Indiana soldier is first to die of toxic exposure in Iraq
By Daniel Tencer
Monday, December 7th, 2009 -- 12:57 pm
If Lt. Col. Jim Gentry and his doctors were right about the cause of his cancer, the Indiana National Guard officer didn't die for his country -- he died for defense contractor KBR.
Gentry's death from lung cancer last week is being recorded as the US's first fatality from exposure to a cancer-causing toxin in Iraq, according to the Evansville, Indiana, Courier & Press.
In 2003, Gentry commanded a 600-strong force providing security for KBR's refittal of the Qarmat Ali water-pumping plant, which provided water needed for oil extraction. Gentry and others claim that during that time they were exposed to hexavalent chromium, a cancer-causing toxin that the Iraqis who had built the plant had used as anti-corrosive material.
In a lawsuit filed last year, Gentry and 15 other plaintiffs said KBR, at the time a subsidiary of Halliburton, was aware that soldiers and civilian contractors were being exposed to hexavalent chromium months before they told the people working at the site.
Researchers have linked hexavalent chromium to lung cancer and leukemia, as well as a variety of liver and kidney problems. It's the same compound that poisoned residents of Hinkley, California, in a case that was made famous by the movie Erin Brockovich.
read more here
http://rawstory.com/2009/12/soldier-toxic-exposure-iraq/
Monday, December 7, 2009
Bikers Ride Through Brevard County With Toys, Donations
Bikers Ride Through Brevard County With Toys, Donations
Monday, May 18, 2009 2:46:51 PM
Thousands of bikers, many of them dressed as Santa, hit the streets of Brevard County Sunday to once again show their Christmas spirit in the 26th Annual ABATE Motorcycle Toy Run.
Approximately 5,000 motorcycles started off on Merritt Island and drove through the county.
Each bike had at least one toy on their bikes, but most had more.
All of the toys went to needy kids.
People involved said in addition to helping out children, the toy run helps change perceptions about bikers.
"They love it. Everybody asks if I'm really hot in it. They want to know what I've got on underneath. It's just fun. Kids love it. People love it. It's worth the smiles," said biker Rick Skauge.
This was the event's 26th year.
Last year, about 6,000 motorcycles took part in the event, donating $4,000 and several truckloads of toys.
It's the largest ride of its kind in Florida.
Bikers Ride Through Brevard County With Toys
Monday, May 18, 2009 2:46:51 PM
Thousands of bikers, many of them dressed as Santa, hit the streets of Brevard County Sunday to once again show their Christmas spirit in the 26th Annual ABATE Motorcycle Toy Run.
Approximately 5,000 motorcycles started off on Merritt Island and drove through the county.
Each bike had at least one toy on their bikes, but most had more.
All of the toys went to needy kids.
People involved said in addition to helping out children, the toy run helps change perceptions about bikers.
"They love it. Everybody asks if I'm really hot in it. They want to know what I've got on underneath. It's just fun. Kids love it. People love it. It's worth the smiles," said biker Rick Skauge.
This was the event's 26th year.
Last year, about 6,000 motorcycles took part in the event, donating $4,000 and several truckloads of toys.
It's the largest ride of its kind in Florida.
Bikers Ride Through Brevard County With Toys
Shinseki Says VA's Home Loan Program a "Continued Success"
Shinseki Says VA's Home Loan Program a "Continued Success"
Veterans More Likely to Avoid Foreclosure with VA-Backed Loan
WASHINGTON (Dec. 7, 2009) - Despite problems in the nation's housing
market, mortgage loans backed by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
had a lower foreclosure rate than any other type of home loan in the
industry, as of the end of the last fiscal year.
"The dedication of VA's loan professionals, the support of our partners
in the mortgage industry and most importantly, the hard work and
sacrifice of our Veterans have made this possible," said Secretary of
Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. "VA is making good on its promise to
help Veterans buy homes, and Veterans are achieving their dreams."
Currently, about 1.3 million active home loans were obtained using VA's
Home Loan Guaranty Program. The program makes home ownership more
affordable for Veterans, active-duty members, and some surviving spouses
by protecting lenders from loss if the borrower fails to repay the loan.
More than 90 percent of VA-guaranteed loans are made without a
downpayment. Despite this, VA has the lowest serious delinquency rate
in the industry, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.
Furthermore, VA's percentage of loans in foreclosure is the lowest of
all measured loan types-lower even than prime loans, which require high
credit scores and a 20 percent downpayment by the borrower.
Much of the program's strength stems from the efforts of VA employees
and loan servicers nationwide, whose primary mission is to help Veterans
stay in their homes, avoid foreclosure and protect their credit lines
from the consequences of a foreclosure, Shinseki said.
Depending on the situation, VA's loan specialists can intervene on a
Veteran's behalf to help pursue home-retention options such as repayment
plans, loan modifications and forbearance. Additionally, under certain
circumstances, VA can refund a loan, which involves purchasing the loan
from the mortgage company and modifying the terms so the Veteran can
afford the new mortgage payment.
Since 1944, when home-loan guarantees were offered under the original GI
Bill, through the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, VA has guaranteed
more than 18.7 million home loans worth $1.04 trillion.
To obtain more information about the VA Home Loan Guaranty Program,
Veterans can call VA at 1-877-827-3702. Information can also be
obtained at http://www.homeloans.va.gov
Veterans More Likely to Avoid Foreclosure with VA-Backed Loan
WASHINGTON (Dec. 7, 2009) - Despite problems in the nation's housing
market, mortgage loans backed by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
had a lower foreclosure rate than any other type of home loan in the
industry, as of the end of the last fiscal year.
"The dedication of VA's loan professionals, the support of our partners
in the mortgage industry and most importantly, the hard work and
sacrifice of our Veterans have made this possible," said Secretary of
Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. "VA is making good on its promise to
help Veterans buy homes, and Veterans are achieving their dreams."
Currently, about 1.3 million active home loans were obtained using VA's
Home Loan Guaranty Program. The program makes home ownership more
affordable for Veterans, active-duty members, and some surviving spouses
by protecting lenders from loss if the borrower fails to repay the loan.
More than 90 percent of VA-guaranteed loans are made without a
downpayment. Despite this, VA has the lowest serious delinquency rate
in the industry, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.
Furthermore, VA's percentage of loans in foreclosure is the lowest of
all measured loan types-lower even than prime loans, which require high
credit scores and a 20 percent downpayment by the borrower.
Much of the program's strength stems from the efforts of VA employees
and loan servicers nationwide, whose primary mission is to help Veterans
stay in their homes, avoid foreclosure and protect their credit lines
from the consequences of a foreclosure, Shinseki said.
Depending on the situation, VA's loan specialists can intervene on a
Veteran's behalf to help pursue home-retention options such as repayment
plans, loan modifications and forbearance. Additionally, under certain
circumstances, VA can refund a loan, which involves purchasing the loan
from the mortgage company and modifying the terms so the Veteran can
afford the new mortgage payment.
Since 1944, when home-loan guarantees were offered under the original GI
Bill, through the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, VA has guaranteed
more than 18.7 million home loans worth $1.04 trillion.
To obtain more information about the VA Home Loan Guaranty Program,
Veterans can call VA at 1-877-827-3702. Information can also be
obtained at http://www.homeloans.va.gov
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Marine Corps Vietnam veteran now serving in Iraq
Marine Corps Vietnam veteran now serving in Iraq
December 6, 2009 by Jackson NJ Online
By Lance Cpl. Melissa A. Latty, Combat Logistics Regiment 27 (FWD)
AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq — From the battle at Belleau Wood, where Marines earned the name Devil Dog, to the iconic image of the flag-raising at Iwo Jima, Marine Corps history is embedded in every Marine from their initial training at boot camp and continues to provide inspiration to those who continue to serve. Some veterans of past wars, like Vietnam, are not only holding on to the memories of that time, but are also making new ones while they serve in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
The company first sergeant for Transportation Support Company, Combat Logistics Battalion 46, 1st Sgt. Viriato B. Sena, is one of the few Vietnam veterans still left among the ranks of currently serving Marines.
Sena, who joined the Marine Corps in 1973, participated in the evacuation of Vietnam and is now deployed to Iraq during the responsible drawdown of U.S. forces and equipment in Iraq. The military drawdown from Iraq has been noted to be the largest operation of its kind since Vietnam.
In April 1975, Sena, who was attached to Battalion Landing Team, 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, participated in the evacuation of Saigon, Vietnam while working as part of a security team aboard the ships USS Midway and USS Enterprise.
read more here
Marine Corps Vietnam veteran now serving in Iraq
December 6, 2009 by Jackson NJ Online
By Lance Cpl. Melissa A. Latty, Combat Logistics Regiment 27 (FWD)
AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq — From the battle at Belleau Wood, where Marines earned the name Devil Dog, to the iconic image of the flag-raising at Iwo Jima, Marine Corps history is embedded in every Marine from their initial training at boot camp and continues to provide inspiration to those who continue to serve. Some veterans of past wars, like Vietnam, are not only holding on to the memories of that time, but are also making new ones while they serve in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
The company first sergeant for Transportation Support Company, Combat Logistics Battalion 46, 1st Sgt. Viriato B. Sena, is one of the few Vietnam veterans still left among the ranks of currently serving Marines.
Sena, who joined the Marine Corps in 1973, participated in the evacuation of Vietnam and is now deployed to Iraq during the responsible drawdown of U.S. forces and equipment in Iraq. The military drawdown from Iraq has been noted to be the largest operation of its kind since Vietnam.
In April 1975, Sena, who was attached to Battalion Landing Team, 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, participated in the evacuation of Saigon, Vietnam while working as part of a security team aboard the ships USS Midway and USS Enterprise.
read more here
Marine Corps Vietnam veteran now serving in Iraq
Agent Orange in generations and in need of justice
The next generation
Children of male veterans face a tougher fight for help from government
By Tim Jones
Tribune reporter
December 6, 2009
HAUGHTON, La. - Ted Hutches is hobbled by leg-swelling cellulitis, cancer and nerve disorders that have left his hands and feet numb and prevented him from working for the past 30 of his 71 years.
His two adult daughters, Mary Beth Hoffman and Sherrie Hutches, are hampered by the same nerve maladies as well as hip and knee joints that pop out of place, causing each woman to fall down with disturbing frequency. Born without a completely formed left hip, Hoffman has undergone 18 knee surgeries since 1992 and cannot work.
Hutches, who was exposed to Agent Orange in Vietnam in 1965, was declared 100 percent disabled by the U.S Department of Veterans Affairs in 2002 and receives compensation.
His daughters get nothing.
"I was told I'd be wasting my time," Hoffman, 41, said of her inquiry about filing a disability claim with Veterans Affairs.
Hutches' daughters represent an ongoing argument over the extent to which serious health problems in the children and grandchildren of veterans can be linked to Vietnam-era defoliants.
read more here
The next generation
Children of male veterans face a tougher fight for help from government
By Tim Jones
Tribune reporter
December 6, 2009
HAUGHTON, La. - Ted Hutches is hobbled by leg-swelling cellulitis, cancer and nerve disorders that have left his hands and feet numb and prevented him from working for the past 30 of his 71 years.
His two adult daughters, Mary Beth Hoffman and Sherrie Hutches, are hampered by the same nerve maladies as well as hip and knee joints that pop out of place, causing each woman to fall down with disturbing frequency. Born without a completely formed left hip, Hoffman has undergone 18 knee surgeries since 1992 and cannot work.
Hutches, who was exposed to Agent Orange in Vietnam in 1965, was declared 100 percent disabled by the U.S Department of Veterans Affairs in 2002 and receives compensation.
His daughters get nothing.
"I was told I'd be wasting my time," Hoffman, 41, said of her inquiry about filing a disability claim with Veterans Affairs.
Hutches' daughters represent an ongoing argument over the extent to which serious health problems in the children and grandchildren of veterans can be linked to Vietnam-era defoliants.
read more here
The next generation
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