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Fraggin'

By Bill Shunas

DEATH BY THE GREAT SALT LAKE

Civilian maintenance workers are dying off at Hill Airforce Base in Utah. Using various paints, solvents and cleaners, exposed workers have been getting sick and dying off before their time.

The workers and their union leaders are trying to get the situation corrected and obtain workman's compensation for those already affected. However, in dealing with the USAF they've run up against a stone wall.

According to local union leaders, the bet witnesses to the chemical hazards are dying off. Neil Breeden, President of Local 1592 of the American Federation of Government Employees, estimates that 150 people have died from exposure to dangerous substances.

Breeden is now collecting notarized statements from current and former employees working at the base. Three years ago he had 20 witnesses lined up to testify. Now, 14 of them are dead.

Liver trouble, heart trouble, diabetes, eye problems, addiction to some of the chemical and disorientation, nausea, respiratory problems, dizziness and change in personality are some of the problems. Death has come as result of some of these problems or from cancer.

It is estimated that these exposure problems date back 25 years. Records show that official at the Base knew there were problems back in 1968. Records show that employees were being treated for physical symptoms that were not normal.

The Air Force has yet to admit to their role in the chemical exposure. As a result, those affected have to pay for their own medical treatment and others face all the same dangers in the future.

Remember the old day—and maybe even today? In your wildest dreams did you ever think about sneaking into the motor pool? You climb into a SPV (self-propelled vehicle) with a big 155 mm barrel. You crank up the engine and start it rolling across the base.

Maybe by this time, someone discovers what you're doing and the whole base gets excited. You roll on. You see your CO, flip him the bird and maybe swing the turret in his direction to what kind of look he gets in his eyes.

You approach the perimeter and knock over a fence. There's a security post over to the right. Some MP's are standing there with rifles at the ready. You swing over in that direction and aim the big howitzer at the MP's. They scatter and you knock over their little security post, and you're out on the highway.

Next think you know, there's an Oklahoma Smokey circling around you. The guy tries to be John Wayne and put his car in front of you. The guy tries to be John Wayne and put his car in front of you. You keep rolling and when you get about a foot away, he speeds off like a scared rabbit.

Then you get into town and every squad car they have is after you. They're moving in and out, screeching their tires and chasing you around like a Blues Brothers move. You see a cop that looks like the one that hassled you for being drunk, you aim the 26 tons of weapon at him—he runs.

This goes on for two hours before they stop you. Tear gas is what gets you. You have to give up.

This wasn't a dream. This was not a dream! A Vietnam vet did it at Ft Still, Oklahoma. The FBI won't give out his name but let's hope the brother gets off easy—after all, he didn't hurt anyone. He was only living a dream.

Maybe some of the money saved will go to lawn care. According to Senator Proxmire, the Defense Department last year spent $500,000 keeping the grass green on the lawns of generals and admirals on 22 military bases.

And they could just have used the leftover Agent Orange and not have had to worry about grass for the next 15 years!

Preparations for war? The Pentagon is re-coasting the front of the building. Now when demonstrators write protest against the next war on the front of the Pentagon building, they will be able to wash them off the new coating for only $100. In the old days it cost $5000 to sand blast off the graffiti. This is the first known effort in recent history of these folks trying to cut the military budget.

Then there was the Navy recruiter in Detroit who attached a pamphlet call " The Sailor" to the Navy's literature. It said, "Girls love him, towns tolerate him and the government supports him.. Some of his likes are women, girls, females, dames, broads and the opposite sex... All his faults become insignificant..when he looks at you with those bloodshot eyes and syas, 'Hi, Honey. Take off your clothes!"

Few sailors are quite such chauvinist pigs—we signed up to romp on the beach with those wholesome girls in the Navy's TV ads. And we wonder if the recruiter attached the pamphlets given to the women the Navy keeps trying to recruit?

Maybe the Navy is a little kinky after all. Recently at the Naval Academy at Annapolis, one woman coed took on five of the men. Then another of these future "leaders" of the US Navy started his camera rolling. If these are the leaders of the Navy I suppose that the Detroit recruiter was only following orders!

GRENADE OF THE MONTH

This month's grenade goes to General Volsey Warner of the U.S. Readiness Command and overseer of the Rapid Deployment Force. Gen Warner says that we'll have to throw away the 82nd Airborne Division and a Marine Brigade to defend oil in the Persian Gulf.

Warner said that even though it may be in vain, it would not be "too big a force to lose" to make a stand. What the hell? It's only 35,000 men. To defend OIL! The General doesn't even cover it over to say it's for "freedom" and "democracy."