Ill gulf vets need help, lawmakers told

     Associated Press
      CARSON CITY -- Gulf War veterans suffering from an illness they contracted while serving in the war need help getting long-term treatment, the national commander of the American Legion said Tuesday.
      Joseph Frank of St. Louis, in an address to a joint session of the Nevada Senate and Assembly, said many of those veterans are relying on the American Legion to help them file claims for compensation.
      Frank told of a Gulf War veteran named Steven Wood who will testify this week before a U.S. House committee investigating the federal government's handling of Gulf War illnesses.
      "Steven Wood was declared 100 percent disabled by the Department of Veterans Affairs," Frank said. "He figured his 100-percent disability rating would be an impossible dream."
      However, an American Legion Gulf War task force paved the way for him and others like him to get compensation, he said.
      The American Legion is the largest veterans group in the country with about 3 million members including its largest eligibility group: 800,000 Vietnam-era veterans.
      Frank is a U.S. Army Vietnam veteran who, while working as a combat engineer in the 39th Engineer Battalion, was permanently disabled in a land mine explosion.
      The Legion has worked to gain adequate care and compensation for those veterans affected by exposure to Agent Orange and those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
      Based on that experience, the legion was among the first to call attention to the new illness reported by soldiers who served in the Persian Gulf.
      Frank also applauded Nevada's support of a constitutional amendment to protect the American flag from physical desecration.
      Frank said the Nevada Legislature passed a resolution supporting a flag-protection amendment and every member of Nevada's congressional delegation supported "a constitutional sanctuary for Old Glory."
      "Nevadans should be proud of that," he said.
      The bill has 303 supporters in the House, which is more than the two-thirds required -- but at present 64 senators have said they'll vote for the amendment.
      "The bottom line is we need three more Senate votes to send the flag-protection amendment to the states for ratification," Frank said. "We know the Senate will be our battleground."