May 16, 2005
 

Sick vets urged to fight
 

Mustard gas survivors say feds must be pressured over Agent Orange

By DAVE BREAKENRIDGE, CALGARY SUN

Survivors of poison gas tests at CFB Suffield more than 60 years ago are urging families of troops made sick in other experiments to keep pressure on the government.

Nearly 40 years after the feds allowed U.S. forces to test-bomb CFB Gagetown with deadly defoliant Agent Orange, the Department of Federal Affairs has owned up and said cancer contracted by former Brig.-Gen. Gordon Sellar was caused by the tests, as reported in the Sun.

Bill Tanner, who was just 18 when he was among a group who were subjected to mustard gas tests during the Second World War, said it's unfortunate the government hasn't publicly acknowledged the now-dead Sellar's successful medical claim.

Suffield survivors or their next-of-kin were given settlements of up to $24,000 for the long-term health problems caused by "volunteering" as guinea pigs.

"In my case, they set up a whole department -- they went out and searched for people," Tanner said from his Kelowna home. "Why haven't they done anything in this case?"

Tanner also said he hopes any attention will shame the Defence Department into acknowledging a role in possibly making hundreds of soldiers sick.

"It's hard to deny, so it might not take a long time," he said.

Norman Amundson, another of the Suffield-based soldiers subjected to the experiments, said it could be a long fight for families of other Gagetown troops made ill.

"It was terrible -- they wouldn't own up to it until they were threatened with a lawsuit," he said of his past struggles.

Amundson said the fact it took nearly 40 years for the government to do right by Sellar isn't surprising, considering it was 60 years before he saw his $24,000 compensation.

"They care now but at that time they didn't care -- they did what they wanted," he said.

Veterans Affairs officials could not be reached for comment yesterday. Both Tanner and Amundson have suffered from cancer believed to be related to the mustard gas tests.

About 3,500 soldiers volunteered for tests involving mainly mustard gas, conducted between 1941 and the early 1970.

Harvey Friesen, another veteran of the experiments, said there could be hope for the Gagetown soldiers exposed to the toxins, because the year the test-bombings took place falls within a similar time-frame as the gas experiments.

"They have a mandate to correct problems within these time frames," Friesen said.

He said anyone who was stationed at Gagetown at the time and who may have been exposed to the herbicide testing ground, should get in touch with Veterans Affairs or the military ombudsman.