Most New Zealanders are aware that people working in specific industries are at a higher risk of asbestos exposure than others, such as construction workers and those who worked directly with asbestos in manufacturing plants.

While several years have passed since asbestos was banned in New Zealand, the effects of past exposure can linger for decades. However, it’s wasn’t just production and construction workers exposed all those years go. Veterans were too, and they actually account for 30 per cent of all annually diagnosed mesothelioma cases.

If you’re a veteran who isn’t sure how asbestos could have affected you, you can learn more about veterans and asbestos exposure below.

 

How Were Veterans Exposed to Asbestos?

All armed forces branches used asbestos during the 20th century because it was an excellent fireproofing material. Even after its toxicity was realised, it was still present, and tens of thousands of veterans were put at risk. 

Asbestos was used in a wide range of environments in the military, including military transportation with asbestos thermal insulation, brake pads, clutch pads, and electric wiring insulation. It was also used in construction materials, which meant military base structures like barracks might have been built with this dangerous natural mineral.

Even navy ship and shipyard workers weren’t able to escape asbestos. Records show that navy ships contained more than 300 products with asbestos, which may explain why Navy veterans are more often diagnosed with illnesses linked to asbestos than other military units.

As it can take several decades for asbestos exposure to present itself as health conditions like mesothelioma and asbestosis, many veterans being diagnosed with asbestos-related illnesses today are able to link back their experiences to the Korean War and Vietnam War.

 

What Support Is Available to Veterans in New Zealand?

Asbestos exposure isn’t commonly reported when it relates to veterans. This may lead veterans and their families to be unaware of the support services available to them.

Many RSAs throughout New Zealand provide information on their websites relating to the help veterans can access. This might include information about treatment, clinical trials, and organisations to spread awareness.

More generally, RSAs can also pair veterans and their families with services and support networks for a wide range of reasons, including wellness at home, work, and in the community. 

 

Asbestos Exposure in Vietnam

Veterans of the Vietnam War, particularly Navy veterans, may have been exposed to several tons of asbestos present in miles of piping, walls, doors, and engine room insulation. While it’s easy to assume that New Zealand is far removed from the effects of the Vietnam War, that’s not the case. 

Over 3,000 New Zealand military and civilian personnel serviced in Vietnam, spanning a period of over a decade. Therefore, many hundreds of New Zealand war vets may have been exposed, with 67-year-old Phillip Taylor-Meihana, being one of them.

When Phillip was on his death bed in his Napier home, he cursed the Vietnam War army service for giving him cancer. He was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2015, caused by inhaling asbestos fibres that attacked his abdominal lining and organs. He died just six and a half weeks after his diagnosis.  

As he didn’t work in a high-risk job like construction or an asbestos factory, doctors were mystified as to how he could have been exposed. However, Phillip’s army platoon sergeant, John Mangakahia, believes he has the answer.

He reminded Phillip that they had been ordered to destroy ammunition bunkers in Nui Dat, Vietnam, before their withdrawal in 1971. The bunkers were commonly lined with asbestos as fireproofing. Dust and debris would go flying after their destruction, and the veterans would wear the same dusty overalls for weeks.

Unfortunately, Veterans’ Affairs rejected Phillip’s family’s claim for compensation due to a lack of evidence.

 

The Steps of Asbestos Treatment

There are generally three steps involved in the diagnosis and treatment of veterans or anyone else who has been exposed to asbestos at some point in their life.

 

Step 1: Identify Symptoms

Some of the most common symptoms of asbestos-related illnesses like mesothelioma are chest pains, a chronic cough, fatigue, fever, difficulty swallowing, weight loss, and facial and arm swelling.

 

Step 2: Be Diagnosed

After visiting a doctor with your symptoms, they may require information about your potential exposure event, such as a building job or your experiences as a veteran. They may then use a range of diagnostic tools such as biopsies and scans.

 

Step 3: Explore Your Treatment Options

The unfortunate reality is that mesothelioma is an aggressive form of cancer. Most people diagnosed with it have 12 to 21 months to live, but some may live longer, fuller lives depending on when they were diagnosed, the cell type, and the location of the tumour.

 

More treatment options may also become available as technology advances, such as chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, immunotherapy, and photodynamic therapy.