published: Friday, November 16, 2012

If VA can't help, maybe attorneys can

Editor:

An open letter to the President, the Senate and House and the VA: The exposure to dangerous chemicals such as Agent Orange and the many healthcare problems it creates has been acknowledged by the federal government and the Veterans' Administration. The exposure of asbestos and the many health problems that they cause has been acknowledged when it comes to the comparing the Twin Towers attack, but the federal government and the VA has not compared the asbestos damage to World War II and Korea veterans.

The veterans were exposed for several years compared to those who were in the Twin Towers. They have been dying at the rate of 740 a day. There are more than 100,000 claims that the VA is sitting on. The Republican Congress and ex-Republican past vice-president, who has been the CEO of Halliburton, the HO bid contract company that stole millions of taxpayers' dollars in Iraq, created a ploy to deny asbestos claims to millions of veterans by setting up a fund for asbestos claims. They require that "the veterans die of lung cancer"; they ignore all of the many other health problems that kill that are related to asbestos. They are not ignored when it comes to Agent Orange or to the many thousands who were exposed to asbestos in the Twin Towers attack.

The veterans were exposed for several years compared to those who were in the Twin Towers. They have been dying at the rate of 740 a day. There are more than 100,000 claims that the VA is sitting on. The Republican Congress and ex-Republican past vice-president, who has been the CEO of Halliburton, the HO bid contract company that stole millions of taxpayers' dollars in Iraq, created a ploy to deny asbestos claims to millions of veterans by setting up a fund for asbestos claims. They require that "the veterans die of lung cancer"; they ignore all of the many other health problems that kill that are related to asbestos. They are not ignored when it comes to Agent Orange or to the many thousands who were exposed to asbestos in the Twin Towers attack.

Asbestos kills many more veterans than Agent Orange due to the numbers of veterans in World War II and Korea. They are dying at the rate of 740 a day from the many health problems they create. Many veterans are dying from illnesses other than lung cancer that the exposure to asbestos creates.

My claim of asbestos damage to the VA is more than 10 years old. I am 83 years young and I am still waiting.

To all you lawyers who believe in the justice system and fair play for all of Americans, I would ask that you step up to the plate and sue Halliburton, if not for the millions of tax dollars stolen in the Iraq war, then for the millions of your brother veterans' claims that have been denied for asbestos damage, remembering that asbestos destroys not only the lungs, but the entire body. The Halliburton Fund set up by Congress is a scam to disallow all veterans their claims; as all the medical profession will attest that asbestos exposure causes the breakdown of all body parts, not just the lungs as they would have you believe.

Politics has played a huge part in denying veterans' claims.

Are there any lawyers out there willing to fight for our veterans?

They fought for you.

Billie E. Jewett

Sebring