European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 15, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 the stars and stripes tuesday november 15,1994 by Richard a. Serrano los Angeles times Fayetteville . Ten babies have died Here already. The children of persian Gulf War veterans the died of heart defects and liver cancer. One was born with to spleen. Three were born dead. Their Short tragic lives chronicled neatly by their mothers in family photo albums Are raising new fears that the mysterious persian Gulf syndrome an unexplainable untreatable affliction that report edly has touched thousands of those who fought inthe desert is now being passed on to the next Genera Tion.  ,. ,. Here at i Ort Bragg Home to the army s 82nd air borne div veterans Waves Learned almost by Accident that they were not the Only ones mysteriously losing children. Some by Chance struck up casual conversations with other grieving mothers at the Beauty  traded stories at the local grocery. The fort Bragg experience is being repeated allover the United states. With some groups believing that As Many As 65 percent of the children born to persian Guli War soldiers Are afflicted in some form or another veterans and their spouses Are confused and angry and Are increasingly refusing to have More children. Or. Ellen Silbergeld a molecular Lexicology is atthe University of Maryland told a congressional hearing in August that scientists now know that me exposed to toxic chemicals can pass the Poison directly to their children through semen. What i frightening she said is that the chemicals can cause genetic mutations to the sperm that helps conceive Chechild. Exactly Why this occurs she added is the ques Tion we know the least . Francis j. Waickman an Akron Ohio environmental paediatrician compared birth defect Statis tics Between Gulf War babies and other children. He found a 30 percent rate of abnormalities among the children of Gulf veterans probably tenfold of what is in the Normal population he said. But As experts delve further into the Issue he said More questions pop up. Can it be passed on the answer is yes insofar As we have hard evidence that chemicals can absolutely decrease numbers of sperm he said. It can create an infant whose immune system does not function normally and As a consequence this can be a cause for the increased incidence of infections in these children. But does this alter genes and can this occur when you have severe chemical exposure _ he answered his questions this Way to my knowledge this is the first time we be Ever had such Large group exposed to a possible Large degree or chemicals so we d better learn from this whole series of  Betty Mekdeci founder and director of the association of birth defect children in Orlando fla., is also studying the illnesses and deaths. Her group is circulating 10,000 questionnaires to Gulf War families. All the information will be dissected to look for my knowledge this is the first time we be Ever had such a Large group exposed to a possible Large degree of chemicals so Werd better team from this whole series of events environmental  and at fort Hood in Texas. In Fayetteville Melanie Ayers lost her 5-month-old son Michael. Except for some unusual sweating bouts he had seemed a healthy child. Then during a restless sleep one night last summer he stopped breathing. And while Ayers frantically drove him to the Hospital he died it s very frustrating the Way people Are just patronizing to us she said. They pretend they under stand our anguish. But we re getting More upset wit government officials coming out and saying How con fusing this All is but doing nothing to solve  Hart the air Force spokesman said the pentagons continuing to gather and examine statistics on health matters from Gulf War veterans and is com paring them with soldiers who did not go to the Gulf As Well As accumulating other data on the Long list of ailments that have touched the service members an their families. He noted that a study by the Mississippi state department of health which Analysed the incidents of birth defects in Waynesboro came up with initial findings that indicated a Normal rate of birth defects for the group there. Yet the phenomenon persists. Trends and patterns. What she Hopes to determine i whether the ailments and fatalities Are linked to the War or simply Mirror those in society. Defense department officials say that while the sympathize deeply they have yet to pinpoint a cause unless More research shows otherwise they say  were not exposed to life threatening chemicals or other toxic agents from either the  or the regime of Iraq s Saddam Hussein. Air Force it. Col. Doug Hart a Pentagon spokes Man on health and personnel matters said some studies suggest that infant deaths and birth abnormalities Are in line with expected percentages in the general  Don t Tell that to the mothers of Waynesboro miss., site of a National guard quartermaster , 13 of the 15 children who have been born to returning Gulf War veterans suffer from serious birth defects. About a year after the War ended in Early 1991,veterans began complaining of strange diseases rashes nausea headaches and even More severe ail ments such As blood clots and cancers. In hearings before Congress the sick Veteran charged that they were carelessly exposed to toxins and that the government knew of the health risks an was trying to cover them up. Government officials deny this. But Congress passed a Gulf veterans Aid Bill signed this month by president Clinton that authorizes payments to Veter ans who Are chronically ill with undiagnosed disabilities that surfaced during or after the War. However the Bill did not extend assistance to the veterans families something Many angry parents Hope to push through Congress next year. Infant mortality rates have suddenly increased among Gulf War veterans in four counties in Ken Tucky and Tennessee Home country for the army s 101st airborne div at fort Campbell in three coun ties in Georgia that support army infantry troops meanwhile a special Gulf. War registry continues to document individual cases. Of the 697,000 service members sent to the Region about 29,000 have signed onto the a s registry. Similar to the roster of Viet Nam agent Orange sufferers drawn up a generation earlier the registry will be used to collate information and officials Hope pinpoint a cause. But indications that the disease is spreading to the children alarms Many who Are racing to find a cure. Top s wishes won t Haiti pullout Perry says Washington a the Clinto administration plans Tio acceleration in the troop withdrawal from Haiti despite Republican wishes defense Secretary William Perry said monday. They will not All be out by thanksgiving by a Long shot Perry said during a Pentagon photo Opportunity. Our plan As we be announced before is to reduce to about 9,000 troops in Haiti by the end of the month Perry  will be further reductions in de  Perry s comments came a Day after Senate minority Leader Bob Dole said he would urge president Clinton to with draw the entire . Force in Haiti in less than two weeks. Speaking on lbs s face the nation program Dole r-kan., said the . Mission in Haiti to restore ousted presi Dent Jean Bertrand Aristide has been accomplished. It does t serve any purpose if there Sno problem there said done expected to become majority Leader. We ought Roget the troops out of Haiti by thanksgivi pfc. Arturo Homes is welcomed Home by his wife Diane and their 11-month-old son Joshua on sunday in fort drum . Homes a member of the 10th inf Mountain div was among 112 soldiers who returned Home from Haiti Early sunday. Ing. Let s get out before there is any  missions abroad. I think the president should know Dole s comments reflect the sceptical now that republicans who control the mood among the incoming Republican Congress May have a much different vie majority on Capitol Hill toward . On areas like Haiti and Bosnia and North peacekeeping and democracy building Korea Dole said. Warning issued on travel aboard Small aircraft Washington Apah International association of aircraft passengers advised its members monday to avoid flying on Small regional and commuter aircraft. Commuter aircraft with under 31 seats Are the real Hazard warned Davi Stempler executive director of the International airline passengers association. The papa reported that in 15 years there were 29 fatal accidents involving air Craft with under 31 seats and just one Acci Dent involving a regional plane with 31 or More seats. The american Eagle crash in Roselawn,ind., that claimed 68 lives oct. 31 did not occur during the study period but even if it were counted the larger regional planes had a very Good safety record papa said. Stempler urged members of the association who Are booking flights to ask what Type of plane they will Fly and if it is a Stallone ask to be placed on a flight with a larg Prcraft. On monday the cockpit emergency Hatch fell off an american Eagle commuter plane on Takeoff from Kennedy Airport but the aircraft landed safely. None of the 16 people aboard was Hurt. The ceiling Hatch fell off the twin Turbo prop a few seconds after the plane took off for Albany