Rostker Launches Series Of Nine Town Hall Meetings Around The Country

WASHINGTON, April 22, 1997 (GulfLINK) - Bernard Rostker, the Defense Department Special Assistant for Gulf War Illnesses, will launch a series of Town Hall meetings across the country to personally answer questions from Gulf War veterans.

Five Town Hall Meetings will be held in April-in the Cleveland, Atlanta, Boston, Kansas City and Dallas areas. Another four are scheduled for May-in the Colorado Springs, San Diego, Seattle and Chicago areas.

These nine cities were chosen in order to cover the broadest possible geographic area. Other cities will be added in the future as other invitations come in.

The meetings are being sponsored the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars. Rostker's staff has been working with the national headquarters of these organizations to plan and coordinate these meetings.

Each Town Hall meeting will begin at 7 p.m. "We want to answer as many questions and address as many concerns as possible," Rostker said.

Each meeting will begin with a brief overview by Rostker on what his office is doing to investigate the possible causes of Gulf War illnesses, followed by a question and answer period.

Since it is anticipated that many veterans will have questions relating to veterans benefits and programs, Rostker will be accompanied by a representative of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Rostker said the program is designed mainly to handle questions from Gulf War veterans. "But the Town Hall meetings are open to anyone and everyone," he said. "These are very much public events."

The Town Hall meetings are:

CLEVELAND, Sunday, April 20, hosted by VFW Post #1863 at 7040 Pettibone Road, Chagrin

Falls, Ohio.

ATLANTA, Wednesday, April 23, hosted by American Legion Post #29 at 921 Gresham Avenue

Northeast, Marietta, Georgia.

BOSTON, Thursday, April 24, hosted by American Legion Post #440 at 295 California Street, Newton, Massachusetts.

KANSAS CITY, Monday, April 28, hosted by VFW Post #1000 at 10002 East 24 Highway, Independence, Missouri.

DALLAS, Tuesday, April 29, hosted by VFW Post #5076 at 1906 East Miller Street, Garland, Texas.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Monday, May 5, hosted by American Legion Post #38 at 6685 Southmoor Drive, Fountain, Colorado.

SAN DIEGO, Tuesday, May 6, hosted by VFW Post #2082 at Memorial Center, 2115 Park Blvd., San Diego, California.

SEATTLE, Wednesday, May 7, hosted by VFW Post #2995 at 4330 148th Ave. NE, Redmond, Washington.

CHICAGO, Thursday, May 8, hosted by American Legion Post #1941 at 900 South LaGrange Road, LaGrange, Illinois.