Thought for the Week

I'm finally feeling better and actually writing again. I'll never have full use of my left lung, but I'm grateful to be alive. All I can say is I didn't see this coming. 😱

 

Frustration

 TL/DR

I’m a Navy brat and an Army veteran. There was an old adage frequently quoted during my time in the service:

"There's nothing too good for our guys overseas, and that's just what they get—nothing too good."

One of my biggest concerns with the administration’s approach to downsizing government is how they're eliminating programs before fully assessing their effectiveness. I’ve never had much respect for new "bosses" who rush to make changes without understanding what works and what doesn’t.

When those decisions impact veterans, I get really upset.

One of the so-called "useless" programs on the chopping block was a USAID initiative assisting veterans suffering from the effects of Agent Orange. The irony is infuriating—how quickly we forget the sacrifices made by those our government sent to fight.

For those used to an all-volunteer military, it may be easy to overlook that the Vietnam War was different. Two-thirds of Vietnam veterans were drafted, and many others (like my husband) enlisted just to have a say in which branch they served in and what job they were assigned. They were sent into battle, not by choice, but by duty.

Then, in an effort to defoliate the dense jungles, the U.S. government sprayed a toxic herbicide—Agent Orange—without regard for the soldiers in the field. The consequences of that decision have been catastrophic, leading to lifelong health issues for countless veterans.

Agent Orange exposure has been linked to:

• Cancer: Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, multiple myeloma, prostate cancer, and cancers of the lung, larynx, trachea, and bronchus.
• Heart Disease: Ischemic heart disease, which reduces blood supply to the heart.
• Nervous System Disorders: Peripheral neuropathy, Parkinson’s disease, and dementia.
• Skin Conditions: Chloracne, which resembles severe acne, and porphyria cutanea tarda, which causes extreme sensitivity to sunlight.
• Other Health Issues: Type 2 diabetes, AL amyloidosis, and symptoms like fatigue, shortness of breath, swelling, tremors, headaches, muscle weakness, and night sweats.

These aren’t hypothetical risks; they are real conditions affecting real people who served our country. And yet, the programs designed to help them are being quietly dismantled.

It's bad enough the Vietnam vets were treated so poorly when they returned home. You didn't see people clapping for them when they walked through the airport. They got spit on instead.

We owe ALL our veterans the care and support they were promised. We sent them to war and cannot abandon them in the aftermath. Cutting aid to those still suffering from the effects of Agent Orange is more than a policy decision—it’s a betrayal.

The old adage might have been meant as a joke. But after all these years, it’s still far too true.