World War II Navy veteran and Hollywood journalist, Army Archerd, dies from mesothelioma cancer due to asbestos exposure while serving the U.S. military.
California asbestos exposure alerts-Navy veteran Army Archerd dies from mesothelioma cancer.
Los Angeles, CA–Military veterans, the entertainment industry, and the American press mourn the recent death of Army Archerd, a Navy veteran who served the United States military during World War II. Archerd died on September 8, 2009, at the age of 87 from mesothelioma lung cancer that he contracted after exposure to asbestos during his military days. After Archerd served in the U.S. Navy he became a Hollywood journalist and is responsible for setting up the Wilcox Avenue Associated Press Bureau in 1945 in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, like many United States Armed Forces veterans, Arched was unaware of his asbestos exposure and the possibility of developing malignant diseases like mesothelioma lung cancer.
Tens of thousands of United States military personnel who worked with asbestos fibers, while performing their armed forces duties, have been diagnosed with an asbestos related illness or disease. Primary and secondary exposure to toxic asbestos fibers can lead to chronic respiratory conditions like asbestosis and fatal cancers like mesothelioma. A diagnosis of mesothelioma is currently a death sentence because there are no known cures. Doctors and surgeons who specialize in the treatment of fatal cancers like mesothelioma, which can affect the lining of the lungs, abdomen, and heart, can only treat the symptoms of the disease.
The number of people exposed to asbestos while enlisted in the U.S. Navy and other branches of the Armed Forces are staggering. Naval personnel who served on ships and worked in areas like the boiler room and engine room, where asbestos was used to insulate pipes and equipment to prevent fires, were placed at a higher risk of developing asbestos exposure related illnesses and diseases. Veterans who worked as plumbers, welders, pipe fitters, insulators, boilermakers, and electricians in shipyards and aboard ships were also at high risk of illness and usually were unaware of this risk. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) http://www.epa.gov and other federal agencies have determined no level of human exposure to asbestos is safe.
Typically, after someone has been exposed to toxic asbestos fibers, it takes a minimum of 20 years for the negative affects of the exposure to the material surfaces. Chronic illnesses and lethal diseases like mesothelioma cancer can remain latent for several decades. Some studies reveal as many as 30% of all Americans diagnosed with mesothelioma are veterans who were exposed to asbestos fibers while serving their country. Hollywood journalist and entertainment industry reported Army Archerd was one of the thousands of unfortunate veterans who was repeatedly exposed to the lethal material and was unaware that toxic substance was going to cause his death some 50 years later. The Hollywood reporter who spent his entire life writing for the entertainment industry and wrote the “Just for Variety” column until September 1, 2005, had no idea that even though he survived World War II, his active service days would give him a mesothelioma death sentence. Asbestos also took many other veteran’s lives due to exposure to the toxic fibrous material while serving their country and awarding them with chronic illnesses and fatal diseases. The U.S. Department of Asbestos Affairs does not include mesothelioma on its recognized list of service related medical conditions. Veterans may seek medical care for their asbestos-related disease if they can prove to the government they contracted their illness during their service time.
California mesothelioma and asbestos related illnesses education by legal news reporter Heather L. Ryan.