This shows a robust relationship between the 315th Air Division and the movement of herbicides. VA now recognizes thatany servicemember with active military naval, air, or space service who served in Thailand,at any U.S. or Thai base,between January 9, 1962 and June 30, 1976were likely exposed to Agent Orange. Agent Orange exposure can cause several serious illnesses, as well as birth defects in the children of veterans who were exposed to the chemical. But one who stepped off an aircraft for 10 seconds gets boot on the ground. Chicago, IL: 332 S. Michigan Avenue, Floors 8 and 9, Chicago, IL 60604 VA created the Memorandum as part of Fast Letter 09-20. Ten of them cluster around one of the three air bases that became the most contaminate with dioxin: Da Nang, Phu Cat and Bien Hoa. Population in 2009 (millions) Percentage of Province Sprayed During 1960s. Air Force documents confirm that herbicide deliveries not associated with RANCH HAND were transported to and from Thailand. 741 and S.B. And for the last 20 years, we always . We started receiving equipment from Danang. It's been called "the worst base in Thailand, but the best base we had in Vietnam." It was the home of the 56th Air Commando Wing, renamed in 1968 the 56th Special Operations Wing. I have had skin cancer at least 15 times, prostate cancer, high BP, neuropathy in my feet. The 26 July 1968 attack on Udorn RTAFB was the first overt, hostile action by either communist-inspired insurgent forces or military units of North Vietnam against United States Air Force personnel and resources located in the . Agent Orange was made up of 2,4-D, 2,4,5-T. Its contaminant TCDD is a highly toxic byproduct of producing Agent Orange. Brothers, I was a Marine stationed in Nam Pong from June 1 , 1972 until I rotated back to the world in late May, 1973. This is an up-to-date list of conditions on the VAs Agent Orange presumptive list. As Mr. Raymond Gross, a PACAF agronomist, conducted the training, the herbicide manual was most likely employed throughout Southeast Asia. The Memorandum for the Record, which VA often cites in these cases, is outdated, contains erroneous and misleading statements, and was never intended for perimeter policy cases. Please call for an appointment before visiting: Mail Processing Center: P.O. VA 38 U.S.C. L still remember the smell of the spaying of defoliant while we were living in our hardback tents.I too have skin and prostate cancer and both are malignant. we represent clients nationwide. The information these cookies collect will not personally identify you, and they cannot track your browsing activity on other websites. 1116 is a dual-function statute titled:Presumptions of service connection for diseases associated with exposure to certain herbicide agents; presumption of exposure for veterans who served in the Republic of Vietnam.. In the 1968 Contemporary Historical Examination of Current Operation (CHECO) Project Southeast Asia Report: Attack on Udorn, the Air Force recognized that Thailand was a prime target of Communist expansion, and the interest of the Communists was intensified by the USAF presence. The report also noted that there were an estimated 15,500 Communist insurgents and sympathizers in Thailand. The DoD list is instrumental in helping support many of these veterans claims. His statement aligns with the CHECO report, which notes that heavy use of herbicides kept the growth under control in the fenced areas. Moreover, Mr. Hogstads statement correlates with a historical record showing a request dated October 11, 1967, sought six C-123 herbicide aircraft and 60 personnel to operate from [NKP] for a 15-day period.. Yet VAs past policy application eliminated even these veterans from receiving benefits based on their exposure to herbicide agents. Chemical Corps described these products as expandable supply items to be available to all users, meaning they were meant for use by facility engineers as an herbicide for grounds keeping (i.e., brush and weed control).. Command Sergeant Major Kenneth Witkin stated that grounds personnel informed him they were using Agent Orange when he observed them spraying around barracks. This directly coincides with Air Force documents stating that defoliation operations around the Udorn perimeter occurred during this period. Agent Orange Wasn't the Only Deadly Chemical Used In Vietnam - History Richmond, VA: 7400 Beaufont Springs Drive, Suite 300, Richmond, VA, 23225 The intended result was to expose enemy forces who relied on the trees for cover. Exposure to herbicides in a location other than Vietnam or the DMZ, such as by loading, transporting, or storing them while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. I arrived in Nam Phong in June of 1972. Rick, Camp Lejeune Lawsuit. Figure 1.1 lists (and Figure 1.2 illustrates) the chemical composition of each of the herbicide agents as well as the time period in which they were used in Vietnam. Thailand Agent Orange Claim Denials VA's Herbicide Problem Introduction: Agent Orange is an herbicide that was used by the United States during the Vietnam War. Agent Orange Compensation Back Pay: Does the VA Owe You? The distinction between a tactical herbicide and a commercial herbicide has no legal or factual significance. Due to attacks on Thailand bases, military leaders ordered the use of herbicides. In other cases, the VA gets new information about exposure to toxins or side effects that make veterans eligible for additional benefits. The new law adds an estimated 420,000 to 560,000 veterans to those already eligible for care and benefits for possible exposure. While there is a proposed legislative fix, Rhodesand his fellow veterans who served in Thailand and suffer from Agent Orange-related illnesses arecontinuing to press Congress to take action to update the presumption policy through the orange envelope letter-writing campaign. you viewed to avoid repetition. But the list, published Jan. 27 by the Department of Veterans Affairs, omits more than 40 locations previously noted as exposure sites by DoD in 2018 deletions that could undermine other veterans pending claims. They routinely use this distinction as justification for denying Thailand exposure claims. According to Prichard, locations were selected or deleted based on criteria including the existence of an official record, to include government reports, forms, unit histories, shipping logs, contracts, scientific reports or photographs. It stands to reason that this remaining herbicide was used at other bases since 21,000 gallons was far more than necessary for a single base. The latest additions to the Agent Orange presumptive list comes from Sec. Lets reauthorize PEPFAR now, Stakeholder Voices Important to Farm Bill Process, Boozman Continues Leadership to Combat Arkansas Physician Shortage. Vietnam veterans and those who served in certain other locations (such as Thailand or the Korean Demilitarized Zone) and were exposed to Agent Orange or other herbicides may be eligible for 3 kinds of benefits. An on-site visit in January 2019 by several Marine veterans of Task Force Delta report that the base was minimally staffed and the runway surface is in poor condition and would not support non-emergency fixed-wing aircraft use. This benefit is a tax-free monthly, There are a wide variety of benefits that we have found, which every veteran should know about. Pittsburgh, PA: 201 Penn Center Boulevard, Suite 400, Pittsburgh, PA, 15235 Notably, Mr. Pippengers statement and the time period in which he served at Udorn coincide with official records of the delivery of 28,000 gallons of Agents Orange and Blue to Udorn in 1969 and the use of some of those herbicides by C-123 aircraft. I have had 3 stints placed in my heart for ischemic heart dz, peripheral neurapathy, and high BP. The VA is warning veterans to avoid PACT Act fraud and to be wary of third parties such as non-VA-accredited law firms Rep. Mike Bost said he sees no signs that the VA is being overwhelmed, noting that the law also gave the department the Command Sgt. I was with a group that arrived 3 days before the cbs. What Benefits Do I Get From Agent Orange Exposure? Our message to VA would be that they should grant benefits if a veteran has any evidence demonstrating that the spraying may have occurred, and that would be if there is an old list where DoD confirmed that there was storage or spraying, Gallucci said. Agent Orange was a weed killer sprayed on the jungles of Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War to eliminate forest cover and crops for North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops. Previously, only veterans who were exposed to the dangerous weed killer while serving in-country Vietnam were eligible for any VA benefits. Following the passing of the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, there are now three new conditions on the Agent Orange presumptive list. . Gretchen Whitmer Copyright 2023 Military.com. Before Congress granted the presumption of exposure, government records showed that determining the level of exposure was impossible. Several documents demonstrate that Agents Orange and Blue were present in Thailand. The name "Agent. Do You Have Long-Term Disability Insurance Coverage? I am fortunate to not have cancer like other guys. The report recognizes the heightened risk of attacks directed against air bases because they presented the enemy with a concentration of lucrative targets. Additionally, the report states: Thailand is going through the same type of growing pains experienced in the Republic of Vietnam (RVN), but the knowledge and experience gained in the development of air base defense in RVN permit a more rapid evolution in Thailand. Thus, similar tactics and procedures in base defense were used in both Thailand and Vietnam because the bases were facing the same threat with similar resources. By using this information, you understand that there is no attorney-client relationship created by you reading or using the information contained on this website or in this newsletter, article, or blog. Currently residing in Grand Rapids, MI; email harley50@attbi.com Fogg, Gary N. VMFA 115, E-3 ,1972-1973, Metal Shop, e-mail res0fmwe@verizon.net Folse, James" Butch" SGT; Served inNam Phong ( The Rose Garden ) from January '73 to Sept '73. How Many Vietnam Veterans Have Been Affected by Agent Orange? The term is used only in the Memorandum for the Record and in individual cases wherein VA uses the distinction to deny benefits. The news comes on the heels of the Jan. 1, 2020, VA expansion of Agent Orange benefits to veterans who were exposed to the herbicide during their service. Agent Orange exposure and VA disability compensation All rights reserved. I have been dealing with this for years now with Tricare and Medicare and I think it is time to see what I can do with the VA.Thank you for helping me brothers and letting me that I am not alone. Stephen Pippenger, a dog handler stationed at Udorn from September 1968 to October 1969, stated that he observed Agent Orange being loaded onto the C-123 aircraft. It also does not include any places where the U.S. Department of Agriculture, academia, chemical companies or others tested or stored the chemicals if service members werent involved, nor areas where trained DoD personnel engaged in vegetation management and control in accordance with the DoD Pest Management Program. They also employed Agent Blueand Agent White, among many others. Please contact me me via email at philamdia@yahoo.com. VAs regulation38 C.F.R. A bipartisan bill introduced Thursday would allow Vietnam veterans who served in Thailand, Laos and Cambodia during the Vietnam War to qualify for disability benefits related to Agent Orange exposure. Sometimes it takes an act of Congress to modernize benefits like in the case with the Blue Water Navy legislation. This delivery would have resulted in the exposure of the aircraft crew; the loading, unloading, and storage crew; the crew involved in spraying the herbicides; and the service members in and around the sprayed areas. Moreover, the load class in the record, Y4, is the same load class that was noted in an Operation Steel Tiger mission in South Vietnam the primary goal of which was defoliation. Have you been affected by Camp Lejeune water contamination? Surviving spouses agent orange widows, dependent children and dependent parents of veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange or other herbicides during service and died as the result of the diseases related to exposure may be eligible for healthcare, compensation, education and home loan benefits. The VA currently awards service-connected benefits for exposure to Agent Orange to veterans whose duties placed them on or near the perimeters of Thai military bases from February 28, 1961 to May 7, 1975. RANCH HAND was also not prohibited from herbicide spray missions in Thailand. The term commercial in reference to herbicides is equally absent from VAs internal policies and procedures and from federal statutes and regulations. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship. Nam Phong has been a Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) communications center. Because the spraying equipment on RANCH HAND aircraft and the barrels containing herbicides were known to leak, the risk of exposure throughout the flight lines as well as storage areas on Thailand bases was significant. I understand you have to get the doctor to enter in your records that the problem could be related to herbicide or better agent orange contact. VA has establishedpresumptive service connectionfor these veterans, meaning that VA will assume exposure to Agent Orange if veterans can prove that they served in Thailand, at any US or Thai base, between January 9, 1962 and June 30, 1976. The Challenge . Because service members were exposed to herbicides that were used inside the base, not just at the base perimeter, veterans who served in Thailand should not have to prove that their duties required them to be near the perimeter. The Department of Veterans Affairs lists these conditions as presumptive. 7 Ways to Improve Your VA Agent Orange Thailand Exposure Claims. So that takes care of the event and service. Restricting service-connected benefits for our men and women assigned to certain locations and career fields in Thailand during their military service is undermining the commitment we made to veterans. and get all the latest updates straight to your inbox. Da Nang is one of Vietnam's major ports, a city rich in history. 7 Things Every Veteran Should Know About Agent Orange Video. Vietnam (Vietnamese: Vit Nam, [vt nm] (), commonly abbreviated VN), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country in Southeast Asia.It is located at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of 331,212 square kilometres (127,882 sq mi) and population of 99 million, making it the world's fifteenth-most populous country.
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