Anniston Star
November 21, 2002

Veterans' organization says it is not part of incineration lawsuit

By Sara Clemence
Star Staff Writer

America's largest Vietnam veterans' organization is absolutely, positively, most definitely not suing the Department of Defense over Anniston's chemical weapons incinerator.

Vietnam Veterans of America stepped forward Wednesday to ask that it not be confused with a similarly named group, the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation, which joined a diverse group of 11 plaintiffs Tuesday in filing a federal lawsuit against the incineration.

"Vietnam Veterans of America has no part to play in this," said Ken Rollins, president of the Alabama State Council of the VVA. "We are no dog in that fight."

Vietnam Veterans of America, founded in 1978, is a congressionally chartered organization with more than 50,000 members. It is dedicated to veterans' issues and has no position on incineration.

The Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation is an unrelated organization that focuses primarily on humanitarian issues, such as eradicating landmines and helping war victims. It was created in 1980 and is not membership-based, said Maria Montenegro, a spokeswoman for the group.

One of the foundation's board members is Craig Williams, executive director of the Chemical Weapons Working Group, a Kentucky-based anti-incineration group that is involved in the federal lawsuit.

The foundation's president, Bobby Muller, was a charter member of the Vietnam Veteran's Association, but he is no longer associated with the group, Montenegro said.

Rollins, who works at the Anniston Army Depot, said he personally supports burning the leaky cache of chemical weapons being stored at the Anniston Army Depot.

"You would think if anyone would be afraid of [incineration], it would be somebody who was exposed to Agent Orange," said Rollins, who was exposed to the cancer-causing defoliant in Vietnam. "The only time I'm afraid are the days I sit here at ground zero in my office and know they're sitting in those igloos ticking like a time bomb