February 6, 2021 – Sgt. Ryan G. Mason died at 36 years of age after being diagnosed with esophageal cancer believed to be related to toxins and chemicals emitted from burn pits. After enlisting in the Army at 17 years of age, he served in Iraq and Afghanistan and was exposed to burn pits while overseas.
According to this article, “A study in 2018 by researchers at Augusta University in Georgia found that veterans were more likely to develop serious types of cancer the more they were exposed to burn pits. More than one million soldiers were deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan from 2001 to 2009 when the usage of burn pits became restricted by the United States.
Roughly 80% of the soldiers deployed to the two countries were exposed to burn pits, and roughly 60% reported having symptoms such as shortness of breath, coughing, mucus buildup, joint and abdomen pain, fatigue, and malaise, according to a study on burn pit-related illnesses published in 2019 in the Open Journal of Emergency Medicine.”
Reference: Muir, Ben,“Army vet dies at 36 from Cancer believed to have originated from burn pit exposure”, Watertown Daily Times, N.Y, February 6, 2021, https://www.militarytimes.com/veterans/2021/11/10/veteran-exposed-to-toxic-burn-pit-smoke-dies-of-cancer-after-misdiagnosis-lawsuit-settlement/
