New research has found what Persian Gulf War veterans have been contending for the past 30 years – that exposure to toxic sarin gas has caused their suffering and illnesses. This research was recently published in the Environmental Health Perspectives journal.
“Quite simply, our findings prove that Gulf War illness was caused by sarin, which was released when we bombed Iraqi chemical weapons storage and production facilities,” said Dr. Robert Haley, Director of the Division of Epidemiology in the Internal Medicine Department at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.
According to the researchers, the newly released data “leads to a high degree of confidence that sarin is a causative agent for Gulf War Illness.”
Over 100,000 Gulf War veterans, who served in 1990 to 1991, are still not receiving any assistance from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for their suffering. The chronic symptoms of their Illnesses are rashes, fatigue, gastrointestinal and digestive issues, brain “fog,” neuropathy, and muscle and joint pain.
Although over 250,000 deployed military service members reported that they may have been exposed to chemical agents, both the Departments of Defense (DoD) and the VA ignored their complaints. For example, a 2017 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found the VA denied 83% of 102,000 claims filed for Gulf War Illness between 1994 and 2015.
A congressional investigation in 1997 concluded that the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs had very little interest in finding a cause and blamed the symptoms as related to stress or other mental health disorders.
The veterans were sent to psychiatrists for mental health treatment.
In its report, the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight found that the DoD and VA were “plagued by arrogant incuriosity and a pervasive myopia that sees a lack of evidence as proof” that the illness didn’t exist.
Epidemiologist Steven Coughlin filed a whistleblowers complaint in 2013, accusing the VA of hiding previous research studies that would link physical ailments to military service in a concerted effort to deny disabled veterans health care and benefits.
This whistleblowers complaint was later confirmed in an email sent by the former VA Undersecretary for Benefits Allison Hickley to staff. The email implied that the VA changing the wording of “chronic multisymptom illness” to Gulf War illness” might “imply a causal link between service in the Gulf and poor health which could necessitate legislation for disability compensation for veterans who served in the Gulf.”
Initially developed as a pesticide, sarin nerve gas attacks both the central nervous system and brain. It causes convulsions and asphyxiation. It was “stockpiled” with another chemical weapon, cyclosarin, by former Iraqi ruler Saddam Hussein in an Ammunition Storage Depot in southern Iraq.
When the United States destroyed a bunker housing both the chemical agents, a plume of chemical agents was spread across a twenty-five (25) mile radius. Our veterans were subject to low levels of these chemical agent contaminants and have caused the medical problems our veterans are experiencing now.
My Opinion: It is inconceivable for me to believe that the VA would attempt to dismiss and reject medical claims filed by veterans just to save money. But the email from the VA Undersecretary for Benefits certainly implies that by changing the wording of “illness” to “Gulf War Illness” may “necessitate legislation for disability compensation for veterans.”
My hope for the situation would be that the VA reviews the recent research and makes a determination to presume sarin nerve gas exposure for all 1991 Gulf War veterans. This research provides the scientific linkage for treatment research and subsequent disability compensation. The results of the research provide substantial evidence that affected veterans need to access care from the VA.
But will this happen? The answer is “no!”
A host of Blue Water Vietnam Navy veterans, veterans that were exposed to Agent Orange and veterans exposed to the Toxic Open Burn Pits would agree with me. The VA would rather study toxic sarin nerve gas for the next twenty (20) years before they make a determination of presumption of veterans’ exposure to the chemical agent.
The 1997 Committee on Government Reform and Oversight summed up the situation adequately when it stated: “Sadly, when it comes to diagnosis, treatment and research for Gulf War veterans, we find the Federal Government too often has a tin ear, a cold heart and a closed mind.”
While the VA had approved health care and disability compensation for Gulf War veterans suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia and gastrointestinal disorders without proving a military service connection in the past, the overwhelming majority of veterans were denied benefits.
I really don’t think the VA will act on this issue in a timely manner. I personally feel that Congress must be made aware of this situation and legislation must be passed to force the VA to act.
In the 1976 classic movie, Network, Howard Beale shouts: “I’m mad as hell and I’m not gonna take this anymore!” I believe that the 250,000 deployed Gulf War veterans must also take up this cry and get the health care and disability compensation they have earned from the VA. I stand right with them on the sarin nerve gas issue! Congress also must stand with us!
BioSketch: John Plahovinsak is a 32-year retired Army veteran who served from 1967 to 1999. He is the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Hospital Chairman for the Department of Ohio.