from nycfarrell@aol.com
Dear Agent Orange Veterans:
"A lie is sort of a myth, and a myth is sort of the truth." Cyrano de Bergerac. Rachael Carsen created a myth with her book "Silent Spring," and today millions suffer from disease that could have been prevented with the use of DDT. Today Al Gore has also created a myth about global warming, hopefully it will be exposed before any real damage. And in between these two are the Vietnam Welfare Veterans, the poor victims of environmentalist scare tactics and a drug using selfish anti-war movement, perpetuating the myths of Agent Orange and PTSD. There are two books I recommend reading: "Stolen Valor" by B.G. Burkett and Glenna Whitley that was thoroughly researched, and "Achilles In Vietnam" by Jonathan Shay, M.D., PH.D. who believed anything and everything his Vietnam veteran patients told him. Both will help you in getting a good firm grip on reality unlike the song "I Feel Like I'm Fixen' To Die Rag" sung by Country Joe at the pharmaceutical convention held at Woodstock in 1969.
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We and many, many other veterans have been in this battle since 1979 and believe me the "anti-war movement" had absolutely nothing to do with either the recognition of the health effects of Agent Orange or PTSD in Vietnam veterans. Why on earth would anyone think a connection even existed there? There was no connection to be made. When you got off the plane from Vietnam they were standing on the hilltops shouting, "Baby-Killer" at you as they spit down on you. They didn't care one bit whether you developed cancer or your children were born with severe birth defects or you couldn't sleep over an hour without nightmares of dead bodies. Why would they? Think about it. The warriors had become their enemy, someone for them to blame for the failed policies handed down in D.C. They villified the veteran in order to help their cause.
ReplyDeleteBy 1979, when we first learned about Agent Orange, the war was over and they had all crawled back to their dorm rooms to smoke dope there because the love-ins were over. Their mantra was, "Where were you in '69? Smoking dope and drinking wine." If anything a good portion of these folks suffer themselves from guilt they feel for never serving their country in any way. Many people have come to us over the years and told us this. It's been a real problem for some people. It is in itself a form of "survivor guilt".
In reality, the Agent Orange story was uncovered first in 1979 by Bill Kurtis, a prominent TV journalist in Chicago who interviewed Maude DeVictor, a nurse at the VA hospital who noticed how many young veterans were dying of cancer. Look it up in whatever book you want, that's just the way it was. I've got an autographed book from Bill himself that tells that whole story. We talked with him personally about it in his hotel room in Des Moines, Iowa during the caucuses a couple of decades ago. Since then several health problems have been recognized by the VA as being attributed to Agent Orange poisoning in Vietnam. After 20+ years of scientific study done on an international basis, it was the Congress of the United States of America that voted on and passed every single bill concerning each of these health problems. That's the only way the VA can act upon these health problems, if they are ordered to do it by a federal law.
Also, as we recall, we were told that PTSD was not first even associated with Vietnam veterans, or any war veteran. It came about when psychologists were studying civilians who came down with PTSD-like symptoms after witnessing an accident involving many people who were injured or killed when an overhead walkway gave way in Kansas City. It was later linked to veterans of all wars, not just Vietnam. PTSD is a well-researched diagnosis and widely recognized as a very serious condition.
NYCfarrell@aol.com might want to actually talk to veterans of World War II, Korea, Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom. Ask them how they sleep at night. He or she could talk to thier own father, their own aunt or uncle, or their little brother or sister. We highly suggest that he or she put down the books they're reading so intently and start talking to real people who fought in real wars. If he or she actually lives in NYC, they won't have far to go to find some real veterans. Unfortunately too many of our Vietnam vets are no longer available, as we've lost them to cancer from Agent Orange and suicide from PTSD.
We're not just giving you an e-mail address. Here are our names...
Jerry and Sandy Strait
(Jerry served with the 101st Airborne,Vietnam, 1969-70)
vetwriter@aol.com
See our website at www.sandystrait.8k.com for more about our real-life struggle.
STOLEN VALOR is itself a lie...an effort to discredit Vietnam Combat Veterans who suffer from PTSD and the many of us who were abused by the american people when we tried to return home from the war...
ReplyDeletethis email is a rightwing diatribe...note the comment about Al Gore and global warming...the overwhelming scientific evidence of global warming and pending climate change ia irrefutable...any credible scientist knowledgeable in atmospheric physics can prove it to all but the most ignorant and prejudiced
/s/former Marine, Vietnam Combat Veteran, Bronze Star with 'V' recipient...100% disabled from PTSD
We and many, many other veterans have been in this battle since 1979 and believe me the "anti-war movement" had absolutely nothing to do with either the recognition of the health effects of Agent Orange or PTSD in Vietnam veterans. Why on earth would anyone think a connection even existed there? There was no connection to be made. When you got off the plane from Vietnam they were standing on the hilltops shouting, "Baby-Killer" at you as they spit down on you. They didn't care one bit whether you developed cancer or your children were born with severe birth defects or you couldn't sleep over an hour without nightmares of dead bodies. Why would they? Think about it. The warriors had become their enemy, someone for them to blame for the failed policies handed down in D.C. They villified the veteran in order to help their cause. By 1979, when we first learned about Agent Orange, the war was over and they had all crawled back to their dorm rooms to smoke dope there because the love-ins were over. Their mantra was, "Where were you in '69? Smoking dope and drinking wine." If anything a good portion of these folks suffer themselves from guilt they feel for never serving their country in any way. Many people have come to us over the years and told us this. It's been a real problem for some people. It is in itself a form of "survivor guilt".
ReplyDeleteIn reality, the Agent Orange story was uncovered first in 1979 by Bill Kurtis, a prominent TV journalist in Chicago who interviewed Maude DeVictor, a nurse at the VA hospital who noticed how many young veterans were dying of cancer. Look it up in whatever book you want, that's just the way it was. I've got an autographed book from Bill himself that tells that whole story. We talked with him personally about it in his hotel room in Des Moines, Iowa during the caucuses a couple of decades ago. Since then several health problems have been recognized by the VA as being attributed to Agent Orange poisoning in Vietnam. After 20+ years of scientific study done on an international basis, it was the Congress of the United States of America that voted on and passed every single bill concerning each of these health problems. That's the only way the VA can act upon these health problems, if they are ordered to do it by a federal law.
Also, as we recall, we were told that PTSD was not first even associated with Vietnam veterans, or any war veteran. It came about when psychologists were studying civilians who came down with PTSD-like symptoms after witnessing an accident involving many people who were injured or killed when an overhead walkway gave way in Kansas City. It was later linked to veterans of all wars, not just Vietnam. PTSD is a well-researched diagnosis and widely recognized as a very serious condition.
NYCfarrell@aol.com might want to actually talk to veterans of World War II, Korea, Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom. Ask them how they sleep at night and how they feel when a car backfires near them. He or she could talk to their own father or father, their own aunt or uncle, or their little brother or sister. We highly suggest that he or she put down the books they're reading so intently and start talking to real people who fought in real wars. Although they've waited way too long as many of them are no longer available. We've lost more Nam vets to suicide from PTSD and cancer from Agent Orange than we did in the war itself.
And by the way, we heard Country Joe sing that song up close and personal We enjoyed hearing him sing it, but we didn't take any scientific knowledge from it at all. It's just a song, man. And everyone there knew it.
We're not just giving you an e-mail address. Here are our names...
Jerry and Sandy Strait, vetwriter@aol.com See our website at www.sandystrait.8k.com for more information.
I wish the person who does not understand the insane terror of battle could have been in my shoes on the morning of my 19th birthday. I had already been in country seven months. Why I am alive today, unharmed, I do not know. I do know that I was proud to have honorably served in Viet Nam in 1967 & 68. I do know that all of those willing to die serving in any capacity for the rights of the person who expresses his opinion understand that is part of the price of our freedom. From Valley Forge to Baghdad ... our brotherhood understands this concept.
ReplyDeleteI am now 62. I served as an educator until retirement. I will soon die of an agent orange related illness. The price of my citizenship in the greatest democracy on earth was worth it.