Im 43 now and one of my two sisters from a different mother has health problems as well. Those of us who served on aircraft carriers operating out of yankee station are denied compensation for agent orange related conditions because we were outside the 12 mile limit. VA Mantra, Deny, Deny, Deny Until The Veteran Dies. , my fathers name was Gary Tollie.USMC I am dealing with bladder cancer that was most likely caused by herbicides/AO sprayed on the perimeter, work areas and around the runway/taxiway and along the perimeter fence 50 feet from my barracks at Udorn RTAFB. What about us Ft McClellan vets? Nevermind that he was likely suffering from the metastatic cancer for the previous few years.undiagnosed. Jun 2, 2021 / 06:29 PM EDT. My husband is a Vietnam vet and has Scleroderma. Marshall retold the story of his years during the Vietnam War where . Lets see what the VA does for me and others .For some reason they only admit Lejeune. 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! Its easy. Vietnam War-era veterans who served in Thailand say theyre still fighting. My husband and I are both 100% disabled vets and if I could increase my disability to more I would! AL Amyloidosis My dad fueled planes in Vietnam in 1969 and was exposed daily for a year. Time is running out for these veterans, Brown said in an email. They (the VA) dont give you a definition of what the perimeter is, Harmon said. 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. (Even though he had rectal cancer and now has a colostomy.) Get to va office and start squeaking. I served in the Marine Corps from 1972-1979. If you have filed a claim with the VBA since your diagnosis in 2010, the VA SHOULD be contacting you. Soft Tissue Sarcomas (other than osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, Kaposis sarcoma, and mesothelioma). SO I ALSO WAS AT THE FORT CHAFFEE POST GAVE THEM THOES RECORDS AND STILL HAVE NOT HEARD FROM THEM. When will there be support for the children? every single day,a never ending nightmare. Go online and look for the name of your state and VA rep and it will pop up with a list. Id contact the VA and find out where to file to start receiving widow benefits. Not enough die yet? The term agent orange has to be removed from any claim and replaced with herbicide which is a denial by our VA that the chemical was used to defoliate the perimeters of all the air basis in Thailand. Parkinsons? Last I knew Vietnam was in Southeast NOT Southwest I have no family history of Diabetes, Polycythemia Vera or Carcinoid Cancer, so I think the VA is wrong. In I was told they received it to late and no further action The Young man handling Agent Orange claims referred me to my own civilian doctor and even paid for the visit. 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 . Was it caused by the water we drank (blue water sailor), the free cigarettes, or a combination of both? The work was nasty, many chemicals, oils, fiberglass, the duct work in the avionics bay located in the nose was trashed. I called Palo Alto pain clinic for back treatment. I resubmitted my claim July2019. 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. Is it possible that affects of agent orange were passed to him? He did so much research on this letter (the Aug. 2015 memo)., These men are now in many cases in their 80s, Trone said. 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. Christopher Cross. 877-222-8387, TDD (Hearing Impaired) These conditions include: Bladder Cancer Hypothyroidism : A condition occurs when the thyroid doesn't produce enough hormones As a 30 year retired United States Air Force Disabled Veteran, I have prayed for this day to come. Operation Ranch Hand exposed millions of people in Southeast Asia and at least 500,000 American troops to the chemical. When I called the VA, I was told that this was not related to exposure of Agent Orange. It is not a hereditary cancer. So much for all those people and ads saying welcome home. Poway, Calif. attorney Amanda Mineer recalled working on one case in which she and her team had to introduce into evidence a photo of a sailor taking a photographic selfie of himself on a ship as that ship crossed the equator, with barrels of Agent Orange nearby, visible in the photo. I was in a artillery unit going where needed to support our ground troops. A large group of now grown children swapping stories and advocating for change. What about me!!! Markers after three years are good thank goodness. However, there was a terrible consequence: Exposure to Agent Orange resulted in cancer, birth defects, and other significant ailments. I was freakwently exposed to agent orange. Good to know that maybe in another 20 or 25 years they might actually get off their butts and help us too. So probably not a budget buster. What about all of us who were stationed at Fort McClellan, Alabama ? But the VA says, sorry no claim in your 1st year out, too bad. Sections and chapters in the description below! I have one of the birth defects listed other than spinabifida.Is there no hope for compensation for the children of Male Vietnam Vets? The VA refuses to acknowledge any of my service-connected disabilities. I was fortunate to have received benefits upon review in my favor after my appeal of the original decision declining my request for Total Unemployability. File a claim for DIC at va.gov or find a good VA advocate to help you. Can I file a claim now. The burn pits too were gross also! If you get turned down you need to appeal and likely will then be called for an appointment to see a VA doctor. I was also told that because I was able to raise my extremely arthritic arms over my head that I should be fortunate that the VA doesnt take away my disability benefits altogether. They can never repay me for my loses or my daughters! While we were trying to eat in a overhead tarp, the smoke from the burn pits went right through where we were eating!! Usually CML effects much older people not the very young. Without his help I would never had gotten anything. I served in Vietnam in 1967. Too bad this wont help my father or my family. Come guys -get serious you know it was all over that island! The VA to me at this point in time is absolutely useless! You have to have served in Vietnam AND have one of the medical conditions recognized by the VA. Problem is I am the sole surviver. My late husband was with the 14th combat engineers assigned to the 1st Cav. My own was agent orange exposure which the VA acknowledges, yet say has nothing to do with my tremors, and they tell ME to prove it does. An official website of theU.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Looking for U.S. government information and services? A locked padlock Good luck and thank you for your service! I will continue the fight to get benefits for all veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange and other toxic chemicals regardless of where they served.. Refiled again Feb 3rd 2021 and been waiting every since. I have had cancer and other illness but still got denied 3 days before Christmas. I could go on and on. April 15 (UPI) -- 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. Sudden come down with Hypothyroidism -Hashimotos version With leaky gut! Copy this link and Go to the DAV or go to VA.GOV and search for a VSO. Also this was 72 till76. More graditude from government dead than alive. Loaded agent orange, asked what was in the drums, they said they could not tell me. Vietnam War era Veterans and their survivors who previously filed and were denied benefits for one of these three new presumptive conditions will have their cases automatically reviewed without the need to refile a claim. And BTW! That is why he called me! 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. The VA took his money back, told me he was dead and wouldnt need a check anyway and his children could not receive anything from his estate nor file for compensation. I think a diagnosis of prostate cancer from agent orange means an automatic 100% disability rating. Well Im still kicking. I have not been able to secure ANY Squadron Flight Logs either. Why do our veterans have to prove so much when agent orange was such a poison. Unfortunately we didnt learn anything with the AO exposure. Anyone out there know anything about vets and scleroderma? All we were tuned too was Search and Destroying the enemy! I have copd (breathing problems) and sinus conditions, do i qualify? Never heard from VA regarding my case. Yes. I served at KADENA AFB on Okinawa from 1970 until 1972. Have never been able to figure out who he was :-( Good luck! We have learned to never trust our government. How about those of us that served in Okinawa and were exposed to AO on the boats that were sent from Vietnam for repairs? Is he bragging about complying with the law? I am a VSO and I always get comments that the VA is That is partly correct. I was an organizational automotive mechanic in the Marine Corps as well as doing a stint of armory duty. Also contact your federal congressional Rep. in Washington and inform his office of your issue. Hes lived 3 decades with this and its a long suffering disease. I dont know where to start- and going by all these posts of ppl like myself- its looks pretty bleak for outcomes. Id be contacting your advocate asap and get your claim going! Foc also told me that the PAHC senior executive has left and there are no more nurses to assist the doctors. For anyone that has questions about a claim, or their eligibility for VA benefits, you should reach out to your local VSO. He use to say they would spray agent orange below the hills he was on to control the jungle below them. I have Myesthemia Gravis but keep being denied. The condition affected my right leg, mostly, causing numbness where I had to rely upon a cane in order to walk. I called later and was told that the VA had all the information that they needed from me. 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). Good luck to you. Before that I was in 2\12th in the infantry and walked through areas where AO was used. If I were a civilian in Aniston I could sue and at least get my medical bills paid forbut I was just serving my country so I guess I dont deserve to be treated like a human being. Im currently suffering neurological problems, at first diagnosed as Parkinsons and later as an undiagnosed Parkinson-like syndrome. I served there in 1975-76 and returned in 1988 and stayed until retirement in 1992. Thats where my father was and how I know he died! Id be better off living overseas in a country with universal healthcare, which we did for four years but were penalized 10% for each year that we lived abroadnearly $800/month forever from Social Secure/Medicareor even just using my Medicare than being forced to rely on approval from the VA for Community Care: far superior to anything the VA has to offer. Examined for Agent Orange four years ago. Iraq war vets facing similar problems with VA that Vietnam vets had to put up with.. Whats new?. What about bases here in the states that stored or disposed of barrels of Agent Orange, like Camp Pendleton? I guess the VA doesnt believe the wind blows, Skinner said. 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. He was rated 100%. Ive literally suffered for over 40 years with serious digestive problems, heart & breathing problems. It should be no different in the case of the Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange," Cartwright said in the same statement. Ischemic heart disease. Our old family Country doctor is the one who finally broke the news to my brother and our mother. Ancestry.com has a military lookup feature, and there is a website called vetfriends.com. I have presumed exposure to agent orange. I tried to respond to you twice, but they wont accept my posts for some reason. Tried to find more information but doctor at VA didnt want to fully confirm nor deny exposure to Agent Orange. Now that I am retired I have been diagnosed with asthma, sinusitis and rhinitis. I dont know if it was specific to Dong Ha. I hope that for those who have struggled with financial burdens that help i Charles McDivett. I installed telephones and all associated equipment in outline areas. Does anyone know if Agent Orange was used during the Korean War? Veterans been contaminated by TCE and Benzene for decades, and add agent orange and whatever in combat areas and you have mess that has been created in USA. When will VA notify those who have previously filed a claim years ago for Hypothyroidism? The investigation did confirm use or tests in additional sites and dates in other locations. I served as an infantryman during the same period. Also, the investigation found less use in Thailand and the DMZ then previously reported. in 2005 he had open heart surgery.