Keep them in your prayers

The only issue that has concerned me is that because there is no test for agent orange, how many, if any, of the Veterans who have come down with cancer and claim it was from agent orange, was it?

Before anyone starts telling me that I’m a conspiracist, I know of 1 and 1 only veteran that did have and died from lung cancer, who never was affected by agent orange. How do I know? Well, according to him, he told me that he was never in an area where they used agent orange, but when he was diagnosed with lung cancer, he applied for it anyway and was included in the program.
 
My understanding, as I was informed by the VA is that they have a list of maladies that they have positively associated with Agent Orange, that if you show those symptoms, it will be assumed that they resulted from Agent Orange exposure if you were in those areas in Vietnam. You don't claim it resulted from Agent Orange. If your malady is on the list, it is automatically assumed and treated as such.

Further, there are a myriad of possible complications resulting from exposure to Agent Orange, but there is no specific test for Agent Orange present in your system. If you start showing certain symptoms such as respiratory issues, for example, then the VA is all over it because, though they can't be certain it results from Agent Orange, they do know that if it is, it can get serious very quickly.

I am sure there are people who will take advantage of the way this situation works, but there are many who won't, including me. I am not involved with the VA to get everything I can out of them, and am careful to not mislead them in any way. Hopefully, there are more like this than not, though I have heard enough tales of people making claims to fraudulently get treatment and/or money they aren't really entitled to. The VA does have mechanisms in place for reporting these situations, which are punishable by jail time. So if you do know of such a situation, you can report it to the VA.

Edit: I should add, as per 911's post, that I am not making any kind of claim with the VA on my situation with this respiratory thing (not that you said anything of the sort, but I thought I would add this as an afterthought), but instead am just going as I would for any other non-service-connected treatment. But the VA, knowing what they do, does take such issues seriously to be sure it isn't that so if it is, the appropriate treatment can be applied and if not, normal treatment for respiratory issues is applied as it would be with any civilian doctor. When you go to the VA, you can assign them as your primary care, which I did on the advice of the doctor because I do have some service-connected stuff.

Tony
 
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fmdog44 said:
And the people of Viet Nam suffering still from birth defects and cancer? What about them?
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I don't know, and I don't know if you are asking rhetorically or with a real concern that would spur you to take action on their behalf. If it is the latter, then I would suggest contacting your Congress person and starting an inquiry and possibly start a thread in this sub-forum to further discuss it to determine other courses of action you could take. There may well be people here knowledgeable on that.

Tony
 
911 said:
The only issue that has concerned me is that because there is no test for agent orange, how many, if any, of the Veterans who have come down with cancer and claim it was from agent orange, was it?

Before anyone starts telling me that I’m a conspiracist, I know of 1 and 1 only veteran that did have and died from lung cancer, who never was affected by agent orange. How do I know? Well, according to him, he told me that he was never in an area where they used agent orange, but when he was diagnosed with lung cancer, he applied for it anyway and was included in the program.
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Despite being at Ft McClellan Alabama for 4 months the VA refuses my claim for agent orange. They said if I could provide the connection of exposure I would get benefits. I believe I did supply the connection, where I was, where they sprayed.🤦🏻‍♀️ Frustrating.

Plus it was manufactured outside the base in Anniston. But, while closed for years, Ft McClellan is not a super site. So unfair to all the woman vets who went through McClellan and have issues.
 
Here's what I got from the VA. I guess the list allows some to claim agent orange damage while never being exposed to it. :(
Forgive the green check marks. they were what I had to report has happened at some time over the last 50 years. Some may or may not be related to my exposure. Our area of operations (III corps) was listed as the heaviest concentration of agent orange spraying.

36885961_10217106175511028_3974586164764999680_n.jpgAO.jpg
 
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squatting dog said:
Here's what I got from the VA. I guess the list allows some to claim agent orange damage while never being exposed to it. :(
Forgive the green check marks. they were what I had to report has happened at some time over the last 50 years. Some may or may not be related to my exposure. Our area of operations (III corps) was listed as the heaviest concentration of agent orange spraying.

View attachment 126373View attachment 126374
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Interesting and thanks for posting these. I have not seen the map before, but assume the shaded areas were those you are referring to. I operated right in largest two, as well as the area between these. I do not have the list, but have seen it at the VA. My doctor has it.

Tony
 
tbeltrans said:
Interesting and thanks for posting these. I have not seen the map before, but assume the shaded areas were those you are referring to. I operated right in largest two, as well as the area between these. I do not have the list, but have seen it at the VA. My doctor has it.

Tony
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Yes, the shaded areas are war zone's C and D and the upper one is military region 10 which took in some of Cambodia. Those zones wwere where the heaviest defoliation was used, although most of II corps was sprayed at one time or another.
Welcome home brother. (y)
 
squatting dog said:
Yes, the shaded areas are war zone's C and D and the upper one is military region 10 which took in some of Cambodia. Those zones wwere where the heaviest defoliation was used, although most of II corps was sprayed at one time or another.
Welcome home brother. (y)
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Thanks Welcome back to you too. I really appreciate your posting that map. It explains a lot.

Tony
 
squatting dog said:
Hey, here's a link you might find useful. Lots of good info here.

http://www.rjsmith.com/topo_map.html
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Thanks! Lots of stuff to look over and learn. My experience was getting dumped in the middle of it at 18 years old and not knowing which end was up. I try to keep it in the past for the most part, but some of this information may help me understand some of the things I am experiencing now. It seems that you have a pretty good handle on your own situation, which is a really good thing.

Tony
 
Warrigal said:
Our boys were at Nui Dat. I can't see that on the map but I am presuming that it it is near Long Khanh (Long Tan?)
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Here is a link that will show you maps and some description of the area:

https://battleoflongtan.com/maps-battle-long-tan-nui-dat/

It was south of where I was, bordering on the provinces I was in, so I am not familiar with it. I did run into a fair number of Australians though, but don't remember them mentioning Nui Dat.

Tony
 
There was this guy...kinda weird...that i used to work with way back when, like almost 35 yrs ago, and his skin was tinted orange. From the Agent Orange. He walked around with a pocket knife attached to his jeans belt loop. Loner, none of us girls would go near him. His hair may have been orange too...he always wore a cap.
 
squatting dog said:
Here's what I got from the VA. I guess the list allows some to claim agent orange damage while never being exposed to it. :(
Forgive the green check marks. they were what I had to report has happened at some time over the last 50 years. Some may or may not be related to my exposure. Our area of operations (III corps) was listed as the heaviest concentration of agent orange spraying.

View attachment 126373View attachment 126374
Click to expand...
There is an updated list on line as well. Agent orange exposure was everywhere in Vietnam and if you left a plane in Vietnam, your boots touched the ground in Vietnam, then you immediately got back on a plane to elsewhere. You still get benefits.

Plus the blue water vets get benefits as well. If they were on a ship, off the coast of Vietnam-benefits. I can’t remember all the vets Stationed at places in the states who get be benefits due to agent orange but the list is on line.

Civilians in and around Anniston, AL, got settlements for exposure as well. As I previous said, Ft McClellan vets, no benefits. The VA admits I have many of the associated diseases associated with agent orange but say I have not proved the exposure point. 🤦🏻‍♀️
 
Aneeda72 said:
There is an updated list on line as well. Agent orange exposure was everywhere in Vietnam and if you left a plane in Vietnam, your boots touched the ground in Vietnam, then you immediately got back on a plane to elsewhere. You still get benefits.

Plus the blue water vets get benefits as well. If they were on a ship, off the coast of Vietnam-benefits. I can’t remember all the vets Stationed at places in the states who get be benefits due to agent orange but the list is on line.

Civilians in and around Anniston, AL, got settlements for exposure as well. As I previous said, Ft McClellan vets, no benefits. The VA admits I have many of the associated diseases associated with agent orange but say I have not proved the exposure point. 🤦🏻‍♀️
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It took them quite a while to even acknowledge the effects on our ground troops, and longer yet for the blue water vets. Let's hope they catch up to the Ft McClellan one's now.🇺🇸
 
Aneeda72 said:
There is an updated list on line as well. Agent orange exposure was everywhere in Vietnam and if you left a plane in Vietnam, your boots touched the ground in Vietnam, then you immediately got back on a plane to elsewhere. You still get benefits.

Plus the blue water vets get benefits as well. If they were on a ship, off the coast of Vietnam-benefits. I can’t remember all the vets Stationed at places in the states who get be benefits due to agent orange but the list is on line.

Civilians in and around Anniston, AL, got settlements for exposure as well. As I previous said, Ft McClellan vets, no benefits. The VA admits I have many of the associated diseases associated with agent orange but say I have not proved the exposure point. 🤦🏻‍♀️
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My current understanding is that the VA has a system of "priorities", in which what you copay and what services you get are based on ratings for service-connected disabilities. I am not sure I understand it all, so what I say may not be entirely accurate on this. Congress can decide to cut the number of vets getting medical care through the VA. The lowest priority are those who have no service-connected disabilities, and they would be cut first. They also pay the most copay and for the most services provided. The next priority level is again those without service connected disabilities, but who have been determined to have financial hardship, based on income and where they live. All the remaining priorities are based on percentage of service-connected disability. This is how it was explained to me, so if others here have other information, please do correct what I said here.

Based on that, as far as I know, all veterans can be eligible for medical care at the VA, though I am again not fully clear on this because I do know of some who have been denied, and whether coincidentally or not, were nowhere near any combat zone.

I am sure that the VA provides guidance to the people who determine eligibility, which is something we have to go through before we get to avail ourselves of the VA's medical services.

Tony
 
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