Fallout Reaches So.Cal

SP01715 · #1 (**permalink**) 03-18-2011, 10:19 AM

Saw it on the news this morning. They said the levels are low, but don't know how much I trust the reports. I was told I was not exposed to high levels of Uranium during the Gulf War, but my hair showed over 100 times normal levels when I had it tested years ago. Anyone else not trust these reports of levels not being harmful?

Ron61 · #2 (**permalink**) 03-18-2011, 11:16 AM

When I was in the military I worked around and on Nuclear weapons and I had to always have a dosimeter and carried a small packet with iodine in case of exposure over the set amount. I don't trust anything the media says, but the radiation from Japan isn't nearly as much as that from Russia and a lot of it dissipated on the way over here, so at thing point I am not worried about it. Did you get your exposure in the Gulf War from the so called Depleted Uranium shells?

Ron

SP01715 · #3 (**permalink**) 03-18-2011, 04:48 PM

Yep, we fired alot of DU rounds over there. We were around, and in the vehicles we had hit as well. After I started having health problems when I got back, I had a hair analysis done and my Uranium levels were extremely high. I tried IV chelation, but it did not drop the levels at all. They have found that alot of the guys over there now have chromosome damage consistent with radiation exposure. Lets hope they are telling us the truth about the levels that are hitting us being low. I don't think I need anymore exposures.

Ron61 · #4 (**permalink**) 03-19-2011, 06:47 AM

I agree with you. The reason I asked if that was how you got your exposure was there is a guy here who has to go to the San Francisco Vet Hospital every so often as he got a pretty good dose of that stuff. I am not sure just what he did but I believe he was a loader and then like you, he was around the stuff they had knocked out and that made it even worse. Good luck and I hope what gets here from Japan doesn't affect you as people that have already been exposed will feel it a lot faster and worse than ones who haven't.

Ron

SP01715 · #5 (**permalink**) 03-19-2011, 11:23 AM

I was in an Air Cav unit in a scout helicopter. We spent most of the time low and close to the ground with our Cobras. Being Cav we moved forward as the lines moved, so we had a chance to get a look at the stuff that had been destroyed. We were told the DU was safe, but it looks like it was not after it has been fired. I actually did a three day study and the SF VA hospital. That has to be one of the nicest locations for a government facility. The view overlooking the bay was incredible.