Hello,
Our husbands—Michael and Mike—were veterans who dedicated their lives to protecting their families, Vermont, and our nation. When they went abroad, we knew there was a chance they might not come back. But we didn’t expect for their service to cost them their lives when they returned home to American soil.
During their deployments, they were exposed to burn pits. These massive open-air trash fires—containing everything from tires, jet fuel, metal, and medical waste—sent smoke filled with toxic fumes into the air that our husbands, and many others, breathed in day and night. Veterans who have been exposed to burn pits have a much higher incidence of cancer and other diseases. Michael and Mike both developed cancer from their exposure, and our families were forced to suffer with them as they struggled before passing away. It’s left a huge hole in our lives.
Knowing that our husbands won’t get to watch their grandchildren grow up is painful. That’s why we’ve made it our mission to end burn pits and get other families the support they need. Right now, about 80 percent of burn pit claims from other active military and veterans have been denied by the VA. This is unacceptable—and we’ll continue to fight against this injustice on our husbands’ behalf, because they can’t. Our way of honoring them is by making sure that no family is forced to endure what we had to.
In the face of many closed doors from the government, Peter Welch has been fighting for veterans and families like ours. He’s been working to end the practice of burn pits within the armed services, and has been pushing the VA to provide real care to those impacted. Because Peter understands that the cost of the war has to include the cost of caring for the warrior when they return home.
Yesterday, we finally saw some progress. Peter helped pass the Honoring our PACT Act in the House, which will reduce the burden put on veterans to prove that their illnesses are linked to burn pit exposure and make sure these soldiers get access to the health care and benefits they need from the VA. It’s what we owe them for their service.
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Thank you
Pat Cram and June Heston
