While In North Texas President Biden Will Talk Cancer Medical Coverage For Veterans

FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - While in North Texas the White House says President Joe Biden will focus on one of the topics of his State of the Union Address. Last week Mr. Biden spoke about the need for better healthcare for veterans -- especially those exposed to burn pits.

Kenneth Diggs served in Vietnam. He says he's relieved President Biden is taking on this healthcare initiative. "If anything is coming late it's the help that the veterans are getting," Diggs said.

Burn pits were used during the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to burn tires, batteries, and medical waste, exposing them to toxic chemicals.

Exposure has caused symptoms ranging from irritation and burning of eyes or throat, to coughing and breathing difficulties. It has affected lots of service-people including some friends of veteran Wesley Cravey.

"One of my sergeants in Iraq died from exposure to burn pits and it was very sad," Cravey said. "The V.A. turned him away multiple times and then he ended up dying from it."

Cravey says despite the national attention from the President, he doesn't believe anything will change. "The healthcare is horrible, and it would be nice to have some change, but there's no hope for it," Cravey said.

President Biden says veteran healthcare is personal to him, especially after the death of his son, Beau, in 2015. Mr. Biden says while he doesn't know for sure if a burn pit was the cause of the brain cancer that took his son, or the diseases of so many U.S. troops, he's committed to finding out everything he can.