[1]Lucas Kunce for U.S. Senate

John — I’m Lt. Col. Lucas Kunce,
USMCR, 13 years of active duty.

After three tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, I never imagined I
would return home and face more attacks. But that’s what happened two
years ago, when Josh Hawley and 40 other Republicans blocked a bill to
expand healthcare to millions of veterans like me who were exposed to
toxic burn pits during their service.

[ [link removed] ]DEFEAT JOSH HAWLEY

[ [link removed] ]On the left, an image of Josh Hawley underneath a headline reading:
Blunt, Hawley vote to stall bill expanding healthcare to veterans exposed
to burn pits. On the right, an article written by Lucas Kunce for Fox News
reading: I was exposed to toxic burn pits in Iraq; Republicans turned
their backs on veterans like me.

Let me tell you what happened, so you know why I’m running for U.S.
Senate.

In Iraq, I deployed to the Sunni Triangle where I led a police training
team. Twelve Marines and a Navy Corpsman, running missions through
Habbaniyah, Fallujah, and Ramadi. From our camp, the base’s burn pit
loomed over us.

Smoke columns filled the sky and blew through our living space. We ran
through it, joking about how we should be doing gas mask runs. For three
months that pit bathed us in toxic fumes. We accepted it and focused on
our duty.

[ [link removed] ]Three photos of Lucas' active duty service in Iraq, with a picture of a
column of smoke from the burn pit in the center.

When I got home from that deployment, I had developed a persistent tickle
in my throat. Constant irritation. I never had allergies before and
annoyed myself with the constant throat clearing. Eventually, I was so
embarrassed by it that I went to the base clinic. They said it was
postnasal drip and that they could give me allergy medicine. There was no
formal diagnosis. But over 10 years later, it’s still there.

Bothersome. Uncomfortable, but certainly manageable. And that’s about the
best story you’ll hear about a vet who’s been exposed to burn pits. Many
struggle with chronic respiratory issues. Migraines. Cancer.

So imagine how we all felt when politicians who have never worn the
uniform, like Josh Hawley, threw us a giant middle finger and voted
against aid for veterans who were exposed to these toxic burn pits.

I know that’s harsh language, but it has to be. Because what they did was
about as anti-American as it gets. Patriots don’t attack veterans who
suffered injuries or illness from being around those toxic pits.

Many of these same Republicans spent years voting to keep us in these
forever wars, lying to the American people about what was really going on
over there, and getting rich off their defense contractor stocks that
skyrocket when we’re at war.

These people profited off of sending us over there only to screw us when
we came back messed up. It’s criminal — and I’m ready to do something
about it.

I served my country for 13 years in the United States Marine Corps. I’d
give anything for this country — and that’s exactly why I’m running to
replace Josh Hawley in the U.S. Senate.

[ [link removed] ]If you’re with me, will you please consider donating $10
or anything at all so we can get this message in front of voters and
defeat Josh Hawley this November? I’m not taking a single cent from
corporate PACs in this race, so any amount you can give will have a
massive impact on our grassroots campaign.

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Thank you so much.

Lucas Kunce


 


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Paid for by Lucas Kunce for Missouri.

Use of military rank, job titles, and photographs in uniform do not imply endorsement by the Department of the Navy or the Department of Defense.