Anthony

Throughout his 18 years serving in the Marines, Anthony had numerous deployments overseas, including Desert Storm. During his 9th tour to the Middle East, he deployed with a Marine expeditionary brigade. They were exposed to 3 days of burning oil wells, and Anthony’s mask was defective and kept clogging. He believes one of his friends from the unit, who was otherwise healthy, died of respiratory failure as a result 4 years ago. Throughout his deployments, he was given injections that had not yet been FDA approved.

Prior to his active service, Anthony remembered his physically healthy body and mental acuity. When he returned from the Gulf, he started experiencing scalp blisters and felt there was a lack of health support after his return from deployment. He feels like the smoke exposure is catching up to him and now experiences shortness of breath, reflective in a pulmonary function test which revealed 39% lung capacity. He was reluctant to try albuterol since a Veteran friend had negative experiences with it and given the increased risk of osteoporosis. Compared to some of his peers, however, he feels healthy and grateful.

Before he could officially retire, Anthony was required to go to Walter Reed Medical Center for a Gulf War study for blood tests that revealed a clean bill of health. He has been to the VA for knee problems, a torn bicep, and was consulted for PTSD, but prefers to use the Air Force base medical center or Medicare. He received 10% service-connected disability for one knee 7 years ago. When he went back to the VA about his other leg, knee and arm, and the doctor said there was nothing wrong, he walked out. Then a nurse made an appointment with a specialist who then got him connected to 60%. The VA denied benefits related to his depleted lung capacity and respiratory issues, but he plans to appeal. For him, it’s about the principle of getting compensated for his service and urges other Veterans to “get a second opinion if it’s service connected.” While he had no direct line of support, he hopes his advocacy will help others navigate the VA system. 

Anthony makes consistent efforts to stay healthy through running, strength training, and a healthy diet. His wife was also a Marine, and his children and grandchildren have loved military life. He doesn’t like discussing his mental health with his family, but he connects with fellow Veterans because they can understand the military experiences he went through. He is active in Veteran advocacy groups, serving as commander at the local VFW and president for Vietnam Veterans.