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THE REVIEWS ARE IN
The new format of The VVA Veteran is excellent! The pages
are so much easier to read and handle and, of course, the
new format allows for great color pictures, graphics, and
ads. Congratulations on the new publication.
Bob Wefald
Via e-mail
TO SEE IN SPRINGFIELD
My husband received his VVA Veteran today and I was looking
through it.
I noticed that your Convention is in Springfield, Illinois,
and you have a list of things to do and places to see, restaurants,
and other sites pertaining to Abraham Lincoln. May I make
another suggestion on a place to visit? It’s the Daughters
of Union Veterans of the Civil War 1861-1865 Headquarters
and Museum. The address is 503 South Walnut Street in Springfield.
Hope you can stop by and see it.
Lynne Gallaudet Dolan
Daughters of Union Veterans of
the Civil War 1861-1865
New York Department Chaplain
Via e-mail
IN GEAR
I must commend you on the articles, the writing, and the
information that you put forth in each issue. I joined VVA
just two-and-a-half years ago. I don’t know why I waited
so long. Maybe it was because I was a member of the VFW and
thought that they cared about veterans, rather than running
bingo games. Since I have joined and found Chapter 311, I
have formed friendships with the members, and I can now proudly
state that I am a Vietnam veteran.
One article in the March/April
issue caught my eye. Being a “gear head” since
I was in high school and a card-carrying member of the NHRA,
I loved the article about Melanie Troxel and her top fuel
car. Keep up the good work.
Michael
D. Zenisek
Wheaton, Illinois
PARASITE WARNING
I am writing to inform all Vietnam veterans about a potential
health risk that they may have been exposed to while serving
in Vietnam: the little-known danger from parasites.
My husband,
who was otherwise healthy, passed away on January 20, 2006,
from cholangiocarcinoma, cancer of the bile duct of the liver.
It is very rare in the United States, but very prevalent
in Vietnam and surrounding countries. There are two known
causes of this type of cancer: from contracting hepatitis
C and from ingesting a parasite from the water supply in
Vietnam. My husband did not have hepatitis C; therefore,
it was determined that his cancer derived from a parasite.
I have received official notification from the VA that his
death was service related, which is not something the VA
determines without an overwhelming amount of evidence.
This
cancer does not manifest itself until later in life, when
you are between 60 and 70 years old. Once the symptoms occur,
which usually include jaundice, it is very difficult to treat
or beat. My husband was 58 years old when he passed away.
If he had been informed that there was a possibility that
he could have ingested a parasite while serving in Vietnam,
he would have taken precautions to have his bile ducts examined,
possibly extending his life. The parasite is long gone, but
it left behind damaged cells, which developed into cancerous
tumors in the bile ducts.
If you spent time in Southeast Asia
and are having gastrointestinal issues for no apparent reason,
please have your physician check for damage within the bile
ducts. It may save your life.
Mrs. Edward S. (Pete) Harrison
Horseheads, New York
UNWARRANTED
The comments made by Cheryl Price in her letter to the editor
in the May/June issue are a slap in the face to all Army
veterans and current soldiers. Her comment, “He must
have been in the Army. They take anyone,” was unwarranted.
Rich
MacLeod
Via e-mail
INCLUSION?
I just read the May/June edition. As usual, you did an outstanding
job. While reviewing the memorial list, I quickly realized
it does not include our brothers who died in Vietnam. They
never had the opportunity to join VVA. I assume a decision
was made not to include them. I personally believe they should
be included.
John Baxter
Via e-mail
VA: NOT NICE
I just read your article about immunization problems in the
May/June issue and felt I should write about what has happened
to me (and I’m sure many others). In November 2006
I was feeling a little lousy and went to my doctor. He got
some blood work back that said I had come down with hepatitis
C.
I was completely dumbfounded as to how this could have
happened. I had absolutely no risk factors: no transfusions,
no promiscuous sex. As I delved deeper, I found out some
truly astonishing things on the VVA web site, such as the
fact that the general population risk for hep C is 1.9 percent,
all veterans’ risk
is 8.9 percent, and Vietnam veterans’ is 18.0 percent.
The
last time I went to the VA clinic in West Palm Beach, Florida,
I thought I was in Abbott and Costello’s “Who’s
on First.” After weeks of waiting to hear back about
what was to be done about a different problem, the doctor
said he was going to give me a prescription for my ailment.
Then I got a letter in the mail saying that they couldn’t
give me the medicine because it is too expensive. Nice, huh?
Ed
Malone
Port St. Lucie, Florida
HEROISM DENIGRATED
In June, the U.S.S. Liberty Veterans Association commemorated
forty years since our ship was attacked by our ally, Israel
(see The VVA Veteran, Sept./Oct. 2002).
On June 8, 1967,
while the Liberty was in international waters monitoring
the Six Day War, two Mirage fighters attacked, killing nine
sailors. Torpedo boats followed, firing five torpedoes at
the Liberty. One smashed into the Research Operations Department,
instantly killing 25 cryptologists. Machine-gun fire was
merciless; even lifeboats were sunk. In the end, 34 were
KIA, 172 were WIA.
The bravery and heroism of the Liberty
crew resulted in the award of a Medal of Honor, two Navy
Crosses, and 36 Silver and Bronze Stars. Even though the
casualty rate was the highest since World War II, few people
know of the Liberty. Our service has been denigrated, the
attack we survived, minimized.
For forty years, the LVA
has called for justice and a full investigation into the
events of that sad day. I am happy to report that this year
both the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion
at their conventions will debate resolutions demanding justice
for these Vietnam Era veterans. Sadly, my own organization—Vietnam
Veterans of America—will
not.
John Hrankowski
Rochester, New York
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2008, Vietnam Veterans of America. All Rights Reserved. 8605 Cameron
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