The MIC will NEVER admit to causing our (mainly) young people these life destroying injuries. You must be un-patriotic for even suggesting this.

Honestly, my Father WAS (Died at 53 from heart failure) a soldier in Viet Nam. He spent most of his time near the front lines because as a helicopter pilot, he had to fly his missions there. He told me stories of the constant spraying of

defoliant, near his "hootch" and being totally soaked by this stuff (Agent Orange) on most days. During "down time" he was even responsible for aerial sprayings. he said it was incredible how fast it worked.

One day they would be in a lush, green jungle and the next, a barren "alien landscape" with absolutely no greenery in which the snipers to hide. (Oh God, these memories just overpowered me, he died in my arms.)

I will never forget going with my Mom to pick him up from the Airport in Nashville,TN, when he came home. He was so pathetic. Thirty-three years old (an "old man" during war-time), he weighed maybe 120 lbs. (when he left he was closer to

200 pounds), he had the "thousand yard stare", dark, dark circles under his eyes and open ulcers all over his body. At the time they called it "jungle rot" and were told that the sores were from living in the humid jungle

because their bodies were not prepared for that. He left home as solid as a rock. he had been a Drill Sergeant for 12 years. Then he went to flight school and OCS for the year or so before 'Nam. Man, he was solid.

It took months before most of the (we learned later) "chlor-acne" from the agent orange to subside into his tissues. They were permanent scars, pitted skin, lesions abruptly appearing, pus-filled, leaking and then

subsiding. All of this on his body that was expanding slowly and displaying the bullet wounds. One in his chin, strafed down his arm, another in his chest. Saved by the "chicken-plate" that pilots wore over their hearts.

They sat on their helmets because their "birds" were not armored, in fact, more often than not, after a battle or setting down in a "hot LZ," having the men and bodies thrown on while under fire, all they could hope was that

the "hundred mile an hour tape" would hold til they were back at base. It usually did, even repairing hydraulic lines to get them out of hell and back to the relative safety of their hooch. After many years, the MIC and

Monsanto (yep) finally admitted to poisoning our bravest. By then, his heart was 50% gone and his glory days behind him. He never stopped though. he earned 2 masters, this eighth grade drop-out who left the farm at 15

and lied his way into the Army. So much more..., Hey he finally was told that he was "exposed to agent orange" in 'Nam, "They gave him" three $500 payments. He lived to collect two of them. After he died at 53

the V.A. rep. told my Mom that she could not collect that last $500 payment. He did not know my Mom too well...

Hell, it had only taken about twenty years before monsanto and the MIC fessed up to that much. I was a Nixon worshipper until my Dad came home to me. Between us, we became pretty pretty jaded when we were told to believe and obey.

It has been a long time since I have missed him this bad. Good luck Desert Storm Vets. Just wait until they finally tell the truth about depleted uranium.