Marines Exposed to Asbestos

Although it was possible for other members of the armed forces to be exposed to asbestos, those who served in the Navy and the Marines suffered some of the worst exposure. This is because the warships and other marine vessels utilized by both the Navy and the Marines were inundated from top to bottom with asbestos. 

Asbestos was valued because of its fire resistant properties. It was used in the boiler rooms, sleeping quarters, and even the mess halls, meaning that it was virtually inescapable. A significant amount of those currently suffering from mesothelioma, asbestos lung cancer and asbestosis served in the armed forces. Asbestos has a latency period of 20 years or more, which means that the symptoms of the asbestos diseases aren’t immediately apparent.

Ships and military bases built before the 1980s, where asbestos was used, are currently in service. Even today Marines and Navy personnel still face risks of asbestos exposure. Fortunately, older ships are being replaced and safety precautions are being put into place in order to protect current and future generations of military men and women. 

Asbestos in Aircrafts

During World War II, asbestos was used in the construction of most army supplies, such as barracks, naval vessels, and aircrafts. Asbestos was very popular because it was cheap and effective. It was a quick way of insulating aircraft engines.

One job on the aircraft that had a high exposure to asbestos was “Hot Papa.” The Hot Papa would be dressed in a suit of asbestos; therefore he was also known as the “asbestos man.” His only job was if the plane was on fire and about to crash, he would bring the pilot to safety. 

The following are places on aircrafts that were known to contain asbestos:

·                     Brakes

·                     Cockpit heater system

·                     Heat shields for engines

·                     Torque valves

·                     Gaskets

·                     Electrical wires insulation

·                     Insulation in the cargo bays of cargo planes

Mesothelioma Symptoms

Mesothelioma is a deadly disease so it is important to identity it as soon as possible. The long latency period of mesothelioma makes it more difficult to cure, because by the time it is diagnosed it has already spread throughout the body. There are three types of mesothelioma: the most common form is pleural mesothelioma that makes 75% of all cases. The following are the symptoms of pleural mesothelioma:

·         pleural effusions

·         shortness of breath

·         trouble breathing

·         coughing blood

·         unexplained weight loss

·         fever

·         difficulty swallowing

·         muscle weakness

·         dry cough

·         sweating

·         chest pain

Most of the symptoms are common symptoms for most respiratory diseases, making it even harder to diagnose mesothelioma.

The follow graph shows what symptoms are most relevant to pleural mesothelioma:

US Naval Veterans, highest rate of developing mesothelioma

Out of all US veterans, naval veterans have the highest exposure rate of asbestos. They served on vessels that were constructed with asbestos in every part. Asbestos was present in the walls, floors, and around boilers. Asbestos was used heavily in the construction because of its fire resistant properties.

According to Weitz & Luxenberg, "Medical studies have shown that of workers with at least 20 years of naval shipyard experience, 86% have developed an asbestos-related disease. At least one-third of all mesothelioma cases today trace their origins to shipyard work."

The following picture shows the risks of asbestos exposure on a Naval Vessel

As you can see, no part of the ship was safe from asbestos.

US veterans alone make up 30% of mesothelioma patients.

This video shows how asbestos causes mesothelioma

Honoring veterans with mesothelioma on Coast Guard Day

The U.S. Coast Guard was founded on August 4, 1790. (Photo from Robin Storm's blog)

The United States Coast Guard was founded in 1790 to enforce tax laws, but over two centuries, it has grown into the only branch of the military that "protects the maritime economy and the environment, defends our maritime borders, and saves those in peril." As we near August 4, Coast Guard Day, we reflect on those who served in the USCG who have put their own lives in peril through asbestos exposure on military vessels.

As the only branch of the military besides the Marines to retain its own day after the creation of the Department of Defense in 1949 (see this Department of Defense article for an interesting history of Armed Forces Day and the creation of the DoD), the Coast Guard occupy a unique position within the US Armed Forces. Sadly, like every other branch of the military, some Coast Guard veterans have developed mesothelioma from their asbestos exposure during their service.

The bravery of the men and women who have served in the Coast Guard is the stuff of legend, and the unique position they occupy--as guardians of the borders, and protectors of the economy and environment as it pertains to the sea--is best summed up the U.S. Coast Guard's Historian's Office:

 The U. S. Coast Guard is simultaneously and at all times an armed force and federal law enforcement agency dedicated to safety, security, and stewardship missions. We save lives. We protect the environment. We defend the homeland. We enforce Federal laws on the high seas, the nation's coastal waters and its inland waterways. We are unique in the Nation and the world.

Though Coast Guard Day is "primarily an internal activity for active duty Coast Guard personnel, civilian members, reservists, retirees, auxiliarists, and dependents," it should be observed by everyone who benefits from the services the USCG  provides. Grand Haven, Michigan sponsors the Coast Guard Festival every year around August 4. The DoD describes the festival as "the largest community celebration of a branch of the Armed Forces in the nation."

Two U.S. COast Guards rescue a puppy. (Photo from USmilitary.com)

This Coast Guard Day, remember the active duty and retired Coast Guard members that serve and have served our country, protecting its borders, commerce, environment and more, sometimes sacrificing their lives for our safety, serving with the Navy during wartime. Thank you, Coast Guards, for all you do for us.

Department of Defense funds mesothelioma research

The DoD is funding mesothelioma researchers for the year 2011-2012.

Good news for veterans with mesothelioma: for the 4th year in a row, the Department of Defense is funding mesothelioma research, due to veterans' higher rates of mesothelioma and other asbestos diseases. The DoD's website announced June 29, 2011 that they are accepting applications for grants from the Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program (PRCRP).

The PRCRP was established “to support research into specifically designated cancers with relevance to military service members and their families.” Mesothelioma affects veterans at a higher rate than it affects civilians, due to widespread military asbestos exposure, especially in the Second World War and Korean War.

Registered nurse and mesothelioma patient advocate Mary Hesdorffer testified before the U.S. Committee on Appropriations in defense of funding mesothelioma research, noting that it is the very definition of a cancer with relevance to military service members and their families:

“Almost 3,000 Americans die each year of mesothelioma, and one study found that one third of patients were exposed on U.S. Navy ships or shipyards. That is 1,000 U.S. veterans and shipyard workers per year, lost through service to country, just as if they had been on a battlefield.”

World War II veterans faced a great amount of asbestos exposure.

The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation, with whom Hersdorffer is affiliated, reported that in 2007, mesothelioma received “as little as 9 times less funding than other cancers.”

Way to go, DoD! Paying for mesothelioma research is the right thing to do, given that many mesothelioma sufferers were exposed during their time in the service. Until we learn more about mesothelioma, veterans and other Americans will continue to suffer poor prognoses and painful battles with asbestos cancer. 

If you know any cancer researchers (I don't, but you never know who's reading!), tell them to check out the deadlines for applying for this grant: http://cdmrp.army.mil/funding/prcrp.shtml. Good luck, researchers!

Memorial Day: a time to remember, celebrate, and give thanks

This Memorial Day, we celebrate with block parties, barbecues, parades and picnics, as we have for years. But celebrating is not enough. The holiday began after the Civil War, as America was piecing itself back together--though exactly when and where it began is the subject of much debate. According to the VA, Memorial Day began as Decoration Day in 1868:

Three years after the Civil War ended, on May 5, 1868, the head of an organization of Union veterans — the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) — established Decoration Day as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers. Maj. Gen. John A. Logan declared that Decoration Day should be observed on May 30. It is believed that date was chosen because flowers would be in bloom all over the country.

Many communities throughout the country claim to have been the first to observe Memorial Day:

Today, cities in the North and the South claim to be the birthplace of Memorial Day in 1866. Both Macon and Columbus, Ga., claim the title, as well as Richmond, Va. The village of Boalsburg, Pa., claims it began there two years earlier. A stone in a Carbondale, Ill., cemetery carries the statement that the first Decoration Day ceremony took place there on April 29, 1866. Carbondale was the wartime home of Gen. Logan. Approximately 25 places have been named in connection with the origin of Memorial Day, many of them in the South where most of the war dead were buried.

 It does not matter where the first Memorial Day was celebrated. What matters is what we celebrate on Memorial Day: our freedom, and the people who served the United States to protect those freedoms. 

Gratitude is the reason for the day, whether you remember the men and women who served our country with a moment of silence at 3PM or by any other of the many traditions surrounding Memorial Day (such as with poppies, which became a tradition after the First World War).

Along with the young men and women who lost their lives in battle, there are veterans who still die for their country, though it may decades since they were on active duty. Mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases disproportionately affects veterans, because of the amount of asbestos that was once used in  battleships, planes, military vehicles, and other products that enlisted men and women handled. 

Celebrate Memorial Day with your community, honor those who have fallen in service to our country, and if you are a veteran, make sure you ask your doctor about the risks associated with asbestos exposure. Early detection is one of the best methods we have to fight mesothelioma, asbestos cancer, and asbestos diseases.