When the Persian Gulf War ended, American troops returned to a slew of parades, tributes and honors. They were heroes, GIs treated with the respect and admiration denied Vietnam veterans two decades earlier.

     By the time Gulf War veterans began displaying symptoms of exposure to chemical and biological weapons, their heroes' welcome had long been over, and they were met with nothing but resistance and denial from the government they had risked their lives to protect.

     "Thanks of a Grateful Nation," a Showtime original premiering May 31 at 8 p.m., is a well made and extremely moving attempt to show the dishonorable way many of our elected leaders treated our honorable soldiers.

     The project germinated with a 1993 article in Redbook by writer David France. A friend and colleague of France's, Tracey Edelson, optioned the article and began researching.

     When director Rod Holcomb became attached and research began piling up, they decided to hire someone to craft the data into a screenplay. The first person to come to mind was John Sacret Young, the creator of the acclaimed series "China Beach," whose pilot was directed by Holcomb. When he agreed to write the screenplay, the research continued.

     Ted Danson ("Cheers") stars as Jim Tuite, a former Secret Service agent working in the office of Senator Donald Riegle (Brian Dennehy, "Cocoon"). When Tuite first reads the letters sent by returning soldiers to the Senator, he doesn't take them seriously. As a Vietnam veteran, he knows that adjusting to civilian life after being in battle can be difficult, and feels that many of their complaints may be unfounded. He also has some deep-seeded resentment for the soldiers who came home heroes.

     It is only when the files of letters grow to an alarming size that Tuite and Riegle take notice. They lead the investigation into the so-called Gulf War Syndrome, eventually helping to bring it to the attention of Congress. They fight an uphill battle, however, meeting resistance and beurocratic red tape at every turn. Only recently the government even acknowledged the existence of Gulf War Syndrome, much less taken responsibility for it.

     While Tuite and Riegle fight their battles in Washington, we get to know some of the people who actually had to deal with the effects of the syndrome. Matt Keeslar ("The Last Days of Disco") plays Chris Small, a gung-ho patriot who returns from the Gulf in triumph. That triumph soon sours, as his physical condition rapidly deteriorates. Told by doctors it is due to stress, and afraid of damage to his military career if he pushes the issue, Chris lets his condition come between him and his wife, Teri (Jennifer Jason Leigh, "Miami Blues," "Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle"). When she begins to show some of the same symptoms as her husband (weight loss, respiratory infections, rashes), and his condition worsens, Teri goes against his wishes and makes her complaints public.

     After the war, Jeran Gallimore (Steven Weber, "Wings"), a Waco, Texas farm boy heads to the Gulf to help clean it up. His high-paying job is not what he expected, however. The orange and black skies and sand are only the first clue that everything is not as it seems.

     Worried that what they are cleaning is toxic, Jeran and his crewmates complain to the boss. Told that they can quit if they want to, all but one stay on and finish their work. By the time Jeran returns home, he is already gravely ill. His loving sister Jerrilinn (Marg Helgenberger, "China Beach") watches helplessly as her once strapping brother wastes away.

     Intercut within the three storylines are interviews with actual Gulf War Veterans. We get a chance to hear in their own words the indignities they had to put up with before their suffering was officially recognized.

     With its original programming, Showtime is better known for soft-core mucky-muck such as "Red Shoe Diaries" and "Beverly Hills Bordello."

    Showtime has recently decided to play HBO's game with classier fare such as "Elmore Leonard's Gold Coast" and the upcoming "More Tales of the City." With "Thanks of a Grateful Nation" they may have outdone their rival, whose "From the Earth to the Moon" started out with a four hour bang, and ended with a six hour whimper. At a fast paced three hours, "Nation" is never less than completely involving.

     The acting is first-rate all around. Many of the actors were able to meet their real-life counterparts, and each has done them justice. Especially good are Leigh and Helgenberger, two extraordinary actresses who show the toll Gulf War Syndrome takes on the victims' loved ones. Leigh has consistently been one of the best actresses working today. She does splendid work here with a character less showy than her usual roles. Helgenberger won an Emmy for her work on "China Beach," but she hasn't had a part this good since that show went off the air.

     "Thanks of a Grateful Nation" doesn't end in triumph. No one gets a happy ending. Some of the characters we get to know and care about don't make it to the closing credits. Others live day to day with the effects of the war. There is, however, a hopeful coda. After years of denial and refusal to act, the United States government has finally made an admission: that 100,000 Americans are afflicted with the Gulf war Syndrome. As hopeful as that admission may be, however, in may cases it is too little, too late.

"Thanks For a Grateful Nation" premieres May 31 at 8 p.m. on Showtime; rebroadcasts June 11 at 9 p.m.

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