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March 30, 2008
NEXT ELECTION
During the summer of 1966 I was sprayed with poison from the
air in the Camp Gagetown Training Area in New Brunswick while
serving with the Canadian Armed Forces. I was a technical support
person. flying as a Technical Crewman in the Vertol Twin-Rotor
Helicopters operated by the Army. We were living in tents, eating our meals in a large field kitchen,
and taking our baths in makeshift showers under the trees or maybe
in the rivers in the area. We lived, ate and slept with nature, which
was being poisoned by the same Army giving us the orders to live there.
They did not tell us about the poison, in fact, in the contrary, we
were assured we were safe. The Government of the day, and successive Governments, have
publicly denied that poison was used. The exception to this is
those same Governments, that, when they were in Opposition,
called on the serving Government to do what is right and call an inquiry. Those Opposition Members promised publicly that the situation
would be rectified if they were elected, and the Veterans and Civilians
affected by these poisons would be adequately cared for. They
promised an inquiry and compensation, neither of which they have
delivered. So the big question now, is, who do we vote for? All of the major
parties have lied to us, and have made promises that they refuse to
keep. Some of the fringe parties are now going the same route as
their predecessors, promising action if they are elected. Do we
trust them?
Can we believe they will do anything if elected? Or will they turn
their backs on us the same as all the rest have done? The Minister of Defense, Peter MacKay, simply cannot be believed,
the same as the guy there before him, Mr. O' Connor, who got turfed
for his incompetence. It is amusing to note that O'Connor was also a
General in the same Army that lied through their teeth to us. He didn't
make it there, and he didn't make it as a Defense Minister either !! Now, back to the original question, who to vote for in the next
election? Personally I intend to exercise my voting rights by doing
so, but in a different fashion. I will mark an X beside every name on
the ballot, which effectively removes a vote from the last person I voted
for and gives my vote to nobody!!
In this way, all the liars will lose. I will not be happy about doing that,
but I am not happy about being poisoned by my own Government either.
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February 24, 2008
"Agent Orange Alert" has recently learned that the stalling tactics of the Federal Government in regards to the Merchant Law Group Class Action Suit are working, and it will be many years before this action works its way through the courts
Every step taken in this lawsuit is effectively challenged by the Government, and if the challenge is lost then an appeal is filed. All of this legal wrangling and political posturing takes its toll in time, and the period before this even gets to be heard in court has stretched into several years.
The obvious reason for the Government tactics is, of course, time. The longer this can be delayed, the more people will die from the effects of the poison. It has been well over 50 years since this all started, and the people involved at the beginning, both military and civilian alike, are now old and dying from poison related illnesses.
When this Government announced its weak and flawed compensation package it precluded everyone who had died before the day the present Conservative government was elected.
Obviously the more people who die now the less pressure will be brought to bear on the Government.
Politicians coming on line in the future will then be free to make false promises and lies about the past to an entirely new generation who will not know enough of the facts to challenge any of it. A “wannabe” politician is the happiest in the world when he can spout off about something he knows absolutely nothing about, nor does his audience!
I am thoroughly embarrassed and ashamed of all of the Canadian Governments that have been in power since the 1950's when Camp Gagetown opened. I am, however, particularly ashamed and incensed by this present Government. They were so pompous and indignant about the Base Gagetown fiasco when they were in Opposition and promised the moon on the campaign trail to get elected. They have not even delivered the smallest star, let alone the moon !!
I get furious every time I see the smiling Prime Minister Stephen Harper on the television telling the world how much Canada respects and honours our Veterans, both wartime and peacekeeping veterans alike.
Every time the remains of a fallen soldier is returned to Canada, he is front and center with his political crap. Does he and Veteran Affairs Minister Greg Thompson not have any more respect for Canada and its citizens than to put on a false political show when we should be honouring our dead?
I never thought it would come to this, but I am more and more becoming ashamed of the fact that I served 10 years in Canada's Armed Forces, was exposed to deadly poison as a result, and the Governments that caused this are continually hiding the truth and refusing to accept any responsibility for it.
I just wish we had some politicians who are as intelligent and respectful as our present Chief of Defence Staff, General Rick Hillier, who is the best Chief of Staff I have seen in my lifetime.
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January 08, 2008
I joined the Agent Orange Association a couple of years ago at the urging of the then membership chairman Jim Cadger. I agreed with their objectives and wanted to help get the message out to the public ensuring they knew just how shabby successive Governments have treated both the Veterans and civilians involved in the Camp Gagetown NB spraying activities over the years.
I served in Camp Gagetown from 1959 through 1966 and only missed one summer training exercise which was in 1962 while serving in Germany. I vividly recall the airplanes and helicopters flying overhead dispensing chemicals on those of us unfortunate enough to be on the ground at the time.
None of us knew the potential for serious harm that we were being exposed to, and in fact, were assured by our Officers that there was nothing to worry about. Since then, hundreds have died from this exposure, and thousands still suffer terrible illnesses as a result of the chemicals used.
Army families and civilians alike roamed around in the Gagetown Training Area, picking and eating the berries and catching and eating the fish from the contaminated streams. Is it any wonder so many are sick and dying, together with those directly exposed to the “poison from the air”?
Successive Governments have denied or ignored the facts in this issue, and some have even outright lied about it. Dishonest politicians are among the most despicable people in the world. They campaign for election by telling the people what they want to hear, and then do the exact opposite with a smile on their face and a totally dishonest public relations campaign.
Such is the plight of thousands of Canadians Veterans and civilian workers associated with Camp Gagetown, which is now called Base Gagetown. We have hit an all time low in political promises never kept, and the offer by the present Government is so fundamentally flawed to make it totally useless.
People who have already died from these chemicals were outright denied any form of remuneration, or even recognition. Those who are still living must meet the requirements of another Country's outdated and obsolete list of illnesses associated with these chemicals to qualify for the meager amount being offered.
During 2007 I resigned my membership in the Agent Orange Association due to a disagreement with the leader of that group as to what direction we should be taking. I still maintain that the Association has done good work, and the concept they started with continues to be a viable operative. All they need is a new direction and a cooling of the dictator-like leadership being demonstrated.
It appears now as if the only remaining possibility of ever receiving justice is the class action suit currently being pursued in the courts by Merchant Law Group. Unfortunately these matters take an insurmountable number of months and years to make their way through the courts, and many will be dead by the time any fruition is achieved.
We have to carry on, making sure the public is well informed as to any action or lack of action forthcoming from the Federal Government. My prediction is a total lack of action until a month or two before the next election and then the promises will all be renewed again. Once again we will believe an individual who has a smooth tongue and is fast talking until he wins the election and then he will be gone again for another 4 or 5 years.
Eventually we will all be dead and the problem will have resolved itself. In the meantime, as long as I live and breathe I will relentlessly pursue this issue with anyone who will listen, and believe no one until they prove themselves through their actions.
Lorne D. Amos Sr.
lamos1@nb.sympatico.ca
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