Washington, D.C.: 1776 I Street, NW, 9th Floor, Washington, D.C 20006 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. 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. Soldiers lived, worked, and conducted recreational activities near the perimeter and in areas well within the 500-meter drift zone. Health Care and Agent Orange Registry Health Exam: 1-877-222-8387 (Ask to speak to the Environmental Health Coordinator or Patient Care Advocate) Compensation and Other Benefits: 1 800 827-1000. 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policy, but the Memorandum was never corrected, amended, or removed from the Manual and VA continues to apply the outdated Memorandum to Thailand base perimeter claims. arrived at Nam Phong, asked 'someone else ' (PVT, PFC, etc.) In researching I have come across several fellow marines that I served dead from cancers and others having similar problems I am curently appling for benefits for these problems. 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. Air Force documents confirm that herbicide deliveries not associated with RANCH HAND were transported to and from Thailand. However, at that time, if the veteran did not serve in Vietnam, VA regulations provided no presumption of exposure for that veteran. This suggests that the defoliant improvement projects occurred after the herbicide testing (1964-1965). Although most of the Air Force bases in Thailand were seen as staging hubs for operations within Vietnam, military personnel located throughout Thailand were also subjected to hostile attacks from Communists. During the detail, he used defoliants that were contained in 55-gallon drums with orange stripes. Box 449, Deland, FL 32721, Orlando, FL: 605 E. Robinson Street Suite 635, Orlando, FL 32801 In Mr. Hogstads statement, he said that he observed a C-123 aircraft mounted with spray equipment next to barrels with orange stripes. I have had colon cancer, Skin cancer, High blood pressure, arthritis in all my joints,TIAs acid reflux, Hplori.possible liver cancer,Glucoma, Heart disease irregular heart beats high liver enzymes for years, bone degeneration. The color distortion caused by leaking barrels containing herbicides is noted in pictures of herbicides stored on Johnston Atoll. From February 2 to 5, 1969, RANCH HAND flew Laos missions from Udorn. Following the passing of the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, there are now three new conditions on the Agent Orange presumptive list. We started receiving equipment from Danang. I was in Nam Phong with Army Special Forces from January 1972 through May 1972. Good luck to all and Semper Fi. "Agent Orange" refers to a blend of tactical herbicides the U.S. military sprayed in the jungles of Vietnam and around the Korean. Now, veterans who served at any U.S. or Thai base from January 9, 1962 to June 30 1976, without regard to the Veterans MOS or where on base they were located, are eligible for presumptive service connection. With those mandates, VA instituted a systematic process that restricts the law and ensures that otherwise qualifying veterans and their families are denied benefits. Command Sergeant Major Witkin stated that he personally observed Udorn-based grounds personnel often spraying herbicides, including Agent Orange, on the vegetation located in and around the barracks areas and on the base perimeter. He stated the personnel spraying around the barracks told him the herbicide was Agent Orange. National Archives records also reveal that herbicides were delivered to Takhli on April 7, 1973. Population in 2009 (millions) Percentage of Province Sprayed During 1960s. The distance between base perimeters and other base activities was normally well below 500 meters. Agent Orange exposure can cause several serious illnesses, as well as birth defects in the children of veterans who were exposed to the chemical. yet assertive representation for our clients. Fast Letter 09-20 dealt exclusively with Haas-related claims from Thailand veterans that had been stayed. We theen went to Bien Hoa for fefueling and and other things. Cleveland, OH: 600 Superior Ave. East, Fifth Third Building, Suite 1300, Cleveland, OH, 44114 In response to a 1971-72 Congressional record, an Air Force consultant wrote, [t]he Air Force does not and has not used any defoliants that are not in general use in this country. Later, in the 1980s, the government did indeed ban the use of all 2,4,5-T based herbicides for the same reasons it previously stopped the use of Agent Orange (a 2,4,5-T based herbicide) in Vietnamcontamination with 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, or TCDD.. I have pictures of Thais using elephants to remove foliage that was dead from spraying and cleared from our base. The threats toward Air Force bases were legitimate and a serious concern for military units stationed in Thailand. Although these missions were classified, they demonstrate the robust relationship between U.S. military in Thailand and Operation RANCH HAND. VA has establishedpresumptive service connectionfor these veterans, meaning that VA will assume exposure to Agent Orange if veterans can prove that they served in Thailand, at any US or Thai base, between January 9, 1962 and June 30, 1976. If you have a health condition caused by exposure to the herbicide Agent Orange during your service, you may be eligible for VA disability compensation. kms.) Ill let you know how it goes. These presumptions result in the award of VA benefits, such as disability compensation, health care, etc. Patricia Kime is a senior writer covering military and veterans health care, medicine and personnel issues. 203, San Jose, CA 95134 This directly coincides with Air Force documents stating that defoliation operations around the Udorn perimeter occurred during this period. 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. Leaking barrels also directly exposed service members to herbicides. 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. Children who have certain birth defects and are biological children of Vietnam-era veterans may be eligible for VA compensation, healthcare and vocational training. 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. The Agent Orange litigation team relied heavily on perimeter spraying, which is noted in its 1984 files. Command Sergeant Major Kenneth Witkin stated that grounds personnel informed him they were using Agent Orange when he observed them spraying around barracks. Instead, the law mandated that a veteran show as a factual matter that they were as likely as not exposed to an herbicide agent like those used in Vietnam. In other cases, the VA gets new information about exposure to toxins or side effects that make veterans eligible for additional benefits. In December 2019, DOD published its updated list of locations where Agent Orange and other herbicides were tested, used, or stored outside of Vietnam. Phone number 9197780046. 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. In August 1963, the government of Thailand requested aerial spraying services from RANCH HAND aircraft to assist with its locust problem. 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. It is imperative to note that sworn statements of Airmen referenced throughout this report predate the Air Force Historical Research Agency discovering and/or releasing documents showing movement of herbicides from Vietnam to Thailand. What Benefits Do I Get From Agent Orange Exposure? Surviving spouses agent orange widows, dependent children and dependent parents of veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange or other herbicides during service and died as the result of the diseases related to exposure may be eligible for healthcare, compensation, education and home loan benefits. He wrote in a sworn statement that he was twice assigned the task of diagnosing and repairing a Buffalo Turbine fogger/sprayer unit which sprayed the base consistently for insects and defoliated the base perimeter and other areas on the base. He witnessed drums with orange, blue, or white bands being stored in a shed at the AGE facility surrounded by defoliated soil. Copyright 2023 Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick LTD. All Rights Reserved. The class consisted of twelve non-commissioned officers. Buddy statements from anyone who served with Special Forces at Nam Phong would be helpful. In view of the above, a mowing operation for vegetation control will be impossible. TDD (for hearing impaired): 1 800 827-4833. Moreover, those members assigned to disperse herbicides by truck-mounted or backpack systems would certainly have been exposed. Vietnam (Vietnamese: Vit Nam, [vt nm] (), commonly abbreviated VN), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country in Southeast Asia.It is located at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of 331,212 square kilometres (127,882 sq mi) and population of 99 million, making it the world's fifteenth-most populous country. Fast Letter 09-20 states in part: The stay affected a large number of veteran claimants with service in Thailand during the Vietnam era. You should contact the VA immediately if you or a loved one served in one of the designated Agent Orange exposure locations. Until 2009, VA made no distinction between commercial and tactical herbicides. These cookies collect information about how you use our website. Diese Region ist Siedlungsgebiet von vielen ethnischen Minderheiten, wobei die Stadt Sa Pa am Fue des Phan-xi-png die meisten Touristen anzieht. 404 of the Honoring Our PACT Act (the short name being, Fair Care for Vietnam Veterans Act) which lists two additional diseases that can be service connected. age 60 but have had most of these for years, Terry Good luck and take care of yourself. Honoring Our PACT Act Expands Eligibility for Thailand Veterans and more, Agent Orange Presumptive Conditions List Updates, New Conditions on The Agent Orange Presumptive List. 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.. Agent Orange was made up of 2,4-D, 2,4,5-T. Its contaminant TCDD is a highly toxic byproduct of producing Agent Orange. I served with VMFA -115 72-73 Nam Phong.. At age 53 I had a six way heart bypass. These days, there are fewer and fewer letters delivered to the Capitol by the U.S. Gymnastics will be held on May 6-9 at the Olympic Stadium Centre's Marquee Tent in Phnom Penh. To find out more, view our Privacy Policy. widows, dependent children and dependent parents, Agent Orange Babies: The Effects of Agent Orange on Veterans Offspring, Benefits Every Veteran Needs to Know About (including 100 VA Disability Benefits) - 2023 Edition. The military used herbicides to clear foliage from the jungles and base camps of Vietnam. Rick, The statement is in direct opposition to Defense Department documents that explicitly state herbicides were sprayed in Thailand in the early 1970s to protect bases from counterinsurgency attacks. Toll-free Helpline: 1 800 749-8487 Press 3. Exposure to herbicides in a location other than Vietnam or the DMZ, such as by loading, transporting, or storing them while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. They routinely use this distinction as justification for denying Thailand exposure claims. Application of herbicides must be directed toward retarding growth to provide a cleared area. Japan Nov. 1971 - July, 1972; Nam Phong Thailand, July 1972 - Nov., 1972. Phong's silver medal was a disappointing result for himself but was still a good sign for his coaches, who believed he would lift Vit Nam to the top podium again at the next Games. The team also focused on exposure resulting from procuring, shipping, storing, or loading herbicides. Da Nang is one of Vietnam's major ports, a city rich in history. Agent Orange is just one of the rainbow herbicides that the United States used. The stories vary on pretty much the same theme: ' someone ' (officer, etc.) To learn more about current Agent Orange presumptions for Thailand, please visit CCKs PACT Act breakdown. It's been called "the worst base in Thailand, but the best base we had in Vietnam." It was the home of the 56th Air Commando Wing, renamed in 1968 the 56th Special Operations Wing. John Scott, an Airman stationed at Ubon from 1969 to 1972, stated that he assisted in loading barrels ofAgent Orange onto C-123sduring the first part of his tour. 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. Years Later, Some Are Saddled With Debt. The new list covers tactical herbicides including Agents Orange, Purple, Pink, Green, Blue, White and their active ingredients. 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. These veterans have been left behind by the current limitations on the presumption of toxic exposure to Agent Orange. I was a vehicle mechanic. Keep reading to find out if you may be eligible. . I also have many illnesses and have a claim in for Parkinson etc. The office recommended that the Pentagon refine the list so that it was as complete and accurate as available records allow, develop a process for updating the list, develop criteria for determining locations and work with VA to keep veterans informed of the information. Service in Vietnam, during the Vietnam War for any length of time between January 9, 1962 and May 7, 1975, OR ; Service in or near the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) for any length of time between September 1, 1967 and August 31, 1971 , OR ; Service aboard a U.S. military vessel that entered the inland waterways of Vietnam, OR ; Service aboard a vessel operating not more than 12 nautical miles seaward of the demarcation line of the waters of Vietnam and Cambodia (c.f.
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