Luckily I havent had any problems other than PTSD. I also have Inclusion Body Myositis. Doctors say I have many ailments from AO exposure. The administration has known for years agent orange was killing VN vets. s truly on the way! When he was diagnosed with terminal Stage 4 lung cancer, all of a sudden the VA got charitable and rated him 100%, which did a helluva lot of good for him and for me as a survivor 5 damn months. The best thing for my situation was accomplished by my VSO officer. Keep fighting my brothers an sisters. 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. va sent me on a disk.Hell he wouldnt even do that to help you . I have an idea of how to get started. Were they ever exposed to AO? What is going to be done for families that have already loss loved ones prior to this ruling? I served in Vietnam 66-67 a grunt with the 1st Infantry Division I have intestrial lung disease/pulmonary fibrosis these are not considered related to agent orange exposure which is toxic so Im not eligible for disability and it should be you have to get lung cancer to get benefits. I hope that for those who have struggled with financial burdens that help i Good luck everyone getting what you deserve. I am proud to have served, but I am not pleased at the way the VA treats me and many other veterans. In early 2012 he was diagnosed with bladder cancer, liver cancer and it was in his bones also. He had me late in life . Thailand veterans harmed by Agent Orange hope Congress will hear them Caption Local News By Thomas Gnau Nov 1, 2021 Legislation addresses presumption that Thailand vets weren't exposed to. Hod ridiculous! My husband served 68-69 in country. Thank you for your service and sacrifice. Trump legal team requests six-month delay in New York civil lawsuit. the VA acknowledged Agent Orange use in Thailand and made service members stationed there eligible for compensation . The VA is worse than the Post Office. He said he worked in areas close to base fencelines and perimeters, sometimes chaining down jets to run the engines, which would actually kick up dust and dirt everywhere around the aircraft.. This is absolutely the right thing to do for Veterans and their families.. a veterans office where they are located. Ive got my fingers crossed. I lost my husband on February 12 th. But the VA says, sorry no claim in your 1st year out, too bad. I am not a diabetic which seems to be one of the main items that is considered for VA benefits. I have one of the birth defects listed other than spinabifida.Is there no hope for compensation for the children of Male Vietnam Vets? We have suffered as well. He served in Vietnam in the Army from 1967 -1968. 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. I now have Parkinsons, off course VA denied my claim . Why? What about the men who served aboard ships with asbestos What about soldiers that were made to take the PB pill to inoculate us from nerve agents during Desert Shield/Desert Storm. Still no answer. BREAKING: VA plans expansion of benefits for disability claims for So it certainly seems like Agent Orange was in his system all those years before Parkinsons. 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. He proudly gave 23 years to our country. A spokeswoman for the Department of Veterans Affairs declined an interview but offered to answer questions in writing. I assume you served in Vietnam, You need to have them check you for Parkinsons disease. The VA will take about three to six months reviewing Every claim submission needs to provide three things: a current medical diagnosis; evidence of an event/injury/medical condition in the Vets service medical records; and a nexus from a doctor linking the former to the latter. The base I was assigned to refueled C-130s with Agent Orange and it was used to control our foliage. I later found that they were reimbursed by my private medical insurance. Please reapply! HS6 and HC7, both performed Search and Rescue and HC7 was the US NAVYs ONLY COMBAT SEARCH AND RESCUE SQUADRON IN VIETNAM. Almost every county has I am a Vietnam Veteran who, has lived with critical neuropathy after several EMGs. Call the number on your letter. He had only 2 children, my brother and I. Text - H.R.2569 - 117th Congress (2021-2022): Veterans Agent Orange Good luck. Dont give up! Hes fought for this PARKINSONS knowing full well it came from what he was exposed to in Vietnam. Some Veterans pay all at once while others pay over a lifetime. Can you help? Parkinsons Disease A few years later they said oh yeah well give you hearing aides but your not service connected. I need help! When I found out about this benefit 2012 I had remarried and was told I could get nothing. In the same time frame as my Prostate claim submission I was diagnosed and had subsequent surgery for Bladder Cancer. If you have filed a claim with the VBA since your diagnosis in 2010, the VA SHOULD be contacting you. Having any of these conditions is not fun and thanking us for our service doesnt help much. This is important to a number of Airmen as it seems to affect us later in life with lung, sinus and cough issues. The process seems so slanted as if to prevent the possibility that higher-ranking people bear the burden of responsibility. If, you do not have PD, you may be able to file for the new Parkinsom. Guess it only matters how you became exposed. This spraying occurred a number of times during my time at Anderson AFB in the area we called Marlboro Country. The science now confirms the link. They treated us so well in Danville.. Comprehensive testing, detailed conversation and claims approved! The local dentist shop told me the VA isnt approving off campus work now. the VA has its own math to figure how disabled you are on each disease. Get 4 of 6 problems. We flew into areas that had been sprayed with agent orange. McDonough (Agent Orange exposure in Thailand) This case involved a US Army veteran (1967 to 1971) who was seeking service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, Type II diabetes, stroke, and atrial fibrillation due to agent orange exposure in Thailand during the Vietnam war. Our old family Country doctor is the one who finally broke the news to my brother and our mother. 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. My husband has prostate cancer and VA wouldnt approve disability for that either. I also came back to Vietnam as Is blue water navy on the USS st. Louis. I was turned down cold! The VA hasnt even approved private therapy to assist me with my exceedingly difficult situation. Appointments. many times not waiting the 30 minutes to drink. Veterans organizations have been fighting for this for years and it took an act of Congress to make it happen because the VA denied or ignored all scientific evidence. Did you carry/transfer AO to our ship or have any records? He had filed an Agent Orange claim several times. I have just about giving up on them. Every vet who was there deserves aid. So, my thoughts are that anyone that is reading this . A Guide to Strengthening Your Thailand Agent Orange Exposure Claim Edward M. Farmer is a U.S. Army veteran and an attorney. https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/locations/tests-storage/index.asp. Sounds like the guys are finally getting what they deserve. My husband is 100% disabled due to Agent Orange exposure from Vietnam tour. Submit the claim Go to DAV or VA.GOV search fir VSO( veteran service officer) and have them submit another claim immediately. I would bet that those who are now in charge or have recently been in charge of the VA are those very same college students from the 60s and 70s! Neither were they included in new Middle East veteran benefits until less than a year ago. This AO affected my circulatory system (heart), lungs (everything hits my lungs first), and other issues starting in my early 30s. Hi Ted, I run a project called Operation Triumphus and have helped point some veterans in the right direction regarding this issue. Charles McDivett. Centerville resident McHenry died in July 2021 at the age of 74. This article is a joke! I have applied several times for benefits associated with bladder cancer and prostate cancer that I canttaccontracted in Korea in 1968 -69. Iraq war vets facing similar problems with VA that Vietnam vets had to put up with.. Whats new?. Sen. I have heard nothing since. https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/conditions/index.asp. I submitted my additional medical documents and completed my medical exam. It continues to affect the children and their children and so on. Ten have them Submit another claim for you. VA will conduct broad outreach efforts to reach impacted Veterans and it encourages them to participate in the rulemaking process. A VSO may be able to do something, but dont hold your breath. This is a list of the first names of men from the 14th Combat Engineers who died in 1968. 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 . Hoping the VA will do it know. I was told that unless I had diabetes, cancer there was nothing they could do. VIETNAM AND THAILAND VETERANS . My name is Beverly Smith and my husband Rodney died 28 months ago with Lung cancer. When will his cases be reopened and his wife notified? 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. My husband died of stomach cancer, had hashimotos disease etc. "Our veterans are heroes and deserve to be treated as such. Boozman, Tester Fight for Veterans Exposed to Agent Orange During We tried to apply for some type of benefits due to Agent Orange then and were turned away. I have Myesthemia Gravis but keep being denied. Didnt speak to anyone for a solid year unless I had to and finally got out USMC? My buddy was Merle Stinger and he is missed GREATLY! I need to be working but I cannot! Then renal cancer which was not presumptive at the time. That is why he called me! Time is running out for these veterans, Brown said in an email. If a service person was in Vietnam, or exposed to chemicals the VA shouldnt play God. If none of these is a match, please let me know so I wont continue to look for a reply from you. All we were tuned too was Search and Destroying the enemy! Who has those, certainly not the individual service person. Im proud, its just too hard to pass on anything good to say about serving your country. My husband is a Vietnam vet and has Scleroderma. They (the VA) will grant it, (or) theyll grant it partially, (or) theyll deny it, which is probably about 80 to 90% of the Thailand veterans, they have been denied. Refiled again Feb 3rd 2021 and been waiting every since. i have contacted attorneys to fight for me. But somebody reviewed my application almost immediately (a good thing and to be commended) and determined that the request could proceed. Hows that for depression. Veterans who served in Thailand have long contended they face a higher bar in winning Veterans Administration (VA) disability benefits claims, having to clearly demonstrate they were exposed to. Dont give up! Lawrence I am so very sorry to hear what they are doing in FAILING to recognize and properly 1) take care of your situation and 2) acknowledge responsibility and approve full 100% benefits. I submitted my claim in 2008 after being called to the VAMC to be placed on the registry. They call me to cancel an appt. Lois I suggest staying on this as eventually it will become clear it was used in Korea, as well as was it ever stored anywhere he was present such as Scoffield Barracks ?? Please contact me back with what ever information you might have, Thankyou. Veterans harmed by Agent Orange in Thailand hope Congress will hear My husband applied years ago and was denied he served in the Korean War and two tours in Vietnam and was based at Camp Lejeune for several years. HMC, FMF, USMC, USS America [CVA66]. . Log on to VA.GOV. I was in Dong Ha, Vietnam, from Feb 68 to April 69. in 2005 he had open heart surgery. What about all of us who were stationed at Fort McClellan, Alabama ? You can file online or thru the mail (https://www.va.gov/disability/how-to-file-claim/). Im grateful for the be befits our service members now receive as my husband a twenty year retired war veteran does, but these Vietnam Veterans suffered through decades up against the brick wall that was the old VA. Its the birth defects given to the children of the veterans. As I understand it Walter Reed Army Hospital conducted trial (experimental) treatments on him to no avail. Welcome to the Ultimate Agent Orange Guide for VA Disability Benefits. I was a combat Marine Vietnam 68-69. Posted at 4:58 PM, Feb 08, 2021 . I served there in 1975-76 and returned in 1988 and stayed until retirement in 1992. Lived for basically 5 months. They (the VA) dont give you a definition of what the perimeter is, Harmon said. I do have one subjection: STOP starting wars. About 10 years ago I filed with the VA and brought my medical records from my own doctors. It is beyond horrible. I have lost a kidney to cancer, had stage 3 Lymph cancer treated, skin cancers, and colon cancer treatments. This should be examined by the V.A. Good luck. What about soldiers who served in Vietnam AND South Korea both of which resorted in exposure to Agent Orange? 10% for coronary artery disease and bypass surgery? 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? go to a VA clinic or hospital and get registered with the VA Health System. He receives compensation for Agent Orange exposure. Parkinsons is a presumptive disease which means you only have to prove you have it. This is not a judgement call. I know what my brother did for our men and women on the ground and I am proud of him for it, but I ashamed of those who sent him to do his job and then threw him away when he was unable to fly anymore. VA announced today two major decisions related to presumptive conditions associated with Agent Orange and particulate matter exposures during military service in Southwest Asia. Im giving this one last try. 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. I have applied for agent orange compensation nearly two years ago. He use to say they would spray agent orange below the hills he was on to control the jungle below them. Liars!!! Why has this taken so long to review?? I dont know if they will ever wake up and do the right thing for us. 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 Without his help I would never had gotten anything. Otherwise, I would be working myself until I died. What about those who served pass August 31 1971? Any others here? What about those of us Vietnam era vets that served on stateside bases such as Ft Gordon ga? I was in Nam 18 months, 29 April 68 to 7 Dec 69, I have Diabetes 2, receiving 30 % compensation for AO induced Diabetes 2. So after leaving the marines, I didnt claim exposure during my first year out. Are you serious?! I would go up north to snorkel and fish during my time off. i get the burn pits for these folks 100% 2/9th Marines were station at Pohang Korea training with the ROK Marines August 1975 for 30 days we had burn pits also we stood guard no more than 20 away with black smoke in the air debris burning and going on your utilities plastics/human waste/metal/unspent rds u guarded for hrs our hooches were only 100 away and u got the smoke as u slept also why are these not considered burn pits is it to let the older Marines die off so u go with the younger Marines first and these younger Marines sure deserve all they get but like agent orange with the 3 new aliments all these years later let the folks die first then include us why is the va not including all of us big black billows of smoke u sniff in when u stood guard/slept but for some odd ass reason we are not included peace. Agent Orange is just a euphemism for many different types of herbicides. Was it used in Germany at the same time? Apply 5 times. I am asking for help and advisement. To enter and activate the submenu links, hit the down arrow. Steven, if you have not yet, check out Children of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance on Facebook. He had similar circumstances with diagnosis of Stage IV lung cancer in Nov. 2014 and passed May 2015. Had a doctor and a judge state that my leukemia was the result of exposure to agent orange but the VA is giving me 0 per cent compensation. Both VA and DoD welcome new information on locations for the historical testing or use of tactical herbicides. Attention A T users. Currently, Skinner hopes to make a case before a VA judge in perhaps a year, maybe longer. The VA pats itself on the back for adding three presumptives but conveniently ignores the one with a solid link. What about the other 4 years he was stuck to the damn oxygen? You will find a very good article that explains qualifications. Thank you for your service!!!! Were old news to them, Skinner said of the VA. Arnie Harmon, a Columbus-area veteran who served in Thailand, filed for compensation or a monthly stipend some 15 years ago at the urging of one of his physicians. Im not a Veteran either but I was born with the severest form of Spina Bifida. He developed T1 diabetes and died in 1996. Ischemic heart disease. I am so glad they have finally recognized bladder cancer as a result of agent orange. How about those of us that served in Okinawa and were exposed to AO on the boats that were sent from Vietnam for repairs? Paula there is strong evidence that Dioxin the active agent in Agent Orange altered DNA and as such children can see their health impacted so do not give up. But we filed a claim for our daughter for the Agent Orange. Back then I should have reported him. During 2020-2021, VA and DoD updated thelist of locations based on new information to several locations in the U.S. and oversees, including Thailand, Korea, and Alabama. Chloracne (if it presents within one year of exposure to a degree of 10 percent disabling) Then about 2015 he started having issues with falling and passing out. If he won it, then you are entitled to his compensation although it will be much less $ than what he would have received. When was this and what was this? Got bladder cancer treated by VA. It seems we are not getting any help from the very people whose jobs it is to help us. Roy, go to the nearest Disabled American Veterans office and ask them for assistance. These men and women, and their families, have had to wait too damn long for this acknowledgement!!! The Young man handling Agent Orange claims referred me to my own civilian doctor and even paid for the visit. Way to go VA. What about the troops of 7th Division 2 Battalion 31st Infantry 8th Army sent to the DMZ Korea 1967 thru 68? Sorry for your loss. I am compensated for it, though. I was freakwently exposed to agent orange. What about Camp Lejeune NC and the continued toxic water that continues today? 800-829-4833, Veterans Crisis Line: 2021, which came back approved on March 22, 2021.) It is most likely from agent orange. 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. Praying this morning for you and your family. Never! Had thyroid cancer and had it removed in 2018. Finally in 2020 he was dx with PSP. Im spending out of pocket about $6,000 to $6,500 a year in medications, he said. He was a body builder & very health conscious! My daughter was born with autism. We would appreciate any help with the claim as it would cost 4,000 a month which we could not afford but one month. I have applied twice, failed the breathing test and still been denied benefits, that were promised to me at discharge then taken away by a grateful government. When I put in a claim for the Agent Orange ( had a daughter that nearly died from a heart condition and a son 3 years later died of heart complications) were totally denied! Was it caused by the water we drank (blue water sailor), the free cigarettes, or a combination of both? On Thursday, Pennsylvania Reps. Matt Cartwright (D) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R) introduced new legislation to expand the presumption of exposure to Agent Orange for disability benefits to. We were kicked to the curb. Turner hassupported similar legislationin the past. PDF Vietnam and Thailand Veterans Agent Orange Exposure Those conditions are bladder cancer, hypothyroidism and Parkinsonism. He filed a claim but died before the VA completed his claim. I will however continue to fight until I take my last breath! Government Gaslighting: VA, the JSRRC, and Agent Orange exposure in You being the spouse rather than the actual veteran, you may or may not get to join. 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. My Dad served aboard the USS Rutherford B. Hayes in the Philippines and Southeast Asia in WWII. I had a 5 year break in service and decided to go back in as an aviator on C-130s. He served with 101st airborne in Vietnam in 67 and 68. My brother in law, a brother since I was little, proud marine, two tours Vietnam, didnt see his first born until she was six months old, died recently of a heart attack brought on by extreme pain and after suffering for years with a brain deteriorating disease caused by AGENT ORANGE. My husband now has a 240% disability rating with T&P and we got the final ratings through the American Legion. Should I apply? Nobody told us? secondary diseases you can file a claim for. Suggest you contact your local Disabled American Veterans (DAV) chapter. We have learned to never trust our government. He has to apply and use a catheter twice a day, something he expects to do for the rest of his life. This country was sprayed with agent orange. During the Vietnam War, the U.S. military used Agent Orange and a variety of other "tactical herbicides" to kill vegetation and defoliate trees. Get more resources at VeteransCrisisLine.net. Its a shame how they treated him once he got sick. Sorry, but I dont have the time or ability to bear the burden of responsibility when it comes to proving this issue. Nov 4, 2021 The Veterans Consortium Pro Bono Program Mission Partner Awards 2021; October 2021 Oct 29, 2021 . What a VA. Thank you for allowing me to vent. A VSO will get you Never hear much about this treatment and the affect it had. You have to have served in Vietnam AND have one of the medical conditions recognized by the VA. These include: I was stationed in Korat Thailand 72-73 and lived outside the west gate which is in the red zone ( cleared by AO ). While I am here I am 100 % pt, I am lucky I guess it took only 8 months for my receiving During 2020-2021, VA and DoD updated the list of locations based on new information to several locations in the U.S. and oversees, including Thailand, Korea, and .