There were 28 countries that served with the United States in Iraq. All 28 countries now report that their men and women are also sick. - Actually 33

Symptoms of the Syndrome

From a Lecture By Captain Joyce Riley in Houston, Texas on January 15, 1996

These are the symptoms of the syndrome. You may look at this and it may not seem very significant to you, so if you look at aching joints and go to your doctor and say "I have aching joints" or you say "I have chronic fatigue ", or you say "I don't have the memory I used to", they will not say anything.

• When I am talking about memory loss, I am talking about the kind where you have to wear a beeper so your family can find you. One young man told me, "I can only remember today. I can't remember what happened yesterday." He was 27 years old.

• We are talking about a problem known as night sweats.  You have to change your linens twice a night.

• The muscle spasms get so bad that you can't stand it and people scream in pain. There is also loss of eyesight, breathing problems, and chest pains  All of these are problems that become worse.

The problem is that the government is telling the people of the United States "there is no Gulf War Illness". The doctors in this country think there is no Gulf War Illness. So, when people come in and complain about the symptoms, they are turned aside and told that the problem is psychological in nature.

Deformed Children

Now, you are not being told about the babies that are being born deformed. There is a Gulf War Baby Foundation formed to register babies who have contracted the syndrome. There are so many that are being born deformed. You are not being told about this.

Gulf War babies are severely deformed. In fact, according to Nation Magazine, "studies have shown that 67% of babies born to Gulf War veterans are deformed. What have they done to our future generations? What have they done to their DNA?

There was an article that appeared in Life Magazine in November 1995 featuring a man in the 82nd Airborne at Fort Brag, North Carolina. This young man has a child with no arms and no legs. I know of a nurse in San Antonio who knows of 50 children like this.

When our soldiers risked their lives in the Gulf, they never imagined that their children would face these consequences or that their country would turn its back on them. You are hearing what perhaps 1% of the country knows today. It will take your help to get this story out. There is no way these parents can afford to take care of these children. (Shows pictures of children). 

You see, the disease is contagious, and now the wives and children are getting it. (Counterpoint - If caused by 2-butoxyethanol, as I believe, then it is because there is such a thing as second-hand solvent exposure. *   ALSO this chemical is a teratogen and  damages  reproductive system; also is a pesticide - so causes endocrine disruption)

Many are now destitute, with their savings spent on medical care not provided by the government.

According to Senator Reigle, "the Department of Defense refuses to acknowledge any part of the problem. Their blanket denials are not credible. To my mind, there is no more serious crime than an official military cover-up of facts that could prevent more effective diagnosis and treatment of sick U.S. veterans. It is an astonishing example that the Defense Department is going to deny reality."

The Veterans Administration is not treating Gulf War veterans

Comments by Joyce Riley

Reposted with comment by Margaret 12-31-03  -  Fair use

Another source of information:

Gulf War syndrome, popular name for a variety of ailments experienced by veterans after the Persian Gulf War. Symptoms reported include nausea, cramps, rashes, short-term memory loss, fatigue, difficulty in breathing, headaches, joint and muscle pain, and birth defects. Ailments have been reported by American, Canadian, Australian, and British veterans alike; in some cases spouses of veterans have reported similar symptoms. The mysterious syndrome has sparked debate between veteran's groups, Senate investigators, and the military over questions of accountability, treatment, and compensation. Hypothesized causes include parasites, biological and chemical warfare agents, prophylactic vaccines and medications given against biological and chemical warfare agents, fumes from oil well fires, and stress. In 1994 an advisory panel organized by the National Institutes of Health reported that the syndrome represented many illnesses and many causes; they deemed biological and chemical warfare agents unlikely as causes. Causes for the illnesses in many subsets of patients have been identified, e.g., some 30 veterans had leishmaniasis, a parasitic disease spread by sand flies, but in many instances the cause has not been identified. In 1999 researchers said that brain scans of some sick veterans revealed signs of damage caused by exposure to toxic chemicals. Some medical historians have pointed out that syndromes of undiagnosable diseases have occurred after other wars, including World Wars I and II and the American Civil War.   Source

Comments to Frontline for Jan, 1996 TV show - mostly Gulf War Vets