What legacy do we leave behind for our children and grandchildren?
(MEDIA, PA) - Agent Orange herbicide being lifted off
the deck of the USS White Plains (AFS-4) for delivery by an HC-3
helicopter during a 1970 deployment to Vietnam. This is evidence that
Blue Water Navy indeed carried and transported barrels of agent orange
onboard US Navy commissioned ships to ports in Vietnam. Note the Orange
band on the barrels a color code denoting contents.
The Department of the Navy and Department of Defense
denies that any tactical herbicides were ever transported onboard any US
Naval commissioned ship. The photograph pictured above proves
differently.
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Agent Orange Barrels - photo courtesy of John J. Bury, USN, retired
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Accidents do happen onboard ship. Some times barrels
such as shown get damaged causing a spill. Sailors then clean up the
spill without protective clothing. Hence, they come in contact with the
herbicide. They are drenched with the chemical and breath in the fumes.
Years later, many come down with agent orange poisoning causing a
variety of diseases that are life threatening leading to death and
crippling health conditions. Yet, many of these sailors can not get VA
benefits, ie, medical and compensation. Why, because they are termed as
Blue Water Navy never having boots on ground, Vietnam. Yet, they were
there serving their Country in that war. To date, our Congress has
refused to give recognition to the Blue Water Navy for presumptive
exposure to agent orange dioxin. Over past years, Legislative Bills have
been introduced to award VA health and compensation benefits, to no
avail as these Bills continue to fail in Congress. It seems our Congress
does not care about Navy Vietnam Veterans, we are forgotten. Since the
failure of our Congress to pass legislation a new House Bill has been
introduced to the 113th Congress HR-543 The Blue Water Navy Vietnam
Veterans Act. I ask our Congress, what is a veterans life worth? What
legacy do we leave behind for our children and grandchildren? Contact
your members of Congress to pass this Bill.
By: John J. Bury, US Navy, retired, Vietnam war veteran Media, Pa.
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