This veteran isn't owed anything. (vanity)

When young men/women signed up for active duty service, they were usually told that there was a guarantee of this or that. If free health care was an agreement stated before signing on the line, then the government has a duty to keep its word. My husband served (was told that he would always be served at a VA hospital) and has never sought VA hospital services. We have private insurance and now, Medicare. I imagine that many who do seek these services cannot afford other care. VA hospitals have been in decline for many years/decades now. I know there are a few really good ones, but on the average, i think most veterans just go to a regular hospital/clinic as a self-pay or insurance paid patient. I do not knock the ones who go for free service. I cannot judge their reasons. Some probably DO feel that things are OWED to them, but that is a mentality that has transformed much of America today.

The good thing in all of this is that the VA being touted as a great example of what ObamaCare will be is just that! What an example! Who could’ve painted a better picture? And it is so bad that it can’t just be undone or turned around quickly! (God does have a wonderful sense of humor!)

Unfortunately, there will always be those looking to take advantage of any system, especially ones easy to scam.

But those should not be used to judge those who are genuinely disabled. There are many forms of disability, some quite apparent and visible, others not so much or at all.

As to the DS/DS numbers, don’t know, but many of us were given immunizations [some suspect] and chem warfare pills [again, suspect] to take. How those affected individual persons is still up for debate and then there’s the GW Syndrome.

In addition, there were the 1000’s of frontline troops exposed to the burning oil wells and other hazardous materials associated with warfare, like DU, burning materials, etc.

From Wiki:
Gulf War Illness Main article: Gulf War syndrome
Many returning Coalition soldiers reported illnesses following their action in the war, a phenomenon known as Gulf War syndrome or Gulf War illness. Common symptoms that were reported are chronic fatigue, Fibromyalgia, and Gastrointestinal disorder.[149] There has been widespread speculation and disagreement about the causes of the illness and the reported birth defects. Researchers found that infants born to male veterans of the 1991 war had higher rates of two types of heart valve defects. Gulf War veterans’ children born after the war had a certain kidney defect that was not found in Gulf War veterans’ children born before the war. Researchers have said that they did not have enough information to link birth defects with exposure to toxic substances.[150] Some factors considered as possibilities include exposure to depleted uranium, chemical weapons, anthrax vaccines given to deploying soldiers, and/or infectious diseases. Major Michael Donnelly, a USAF officer during the War, helped publicize the syndrome and advocated for veterans’ rights in this regard.

Effects of depleted uranium[edit]
Approximate area and major clashes in which DU rounds were used.Main article: Depleted uranium § Health considerations
Depleted uranium was used in the war in tank kinetic energy penetrators and 20–30 mm cannon ordnance. DU is a pyrophoric, genotoxic, and teratogenic heavy metal. Many have cited its use during the war as a contributing factor to a number of instances of health issues in the conflict’s veterans and surrounding civilian populations. However, scientific opinion on the risk is mixed.[151][152]

Some say that Depleted uranium is not a significant health hazard unless it is taken into the body. External exposure to radiation from depleted uranium is generally not a major concern because the alpha particles emitted by its isotopes travel only a few centimeters in air or can be stopped by a sheet of paper. Also, the uranium-235 that remains in depleted uranium emits only a small amount of low-energy gamma radiation. However, if allowed to enter the body, depleted uranium, like natural uranium, has the potential for both chemical and radiological toxicity with the two important target organs being the kidneys and the lungs[153]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_War

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