Some gone too soon

Sandy

Last year, I was able to meet a local Korean War veteran, Sandy Pangrel, for a story in our Veteran’s Day edition. I quickly realized while listening to him tell of his time in South Korea, that things could be worse here and I probably complain too much. And that politics, gas prices and inflation, while they’re all things to be concerned with, don’t compare to what many men and women have endured while serving in the U.S. forces. 

Interestingly, the day I did the interview and heard Sandy tell of the dispute between North Korea and South Korea, an article in the Star Tribune came out focusing on the current events that Sandy described happening about 70 years ago. Of course now the weapons are more lethal and concerning in the hands of leaders such as Kim Jong-un. 

Sandy passed away not long after the story came out but was fortunate to make it to the age of 93. He is missed by many in the community. 

Brian

Another veteran, Brian Zimmermann, graduate of East Central High School and Sandstone resident, spent much of his time after combat educating others on PTSD and the trauma that can come from war.  

Zimmermann joined the army after spending a year in college at Vermillion. He then did his training at Fort Benning, Georgia. From there, he was assigned to the 1st Infantry Division, 2/16 Rangers and was stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas, and was deployed with his unit to Iraq in late 1990. He was there until August of 1991. Zimmermann later served overseas in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain.

But in his service, he witnessed charred Iraqi bodies, including a dead child, on the “Highway to Death.” He took part in a tank battle and was close to an Iraqi ammunition depot called Khamisiyah that, upon detonation, is believed to have released nerve agents such as sarin and cyclosarin gases in the direction of U.S. troops nearby. 

“The doctor said my brain scan was really messed up,” Zimmermann told me in our interview. Zimmermann suffered from other war-related health issues and PTSD. Common symptoms he experienced included fatigue, rashes, serious body aches and joint swelling, gastrointestinal problems, memory loss, depression, anxiety, and chronic headaches. He felt like his body was deteriorating. Everyday tasks like getting out of bed were a struggle.

Brian died at age 50 from the effects of PTSD. 

Alan

One veteran, Alan White, I got to know quite well. He was a co-worker’s husband. But he wasn’t just your run-of-the-mill husband. Many days at the office, he would stop by just to see if his wife Karry needed anything at all. I think he just genuinely enjoyed being around her because he would stay and talk while she was getting her work done. I would hear him talk about their daughters and their son with love and pride. He and Karry’s conversation and departure would end with an “I love you more” from Alan. 

Alan was in the army from 1985 to 2006 and spent time in Desert Storm, Desert Shield, and lastly, in Afghanistan’s Operation Enduring Freedom. Alan was exposed to military burn pit smoke from the burning of human waste, human bodies (of the opposition by their own military) and the burning of oil fields. 

The first encounter he had was the pouring of gas over the outhouse barrels. “You were exposed to the smoke. We wore bandanas when we started them up, and then got out of the way,” recalled Alan. “It was just one of those jobs that someone had to do. We covered our faces (with the bandanas) to keep the heat and smell away.” These were right next to the camps, he added.

The oil fields that were on fire (started by the Iraqis) were very close by, Alan said. “It would depend on how the wind was coming through, and for a while, it was almost like daytime was night time,” he recounted. “This lasted a couple weeks before they could get them under control in Desert Storm in Kuwait.”  

Alan said the smoke was everywhere and always on their clothes. “You got used to it and wore goggles or sunglasses or stayed inside,” he recalled. “It was like being next door to a wildfire except they were burning tires and other things.”

He was later medically evaluated in 2000 and was found to have breathing capacity loss and was a non-smoker. 

Alan was diagnosed with a brain tumor a few years ago and has since passed away from the brain tumor. This tumor was similar to the one that took the life of Beau Biden. Research found that 31 of the 112 service members and contractors who served at Balad and Camp Victory like Biden suffered from different forms of cancers and brain tumors. 

The stories seem to be endless of the mental and physical trauma that many of our veterans have suffered in the name of our freedom. And many of them were taken away too soon because of these traumas. 

On Monday, we remember our fallen and deceased veterans and take pause to honor them. 

“Help them get help, and help them recognize that they need help,” are two pieces of advice Zimmermann offered to friends and family of loved ones suffering with post-service PTSD while he was alive. “Also, thank a veteran every chance you get. They don’t hear it enough. Often just saying ‘thanks’ can make their day into a good one.”

Traci LeBrun is the editor of the Pine City Pioneer.