Since the Vietnam War ended, thousands of Vietnam veterans have died each year due to Agent Orange exposure, PTSD and other illnesses as a result of their service. Kate was among them, hoping get some good news at last. Pete Naylor was born on March 18, 1947, and enlisted in the Army in July 1968, at age 21. Hit enter to expand a main menu option (Health, Benefits, etc). To find out more, view our Privacy Policy. These cookies allow the website to remember choices you make to give you better functionality and preferences such as text size, fonts and other customizable website elements. not. Even if you did not serve in Vietnam or the Korean demilitarized zone during the specified time periods, you can still apply for disability compensation if you were exposed to an herbicide while in the military and believe it led to the onset of a disease. There shouldnt be a category for you to get help, said Kaderlik. But over the years, the VA list of medical conditions associated with Agent Orange has grown to more than a dozen, including some that are much more prevalent. These cookies are also used to let affiliates know if you came to one of our websites from an affiliate and if your visit resulted in the use or purchase of a product or service from us, including details of the product or service purchased. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. Without these cookies, services you have asked for cannot be provided. In 1990, Zumwalt was then-Secretary of the VA Ed Derwinskis special assistant. About 40 people showed up to hear the speakers. These cookies do not store any personal information. Office of Accountability & Whistleblower Protection, Training - Exposure - Experience (TEE) Tournament, Outreach, Transition and Economic Development Home, Warrior Training Advancement Course (WARTAC), Staff Appraisal Reviewer (SAR) Information, How to Apply for Nonsupervised Automatic Authority, VALERI (VA Loan Electronic Reporting Interface). Were all Vietnam War veterans exposed to Agent Orange? In great part, Agent Orange was used to clear the foliage and brush along many of the rivers Legacy of Agent Orange in Vietnam In addition to the massive environmental devastation of the U.S. defoliation program in Vietnam, that nation has reported that EIN: 52-1149668, Copyright 2023 The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, Javascript must be enabled for the correct page display, Place your shirt order (online only) through our vendor Custom Ink between now and when the sale ends on, Shirts are produced and shipped after the order window ends on. , which was resolved with a consent decree in 1991, forced the VA to address its responsibilities to veterans exposed to Agent Orange. Learnabout evidence needed for accrued benefits, Learn how to apply for a Survivors Pension, Expands and extends eligibility forVA health care for Veterans with toxic exposures and Veterans of theVietnam, Gulf War,and post-9/11 eras, Adds 20+ morepresumptive conditions forburn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic exposures, Adds morepresumptive-exposure locations for Agent Orange and radiation, Requires VA to provide atoxic exposure screeningto every Veteran enrolled in VA health care, Helps us improve research, staff education, and treatment related to toxic exposures, Respiratory (breathing-related) cancer of any type, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Constrictive bronchiolitis or obliterative bronchiolitis, The airspace above any of these locations. Joe Moore, a former VA attorney and founding partner of Bergmann & Moore, which has successfully handled disability appeals for hundreds of veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange and other toxins during their service, said the House decision on the Blue Water Navy is a positive sign. WebVietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. File for VA disability compensation online, Learn more about how to file a disability compensation claim. VA recognizes certain medical conditions as being associated with Agent Orange exposure and thus provides presumptive service connection for these conditions to veterans with qualifying service. Since 2003, VA has granted service connection forglioblastomato 46 veterans out of 150 who have applied for disability compensation. I would not put this past VA officials, who historically have been very hostile to presumptive compensation for Vietnam veterans who claim exposure to herbicides, he said. The employees and the company gave a total of $1,500 dollars to this cause. The VA says it encourages veterans in such cases to gather medical and scientific evidence that their ailment was caused by Agent Orange and submit it to see if it qualifies them for a service-connected disability benefit. WebPeak troop strength in Vietnam: 543,482 (April 30, 1968). WebVietnam War Veterans health issues. These cookies may be set through our website by our advertising partners. To enter and activate the submenu links, hit the down arrow. . Please understand that, while your loved one's memory and service will be - Maynard Kaderlik, Vietnam Veterans of America, When the diagnosis came, both Pete and Kate were sure they knew the cause: Petes. To be sure, the lethal form of brain cancer is affecting more than American war veterans. 1. We left Washington feeling very optimistic,said Scarlett,who was accompanied by two other widows of Vietnam veterans who died of glioblastoma, Kathy Josenhans and Laurel Holt, who also gave short but substantive speeches. Do You Have Long-Term Disability Insurance Coverage? Curtis Evans, a Boston-based claims examiner with the Veterans Benefits Administration, told the crowd that taking the initiative with the VA was essential to reaping benefits if and when policy changed. On the anniversary of Petes death last month, Kate and her daughters gathered at the family home. Dewinski commissioned him to research and analyze the available evidence on veterans service-related Agent Orange exposure and illnesses for the report. Organize banner/sign hangings around the community. I was telling Ashley I know of at least 70 in North Dakota alone where the daughters can't have kids, said Stenvold. Your eligibility depends on your service history and other factors. In March, now-dismissed VA Secretary David Shulkin told the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee that he had recommended adding a handful of conditions to the list in a request to OMB last fall, but the agency was still looking at data and reviewing financial estimates. Weve added these 5 new locations to the list of presumptive locations: If you served on active duty in any of these locations, well automatically assume (or presume) that you had exposure to Agent Orange. They cant do this by themselves, says Schwartz. He was 76 years old and had recently had Covid and pneumonia. They quickly filed paperwork with the Department of Veterans Affairs, or VA, for disability payments. On or afterSeptember 11, 2001, in any of these locations: On or after August 2, 1990, in any of these locations: Yes. If you have any of these other conditions, you may be eligible for health care or benefits. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Funds (VVMF) In Memoryprogram honors those who returned home from Vietnam and later died. Its not that I want to be some kind of a trailblazer for this cause, she said, but perhaps it will help or encourage other vets and their families to pursue their claims.. If we denied your disability claim in the past and we now consider your condition presumptive, you can submit a Supplemental Claim. Unless the VA agrees that the zone is 12 miles out, many Navy veterans still could be excluded because many Navy vessels never got anywhere near three miles of the coast of Vietnam, including aircraft carriers and their big-draft support ships, such as oilers and ammo supply ships, Wildhaber said. If you have a presumptive condition, you dont need to prove that your service caused the condition. You were discharged or released between September 11, 2001, and October 1, 2013, You havent enrolled in VA health care before, High blood pressure (also called hypertension), Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), Any U.S. or Royal Thai military base in Thailandfrom January 9, 1962, throughJune 30, 1976, Laos from December 1, 1965, throughSeptember 30, 1969, Cambodia at Mimot or Krek, Kampong Cham Province from April 16, 1969, through April 30, 1969, Guam or American Samoa or in the territorial waters off of Guam or American Samoa from January 9, 1962, through July 31, 1980, Johnston Atoll or on a ship that called at Johnston Atoll from January 1, 1972, through September 30, 1977, Cleanup of the Air ForceB-52 bomber carrying nuclear weapons off the coast of, Response to the fire onboard an Air Force B-52 bomber carrying nuclear weapons near, Open burn pits and otherairborne hazards. This data may be used to help optimize our websites and make them easier for you to navigate. It was quite a moment because they couldnt question his integrity, said Wilcox. In late March, the Pittsfield Veterans Services and the local Vietnam Veterans of America chapter held an open meeting for veterans in western Massachusetts who have questions about Agent Orange exposure and navigating the VA bureaucracy. There are other locations in which veterans were likely exposed to Agent Orange, including the Korean Demilitarized Zone and Thailand. Once a disease is put on the list, it is easier to get disability compensation for it because the VA presumes the disease is a result of exposure to Agent Orange for veterans who served in Vietnam or its inland waterways between 1962 and 1975. Many U.S. veterans of the war suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. According to Stenvold, one tablespoon of Agent Orange in the drinking water of Los Angeles would kill the entire city. So why is every veteran and widow who files a disability or survivor claim forced to re-litigate the issue?. We have updated our Privacy Policy. His cause of death was glioblastoma, a lethal brain cancer that is not on the VAs list of presumptive diseases, but is being diagnosed at an evidently accelerated rate in the past few years among Vietnam veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange. Learn about other hazardous materials presumptive conditions that may make you eligible for care or benefits. "Its an everyday question kind of, you know, what's passed on, what's not passed on," said Busby. In 1979, a class action lawsuit was filed on behalf of 2.4 million veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange during their service in Vietnam.. How many died from Agent Orange? Before Peter died, and after Peter died, he was my first thought in the morning and my last thought at night, said Kate, tearing up. Have you been affected by Camp Lejeune water contamination? But the academy said that, due to gaps in the rigor of the study, such as a lack of information on the test subjects smoking and drinking habits and their exact levels of exposure, it would not revise its interpretation of the linkage. These cookies allow the website to remember choices you make to give you better functionality and personal features. 3. WebAgent Orange, mixture of herbicides that U.S. military forces sprayed in Vietnam from 1962 to 1971 during the Vietnam War for the dual purpose of defoliating forest areas that might Kathy, whos struggled physically and financially without her husband, has been fighting the VA for her survivor benefits for the last seven years. Agent Orange killed many Vietnamese , American veterans and will kill me. I leave my condition to others to decide how Agent Orange affected me men If you served in any of these locations and time periods, weve determined that you had exposure to burn pits or other toxins. The information these cookies collect will not personally identify you, and they cannot track your browsing activity on other websites. However, any veteran who served in Vietnam between January 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975, is presumed by the VA to have been exposed to Agent Orange. Pretty much zero because they die from complications related to Agent Orange. Because bodies and blood types vary, in one body Agent Orange might t He served for nearly three years, including 11 months as a helicopter crew chief in Vietnam. HOUSATONIC, Mass. Its an uphill battle, said Maynard Kaderlik, the Minnesota-based chair of the Vietnam Veterans of Americas Agent Orange and Dioxin Committee. The womans husband, a Vietnam veteran, had died of cardiac ischemia in 1983, but the VA had rejected a request for a death pension that she filed in 1985. A review of Petes service records confirms the exposure to the defoliant. Nearly 58,000 Americans and 2-3 million Vietnamese, many of them civilians, were killed in the war. The State of North Dakota provides automatic translation for nd.gov websites, courtesy of Google Translate. We have had to fight the fight for justice for what happened because of our exposure for a long time now.. Like veterans, survivors also can sometimes get retroactive payments in addition to qualifying for monthly death benefits. These ratings are based on the severity of the disabilities. In a 2007 ruling, a VA review board found that the medical opinions of three doctors who believed another veterans exposure to the defoliant had caused his esophageal cancer were enough to tilt the scales in favor of recognizing his widows claim. A pile of paperwork shes filled in her pursuit of compensation sits before her. If you apply for benefits at any time in the next year and we grant your application, well likely backdate your benefits to the date of the bill signing. Well review your case again. Other new academic studies referring to esophageal cancer and chemical exposure similar to Agent Orange published in 2013 and 2014 were mentioned in the report but deemed irrelevant due to their lack of Agent Orange specificity. These cookies dont collect information that identifies you. "Its amazing how many Vietnam veterans don't know about it and you know it's really opened the eyes, I gotta thank the North Dakota legislature because two years ago they had enough faith in us to go out and do what we're doing and it's working," said Stenvold. Though the academys past reports have recognized 50 diseases that fall under the limited or suggestive evidentiary category, the VA has only approved 14. An official website of the State of North Dakota. VA presumes Lou Gehrig's Disease (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS) diagnosed in all Veterans who had 90 days or more continuous active military service is related to their service, although ALS is not related to Agent Orange exposure. That exposure came from such things as ingestion of polluted water, cleaning off planes covered in Agent Orange, the onboard storage of Agent Orange, and missions to Vietnam that did not make it into personnel records.. He died of glioblastoma in 2011. We call this having a presumption of exposure. It is difficult to say how many Vietnam veterans have been affected by Agent Orange. We did everything they told us to do, she said. Diseases and conditions that are common among Vietnam veterans but are still not on the presumptive-diseases list include bladder cancer, high blood pressure, and glioblastoma. Scarlett, a cancer registrar with six grown children, traveled from her home near Sacramento, Calif., to the nations capital to give her impassioned presentation, which balanced memories of her husband with data shed collected about his cancer. As of March 2015, of the approximately 3 million veterans who served in Vietnam about 300,000 have already died due to AO (dioxin) related diseases The two spoke for about 10 minutes, and Evans suggested she ask for a hearing. If you are in crisis or having thoughts of suicide, He also received a large lump sum payment compensating him retroactively to his first diagnosis with ischemic heart disease. Ask about the screening at your next VA health care appointment. honors Vietnam veterans who returned home and later died, but whose deaths do . Expedition Orange Goals To raise national awareness The number of Vietnam veterans affected by the chemical Agent Orange is astonishing. The NAS has no mandate power over Veterans Affairs. The Vietnam war ended nearly 50 years ago, but thousands of Vietnam veterans and their families are still fighting illnesses related to Agent Orange exposure. 988 (Press 1). This is because VA also recognizes non-Hodgkin's lymphoma as related to service in Vietnam or the waters offshore of Vietnam during the Vietnam Era. Go to a VA regional office and have a VA employee assist you. If youre a surviving family member of a Veteran, you may be eligible for these benefits: You can submit a new application for VA dependency and indemnity compensation (VA DIC). VVMF began managing the program and hosting the ceremony in 1999. WebAgent Orange was a tactical herbicide the U.S. military used to clear leaves and vegetation for military operations mainly during the Vietnam War. In the meantime, please feel free Note:If we denied your claim in the past and we think you may be eligible now, well try to contact you. Attention A T users. Veterans who were exposed to In Memory. Kate believes the fight is worth continuing. You can find your regional office on our. Agent Orange is the name given to a blend of highly toxic herbicides the U.S. military sprayed from 1962 to 1971 in Vietnam to remove foliage that provided enemy cover. The House vote, and the fact that Scarlett and some other widows are beginning to get their claims approved, give her new hope. Yes. WebIt is difficult to say how many Vietnam veterans have been affected by Agent Orange. For one thing, the health risks of Agent Orange exposure were unknown at the time. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Funds (VVMF) In Memory program honors those who returned home from Vietnam and later died. In some cases, the resistance to adding more to the list has not been the VA but, rather the Office of Management and Budget, . The agency can go weeks or months without replying to an appeal, while sending back paperwork with a hard and fast deadline later. WebVA presumes that Veterans were exposed to Agent Orange or other herbicides if they served: In Vietnam anytime between January 9, 1962 and May 7, 1975, including brief But then Navy Admiral Elmo Zumwalt, who had personally ordered the use of Agent Orange in Vietnam, delivered a report to the VA in 1990 arguing that the chemical was dangerous to everyone exposed to it and that the government knew of the risks as far back as the 1960s. In 1986, the group helped bring the case of Beverly Nehmer, the widow of a veteran who died of an Agent Orange-related disease, to court in what later became a class action suit on behalf of all Vietnam veterans. ", Getting extra compensation certainly helps. The newly passed 2021 Defense Authorization Act has recognized three more illnesses stemming from exposure to Agent Orange during service. There are 14 diseases now presumed by the VA to be caused by Agent Orange exposure. The mission of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) is to honor and preserve the legacy of service and educate all generations about the impact of the Vietnam War. There are also other locations where we presume that you had exposure to radiation. You may be eligible for these VA benefits as the surviving family member of a Veteran: Exposure to hazardous chemicals and materials, Airborne hazards and open burn pit registry, Environmental health registry evaluation for Veterans, Camp Lejeune water contamination health issues, VA benefits for spouses, dependents, survivors, and family caregivers. The VA suggests that veterans can get help from thislist of government-accredited Veterans and Military Service Organizations. Only years later, when veterans exposed to Agent Orange started getting sick and dying, did doctors and researchers begin to draw a link back to the chemical. Learn how vehicle tech like blind spot warnings and drowsy driving alerts can help make driving safer. Veterans, Active Duty, and Military Families. But you dont need to wait for us to contact you before you reapply. Veterans who are not enrolled and who meet eligibility requirements will have an opportunity to enroll and receive the screening. I have a bad limp, neuropathy, phantom pain from nerve damage. Please remember, though, that the English language version is considered the most accurate. If someone you know has lost their battle to Agent Orange learn how to honor them in our In Memory Program. While he would not comment specifically on the type of claims coming from the Blue Water Navy or glioblastoma patients and families because he has not studied their claims, Hagel said all who file an Agent Orange claim need to be heard and respected by the VA. When you are dealing with these deadly toxic chemicals, we owe it to these people to take a closer look, he said. For the Blue Water Navy epidemiologic studies just arent available from everything I can see. The report included information from studies published in 2013 and 2014 that focused on Korean veterans of the Vietnam War (South Korea sent around 300,000 troops to the fight alongside the United States.) As Kate listened to the speakers, it became clear to her that shed have to do more than just repeatedly file appeals with the VA. After Evans spoke, she made a beeline for his table outside the auditorium. FSGLI: Family Servicemembers Group Life Insurance, Schedule of Payments for Traumatic Losses, S-DVI: Service-Disabled Veterans Life Insurance, Beneficiary Financial Counseling and Online Will, Lesbian Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Veterans, U.S. Navy and Coast Guard ships that operated in Vietnam, diseases VA presumes are associated with exposure to Agent Orange or other herbicides, Claims Adjudication Procedures Manual/Live Manual, Link to subscribe to receive email notice of changes to the Live Manual, In Vietnam anytime between January 9, 1962 and May 7, 1975, including brief, In or near the Korean demilitarized zone anytime between April 1, 1968 and August 31, 1971, Veterans who served on or near the perimeters of, Veterans who served where herbicides were, Veterans associated with Department of Defense (DoD), A medical diagnosis of a disease which VA recognizes as being associated with Agent Orange (listed above), service in Vietnam or at or near the Korean demilitarized zone during the dates shown above, or. The federal agency sent its sympathies but no money. Its been three years since Kate Naylor lost her husband, Pete, after his short battle with esophageal cancer. Veterans Crisis Line: That hasnt happened.. Kate filed more paperwork a few months after her husbands death for spousal compensation. 3. These veterans dont need to prove that they were exposed to Agent Orange to qualify for benefits related to ailments on the list. Do You Qualify for Long Term Disability Benefits? If you are interested in obtaining orange, battery-operated candles, feel free to visit www.100candles.com to order them. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs | 810 Vermont Avenue, NW Washington DC 20420. The legacy of the defoliant will outlast its immediate victims, said Kaderlik. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Because the VA decades later added ischemic heart disease to its list of Agent Orange-related diseases, the widow was able to make the case that she should have been getting benefits all those years. Javascript must be enabled to use this site. It seems to depend on whose desk it appears. Note:If we denied your claim in the past and we think you may be eligible now, well try to contact you. The military used Agent Orange to clear foliage during the Vietnam War, depriving enemy fighters of cover. After he died, I only got survivor benefits from Social Security, $500 a month. Her husband, Frank Josenhans, spent six years in the waters off of Vietnam as a Navy diver. Were not wealthy, he says. Under the terms of the decree, the VA must re-hear cases it has previously denied if the veterans disease is later added to the list of those officially recognized as stemming from Agent Orange exposure. I have spina bifida, it gets worse as I get older. In 1986, the group helped bring the case of. Ask your neighbors to display orange porch lights. [See Veterans Day 2021 - The Wars End But Casualties Continue To Mount] So far his two adult daughters seem to be fine. Other medical professionals would hesitate to make such a strong statement. The PACT Act is a new law that expands VA health care and benefits for Veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic substances. Until the 1990s, the government recognized only one ailment a skin condition called chloracne as being linked to Agent Orange. Any man or woman thats served who walks into the VA should be taken care of.. So, were going to have sit down and do what we think is right for these veterans.. Were extending and expanding VA health care eligibility based on the PACT Act. The Reagan White House wanted to cut funding for veterans centers and Agent Orange epidemiological studies that had begun under Max Cleland and Jimmy Carter, said Hagel, who from that era to now has been widely lauded as a champion for veterans. A photo of Pete hangs over Kates left shoulder as she sits at the kitchen table, on the red brick backsplash he built her. We encourage all Veterans and survivors to file for benefits now. Pete was honorably discharged on March 19, 1971. The debate over whether there are definitive links between a particular type of cancer and Agent Orange exposure has been raging for decades. These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Vietnam Veterans of Americas Agent Orange and Dioxin Committee, United States Department of Veterans Affairs. In Memorywas created in 1993 by the group Friends of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Even if veterans suffer from an ailment not on the VA list, they should consider applying for disability benefits if they believe it is the result of Agent Orange exposure. The report. The number of Vietnam veterans affected by the chemical Agent Orange is astonishing. Cookies help us deliver the best experience on our website. But the VA has denied his disability claim. WebHow many Vietnam veterans have died from Agent Orange? Pete, a stone mason who lived in Housatonic, Massachusetts, began having difficulty swallowing in the fall of 2014. Many vets think the VAs refusal to give esophageal cancer a blanket recognition is because the agency is less than enthused about the costs of adding more of them to the list. Chuck Hagel, a Vietnam vet with two Purple Hearts who went on to be a U.S. senator and secretary of defense, said the current fight over Agent Orange benefits is all too familiar. WebIt is unknown how many veterans have and are currently suffering from the effects of Agent Orange, as it was not tracked by the US Government for decades. The VAs internal policies on whether to recognize a disease as related to exposure to the defoliant are based on biannual reports from the, evidence for a link between esophageal cancer and Agent Orange. Zumwalts son, also named Elmo, died of lymphoma and Hodgkins disease in 1988. Until the late 1980s, the federal government claimed that the connection between the defoliant and the diseases veterans were developing was questionable at best. Schumer: Vietnam vets should get health care benefits for Agent Orange-linked conditions. Enrollment is free. Cashour said Veterans Affairs does not track specific statistics on how many widows are receiving survivor benefits related to glioblastoma., Scarlett argues that makes no sense, and noted that when a Vietnam veteran with glioblastoma dies and the family makes the transition from a disability claim to a death indemnity claim, it is still a glioblastoma and Agent Orange claim. The medical opinions of doctors who arent familiar with the science of service connection may be well-intentioned, Cross said. When we receive a Supplemental Claim, well review the claim again. But theyre not the kind of forensic medicine thats needed here.. You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. Michael Wildhaber, a longtime veterans law attorney who represents Blue Water Navy sailors, said the legislation is likely to pass but there could be a snag because the legislation specifies that these veterans must have been in Vietnams territorial seas, which is ambiguous. And while Pete had been a smoker for 25 years a high risk factor for esophageal cancer he had quit 25 years before his death, and had no history of alcohol use/abuse, another risk factor. In 1966 they told me, We will always take care of you, said Kaderlik. We're all going to die from it, eventually, or a lot of us will," said Stenvold. Petes medical bills, Kate said, were covered by a combination of Medicare and insurance through Kates job. Although the 2016 study said the link between Agent Orange exposure and esophageal cancer was, cient, the report did still acknowledge research that suggested a connection between the two. But VVAs Kaderlik argues that even having a list is too restrictive. The National Academy of Medicines 2018 report, which will rely on datasets collected up until 2016, isnt due until this fall, said spokeswoman Dana Korsen. In March, now-dismissed VA Secretary David Shulkin told the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee that he, had recommended adding a handful of conditions. As of this date (11/ 01/ 2020), The American War Library estimates that approximately 610,000 Americans who served on land in Vietnam or in the air over Vietnam between 1954 and 1975 are alive today. that focused on Korean veterans of the Vietnam War (South Korea sent around 300,000 troops to the fight alongside the United States.) If a direct link is made to Agent Orange exposure in a particular case, then service connection could still be granted, says Beth Murphy, VA Compensation Service Director. Month, Kate said, were covered by a combination of Medicare and insurance through Kates job from Orange... As I get older spent six years in the War I get older better functionality and personal.! All veterans and military service Organizations off of Vietnam veterans of the disabilities the. 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