Veterans Support Group
This community is dedicated to all veterans of armed forces, and the health and life challenges they face. A veteran often refers to retired armed services personnel, one one who has served in the armed forces and has an honorable discharge. Join many others in sharing your experiences to find support.
i was diagnosed with fibromyalgia 4 months after i got out. symptoms are the exact same as Gulf War Syndrome.
several years ago my rep from the American Legion presented a theory that my symptoms stemmed from smoke inhalation at the Pentagon during the 9/11 (when i had to go up there and deliver tents to the guys sorting out the charred mess). the Pentagon burned for 4-5 days and i remember breathing in lots of smoke before i even reached the 1st ring of security that night. the closer to the crash site, another ring of security and thicker smoke. the officers all had hazmat suits on but NONE of us enlisted did. we had no protection on whatsoever.
there was tons and tons of heavy jet fuel in the smoke, burnt rubbers, plastics, and God only knows what other extremely toxic chemicals i could have breathed in.
anyways, the VA keeps denying me compensation for FM and the rep i had back then said that if i could only find that enlisted person that drove up there with me, so we could both write to the VA and get our compensations. especially if we both have the same health problems!!
well guess what?! a friend of mine who also served with us (that i finally got in contact with) gave me HER number and she told me that she has ALL the same symptoms I DO!! i just got off the phone with her after all these years!!!! her docs haven't dx her with FM yet, tho cuz they don't know what's wrong with her or what to do with her. so i told her to get to a rheumatologist and ask to be seen for fibro. i'm pretty DAMN SURE she has it after she told me all her problems and symptoms!!!!
i guess that American Legion rep was right! we also agreed that her and i are gonna help eachother get our VA benefits approved cuz she's been running into the same problem i have, they keep screwing her over!!! what the hell's wrong with our VA???
i've been fighting this for going on 5 years and i'm so damn sick i can't work or go to school. she told me she's just as sick, too. sheesh......
question to you guys.....
i need to find other enlisted people that were there, too. the rest of our platoon hung back and only sent us 2. but there were other enlisted there and i can't remember them. how can i find them? if they are sick too, this would make a really strong case against the VA for ALL of us! ideas?
several years ago my rep from the American Legion presented a theory that my symptoms stemmed from smoke inhalation at the Pentagon during the 9/11 (when i had to go up there and deliver tents to the guys sorting out the charred mess). the Pentagon burned for 4-5 days and i remember breathing in lots of smoke before i even reached the 1st ring of security that night. the closer to the crash site, another ring of security and thicker smoke. the officers all had hazmat suits on but NONE of us enlisted did. we had no protection on whatsoever.
there was tons and tons of heavy jet fuel in the smoke, burnt rubbers, plastics, and God only knows what other extremely toxic chemicals i could have breathed in.
anyways, the VA keeps denying me compensation for FM and the rep i had back then said that if i could only find that enlisted person that drove up there with me, so we could both write to the VA and get our compensations. especially if we both have the same health problems!!
well guess what?! a friend of mine who also served with us (that i finally got in contact with) gave me HER number and she told me that she has ALL the same symptoms I DO!! i just got off the phone with her after all these years!!!! her docs haven't dx her with FM yet, tho cuz they don't know what's wrong with her or what to do with her. so i told her to get to a rheumatologist and ask to be seen for fibro. i'm pretty DAMN SURE she has it after she told me all her problems and symptoms!!!!
i guess that American Legion rep was right! we also agreed that her and i are gonna help eachother get our VA benefits approved cuz she's been running into the same problem i have, they keep screwing her over!!! what the hell's wrong with our VA???
i've been fighting this for going on 5 years and i'm so damn sick i can't work or go to school. she told me she's just as sick, too. sheesh......
question to you guys.....
i need to find other enlisted people that were there, too. the rest of our platoon hung back and only sent us 2. but there were other enlisted there and i can't remember them. how can i find them? if they are sick too, this would make a really strong case against the VA for ALL of us! ideas?
I have no idea how you would do this. Thank God for the Internet, though. Tons of 'military' sights.
Not to speak the obvious, . but www.military.com .. definitely put your search there. I would not go into your illness .. more like "Searching for military personel who evacuated Pentagon on (date)-(date) as result of 9/11 attack" .. and note it as URGENT.
For some reason, I think you will get more response. Just my opinion.
I would do this at every "military' forum I could find on the 'Net.
I just did a search on Google:
pentagon evacuation 9/11
and got about 88,300 hits.
http://thebloviatinghammerhead.wordpress.com/2009/09/11/interview-with-lt-col-brian-birdwell-911-pentagon-attack-survivor/
just a couple of thousands of hits.
gary