An answer to my email to peace protesters

[wrbones]

I thought I'd let some of you folks have a chance at this one. I have his email addy.

If in fact, he is currently active duty and not ROTC as I suspect, isn't he doing something wrong by being involved with such activities while on active duty?

My original email can be read on NAMGrunt's thread "A Call to Arms"





Mr. Bonesteel,
Being in the military currently I am disturbed by your email to the peace
group. True it is their very right to protest, of which you do adequately
point out, but it is more than that. You equating a peace protester
organizing at a veterans memorial to Martin Luther King Jr. graveside is
absurd. Perhaps, this is not the right wording, but I find it comforting. As
an infantry soldier I find that there would be no better place to have
civilians advocate peace then under the very shadow of those men who have made
the ultimate sacrifice to ensure that very freedom.
I once heard a former soldier tell a civilian who was complaining about
cafeteria food at New Mexico State University that a soldier in Korea eats
dirt. There is freezing temperatures and no comfort. When the student went
through such hardships then only then could they complain. Being from the
same situation my response was actually I put myself in those conditiions so
that the student and anyone else could make those very complaints.
I do advocate that protesters should direct their troubles with the
administration and their policies, not the individual soldier. While a
standing military does protect our very freedom we enjoy, as Kant said,"there
can never be perpeptual peace with such a standing Army." Remember who you
did, and others still do, service for.
To your last comment, "Sadly, peace is no longer an option. This is the
choice of those who have named us enemy. Peace protests in this environment
are illogical and irrational, and in my own opinion, treasonous." I must say
that peace is always an option. It is treasonous, in my opinion, to send
children into war without fully exploring other options. I will say that
sometimes violence and war in a necessary evil in this day an age. However,
at all costs war must try to be avoided and human life preserved. It is your,
and this adminstration's, moral obligation to protect not only American, but
human life. Where is the evidence President Bush speaks of? Without clear
overwhelming evidence the American public cannot simply condone the unchecked
aggression of the American military. This is exactly what a preemptive
strike,
in my opinion, would be.
I may not agree with your opinion, but I will give my life for you express
in any way. This is the most important freedom America can enjoy I believe.
By asking you not to protest under the shadow of fallen soldiers, which I
believe is the appropriate place, would make us more like the rogue states we
currently seek to destroy.

[wrbones]

.
To those who organize 'Peace Rally's'

There is a movement that is slowly but steadily growing among veterans. It is a grass roots movement. A few Marines here, a couple of soldiers there, several sailors somewhere else, two or three airmen at a bar.

It is a movement of frustration born of failed policies and horrible mistreatment by both our government and civilians during and after wars and conflicts past. It is a movement whose heart and soul cries out, with determination, "This shall not happen to another veteran again."

It is a formless movement at this time, and it is essentially leaderless. But it will grow. It cannot be otherwise. Many civilians do not know what sacrifices have been made for them. They cannot comprehend the pain, the horror, the unbelievable long hours and constant wear and tear on bodies, families, friendships, and even sacrificed careers that have been made by these people. These Veterans. They cannot begin to understand the isolation most feel after years of honourable and good service only to return to a nation and home wherein they are incomprehensibly spit upon, lied to, lied about, ignored, or threatened, abused and shouted down by those whom they gave so much to protect. They only want to go back to work, to live in peace and freedom once again as any other American citizen justly demands and expects.

In time, wherever there are peace protesters, there will be a Veteran offering another point of view. Our freedoms do not come cheap. The freedoms of others do not come cheap. Let there be peace. We, as veterans will gladly welcome it. Let there be no man or woman ready to defend freedom, there will be no freedom. Peace will thence disappear.

Any who will not support the men and women of our armed forces in their time of need neither deserve, nor apparently value, the freedom that has allowed them to abuse the Veterans who served, fought and died to ensure freedom and liberty for all of us. Protest. It is your right. Protest in front of 'city hall'. Protest in the town square. Do not bring a peace protest to a monument that was built to honour a Veteran. You have defiled the Veterans and the monument raised to honour them. This is a slap in the face to all Veterans. It is the equivalent of going to a graveyard to protest lethal injection. It is like going to a maternity ward to protest abortion. It is like going to Martin Luther King's grave site to protest equal rights. It is a senseless, vile and inappropriate use of freedom. It is irresponsible, reprehensible, and shows your ignorance of what has been given for you. It is, quite frankly, childishly irresponsible to do so.
Protest any war. You have the right to do so. But do not be surprised when you see a Veteran opposite you who watches and waits.

Be responsible in what you do. Your protests have a negative impact on the morale of many who serve. When they should be otherwise concerned with the life and death job at hand, they might be thinking of you...and wondering why you do not consider what they have done honourable or important. In the past so called peace protests have physically, mentally and emotionally harmed Veterans. If the people of the United States do not support the Marine, the Sailor, the Soldier, the Airman or even the Coastie, in the times that they need you most...in time, there may not be a man or a woman to protect you when it counts. The future of any army, at any time, has depended solely upon the treatment of it's veterans after a war or conflict. I'm sorry to say that our world is not perfect nor safe. Our nation's armed forces are a necessity of life.

Several enemies have declared war upon us from several places and at several times over the last twenty years. Many of them have called it 'Jihad'. This is an eternal feud to those who have declared it. They will not stop until we are dead as individuals and as a nation. Yet another enemy has ignored sanctions and given it's own people over to terror, starvation and death by it's own chemical weaponry in order to live off the 'fat of the land‘. This government has attacked our men and women in uniform on an almost daily basis since 1991, ignoring peace protocols imposed by the UN and the rest of the world. Another enemy has killed several thousand men, women and children on our on lands, in our own nation. We are at war already. Other nations and organizations have declared war against us and openly attacked us. No other nation is able, even if willing, to defend us. We must defend ourselves.

Sadly, peace is no longer an option. This is the choice of those who have named us enemy. Peace protests in this environment are illogical and irrational, and in my own opinion, treasonous.


signed

Warren Bonesteel
USMC 1976-1983


.

[Barndog]

I'm still tryin to figure out the point here. Hell, I got a degree in philosophy, and still aint figured it out.

Logic, in order to be utilized in a valid argument, has to have 2 critical components -

1) Soundness in fact......... and

2) Validity of the facts presented.

Neither are presented in my opinion.

[Barndog]

P.S.

Bones, of course has HIS sh!t together.

[NamGrunt68]

Originally posted by wrbones
I thought I'd let some of you folks have a chance at this one. I have his email addy.

If in fact, he is currently active duty and not ROTC as I suspect, isn't he doing something wrong by being involved with such activities while on active duty?

My original email can be read on NAMGrunt's thread "A Call to Arms"





Mr. Bonesteel,
Being in the military currently I am disturbed by your email to the peace
group. True it is their very right to protest, of which you do adequately
point out, but it is more than that. You equating a peace protester
organizing at a veterans memorial to Martin Luther King Jr. graveside is
absurd. Perhaps, this is not the right wording, but I find it comforting. As
an infantry soldier I find that there would be no better place to have
civilians advocate peace then under the very shadow of those men who have made
the ultimate sacrifice to ensure that very freedom.
I once heard a former soldier tell a civilian who was complaining about
cafeteria food at New Mexico State University that a soldier in Korea eats
dirt. There is freezing temperatures and no comfort. When the student went
through such hardships then only then could they complain. Being from the
same situation my response was actually I put myself in those conditiions so
that the student and anyone else could make those very complaints.
I do advocate that protesters should direct their troubles with the
administration and their policies, not the individual soldier. While a
standing military does protect our very freedom we enjoy, as Kant said,"there
can never be perpeptual peace with such a standing Army." Remember who you
did, and others still do, service for.
To your last comment, "Sadly, peace is no longer an option. This is the
choice of those who have named us enemy. Peace protests in this environment
are illogical and irrational, and in my own opinion, treasonous." I must say
that peace is always an option. It is treasonous, in my opinion, to send
children into war without fully exploring other options. I will say that
sometimes violence and war in a necessary evil in this day an age. However,
at all costs war must try to be avoided and human life preserved. It is your,
and this adminstration's, moral obligation to protect not only American, but
human life. Where is the evidence President Bush speaks of? Without clear
overwhelming evidence the American public cannot simply condone the unchecked
aggression of the American military. This is exactly what a preemptive
strike,
in my opinion, would be.
I may not agree with your opinion, but I will give my life for you express
in any way. This is the most important freedom America can enjoy I believe.
By asking you not to protest under the shadow of fallen soldiers, which I
believe is the appropriate place, would make us more like the rogue states we
currently seek to destroy.

Bones, I wish I could be more eloquent with my post than this, but the only thing I can think off to say without giving it a lot of thought, is that there ain't no way in hell, I'd share a fightin hole with this lame azz mofo !!! Phuck him !!! My opinion is that he if trying to cover up gettin an azz chewin back from you, by taking the soft approach on Liberties.....This might **** a whole lot of people in here off...but in the last couple of months I bet I have seen at least a hundred different Marines start out with their posts by stating...." I don't share the same view with them, but I will defend their right to say it with my Life"......WELL PHUCK THAT !! IF it is a Constitutional right for a bunch of these azzholes to march on MY Capitol, MY sacred bro's ground with this anti war protest which demoralizes troops, and calls the CIC the evil axis of the world, then in my opine, The Constitution of the United States needs to be tweeked !!! I'm sick and tired of reading a bunch of left winged liberal Politically Correct Marines talking about defending the rights of these commie bast@ards !!!
I wouldn't defend a damn one of em....matter of fact I think the sumb!tches ought to be exported to Iraq or where the hell they want to go....just get them out of American.........Rant over......
Thanks for posting that !!! My evening just took a turn !! Now I have a reason to have a few !!! Semper Fi Bones......

[wrbones]

I can't believe the guy is in the military and at the same time a part of any peace organisation! Ain't he violatin the UCMJ somewhere? Hell, I could've made his life a living misery in my outfit even if the UCMJ doesn't cover this!

[NamGrunt68]

Originally posted by wrbones
I can't believe the guy is in the military and at the same time a part of any peace organisation! Ain't he violatin the UCMJ somewhere? Hell, I could've made his life a living misery in my outfit even if the UCMJ doesn't cover this!

I'm sad to report to you that the war protestors will have several active duty military in their group from what I've been told. And yes.....some Marines too......ain't no sh!t bro...of course they won't be in uniform and they are smart enough to stay away from any trouble......thats one of the reasons I have said from the git go that the banner that Roger has scrolling under all of his posts is a bunch of "bullsh!t"....it used to be true, but from alot of what I've seen, it ain't no more........oh hell, here comes the incoming......thats ok....I've been thru it before........

[firstsgtmike]

"I don't share the same view with them, but I will defend their right to say it with my Life"

That's not MY motto.

Mine is; " I don't share the same view with them, but I will defend their right to say it with THEIR lives. As long as they stay out of mine."

Semper Fi

[Barndog]

FVCKIN A Top!


Semper FI

[Phantom Blooper]

Sounds like a punk who wants to get out on grounds of being a F*****g CO to me . Seems like my oath had to do with enemies foreign and domestic. Throw him out then kick his Dear Civilian ass!! Semper-fi!! Chuck Hall

[wrbones]

Sent: Sunday, January 05, 2003 7:44 AM
Subject: peace rally


> Mr Bonesteel,
> 'You have never ever done anything wrong and until
> you get this and start forgiving yourself, nothing
> will change and you will never heal'.
>
> The Marine Corp obviously did a really good job brain
> washing you -or you are so ashamed of what you did in
> Nam that you have to cover it with more war.
>
> War is not nor will it ever be a solution..I too was
> in Viet Nam and I have absolutely no pride for having
> been there in that capacity..it was and will be a
> beautiful country...when they have washed all the
> hatred, chemical pollution and have outgrown the
> devastation we reeked upon them. ..For what?
>
> Our government had at no time, the desire to win
> that war...its only design was to make money off of
> the cannon fodder we were.., Sgt you express the
> normal activity of post traumatic stress disorder just
> like the rest of us...however, screaming 'kill the
> bastards' will not cure you or the present
> situation...please for the sake of your loved ones,
> get some help. The Veterans Administration is far more
> lenient now and are taking a completely different view
> of us that "served" in Viet Nam and the Gulf War.
>
> I am continually appalled by the number of Viet Nam
> veterans who want to go finish the job...anywhere.
> There is no job. We were used. (If there is something
> to be finished it is in Washington D.C. and even that
> will not fulfill the feeling of being used that we
> carry inside)...The soldiers going to this conflict
> with Iraq are being used...there is one agenda. It is
> Corporate America (which includes that great
> corporation, the District of Columbia)...they make the
> money and we take the bullet....for what?
>
> You have never ever done anything wrong and until
> you get this and start forgiving yourself, nothing
> will change and you will never heal.
>
> As hard as it may feel to do so, go in peace...become
> a "real" christian, put the weapon down...there are no
> war memorials worth keeping....there is not nor is
> there to be, war in heaven..Jesus did not say,"pick up
> your weapon and go east or anywhere, and kill people
> or anyone. He said,"love your neighbor"...why is that
> so hard to understand? The entire world is our
> neighbor...more so everyday.
>
> In Truth, Simplicity and Love
>


my response follows:



You may want to read my original email once more. Your response indicates
that you have not read it. My signiture and the business card enclosed
would tell you that I am not a VietNam Veteran for starters. Most of your
message to me is baseless after that is acknowledged and additionally never
addresses any point that I made in my email to you.

As for Christianity. When I see one church under Christ and Him crucified,
then I will once again darken the doors of a building claiming his name. 1
John chapter 3 in particular verses 14-18; John 17 His prayer that we all be
one as he and God are one; Acts 22 32-47 wherein the example was set before
us as well as in Acts chapter 4:32-37. These bits of scripture are listed
only as a beginning. When the church as individuals and as a whole lack
power in the spirit, we have done something wrong. There should not be
diferent churches invoking different doctrines concerning God or Christ
within one village, let alone one city , nation or world.

I will not address the atrocities which have been perpetrated in the name of
God. Even the Nazis invoked God in their convocations wherein they sought to
rule the world.

All the wars of man have been over resources. This war that we face was not
our doing. Re-read my first message to you if you would please.

Apparently you have not been treated at a VMAC recently, nor have you
attempted to file for benefits promised you under the laws of this nation. I
am far from agreeing with anything that any administration does or does not
do. One thing I cannot agree with is the division that is presented by folks
like you before an armed and dangerous enemy of our nation that has already
attacked us repeatedly.

One more thing for your consideration. The Marine Corps has never
brain-washed people. We are the most highly trained armed force that has
ever existed. We are trained to do our job, and we do it very well indeed,
thank you.

One thing you might consider. Instead of dividing the nation with the
protests that you espouse, perhaps you might consider changing the system
that has given you and yours all that you have. Including the right to
protest openly in public, thus providing our avowed enemies the fodder they
need for their own propaganda machines. Protests are notoriously ineffective
in achieving real substantive changes. Otherwise, war would be no more. Were
there not protests in our own nation before the Revolutionary War? Weere
there not protests before and during the Civil War? Were there not protests
before WWI? Were there not protests before WWII? Were there not protests
during VietNam? Their greatest effect was to cause weak leaders to leave the
field of a war we had won in VietNam. Whatever our reason for having been
there. Peace protests' only effect has been to divide a nation and cause
dissension that leads to defeat and shame for all involved. Perhaps you
might consider looking into other venues for your efforts?

In addition, a serviceman or woman suffering from untreated PTSD would have
been far less reasonable then I have been in response to your email.

signed



Warren R. Bonesteel
Sgt USMC 1976-1983

[wrbones]

Sent: Sunday, January 05, 2003 4:28 PM
Subject: Question


Mr War Bones,

If what you say is true, "Many civilians do not know what sacrifices have been made for them. They cannot comprehend the pain, the horror, the unbelievable long hours and constant wear and tear on bodies, families, friendships, and even sacrificed careers that have been made by these people. These Veterans. They cannot begin to understand the isolation most feel after years of honorable and good service only to return to a nation and home wherein they are incomprehensively spit upon, lied to, lied about, ignored, or threatened, abused and shouted down by those whom they gave so much to protect. They only want to go back to work, to live in peace and freedom once again as any other American citizen justly demands and expects."

Why do you want more people to fight a war and to repeat the nightmare of war???????????

I would think you would be the first in line to say no more war.

AZ




my response:



My question to you is."How many Americans must die on their own soil before we defend ourselves?"

In addition to WTC and Pennsyvania, American embassies and barracks are deemed our soil by the world legal system.

On a personal level if a man insults me, I will probably let him wlak away. If a man slaps me, I might let him walk away. If a man intentionally hurts me or my family, I cannot, before God allow him to walk away. He will most certainly harm others.

I notice that you have neglected to address other points I brought up in my email.

I give you credit. Your note to me has made more sense than others I have recieved in response thus far. I am beginning to wonder if your position can be defended rationally and logically.

The nightmare of war has been brought to us. We have let the other man insult us, slap us and harm others ( his own people and other nations ) for more than twenty years. Would you have other innocents die at the rate of tens of thousands, or would you have those trained to fight defend you, your family and other innocents in every nation under our sun?

War is not something that any combat Veteran that I know would wish upon anyone. But they will not stand by and let another despot purposely destroy innocent men, women, and children. Americans have been killed by such men for decades with little or no response. War has been brought to us. Do we defend ourselves? or do we die?

Were these things not the case, you are right. I would be the first to say "What the hell are we doing?" These things are true, however. We have been repeatedly attacked over decades. Men from our military forces have been killed by these men over two decades with little or no response. Tens of thousands of Innocent men women and children have been killed over two decades with little or no response.

There is too much evidence to suggest that such men are not going to stop killing innocent people in a purposeful fashion for decades to come. What would you have us do? Stand down and let them continue to do so?

If you have a reasonable suggestion that might work after several decades and thousands of man-years of effort by the best minds that man can bring to bear on the issue, then I am quite willing to listen.




Warren R. Bonesteel
Sgt USMC 1976-1983

My question is: How'd this feller know that some of you folks called me 'WarBones'? LOL. Why would anyone call me that? I'm a peaceable type of feller!

[wrbones]

>Sent: Sunday, January 05, 2003 12:16 AM
>Subject: Re:Peace Rallys, western asia and the middle east
>
>
>> I respect and support teh men and women in the military and my fellow
>vets! It is my government that scares the hell out of me! We have lost all
>our rights since bush went into office and that is why there are warriors
>for peace and to rectify the situation. What I can say is....I do not want
>any lives wasted for a barrel of oil.
>> respectfully,
>> Funke
>>


my response:


:
>I understand your position. That has frightened me for years, and as my Dad
>says, "I ain't scared of nuthin'!" We are faced with so many 'crisis'
>issues in our time, that it is hard to define priorites. The biggest red
>flag that I've seen lately has been that of an office called 'Homeland
>Security' initiated. However, I do not want to see what I have seen before
>and have personally experienced. Returning home and having fellow Americans
>mistreating me or spitting on me for having done my job. I do not want to
>see servicemen taking a hill and giving it back only to take it again
>because some politician became worried about peace protesters and polls at
>home. My previous statement stands as written. At least you have some idea
>of the true cost of freedom.
>
> Thank you for your response.
>
>W.R. Bonesteel
>
>
>>



His response:




You know one of the things the Peace Movement is really set on is how we recieve the men and women when they return from war! We have come a long way. We now understand that not everyone can leave the military and start a new life somewhere else, and that some people will join because they want to blow people up, and some will believe they are really protecting freedom, and some..... but what ever the reason...we at home have an obligation to welcome them back home with open arms and help them heal from the war they came from! We must support the fact that they were following orders. We must respect their choices and them as people.
The currant President ( and it is hard for me to call him that since his office was bought) will not be backing down because of protesters or anyone I am afraid. He is drunk on power, drunk on greed, and drunk on oil and the lives of men and women and children on both shores means nothing to him. One example is the Depleteed Uranium. It icoats missles, and tanks, and I do not know what all. It is very dangerous to our troups as well as the others. Please look it up on your computer! The protective gear is faulty...that fact has been in the news.....Desert Storm Vets are sick from D.U. the like Agent Orange...the government is denying possiblity of exposure to anything! Do you know that on both shores wopmen are haivng babies that are so deformed from this Depleted Uranium that you can hardly recognise them? And the stuff does not disolve! And it stays in the human body at full strength and is genetically altering is what I understand. As a peace activist and organizer...I w!
orry aobut more then bombs.....long term effects....Friends of my brother's that were in Vietnam have died from these huge lumps that the Vet Hospital said were nothing, some went up in the hills and hid out...are still hiding out....a cousin of mine use to get drunk and beat up garbage cans.....he was a tunnel rat...but he had been ordered in to a villiage and was ordered to kill anything that moved...they put the dead babies into garbage cans so when he came back...he could not live with what he had done....so he drank...and then beat up every garbage can in the area, He was never able to keep a woman or to have children, or a home to speak of. Depleted Uranium, Agent Orange, Post Tramatic Stress Disorder, Poor Vet. Medical Care, Government Denial of dangers THAT THEY ALREADY KNOW ARE REAL...........these are a few of the reasons that I am a Peace Activist now.
I am in full respect of your opinion and your concerns! I am also greatful that you were interested enough to hear my side!
Thank you!
Funke



( Cont)

[wrbones]

This is a response that I had not solicited nor expected.




>Sent: Sunday, January 05, 2003 9:15 AM
>Subject: Fwdepleted uranium: war hazard?
>
>
>> Mr. Bonesteel, this is about the Deplete Uranium I told you alittle about.
>I am forwarding this ...not to pester you...but so you can read up on it. It
>is very scarey! And like Agent Orange...teh governemnt knows about this and
>it's dangers ahead of time. Funke
>>
>> On Tue, 31 Dec 2002 01:42:58 -0800 Larry Williams
>wrote:
>> >How many times should I use the word, insane, in my comments when
>describing
>> >an article that I post? Our we insane for not paying attention to
>depleted
>> >uranium with U.S. military munitions or the Pentagon for continuing to
>use
>> >it? Remember your taxes buy DU munitions, Your elected officials sanction
>> >its usage with a deaf ear. It seems that we have only one choice of
>> >action---Stand up and Protest War-------Larry
>> >
>> >
>> >-------------------
>> >@ http://www.disasternews.net/news/new...articleid=1687
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > Depleted uranium: war hazard?
>> >
>> > TRAVIS DUNN
>> >
>> >
>> > BALTIMORE (December 28, 2002) <
>> > Dr. Doug Rokke has a disturbing habit of laughing when he should
>> >probably be crying.
>> >
>> >
>> > He laughs when he talks about battlefields contaminated with
>radioactive
>> >waste. He can't stop laughing when he talks about what he claims is a
>> >massive government cover-up. And he keeps laughing when he talks about
>his
>> >health problems, which he attributes to deliberate Army negligence, and
>> >which will likely kill him.
>> >
>> > Talking to Rokke on the telephone is disturbing enough without him
>> >laughing about such horrors. A strange echo accompanies every utterance.
>> >When this bizarre sound is pointed out to him, Rokke says he isn't
>> >surprised: he claims his phone has been tapped for years.
>> >
>> > It may be tempting to dismiss Rokke as a crank or a conspiracy
>theorist,
>> >but Rokke is 35-year-veteran of the U.S. Army, and he isn't just a
>> >disgruntled grunt. Rokke ran the U.S. Army's depleted uranium project in
>the
>> >mid-90s, and he was in charge of the Army's effort to clean up depleted
>> >uranium after the Persian Gulf War. And he directed the Edwin R. Bradley
>> >Radiological Laboratories at Fort McClellan, Ala.
>> >
>> > Yet if you type Rokke's name into a search engine on any military
>> >website, you will draw a blank, as if he doesn't exist.
>> >
>> > If you read through hundreds of pages of government documents and
>> >transcriptions of countless government hearings regarding the military
>use
>> >of depleted uranium, not once will you come across his name.
>> >
>> > That is more than a little unusual, since Rokke and his team were at
>the
>> >forefront of trying to understand the potential health and environmental
>> >hazards posed by the use of depleted uranium, or DU, on the battlefield.
>> >
>> > "We were the best they ever had," Rokke claims. He's not bragging.
>He's
>> >laughing again.
>> >
>> > The use of DU in combat is a fairly new innovation. It was used for
>the
>> >first time in the Persian Gulf War as the crucial component of
>> >armor-piercing, tank-busting munitions.
>> >
>> > These munitions are tipped with DU darts that ignite after being
>fired.
>> >The shells are so heavy and hot that they easily rip through steel.
>> >
>> > "It's like taking a pencil and pushing it through paper," Rokke said.
>> >
>> > This uranium "pencil" then explodes inside its target, creating a
>deadly
>> >"firestorm."
>> >
>> > As an anti-tank weapon, "these things are great," Rokke said. They
>> >enable U.S. troops to quickly take out enemy tanks at long-range.
>> >
>> > According to the Web site of the Deployment Health Support
>Directorate,
>> >DU is "a by-product of the process by which uranium is enriched to
>produce
>> >reactor fuel and nuclear weapons components."
>> >
>> > In other words, DU is low-level nuclear waste. According to the same
>Web
>> >site, DU can also contain trace amounts of "neptunium, plutonium,
>americium,
>> >technitium-99 and uranium-236."
>> >
>> > A total of 320 tons of DU munitions were fired during the Gulf War.
>> >Rokke's job was to figure out how to clean up U.S. tanks, the unfortunate
>> >victims of "friendly fire," which had been blown apart by DU rounds.
>> >
>> > After years of this kind of this work > >practice ranges in the U.S.
>> >
>> > He told the Army brass that DU was so dangerous that it had to be
>banned
>> >from combat immediately.
>> >
>> > That conclusion, Rokke said, cost him his career.
>> >

[wrbones]

>> >
>> >
>> > 'Contamination was all over'
>> >
>> > Burning tanks, burning oil fields, charred bodies.
>> >
>> > This was Kuwait after the Gulf War. Rokke had a mission > >tanks
>> >contaminated with DU. What Rokke found terrified him. "Oh my God is the
>only
>> >way to describe it," Rokke said. "Contamination was all over."
>> >
>> > Rokke and his crew were measuring significant levels of radiation up
>to
>> >50 meters away from affected tanks: up to 300 millirems an hour in beta
>and
>> >gamma radiation, and alpha radiation from the thousands to the millions
>in
>> >counts per minute (CPM) on a Geiger counter.
>> >
>> > "That whole area is still trashed," he said. "It's hotter than heck
>over
>> >there still. This stuff doesn't go away."
>> >
>> > His team took three months to clean up 24 tanks for transport back to
>> >the U.S.
>> >
>> > The Army, Rokke said, took another three years to fully decontaminate
>> >the same 24 tanks.
>> >
>> > But the contaminated tanks weren't the only problem. Within 72 hours
>of
>> >their inspections, Rokke and his crew started getting sick.
>> >
>> > But they continued with their work. They went back to the U.S. to
>> >perform tests on Army bases. They deliberately blew up tanks with DU
>rounds,
>> >then ran over and jumped on the tanks while they were still burning. They
>> >videotaped the uranium-oxide clouds pouring out, and they measured the
>> >radiation being thrown off.
>> >
>> > In the past decade, Rokke said 30 men out of 100 who were closely
>> >involved in these operations dropped dead.
>> >
>> > Rokke's lungs and kidneys are damaged. He believes that uranium oxide
>> >dust is
>> >permanently trapped inside his lungs. He has lesions on his brain,
>pustules
>> >on his skin. He suffers from chronic fatigue syndrome. He has reactive
>> >airway disease, which means he can't stop wheezing and coughing, and
>> >experiences a loss of breath when he exercises. He also has fibromyalgia,
>a
>> >condition that causes chronic pain in his muscles, ligaments and tendons.
>> >
>> > The VA tested Rokke for uranium levels in his body in 1994. He got
>the
>> >results back two and a half years later. His urine had 5000 times the
>amount
>> >of permissible uranium.
>> >
>> > After years of fighting with the VA, Rokke said he managed to get a
>40
>> >percent disability, but there is no official acknowledgement that his
>> >illnesses were caused by his work with DU.
>> >
>> > The Army and the Pentagon continue to insist that DU is safe. Rokke
>says
>> >they know better, because he gave them the proof. He said they can't find
>> >evidence of DU's dangers because "they're looking for the wrong stuff,
>and
>> >they're using the wrong procedures."
>> >
>> > The problem with DU, he said, is the stuff that's given off when a
>round
>> >is fired. The projectile begins burning immediately, and up to 70 percent
>of
>> >it oxidizes. This aerosolized power > >stuff, Rokke said, particularly
>when it is inhaled.
>> >
>> > Rokke insists that he and his men were wearing protective equipment >
>>equipment they thought would protect them. But their face masks were
>capable
>> >of straining out particles of 10 microns or larger. That's as big as the
>DU
>> >particles get, according to the Army and the Pentagon.
>> >
>> > Rokke, however, insists that he has measured particles as small as .3
>> >microns, and that scientists at the Livermore laboratories have measured
>> >them as small as .1 micron.
>> >
>> > Thus these safety precautions, which are still in place now, are
>utterly
>> >useless, he said.
>> >