I was shocked and saddened to find out that a veteran that I served with when I first went on active duty in Germany decades ago died in 2021 from ALS. He and his wife had kept that he was suffering from ALS close in the family and had not mentioned it to us in our yearly contact with them. He had it for 3 years before it claimed his life. I was even more surprised to learn that veterans suffer from ALS at twice the rate of the civilian population. No one knows why. It is not particular to any branch or MOS/Officer specialty. He was an Army Cobra pilot in the 70s to mid 80s and later moved to the USAF to fly C-130s to complete his 20 years. He had no exposure to DU rounds, burn pits, agent orange, or anything else as far as I was told by his wife.
Fellow vets, be aware of this and read up on ALS symptoms. Sadly there is no cure but early detection can help prolong a tolerable life.
RIP Blaine.
Fellow vets, be aware of this and read up on ALS symptoms. Sadly there is no cure but early detection can help prolong a tolerable life.
RIP Blaine.