In my case, the "Persian Gulf War Syndrome" may have been derived from an isolated incident like this close call. While we the USS Tarawa LHA-1 was moored to the pier in Al Jubayl, right alongside tons and tons of ordinances, there was a Scud Missile Strike that missed its target, during the "Desert Storm Operation!" I remember our liberty call was just hours before this sudden near miss strike, and just immediately after the impact and explosion occurred, Our General Quarters Alarm had sounded to recall all ships personnel back onboard prior to mustering, and getting back underway into the Persian Gulf.
The Persian Gulf, A very large mass of water where we would find a lot of oil well pipes that derived from beneath the ocean floor, and that traveled upward and broke surface of the water to go at least as high as five feet, only to expose itself with fiery flames and its black smoke. It looked like large black candles on fire, as our vessel of course tried to avoid crashing into, or scraping up against them. Nonetheless were underwater explosive mines, that were kept in check and disarmed by our (EOD) Explosive Ordinance Demolition Teams, on Mine Sweeping Missions before and during the entire Persian Gulf War, in 1991.
For me as an "Airdale" working topside on the Tarawa's Flight Deck at that time, I was openly exposed to all the toxic fumes or deadly nerve agents found from these oil well pipes in the Gulf; from whatever the winds had blown off shore during the wartime ground troops exchange of fire that left the sky full of ashes and a very thin clear horizon. As well as the near miss Scud Missile explosions that did release toxic gases or possibly even nerve agents such as Agent Orange!
This article below clearly states, even without this Scud Missile having Biological Warfare Head or Chemical Warfare Heads, the missile did release some form of strange smelling fumes and toxic gases into the air for quite some time. Again, as we continued to work outdoors, we were in a more vulnerable position than other ships crew members protected indoors. Thus, it would be accurate to state that we had our share of inhalation with all kinds toxic fumes, gas or agents measured in lethal amounts, that would cause problematic health conditions, such as:
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), and/or Fabrymiolgia (Joint Problems), both health conditions were not listed as part of the Gulf War Syndrome in 1994, but that changed within recent years and both conditions are now listed as a major part of the Persian Gulf War Syndrome! Meaning that it took a couple years for such health conditions to manifest itself in us Veterans from the Gulf War!
The following is from an article taken from US Pentagon:
February 16th Attack on Al Jubayl
Iraq fired a single Scud at the port city of Al Jubayl early on February 16th, The Patriot battery positioned to defend Al Jubayl was undergoing maintenance at the time and could not engage the Scud. The incoming missile broke up in flight over the harbor and hit in the water just off a large pier where six ships and two smaller craft were tied up. The missile's impact also was about 500 feet from ammunition storage on the pier.
One witness recalls hearing a loud explosion and seeing white-hot objects falling.The Scud caused no casualties or damage, but it exuded a blue, green, and yellow substance and bubbled a strong-smelling gas for some time (probably inhibited red fuming nitric acid ' see Section VII). United States Navy explosive ordnance disposal specialists eventually recovered the missile in parts using divers, flotation bags, and a crane. Test results performed on this Scud determined that it did not have a chemical or biological warhead.
Reference taken from URL: http://www.iraqwatch.org/government/US/Pentagon/dodscud.htm
Furthermore, according a Gulf War Syndrome site, it lists that there are Untied States Armed Forces Veterans that have been in the 1990-1991 Gulf War, with less or no symptoms to illness unlike others. The IOM Institute of Medicine reveals the cause to this simple truth is due to the distinct difference in the immediate pre and post deployent dates for these Persian Gulf War Period Veterans, as well as the location of their mission during and after their time of battle.
Those that were part of the ground troop attack campaigne were pre-deployed for Desert Shield-from August 2,1990. through Desert Storm-Febuary 28 1991. These US ground troops that were there when ("ODS")"Operation Desert Storm" war began, escalated, climaxed and then ended. Than once "ODS" was finally over, they had a major immdiate re-deployment back to the United States. These Veterans in particular according to IOM Institute of Medicine, had fewer Gulf War Symptoms, isolated health conditions, or no ill health related issues regarding the Gulf War Syndrome.
However, other "ODS" Veterans that were diagnosed with multi-symptoms, or a range of illnesses identifiied as the "Gulf War Syndrome" were according to IOM Institute of Medicine, were not part of the pre-deployed "ODS" nor part of the immediate post war re-deployment back to the United States. They were also not part of the ground troops hot zone, which strangely and tragically enough, found to have many more united state ground troops killed more so from "Friendly Fire," than anything else.
We, the flight deck crew while aboard the USS Tarawa LHA-1 were deployed on December 1, 1990 and arrived on the "ODS" scene in early January 1991. We were strategically part of the the rest of "ODS" until "Cease Fire" was announced just a short time later. However, we were not part of the immediate post re-deployment back with the rest of the US Army Ground Troops. We instead, had patroling duties until long after the welcome home yellow ribbon celebration parades went on all across America. Our arrival home was with no parades, and with less hoorah from the public that late summer in 1991!
It's also important to note that our hazardous duty work environment on the flight deck of the Tarawa were not just from ready standby duties with our Marine Air Squadrons giving air support for Marine Brigade Corps Troops ashore. But during the climax of "ODS" before the cease fire, we were vulnerable to ground to shipboard scud missile stikes, while adrift near shore. We were the flag ship in our fleet and had fire power capabilities from both our "Sea Wiz" and "6 inch canons" We also had the "Mighty MO," Battle Ship: USS Misssouri nearby, and other Destroyers and Frigates that had the capabilities of Tomahawk Strikes and a Patriot Missile Defense to intercept any enemy scud missile attacks, with potetial (CW) chemical or (BW) biological warheads attached. We the Tarawa, and the rest of our Fleet Arsenial Defense delivered everythiing necessary to aid and support ground troops ashore and ensure the highly likelihood in their safe return.
The Iraqi Army in retaliation from losing soldiers, and the overall battle on the grounds from our US Troops ashore, ignited the "Oil Well Fires" ashore and out at sea in the Persian Gulf. Oil Well Pipes were found to be many in the Gulf itself, as we manuevered past them while underway at sea, avoiding any collisions thanks to our navigating team of Captain Fladd and our team of (QM) Quarter Masters located in the bridge during and after "ODS"!
It was an unexpected effort by the Iraqi's that left Kuwaiti burning long after the cease fire was announced in Febuary 1991, which was finally extinguished late that year in Navember, 1991. IOM also states that these "Oil Well Fires" did have toxic agents, if inhaled in lethal amounts! Which is a highly probably cause in US Veterans today that claim to have illnesses or multi-symptoms to what is identified today as the Gulf War Syndrome.
Well the IOM Institute of Medicine Reports more of the following:
"The IOM, Institute of Medicine, also found that service in the 1991 Gulf War is a cause of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in some veterans and is also associated with gastrointestinal disorders such as IBS, irritable bowel syndrome; substance abuse, particularly alcoholism; and psychiatric problems such as anxiety disorder. The IOM's report also shows there is some evidence that service during the 1991, Gulf War is linked to fibromyalgia and chronic widespread pain, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease), sexual difficulties, and death due to causes such as, car accidents in the early years after deployment, but the data are limited, said the committee that wrote the report. Older research shows that the U.S. and the UK, with the highest rates of excess illness, are distinguished from the other nations by higher rates of pesticide use, use of anthrax vaccine, and somewhat higher rates of exposures to oil wells on fire, smoke and reported chemical alerts."
Therefore, it may have taken a few years for multi-illnesses to manifest itself soon after the Persian Gulf War in 1991. But now that it's been 20 years later, and I've been suffering since my Honorable Discharge in 1993, from Gastro-intestinal or IBS, Irritable Bowel Syndrome. I've suffered from major joint problems in my neck, back, shoulder, knee and ankles, highly probable from Fabromyalgia.
I've come to a solid conclusion to now know the source of my illnesses, thanks to the intensive longitudinal researchive studies on Armed Forces Veterans that served in the Persian Gulf War, by IOM, Institute of Medicine.
Reference was taken from-
URL:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_War_syndrome
URL:
http://208.86.252.130/~veterans/Persian/gulf_illness.html
Most Sincere,
Mickey Tovio Scanlan
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