Biography
Maj. Denise Nichols, Vietnam era and Gulf War veteran, retired nurse, MSN, retired US Air Force Flight Nurse Clinical specialist in cardio-vascular nursing, served on the nursing faculty of several universities around the country.
Denise has been active in research and advocacy in the areas of Gulf War Illness and Agent Orange.
Denise has testified before congress many times, has been interviewed nationally and internationally and is an outspoken advocate for Americas veterans.
How long does it take to get a decision to help a veteran that is alive, how many times back through the system to get the correct decision, and then how long does a surviving widow have to plead the case to fulfill the promises made to veterans by this government!
So I call now for sustained action by all veterans, their family members, their friends, and the citizens of this country…Show it through twitter activity every day!
February 17th, 2011 | Posted in Vet News,Veterans Affairs | Read More »
This is the bill that has been introduced in the Senate it is a starting point for the Marines and their families that were stationed at Camp Lejune. VT encourages all to call their Senators in their DC offices and get them to know the veterans and the citizens that do care about their military and veterans demand action and at least the Senators more than 5 out of 100 should be on this bill now as cosponsors!
February 16th, 2011 | Posted in Legislation,Politics | Read More »
Depleted Uranium focus on the hill yet again. Below is the only bill right now on the hill in DC that has been introduced. Our job now is to communicate with our elected representatives in DC to ask them to get on board and join as cosponsors!
February 16th, 2011 | Posted in Legislation,Politics | Read More »
For years I have tracked those that were nondeployed and talked to hundreds of these veterans. As I also communicate with civilian groups with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity and Chronic Fatigue/ME I wonder if the civilian sufferers have looked as closely as possibly as they should have at vaccines and environmental triggers. There are huge numbers of civilians suffering and they have their own groups and Advisory Committee. Dr Klimas is one of the researchers that has taken a lead role for civilians and the gulf war veterans at the University of Miami and the Miami VA. She is a researcher that is pushing ahead and all of us need to keep an eye on her research in both fields.
February 14th, 2011 | Posted in Gulf War Illness (GWI),Health | Read More »
Encourage all the Veterans to get on facebook and form unit pages NOW. Use the Social Medium! List OIF/specific unit/location. Start now to reform your units virtually, do health surveys, use your military organization skills ie admin, family support, intel officer, communications, Claims help, referral network, and etc. Find all your unit members now. Put up surveys that can be done and compiled to take forward to the hill and to the media. It is time you all come together because the WAR AFTER THE WAR is more brutal that you can imagine!
February 14th, 2011 | Posted in Regional,Vet News | Read More »
So much is going on behind the scenes and time to update all American Citizens and especially the Gulf War/Desert Storm Veterans. It has been 20 years and there are battle lines on the isue of Gulf War illness not just in the US but with each coalition force that were part of the Coalition that went to Saudi/Iraq 1990-91. But with the US government being the main Log Jam to getting information out.
February 13th, 2011 | Posted in Gulf War Illness (GWI),Health | Read More »
What is needed now is an urgency in medical care and clear cut solutions to the VA claims for the total group of gulf war veterans. Not endless investigations that go now where to addressing the critical need for action to get their claims through and at the same time a true need for the best medical diagnosis and care and treatment. Which includes using the best cutting edge medical work now. The effort at UTSW Medical Center in Dallas was stopped at a critical junction. Efforts to get the truth on how many cancers and what types that the gulf war veterans are enduring and dying from NOW is needed for the medical care providers and the veterans. The same can be said for how many have died or experienced cardiac infarctions, cardiac surgery, stroke data, DVT data, pulmonary embolism, renal problems, GI diagnostic data, Liver diagnostic data, respiratory system data, and the rest of all the diagnostic illnesses is needed now!
February 13th, 2011 | Posted in Gulf War Illness (GWI),Health | Read More »
Most recent published pilot research project on Gulf War Illness by combined research between University of Miami, Miami VA and University of Alberta in Canada is showing a complex disorder involving the nervous, endocrine and immune regulation systems points stronger to an auto immune component to Gulf War Illness. This was a small pilot study to test their hypothesis which involved 9 Gulf War Veteran and 11 control subjects, but it does appear to confirm their connection. It also boost the gulf war veterans that this is indeed REAL. Autoimmune disorders can involve the total of body systems and the list of autoimmune disorders are quite numerous.
February 12th, 2011 | Posted in Gulf War Illness (GWI),Health | Read More »
The results are out from the DOD Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program on Gulf War Illness for the 2010 funded studies. These are the list of those studies that have passed the two panel review process. Details will come as they progress to actually getting the funding and getting set up to proceed. Sometimes that can take several months or more. Our congratulations to the researchers and their institutions for their applications to receive funding consideration.
The list of researchers and institutions :
February 9th, 2011 | Posted in Vet News,Veterans Affairs | Read More »
Traumatic Brain Injury a signature wound of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to be the focus of medical research meeting in DC. March 7th targeted to bring researchers and government and military medicine together to tackle the issue of finding new therapie for the newest and youngest veterans of this country. So while the hunt goes on for 20 years on Gulf War Illness and to find help for those veterans that have waited, those veterans were also the first to stand up and push to help the youngest group in hope they will not have as longer of a wait as previous wars.
February 9th, 2011 | Posted in Health | Read More »
Gulf War Veterans 1990-91/ Desert Storm Veterans that are suffering from gulf war illness are searching for answers and only through their own continual push to find answers has there been a response at all from their government. Through their efforts a law was passed to get the Veterans Affairs Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Illness which meets February 28- March 1 in Washington DC. Their efforts have led to the push for research into biomarkers, the best diagnostic tools, and possible treatment modalities for their illnesses. Dr Bach at the Minneapolis Va has been busy examining their blood for clues and has found some clues and has found so far they have a low level chronic coagulation activation problem. Dr Martin Pall in Washington State is working on oxidative stress as a problem in chronic fatigue, gulf war illness and other undiagnosed illnesses. Dr Bach’s research continues and publication of his findings are eagerly awaited. The VA RAC GWI has also reviewed the chronic inflammatory nature of these illnesses at their last meeting in Boston.
February 9th, 2011 | Posted in Gulf War Illness (GWI),Health | Read More »
Organophosphate (OP) nerve agents such as sarin, soman, tabun, and O-ethyl S-[2-(diisopropylamino) ethyl] methylphosphonothioate (VX) do not react solely with acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Evidence suggests that cholinergic-independent pathways over a wide range are also targeted, including serine proteases.
These proteases comprise nearly one-third of all known proteases and play major roles in synaptic plasticity, learning, memory, neuroprotection, wound healing, cell signaling, inflammation, blood coagulation, and protein processing.
February 8th, 2011 | Posted in Gulf War Illness (GWI),Health | Read More »
On the 28Th February 2011 at 10am, many veterans and supporters will be marching from the Union Jack Club, Sandell Street, Waterloo to Old Palace Yard, Westminster.
This is to highlight the injustice suffered thus far by the Veterans of the 1990/1991 Gulf War. We believe the successive Governments since the end of the war until this anniversary (exactly 20 years to the day) have engaged with the Ministry Of Defence in denial and word play to negate proper testing, treatment and compensation for thousands who are blatantly ill, many with identical and similar conditions to each other and US Veterans of the same conflict. We need access to independently run chromosome tests; bone marrow depleted uranium tests; mercury testing; organo-phosphate testing and immune deficiency testing.
February 8th, 2011 | Posted in Benefits,Vet News,Veterans Affairs | Read More »
What does Gulf War Veterans and Super Bowl Have in Common? Twenty years ago our military active duty and reservists placed on active duty and many reserve units working on mandays/active duty time for reserve manning stateside, in route flying missions, overseas in Europe and other middle east countries, and at home bases were all doing their sworn duty for the United States Military. They remember where they were and the Super Bowl in 1991, the question is does the American Public at large remember them? We remember the scud alarms going off on that day vividly. When they came home they were reporting in ill but America did not hear much and if they did it was just because they happenned to hear something on the news on television occassionally or occassionally saw something in the newspaper. America was busy and may have missed one of the largest stories of the need for veterans in its modern history.
February 6th, 2011 | Posted in Benefits,Vet News,Veterans Affairs | Read More »
After 20 years Gulf War Veterans that Are Ill Ask, America Have You Forgotten US? Part 1 of a series on Gulf War illness and Funding For Veterans: You remember us you sent us off to the Gulf War 1990 right in time for the Super Bowl. Will now we see Representative Bachman and Heritage [...]
February 6th, 2011 | Posted in Benefits,Vet News,Veterans Affairs | Read More »
Dr Chia research article from Journal of Clinical Pathology on enterovirus and a cancer needs to be shared widely at the Department of Veterans Affairs and circulated to all health care providers. Our only chance with beating cancer is TIME. Adequate diagnostic tests to rule out cancers for our Desert Storm Veterans and our newest veterans from OIF/OEF is a must and we all must be proactive and knowledgeable and that includes our patients and their family members!
February 2nd, 2011 | Posted in Gulf War Illness (GWI),Health | Read More »
Gut problems for Desert Storm Veterans listed as IBS for VA Claims. Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a symptom that can be explored to get more answers. Referrals need to be made to rule out Cancers and other diseases ie Crohn’s Disease. The Department of Veterans Affairs need to have a more active, proactive stance for the veterans and needs to have information flow improve and made easier for Health Care Providers and Medical Researchers. There needs to be more SOPs and updates circulated to all the VA facilities nationwide.
February 2nd, 2011 | Posted in Health | Read More »

Veterans Today celebrates that a veteran advocate and a female, Sen. Patty Murray, has taken over a key leadership position in the United States Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. It is indeed refreshing to see new leadership emerging in the Senate, it has been a long time coming. Senator Murray deserves this opportunity. And our veterans deserve Senator [...]
January 27th, 2011 | Posted in Vet News | Read More »
Lynette Boshell of Cullman visited the SOS facility for the first time during the event. Her husband, active duty Alabama National Guard 1st Sgt. Robert Boshell, died of a massive heart attack seven years ago during physical training for an upcoming deployment. Boshell had served as a Marine during his early years of marriage, and the couple’s 32 years of married life included a deployment to Operation Desert Shield/Storm.
January 27th, 2011 | Posted in Living,Of Interest | Read More »

First 40 bills for veterans submitted in House of Representatives. Depleted uranium testing for troops again advanced as bill, it is about time to assure that this is done.
January 25th, 2011 | Posted in Politics | Read More »

Desert Storm Veterans with gulf war illness being recruited for a medical study on their irritable bowel problems. Gulf War illness is real and the research is finally directed in the right direction to find answers. Twenty years but the old broken system is finally responding. The old cranky battleship of a broken system has made war repairs and is being set right on course. Now veterans are being asked to help. Medical researchers and medical care providers are being asked to help get the information to gulf war veterans 90-91 that are sufferring!
January 24th, 2011 | Posted in Vet News | Read More »

Gulf War USAF veterans experiencing early age group for Heart Conditions. Activities and guidance for gulf war anniversary activities discussed.
January 24th, 2011 | Posted in Gulf War Illness (GWI),Health | Read More »

Call for education and action on gulf war illness.
January 23rd, 2011 | Posted in Gulf War Illness (GWI),Health | Read More »
VA Doctors in Salt Lake City missing in action. Exceptional Conference on Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue/ME. With one out of four Gulf War 1 Veterans ill at least, one would think that the VA in Salt Lake City would be in attendance and that they would encourage and notify their patients at the VA with Fibromyalgia to attend this conference.
January 23rd, 2011 | Posted in Gulf War Illness (GWI),Health | Read More »

The others that served in Operation Desert Storm and their health needs are discussed. Updated information from Earlier edition
January 20th, 2011 | Posted in Gulf War Illness (GWI),Health | Read More »

Early cardiac deaths of Desert Storm veterans need action now.
January 20th, 2011 | Posted in Gulf War Illness (GWI),Health | Read More »

Anniversary of Gulf War at President Bush Library at College Station Texas coverage
January 20th, 2011 | Posted in Gulf War,History | Read More »

VeteransToday honors those heroes that quietly leave us. Americans need to pay more attention and find out about the heroes that walk in their mist.
January 20th, 2011 | Posted in Heroes,Military | Read More »

US Navy Operation Desert Storm- Timothy John Avazian(USS Tarawa) 52 Another Salior Passes too Soon: Timothy John Avazian, 52 of Gallatin, died suddenly at home on January 12, 2011. He was formerly from Red Oaks Mill. Tim was born in Kingston, NY on April 30, 1958 to the late John F. Avazian and Jean (McCarthy) [...]
January 19th, 2011 | Posted in Heroes,Vet News | Read More »

Urgent alert for both Agent Orange and Desert Storm Veterans. Editor’s note: The enclosed medical research has a focus on male Testerone and Diabetes(Insulin). As the old nurse I am hearing from multiples male and female veterans having hormone problems and diabetes! Please see the underlined and bold areas I highlighted in the Introduction and Conclusion sections. [...]
January 18th, 2011 | Posted in Agent Orange,Gulf War Illness (GWI),Health | Read More »