You are eligible. Im spending out of pocket about $6,000 to $6,500 a year in medications, he said. Usually CML effects much older people not the very young. I, at least, now have survivor benefits to help me in retirement. In 2017, he was no longer able to communicate and was unable to control his bowel movements. The Veterans Agent Orange Exposure Equity Act, introduced by Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Penn., and Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-Penn., would allow veterans who served in some other countries during the conflict to access benefits without providing additional evidence. I always hoped we could connect with his family to let him know how much he meant to him, but all I have is a first name and description and where he was from. VA needs to be alert to symptoms and catch it sooner, with testing. My late husband was. I have heard that it was used in Korea DMZ area until 1972.I know agent orange was used in Vietnam until 1975, so this makes me think the military would continue use in Korea also. The PPA has not been considered. They didnt even recognize Agent Orange exposure back then. People laughed at me at accused me of putting on. He was recently diagnosed with Parkinsonism. Agent Orange. Get buddy letter . The base I was assigned to refueled C-130s with Agent Orange and it was used to control our foliage. 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 have suffered similar ailments. Im giving this one last try. WELL I HAVE HEAT PROBLEM TYPE 2 DIABETES ENLARGED PROSTATE AND SUFFER FROM PAINAT DIFFERENT TIMES AS WELL AS HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE. My disability claim was denied. I was married Tommy husband for 20 years. As a result, I was not affected by the many things agent Orange and the poison water from Lejuene contributed to my health. I have diabetes, heart disease, and nodules on my lungs. Should we reopen his case for this? Good luck to you. Had peripheral neuropathy that was diagnosed early because he also had injuries so he qualified for that when years later he made a claim. When will there be support for the children? Iserved during the v nam war. , my fathers name was Gary Tollie.USMC Our son is being treated for bladder cancer. Please, if anyone else has been diagnosed with Aphasia, or PPA -Primary Progressive Aphasia, please contact me. Thanks for helping the lady above. the VA acknowledged Agent Orange use in Thailand and made service members stationed there eligible for compensation . NOT a great idea sending him to the coastline and semi-jungle conditions back into death and destruction, but thats Uncle Sam for you. I would rather have died instantly on the battlefield with glory than suffer daily this slow death from Parkinsons developed from the toxic exposure from water at Camp Lejeune. 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 Agent Orange or other harmful herbicides while their fellow veterans enjoy a presumption that they were exposed. Nam Infantry grunt. To access the menus on this page please perform the following steps. Our government truly does not care. I was born 10 months after my father returned and I am plagued with these issues. More graditude from government dead than alive. I called later and was told that the VA had all the information that they needed from me. Offspring of AO exposed veterans often get tumors. Was it used in Germany at the same time? of the V.A. The review board keeps telling me this every time I refile after a new presumptive condition gets named, all five of them as of this writing. Dont give up! I have applied for agent orange compensation nearly two years ago. Was on duty there when Hurricane Camille hit Gulfport, MS and was deployed down there for rescue and recovery. I was an organizational automotive mechanic in the Marine Corps as well as doing a stint of armory duty. This is the first Ive heard about my conditions might be related to Agent Orange. To make an appointment call 920-448-4450 . Semper Fi . He passed last year and I am sure his condition was caused by his exposure to Agent Orange or Blue Water exposure. While we were trying to eat in a overhead tarp, the smoke from the burn pits went right through where we were eating!! He was shot in the leg by the Japanese. Los Alamitos and ElToro. Take your claims information to a Veterans Service Officer and get advice before filing the claim. A Maryland Democrat, David Trone, a member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, has introduced the latter piece of legislation. So much for all those people and ads saying welcome home. I came into contact with Agent Orange when footage was burned off in the northern parts of the island. Fortunately, I finally learned that the best way to deal with PTSD was to have a vigorous workout every day! Was not easy but with their help it can be done. Or is it 500 feet? 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. Why isnt high blood pressure approved as a presumptive under Agent Orange? Our son was conceived on that base. I would like to know how many vets exposed to Agent Orange have gotten this rare autoimmune disease. We are moving out smartly in initiating action to consider these and other potential new presumptions, grounded in science and in keeping with my authority as Secretary of VA, said Secretary McDonough. What a VA. If so get in touch with your local VSO officer and get them to help. March 3 (UPI) -- In a cost-saving move, retail giant Amazon announced Friday that it will delay construction on a planned second corporate headquarters dubbed "HQ2" in Arlington, Va. President Joe Biden thanks German chancellor for his nation's help in Ukraine. Pittsburgh VA developed an intervention to prevent emergence delirium, a temporary condition when a patient awakens from a procedure. Why has this taken so long to review?? I didnt realize I could or should. He told me the funeral home would take care of it. I served on a PBR river boat on the mekong in 1971. Planes and Choppers spraying directly over us wile sweeping the area No portable water. I was born while he was in Vietnam and served on camp Pendelton Subic bay Diego Garcia and Camp Hansen all of which are super sites with contamination. What about Camp Lejeune NC and the continued toxic water that continues today? I served in the 49th TAC Fighter Wing and got out in late 1974 after breathing jet exhaust on the flight line for almost a year. WASHINGTON - U.S. We thought it was fire but no burn marks? 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. 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 Nobody in my family, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, nor their children, has what I have. He was also exposed to Agent Orange. A Guide to Strengthening Your Thailand Agent Orange Exposure Claim Edward M. Farmer is a U.S. Army veteran and an attorney. They call me to cancel an appt. The VA told him he didnt need to file a claim because it wasnt covered. Unfortunately, not all VA reps are equal. When was this and what was this? Pay them. He was assigned to the 14th Engr Combat Battalion attached to the 1st Cav airmobile division. 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 . While I am here I am 100 % pt, I am lucky I guess it took only 8 months for my receiving Markers after three years are good thank goodness. I served at KADENA AFB on Okinawa from 1970 until 1972. Souds like EVERYTHING is denied so why do anything!!!!!??????????? Key word is ( could cause ) which means the government can not proof that agent orange can not contribute to COPD and other respiratory diseases. In 2019 I started the process of filing the claim with the VA. After a lot of paper work, doctor exams and 10 months of waiting I finally received my rating from the VA of 100% full and complete disability. This is important to a number of Airmen as it seems to affect us later in life with lung, sinus and cough issues. You have to have served in Vietnam AND have one of the medical conditions recognized by the VA. It only affects less than 1% of the population. We both came down with Hodgkins Lymphoma. Hodgkins Disease I was stationed in Korat Thailand 72-73 and lived outside the west gate which is in the red zone ( cleared by AO ). IM CALLING WASHINGTON TO FIND OUT WHY WE ALL HAVE TO WAIT SO LONG FOR THEM TO DO SOMETHING! Is anyone else aware of this. Soft Tissue Sarcomas (other than osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, Kaposis sarcoma, and mesothelioma). Youll need prove you served in Vietnam (DD-214 should do it) and prove of your medical condition (doctors letters, etc). You get a whole 10% for it! ANY INFO or help would be appreciated. VAs review supports initiation of rulemaking to address the role that particulate matter pollution plays in generating chronic respiratory conditions, which may include asthma, rhinitis and sinusitis for Veterans who served in the Southwest Asia theater of operations during the Persian Gulf War and/or after September 19, 2001, or in Afghanistan and Uzbekistan during the Persian Gulf War. When did you serve in Korea? U-Tapao Air Base, Thailand, 1972 The National Archives return to top If you were in VN, now this disorder is on the presumptive list. Now my question is, how do I file another appeal, and add these issues to my claim? Exactly my question? I was in An Loc the same time with B Troop 1\9. It's not clear how many veterans would be affected by the change. I dont think anyone in VA cares. I later found that they were reimbursed by my private medical insurance. 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. This article is a joke! I am disappointed ive been fighting for my dad benefits only to be told no one can help me. He ONLY got 100% disability compensation from time of diagnosis. They can never repay me for my loses or my daughters! I was in vietnam Quonlo for 14 months. My father served in the Korean War with the 25th Infantry Division. When I read that the Blue Water Navy was getting this it upset me so if you were off the coast of Vietnam you can get it. Charles, The name Robert Bustamante appears in several states. 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. Bustamante, who served in the Marines with my husband stateside during the VietNam years. 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. Now that is just one person. Reapply. 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. For the past several years, the VA has acknowledged that veterans who served in the Republic of Vietnam (including "brown water" veterans who served on the country's inland waterways) were exposed to tactical herbicides such as Agent Orange and that such . See my reply to Paula where I mention the DNA effects that can be inherited by our children born after the exposure. My husband had Lewy Body Dementia for twelve years that we know of and then had Parkinsons the last three years of his life. I also acquired Grovers Disease (a rare skin disorder, where the glue dissolves around your skin cells). Agent Orange in Thailand. Otherwise, I would be working myself until I died. In fact my brother in law had to wait on the ship until well after dark, like a sneak thief, Can I file a claim now. My self I got a bloody nose and sore throat. I had such a bad case of PTSD starting in 1969, I spent 6 weeks in a Navy mental ward at Millington NAS. Is it two feet from the perimeter? The VA did well with him in his final years. I have Myesthemia Gravis but keep being denied. Surely VA isnt saying that stateside exposure isnt responsible for the same ailments as overseas exposure. Im 72 and my time is limited and its been a long hard road, but Ive raised my posterity. I still believe I was subjected to Agent Orange. Young. In an interview, Skinner recalled that he was an aircraft mechanic on F4 Phantom jets while serving in Thailand. Lets see what the VA does for me and others .For some reason they only admit Lejeune. Skinner acknowledges that he can get health care from the VA. Chronic B-Cell Leukemia Dont give up. Veterans Crisis Line 1-800-273-8255 Text to 838255 to Get Help NOW . Contact a VSO officer. If yours hasnt at least tried to help you file a claim, tell you county board or whoever hired her or him, you want a better representative. He died of lung cancer and I was told after he died I could no longer proceed with our request. When will they get enough competent case reviewers to catch up on all Agent Orange Disability claims.?? go to a VA clinic or hospital and get registered with the VA Health System. 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. So after leaving the marines, I didnt claim exposure during my first year out. You will find a very good article that explains qualifications. I lost my fater 4 years ago to the toxic water at camp Lejeune. 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. March 3 (UPI) -- At a White House meeting on Friday, President Joe Biden thanked German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for Germany's "profound" help in countering Russian aggression in Ukraine. Each disease is rated from 5% to 100%, then exposed to agent orange. Squeaky wheel gets the grease Is it possible that affects of agent orange were passed to him? What about soldiers that were made to take the PB pill to inoculate us from nerve agents during Desert Shield/Desert Storm. I filed a week later for survivor benefits. I had this similar experience-only served immediately after the Vietnam conflict, on a LPH THAT TRANSPORTED agent orange, helicopters and, was deployed to south east Asia, and we took it to dry dock. They were swimming in it while working on them, not realizing what it was, only to develop symptoms years later but they dont get consideration for benefits because they were never IN COUNTRY. So probably not a budget buster. They knew in advance the water was contaminated and allowed us to drink it, bathe in it, swim, buffaloes it and even transport it on ships headed out to Mediterranean. Biden awards Medal of Honor to Vietnam Col. Paris D. Davis after 60-year delay. I also have Inclusion Body Myositis. My service record should have been proof enough. My buddy was Merle Stinger and he is missed GREATLY! Are you serious?! Every sickness he had was documented in his medical records stating the main cause was due to Agent Orange and Other Health Factors. Daniel Clark Berg. The VA medical providers do not do this. I try to kick it by running and staying healthy but to no avail. We get no information about others who have, or had, this incurable disease. One Veteran is same as the next, if they were contaminated and prove it, they should get help. VA is initiating rulemaking to consider adding respiratory conditions, which may include asthma, sinusitis and rhinitis, to the list of chronic disabilities based on an association with military service in Southwest Asia, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan during the covered periods of conflict. Veterans began making claims due to health problems related to Agent Orange exposure as early as 1977, but they were often rejected unless patients could prove their health problems began a year after discharge. So highly unlikely wed both have it. We never thought, or were told to ask our First Sargent Can you tell me what chemicals we are using here, and how will they possibly affect my health 25 years from now? We were all asked to step up, and never thought that a real enemy might be the Department of Defense, or perhaps some other EM doing what he had been told to do. I served in Vietnam as A combat engineer 1968 and 69. His primary care doctor believes this was a result of exposure to Agent Orange but a VSO has submitted a claim on my behalf for him. I think a diagnosis of prostate cancer from agent orange means an automatic 100% disability rating. I am now 67, unable to work and already living in an old age living facility. Needle in a haystack. 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. 45 years to get in the VA! What about the drinking water at Camp Lejeune..v and prostate cancerv, what about soldiers exposed to shlt pits in Afghanistan. Can anyone in the VA administration help me understand why COPD and other respiratory diseases are not covered for exposure to agent orange ? Why do our veterans have to prove so much when agent orange was such a poison. I believe I might get something after I am dead. Chisholm said he and like-minded attorneys representing veterans who served in Thailand are winning these cases one at a time, but with detailed evidence, detailed arguments, detailed affidavits. You being the spouse rather than the actual veteran, you may or may not get to join. Are they eligible for Agent Orange benefits? Plus my 37 year old son has a large tumor in his spine! If you would like my help just let me know. My husband has prostate cancer and VA wouldnt approve disability for that either. ALL WHO SERVED DESERVE TO KNOW the answer/s to question/s being addressed. I have hyperthyroidism from agent orange. Office of Accountability & Whistleblower Protection, Training - Exposure - Experience (TEE) Tournament, Military Exposure Related Health Concerns, War Related Illness & Injury Study Center, Clinical Trainees (Academic Affiliations), osd.pentagon.ousd-atl.mbx.afpmb-tactical-herbicides@mail.mil, Call TTY if you They took away my health and my youth and replaced it with an endless routine of jumping through hoops to get basic healthcare needs, and now, as my body rapidly deteriorates, I will be forced to keep working until I die, which wont be soon enough. What a deal if you were in county flying into defoliated areas it doesnt count. Website is still saying researching! Among them: The Veterans Agent Orange Exposure Equity Act, the Cost of War Act, and others, including the Fairly Assessing Service-related Exposure Residual (FASTER) Presumptions Act, also dubbed the FASTER Act. I WAS AT THE ABERDEEN PROVING GROUNDS AS A TEST VETERAN AND WAS PROMISED MEDICAL CARE IF ANY THING WENT WRONG. I served both in the field and in Saigon. Many people here were exposed to toxins after 9/11. After a couple years of testing and hymm hawing, they found a cancerous pocket inside my thyroid. Pancreatic Cancer 25 years ago at only 68 years old! 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. Find a VSO veterans service officer in your area, they will fill out forms and get them to the Exposed to AO many times. Did you carry/transfer AO to our ship or have any records? Contact your local VSO and they will help you file a claim to reopen your case using the recent addition of these conditions to the presumptive list as New and Relevant evidence. What is going to be done for families that have already loss loved ones prior to this ruling? The majority of his career has been dedicated to assisting veterans with legal issues nationwide. Ischemic heart disease. Our old family Country doctor is the one who finally broke the news to my brother and our mother. 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. Why doesnt the VA recognize those of us who served in Thailand. He did not receive any type of compensation. They caved and gave me assistance for my heart/circulatory issues, along with a hearing loss (grenade damaged) and tinnitus. Dont give up! This in my opinion is a major problem. Call toll-free at 1 (800) 700-4174 We're Ready to Listen did you read the article? Tom had wished for years that he could find his friend. And now that theyre all almost gone to pass this. We were exposed to the chemicals daily, and I was at Camp Lejeune during the water contamination years. i was stationed in Blue Water off the coast of Vietnam from 1968-1971 on board the USS WICHITA AND THE USS ZELIMA, both of which carried munitions, fuel, food and supplies. Lung transplant, Nov 1st, 2014. Chloracne (if it presents within one year of exposure to a degree of 10 percent disabling) I never used the VA health System for 35 years. My faith in the VA got a big boost by the quick response to my initial application. THANK YOU- Christopher Cross Good luck and God bless you. It took a number of years, once bladder cancer was put on the potential list , to be approvedwaiting patiently. We roamed around downtown Anniston quite a bit. Could go on forever, but I should stop here. So sorry. Multiple Myeloma You will now be able to tab or arrow up or down through the submenu options to access/activate the submenu links. Thank you for complying with what had to be forced on you, Mr. Secretary, after thousands of my brothers had to die.