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Speak Up! Memphis

Abandoned Soldier

A Mid-South soldier says he and his fellow soldiers were sickened by radiation in Iraq and now the Military has abandoned them.

Sergeant Jason Boatright and his fellow soldiers were sent to the Tuwaitha Complex, a former nuclear research site, to patrol the area and keep Iraqis out of the facility.  According to Boatright, soon after they arrived, they started getting sick.

Boatright says “I noticed the guys would end up with rashes”.  He says he also noticed “headaches, joint pain, nausea, vomiting… we realized we were exposed to radiation.”

Military Officials tell Eyewitness News Everywhere that the radiation levels that the soldiers were exposed to, were well below what they call the U.S. safety standard.

Eyewitness News Everywhere Reporter Dana Rebik Uncovers documents that prove Boatright and the other soldiers were exposed to dangerous levels of radiation.

Watch the full story on Eyewitness News Everywhere at 10:00 p.m. on abc 24.

It's your turn to Speak Up! Memphis.

Published Thursday, November 08, 2007 7:54 AM by smyers

Comments

 

Concerned Memphian said:

This is so typical of our government when it comes to taking care of its soldiers.  We ask them to leave their families and put their lives on the line, day after day for us, yet we deny them medical coverage they were promised and deserve!  It took decades for the government to admit that many of the problems Viet Nam veterans were having was due to Agent Orange exposure.  Soldiers from both Iraq wars will have to die off by the thousands before the rest, and their families, get the help they deserve.  I saw a bumper sticker a long time ago that says it all....."I love my country but I fear my government."  
November 8, 2007 9:04 AM
 

Marsha Jenkin said:

My son is going thru the same thing!  The dr. barely listens to his complaints.  Just to get the apt. he was on hold for 2 hours!  He has joint pains, headaches and the drs.  won't listen!  I thought we learned something from the way we treated our Vets returning from Viet Nam - but apparently NOT!
November 8, 2007 9:13 AM
 

Bartlettman said:

Gulf war vet here, same things going on with me....I will say this, the goverment does not care once you have given your service. I would say that only one group of people should get free health care for life...combat vets!
November 8, 2007 9:18 AM
 

Pretty23 said:

This is such a shame.  They expect our soldiers to take care of America but when our soldiers return from combat, the government can't take care of them. This is unfair. All soldiers and veterans should have a rally about this.
November 8, 2007 10:17 AM
 

coreyology said:

@bartlettman, the gulf war wasnt really war, it was plainly a waist of time, and the Iraq war isnt a war at all, it is a waist of time and energy and money spent, so shut up about combat vets should only get health care, if you are going to be bold to make such a statement, you should only say only World War I, and World War II, and the Cold War and Korean War, should only get free health care,

But a Nation does not care for his own people, remember a nation falls from within, not from without, so its not shocking to hear this type of story this isnt the first soldier that has been abandoned.
November 8, 2007 11:37 AM
 

Bartlettman said:

  coreyology said:
@bartlettman, the gulf war wasnt really war, it was plainly a waist of time


Did you serve, did you kill, and see others killed? You would not know anything about a night we that were involved call "fright night"  hand to hand, having to machine gun people off of other vehicles......I do, it was a war to those there. Now while I may agree that it was a war for oil, that does not matter.  Tell those that lost limbs in the latest conflict that they are not in a war. It may be your last statement...ever
November 8, 2007 11:47 AM
 

ru83 said:

Shame Coreology...Shame.
You live in the free country you live in because of these men and you should definitlely show some respect! Whether or not you agree with the war or think that they are a "waste of time and money" you should still support the troops. Whether they are in combat or they sit behind a desk pushing papers...IT DOESNT MATTER! SUPPORT THEM! They should be given the proper care when they return home and not pushed aside like yesterday's leftovers. Last I checked, people voluntarily join the armed forces. They do this because they love their country and frankly, I feel very blessed that they do.

To all soldiers, from the bottom of my heart, I thank you and God bless!
November 8, 2007 2:14 PM
 

Mags said:

I can't believe I just saw what coreyology said.  It's mentalities like that that hurt our troops as much as an IED would.  Show some respect.  And to Bartlettman, I totally agree with you on the combat veterans (notice the word combat, not war, coreyology) should receive free health care, especially if their ailments are directly combat related, whether it is from being shot or PTSD.  Thank you Bartlettman and all veterans for your brave service to our country.  I'm just sorry there are folks like coreyology who seem to not respect that.
November 8, 2007 2:52 PM
 

Bartlettman said:

Thank you Mags,  

People do not know how hard it is to she young men die in front of you....I do
November 8, 2007 3:02 PM
 

coreyology said:

bartlettman talk what you know, i served in the military for 4 years, i know how to use a weapon, i did military security in iraq,
November 8, 2007 3:11 PM
 

coreyology said:

and i have seen someone die in front of my face, but seriously the military can care less for their own, you are government property till your time is up in the service, you patriotic clowns need to wake up and realize that this country will soon turn its back on its own, in the near future, im pretty sure you all heard of the New World Order, the United Nations and America will join as one,
November 8, 2007 3:14 PM
 

Bartlettman said:

I asked, "did you serve"


Thank you for your service.

What was your rank and what unit?

I was with 1st AD, SFC, and I spent 20 years on active duty
November 8, 2007 3:17 PM
 

coreyology said:

I was in the Navy, I was what you call a MP in the army
November 8, 2007 3:22 PM
 

Rene said:

Bartlettman and coreyology it seems that everytime there is a speak up memphis you two just can not get along, I say the goverment needs to help these guys who cares what level the radiation was at the soldiers still got sick, I wish you all go visit a VA Hospital and not the one in Memphis go to the one in Tampa and tell those young men they are not in a war in Iraq, this hospital gets the soldiers there that were severly hurt while serving and I believe that our goverment needs to own up and take care of it's own, just like they went over there to fight for all of our FREEDOMS so coreyology there is a war going on news flash to you and Bartlettman thanks for serving 20 years in the service and being able to recognize that we are at war. So stop bickering between each other and realize that our children, fathers, husbands,wives are fighting for all of us. Just get along and quit acting like you two are better then the other.
November 8, 2007 4:24 PM
 

BArtlettman said:

but i like to bicker.....
November 8, 2007 4:47 PM
 

APhillips said:

"the gulf war wasnt really war"

@coreylogy... I'm sure people who served in the Gulf War and those who had family members serve beg to differ. No matter how you look at it, men and women in uniform were in danger. Luckily, my brother came out safe and sound, but that doesn't take away from the weeks my mother and father spent worrying.
November 8, 2007 5:10 PM
 

coreyology said:

@RENE, be quiet you think everything is sunshine and rainbows dont you, im talking about reality here, he might get some help now since what the government has done to him in the dark is brought out into the light,
November 8, 2007 5:47 PM
 

Renee said:

@Coreyology bite me!!!! You have some nerve p.a.l.! No I sure the hell dont think everything is sunshine and rainbows especially in todays society! I have family members in the damn war and I support the troops, I also have family in VA Hospital and I see the REALITY as you speak of daily! So if anyone should be quiet  it's you. Yes the Goverment will have to do something like quit lying and start owning up to what they promised all of our military men and women. I beleive that these guys got sick from the radiation and now the goverment is trying to act like they are not at fault or better yet hide it. Would they have gotten sick if they werent exposed to radiation?? Probably not! So the facts are there that no matter what level the radiation was at these soldiers still got sick so hell yeah we need to take care of them they are the ones that fought for the GOVERMENTS FREEDOM!!!!
November 9, 2007 8:30 AM
 

InsuranceMan said:

@coreyology..
For someone who has BEEN in the service, you are the most Ignorant person on this website.  I bet you do not speak up like this around others who fought in this or any other war, do you?
November 9, 2007 10:18 AM
 

coreyology said:

INSURANCEMAN, I speak about the same thing in front of others, you have people in the service who speaks down concerning the government and the war.
November 9, 2007 5:30 PM
 

coreyology said:

by the way insuranceman, i just went to the service to get a trade and the G.I. BILL and that was it, these soldiers are not fighting for no one's freedom except bush, this country will fall, and will turn on its own people.
November 9, 2007 5:34 PM
 

BartlettMags said:

I'm glad to see that this news story got something accomplished here.  Thank god the VA came to their senses and agreed to see him for this.  So it seems that there is hope that things can be remedied in this country, even if only bit by bit.  I fear that until 2009 it will probably be very slow-going, but hopefully under the helm of a new leader this country will pull together, because that is the only way we will become the great nation that we once were.
November 9, 2007 5:50 PM
 

coreyology said:

sorry bartlett we will no longer be a great nation anymore, since after the 1960's this country has fallen and will continue to stay that way, but its cool to think patriotic,
November 9, 2007 6:03 PM
 

BartlettMags said:

I'll agree that we have been in sort of a downswing, but I like to remain hopeful that the time we are in will be looked back upon by our children as an example of a low point in our country's history, not as the end of this great nation.  There is far too much potential out there for this to be the end of our progress.  We just need to change our attitudes a little bit (a lot less "me, me, me"), and stop the endless party bickering that prevents anything from happening.  I guess I'm supposed to feel that way as part of generation Y, but it gives me hope for the future.  
November 9, 2007 6:43 PM
 

InsuranceMan said:

Coreyology---if you say this "great nation" no longer exists, why don't you go somewhere else.  I'm sure say North Korea or Iran would be a much better place to live.    LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT
November 10, 2007 2:56 PM
 

Ashley Davis said:

I feel like its not fair for the government to aband our soldiers who left there family to go fight for our country. They should be the ones who should have our attention and we as citizans in Memphis should speck up for them its just time us to take astand.
November 11, 2007 2:07 PM
 

kentesha Rogers said:

I FEEL THAT THE SCHOOLS SHOULD NO DO US LIKE THEY DO US.
November 13, 2007 1:35 PM
 

Ashley Davis said:

Insuranceman and Coreyology you guys need to stop fighting or arguring cause neither one of you are going to do adamn thing about the situation but make it worse with your uncalled comments. Because neither of you seem concern to me about this whole thing and if the soldiers are fighting for BUSH its nothing we can do about but sit back on our behinds and complain but not do a thing just get over it because its not going to get no better then this.  
November 15, 2007 5:50 PM
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