Agent Orange

[98valk]

I lost my older cousin due to AO. Decades later it eventually destroyed his liver.

https://www.infowars.com/report-same-people-behind-failed-agent-orange-study-in-charge-of-vaccine-safety-at-cdc/

When historians write about the Vaccine Decades (1976–2020), there are two names that will live in infamy: Dr. Frank DeStefano, and Dr. Coleen Boyle.

In the 1980s, Congress mandated Agent Orange studies. Frank and Coleen ended the studies two years early, ensuring that “no link” would be found between illnesses being reported by injured veterans and dioxin. The early termination of the study allowed the US Department of Veterans Affairs to deny any connection between Agent Orange and medical problems, preventing veterans and their families from qualifying for compensations. Here’s your hurt, what’s your hurry. The Boyle/Destefano team bamboozle was outed by Admiral Zumwalt who went to the President and laid out the science in a classified report (now declassified):

“Without exception, the experts who reviewed the work of the Advisory Committee disagreed with its findings and further questioned the validity of the Advisory Committee’s review of studies on non — Hodgkin’s lymphomas .”

“a decision which should have been based on scientific data was reduced to vague impressions”

[One impartial review team’s results were] “a stunning indictment of the Advisory Committee’s scientific interpretation and policy judgments”

“1987 Followup Examination Results,” described statistically significant increases in health problems among Ranch Handers including all cancers”

“The work of the Veterans’ Advisory Committee on Environmental Hazards, as documented in their November 2, 1989 transcript, has little or no scientific merit, and should not serve as a basis for compensation or regulatory decisions of any sort.”

“the Air Force could just as easily have concluded that the health problems associated with the Ranch Handers were not necessarily related to eating beer nuts.”

“Shamefully, the deception, fraud and political interference that has characterized government-sponsored studies on the health effects of exposure to Agent Orange and/or dioxin has not escaped studies ostensibly conducted by independent reviewers, a factor that has only further compounded the erroneous conclusions reached by the government.”

The Zumwalt report concluded:

[specialdose]

     I was stationed at Bien Hoa, 67-68. That was home base for Ranch Hand. I was Air Force ground refueling. Over the wing refueling meant I stood under the wing feeding the hose on a rope to their crewman on the wing. Stood there countless times with that mess dripping on me from the nozzles under the wings. Young and dumb we joked about it helping to keep mosquitoes off of us. I have been doing a lot of reading on Phenoxyl-Dioxin, Agent Orange. Nasty crapp. I have an appointment with VA April. Having several health issues that could be related though it has been 50yrs. A lot of bad press about VA but good reports in my area about service at our annex.

[98valk]

     I was stationed at Bien Hoa, 67-68. That was home base for Ranch Hand. I was Air Force ground refueling. Over the wing refueling meant I stood under the wing feeding the hose on a rope to their crewman on the wing. Stood there countless times with that mess dripping on me from the nozzles under the wings. Young and dumb we joked about it helping to keep mosquitoes off of us. I have been doing a lot of reading on Phenoxyl-Dioxin, Agent Orange. Nasty crapp. I have an appointment with VA April. Having several health issues that could be related though it has been 50yrs. A lot of bad press about VA but good reports in my area about service at our annex.

the testing is pretty good today.  did u apply for the monthly check u should be getting?  older friend of mine, he did two tours, said he gets the check.

[specialdose]

     First time going to VA. That is why it is taking so long for my appointment. Very nice guy on the phone said I would be assigned  a Dr. and any further appointments would be timely. Said the first thing would be to give me a physical. Told me to fast, bring all meds and make a list of health issues. In answer to your question about check, no. I served honorably and have never asked for anything but if I am due any compensation I will gratefully except it.

[Jess from VA]

     First time going to VA. That is why it is taking so long for my appointment. Very nice guy on the phone said I would be assigned  a Dr. and any further appointments would be timely. Said the first thing would be to give me a physical. Told me to fast, bring all meds and make a list of health issues. In answer to your question about check, no. I served honorably and have never asked for anything but if I am due any compensation I will gratefully except it.

Larry, it's worth your time to do some reading up on VA herbicide presumptive disease laws and regs, before your physical.  https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/conditions/

When you served on the ground in RVN, you are presumed by law to have been exposed (and no further proof on that issue is necessary).

I posted this additional info a short time back, but will do it again.

In addition to the rules for presumptive service connection for a list of specified diseases (for possible disability payments and medical treatment), you should also know that VA also must grant service connection in two additional situations.  

1.. Secondary service connection..... where you may have a disease that was directly caused by some other service connected disease (like a presumptive herbicide disease).  So say you have diabetes (I think type 2 only) which is a presumptive herbicide exposure disease.  Thousands and thousands of guys argued successfully (supported by solid medical evidence) that this directly led to their (remote from service onset of) Ischemic Heart Disease.  Today, Ischemic Heart Disease is on the list of presumed herbicide diseases, but for many years it was not on that list, and it was all the successful secondary service connection claims that directly lead to ischemic heart disease being added as just another presumptive herbicide disease.

2...Service connection on a aggravation theory..... where you have a disease (with onset many years after service separation) which was not caused by some other service connected disease (like a presumptive herbicide disease), but which was aggravated by a service connected disease.  And aggravation means increased in severity beyond ordinary progress, than it would have otherwise been because of that other service connected disease.

Unlike being granted service connection for a disease presumed by law to be causally related to herbicide exposure (where all you have to show is that you: 1) served on the ground in RVN and 2) later manifested any of the listed diseases), to succeed in any secondary service connection or aggravation service connection claim, you must produce competent medical evidence and opinion supporting your actual cause and effect claim.  That evidence can be solid medical evidence found in medical articles and discussions found on line, but more often must be obtained by you paying out of your own pocket for such evidence and opinion from a private doctor (and specialists are better than GPs)

So the reason I'm laying this all out, is that when you walk into your (free) special VA herbicide examination, if you have done all your own homework beforehand, and if you think you may have an argument that you have something that may have been caused by a presumptive herbicide disease, or something that was made worse (aggravated, if not caused) by a presumptive herbicide disease, you can make your case with the VA doctor(s) performing your examination, and hopefully he/they will include an opinion on that issue in their report of examination.  You can certainly ask that they do.  And the ideal way to raise this at your VA exam, and get him to comment on it in his exam report, is to hand the VA doc a 2-page medical article you copied off the internet, that supports your issue.  (And the doc should forward that 2 pages along with his exam report, for inclusion in your official VA claims folder).

Of course, that VA doc opinion can go for or against you, but at least you have presented your issue to a doctor who hopefully is specially trained in herbicide medicine, and that opinion did not cost you out of your own pocket as it would for a private specialist opinion.  (and some private doctors may be willing to talk with you about your issue, but are reluctant to actually write you such an opinion to use in a VA claim)

And this approach can save a lot of time.  If, after the VA herbicide exam, you are granted service connection for say diabetes II.  And you believe you have something else caused or aggravated by diabetes II, now you have to start from scratch with a new claim, and pay for your own medical exam and opinion to support it.  VA will never automatically provide you with a medical exam (with a request for an opinion), if the only evidence in support of the claim you submit is your own unsubstantiated and lay opinion (and it does not matter if you are absolutely correct in your opinion, lay medical opinions are granted ZERO evidenciary value in all VA claims adjudication).  But if it's already discussed in the initial VA herbicide exam report, and the VA doc gives an opinion in support in his report (or even says it's 50/50), VA can allow that claim as soon as they read that report.

Anyone reporting to VA for a medical examination for any purpose can help themselves by considering these issues before the exam, and asking the VA doc(s) about it and asking them for an opinion in their report.  Of course, if the exam is by a foot doctor, and your problem is with your eyes, this will not work.  But there are plenty of cases where you can get ahead of the slow VA adjudication times and procedures, by preparing and doing some homework before reporting for any VA examination.    

[3fan4life]

My oldest brother was in Nam in 67-68.

He died in 2015 from exposure to Agent Orange.

I said that he got killed in Nam and didn't know it.

[specialdose]

Thanks Jess I was certainly do all that before I make my appointment hope this reply comes out well I'm on my telephone

[Jess from VA]

Thanks Jess I was certainly do all that before I make my appointment hope this reply comes out well I'm on my telephone

Received clearly.  Welcome.  And always willing to help with any questions.

[Savage]

My old buddy served in Vietnam and was exposed to Agent Orange.
He's in bad, bad shape. Fought the VA for years before finally getting rated for it. Nasty stuff.

[Atl-Jerry]

I lost a friend last year, he was a telecom cable splicer.  He would dig a hole and sit in it all day repairing cables.

[JimmyG]

I was in the AO a lot as well. My VA experience so far has been a disaster. Also a Desert Storm participant, same scenario, denials, denials, denials, even with supporting evidence on exit medical records stating the known problems. I also can talk the medical lingo, being in Medical field for 42 years, yet they will not budge on their decisions.
 
I have a friend who is 100% disabled from VA, 15 years younger than me, that was in same unit I was in Desert Storm. They denied him, he chose a hearing as a final effort to get a claim, they met with him, he gave his side of the story, bingo, he got 100%. This guy is not a real bright bulb at all, but a good guy none the less.   My theory, some get the lucky lotto number, some don't. Makes no difference how much you prepare. Even with evidence, they deny as long as they can or you die.   

[Hooter]

When I was a kid in order to have any money I worked my way through school. I sold, trimmed / harvested / planted pine trees. Harvested blueberries with shakers, all at the same farm.

I remember being in the blueberry fields and hearing a plane. The next thing I knew, here it came spraying the field right along with us. Never asked what it was but it stunk and came down heavy. Couldn't have been good for anyone. No one ever said a thing about it.

[MarkT]

I didn't know where all my chronic problems came from.  None of my 4 siblings have them.  Turns out I was poisened by AO in the bomb dump at Takhli, and again at U-Tapao. Especially at Takhli, they sprayed an oily substance all over our work area and claimed it was "bug spray". Oh yeah the bugs were dead. That crap got all over us as we worked. The VA finally acknowledged I was exposed and damaged by herbicides last year.  Still no payment for my problems but that's a start.