Army National Guard Specialist Gerard Matthew is a veteran of the Iraq war. He has an 11-month-old daughter who was born with a deformed right hand. If she tries to stand, and falls, she will not put out here arms to protect herself.
Matthew, himself, suffers constant headaches and blurred vision. He has tested positive for depleted uranium, a component used in tank armor, and weapons shells. Dust from unexploded shells can be inhaled. The symptoms can be devastating.
Matthew, and Sgt. Herbert Reed, were part of a panel, Saturday afternoon, organized by the Saugerties Committee for Peace and Social Justice.
Reed told the 50 people who gathered, that he was told, by military doctors, that his tests results were not a cause for concern. “Right, they said we had acceptable levels of depleted uranium. Acceptable to whom?"
Reed has serious physical debilities and suffers memory loss.
Event organizer Angela Morano said their hope is to broaden awareness of the problem. “As a nation, we need to understand that these are the type of weapons we are using," she said. "They are harmful to us, not only to our enemy, if you want to call someone our enemy, but they are harmful to us as well.”
Morano said they are working with members of Congress, including Rep. Maurice Hinchey, to get proper testing and treatment for affected veterans.
Also on the program, two representatives of Veterans for Peace, both Vietnam veterans, who take their message into schools. “I don’t hate recruiters”, said Jim Murphy. “I just want to put them out of business.”
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