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. For example, many veterans on or near aircraft or near the barrels containing herbicides were exposed to the same risks as those conducting foot patrols. Population in 2009 (millions) Percentage of Province Sprayed During 1960s. 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. kms.) Agent Orange is an herbicide that was used by the United States during the Vietnam War. The distinction between a tactical herbicide and a commercial herbicide has no legal or factual significance. In such a strict application, VA arbitrarily ignored its own policy of conceding herbicide exposure for veterans who served near the perimeter. Jeanne Stellman, an Agent Orange expert at Columbia Universitys Mailman School of Public Health, and Fred Berman, the director of the Oregon Health and Science Universitys CROET Toxicology Information Center, along with 14 other doctors, toxicologists, and environmental scientists, signed a letter in November 2012 that refutes VAs boots on the ground approach to Agent Orange exposure. MCAS Rose Garden - RTAFB Nam Phong The legal framework of the Vietnam presumptions, The military used the same herbicides in Thailand that were used in Vietnam, The Rules of Engagement for Vietnam and Thailand were similar, Thailands strong connection to Operation RANCH HAND demonstrates that its bases received a steady supply of herbicides, The historical record reveals substantial herbicide use on bases in Thailand, The Air Force developed a standard for herbicide use on Thailand bases, VA should presume exposure to herbicide agents for all Thailand veterans, Thailand veterans were exposed to the same agents as Vietnam veterans, In Thailand cases, VA faces the same challenges of determining exposure details as with Vietnam veterans, VAs illusory distinction between commercial and tactical herbicides is unlawful and arbitrary, PACT Act establishes presumptive service connection for Thailand veterans, 2022 Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act, CCK Court Wins: Agent Orange & Gulf War Illness. In its original conception, the Memorandum for the Record was never intended to apply to all Thailand exposure claims. . Da Nang Cluster. Aircraft used for RANCH HAND, UC-123Ks, launched from airbases in Thailand including Ubon, Udorn, NKP, and Takhli on numerous occasions to conduct missions against targets in Vietnam and Laos. The attorneys at Hill & Ponton are here to support you in your claim and determining your agent orange disability percentage. San Jose, CA: 2880 Zanker Road, Ste. . Why Hire CCK for Your VA Disability Appeal? The 6/11/15 News Argus has a article stating that 2 democratic senators want to know why the VA is delaying the disability bennifits to the 1200-2000 reservist who served 1972 1982 flying and working on the 123s and are coming down with the AO symptoms. Regarding base defense, the survey stated: A continuing vegetation control program is required for cleared areas under and between perimeter security fences. The name "Agent. This directly coincides with Air Force documents stating that defoliation operations around the Udorn perimeter occurred during this period. RANCH HAND was also not prohibited from herbicide spray missions in Thailand. In Command Sergeant Major (Ret.) That expansion includes Navy veterans who served in the territorial waters of Vietnam and Cambodia, as well as veterans of all branches who may have been exposed in other locations, including stateside bases. The distance between base perimeters and other base activities was normally well below 500 meters. Also, they must have been used in application at test sites, in labs or greenhouses, while being transported on vehicles or ships or stored. Agent Orange was an herbicide that the United States military used during the Vietnam War. He also saw an aircraft spray the kennel area, and he remembers vegetation in that area dying shortly thereafter. These cookies allow the website to remember choices you make to give you better functionality and preferences such as text size, fonts and other customizable website elements. Agent Orange Wasn't the Only Deadly Chemical Used In Vietnam - History Because of the impossibility of determining which service members were exposed to what levels of toxicity, Congress decided that veterans who served in Vietnam would be presumed exposed to the harmful herbicides. The new DoD list contains nearly 150 testing and storage locations, with updates that include specific dates of release or containment, as well as 26 additions, including places like Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., Dugway Proving Ground, Utah, and Johnston Atoll in the central Pacific Ocean. 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. 3.307defines herbicide agents as 2,4-D; 2,4,5-T and its contaminant TCDD (also known as dioxin), cacodylic acid, and picloram. I was stationed at cck in the usaf Taiwan and went tdy to nam phong tailand. Bases in Thailand, including Korat, Nakhon Phanom (NKP), Ubon, Udorn, and U-Tapao, were subjected to sniper fire, perimeter penetration, and sapper (combat engineer) attacks. In Dr. Alvin Youngs working paper draft of suggested criteria for determining levels of herbicide exposure, he noted that groups exposed to associated dioxin contaminant were personnel assigned to support functions, to include: Personnel that sprayed herbicides using helicopters or ground application equipment; personnel that may have delivered the herbicide to the unit performing the defoliation missions; aircraft mechanics who were specialized and occasionally provided support to RANCH HAND aircrafts. While we still have our home base in Florida, Veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange or other herbicides during military service may be eligible for: Agent Orange Registry health exam, a free exam for possible long-term health problems related to herbicide exposure. Richmond, VA: 7400 Beaufont Springs Drive, Suite 300, Richmond, VA, 23225 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. In other cases, the VA gets new information about exposure to toxins or side effects that make veterans eligible for additional 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. Veterans who served in Vietnam, Korean demilitarized zone or other areas where Agent Orange was sprayed may be eligible. In October 2020, the VA denied Xenia resident and Thailand veteran Paul Skinner compensation for what Skinner believed was Agent Orange exposure, with the VA informing Skinner in a letter: "Your personnel records still fail to show that during your duties you were exposed to Agent Orange or tactical herbicides while performing daily duty TDD (for hearing impaired): 1 800 827-4833. Many of us were exposed to herbicides which were used extensively all over the site. This often meant that the veteran needed to prove that their MOS required them to be near the perimeter of the base. Aircraft mechanic George Collins testified in a sworn statement that he worked on a RANCH HAND aircraft after it made an emergency landing in U-Tapao. Agent Orange exposure and VA disability compensation Leaking barrels also directly exposed service members to herbicides. The Department of Defense had legitimate concerns about the threat to U.S. personnel and equipment, which led to the decision to use herbicides within base perimeters as a means of preventing ambushes in Thailand.6. In 1972, vegetation control on Korat was regarded as a serious issue because dense growth provided the enemy with the opportunity to access the KC-135 parking ramp. The location must have been a DoD installation, land under control of DoD or a non-DoD location where service members were present during testing, application, transportation or storage. 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. 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. Kenneth Witkins statement, he attested to observing Agent Orange being sprayed around the barracks at Udorn in 1970-1971. A substance containing any of these five compounds is an herbicide agent as a matter of law, regardless of its purpose or name brand. Gallons of Herbicides Sprayed. When Congress enacted these laws, it did not limit potential benefits to those veterans who served in Vietnam. Despite this evidence, VAs position is that RANCH HAND aircraft and herbicides were either temporarily staged, or never staged, on Thailand bases. I now live in Laurel Mt. Thailand Agent Orange / Herbicide Exposure Claim Process Information The M21-1 Adjudication Procedures Manual was later amended to incorporate the perimeter policy, but the Memorandum was never corrected, amended, or removed from the Manual and VA continues to apply the outdated Memorandum to Thailand base perimeter claims. What is Agent Orange and How Were People Exposed to It? 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.. There is a group of reservist vets who flew the 123s that came from Man which sprayed AO in Nam. "Agent Orange" refers to a blend of tactical herbicides the U.S. military sprayed in the jungles of Vietnam and around the Korean. being employed within. Agent Orange was an herbicide that the United States military used during the Vietnam War. Toll-free Helpline: 1 800 749-8487 Press 3. ; Delta des Roten Flusses: Diese fruchtbare Gegend rund um die Hauptstadt Hanoi (H Ni) erstreckt sich bis zum Golf . 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. Agent Orange Registry health exam: this is a free exam for possible long-term health problems related to herbicide exposure. Is there any ruling from the VA on Nam Phong? Watch below for our full discussion into the latest update of the Honoring Our PACT Act of 2022. But historical documentation shows no evidence that the military made any distinction between commercial and tactical herbicides at the time of the Vietnam War. VA should afford the same presumption of exposure to Thailand veterans that it affords to Vietnam veterans because the same herbicides agents were used in Thailand. 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. The statute that defines herbicide agent focuses solely on the chemical agents contained in the herbicides used in Vietnam. These cookies allow the website to remember choices you make to give you better functionality and personal features. 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. Our job was to off load air craft. I say I was exposed in Thailand due to direct contact with the contaminated equipment form Da namg in 1972 at Nam Phong I have been turned down and I filed a Notice of disagreement and submitted new proofs. I have had 3 stints placed in my heart for ischemic heart dz, peripheral neurapathy, and high BP. close air support, aerial defoliation with Agent Orange, and nightly gunship truck hunts on the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Vietnam News Headlines April 29/2023 "I'm spending out of pocket . These conditions include: The addition of these conditions means that many more veterans will be eligible for VA disability benefits. Project CHECO Southeast Asia Report. Base Defense in Thailand - DTIC Yeah from what I have read and through diagrams I have obtained (google Agent Orange Korat Thailand) they did spray the perimeter of the base I was also there from 73-74 I was a 462 Weapons Mechanic at the perimeter every day. Gymnastics will be held on May 6-9 at the Olympic Stadium Centre's Marquee Tent in Phnom Penh. I am presently applying for benefits. This legislation expands benefits to veterans who served aboard ships off the coast of Vietnam. From December 29, 1968, to January 2, 1969, RANCH HAND aircraft flew Agent Orange missions out of Udorn. This data may be used to help optimize our websites and make them easier for you to navigate. They also employed Agent Blueand Agent White, among many others. Thailand veterans harmed by Agent Orange hope Congress will hear them Since that time, we have provided compassionate Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV) Directive 525-1 (1966) highlighted the procedure for requesting aerial spray, power spray, and hand spray in Vietnam. Deland, FL: 1607 South State Road 15A Suite 12 Deland, FL 32720, Satellite Offices 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. I reminded my colleagues of the legislation to help these veterans and encouraged them to keep these veterans and their families in mind as we improve veteran benefits policies. In addition to being inapplicable, the Memorandum for the Record is outdated. . However, at that time, if the veteran did not serve in Vietnam, VA regulations provided no presumption of exposure for that veteran.
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