Maine Governor Signs Bill To Improve Health Screenings Prompted By Soldier's Death

Monday, June 18th 2007, 2:53 pm

By: News On 6

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) _ Gov. John Baldacci signed a bill Monday to improve health screenings for soldiers, legislation prompted by the death of a Maine National Guardsman last year.

The new law creates a commission to review preventive health treatment practices, vaccinations and other medications given to members of the Maine National Guard.

The bill was introduced at the urging of Barbara Damon-Day, the mother of Patrick Damon, a Guard captain who died last June in Afghanistan.

Damon-Day previously has said that her son's death may have resulted from the vaccinations Damon received before his deployment.

Damon had been a legislative staffer who was known to many state lawmakers.

``The loss of Pat is still vividly painful,'' Baldacci said. ``We honor his memory with this law.''