Tucker Employees and Their Deaths

[Tuckerfan1053]

First, let me dispel any conspiratorial thoughts that folks might have based on the thread title. I do not think that any of Tucker's employees from his various companies were murdered, but I do believe that there might be information gleaned from the causes of death of other employees. There is the strong possibility that Preston (and other employees) were exposed to some pretty nasty materials and it was this exposure and not lung cancer that killed Preston.

While it will be impossible for me to prove this, knowing who died of what disease and when, will help provide evidence in the matter. Knowing the causes of death of the various members of Preston's immediate family will help as well (since there's a genetic factor as well). Any info will be a big help in this.

TIA.

[TuckerCar]

Why, are you a Mesothelioma Attorney?

[Tuckerfan1053]

No, but if Preston didn't die of lung cancer, but a type of metal poisoning (which seems likely to me), then it'd be nice to set the record straight.

[Natalie]

First, let me dispel any conspiratorial thoughts that folks might have based on the thread title. I do not think that any of Tucker's employees from his various companies were murdered, but I do believe that there might be information gleaned from the causes of death of other employees. There is the strong possibility that Preston (and other employees) were exposed to some pretty nasty materials and it was this exposure and not lung cancer that killed Preston.

While it will be impossible for me to prove this, knowing who died of what disease and when, will help provide evidence in the matter. Knowing the causes of death of the various members of Preston's immediate family will help as well (since there's a genetic factor as well). Any info will be a big help in this.

TIA.

Just keep in mind that a lot of hazardous materials (including beryllium, if that's where you are going w/ this) cause cancers that are indistinguishable from "regular" lung cancer caused by, say, smoking (with or without genetic "predisposition"). This is in contrast, of course, with (the rare) mesothelioma which can pretty much finger asbestos as a cause.

[Tuckerfan1053]

First, let me dispel any conspiratorial thoughts that folks might have based on the thread title. I do not think that any of Tucker's employees from his various companies were murdered, but I do believe that there might be information gleaned from the causes of death of other employees. There is the strong possibility that Preston (and other employees) were exposed to some pretty nasty materials and it was this exposure and not lung cancer that killed Preston.

While it will be impossible for me to prove this, knowing who died of what disease and when, will help provide evidence in the matter. Knowing the causes of death of the various members of Preston's immediate family will help as well (since there's a genetic factor as well). Any info will be a big help in this.

TIA.

Just keep in mind that a lot of hazardous materials (including beryllium, if that's where you are going w/ this) cause cancers that are indistinguishable from "regular" lung cancer caused by, say, smoking (with or without genetic "predisposition"). This is in contrast, of course, with (the rare) mesothelioma which can pretty much finger asbestos as a cause.

Not quite accurate in the case of beryllium, though certainly possible in the case of some other causes. (I was exposed to beryllium at a former place of employment and was lucky enough to have a friend who worked with some of the top hazmat people in the country who were kind enough to run the numbers and figure out if my exposure levels were high enough to be of concern. Thankfully, they weren't.) Before the end of WWII, the US government (as well as other governments) had figured out that beryllium was nasty stuff. They went so far (in the US, at least) to withhold the information that people were working with beryllium on the Manhattan Project, even though they knew those people would later die of beryllium poisoning because they were worried about the Axis powers figuring out that the US was building nukes. If the stator ring for the turrets was made out of beryllium copper (a possibility, since it would have considerable wear resistance and thermal stability), Tucker is known to have machined at least one (if not more) of those. Additionally, this was done at a time when a large number of Tucker employees were said to be living at the Tucker house. One of Tucker's children, or an employee who worked for Tucker making the turrets being a nonsmoker and dying of lung cancer (or similar illness) would be a strong indication that it was something other than lung cancer which killed Preston.

The Brazilian doctor who treated Preston for lung cancer claimed that it had spread throughout Tucker's body, while family members who saw the chart for Tucker while he was in the hospital for the last time claim that the tests for lung cancer were negative. There's always the chance that the Brazilian doctor's treatment worked, of course, or that he was lying about how far the disease had spread, but its also possible that Preston was suffering from something other than lung cancer. (Pearson, it should be noted, also contracted lung cancer, had a lung removed, radiation therapy, and managed to outlive Preston, even though he underwent treatment before Preston was diagnosed).

[Natalie]

First, let me dispel any conspiratorial thoughts that folks might have based on the thread title. I do not think that any of Tucker's employees from his various companies were murdered, but I do believe that there might be information gleaned from the causes of death of other employees. There is the strong possibility that Preston (and other employees) were exposed to some pretty nasty materials and it was this exposure and not lung cancer that killed Preston.

While it will be impossible for me to prove this, knowing who died of what disease and when, will help provide evidence in the matter. Knowing the causes of death of the various members of Preston's immediate family will help as well (since there's a genetic factor as well). Any info will be a big help in this.

TIA.

Just keep in mind that a lot of hazardous materials (including beryllium, if that's where you are going w/ this) cause cancers that are indistinguishable from "regular" lung cancer caused by, say, smoking (with or without genetic "predisposition"). This is in contrast, of course, with (the rare) mesothelioma which can pretty much finger asbestos as a cause.

Not quite accurate in the case of beryllium, though certainly possible in the case of some other causes. (I was exposed to beryllium at a former place of employment and was lucky enough to have a friend who worked with some of the top hazmat people in the country who were kind enough to run the numbers and figure out if my exposure levels were high enough to be of concern. Thankfully, they weren't.) Before the end of WWII, the US government (as well as other governments) had figured out that beryllium was nasty stuff. They went so far (in the US, at least) to withhold the information that people were working with beryllium on the Manhattan Project, even though they knew those people would later die of beryllium poisoning because they were worried about the Axis powers figuring out that the US was building nukes. If the stator ring for the turrets was made out of beryllium copper (a possibility, since it would have considerable wear resistance and thermal stability), Tucker is known to have machined at least one (if not more) of those. Additionally, this was done at a time when a large number of Tucker employees were said to be living at the Tucker house. One of Tucker's children, or an employee who worked for Tucker making the turrets being a nonsmoker and dying of lung cancer (or similar illness) would be a strong indication that it was something other than lung cancer which killed Preston.

The Brazilian doctor who treated Preston for lung cancer claimed that it had spread throughout Tucker's body, while family members who saw the chart for Tucker while he was in the hospital for the last time claim that the tests for lung cancer were negative. There's always the chance that the Brazilian doctor's treatment worked, of course, or that he was lying about how far the disease had spread, but its also possible that Preston was suffering from something other than lung cancer. (Pearson, it should be noted, also contracted lung cancer, had a lung removed, radiation therapy, and managed to outlive Preston, even though he underwent treatment before Preston was diagnosed).

I'm glad your exposore was deemed not dangerous. Don't get me started on the "military-industrial complex".

From what I understand, though, the (lung) cancer to which beryllium can contribute and beryllium poinsoning, which absolutely can be mistaken for other pulmonary disorders, are two separate conditions. Obviously, with the same root cause. Is this what you've found?

What I was trying to say is that from what I know (about cancer and about breathing in all sorts of crap) is that the lung cancer to which beryllium is now known to contribute is not a "special" cancer like mesotheleoma where, doctors can say with close to perfect certainty that meso=asbestos exoposure. So, tracing actual, properly diagnosed lung cancer to beryillium is going to be difficult.

Of course this means nothing if, as you may be on to, the diagnosis of cancer was not accurate.

[Tuckerfan1053]

Technically, I haven't "found" anything as of yet, and I don't think that I'll be able to positively nail anything down, but I think at the very least, the diagnosis of "lung cancer' should be considered a bit "iffy." As I said, if the cause of death amongst Tucker employees and Preston and Vera's children were skewed heavily towards "lung cancer", and they were (largely) non-smokers, then it would strongly hint at it being something other than lung cancer which killed Preston. Additionally, if Preston's brother smoked as much as Preston did and he didn't die of lung cancer (and assuming that he wasn't employed by Preston), that would also point towards a different cause of death.