To quote the phrase, “war is hell,” is putting it mildly. However, since the beginning of time, wars have appeared to be a normal state of the human experience. Just in this century alone, we have had two devastating world wars, including the war that was to end all wars, and many minor skirmishes; minor in comparison to the world wars.
America was pulled into a few forgotten wars, such as the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Most recently, we have had wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Our military men and women are the ones who are put in harm’s way with each war. They are sent out to fight these wars, and many of those who come back do so with major disabilities.
Chemical/Biological Warfare and Our Veterans
January 16 marked the 25th anniversary of Operation Desert Storm. This war was fought to liberate one of our allies, Kuwait that had been invaded by Iraq. Prior to 1991, our country was experiencing a relatively peaceful period of time. Operation Desert Storm seems to have been the starting point of what now appears to have been a series of never ending wars in the Middle East.
During many of these wars, biological and chemical weapons such as “anthrax” (a bacterial agent), and various forms of nerve gases (chemical agents) were used.
At the Hague Conventions in 1899 and 1907, the world agreed that chemicals used in warfare were outlawed, and in 1924, the nations agreed to add biological agents to the list of prohibited weapons. However, no method was put in place to verify compliance, and we know from past history that the use of chemical and biological agents in warfare continued.
During the First World War chemical warfare was used on a very large scale. The first nation to use chemicals as weapons on a massive scale was Germany. After Germany released chlorine gas as part of their attack on Belgium in 1915, an arms race began amongst all the nations fighting at that time, including the United States. The proliferation and use of chemicals in warfare became the norm, and they were not used exclusively against troops but also civilians, resulting in 40,000 civilian and 20,000 military personnel deaths in one year alone.
Left All Alone to Deal With Major Disabilities
When our military is sent to faraway lands in order to fight a war against tyranny, and to protect the liberties we sometimes take for granting, many come back home broken by the massive destruction that is war. The destructive nature of war injures both body, mind and soul, and our returning service members deserve more from us than they get. They deserve healing from us, to the extent possible, not just in word but in deed. The Veterans’ Administration was developed to oversee the needs of our military, but they often fall short, especially with what we have been seeing in the news about healthcare for our veterans being slow in coming or denied altogether; many experience long wait lines to be treated for illnesses, sometimes to the extent that the veteran dies before ever receiving any treatment.
How a Veterans’ Disability Attorney Can Help
If you are a disabled veteran or servicemember needing assistance in understanding what disability benefits you are entitled to, contact J. Robert Surface Attorney at Law. Mr. Surface is an experienced veterans’ disability attorney in Greenville who will help you cut through the bureaucratic red tape and work hard to ensure that you receive all of your veteran benefits.
