Veterans and Mesothelioma

While everyone has different feelings regarding the military and U.S. involvement in various wars and conflicts, no one can dispute the fact that America's veterans have gone above and beyond the call of duty to protect the country, both in times or war and times of peace.

U.S. soldiers are called upon to perform a variety of duties and are literally stationed in countries all around the world. Some work on bases, others fly planes, and still others spend most of their active duty aboard ships. Some soldiers are rarely in harm's way while others fight for their lives every day.

But while guns and bombs are a tangible threat to soldiers, another silent killer has taken the lives of many U.S. veterans, especially those who served their country from just prior to World War II until about 1980.

Identifying the Silent Killer

In the early to mid 20th century, a mineral called asbestos was making its mark on a variety of industries. Asbestos, inexpensive to use, was touted for its unique and remarkable heat- and fire-resistant properties, so it quickly enjoyed widespread use in industries where that sort of protection was essential.

The military made extensive use of asbestos, including aboard its ships. This was especially true during the World War II years, when shipbuilding was at its peak and vessels needed to be built quickly and inexpensively. During those years, asbestos was used in various technical instruments, meters, paneling, packing material, prefabricated forms, tubes, cables, capacitors, block insulation, pipe covering, deck covering materials, adhesives, insulation felts, thermal materials, gaskets, mortar, aggregate mixtures, rods, valves, boilers, bonds, compounds, bedding compounds, coatings, packing assemblies, hydraulic assemblies, and grinders.

Both veterans and civilian shipyard workers were exposed to dangerous asbestos on a daily basis and often handled the mineral with their bare hands and without use of protective masks or other gear. However, at that time, these workers didn't realize they were performing dangerous tasks that would later adversely affect their health.

Developing Mesothelioma

During the time veterans were working with asbestos, they were probably inhaling sharp asbestos fibers on a daily basis. While little regard was given to the asbestos dust that appeared on their clothes and hair each day, decades later, veterans began developing mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer which can take 20-50 years to surface. In the last 20 years, a large number of World War II veterans have died of the disease.

Veteran's Rights

No one informed yesterday's veterans that they were being harmed by performing tasks that were expected of them each day. Today, many are realizing that someone else is responsible for their poor health.

While U.S. veterans are not permitted to sue the U.S. government for their injuries, they can sue the companies that manufactured the asbestos products responsible for their diseases. Veterans who have developed mesothelioma due to their work in the military should seek an experienced asbestos attorney to determine their rights for compensation.