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Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Besides having Charlie the Cat decide that our
Christmas tree is a wonderful climbing adventure and
perfect place to perch,
we have of late been the
hosts for our daughter,
Vicki, and grandkids
Natalie, 4, and Ella, 18
months.
I know that Ella was
eyeing the tree with the
thought of clambering
aboard. Instead, she
chose to simply smack
the ornaments within
reach, enjoying the way
they fall to the floor and
make noise. She also
left an amazing trail of
cracker crumbs and craisins here and there about our
house. Hey, what are grandparents for, anyway?
I don’t think that any of the compact discs she tried
to cram into our tape player actually went in. Close, but
not in. She also worked real hard to rearrange all our
knick-knacks; probably going to be an interior decorator.
Natalie, although somewhat jealous of attention paid
her little sister, helped Ella in a number of endeavors,
not the least of which is called, “Feed the dogs your
food, and then you don’t have to eat it.” Bingo and
Rocky especially miss the girls because of that.
What with four cats, two dogs and our young visi-
tors, we had some exciting adventures involving … well
… let’s just say that Vicki at one point proclaimed,
“We’re having a poop, pee and throw-up extravaganza.”
Santa made a surprise visit two days before our
guests departed for home in San Diego County. He
filled their stockings and that of our granddaughter Kim-
berly, 10, who lives in Cave Junction with Dad Mike.
The guests enjoyed a couple outings. We took them
to Foris and Bridgeview wineries, plus Wildlife Images in
rural Grants Pass. Of course, Ella at her age doesn’t
often last long on such excursions before becoming a
little screaming machine. But we got used to it. Amazing
what crackers or cookies can do.
Then, for some reason, Vicki and the girls again
were singled out for extra checking by TSA at Jackson
County/Medford International Airport. Yeah, they look
real dangerous. Same thing happened earlier this year
when they visited. Profiling?
Anyway, they arrived home in good shape. We’re
looking forward to seeing them again, the extravaganza
notwithstanding.
(Editor’s Note: Views and
commentary, including state-
ments made as fact, are strictly
those of the letter-writers.)
* * *
Typed, double-spaced let-
ters written solely to this news-
paper are considered for publi-
cation. Hand-written letters that
are double-spaced and legible
also can be considered.
‘Thank you’ submissions
are not accepted as letters.
* * *
Depleted uranium
information ‘fiction’
From William Reid
Cave Junction
Webster’s Dictionary
defines fiction “as a making
up of imaginary happen-
ings.” Kristine Strohl in a
letter to the editor last week
wrote a masterful piece of
fiction concerning depleted
uranium.
Fact: Depleted uranium
(DU) is approximately 40
percent less radioactive than
natural uranium. DU emits
alpha and beta particles and
gamma rays. Alpha parti-
cles, the primary radiation
type produced by DU are
blocked by the skin, while
beta particles are blocked by
clothing.
Gamma rays emitted by
DU are very low. When
fired or after “cooking off”
in fires or explosions, the
exposed DU rod poses an
extremely low radiological
threat as long as it remains
outside the body. Taken into
the body via metal frag-
ments or dust-like particles,
DU may pose a long-term
health hazard if the amount
is large.
A 120mm cannon shell
as used in the M1 tank con-
tains approximately 5 kg of
DU in the penetrator rod
while the 30mm A-10 anti-
tank round contains ap-
proximately 0.3 kg of DU.
The impact of DU ammuni-
tion against a hard target
creates a fine DU dust that
contaminates the impact
site, though small amounts
of DU dust drift downwind.
Test data demonstrate
that normally, approxi-
mately 20 percent of a DU
penetrator is aerosolized on
impact with a tank. The im-
pact of one 120mm DU tank
round could therefore create
approximately 950 g of DU
dust. During a single attack
by an A-10 aircraft shooting
a burst of 30mm ammuni-
tion, between five and 16
DU bullets will likely hit the
target creating 300 to 960 g
of aerosol.
In the last gulf war, air-
craft accounted for approxi-
mately 86 percent (by
weight) of the DU shot. A
strafing attack from an air-
craft typically results in few
DU rounds (5-10 percent)
hitting the target. Tank
rounds accounted for ap-
proximately 14 percent (by
weight) of the total DU re-
leased, but more than half
this quantity was shot on
practice ranges in Saudi
Arabia.
In combat, 80 to 90 per-
cent of the tank rounds fired
will hit the target and re-
main in or near it. Rounds
that hit a soft target or the
ground tend to stay intact or
break into a few large frag-
ments.
In the absence of evi-
dence to the contrary, it is
plausible that considerably
more than 80 percent (by
weight) of the DU shot dur-
ing the war did not hit a
hard target, thereby mini-
mizing the creation of res-
pirable-size DU dust and
reducing the immediate
post-war health risks posed
MANSFIELD R. CLEARY
by DU in Kuwait and Iraq.
Approximately 286,233 kg
of DU was used during the
1991 Gulf War.
In the current Iraq war
the military estimates that
300,000 rounds of 30mm
anti-tank ammunition was
expended. With a standard
5-to-1 mix, then approxi-
mately 75 tons of DU was
used.
The voluntary Veterans
Affairs DU Medical Follow-
up Program is an important
source for identifying poten-
tial untoward health effects
in friendly fire victims who
have retained DU frag-
ments. Approximately a
quarter of the more than 60
level 1 exposed individuals
who have been evaluated
still carry DU fragments in
their bodies, and they have
elevated levels of urinary
uranium nine years after the
Gulf War.
The present health
status of this group shows
that they have not developed
kidney abnormalities, leuke-
mia, bone or lung cancer, or
any classical uranium-
related adverse outcome.
For male, active-duty
military personnel in the
U.S. military, the average
frequencies of hospitaliza-
tion for malignant disease
are: leukemia (all types) two
per 100,000 per year; and all
cancer, 60 per 100,000 per
year.
Lueren Moret, the sci-
entist Strohl quoted in her
letter claims “11,000 troops
have died from DU poison-
ing, and 518,739 more vet-
erans have been added to
the permanently disabled
list from out current war
contaminated with DU poi-
soning.” These figures have
no basis in fact.
As of 2004 we had
slightly more than 500,000
total in the Army and 1.4
million military on active
duty. By her numbers every-
one in the Army is perma-
nently disabled!
As far as Moret’s cre-
dentials as a scientist on
radiation issues, she is sadly
lacking. She earned a bache-
lor of science degree in ge-
ology and a master’s degree
in Eastern studies. She
worked two years at Liver-
more Labs, quitting in 1991.
In the past she has been
caught making false claims
on DU-caused birth defects
in children of Mississippi
National Guard members.
This false claims was
made years after the Center
for Disease Control (CDC)
had investigated the issue
and found it not true.
There are many uncer-
tainties about the use and
effects of DU munitions, but
the growing body of scien-
tific research points to the
conclusion that the use of
DU munitions creates envi-
ronmental contamination
that can affect the health of
people. The most prudent
course of action for Kristine
Strohl is to press for scien-
tific studies, and not science
fiction.
Dr. Joe, staff, others
noted for compassion
From Amy and Jerry
Schell-Lapora
Cave Junction
On Wednesday, Nov. 29
my husband and I were on
Hwy. 199 between Selma and
Kerby, when two dogs ran
onto the road.
One dog made it across
the road -- the other was
struck by a car. The poor peo-
ple driving the car that hit the
dog had no chance to react.
(Continued on page 3)
Attorney at Law
General Practice in
Illinois Valley
since 1980
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Illinois Valley News
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An Independent Weekly Newspaper Co-owned and published by
Robert R. (AKA Bob or El Jefe), Editor and Jan Rodriguez
Entered as second class matter June 11, 1937 at Post Office as Official Newspaper for
Josephine County and Josephine County Three Rivers School District, published at
321 S. Redwood Hwy., Cave Junction, OR 97523
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Post Office Box 1370 USPS 258-820
Telephone (541) 592-2541, FAX (541) 592-4330
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Volume 69, No. 39
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or just lo v es the outdoor s
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