Tragedy of Another Gulf War Veteran

Written by Anthony Hardie, 91outcomes

(91outcomes.blogspot.com) - The case of a Gulf War veteran's parents suing the city of Washington, DC after the police shot and killed the 38-year-old mentally ill veteran is truly a tragedy.

According to a local DC ABC 7 news story, the family was concerned about him and called neighbors to check on him, who in turn called police when they found the Gulf War veteran's condo door ajar. Despite reportedly being known by police to have mental health problems, the Gulf War veteran was shot and killed by police in a tragic incident.

David Kerstetter was healthy enough to pass the military's rigorous entrance exams two decades ago, but didn't survive for Kuwait's 20th anniversary of the liberation that he helped achieve.

How much must Gulf War veterans and their families suffer before Congress, VA, and DOD act to provide effective treatments for Gulf War veterans' illnesses?

Perhaps with effective treatment nearly two decades ago, Kerstetter would still be not only alive, but healthy, his family would not be grieving, and the DC police would not be being sued.

There were only 697,000 troops who served in the 1991 Gulf War. Tragically, we have lost yet another.