Applebees Salute to our Military and Veterans

Veteran’s Day is November 11 and if you are active duty military or a Vet then you will get to eat free at Applebee's. I have to aplaud Applebee's for honor our service members in this way.

We can all spread the word to the service members we know. Just go the Applebee's send an invitation page and fill in the service member’s info and they will be sent an personalized invitation. If you have a facebook or twitter account you can spread the word to lots of people

It is that easy. You will be doing a great thing along with Applebee's and our heroes get a a big thank you in the way of a free meal.

 

Many Veterans Exposed to Asbestos and living with possible Ailments

The twentieth century brought us the start and end to many wars for Americans, all of which were fought mainly overseas. In that time many soldiers were killed or brought back injuries through their sacrifice. Much of the military returned healthy. But this does not mean there are not a variety of issues if you dig a little deeper. One often overlooked issue is mesothelioma cancer, which results from asbestos exposure.

Roughly 30-40 percent of all reported mesothelioma patients in the United States are former members of the military.  Asbestos is an excellent fire retardant that in many ways protected veterans throughout the years. In addition to being dangerous if the fibers are ‘lose’ and breathed in, it is fairly cheap and effective. This fiber was used in every branch of the military up until the late 1970’s and was specifically valuable to the Navy, which used it in engine and boiler rooms and other areas below the deck for safety reasons.  It was used in the tools they used and the rooms where they slept.

In particular, veterans who served from the 1930s and 1970s have the greatest risk of getting mesothelioma, with the disease not settling in sometimes up to 50 years after asbestos exposure.

Pursuing compensation for mesothelioma and other breathing ailments that can result is not easy. VA Claims sometimes can help but you must prove that you were only exposed while in the military. The military does not list mesothelioma as a service-related disease. Some think that the Obama Administration will push through policies to make the VA Claim process easier. Another avenue to take is to sue the manufacturer of the product (not Uncle Sam) but litigation is typically tough because diagnosis often occurs many years after exposure.

It is safe to say that asbestos is one of the worst corporate catastrophe’s of the 20^th century because manufacturers knew about the dangers since the 1920s and the mesothelioma survival rate equating to almost certain death within a short time (varies but typically within a couple years). The full breakdown of mesothelioma facts is interesting, to say the least. Most Americans think that asbestos is an old issue but veterans are still reporting cases at a frequent pace, reminding us of era that brought many wars and poor industrial standards.

Military Monday (a day late) Honor Flights

Yes I know it is not Monday but I have a good excuse. Since adopting Lucie (see the post below) on Saturday I have taken her on a few walks. Now let's just say that she is a little leash ignorant and tends to almost take me for a walk. So when I got up Monday morning I could hardly move because I was so sore. So needless to say I spent the day laying on the couch and taking hot showers to relieve the soreness. After a day of Iburprofren and rest I feel a little better. No major muscles are pulled. This is either going to be really good for me or kill me.

So anyway here is the post that I planned to put up on Monday.

Honor Flights is a charity that provides free transportation to World War II veterans that have never been to Washington DC to see the WWII Memorial.  There are flights out of most US major cities several times a month.

The reasoning behind this charity is that based on recent 2008 statistics, we are losing World War II veterans at the rate of approximately 1,000 per day. There are plans in place to eventually be able to provide this service to Korean and Vietman war vets.

The first Honor Flight took place in May of 2005. Six planes flew out of Springfield, Ohio taking twelve World War II veterans on a visit to the memorial in Washington, DC.

Honor Flight's website can be found here. I found out about Honor Flights through the Chicago Tribune. See a video about a recent group of vets from the Chicago are that were able to travel to the nation's capital and see thier memorial.  There a more pictures here.

If you are a vet, give this trip some thought. Afterall it is your memorial and you deserve to see. I did and I was humbled and I am not even a vet. Just a daughter on one and mother of two.

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