do You Know Us Navy Veterans Who Served During Vietnam, Please Read.

[provoman]

https://www.benefits.va.gov/benefits/blue-water-navy.asp

Beginning Jan. 1, 2020, Veterans who served as far as 12 nautical miles from the shore of Vietnam, or who had service in the Korean Demilitarized Zone, are presumed to have been exposed to herbicides, such as Agent Orange, and may be entitled to service connection for any of the 14 conditions related to herbicide exposure.  VA is also now able to extend benefits to children with spina bifida whose BWN Veteran parent may have been exposed while serving.

Diseases related to Agent Orange
We believe that contact with Agent Orange, an herbicide used to clear trees and plants during the Vietnam War, likely causes several illnesses. We refer to these as Agent Orange presumptive diseases. Find out if you can get disability compensation or benefits if you had contact with Agent Orange while serving in the military and now have one or more of the illnesses listed below.

Cancers we believe are caused by contact with Agent Orange

• Chronic B-cell leukemia: A type of cancer that affects your white blood cells (cells in your body’s immune system that help to fight off illnesses and infections)
• Hodgkin’s disease: A type of cancer that causes your lymph nodes, liver, and spleen to get bigger and your red blood cells to decrease (called anemia)
• Multiple myeloma: A type of cancer that affects your plasma cells (white blood cells made in your bone marrow that help to fight infection)
• Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma: A group of cancers that affect the lymph glands and other lymphatic tissue (a part of your immune system that helps to fight infection and illness)
• Prostate cancer: Cancer of the prostate (the gland in men that helps to make semen)
• Respiratory cancers (including lung cancer): Cancers of the organs involved in breathing (including the lungs, larynx, trachea, and bronchus)
• Soft tissue sarcomas (other than osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, Kaposi’s sarcoma, or mesothelioma): Different types of cancers in body tissues such as muscle, fat, blood and lymph vessels, and connective tissue

 

Other illnesses we believe are caused by contact with Agent Orange

• AL amyloidosis: A rare illness that happens when an abnormal protein (called amyloid) builds up in your body’s tissues, nerves, or organs (like your heart, kidneys, or liver) and causes damage over time
• Chloracne (or other types of acneiform disease like it): A skin condition that happens soon after contact with chemicals and looks like acne often seen in teenagers. Under our rating regulations, it must be at least 10% disabling within 1 year of contact with herbicides.
• Diabetes mellitus type 2: An illness that happens when your body is unable to properly use insulin (a hormone that turns blood glucose, or sugar, into energy), leading to high blood sugar levels
• Ischemic heart disease: A type of heart disease that happens when your heart doesn’t get enough blood (and the oxygen the blood carries). It often causes chest pain or discomfort.
• Parkinson’s disease: An illness of the nervous system (the network of nerves and fibers that send messages between your brain and spinal cord and other areas of your body) that affects your muscles and movement—and gets worse over time
• Peripheral neuropathy, early onset: An illness of the nervous system that causes numbness, tingling, and weakness. Under our rating regulations, it must be at least 10% disabling within 1 year of contact with herbicides.
• Porphyria cutanea tarda: A rare illness that can make your liver stop working the way it should and can cause your skin to thin and blister when you’re out in the sun. Under VA’s rating regulations, it must be at least 10% disabling within 1 year of contact with herbicides.

[provoman]

Synopsis on how presumption works.

You served in the US Navy during Vietnam

Your Ship was within 12 nautical miles of Vietnam

You now have one or more of the listed conditions above,

The Department of Veterans affairs "presumes" your current illness is due to exposure to agent orange during your service in the water of Vietnam.  This means, you show your service, identify your ship, and show your current medical condition.

[bluebell]

My uncle served in the Navy in Vietnam, but he hasn't had any of the diseases listed above (or symptoms of any of them).  I can pass the info on to him though.  It's it new?

[Bill “Papa” Lee]

1 hour ago, provoman said:

Synopsis on how presumption works.

You served in the US Navy during Vietnam

Your Ship was within 12 nautical miles of Vietnam

You now have one or more of the listed conditions above,

The Department of Veterans affairs "presumes" your current illness is due to exposure to agent orange during your service in the water of Vietnam.  This means, you show your service, identify your ship, and show your current medical condition.

Short comment, this is good. Airplanes this close to Vietnam this close to shore, were often equipped with “Agent Orange”, on Aircraft Carriers“, if not winds could easily carry this “Agent Orange” to those ships. Personally, it will in time be increased, as winds can carry such airborne agents, much further (or is it it “farther”) under certain, if not even, normal conditions. About time the military has stepped up, concerning this serious issue. I remember when in the Army, we were often used as “genie pigs”, or “lap rats”, who were required to take any, and every shot they required. About five weeks in we had to take the “swine flu” shot. It was a very bad night, most of us felt as it we were so sick we might die, others had serious reactions, and had to be hospitalized. As odd as this may sound, training was canceled on a weekday, something unheard of in basic training, as we were all in great shape. But, once in the military, you are Government property, in every way the term can be used. 

[cherryTreez]

My dad has cancer from agent orange. My uncle died from cancer as well from his time in the military. It's horrible.

[provoman]

4 hours ago, bluebell said:

My uncle served in the Navy in Vietnam, but he hasn't had any of the diseases listed above (or symptoms of any of them).  I can pass the info on to him though.  It's it new?

Yes and no as to being new. I believe the "new" is "within 12 nautical miles off the coast of Vietnam" (I think there was a lawsuit on that issue).

One thing I forgot to add, is that individuals who have any of those conditions and it is presumed to be from agent orange are entitled to monthly tax free compensation. 

And yes, tell your Dad as he may know others who need the information....sadly some Navy Veterans may have applied for compensation years ago and were denied. 

[provoman]

4 hours ago, Bill “Papa” Lee said:

Short comment, this is good. Airplanes this close to Vietnam this close to shore, were often equipped with “Agent Orange”, on Aircraft Carriers“, if not winds could easily carry this “Agent Orange” to those ships. Personally, it will in time be increased, as winds can carry such airborne agents, much further (or is it it “farther”) under certain, if not even, normal conditions. About time the military has stepped up, concerning this serious issue. I remember when in the Army, we were often used as “genie pigs”, or “lap rats”, who were required to take any, and every shot they required. About five weeks in we had to take the “swine flu” shot. It was a very bad night, most of us felt as it we were so sick we might die, others had serious reactions, and had to be hospitalized. As odd as this may sound, training was canceled on a weekday, something unheard of in basic training, as we were all in great shape. But, once in the military, you are Government property, in every way the term can be used. 

On a different note, another change happened in Jan 2020, commissary privileges were expanded to all Veterans with a Purple Heart and expanded to all Veterans with a service connected disability.

[Duncan]

My Uncle was in the German Navy in WW2, he probably gave people those diseases🚢

[Jeanne]

My brother.  It passed away 2 years ago...developed diabetes and all kinds of problems.  Too little too late to find out any connections to the above.

[katherine the great]

I knew about Vietnam, but the Korean demilitarization zone? I had no idea.