Next week, millions of Americans will celebrate Veterans
Day—a moment for us to recognize the sacrifices made by all those who have
served our country. It is an especially powerful moment for the 18 million
veterans still alive today, as they look back on their service and its profound
impact on their lives, and those closest to them.
Unfortunately, many of our surviving veterans struggle to
live their lives to the fullest because of war’s harsh consequences—if they
even live at all. Because of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other
residual repercussions, the veteran suicide rate is significantly higher than
that of the general population. According to the most recent data, more than
6,000 veterans commit suicide on an annual basis. This comes out to an average
of 17 veteran deaths by suicide per day.
But, however terrible, even that’s not the end of the story.
A veteran’s daily life is littered with countless obstacles, which are often
ignored by the mainstream media yet continue to wreak havoc on entire
communities.
Perhaps the most significant one is toxic chemical exposure.
Any U.S. veteran who fought in the Vietnam War, which amounts to nearly three
million service members, is presumed to have been exposed to Agent Orange. This
includes the roughly 850,000 living Vietnam veterans who are forced to cope
with the ramifications of Agent Orange in their daily lives.
Agent Orange is a herbicide linked to a wide range of
debilitating conditions, such as multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma,
Parkinson’s disease, and others. The U.S. military used the toxic chemical from
1962 and 1975, spraying millions of gallons over Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos.
However, Agent Orange’s lethal legacy extends far beyond
Southeast Asia. In Guam, where one in eight adults served in the Armed Forces,
our military’s use of the herbicide has affected thousands of veterans
stationed on the Pacific Island. They, and the thousands more who served on the
island and now live elsewhere, are dealing with the consequences of Agent
Orange on a daily basis. That’s right: It is a daily struggle.
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