Letter to Editor this Veterans Day. 11/11/08

Please send this letter to your local news papers.

From the website of advocate4als.org

Thank You

Hi, Bobby ... you asked for another letter to the editor. This one is a little longer.
Beth

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VETERAN'S DAY - November 11

To the Editor

Setting aside just one day a year to honor our veterans is not nearly enough. This nation should celebrate their service and sacrifices 24/7, for it is the men and women in the armed forces who have kept -- and are keeping -- this country free.

A month ago, the Veterans Administration recognized a very special group of vets: Men and women who served in the first Gulf War who now find themselves two to three times more likely than the general population to develop Lou Gehrig's Disease. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a fatal neurological disease, with no treatment and no cure, that slowly renders its victims completely paralyzed, unable to move, breathe, speak, communicate, or swallow. On average, patients die within two to five years of diagnosis.

The connection of ALS to U.S. military service was first discovered in Gulf War veterans. However, further research has shown that all U.S. veterans of wars as far back as the First World War share an increased risk. Not only do our vets face a greater risk of developing ALS, but they are more likely to develop it at a younger age than the general population.

All across America, in homes and hospices, U.S. veterans are still paying the price for our freedom as they slowly and painfully die from ALS. Let us honor these special men and women on Veteran's Day and every day, and work to spread awareness and find a cure for this deadly disease.

Display the flag with pride and honor this Veterans Day.
advocate4als.org


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