Lee Metcalf: “I rise today to issue my personal plea for the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense to accept…”

“I rise today to issue my personal plea for the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense to accept the fact that we have gulf war veterans and family members who are very sick and they need the best medical assistance available given without hesitation by these departments. While the issue is very serious, we can focus our concern later about who is responsible. Ignoring these sick and disabled veterans does nothing for them not their families. More seriously, this situation erodes public faith in our Government as a whole and these departments in particular. In the last few months, more and more information has come out about the possibility of exposure to chemical and biological weapons in the gulf region. Film footage of the destruction of vast weapons storage areas have been played on the screens of television all over America. The Department of Defense has now admitted to the potential for exposure of many thousands of service members in the gulf at that time. The depot at Kamishya, described to be the size of 25 B-25 hangers, was just one of what may prove to be many sites where exposure occurred. The bunkers were reportedly full of chemical and biological weapons. This information was reported to commanders in charge but orders were given nonetheless to destroy the site. Until recently, veterans have been told that gulf war illness was a mental condition, stress, or posttraumatic stress disorder.”