For the 2022 Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Distinguished Speaker Series on February 17, the Legal Services Center hosted a virtual panel discussion on the toxic effects of military burn pits experienced by thousands of servicemembers and veterans who served in the Iraq and Afghan wars, as well as efforts to pass meaningful legislation to take care of those harmed by burn pits. This discussion featured a keynote address by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, followed by a panel discussion, where Senator Gillibrand was joined by Shane Liermann, a Marine Corps veteran and Deputy National Legislative Director at DAV; Dr. Anthony Szema, a leading expert on the health impacts of burn pit exposures, who is Clinical Associate Professor of Occupational Medicine, Epidemiology, and Prevention, and Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell; and Rosie Torres and Le Roy Torres, co-founders of Burn Pits 360. Rosie Torres is the organization’s Executive Director, and Le Roy Torres is a veteran of the Iraq War. Edward R. “Randy” Reese, Jr., Executive Director of DAV’s National Service and Legislative Headquarters and a veteran of the Persian Gulf War, provided opening remarks. The panel discussion was moderated by Betsy Gwin, Associate Director of the Veterans Legal Clinic at LSC. To read more about the event and our speakers, visit the LSC website: https://www.legalservicescenter.org/d… The DAV Distinguished Speaker Series is made possible by the generous support of the DAV Charitable Service Trust and is co-sponsored by the Veterans Legal Clinic at the WilmerHale Legal Services Center of Harvard Law School, and the Law School’s Armed Forces Association.
Toxic Legacy: Seeking Justice for Military Servicemembers and Veterans Harmed by Burn Pits
