Veterans deserve answers on exposure to burn pits
The nation too slowly came to the aid of Vietnam veterans suffering from Agent Orange exposure; repeating this terrible mistake is not an option
yesterday at 9:46 am
It was known as “Operation Ranch Hand†while the Vietnam War simmered, then boiled. From the skies and the roadways, the U.S. military sprayed almost 19 million gallons of herbicide over a period of nine years to clear away jungle. Eleven million gallons of that was a chemical called “Agent Orange.’’
Although the risks of Agent Orange exposure are now commonly accepted, returning veterans had to wage legal and lobbying wars to force the chemical’s manufacturers and the U.S. government to compensate or adequately care for them. Conditions linked to Agent Orange include cancer, diabetes and Parkinson’s disease. This shameful history should not be repeated for those who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan and have troubling health questions about exposure to smoke belching from waste disposal pits often in operation 24 hours a day.
https://www.military1.com/legal/article/2014594014-veterans-deserve-answers-on-exposure-to-burn-pits/
