Thread by @mansoortshams

Very grateful to Jon Stewart and his advocacy for Veterans. The many illness’s Veterans suffer from due to wars in general and the ingestion of toxins is a reality. Here’s a story of my US Marine brother Daniel Medina (front left). We served together and were close friends. 1/

But one main difference between Sergeant Medina and I was, he served in Afghanistan. And he continued to serve after I left but we always remained in touch. He’s next to me on the left. Sergeant Medina continued serving honorably but some years later was diagnosed with cancer. 2/

The moment I found out of his cancer ailment and the danger his life was in, I flew from Baltimore to Orlando to see him. He was heavily medicated and on chemotherapy. It was painful to see him laying in the hospital bed, barely able to move. 3/

Eventually he made improvements in recovery but was later discharged from the Marine Corps because of the damage caused by the cancer and his physical inability to serve at the basic required level for a Marine. Discharge was painful for him because he loved the Marine Corps. 4/

He continued to have many health issues and even a reemergence of the cancer at one point. Sadly health normality was never achieved. He died last year. I often wonder how much of his cancer/death had to do with those burning toxins he was around 24/7 while in Afghanistan. End/