MESOTHELIOMA PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT:

The Following is a Public Service Message about mesothelioma, sent to me by Jesse Herman of the Mesothelioma Cancer Center.

Past and Present: Asbestos is Still a Killer

The military is always in search of the best, sometimes most fiscally responsible way to protect our troops. This may sound oxymoronic but in the case of asbestos the two go hand-in-hand. Asbestos is a fire retardant fiber that is very strong, durable and acts as an excellent insulator. Additionally, it is fairly inexpensive. It’s no wonder why the military used it for a variety of products on ships and buildings. Unfortunately, exposure by disrupted asbestos fibers (loose) can result in scarring of the lungs, which can lead to a number of lung ailments including a deadly cancer known as mesothelioma.

Every vessel built leading up to World War II contained asbestos. Shipyard workers, sailors and tradesman aboard the ships were exposed around navigation rooms, sleeping quarters and mess halls.

Exposure was so pronounced that somewhere between 30 and 40 percent of all mesothelioma patients diagnosed are United States veterans. In addition to navy vessels, aircraft and vehicles all utilized asbestos.

It is ironic that a fiber produced to help save a ship and the crew on board is the cause of so much anguish and tragedy many years later. Asbestos is one of the worst corporate industrial disasters of the 20th century, as companies that produced products with asbestos have known about the dangers since the early 1900’s. In case you are wondering, there is a process victims and their families can go through for compensation and it’s not Uncle Sam that pays, rather, it’s the manufacturers. Although, Uncle Sam’s hands are still dirty to some extent, it is typically the manufacturers that have to swallow the monetary blame.

The danger for asbestos exposure is still present today with over $194,000 worth of asbestos imported to Iraq in 2003. Aside from daily threats from military assignments and enemy fire, Soldiers stationed in Iraq are at risk because intense desert winds can carry asbestos dust many miles.

Mesothelioma doctors have a tough time with Diagnosis because it may take 20-50 years to actually get mesothelioma after asbestos exposure. Therefore holding anyone liable often proves to be extremely difficult.

Currently mesothelioma is not recognized as a service-related ailment. Still, veterans can apply for Veteran Affairs (VA) benefits for asbestos-related illnesses as long as they can provide ‘proof’ it happened on the job.

Thankfully asbestos laws prohibited abundant use in the United States after 1980. The affects are still lingering and if you work in an office building, school or are living in a home built before 1980 than asbestos is likely all around you. This does not mean you are in danger but you should always be aware of the threats posed if the asbestos is disturbed.

U.S. Congressman Brian Baird Gets Torn a "New One" By Marine Vet David William Hedrick: