They also employed Agent Blueand Agent White, among many others. TASK FORCE DELTA MCAS Nam Phong, Thailand 1972 ~ 1973 "We Never Promised You A Rose Garden" Namphong.vet is a Vietnam War Educational Archive All content herein is copyrighted by the original source and presented under the "fair use" provisions of US Code Title 17 in effect at the time of publication, and shall not be used for commercial purposes. Veterans who qualify and . yet assertive representation for our clients. Cincinnati, OH: 300 E Business Way, Suite 200, Summit Woods Corporate Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45241 Because of ongoing security concerns, Air Force leadership ordered the use of additional herbicides. Thailand veterans harmed by Agent Orange hope Congress will hear them 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. Our job was to off load air craft. Agent Orange exposure is associated with a number of medical conditions, some of which are serious. Furthermore, there are several reference reports admitting herbicide use throughout bases in Thailand. The Department of Defense has released a new list of locations outside Vietnam where herbicides like Agent Orange were tested and stored, a compilation that could provide some veterans proof. The bill provides expanded Agent Orange presumptive locations for those dealing with herbicide exposure: If you served in these areas, during these dates, the VA will now assume (or presume) that a Vietnam veteran was exposed to Agent Orange. While attempting to fix the aircraft, he was forced to kneel in the Agent Orange that covered the floor. Although the SOP is not available or remains classified, the development and enforcement of the SOP highlights the prevalence of herbicide use and the concern of misuse on Thailand bases. In Ubon veteran Ronald Switzers appeal to the Board of Veterans Appeals (BVA), he asserted that he was a material handler of Agent Orange during his time at Ubon from 1968 to 1969. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. Lieutenant Colonel Paul Bailey, a member of RANCH HAND, noted that the pressurized aerial spraying tanks would leak herbicides inside the aircraft. There are several additional pieces of evidence indicating that herbicides were used throughout Southeast Asia. Trump Appeared to Confuse Napalm With Agent Orange, Apocalypse Now (Agent Orange didn't appear orange, though it looked like that to Pilsch.) Similarities between the Rules in Thailand and Vietnam were also necessary due to Operation RANCH HAND activities in Thailand. Vietnam News Headlines April 29/2023 Sometimes it takes an act of Congress to modernize benefits like in the case with the Blue Water Navy legislation. Veterans who served in Thailand during the Vietnam War fight for VA Thank you Chuck Maack, for calling this information to my attention. This means that veterans who meet certain eligibility criteria are automatically eligible for VA disability benefits. Notably, Mr. Pippengers statement and the time period in which he served at Udorn coincide with official records of the delivery of 28,000 gallons of Agents Orange and Blue to Udorn in 1969 and the use of some of those herbicides by C-123 aircraft. Years Later, Some Are Saddled With Debt. Veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange or other herbicides during military service may be eligible for: Veterans may be eligible for disability compensation if they have a service-connected disability related to Agent Orange exposure. Compensation provides tax-free monthly payments. 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Copyright 1999-2021 Malecare, Inc | All Rights Reserved, Important Agent Orange Information for Those Who Served in Thailand. Thailand Agent Orange Claim Denials VA's Herbicide Problem Introduction: Agent Orange is an herbicide that was used by the United States during the Vietnam War. I was there all the time. In addition to being inapplicable, the Memorandum for the Record is outdated. Without these cookies, services you have asked for cannot be provided. William Easterly was stationed throughout Vietnam and Thailand from 1966-1967 and 1969-1970. In Dr. Alvin Youngs working paper draft of suggested criteria for determining levels of herbicide exposure, he noted that groups exposed to associated dioxin contaminant were personnel assigned to support functions, to include: Personnel that sprayed herbicides using helicopters or ground application equipment; personnel that may have delivered the herbicide to the unit performing the defoliation missions; aircraft mechanics who were specialized and occasionally provided support to RANCH HAND aircrafts. VA 38 U.S.C. This is a huge win for any Vietnam War or any other veteran suffering from agent orange exposure related symptoms. Command Sergeant Major Kenneth Witkin stated that grounds personnel informed him they were using Agent Orange when he observed them spraying around barracks. On Korat, for example, the physical training area and Non-Commissioned Officer building were located within the drift zone, and living quarters were only meters away from the perimeter. . that he served as a C-130 pilot with a Marine Air Squadron and was temporarily stationed in Nam Phong, Thailand in . I will have to get a rep to speak for me. I spent 2 months there and handled equipment that arrived from NAM. 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Good luck and thank you very much for your service. 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. Defense Secretary Mark Esper added that the new list will be updated as verifiable information becomes available.. close air support, aerial defoliation with Agent Orange, and nightly gunship truck hunts on the Ho Chi Minh Trail. The Truth About Agent Orange and Other Herbicides in Thailand During the Vietnam War, Learn About CCK's Partnership with DAV and Harvard Law School, - Learn About CCK's Partnership with DAV and Harvard Law School. You can read the full set of eligibility requirements on the VA website . I served in the Rose Garden in 1972 and suffer with Prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction, peripheral neuropathy, onset diabetes. Health Care for Veterans Exposed to Agent Orange VA offers health care benefits for Veterans who may have been exposed to Agent Orange or other herbicides during military service. Throughout the Vietnam War, RANCH HAND aircraft utilizedbases in Thailand. In fact, they specifically pointed out that defoliants VA now labels as tactical were commercially available. 3.307(a)(6)(i). By Telephone. As a part-time VA employee, Dr. Dahl conducts about 4 Agent Orange Registry exams per week, and 15-16 Agent Orange Registry exams per month. being employed within. In turn, this supports veterans statements regarding the use of herbicide to clear bases in Thailand during this period. In view of the above, a mowing operation for vegetation control will be impossible. In Mr. Hogstads statement, he said that he observed a C-123 aircraft mounted with spray equipment next to barrels with orange stripes. Due to the concerns over the integrity of studies completed for VA, the scientific community created a unified response rebutting the reasoning behind VAs policies. Moreover, the load class in the record, Y4, is the same load class that was noted in an Operation Steel Tiger mission in South Vietnam the primary goal of which was defoliation. This information is made available for educational purposes only and to provide general information and a general understanding of the law. While there is a proposed legislative fix, Rhodesand his fellow veterans who served in Thailand and suffer from Agent Orange-related illnesses arecontinuing to press Congress to take action to update the presumption policy through the orange envelope letter-writing campaign. Before Congress granted the presumption of exposure, government records showed that determining the level of exposure was impossible. MCAS Rose Garden - RTAFB Nam Phong In December 2019, DOD published its updated list of locations where Agent Orange and other herbicides were tested, used, or stored outside of Vietnam. . These cookies dont collect information that identifies you. "This update was necessary to improve accuracy and communication of information," said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. Patricia Kime is a senior writer covering military and veterans health care, medicine and personnel issues. I understand you have to get the doctor to enter in your records that the problem could be related to herbicide or better agent orange contact. A 2023 Guide to VA Disability Rates & Pay Schedules, Individual Unemployability Rating Calculator, List of Blue Water Navy Ships Exposed to Agent Orange (Interactive Vietnam Map), Social Security Disability Benefits Guide. Cleveland, OH: 600 Superior Ave. East, Fifth Third Building, Suite 1300, Cleveland, OH, 44114 Improving Benefits for Veterans Exposed to Agent Orange During Service 7 Ways to Improve Your VA Agent Orange Thailand Exposure Claims. Fast Letter 09-20 dealt exclusively with Haas-related claims from Thailand veterans that had been stayed.