European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 25, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Absolute a leading critic claims the government is ignoring the evidence of the use of chemical or biological weapons by Cindy Killion Washington Bureau n advocate for troops afflicted with the mysterious Gulf War illness said it absolute crap to blame Industrial sources alone for the syndrome there were chemical and biological weapons All Over the place said army Reserve maj. Richard Haines of new Albany ind. Haines and other critics who recall the . Government s Long standing refusal to recognize agent Orange As a cause of serious health problems among Vietnam War veterans Are notably sceptical of officials explanations. He asserted that Pentagon medical experts have changed their minds several times on the causes of persian Gulf War syndrome and he fully expects them to do so again. Will it be when Congress comes Back in session and the senators Start Reading the 500 testimonials gathered from people who served in the War that give firsthand evidence of chemical or biological weapons used there Haines asked. Haines a Vietnam Veteran did not serve in the Gulf War. However he said he became determined to solve the mystery behind the illness after a Friend who was a Gulf Veteran committed suicide because no one took his illness seriously. Haines said he has told by his battalion commander to Stop his probes into the mystery. They said the medical Community was perfectly capable of handling the situation it did t need my  %. However As time passed and the syndrome became known his command became More supportive of his actions he said. My motivations have often been questioned but with this i Nave nothing to gain and everything to lose. I be already spent every cent of my military earnings to research and document this illness. But i be vowed to bring an end to this medical Gestapo he said. Haines has no medical background but has worked extensively with the american Academy of environmental Medicine an organization of environmental health physicians to track the illnesses of Gulf veterans. In his privately developed data base More than 500 Active and Reserve soldiers from 40 states have their symptoms documented. This research prompted lawmakers to ask him to give written testimony to the House veterans affairs committee during their Gulf illness hearings in june. He has also Given an Oral report to physicians at Walter Reed army medical Center in Washington. Haines said he s also obtained veterans administration records that show that 1,600 Young soldiers have died of cancer or congestive heart failure since the end of the War. However the veterans administration disputes Haines numbers. Chemical warfare experts such As these at work in the saudi Arabia desert in february 1991, detected the presence of Mustard Gas and other chemical agents during the Gulf War. Terry Jemison a a spokesman in Washington said Only 725 Gulf veterans have died by Accident homicide or illness since the end of the Gulf wan but Jemison said the a does t necessarily know of All deaths Only of those whose survivors claimed benefits even so he thinks there s an error in Haines computation. I Don t want to speak for or. Haines he said but he said Haynes was probably looking at the total number of deaths of Gulf War Era veterans not just those who actually served in the desert. He explained that the a categorized veterans by the dates they were in uniform not where they actually served. In other words a sergeant could have spent the War in Omaha but they Are still considered a persian Gulf War Era  Haines defended his findings by saying he and others including some members of Congress have tried unsuccessfully to get copies of a a document that lists All deaths of persian Gulf vets. It the document has their names social Security numbers cause of death which was probably misdiagnosed and what unit they were in during the War he said. One person i talked to said there were More that 1,500 names on  Haines said he believes the Gulf War deaths linked to the syndrome were caused from chemical contamination that damaged the immune system. The theory that Post Gulf soldiers Are experiencing persistent colds flu and yeast infections he added is supported from interviews with afflicted service members and in some cases their donated test results he said. Information on toxins there is no National hot line for information for people affected by environmental toxins. However army Reserve maj. Richard Haines said he has compiled a package of information and will Send it out free. For information write Richard Haines 4247 Valley Terrace new Albany ind. 47150. Those who subscribe to the Prodigy on line computer system can reach Haines at mpxw96a. When the immune system is weakened he said the victim is subject to a myriad bacterial fungal and viral  taking a More moderate View yet still keeping All options open is sen. Richard Shelby d-ala., a member of the Senate armed services committee. -.-r/. Helby has been very demanding in Congress that this Issue be resolved said Stacy Smith his spokeswoman. Shelby believes the illness is caused from a variety of chemical eos tarment Smith said there were the Oil Well fires the use of leaded gasoline in Heaters depleted uranium in expended Armor shells and contaminated water she said. I just what chemicals were and Are still present in the Gulf is being debated. Officials for both the French and former czechoslovak Milit Aries have reported finding traces of Mustard and nerve agents in saudi Arabia before the Allied invasion of Iraq. In november Pentagon officials said the . Military concurred with the czech report even though the czech chemical unit did not keep any of the soil samples that supported its findings. But other chemicals not just the Type used in weapons can trigger chemical detection equipment said it col. Stephanie Haney a Pentagon  compounds such As those used in insecticides and pesticides can trigger our chemical detection  she gave one example where a group of marines was moving through an Orchard along the coast when their chemical alarms sounded. It was found that the alarms detected lewisite a chemical compound used in pesticides she said. Several teams of environmental Hazard experts have returned to the Region to investigate the areas where chemical detection equipment registered positive readings where czech chemical teams reported finding traces of Mustard Gas and nerve agents and also to areas that have storage tanks believed to hold insecticides pesticides and fertilizers. Some of the teams have already returned but Are still compiling their reports Haney said. She said an initial report is due in March. But that s not Good enough for Haines. Even if the Dod and a accept multiple chemical exposure they re Light years away from correctly diagnosing and treating it he said. He said the Dod and a medical systems should step aside and Congress should authorize afflicted soldiers to la Charles Hinshaw a Wichita kan., physician specializing in environmental Medicine for the past 13 years has treated 40 persian Gulf War veterans. From those records he compiled the following. New Tes the symptoms from most to least common Are vision problems burning or dry eyes sight getting worse b joint pain fatigue headache h decreased Short term memory skin rash muscle aches irritability and mood swings problems sleeping dizziness nasal congestion sensitive to everyday chemicals such As household cleaners perfume and gasoline fumes " -.  diarrhoea wheezing and tightness in the Chest pal x  " Xiv  a ,v,h\4r Al a a %/�-\a1, a v. A j., w of 4 a % s. V findings ,--,0 to x 4kjf�- � a v set Viv a a. Vav s v t i 7 i about 20 percent were Given a specialized brain scan that measures electrical activity All had abnormal results. One had a reaction to the Type of chemicals produced from burning Oil. The percentage that came up positive for Normal allergies such As to pollen or ragweed was the same As that found in the general population. All had the same Battery of tests Given during a routine examination that included urinalysis Wood chemistry thyroid function. All results were Normal. Tests done on liver function showed the Organ had difficulty processing and ridding the body of foreign chemicals. Ipp or to i in Ify a Jpn. J Ufi a a  vhf a lev r \ a a v it a is is is i. My \ in a a " a x 1 to f a /. To k a i a pm possible causes i v a. Vol a is to x fat t i a  �. 4 All possible causes of the persian Gulf War syndrome Are being explored by the veterans administration. Those include exposure to chemical biological warfare vehicle paint environmental chemicals exhaust fumes from vehicles and space Heaters depleted uranium inoculations microwaves s4s such Harris  Ca Khornian Karen Stephens is one of Many americans not connected to the military whose health has been endangered by exposure to multiple chemical concentrations. Get treated by experienced civilian medical professionals. If soldiers Are forced to stay with the military and a medical system this generation will never get the Correct treatment he claimed. I think this Issue will become bigger than the War itself thousands of people Are affected. Our veterans Are disabled they be lost their jobs their families and their health. They re having reproduction problems miscarriages and birth defects. This is another agent  continued from Page 15 Don t acknowledge  still other physicians May accept the probability but Don t know enough about the illness to recognize it in a patient he said. Or Peter Bernad a Washington area physician has been specializing in the environmental health Field since 1985. He said he has treated hundreds of people for illnesses caused from exposure to toxins encountered in their civilian environments. He s also worked As an environmental health consultant for government agencies and civilian companies. He said he understands the sceptics since As Blanck said the symptoms can be so varied. It s like the five Blind men feeling an elephant and then describing How it looks he said. With this illness you can have five different doctors examine the same patient and come up with five different  Bernad said he conducts a variety of tests that include brain wave scans. Usually there s some change in brain wave activity that s caused from damage to nerve endings in the  and the treatment can be just As elusive. Unfortunately there s no magic Bullet cure Blanck said. A lot of it is based holistically strict diet exercise vitamins and rest which allows the body to detoxify. It s hard for Many patients to accept that their recovery rests much on their own shoulders they want the doctor to make them  Bernad agreed. The first thing that needs to be done is to remove the individual from exposure to chemicals in our society that s hard to  Blanck Hopes that soon there will be a joint a and Dod treatment facility that is hermetically sealed thai is one that filters out All incoming smoke smog and environmental toxins. Such a facility already exists at a civilian clinic in Dallas. And Bianca said some Active duty patients have been referred to a physician in new Orleans who has been successful in treating chronic fatigue. Unfortunately he won t Tell us what his treatment consists  even so Blanck anticipates shared information Between the civilian and military medical communities. This in t the first time that a medical Issue received attention in the military and thus became accepted in the civilian Community As Well Post traumatic stress is just one  for that Bernad is hopeful. This is really a widespread illness. It s much More common that we  16 the stars and stripes tuesday january 25,1994 the stars and stripes my 17