Vets Column For May 2005

Folks -
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A Time To Remember, To Reflect, To Heal: The Weekend Of June 6, 2008 Part 2

 Last month, I mentioned at length what we are doing the weekend of June 6, 7, and 8 at the Hicksville Sears (http://www.hixnews.com/0804/veterans.htm). You can find a PDF about the weekend at (http://tinyurl.com/6xo2qm), and a volunteer form at (http://tinyurl.com/5tse6u). >From my point of view, the "Dignity Memorial® Vietnam Wall™," a traveling, three-quarter-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, is as close to being in 'Washington, D.C. as you can get without actually going there.

 One of our alumn, Joe Ingino class of '65, is organizing a Hicksville Alumn Event during that weekend at the 'Wall.' If you might be interested in joining us, or volunteering to help during those three days, please contact me directly - 516.733.8414 or veterans@oysterbay-ny.gov - for additional information.

 In Memory Day

 An April 21 ceremony recognized Veterans Not Eligible for Inscription on The Wall when seventy-five American heroes were honored posthumously during a ceremony to pay tribute to the men and women who died prematurely from noncombatant injuries and emotional suffering caused directly by the Vietnam War, but who are not eligible to have their names inscribed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial (http://www.vvmf.org/index.cfm?SectionID=671). The Tenth Annual In Memory Day Ceremony was held on Monday, April 21, 2008, at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Nearly 1,000 family members, friends and fellow veterans visited the nation's capital to participate in this year's event, sponsored by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. In Memory Day allows The Wall to do what it does best: provide a healing environment for family members and friends. The Department of Defense developed very specific parameters that allow only the names of service members who died of injuries suffered in combat zones to be inscribed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The In Memory program recognizes those men and women who have died prematurely as a result of the Vietnam War, but who do not meet the criteria. Many of their deaths are a result of Agent Orange exposure. During the ceremony, family members read aloud their loved ones' names in chronological order by date of death. Following the ceremony, participants lay tributes at the base of The Wall corresponding to the honorees' dates of service in Vietnam, so that these Vietnam veterans come to rest near those comrades with whom they served. With the addition of this year's honorees, more than 1,700 individuals have been honored in the In Memory Honor Roll. The annual In Memory ceremony is held on the third Monday of April. That date was chosen specifically to coincide with Patriots Day, which commemorates the battles of Lexington and Concord at the start of the Revolutionary War -- the first time Americans fought for freedom and democracy.

 The Virtual Wall

 The Virtual Wall is a commemorative website (http://www.vvmf.org/index.cfm?SectionID=1) created to extend the legacy of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. It allows families, friends and veterans to post photo, text and audio remembrances to those who lost their lives in the war or remain missing in action (http://www.vvmf.org/index.cfm?SectionID=2).

 The Virtual Wall features more than 100,000 messages, anecdotes and photographs and provides visitors with the ability to print digital name rubbings (http://www.vvmf.org/index.cfm?SectionID=111&Rubbing=true) similar to those at The Wall in Washington, D.C. The Memorial Fund encourages you to post remembrances for friends and loved ones whose names are inscribed on the Memorial to remember and honor each and every one of those who served in the Vietnam War and to expand this digital legacy project.

 Agent Orange

 The following information is from the issue of the Medical Research Council dated March 24, 2008, "Environmental Factors Linked To Development Of Autoimmune Diseases," (http://www.mrc.ac.uk/NewsViewsAndEvents/News/MRC004475).

 "Scientists working at the MRC National Institute for Medical Research have shown that environmental factors can influence the development of autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis. A team led by Dr Brigitta Stockinger has identified a molecular mechanism that links a wide range of environmental factors to the autoimmune reactions in which immune system cells attack body tissue. The results are published online in Nature. The research focused on a protein called the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). Activation of the AhR causes enzymes to be produced that are involved in reducing the toxic effect of a wide range of chemicals on the human body. Many of these, such as DIOXIN [the 'active ingredient' in Agent Orange], are generated in industrial processes. The research found that stimulation of AhR by environmental factors could be involved in development of autoimmune disease."

 This is not the only study nor the only disease that is being suggested/found to be 'influenced' by Vietnam Veterans' exposure to Agent Orange.

 Only more time, a precious commodity not all of us have, will tell.

 This Month's Not Commented on Story Part 1 - Shh! Like Heck We Will

 VA DELIBERATELY CONCEALED SUICIDE NUMBERS AND RISK, INTERNAL E-MAILS SHOW -- E-mails from Dr. Ira Katz, VA's mental health chief, show 18 vets a day commit suicide and four to five of them are in VA care. The Department of Veterans Affairs came under fire again Monday, this time in California federal court where its facing a national lawsuit by veterans rights groups accusing the agency of not doing enough to stem a looming mental health crisis among veterans. As part of the lawsuit, internal e-mails raise questions as to whether top officials deliberately deceived the American public about the number of veterans attempting and committing suicide. The charges were backed by internal emails written by Dr. Ira Katz, the VA's head of Mental Health. In the past, Katz has repeatedly insisted while the risk of suicide among veterans is serious, it's not outside the norm. "There is no epidemic in suicide in VA," Katz told Keteyian in November. But in his e-mail to his top media advisor, written two months ago, Katz appears to be saying something very different, stating: "Our suicide prevention coordinators are identifying about 1,000 suicide attempts per month among veterans we see in our metical facilities." Katz's email was written shortly after the VA provided CBS News data showing there were only 790 attempted suicides in all 2007 - a fraction of Katz's estimate. "This 12,000 attempted suicides per year shows clearly, without a doubt, that there is an epidemic of suicide among veterans," said Paul Sullivan of Veterans for Common Sense. And it appears that Katz went out of his way to conceal these numbers. First, he titled his e-mail: "Not for the CBS News Interview Request." He opened it with "Shh!" - as in keep it quiet - before ending with "Is this something we should (carefully) address ... before someone stumbles on it?"

 This Month's Not Commented on Story Part 2 - Yea, Right

 SEN. MURRAY CALLS FOR VA OFFICIAL'S RESIGNATION AFTER SUICIDE COVER-UP -- Murray on Dr. Ira Katz: "Dr. Katz's irresponsible actions have been a disservice to our veterans and it is time for him to go." In the wake of a CBS News report that revealed the Department of Veterans Affairs deliberately withheld critical information about the true suicide risk among veterans, Sen. Patty Murray, Wash., today called for the resignation of Dr. Ira Katz, the VA's top official for mental health. Murray, a senior member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, says "Dr. Katz's irresponsible actions have been a disservice to our veterans and it is time for him to go." She continues, "The number one priority of the VA should be caring for our veterans, not covering up the truth." Yesterday, Katz told CBS News that the reason the numbers mentioned in his e-mails had not been made public was because the "results were available for only one or two months, and there were and still are questions about how consistent or reliable the findings would be."

 This Month's Not Commented on Story Part 3 - I Agree

 SEN. AKAKA JOINS CALL TO OUST VA OFFICIAL -- U.S. Senator Daniel K. Akaka (HI), Chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, called for the resignation of Dr. Ira Katz, Mental Health Officer for the Department of Veterans Affairs, following reports that Dr. Katz was involved in efforts to cover up the number of veterans attempting suicide. Akaka sent his request by letter to Dr. Michael Kussman, VA's Under Secretary for Health. "Dr. Katz's personal conduct and professional judgment have been called into question. I believe veterans, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, would be best served by his immediate resignation," said Akaka.

 This Month's Not Commented on Story Part 4 - Again, Yea, Right

 AT TRIAL, VA OFFICIAL DENIES SUICIDE NUMBERS COVER UP -- Also, Dr. Michael Kussman makes strange statement reinforcing stigma of mental illness. Despite E-mails, VA Boss Denies Cover Up. The head of health care at the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) denied any wrong doing by the agency on Thursday as more internal emails surfaced showing VA officials discussed withholding suicide information from the public. While on the stand in California federal court, where the VA is facing a lawsuit filed by veteran advocates who are demanding better health care, Dr. Michael Kussman, the VA's Under Secretary for Health, said, "I disagree with the premise that there was some effort to cover up something." Undersecretary of Health Reinforces Stigma of Mental Illness. You've got to scratch your head when one of the government's chief advocates for health care in the Veterans Administration just reinforces the old stigmas associated with mental health concerns. Testifying before a federal judge in San Francisco, Michael Kussman said: "The number of patients who have adjustment reactions to the experience that they have in Afghanistan or Iraq is very important, but we don't believe that's mental illness," Kussman said. "It would be unfair and inappropriate to stigmatize people with a mental health diagnosis when they are having what most people believe are normal reactions to abnormal situations." Well, golly gee Dr. Kussman, are you saying that traumatic reaction to wartime situations isn't a mental illness? Because posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) surely has existed in one form or another since all wars have ever been fought. Is PTSD simply an "adjustment reaction" (whatever that is)? Or are you saying that an adjustment disorder isn't a real, diagnosable mental disorder? Because, if you are, you'd be wrong on that account as well. Having a depressive, traumatic or anxious reaction to combat is actually not a normal reaction (even if some of us believe it should be). And sadly, war and combat fighting is not an "abnormal situation" for a soldier - it is exactly what is expected of them (and what they signed up for). In a perfect world, we wouldn't need soldiers. But in a perfect world, we would definitely take care of those who fought for us. That especially means not minimizing the effects of wartime, nor reinforcing the stigma of mental illness - a condition that returns with so many of our military men and women who have seen combat.

 Hicksville Trivia: Circa 1957, the East border of Montana Street, running to Nevada Street and then all the way up to Burns Avenue, John - his mother Mary, brother William and sister Olga -Staryk. Of what is it I reminisce?

Lest We Forget: Currently there are (at least) 4,932 (52 more since last month) Veterans of Modern Warfare who no longer will be "asking" our government for a dime . . .

 Till next month be well... and remember, "Let No Veteran Ever Stand Alone!"