you viewed to avoid repetition. Da Nang is one of Vietnam's major ports, a city rich in history. 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. William Easterly was stationed throughout Vietnam and Thailand from 1966-1967 and 1969-1970. Hence, herbicides including Agent Orange were used in Thailand. Subscribe to Military.com. But Ryan Gallucci, director of National Veterans Service for the Veterans of Foreign Wars, said the new list does not live up to the guidance and recommendations of the GAO report., We have a lot of questions two specific locations that GAO identified arent included on DoDs new list and certain ones that seemingly had verified spraying on the old list are now off the list, Gallucci said. I served in the Rose Garden in 1972 and suffer with Prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction, peripheral neuropathy, onset diabetes. . 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. The article Viet Cong Right or Wrong, published in the National Guardsman in 1966, notes the Defense Departments Advance Research Project Agency was moving forward with defoliant improvement projects in Thailand. From February 2 to 5, 1969, RANCH HAND flew Laos missions from Udorn. 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. I now live in Laurel Mt. Welch,Mike Sec. Total Area Sprayed (sq. During the Committee hearing on S.B. Also, they must have been used in application at test sites, in labs or greenhouses, while being transported on vehicles or ships or stored. Mr. Collins stated there were several defoliated areas within U-Tapao including around the Aero Space Ground Equipment (AGE) facility, the baseball fields, and the viewing area for the Bob Hope Christmas Show. After the attack on U-Tapao, the 635th Security Police Squadron used herbicides to clear a 100-foot zone on both sides of the perimeter fencing. Contactour office today for a free consultation with a member of our team. The bill provides expanded Agent Orange presumptive locations for those dealing with herbicide exposure: If you served in these areas, during these dates, the VA will now assume (or presume) that a Vietnam veteran was exposed to Agent Orange. We are sorry that this post was not as useful for you! Public Law 116-23, the. These cookies do not store any personal information. But historical documentation shows no evidence that the military made any distinction between commercial and tactical herbicides at the time of the Vietnam War. Tucson, AZ: One South Church Avenue, 12th Floor, Tucson, AZ, 85701 Agent Orange Registry health exam: The Agent Orange Registry is a program administered by the VA since 1978. The term commercial herbicide is notably absent from Air Force archive documentation, including the 1973 CHECO report which specifically states that herbicides used in Thailand had to undergo the same embassy approval process as herbicides used in Vietnam. These presumptions result in the award of VA benefits, such as disability compensation, health care, etc. I am currently 60%. Our job was to off load air craft. Information within those records was assessed against stringent joint VA-DOD criteria for what constitutes a location where tactical herbicides were tested, used and stored, Prichard said. However, these stayed claims did not involve claims due to herbicide exposure around Thailand bases or their perimeters. The term is used only in the Memorandum for the Record and in individual cases wherein VA uses the distinction to deny benefits. How Many Vietnam Veterans Have Been Affected by Agent Orange? As noted in a 1986 report to the White House, only two percent of military records were preserved in the National Archives, and herbicide records were not regarded as a priority for retention. Do You Have Long-Term Disability Insurance Coverage? When addressing the adequacy of facility security, official documents state that herbicides were applied to the fenced in area around the ammo storage, facility, around all perimeter guard towers, and the areas around runway overrun lights. The 1973 CHECO report also states that herbicides were used on areas within the perimeter. (Emphasis added.) If you have recently received a favorable decision from the VA on your Agent Orange claim, you may think that the long fight with the department of veterans affairs is, If you were wounded or injured or became sick as a result of your military service, you may be entitled to VA disability compensation. U.S. Army Manual 3-3 (dated 1971) advises that a 500-meter buffer zone must be maintained to avoid damage caused by drifts while ground spraying herbicides. I was only a PFC and did not get any higher than that. VAs regulation38 C.F.R. Trump appeared to confuse napalm with Agent Orange and he reportedly got the idea from an iconic movie set in the Vietnam War David Choi 2018-08-17T23:51:55Z Claire Szewczyk is a Digital Content Coordinator for Hill & Ponton, PA in Florida. For example, 28,000 gallons of herbicides were airlifted by two C-130s from Phu Cat Airbase in Vietnam to Udorn prior to some of the RANCH HAND missions later launched from Udorn to targets in Laos from February 2 to 7, 1969. I also have many illnesses and have a claim in for Parkinson etc. 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. Gallons of Herbicides Sprayed. That was the idea behind a campaign initiated by Mena, Arkansas veteran Bill Rhodes and his fellow veterans who served in Thailand during the Vietnam War. Joe, 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. I was in Nam Phong when the SeaBees were knocking down the jungle to build hooches. Pittsburgh, PA: 201 Penn Center Boulevard, Suite 400, Pittsburgh, PA, 15235 RANCH HAND was also not prohibited from herbicide spray missions in Thailand. 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. Permalink: https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2019/10/improving-benefits-for-veterans-exposed-to-agent-orange-during-service-in-thailand, Improving Benefits for Veterans Exposed to Agent Orange During Service in Thailand, https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2019/10/improving-benefits-for-veterans-exposed-to-agent-orange-during-service-in-thailand, Boozman Shares Service Memories of Lavaca Veteran, The Hill: American generosity has saved 25 million lives and counting. If you served in Vietnam or Thailand, or in or near the Korean DMZand your child has . Rick, In its report, GAO called the list inaccurate and incomplete, and urged DoD to update the publication, which hadnt been updated in more than a decade. The color distortion caused by leaking barrels containing herbicides is noted in pictures of herbicides stored on Johnston Atoll. This notion is further strengthened by the fact that the civil engineers developed a standard operating procedure (SOP) specifically for the disposal of herbicides due to fear that indiscriminate use of herbicide could be a source of pollution. Hi, Just found this site. The expansion of Agent Orange exposure locations came as a result of Public Law 116-23, the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019. Once VA lifted the stay, these claims still required adjudication. 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. More specifically, herbicides were used to improve visual observation of the base perimeter. They sprayed our living areas with DDT, which was banned in the US. By June 1973, the unit was waiting for more herbicides. I will have to get a rep to speak for me. Although VA recognizes there was significant use of herbicides at numerous Thailand military bases, it only recently granted Thailand veterans the presumption of exposure afforded to Vietnam veterans. 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. This article may not be republished, rebroadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without written permission. 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. Editors note: This story was updated to include further input from the Department of Defense. Although the SOP is not available or remains classified, the development and enforcement of the SOP highlights the prevalence of herbicide use and the concern of misuse on Thailand bases. Sign up for the free quarterly Advanced Prostate Cancer Newsletter. As Mr. Raymond Gross, a PACAF agronomist, conducted the training, the herbicide manual was most likely employed throughout Southeast Asia. The team at Hill & Ponton may be able to assist you with a denial of benefits. What is Agent Orange and How Were People Exposed to It? In such a strict application, VA arbitrarily ignored its own policy of conceding herbicide exposure for veterans who served near the perimeter. Furthermore, there are several reference reports admitting herbicide use throughout bases in Thailand. Marine served rosegarden may 1972 allen boyden iams sick. I have lived 50 years since then, and it has been a been a rewarding and, sometimes disappointing life.No ones fault but myself. The Memorandum was an attachment to FL 09-20 which was aimed at assisting Regional Offices in completing the adjudication of the stayed Haas-related claims. National Archives records also reveal that herbicides were delivered to Takhli on April 7, 1973. we represent clients nationwide. Veterans who meet the following criteria are eligible for Agent Orange disability benefits and disability compensation: A medical record of having been diagnosed with an Agent Orange-related illness or condition, AND any of the following: Certain Vietnam veteran who operated from Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) bases near U-Tapao, Ubon, Nakhon Phanom, Udorn, Takhli, Korat, and Don Muang, near the airbase perimeter anytime between February 28, 1961 and May 7, 1975 may qualify. Herbicides were used to control vegetation in Thailands tropical environment. I have also been denied compensation for herbicide exposure and am awaiting a hearing. Agent Orange is just one of the rainbow herbicides that the United States used. TDD (for hearing impaired): 1 800 827-4833. Furthermore, as to case summaries, reports of past results, individual lawyer biographies, news posts and other information pertaining to past and present cases, these descriptions are meant only to provide information to the public about the activities and experience of our law firm. When Congress enacted this law, it stated that the term herbicide agent means a chemical in an herbicide used in support of the United States and allied military operations in the Republic of Vietnam during the period beginning on January 9, 1962 and ending on May 7, 1975. 38 U.S.C. Here are the basic "rules" to get the presumption of Agent Orange exposure if you served in Thailand during the Vietnam War: 1) Service at U-Tapao, Ubon, Nakhon Phanom (aka, NKP), Udorn, Takhli, Korat, and/or Don Muang, between February 28, 1961, and May 7, 1975. Due to attacks on Thailand bases, military leaders ordered the use of herbicides. U-Tapao Air Base, Thailand, 1972 The National Archives return to top During the detail, he used defoliants that were contained in 55-gallon drums with orange stripes. In December 2019, DOD published its updated list of locations where Agent Orange and other herbicides were tested, used, or stored outside of Vietnam. The 1986 Scientific Feasibility of Agent Orange Ground Troop Study noted that the group could not gain a clear indication from exposed verses non-exposed veterans because the records were incomplete. 7 Things Every Veteran Should Know About Agent Orange Video. The Department of Veterans Affairs lists these conditions as presumptive. Furthermore, the Memorandum for the Record contains erroneous and misleading statements. Leakage from empty herbicide barrels was also noted because it was difficult to drain the last two or three gallons. . 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. According to DoD spokesman Chuck Prichard, the new list replaces the one from 2018 and is the result of DoDs thorough review of the records for use, storage and testing of Agent Orange and other tactical herbicides outside of Vietnam.. Nam Phong has been a Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) communications center. 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. Mr. George Collins was assigned to the Aero Space Ground Equipment (AGE) unit in U-Tapao for seven months beginning in 1969 and ending in 1970. San Jose, CA: 2880 Zanker Road, Ste. Soldiers lived, worked, and conducted recreational activities near the perimeter and in areas well within the 500-meter drift zone. I have pictures of Thais using elephants to remove foliage that was dead from spraying and cleared from our base. Somebody back at the Pentagon noted there was an airfield originally constructed in 1967 for the Air Force 60 miles south of Udon Thani at Nam Phong, Thailand that was only being used covertly by Army "Green Beret" special forces for training Thai and Laotian counter-insurgents - the USAF TC-121 squadron originally planned for Nam Phong in 1968

Roast Chicken With Potatoes And Carrots Ina Garten, Hollywood Hillbillies 2021, Bia Northwest Regional Office, Response To Funny Seeing You Here, Advantages And Disadvantages Of Secret Key Encryption, Articles N