mommy to call God on the phone and tell him to send Daddy back so YOU could see him. At age 5 what must you think? Our silence means we DON’T CARE, or have forgotten these innocent VICTIMS.

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    Since our last newsletter, I’ve talked to the mother of a Gulf War Vet .I’d like to tell you about Rusty. He is as sick as one can be and still be alive. His disability payment is $184.00 per month. Personally, I’d like to see ONE POLITICIAN live on that puny amount daily. Give us a break! He is divorced. Another marriage that couldn’t take the after effects of this war! He has lost his home and lives with his parents who have spent their retirement trying to find medical help for their son. Wouldn’t we all do the same? But the million dollar question is why should they have to? Rusty was a young man of 18 who joined the navy. He was deployed to the Persian Gulf in March of 1991. Climbing over BODIES and AMMO he helped rebuild schools and a hospital. The sky was solid black from the burning oil wells that polluted even the

drinking water. He was equipped with a gas mask, pills, and injections, should he be exposed to chemicals BUT each time the ALARM went off he was told it was a FALSE ALARM. (A HUGE MISTAKE from the Generals in charge of that operation.)
VA doctors told him he had post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and then his MEDICAL RECORDS were LOST!!!!!
Civilian Doctors told him he needed a pacemaker for extremely low heart rate, a condition caused by exposure to chemicals.
His list of medical problems takes up one entire page of a medical report, and recognizes 18 DIFFERENT SYMPTOMS!!
His parents put it into reality when they state: "Anybody who lets their children go into the military had better have at least
$1,000,000 to care for your loved ones because the military is NOT going to help you. Before their morning cup of coffee, they check to see if their son is still alive. Can you imagine starting your day that way? How can the powers that be sleep at night??? His parents HAVE to believe their just rewards (?) await them! This family was treated by Dr. William Rae at the Environmental Health Center in Dallas, Tx.
He just might be able to help others because
It is a known fact that he treats GWI.

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INFORMATION
Victor Silvester, Vietnam Veteran, had a son in the Persian Gulf. His son is ill. "Something knocked the immune system out of these troops. It opened them up to all sorts of things." The family lives in Odessa, Texas and Victor has devoted his life to helping Gulf War Veterans like his son. He speaks out frequently for the Veterans.
Austin Camacho: Spokesman for Department of Defense, Gulf War Illness Office in the state of Texas states, "Mistakes were made." On ANTHRAX VACCINE:

"I’ve seen a mountain of research that says it’s safe, but because of the hurry and the natural tendency to maintain security, people were NOT TOLD WHAT THEY WERE GETTING. THAT WAS A MISTAKE! The troops just do as they’re told. When the Gulf Vets started complaining about illnesses, they faced, It’s all in your head." He states that 110,000 Gulf War Veterans were examined and 90% had symptoms.
Steve Allen: Department of Defense, Public Affairs Office in Waco, TX. States that more than 270,000 Gulf War Veterans are on PENSION and COMPENSATION ROLLS THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES."

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40,000 DEAD and THERE IS NO GULF WAR ILLNESS????? AMERICA WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE! Believe me when I tell you it is contagious!

For more information, contact:
Gulf War Illness Information
Joyce Riley, RN, BSN
PO Box 85, Versailles, MO 65084
1-800-231-7631

To order materials:
1-800-877-gulf vet
FAX: 1-573-378-5998
www.gulfwarvets.com

TRUTH AND INJUSTICE Every organization or group of people that want to march in Washington or anywhere else, get lots of media attention, but not the Gulf War Veterans . Yet, Gulf War Illness is killing more of our children than anything else. If they are not dead, they are suffering beyond belief. Just where is the attention we deserve? Folks, these people who are dying and suffering are the very ones who help give you your freedom with their sweat, blood, and their very lives. Let us remember that when these troops left for the Persian Gulf they were "the salt of the earth". Then they returned not feeling well and we are turning our backs on them. Just what is wrong with all of us? Again I say SILENCE IS CONSENT. Think about that.