June Heston, a burn pit advocate and the wife of the late Brigadier General Mike Heston, shares her journey and advocacy work for burn pit victims. She discusses the challenges of getting disability claims approved and the lack of support from the government. June emphasizes the need for more awareness and education about burn pits and their impact on veterans' health. She also highlights the importance of caregiver support and the emotional toll of advocacy. June encourages veterans and their loved ones to join advocacy organizations and speak up for their rights.
Takeaways
June Heston, a burn pit advocate and the wife of the late Brigadier General Mike Heston, shares her journey and advocacy work for burn pit victims. She discusses the challenges of getting disability claims approved and the lack of support from the government. June emphasizes the need for more awareness and education about burn pits and their impact on veterans' health. She also highlights the importance of caregiver support and the emotional toll of advocacy. June encourages veterans and their loved ones to join advocacy organizations and speak up for their rights.
Takeaways
Brandy (00:01.438)
Hi, this is Brandy Schantz and you're listening to Living Chronic. Today I'm speaking with June Heston. She is a burn pit advocate and the wife of the late Brigadier General Mike Heston. She has done a lot of work to advocate for victims of the burn pits. Her husband was one as well. She was integral to getting the PAC DAC passed. I know I for one am very, very grateful. So welcome June. I'm really excited to speak with you today.
June Heston (00:31.586)
Thank you, I'm happy to be here.
Brandy (00:34.97)
So tell me a little bit about your journey and how you became an advocate for the burn pit victims. I know your husband was a victim himself.
June Heston (00:46.07)
He was, and he, when the burn pit registry came out, he was the deputy adjutant general for the National Guard here in Vermont. And he actually told all of his troops to make sure that they registered if they were deployed. And it wasn't something we thought a whole lot about. And when he started getting sick in 2016 with back pain, he went through a lot of testing and he just wasn't a candidate for cancer.
said to him, we don't know what it is that's wrong with you, but it's not cancer. It took 10 months to diagnose him, and by that time, he was stage four pancreatic cancer. He started treatment at Dana-Farber in Boston, and someone sent me an article about a young woman in the Minnesota Guard who was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer. This is a story.
was a very rare form of pancreatic cancer. And we were fortunate that we went to Dana Farber because when I read this article and said something to his doctor, his oncologist there, he said, what are you talking about? We're like, well, they burn everything in Afghanistan and the other theaters. And he was appalled. And so he started doing his own research. And he said, absolutely.
this was most likely what caused his cancer because he had no hereditary predisposition. He had no behavioral things that would contribute to getting pancreatic cancer. And so we started then with applying for disability for him because we believed it was related to his exposure.
Brandy (02:13.45)
Thank you.
June Heston (02:41.518)
And it took over a year, but, and although he was denied a DOD disability, he did receive the VA disability. But I found out that 80% of those who were applying were being denied. And it just didn't make any sense to me with all the research I had done, like you are burning stuff that we're not allowed to burn here in this country. We have OSHA regulations against this.
Brandy (02:51.542)
Mm-hmm.
Brandy (02:58.079)
Mm-hmm.
Brandy (03:10.026)
Mm-hmm.
June Heston (03:10.31)
And what I was told is, well, that doesn't apply to the military overseas. I said, I understand that. I just want to know why it doesn't apply. And, you know, Mike fought for almost two years, but he lost his battle with pancreatic cancer in November of 2018. And that following January, I had a state Senator approach me about testifying because they wanted to.
introduced legislation that had that talked about this burn pit and toxic exposure because of Mike's story. So I went and testified to the government ops committee and I also was asked to go back and testify on the on the house side. And when I did that, I discovered that there were other people that were doing the same thing. And I
had a number of people reach out to me from across the country who were working on this very issue. So I discovered that there was a an organization that was getting started to start federal legislation. And I found out about this through the TAPS organization. And I said I want to be involved in this federal work. And that's how I got involved which with what
became the team coalition. And after multiple iterations of the legislation and talking to my own federal delegates saying, you cannot propose anything but what's being recommended in the PAC Act. And they still were like, well, it's gonna cost a lot of money. And I said, yeah, it is. But you have to take care of these people that you are responsible for making sick.
Brandy (05:05.555)
Mm-hmm. No, you're right. And it was very difficult before the PAC-DAC was signed. I don't think people who either are not sick themselves or don't know anybody who became sick from the burn pits know just how much of an impact that had on veterans' lives. It is expensive, but there were so many of us that came home with so many illnesses.
that we certainly weren't expecting to get after serving in the military. I've often said that I went to Afghanistan ready to die, but not in the way that I am right now, very slowly and painfully over many, many years. You know, one of the things that I found very interesting reading about General Heston and his journey, I've read an article that you had contributed to and you talked about him. And when he started to get sick, you know, you said he lost 75 pounds over 10 months.
June Heston (05:39.042)
Great.
Brandy (05:58.806)
And the doctor said, well, we don't know what it is, but it's not cancer. And that really stuck with me because I myself spent 19 months searching for a diagnosis and I'm not rare nor is your husband. This happens to a lot of people. And I just thought, how do we get across to lawmakers, medical professionals, and other people going through this, just how much fortitude and tenaciousness it takes.
to get your own diagnosis because it's just not as simple as we once thought. I mean, I used to be very naive. I thought, well, you have a problem. You go to the doctor, you list off your symptoms, they do a test, and then there's a treatment plan and you're done. And that's not what it is at all. He fought.
June Heston (06:41.286)
It is not. Right. It is not. And the thing with Mike, he was in the National Guard. So he is not going to the VA. He's seeing civilian doctors. And one of the pieces of the legislation here in Vermont was for our Department of Health to distribute to all health care providers the risk of a
of veterans who have served overseas being exposed to different toxins. And I think even still here in Vermont, that education hasn't happened, but that's what's going to make a difference. When you say burn pits to people, today they know more than when we started talking about this six years ago, five years ago. And it's been talked about for 10 or 15 years. The first...
The first documentation that came out from the VA was in 2010. And it was a 29 page document that said to our VA health care providers, this could be an issue. These are the things that our veterans could have been exposed to. So they've known for a long time. And even then, there was no change in how they were getting rid of their...
garbage. Today there are still burn pits that are being used to get rid of garbage. And so this cost isn't going to go away for the government. You know, and there are, there are options. They are saying that there are not, but there are options for this.
Brandy (08:23.75)
Absolutely are. And, you know, it's a very interesting history of modern day veterans in the global war on terrorism. I remember right after 9-11, I remember all the cheering, the clapping when you were coming home in the airport, the, you know, thank a veteran, give them a discount, buy a drink. And then now here we are, almost 23 years on from 9-11.
And now it's, you know, the VA declaring that we're too expensive and the DOD still actively poisoning us. And, you know, I can't think of anything more dehumanizing. I mean, we spent so much time with the cheering and the commercials and the propaganda. Everybody support the veterans, but you didn't do the bare minimum to not kill your own soldiers.
June Heston (09:04.659)
Exactly.
June Heston (09:16.158)
Right, you did not. And on top of that, because, you know, Mike was denied the DOD disability for reasons that I don't understand. And then he finally is diagnosed, he's going through treatment, and he has to medically retire from the military. But he's still serving as the deputy adjutant general, which is a civilian position here in the Guard.
Brandy (09:26.079)
Mm-hmm.
June Heston (09:44.482)
And they're like, yeah, we need you to step down. Like he felt pushed aside. Like he gave everything. He went to Afghanistan three times and he felt like, you know, although he gave everything they asked for, when it came down to him fighting the biggest battle of his life when he got home, they were done with him.
Brandy (10:09.33)
Yeah. No, you're right. And there's nothing that really hits you harder than when you've, it's not just finding out that you're now sick or disabled or whatever it is you've learned. It's when you feel abandoned. That's what really takes you down. You know, because I say it over and over again, I'm still a valuable human being. I'm a very valuable human being. I have a lot to offer. I have a lot to give. That didn't go away when I got sick.
June Heston (10:25.234)
Right. Yes.
June Heston (10:34.156)
Right.
June Heston (10:39.179)
raped.
Brandy (10:39.49)
And I can't say it enough. People need to remember that. And I think we need to say it even stronger because of the fact that they're still poisoning veterans with these burn pits, this active duty soldiers, sailors, Marines, um, they shouldn't exist. They just exist. It really is the bare minimum. It really is.
June Heston (10:49.815)
Yes.
June Heston (10:55.17)
Great, it should not exist.
Right. And I will say the initial legislation that we were pushing for presumptive illnesses, and it was not going to be included, but we were successful in getting 23 illnesses included. And it's 12 or 13 cancers, which I really was surprised when that did pass. But there's still so much more. The illnesses are not
Brandy (11:21.598)
There's a lot.
June Heston (11:24.334)
predictable. It's dependent on this each individual's body and how it's going to respond to exposure of toxins. And so there are a lot of people who are still left aside who have to prove that they were exposed. And that is wrong. They should not have to prove if you were deployed to these theaters, you should qualify for VA health care.
Brandy (11:40.554)
Thank you.
Brandy (11:49.75)
Absolutely. And you know, to your point earlier when you talked about there already being memos being sent around the VA in 2010 When I was a very immediate with my breathing problems as soon as I mean I started having breathing problems while still in Afghanistan I used to wear medical masks all the time. They'd be black by the time I came indoors walk outside take it off It's black put on a brand new white one
It wasn't until 2013 that I finally received my Crohn's disease diagnosis. And I was diagnosed at Walter Reed. And there was a lot of questions because my Crohn's is very rare. It's not, you know, normally it affects, it's the lower intestine on the majority of people. I have a rare form of Crohn's that affects my stomach. So I got sent to every GI in the hospital. Plus they sent me upstairs to the infectious diseases doctor.
because they just wanted to make sure this is what it was. And there were a couple of things they didn't understand, but they knew and they said very plainly that they think it had something to do with my service in Afghanistan. When I finally received the Crohn's diagnosis, my doctor said very plainly, this is likely due to the burn pits. And I thought, you've got to be crazy. How did the burn pits do that to me? I knew they would affect my breathing, but my GI system, you know, it's just incomprehensible.
But they've known, and doctors know, now I have the privilege of sitting on the local DC Maryland Virginia Board at the Crohn's Colitis Foundation and they know that there's an environmental impact on people. So, and if that's true of Crohn's, it could be true of so many other autoimmune diseases, cancers, you name it, we can get it. So we still have a long way to go.
June Heston (13:30.518)
Right. Yes. And particularly because, you know, we have OSHA regulations that say, you cannot burn these substances in this country. So I am just confused as to why that doesn't apply to US citizens serving their country.
Brandy (13:38.099)
Mm-hmm.
June Heston (13:55.87)
willing to sacrifice their lives, why does that not apply to them overseas? I wanna know the answer to that. Why hasn't that been changed?
Brandy (14:06.526)
And I think that's the biggest question. You know, the majority of people would assume, because it would make sense, that once they identified that burn pits were creating these problems, that they eliminated them. No more burn pits in use. But I actually recently read, and I'm trying to remember the source, I should have had that sitting next to me. I believe it was from the Iraq-Afghanistan Veterans of America group, where they've actually identified sites here in the US.
mostly in poor rural areas where they're still using burn pits here in the United States as well.
June Heston (14:37.874)
Absolutely.
Brandy (14:39.682)
And it's just shocking. It really is shocking. There's no other way to say it. So, you know, we obviously still have a lot of work to do because this can't be happening. And, you know, one of the things I really love about, you know, your story and putting it out there is I think a lot of people think that this can't happen to...
June Heston (14:42.034)
It is shocking.
June Heston (14:53.142)
We do.
Brandy (15:06.478)
somebody of another, of a higher rank, maybe, you know, it's almost as if the smoke just stopped wafting towards you after you made major or something, you know. Your husband was a brigadier general and he was just as sick as the rest of us. And, you know, that I think that says something, not that he's not any more or less human than any other person, but I think it really humanizes this and shows that it had nothing to do with rank or position or leadership.
June Heston (15:13.966)
Right. Okay.
June Heston (15:19.647)
Yes.
Brandy (15:35.002)
It was everything to do with just being in the vicinity of that burn pit.
June Heston (15:38.45)
Yes. Toxic exposure does not discriminate. And one of the things, one of the reasons I really wanted to get involved in changing how the VA was responding to these claims was because, you know, I feel like we were wise enough. Well, Mike was a general, first of all, and I would not take no for an answer. So I would.
Brandy (15:44.324)
No.
June Heston (16:06.282)
you know, I looked at every single page, I believe, of the Veterans Affairs website. I started asking questions. I contacted our federal delegates to say, this is what's happening, this is wrong. And so I was able to do that. And Mike would say to me, what about the people that don't have a June?
Brandy (16:30.623)
Right.
June Heston (16:32.39)
And he was right. Like the people who were not getting what was owed to them is because they took no for an answer because they didn't know what else to do. They didn't know what their resources were.
Brandy (16:46.674)
You're right. And then there's another component, I think, and it's something that I've learned, I guess the hard way as I go along, I always like to joke that I'm kind of a pushy broad, but you know, there is another aspect to it. When it's you, it's very emotional and I think it makes it more difficult. There are times where I look like I am just myself, the person I've always been. I'm not taking no for an answer. We're getting this done. You know, let me through. And then there's other times where I'm just like, I can't take it anymore.
I just can't. Everything's so hard. It's a job. Getting my diagnosis is a job. Getting my stuff through the VA is a job. Submitting the correct paperwork at the right time with the right stamp and the right signature if they've gotten it wrong, and they've gotten it wrong big time. The VA has come a long way, but I have, for example, horrific GERD as a result of my Crohn's disease. So they rated me
June Heston (17:20.599)
Yes.
Brandy (17:44.778)
for a primary GERD with Crohn's disease. Well, Crohn's disease is what took me out. The GERD's just making me mad. What are you doing? I had to appeal that. It's a lot of work. It's very emotional. And at some point, even the strongest of people just want to give up.
June Heston (17:51.055)
Yeah, right.
June Heston (17:55.124)
Right.
June Heston (18:02.986)
Right. And being a caregiver is a job. And I tried to do both my full-time job and caregiving for about a year and a half. And then I left my job because I needed to focus on Mike and what was best for him. And I knew that I couldn't continue to do both. It was
Brandy (18:07.623)
It's a big time.
June Heston (18:32.518)
it was taking a toll on me emotionally and physically. And so I left my job and focused on him. It was the best thing I could have done. I didn't know I only had four months left with him, but I didn't care if it took, you know, the next two years to...
be with him every minute I would have been there the next 10 years. But it is a lot. And our government needs to understand that you need to take care of the family in addition to the veteran because all of this is affecting all of the family, not just the veteran.
Brandy (19:14.964)
Mm-hmm.
Brandy (19:25.11)
And in multiple ways. I know for you, for me as well, facing some of those struggles of, I can't work because I need to focus on this full-time job of caregiving, getting a diagnosis, making the doctor's appointments, following the things. We were able to do that and not be so affected that we lose our house, our food or...
June Heston (19:27.042)
Yes.
June Heston (19:50.925)
Right.
Brandy (19:51.074)
But there are people that have that added stress. And I think that's what's so important. You know, I was able to just sit there and say, okay, you know what? I'm making this my full-time job right now. I'm gonna fix this. I'm gonna find a way. You did the same thing. You said, you know what? I'm here to take care of my husband. I've got to get this done. But for some people, that's just not an option. And they have to try to get it done. And they have to go to work full-time. And...
June Heston (20:12.118)
Great.
June Heston (20:16.085)
rate.
Brandy (20:16.646)
If their significant other is ill and maybe that person is a, the primary, you know, earner in the house, maybe, you know, the household requires two incomes just to survive. You know, all of these things are very real problems that many, many veterans are facing and they just don't have a June or a brandy, you know, to just get in there and get it done. They have to go to work. So when do they even have time? It's a full time job.
June Heston (20:30.648)
Right.
June Heston (20:42.33)
Right. It's a full-time job. And I think that because so many people are fighting for these healthcare benefits and survivor benefits, it's just exhausting. And there are so many people just saying, I can't do it anymore. And I think there's part of me, Mike went through this
Brandy (20:46.387)
I'm excited.
Brandy (21:06.603)
Exactly.
June Heston (21:11.446)
two years after being diagnosed, almost two years, and never was angry. He was disappointed. He felt abandoned, but he never really was angry. But I was angry. Which is why I think I also decided to take on this fight because I needed to put that somewhere that was productive as opposed to just being pissed off. And...
Brandy (21:17.851)
Mm-hmm.
Brandy (21:22.706)
Yes.
Brandy (21:30.952)
Mm-hmm.
June Heston (21:37.794)
I think so many people just are too tired to even be angry to make that effort. It's just exhausting. And I believe our government counts on that. That people will be.
Brandy (21:51.102)
They do. They do, because it's not easy. It's not easy. And I can tell you, you know, what I try to get across to as many people as I possibly can, you know, most people get to see the outside me. That's, you know, maybe I'm walking through the halls of the Rayburn buildings. I have an agenda today and it's going to get done. Maybe they see me down at the VA, just, you know, doing my thing or on the phone all day long, calling doctors, trying to...
June Heston (21:54.708)
ranked.
Brandy (22:17.534)
figure out what's next, what's my problem. Don't worry, I'll read these medical journal articles. I'm not even science adjacent, but I'll figure it out. But there's a whole other side. And when I'm tired, I'm depressed. When it all hits and I'm tired, it's done. I'm gonna lay down, I'm gonna cry, I'm gonna not do anything. I just, I need to not. And yeah, they do count on that. I eventually get myself back up again.
June Heston (22:39.03)
Right.
Brandy (22:46.378)
but it's not easy. And I think they definitely depend on that. They also depend on the people who don't understand the process or who do have to work one, two jobs to survive and just don't have time for this. Probably because they need money for more healthcare. I mean, I know I'm expensive to the US government. I say it all the time. Do you have any idea what it costs just for my medication? You know?
June Heston (22:48.522)
No.
June Heston (22:59.574)
Right. That's exactly right.
Great.
June Heston (23:12.576)
Yes.
Brandy (23:14.298)
It's expensive to be me and not in a fun housewives way. They're about to send me a box load of about $20,000 worth of medications. Thank you, Veterans Affairs.
June Heston (23:18.747)
Exactly.
June Heston (23:25.842)
Right. And for survivors like me, I have lost both parents and that was tough. But losing your spouse is a different level of grief. And I, you know, had my own mental health struggles because of that. And I think that, you know,
Brandy (23:41.622)
Mm-hmm.
Brandy (23:50.397)
No.
June Heston (23:54.51)
people just don't understand that this is because it seems like an avoidable loss. It's hard to wrap your head around like why, why did this happen? And there is no answer to that, but you keep asking it. And I feel like, you know, there's this long, I mean, long journey after you lose your loved one. That is
Brandy (24:01.202)
Yes.
Brandy (24:08.307)
Yes.
June Heston (24:23.054)
challenge and there's no veterans benefits for me. You know I'm I do I am getting survivor benefits. I'm grateful for that. I would rather Have my husband here
Brandy (24:34.838)
Absolutely, because there's no replacing him. There's no replacing him. And what can somebody do? Although I think we could definitely do a better job of providing grief counseling for our family members because there's just a big hole left right there. I can't imagine losing my spouse. So that's such a difficult.
June Heston (24:38.254)
There's no replacing him.
June Heston (24:50.328)
Yeah.
June Heston (24:54.314)
Right.
Brandy (25:01.722)
journey to go through and not have the military, the people who really were behind this to help you is terrible. But it's so much more than that. Just, you know, I like to ask everybody on this podcast, what do you wish you knew when you were first diagnosed with your illness? What do you wish you knew when you first found out your spouse was ill? You know, I think it's important because
We need to do a better job for caregivers especially because you don't know how to handle it going forward just yet. Nobody goes through this. Nobody trains for it. There's no class for planning on losing your spouse or here's plans for when your spouse gets ill. So we need to do more to help the people that you matter. You very much matter. And we need to have something.
June Heston (25:45.195)
Right.
June Heston (25:52.53)
Right. They do the I mean, I was allowed to go to the VA clinic locally for grief counseling.
But they obviously don't get it. Cause when I went in and it was very, very short time, weeks after Mike passed away, I had to fill out paperwork and they said, put the sponsor's name on. And then we need the sponsor's phone number and we need the sponsor's email. And I said, um, he died. Like that is why I'm here.
Brandy (26:26.812)
Yeah.
June Heston (26:30.278)
And I just, I couldn't go back. I'm like, you're asking for information that's now irrelevant and you don't get it. So I didn't go back. I will say my, I had someone reach out to me from TAPS because of all the publicity around Mike's illness and death.
Brandy (26:37.79)
Right.
June Heston (26:51.09)
And I feel like that organization saved me because they do get it. And they are doing a great job for survivors of all loss and providing guidance and resources that have been probably some of the most healing that I've gotten.
Brandy (27:17.95)
That's amazing. And so for people who don't know, I've been trying to make a transition and assistance for drivers. I always know the meaning.
June Heston (27:25.254)
It's, um, Oh gosh, now that you ask me, it is, um, uh, Oh my God, it'll come to me. Um, I just call it tabs all the time. Um, but, um, give me a second. Yes. So, um, Oh my gosh, it's always on the tip of my tongue and I cannot think of it, but, um,
Brandy (27:39.21)
but it is for survivors.
Brandy (27:48.066)
I think when the speech comes to these acronyms, you know what it means, but the exact words, I don't know.
June Heston (27:52.646)
I do, yes.
Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors.
Brandy (27:59.926)
Okay, Tragedy Assistance Program, and it's very apt named as well. And that is a great resource for anybody who's dealing with loss of their loved one, if they have a loved one who was affected in any way, and lost. But the Greek.
June Heston (28:05.066)
Yes.
June Heston (28:15.115)
Yes.
And they're doing a lot more work now with loss to illness because they're predicting that will surpass the loss to suicide. And they do a lot of really good work for suicide loss and for combat-related loss. And so it really is all encompassing. And one of the best things about the organization, if you participate in their programs, you meet other people who are going through similar
Brandy (28:28.008)
Oh my god.
Brandy (28:36.011)
Hmm.
June Heston (28:47.934)
journeys and that is helpful because you feel really alone in that moment, particularly when you're well maybe either in the Guard or active duty because active duty those loved ones are pushed off base after a short period of time. Here there is no base for you to have that sort of connection and some of the National Guard members have stayed in contact with me but
Brandy (28:55.1)
Great.
Brandy (29:06.126)
Yes.
June Heston (29:17.51)
but not a huge amount.
Brandy (29:19.37)
Right. Yeah, I can only imagine. I, you know, obviously all of us who lived through the Jee-Wat years, Iraq, Afghanistan, you know, have experienced a lot of loss either personally or know somebody who has. And of course the suicide is still a problem. And...
June Heston (29:43.372)
Yes.
Brandy (29:45.01)
hear all the time, you know, how do we stop veteran suicide? I don't know if they're really paying attention sometimes, but I actually didn't know that TAPS was there for the survivors of the person who, you know, and I always say, you know, that it's not, I don't think a personal, I don't know how to say it, I mean,
The suicides, they're just an extension of what happened in the military so often, whether it be inability to come to terms with what you experienced in combat or some traumatic incident or just you can't handle the illness any longer. I now get to talk to a lot of people living with chronic illness and I hear pretty often
June Heston (30:32.774)
Exactly.
Brandy (30:37.918)
that they just don't want to fight anymore. They're too sick. They've lost their entire lives as they've once known it. And it's not a failure. It's not a personal feeling, I don't think. I think it's just when you're reaching out for help and you just feel you're still drowning, it's how it happens.
June Heston (30:44.639)
Right.
June Heston (30:56.543)
Right.
June Heston (30:59.934)
Yes, absolutely. Yeah. And until you're, you're diagnosed with some
Brandy (31:02.691)
I
June Heston (31:08.274)
illness that's considered service connected, you're out there on your own. The VA is already overwhelmed. You're not gonna be seen without a service connected disability. So if you're seeing civilian doctors and they don't know what's going on in our military, there's an organization that's also been
Brandy (31:13.182)
Yes.
June Heston (31:36.13)
helpful that has looked at all the medical side of things, Hunter Seven Foundation, and they're supporting a lot of our veterans who've been affected by toxic exposure. And, you know, there's just so much to do. It's great that the PACT Act was passed, but it's just the tip of the iceberg because until you've been diagnosed,
Brandy (31:49.312)
Yes.
June Heston (32:05.598)
and who knows how long that would or could take, you're out there. And we don't have a culture that's aware that our government is poisoning our veterans.
Brandy (32:09.579)
Right.
Brandy (32:18.802)
Right, right. I think some people kind of know about the burn pits thanks to John Stewart and his efforts. He definitely brought the celebrity. It was a big help, but yes.
June Heston (32:26.206)
Yes. That was a huge help. And that's what we needed for this movement. They needed someone whose voice people knew and then would listen to and would call our federal delegations to task.
Brandy (32:45.298)
Mm-hmm. Yes. And I think any veteran can tell you how much we love John Stewart for those reasons. Of course, we still have a long road. I appreciate you sharing about TAPS. I think that's important for everybody to know and be ready to reach out if needed, because I did not know the fact that there will be more deaths from the burn pits than suicide
June Heston (32:53.118)
Mm-hmm. Right
June Heston (32:58.635)
Yes.
Brandy (33:14.982)
illnesses than suicide soon. So it's really important no matter how your loved one dies. But it's very important to be able to reach out. And hopefully we can work together to just keep pushing to get more out there. Screenings for veterans, making sure they know the communications is where it's at. If they don't know that they can go to a VA and say, hey, I'm sick, I think it might be this, they're not going to go.
June Heston (33:21.889)
Yes.
June Heston (33:37.479)
Yes.
June Heston (33:44.962)
No, they're not. And it could be as simple as putting on every intake form in every hospital and clinic in the country. Are you a veteran? If you're a veteran, do you believe you have been exposed to toxins, either through burn pits or other toxins? Because unless they have the answer to those questions, they're not going to look.
Brandy (33:54.224)
Yes.
Brandy (34:00.81)
Mm-hmm.
June Heston (34:10.926)
for the zebra. They're not, they're gonna say, oh, looks like a horse, sounds like a horse. Nope, you gotta look for the zebra because they are outside of what would be considered, you know, normal exposure. Like, oh, my husband did not look like he would be someone who would get cancer. He wasn't, he was not the age, he was not, he just didn't have that.
risk fact, the risk factors. And so, but so nobody asked, nobody asked.
Brandy (34:43.718)
Right. Yeah. And that's a really big deal. I had very similar problems. I was young, you know, very healthy. I was an athlete.
June Heston (34:55.597)
Yeah.
Brandy (34:56.57)
They didn't ask the right questions. And it's really important. So I really appreciate the work you're doing. Hopefully we can work together. Just really get out the word. There has to be more. I tell as many people as I can, your illness, join a board for it. When I was so depressed, I didn't know how to get up. I joined the Crohn's Colitis Foundation Board.
June Heston (34:58.346)
Right.
June Heston (35:04.394)
Yes.
June Heston (35:14.623)
Yes.
Brandy (35:21.166)
I do fundraising, I get out there, I learn. And you know what? When I sit in those meetings and I say, hey, we need to do more about vets because there are so many veterans coming home with IBD, Crohn's or UC due to burn pits. And so many people on that board say, do they? Well, yes, we do. Let me tell you more about it because we're not gonna get additional research into these illnesses either until we ourselves as veterans, as survivors, spouses,
June Heston (35:46.484)
Right.
June Heston (35:51.234)
Right.
Brandy (35:51.31)
loved ones, friends of, get out there, join the boards and give us some representation. Sit at that table and say, hey guys, veterans have this very unique issue. We need to do more to focus on that and get the research done. Yeah.
June Heston (36:04.554)
Absolutely. And as a nonprofit professional, my whole career, I love hearing you say that, because I think all the boards need people who have been in the trenches and get it. And I think that will change the way the way our government responds if we can start advocating in a way that makes them pay attention.
Brandy (36:19.879)
Yes.
Brandy (36:32.79)
Absolutely. I mean, nobody's going to hear you until you stand up and speak. You've got to stand up and speak.
June Heston (36:37.696)
Right.
Absolutely. And I'm not a veteran, but I'm on our government. I was appointed to our governor's Veterans Affairs Council and I am on a local, the local VA, it's a Veterans Advisory Committee for research. Like you need to, our experiences are valuable because when we talk, it's from experience and that is listened to hopefully.
Brandy (37:02.099)
Absolutely.
June Heston (37:10.636)
as much as it needs to be.
Brandy (37:14.534)
Absolutely. You know, every, and it's not just for you. Like you said, it's not just for veterans, spouses, friends, family. Um, if you love a veteran, get out there, you know, your, your voice is so important. It's so important. We're not going to get to the other end without everybody, everybody getting involved. Well, thank you so much for your advocacy, for sharing your story.
June Heston (37:22.303)
Yes.
June Heston (37:26.242)
Yes.
Yes.
June Heston (37:34.983)
Exactly.
Brandy (37:42.238)
So sorry for your loss. I can feel everything you've been through. And I know that Mike was a very special and amazing person.
June Heston (37:44.142)
Thank you.
June Heston (37:54.666)
He was for sure. And good luck with your journey. I know it's not an easy one.
Brandy (37:59.894)
Yeah. Thank you so much. And I will be sure to put in information on TAPS and the show notes for this. You.
June Heston (38:08.966)
Excellent. Thank you so much.