Gulf War Veteran Was Exposed to Chemical Arms, Doctor Says

A doctor at a Veterans Affairs hospital has diagnosed a Persian Gulf War veteran as suffering from “chemical-biological warfare exposure” despite Pentagon claims that no chemical attacks took place.

Sen. Richard C. Shelby (D-Ala.) took the unusual step of announcing the diagnosis as he questioned the military’s contention during a Senate floor speech Thursday.

“They continue to argue that our forces were not subject to any type of chemical or biological warfare during Desert Storm or Desert Shield,” Shelby said. “They also dismissed assertions of the Czech Defense Agency that that organization detected low-level chemical radiation during the Gulf War.”

An environmental physician at a VA hospital in Tuskegee, Ala., diagnosed William Kay as suffering from “Persian Gulf War Syndrome and chemical-biological warfare exposure,” according to a document released by Shelby.

It identified the physician only as Dr. C. Jackson.

Kay, who was assigned to a construction battalion, has experienced shortness of breath, excessive fatigue, intermittent diarrhea, night sweats, memory problems and joint pains since the war.

“He had none of these symptoms prior to the Gulf,” the doctor said.

Shelby, chairman of the Senate Armed Services subcommittee on force requirements and personnel, said he had contacted the Defense and Veterans Affairs departments.

Defense Secretary Les Aspin said in a statement that he has asked the Army to coordinate a complete review for the Pentagon, including a health assessment.

In July, Shelby held hearings in which two veterans from Alabama claimed that their units were hit by chemical weapons during the Gulf War. The two former soldiers asked Congress for help in getting government medical aid for health problems they suffered.