Most of our members are veterans of Vietnam and the Gulf War, and we
can guarantee you that, for a soldier, war doesn't end when he or she departs
the battle zone. The war comes home
with you, and can have a negative impact on your physical and psychological
health for the rest of your lives. You would be well advised to secure copies
of all your medical and personnel files prior to separation to establish a
pre-enlistment base line for your health, and to document your presence in
any war or training zone where you might have been exposed to toxic materials
that can lead to post-service disabilities.
The rates of suicide, homelessness, and alcoholism among Vietnam vets
has soared way above the norms afflicting the general population.
15% of all Vietnam veterans suffer from a debilitating emotional disorder
known as PTSD. The percentages climb
even higher, when only combat veterans are considered.
Tens of thousands of Vietnam vets were exposed to poisonous herbicides,
like Agent Orange, a chemical agent used to defoliate the thick jungle cover
of Vietnam. The effects of exposure
to these agents is well known in communities and veterans organizations throughout
the U.S., yet, for most veterans, there are no cures and only inadequate treatment.
In the case of the Gulf War vets, the VA has found in the last year
that they were twice as likely to suffer from deadly ALF (Lou Gehrig's disease)
as vets who weren't sent to the Gulf war zone.
Today, one in four Gulf War veterans receive VA disability, a record
number for veterans of all wars. And you should also be aware that the same
radioactive residue from spent depleted uranium munitions that may be a major
cause of the Gulf War vets' illnesses remains active in the desert battlefields
which many U.S. soldier will have to pass through en route to Baghdad.
All of these post war problems represent the hidden cost of war, a
reality that doesn't appear in your enlistment contract
We hope you will be not be subject to the same post war maladies as
many of us have been. The best way
to protect members of the military from such misfortunes of war would be not
to send them into battle unless it is absolutely necessary to defend our legitimate
interests, and ourselves and only when we have the full backing of the American
people and unambiguous support from the international community.
The planned invasion of Iraq satisfies neither of these conditions.
Statement endorsed by Citizen Soldier and Vets For Peace