Wes, This in my opinion is a major problem. At around 60 I took on the fight which took 14 months of going through their hoops, fighting for assistance. I served at KADENA AFB on Okinawa from 1970 until 1972. When will there be an admission that agent orange was stored, transported and frequently sprayed on bases in Okinawa? U-Tapao Air Base, Thailand, 1972 The National Archives return to top Funny thing is the chemical being sprayed one could actually see with no problems. Big deal! Oral, lung, esophagus, colon, prostrate, blood but not the stomach? Im currently suffering neurological problems, at first diagnosed as Parkinsons and later as an undiagnosed Parkinson-like syndrome. Contact DAV they will help you get started and shepherd your claim through. In 2009 I had colon cancer surgery. He worked with the top secret nuclear weapons his whole career! God bless you!!! I had 2 children die at full term due to birth defects, I believe to be related to Agent Orange exposure in Vietnam My oldest son has a rare bone issue untreatable, I believe due to Agent Orange! All from Agent Orange. She doesnt know war battles,,you just cant stop. Young. How do I find out about agent orange being used in Korea up by the DMZ during 1973 and 1974. Regardless. 5/60, 3/60. A thankless smelly unending job, which I was proud to do. I was freakwently exposed to agent orange. . VA has had me Synthroid for decades, she again said sorry. Wasnt Agent Orange used in Vietnam? AMIEN UND AMIEN! I have had stage four prostate cancer which I have survived. What do I have to do. Last year's Defense Spending Bill included a provision, introduced by Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., that added presumption of service connection for Agent Orange-linked illness for veterans suffering from bladder cancer, hypothyroidism and Parkinson's disease. In Thailand, Agent Orange was used to clear the jungle around bases, as a means to enhance security. I check my status every week, still no decision. Rob Portman is listed as a co-sponsor of Senate Bill 657, which would modify the presumption of a service connection for veterans who were exposed to herbicides while serving in Thailand. Please contact to see someone from the American Legion Office Or others organizations as such that help Vets to file claims for higher disabilities and compensations. If not, I dont know where to go from here. I would love to find others that new him. My claim for benefits for Agent Orange related Prostate cancer was approved in 2017. Now that is just one person. Im a diabetic, I have high blood pressure. If your husband died from any of the diseases under agent orange and it is listed as the cause of death on his death certificate, the VA rep can access and reopen his filed claim and you should be eligible for a DIC special pension. Thank you for complying with what had to be forced on you, Mr. Secretary, after thousands of my brothers had to die. Ive got my fingers crossed. Heart breaking, hard to think about God bless all, Im just giving up. says the recurring bladder cancer shows improvement, does no good to call,email,any so called Representative, mine wont even send me an email saying go screw yourself He passed away in 2015 with heart failure and had skin cancer . Now that I am retired I have been diagnosed with asthma, sinusitis and rhinitis. My siblings and I have more then one of the affects from my fathers exsposure. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. The military even put up signs advising us not to go outside when the agent was being sprayed. When I put in for it in Topeka Kansas I was told I could not collect until the Navies law suit was completely processed. I was there for six months at ft. McClellan the Va keep trun me down on my lung that started there at ft. McClellan they say they dont know what to called it they know they dont want to Admit to it my name is Roy Kilgore, Can someone tell me why or how Agent Orange can skip the stomach. Also this was 72 till76. Is there any advantage to further filings?? Senators John Boozman (R-AR) and Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester (D-MT) are renewing their bipartisan effort to support veterans who served in Thailand during the Vietnam War-era by allowing them the opportunity to prove toxic exposure in order to qualify for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits. My lungs and Grovers Disease was not on their list. Thank you. I thought one of the most iconic scenes in the movie Platoon had in the background mamma sans stirring something in cut in half 55 gallon drums and burning it. The AFHRA memo said that although use of commercial herbicides is documented, the Air Force archivists found no mention of the transportation, payment for or use of any tactical herbicide to control vegetation on Air Force installations in Thailand. hypertension should be on that list of new presumptive illnesses it has been on the list to be added for the last 3 VA directors the NASE&M has deemed it linked to AO and the last few I believe had fears that adding that would be a BUDGET BUSTER and that is why it was and is not being added the last one of the leaders prior to this one started a new round of research on all of the presumed so that he wouldnt have to deal with the list that had been presented to him by the previous administrator the question still remains why a new review ? Also, the investigation found less use in Thailand and the DMZ then previously reported. The possibility of exposure to benzene and mixed motor pool substances for clearing weeds and oiling down dust in parting lots in bases in Germany is an interesting development. It only affects less than 1% of the population. I asked about skin conditions she laughter and told me only after exposure, I showed he phots by military hospital of neck, she said to late! Agent Orange is just a euphemism for many different types of herbicides. What about the Vietnam era vets that were state side but worked on the helicopters that were shipped back for repair and back again time after time and were covered on the floorboards with the agent orange residue. Respiratory Cancers, including Lung Cancer I was told that unless I had diabetes, cancer there was nothing they could do. The representative we now have is efficient and helpful. He is possibly having to go to nursing home because of my health, and only has 10%disability for tinnitus. I feel like Charlie Brown kicking his football and our government is Lucy and like Lucy our government will pull the rug out from all of us. Makes no sense. I also am a cancer survivor. Marshall retold the story of his years during the Vietnam War where . 67-68 Tet. Saigon was actually worse as there was no garbage collection and large roadside dumps along Plantation road were set on fire periodically. Charles McDivett. im sure he falls in this category relating to his death. This condition, nor the degenerative joint disease I am dealing with, is covered as presumptive by the VA for the Camp Lejeune water contamination affected veterans. Together we are working trying to get all our ducks in a row to file a widows pension claim on the newly approved Parkinsonism agent orange approved disease. The Secretary recently concluded the first iteration of a newly formed internal VA process to review scientific evidence to support rulemaking, resulting in the recommendation to consider creation of new presumptions of service connection for respiratory conditions based on VAs evaluation of a National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine report and other evidence. Both are tumors in the thyroid caused by AO. Nobody in my family, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, nor their children, has what I have. I returned to the VA about a year ago after many of my friends urged me to do so. I guess they rather spend the money on recounts and political stuff. 74 yrs of age. I am a VSO and I always get comments that the VA is That is partly correct. The local dentist shop told me the VA isnt approving off campus work now. I have a Bladder condition for the last 21 years it was not cancer but I was at U-Tapao Thailand from Jan. 1975-March 1976? All of my skin peeled off but no body was interested in my problems. Best to submit quickly and keep copies of everything in one file. NJ? He didnt receive a dime from the military, because when they finally approved him he died 2 days later. Who knows what else. Id be contacting your advocate asap and get your claim going! Filed again 12/15/2020 in anticipation of the dx finally being approved as presumptive. The VA is merely following whats in the United States Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) and Public Law when handing down ratings decisions. You have to have served in Vietnam AND have one of the medical conditions recognized by the VA. Im an Anniston vet. The burn pits too were gross also! Are you, or someone you know, struggling with a mental health or substance use disorder? There should be a 1-800-827-1000 number or something similar. He worked on a base heavy with agent orange. Currently, Skinner hopes to make a case before a VA judge in perhaps a year, maybe longer. He had prostate cancer. A solution by Congress may be the best approach, some attorneys and veterans advocates say. They call me to cancel an appt. i received my disability for heart and Diabeties II. Dipping our canteens in the rice paddies using our towel to filter out the lumps. Plus, he also served in Desert Storm and has his own set of problems from that :-( Good luck EVER getting the government to admit anything close to causative exposure. Removing that burden helps veterans avoid having to file that additional paperwork. My service record should have been proof enough. I need help! He did so much research on this letter (the Aug. 2015 memo)., These men are now in many cases in their 80s, Trone said. Former United States Army Vietnam Veteran and President of Veterans for Peace David Cline look for his fallen comrades names on the Vietnam War Memorial with member of Veterans For Peace, during a campaign event bringing together victims of Agent Orange exposure, a deforestation chemical used in the Vietnam War, in Washington, D.C. on November 28, 2005. Millions are suffering from mental illness, exacerbated by the pandemic. March 3 (UPI) -- Renewable energy company AVANGRID said Friday an agreement to spend $30 million on components supports a final investment decision for a solar power facility in Texas, a national leader in solar power. I was around that Agent Orange. My thyroid quit years ago, 3 hernia operations, and compared to many of us, Im lucky but At 75 years old, I dont know how much I have left. How many Vietnam Veterans suffer from skin cancer? This mysterious delay is not helping. It should be no different in the case of the Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange," Cartwright said in the same statement. Mekong Delta. Doctors say I have many ailments from AO exposure. Too bad this wont help my father or my family. What about me!!! Catch 22! Try to have ALL documents needed for the claim and include docs from research papers on UNDIAGNOSED ILLNESSES IN THE GULF as well as docs on presumptive Diseases from GWI(gulf war illnesses). A grateful nationmy ass. If none of these is a match, please let me know so I wont continue to look for a reply from you. Very same happened to me. Im in pain everyday now, had 3 amputations, and not given any pain meds because it could be habit forming! After that, the Agent Orange benefits coordinator became difficult to reach. For 2 years they kept trying to tell him it was just battle fatigue. What about soldiers who served in Vietnam AND South Korea both of which resorted in exposure to Agent Orange? I lost my husband on February 12 th. Hows that for depression. Why do our veterans have to prove so much when agent orange was such a poison. I am happy for the Vietnam War veterans who are going to receive presumptive rating for their diseases. Any info on how to file and win a claim would be appreciated. I also have Inclusion Body Myositis. Planes and Choppers spraying directly over us wile sweeping the area No portable water. Ask anyone who served in Vietnam and it was common practice to dispose of human excrement by mixing it with diesel fuel and burning it. Keep fighting my brothers an sisters. So, good luck to any of you still living and fighting. Time is running out for these veterans, Brown said in an email. is not going to do anything unless forced tothen they will make a big deal about it,make sure everyone knows,then after a year maybe 2 they will start to reduce benefits, I have recurring bladder cancer, since 2005 it has come back several times, and also several times with precancerous cells that has to be lasered out,went from 100% reduced to 60% because the V.A. They helped us a lot. He stated that they used Agent Orange several times while they were in Korea. Skinner acknowledges that he can get health care from the VA. Refiled again Feb 3rd 2021 and been waiting every since. Hard of hearing as well. Not sure why youre responding to this woman so rudely. The administration has known for years agent orange was killing VN vets. If they need more money to help all Veterans contaminated, they need to find the money and stop discriminating one age of Veteran against the other which has happened over last twenty years with no regard for the legality. Sorry this award came to late, We are the care takers of what they destroyed fur what, their greed. What a slap in the face!! But we filed a claim for our daughter for the Agent Orange. What about the men who served aboard ships with asbestos Christopher Cross. He served with 101st airborne in Vietnam in 67 and 68. In an interview, Skinner recalled that he was an aircraft mechanic on F4 Phantom jets while serving in Thailand. I inquired to my VA service rep. and he related to me that All decisions are on hold for Bladder Cancer claims until the VA develops final guidance on how to proceed with these claims. https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/locations/tests-storage/index.asp. I cannot claim exposure to AO due to neither the Pentagon or Headquarters MC being allowed to tell the VA that I was actually in country and exposed. I try to kick it by running and staying healthy but to no avail. I suggest you keep applying as the last Sect. They save a lot of money by just refusing claim after claim. The age group I am in seems to greatly effected with neuropathy and because we are not diabetics, the VA will not consider this ailment as a cause of Agent Orange. I am asking for help and advisement. Being exposed just doesnt stop with the military member. We all suffered mentally and physically and are still suffering. I guess we should be happy that we survived Nam but now we are paying for it 50 plus years later..good luck! Luckily I dont seem to have symptoms but always wondered about Agent Orange being used there during that time. A VSO may be able to do something, but dont hold your breath. Can I file a claim now. Three tours in Vietnam, all on the DMZ, two brown water, one blue water. They want to punish us all. While bombs and loud guns firing every were. It will make it much easier if you know a state he has lived in. Put in claim many years ago when bladder cancer became presumptive. Porphyria Cutanea Tarda (if it presents within one year of exposure to a degree of 10 percent disabling) We have learned to never trust our government. However, VA's adjudication manual (M21-1) does recognize Vietnam-era veterans whose service involved duty on or near the perimeters of military bases in Thailand anytime between February 28, 1961 and May 7, 1975 may have been exposed to Agent Orange and may qualify for VA benefits. Hello Jerry I could go on and on. What about the thousands who served in Thailand and were exposed to agent orange, have the same medical issues as those who served in Vietnam, but are continually denied any benefits. 10% for coronary artery disease and bypass surgery? right people at veterans affairs for you. It seems that most veterans who submit paperwork will get denied the first time regardless of their condition or supporting evidence. I was in An Loc the same time with B Troop 1\9. Dont give up. Who do we contact to start the claim process or to see if we are eligible? I was exposed to agent orange while serving in Korea on the DMZ. My husband was a Vietnam vet. Denied for tinnitus after action in Vietnam. The best thing for my situation was accomplished by my VSO officer. Bob was trying to get that letter rescinded at the time he died.. Sudden come down with Hypothyroidism -Hashimotos version With leaky gut! My husband died of stomach cancer, had hashimotos disease etc. Without his help I would never had gotten anything. My husband is a Vietnam vet and has Scleroderma. A little compensation for Good luck! Just my own opinion, I have all but given up even trying. And I wanted to try to talk to him, Ellen Spinks. My dad died of cancer and I RECEIVED NO BENEFITS from the VA as i am my dad only survivor. NOT a great idea sending him to the coastline and semi-jungle conditions back into death and destruction, but thats Uncle Sam for you. Now , wondering if i am incorrect?? Does the theater include Guam and other stockpile locations in the South Pacific? I have one of the birth defects listed other than spinabifida.Is there no hope for compensation for the children of Male Vietnam Vets? They go hand in hand but the government doesnt recognize all the years my husband had dementia. I have learned of one Vietnam vet who got scleroderma within the one year limit and who was finally given disability status from the VA for his scleroderma. However, hes also had renal cell carcinoma, benefits reduced, and has now been diagnosed with cold agglutinin/MGUS. I couldnt agree more. See my reply to Paula where I mention the DNA effects that can be inherited by our children born after the exposure. My husband served 20 years in the USMC and served in the Vietnam War in 1968. If you are in crisis or having thoughts of suicide, My self I got a bloody nose and sore throat. I am angered that a vary large number of us who have suffered from hypertension were left out, even though there is more than ample evidence to support presumption of agent orange linkage. Expletive like her should not work for the Veterans Adim.I almost called the veterans hot line I was so depressed.I want to open up my claim again.Help me please. Domingo L Buenafuente. So much for all those people and ads saying welcome home. Posted at 4:58 PM, Feb 08, 2021 . Im a GW veteran and it took me 20 years to get any benefits and it wasnt retroactive. Thank goodness Ol Uncle Sugar is on the case! Will his claim be reviewed now in light of the new findings? This letter rejecting Skinners claim cited an Aug. 2015 memo from the Air Force Historical Research Agency (AFHRA), a memo that veteran Robert McHenry, a friend to Skinner and others, fought for years. I was in vietnam Quonlo for 14 months. [Editor: Although VA recommends Veterans work with accredited VSOs, heres a few details that can help. Does anybody know about it ? I also inquired about a dental cleaning which I have been getting off campus. Im currently receiving a 20% rating for surgeries related to recurring shoulder dislocations while attending cliff assault school, boxing in smokers, and playing various sports for Marine units while stationed in Twenty-Nine Palms and Camp Foster, Okinawa. Parkinsons Disease Just checking. He retired after 24 years of service in the Marines while serving he developed a heart condition that required a triple bypass he also suffered from PTSD, Rash to his back, feet, and legs he also developed asthma, and lung cancer from agent orange and smoking cigarettes of which was given to him his first day of reporting to camp they were included with his gear before that he never smoked. If one of them matches the first name you have I can keep going. have hearing loss, VA plans, budget, finances, and performance. He passed last year and I am sure his condition was caused by his exposure to Agent Orange or Blue Water exposure. Offspring of AO exposed veterans often get tumors. Why isnt high blood pressure approved as a presumptive under Agent Orange? Just get knowledgeable advice, from the VA or an accredited veterans service organization such s the DAV. I filed a week later for survivor benefits. What about us SEA Vets who did not have boots in Vietnam? while going through a colnoscopy when i was told they (the doctors and my team care givers) had been looking at my thyroid glans and let me know that they have concerns. Operation Ranch Hand. Because all the perimeters were sprayed with various types of herbicides with dioxin in it. What really irritates me is that those of us that served after Vietnam had to clean the old warehoused equipment from Vietnam. Take your claims information to a Veterans Service Officer and get advice before filing the claim. So what about those who served from 83 86 that got bladder cancer. My sense is these bills have a chance, but I just dont know how good a chance, attorney Chisholm said. My brother, who was a chopper pilot for the Army in all of the Sand Box regions, has been riddled with cancer for several years now due to benzene and other additives they put in the jet fuel to help make it more stable. (Even though he had rectal cancer and now has a colostomy.) What a deal if you were in county flying into defoliated areas it doesnt count. i have contacted attorneys to fight for me. God bless, I hope somehow something proper comes your way. This was the only work I ever did under such conditions and now I pay a very high price, no future. My husband had several of those illnesses, but VA kept loosing only the real important documentation and then even went as far as wanting daily records. My husband passed March 2021. When will there be support for the children? An official website of the United States government. Is anyone else aware of this. VA will not make them wait any longer. So, hes a pulmonary patient at that time, but only AFTER he is diagnosed with Stage 4 Lung cancer that was also in his liver and other areas did he get 100% disability rating. many times not waiting the 30 minutes to drink. The appeal was resolved through a joint motion to remand. Some Veterans pay all at once while others pay over a lifetime. What if your parent submitted a claim for a type of cancer that was only from exposure to agent orange, but passed away shortly after submitting the claim and received a letter stating that the claim was being looked into; does that have any validity to it? Well Im still kicking. He mentioned this orange agent lawsuit to me years ago when I was still in early teens. You get a whole 10% for it! Tactical herbicides such as Agent Orange had limited usage, testing, or storage in several other countries besides Vietnam, such as the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), Thailand, and United States. VA announced today two major decisions related to presumptive conditions associated with Agent Orange and particulate matter exposures during military service in Southwest Asia., [Editor: Separate issues. For the last 24 years, I have been trying to tell the VA that my Hypothyroidism [Graves Disease] is a result of my two years in daNam: Vung Tau, Lai Khe, TDYs to parts unknown, and lastly Saigon. your claim. The children of Vietnam are still affected by it. I have Parkinsons, nerve, ligament damage and nodules on my lungs. We are effectively ignored by the VA. I did not receive any cash benefits for coming in contact with agent orange. Ten have them Submit another claim for you. It is not a hereditary cancer. He use to say they would spray agent orange below the hills he was on to control the jungle below them. Be Well, Steve. Persian Gulf War? In one case, at Gulfport, Mississippi, new information received from a Veteran led to changes for that site on the list. Following the passing of the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, there are now three new conditions on the Agent Orange presumptive list. These are the evidence pieces you should give to your VSO, or if filing on your own, the evidence you scan and attach when submitting a claim at VA.gov. He was informed that they were currently without the manpower to review these claims. SO I ALSO WAS AT THE FORT CHAFFEE POST GAVE THEM THOES RECORDS AND STILL HAVE NOT HEARD FROM THEM. A Guide to Strengthening Your Thailand Agent Orange Exposure Claim Edward M. Farmer is a U.S. Army veteran and an attorney. 6 (a) IN GENERAL.Section 1116 of title 38, United 7 States Code, is amended 8 (1) by striking '', during active military, naval, I served in Vietnam in 1967. I sat in the chair, demanded him to look and waited for his lazy ass to find it! What do I do now? I was in Vietnam during the year 1970. What about those of us Vietnam era vets that served on stateside bases such as Ft Gordon ga? He developed T1 diabetes and died in 1996. I have heard that also, and was attached to the SeaBees Public Works, at NAS Agana, June 1974-November 1975so there is a chance we used the damned stuff to spray and had not a clue. Politicians carry responsibility also. He lost his battle with Cancer September 2002 as his widow what can I do to see if I am eligible for his agent orange benefits? My husband served three tours in Vietnam and died a horrible death seven years ago of four of the diseases named. WELL I HAVE HEAT PROBLEM TYPE 2 DIABETES ENLARGED PROSTATE AND SUFFER FROM PAINAT DIFFERENT TIMES AS WELL AS HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE. have them find out what the procedure is? I will write a personal note to the VA claims department so he will not be forgotten in this process. I have copd (breathing problems) and sinus conditions, do i qualify? A two-year investigation (2018- 2019) by DoD found no use, storage or transport of Agent Orange or other tactical herbicides in Guam, Okinawa, Panama, or a number of other countries where there had been speculation of use. Agent Orange. So besides having survived Vietnam, there was Aniston. The VA said his disease, of which there was no family history, was not related to his service and he didnt live long enough to see that changed. My husband was covered with the stuff in Vietnam and has multiple medical issues that he has been suffering since his late 40s. I agree with every word you wrote. Pour toulene on rag, wipe up, and repeat. Finally in 2020 he was dx with PSP. The VA did well with him in his final years.