Vietnam veterans need your help

It appears that very few members of the military-veteran community or the general public are aware of problems still faced by veterans of the Vietnam War. Nearly half the surviving 100,000 members of the U.S. Navy and Fleet Marines who fought in Vietnam between 1962 and 1975 may be suffering disabilities from the effects of Agent Orange/dioxin. Yet, these veterans are being denied all service-connected health care and disability compensation for these diseases.

The reason there was so much confusion for so long is because, when properly made, in a cold process, Agent Orange and the other “rainbow” defoliants are entirely harmless, and test after test demonstrated the fact.

However, when *improperly* made, in a hot process, contaminants are produced that cause all these nightmarish symptoms.

To discover this, investigators actually had to go back to Vietnam, to get samples from some of the rusting and decaying 55 gallon drums that remained there after the war. And they discovered the contaminants.

At first, the assumption was that the defoliant had been added to reused drums with existing contaminants in them, but the evidence did not support that conclusion. Finally they discovered the difference in the manufacturing process.

However, after all was said and done, the lawyers for the veterans agreed to a remarkably small settlement, just before trial, that outraged the veterans, but the federal judge hearing the case refused to set it aside as unconscionable.

Some of the veterans actually lost more benefits they were going to get then they got from the settlement.

So, in one last act of betrayal, congress again screwed military personnel.

Rest assured, contaminated AO is extremely bad.

The 2,4,5-T used to produce Agent Orange was contaminated with 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzodioxin (TCDD), an extremely toxic dioxin compound.

It is also associated with the “Seveso disaster”. In 1976, in Italy, an industrial plant released a large amount of it upwind of a populated area, the town of Seveso, among others. Over 100,000 people received various exposures.

“Within days a total of 3,300 animals were found dead, mostly poultry and rabbits. Emergency slaughtering commenced to prevent TCDD from entering the food chain, and by 1978 over 80,000 animals had been slaughtered.

“15 children were quickly hospitalized with skin inflammation. By the end of August, Zone A had been completely evacuated and fenced, 1,600 people of all ages had been examined and 447 were found to suffer from skin lesions or chloracne.

http://i.imgur.com/yJ2y6nr.gif

For years after the event, people in the Seveso region experienced hormone disruption, neurological disorders, cancer, and immune disorders.

Here is the bill, but I can’t find the VA “gravy train.” part:

http://beta.congress.gov/bill/113th/house-bill/543/text

SEC. 2. CLARIFICATION OF PRESUMPTIONS OF EXPOSURE FOR VETERANS WHO
SERVED IN VICINITY OF REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM.

(a) Compensation.—Subsections (a)(1) and (f) of section 1116 of
title 38, United States Code, are amended by inserting ``(including the
territorial seas of such Republic)’’ after ``served in the Republic of
Vietnam’’ each place it appears.
(b) Health Care.—Section 1710(e)(4) of such title is amended by
inserting ``(including the territorial seas of such Republic)’’ after
``served on active duty in the Republic of Vietnam’’.
(c) Effective Date.—The amendments made by subsections (a) and (b)
shall take effect as of September 25, 1985.

“I’m a former Marine, VN combat vet and I can tell you this is another bull$hit attempt by the “blue water navy” guys (who never even stepped one foot in-country) to get in on the VA “gravy train.”
Gimmee, gimmee, gimmee.”

You know, you are the best example of a “team player”. Being a former “blue water navy” sailor myself. My destroyer made several trips up the Saigon river where is exposure was indeed likely.

I have a lot of respect for marines but in your case I will make an make an exception. I have the utmost admiration for any Viet Nam veteran regardless of the branch of service they were in, but some like you think you were the only one to serve honorably. And if your definition of “boots on the ground”, as being the only vets that matter, then sorry my ship may have provided you with gunfire support.

Comment on original posted opinion link.

http://www.ctmirror.org/comment/16748#comment-16748

This Veterans need to receive compensation

Submitted by fuzzyfrog on 11/22/2013 06:11 pm
Welcome Home
and God Bless these sickened and fallen American Heroes due to Agent Orange Dioxins ( 69 cancers & sicknesses have caused these illnesses that the VA recognizes as being eligible for compensation but only if you served In Country, Boots on Ground..

We currently have what I consider a Pandemic loss of over 1,000 Vietnam Veterans that are terminally ill or dying daily.

All of these is due to the over 22 and 1/2 Million Gallons of Agent Orange Dioxins sprayed during the war..In Vietnam
.
The Federal Government is aware that there are 69 cancers and sicknesses caused by these AO Dioxins...

Sadly the writer of this email Paul Sutton has been a Executive member of the National Vietnam Veterans of America for over 25 years and this is the first attempt he has made to try and help these “Blue Water Navy Heroes”. Why has he waited so long with his friends to suddenly care?

When they have had the membership ( which most have quit their group) at one time and the Financial Cash flow of a average of almost 100 Million dollars a year that could have been spent on these Heroes

In addition The National Vietnam Veterans of America group themselves have known of this Pandemic amount of deaths for over 25 years also and done Nothing and not spent a penny out of the Multi Million dollars they have received at National level from donations and membership dues.

I ask why all of a sudden Mr, Sutton seeks to solve this problem that is shy well over 100 votes to even get this to voted on in Congress in the form of a Bill? and then it has a huge fight to face in the Senate.

I think we all know that this President is far from being Veterans friendly as he is seeking to cut our Military by 30% or more. He has the ability to Veto all of this work when it’s done and shows no sign of doing anything extra to improve the processing of well over of the over 700,000 Veterans we now have in claims waiting to be processed and have been waiting for almost a decade

America is over 17 Trillion dollars in debt.
What proposal does Mr. Sutton have to help these Millions of Blue Water Veterans by guiding them through receiving compensation, sign ups, and Where will the money come from? The President of this Country cannot organize “Affordable Health Care” lol . alone
Let alone organize the Veterans Administration which is in the habit of offering Dr’s appointments in the mode of seeing the average Vet in the system now in three to 4 months or more.

These In Country Veterans of the war alone have suffered well over 2 million deaths from Agent Orange Dioxins alone.out of about 2.6 Million who served In Country
Gary J, Chenett
Vietnam 1967/68
I am also a 100% disabled combat Veteran A proud one I must add and a Four Time Survivor of Agent Orange Terminal cancers.

As I remember it was 85 million?
I was a member of the origional group to sue,
the judge made it a class action.
Oh how the lawyers cried when the judge told them
they were not going to get what they wanted out of
the settlement. He appointed a “special Master” to
deal with the settlement.
In the end, the veterans got little or nothing, one of
the guys I knew in the beginning died and the settlement
sent his family two thousand dollars. I got nothing, as
the settlement org decided I didn’t qualify.
I even got the spray path computer print outs from
the Pentagon that showed exposure but no dice.
The VA later recognized a presumption of exposure
but still doesn’t recognize my type of cancer.
When they do, I suppose I will apply for retroactive
recognition to when I first applied in 85, but don’t
hold out much hope of that. At this point what difference
does it make, as someone once said.

Thanks for your service.
Our service NOW is to make sure those serving today
get the thanks and recognition they deserve.
t.

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