Posted by David Latimer on September 11, 2008 at 4:00pm
Fellow Navy vets dedicated their lives to protecting the freedoms of U.S. citizens and ensuring the safety of our nation, and there was certainly no shortage of dangers associated with this task. The risks that Navy personnel face may seem obvious, but there is a hidden danger that is costing vets their lives long after they are retired from service, and that is the risk of developing malignant mesothelioma as a result of asbestos exposure on Navy ships and military aircraft.Mesothelioma is a fatal cancer that occurs in the mesothelium, or lining of the body’s internal organs and is caused by previous asbestos exposure. The most commonly diagnosed form of mesothelioma in veterans is known as pleural mesothelioma, which manifests in lining of the lungs. Mesothelioma (also referred to as asbestos cancer) has a dormant period of between 20 and 50 years, and the average age of newly-diagnosed veterans is between 50 and 70 years old. Upon diagnosis, the overwhelming majority of veterans lose their battle with mesothelioma in less than 2 years, as this type of cancer is unusually aggressive. Less than 1% of mesothelioma sufferers will survive past the 2-year mark. There is no known cure for mesothelioma.Veterans may have been exposed to asbestos in a variety of ways, but the majority was exposed while aboard Navy ships or while residing in military housing. Asbestos was found in ship piping insulation and floor and ceiling tiles up until the federal government mandated asbestos-usage regulations in the early 1980s. That being said, World War II vets are considered to be at a heightened risk of developing mesothelioma, but military personnel who have been aboard navy ships and aircraft, as well as military housing, in recent years may also be at risk, since many ships, planes and some housing have not been updated or undergone asbestos abatement. Asbestos is not dangerous unless it has been damaged, but if asbestos-containing materials are damaged or disturbed, tiny asbestos fibers may become friable and be released into the air, putting military personnel at risk of inhalation. If inhaled, the fibers (which have a claw-like composition) can cling to the lining of the organs for decades before an afflicted individual may begin to suffer from common mesothelioma symptoms, such as chronic cough, chest pain, or difficulty breathing.
why is it so hard for vets to get a claim for asbestos exposure approved,i was on a ship for three years and have been denied once but appealed it and sent them more proof.they are still lookin at my claim,i am on oxygen 24/7 and at night ,this didn't start untill 15 to twenty years after i was dischrged from the navy in 76.my ship was the point defiance,lsd-31.she was off the coast of nam when agent orange was used.i have talked to another vet that stationed on a ship that was linked to point d he got his claim approved after a lot of gettin through the red tape.steve gibson usn retired
I've read and seen a lot about Mesothelioma. One friend of mine's father passed from it and it was a horrid death. His lungs basically became less and less able to supply oxygen until he eventually suffocated to death.
I was exposed to asbestos on the Coontz... we used to have to rip off the insulation whenever we worked on equipment down in the boiler rooms. We eventually had a 'ripout' to remove all of it. During the ripout, ventilation wasn't adequate and many of us had the exposure documented in our service jackets.
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why is it so hard for vets to get a claim for asbestos exposure approved,i was on a ship for three years and have been denied once but appealed it and sent them more proof.they are still lookin at my claim,i am on oxygen 24/7 and at night ,this didn't start untill 15 to twenty years after i was dischrged from the navy in 76.my ship was the point defiance,lsd-31.she was off the coast of nam when agent orange was used.i have talked to another vet that stationed on a ship that was linked to point d he got his claim approved after a lot of gettin through the red tape.steve gibson usn retired
I was exposed to asbestos on the Coontz... we used to have to rip off the insulation whenever we worked on equipment down in the boiler rooms. We eventually had a 'ripout' to remove all of it. During the ripout, ventilation wasn't adequate and many of us had the exposure documented in our service jackets.
I pray I don't get it.