Million Veteran DNA Sampling

My brother-in-law is a 100% PTSD disabled Vietnam veteran.  Yesterday, he brought home a Million Veteran Program Baseline Survey from the VA.  As far as I can tell, this program is designed to collect blood for DNA samples from a million veterans.  For more information about the MVP, go to www.research.va.gov/mvp . 

 While this information could be useful in determining which veterans are most susceptible to the effects of certain toxic exposures on the battlefield and military bases, there are questions to be asked about how in the time of “sequester”, the VA can afford what must be a multi-million dollar study and could DNA data backfire into a “blame genetics not the exposure” scenario.  Finally, how can the government spend this kind of money on DNA sampling of a million veterans and not be able to fund a Center to discover why veterans’ children and grandchildren. have birth defects and disabilities?

With best regards,

Betty Mekdeci

Executive Director

Birth Defect Research for Children

http://www.birthdefects.org

976 Lake Baldwin Lane, Suite 104

Orlando FL 32814

407-895-0802

Dr. Wayne Dwernechuk: Denials of defoliant at former U.S. base site in Okinawa fly in the face of science

Evidence points to Vietnam-era herbicides in drums buried in field, scientist says

For the attention of the government of Japan and the people of Okinawa:
As accusations and denials swirl regarding the burial of herbicides employed by the U.S. military in Vietnam during that war, there are irrefutable facts that seem not to have been considered in their true context. Denials of such burials by the U.S. military on land that was then part of Kadena Air Base on Okinawa by Dr. Alvin Young, a hired consultant and purported expert on military herbicides, and the U.S. Department of Defense are disingenuous at the very least, and at worst a blatant cover-up of historical realities.

For over 15 years I served as the lead scientist for Hatfield Consultants, investigating the impact of Agent Orange on the environment and human population of southern Vietnam. Our studies formed the foundation for understanding the movement of dioxin, originating from Agent Orange, through the ecological landscape and into humans. Implementation of remedial measures in Vietnam has stemmed directly from our Agent Orange research, including work now underway at the site of one of the former U.S. air bases in Vietnam, Da Nang.
Ehime University analyzed liquid residues in 22 30-gallon drums uncovered on former Kadena Air Base land. All but two samples contained the toxicant TCDD (a dioxin), a specific by-product of the manufacturing process of 2,4,5-T, one of the two constituents of Agent Orange. This constituent, 2,4,5-T, was present in the majority of the drums, but at low levels probably indicative of gradual decomposition over the years inside these drums.
Interestingly, 2,4-D, the other constituent of Agent Orange, was not found in any of the 22 drums, suggesting the liquid residue was not Agent Orange. The Okinawa Defense Bureau concluded that given these data, and specifically the lack of 2,4-D, the chance this liquid residue was, in fact, a defoliant was “slim.” This contention is blatantly false and totally disregards objective analytical data that clearly shows the presence of 2,4,5-T, a herbicide, in these drums. I suggest that the word “slim” should be altered to “certain.”
The use of such terms as “herbicide” and “defoliant” should not confuse the reader — the two are interchangeable and should not be used in attempts to skew the interpretation of data and the issue of the presence or otherwise of specific “wartime chemicals.”
These chemicals, used for removal of vegetation to deprive opposing forces of forest cover and rice crops during the Vietnam conflict, consisted of a variety of chemical mixtures. To enable identification of a specific chemical spray, drums of these herbicides/defoliants were painted with colored bands — orange, green, pink, white, etc. As the conflict progressed, the term “agent” was prefixed to a given color by the international media to provide a more “mysterious” aura to these chemicals. In time they became known as the “rainbow herbicides.”
In an article in The Japan Times (“Okinawa dump site may be proof of Agent Orange: experts,” Aug. 7), Jon Mitchell writes: “Still, the Pentagon denies that it ever stored military defoliants — including Agent Orange — in Okinawa. In February, it released a 29-page report denying that such substances were ever on the island.”
I place emphasis on the last few words. How can such a denial be factual when 2,4,5-T was discovered in these drums? In support of the Pentagon’s claims, a Dow Chemical representative stated that given the drum volume and their markings, it was inconsistent with the way they shipped herbicides.
I am in possession of a U.S. Department of the Air Force document that clearly shows Dow Chemical in August 1966 shipped 1,866 30-gallon drums of herbicide destined for Saigon. Consequently, the Pentagon and Dow are either confused or clearly in error regarding their claims.
READ MORE: Evidence
Dr. Wayne Dwernychuk is an environmental scientist based in Canada.

One Square Mile of Vietnam: Da Nang

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-23497563

Da Nang is one of Vietnam's major ports, a city rich in history. It was where the French first landed in the 19th Century in their quest to control the area and where US forces established a large air base during the Vietnam war.

The roads are broad and inviting, the boulevards that run along the riverfront are clean and filled with quaint little riverside cafes.

The mix of old and new buildings in many parts of the city gives you a real sense of how much this place has changed over the years.

A lot of money has been pumped into this city and it shows. The local government wants to turn it into Vietnam's most liveable city.
But Da Nang is also known for having one of the highest contaminations of dioxin from the use of Agent Orange by US forces during the Vietnam war.
Dioxin is one of the most highly toxic pollutants. It can cause reproductive and developmental problems, damage the immune system, interfere with hormones and also cause cancer.

In most countries dioxin levels must not exceed 1,000 ppt (parts per trillion) in soil. Industrialised nations have much lower levels of dioxin contamination in soil, on average, less than 12 ppt.
In Da Nang dioxin levels are found up to 365,000 ppt.
READ MORE: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-23497563

The Faces of Agent Orange Town Hall Meeting Tallahassee

Attention Tallahassee Vietnam Veterans and Families

Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter #96 and American Legion Post #13 are excited to host “The Faces of Agent Orange Town Hall Meeting”
We are hoping that along with Vietnam Veterans and their families, Local, State and Federal leaders will take the time to attend this very fact-filled and educational experience.
With a 4 person panel of experts from all over the State we are going to educate and inform the significance of Agent Orange exposure to Vietnam Veterans and their off-spring of five generations.
The event is to be held on Tuesday evening September 17th, at The Raa Middle School Gymnasium on the corner of M.L. King Drive and Tharpe Street. Parking is available beside the gym off of 10th Ave just West of Martin Luther King Blvd. Look for the Town Hall Meeting signs.
The meeting starts at 6:30PM.
MORE INFORMATION: http://veteventstally.org/

Governments That Use Chemical Weapons Against Their Own People Are Populated by Moral Pygmies

http://www.vva.org/Committees/AgentOrange/index.html#FAO

Orange Crush - An Advocates View

One of the issues – among many having to do with our exposure to herbicides during the Vietnam War - that has received insufficient attention is the matter of the exposure in those Naval personnel referred to as the “Blue Water Navy”  – those Navy, Coast Guard and Marine Corps personnel who served off the coast of South Vietnam; but, within range and often sight of the coast whose exposure to herbicides is unique and around which veterans’ advocates are currently engaged in a battle with the federal government. The following is taken from a scientific presentation given by the author to the first ever joint US-Vietnam Conference on the use of herbicides in Vietnam, held in March 2002, in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Background

Much of South Vietnam is covered with very dense jungle vegetation. This dense vegetation was used as cover by the forces opposing the United States and South Vietnamese armies.  One means of counteracting this tactic was the use of herbicides to kill and defoliate vegetation.  Herbicides were widely used to destroy enemy cover, food crops and to clear United States base perimeters of vegetation.  These chemicals were applied by airplanes(Operation Ranch Hand), helicopters, trucks, riverboats and individual backpacks.

Three million acres of South Vietnam were sprayed with 50,000 tons of Agent Orange and other herbicides, containing over 500 pounds of dioxin.  Because herbicides were used in Vietnam to destroy crops and defoliate jungle cover, the military used 27 times more herbicide per unit area than most domestic applications, which are primarily used to prevent weed growth.  Dioxin is the focus of veterans’ health concerns because of its toxicity.  However, many different chemicals with the potential for producing health problems were used in Vietnam.

Veteran Exposures

There are a variety of means by which veterans could have been exposed to Agent Orange in Vietnam.  Veterans may have taken part in the actual spraying which involved airplanes, helicopters, in Vietnam river boats, trucks or backpacks. They may also have been exposed to Agent Orange by consuming contaminated food or drinking water.  Veterans could have been in areas while spraying occurred or in areas that were recently sprayed and areas that were sprayed and then burned.  Burning increases by 25% the dioxin toxicity of the Agent Orange present.

EARLY RESEARCH

Agent Orange had its genesis as a defoliant in an obscure laboratory at the University of Chicago during World War II. Working on experimental plant growth at the time, Professor E.J. Kraus, chairman of the school's botany department, discovered that he could regulate the growth of plants through the infusion of various hormones. Among the discoveries he made was that certain broadleaf vegetation could be killed by causing the plants to experience sudden, uncontrolled growth. It was similar to giving the plants cancer by introducing specific chemicals. In some instances, deterioration of the vegetation was noticed within 24-48 hours of the application of the chemicals.

Paul Sutton -Veteran Advocate

Ssgtusmc6169@yahoo.com

National Birth Defect Registry

Vietnam Veterans of America Agent Orange/Dioxin Committee is asking the children of Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange; adult children (we recommend you register your children
also) who are ill and/or have birth defects, learning disabilities and/or mental health issues; to register with Birth Defect Research for Children, Inc. National Birth Defect Registry at
http://www.birthdefects.org/registry. 
The registry includes an online questionnaire. It will ask about you (the child) or your disabilities; health and family history of both parents; exposures during pregnancy and occupational exposures. A special section will ask about the veteran’s service in Vietnam. This section was designed in collaboration with the New Jersey State Agent Orange Commission. Collected data will be used for a study of the pattern of birth defects and disabilities that have been most frequently reported in the children of Vietnam veterans. 
All data provided is confidential. Your permission would be requested before any researcher would get in touch with you.
For more information contact Betty Mekdeci, 407-895-0802 or send email to betty@birthdefects.org.

North Dakota Launches Agent Orange Education Campaign

http://www.vva.org/WebWeekly/html/20130809.html#uno

Agent Orange and the Continuing Vietnam War

http://www.blackvoicenews.com/commentary/more-commentary/48980-agent-orange-and-the-continuing-vietnam-war.html
(NNPA) In a 2009 visit to Vietnam I asked a retired colonel in the Vietnam People’s Army about the notorious toxin “Agent Orange.” The colonel, who was also a former leader in a Vietnamese advocacy group for Agent Orange’s victims, spoke fluent English and was a veteran of the war with the United States. I asked him when had the Vietnamese realized the long-term dangers associated with the Agent Orange herbicide used by the U.S.A. His answer was as simple as it was heart-wrenching: ”When the children were born,” was his response.
READ MORE: http://www.blackvoicenews.com/commentary/more-commentary/48980-agent-orange-and-the-continuing-vietnam-war.html

Agent Orange meeting planned in East Liverpool

EAST LIVERPOOL -- The Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 1064 is hosting a town hall meeting focusing on Agent Orange at 2 p.m. Sunday at the American Legion on Parkway Avenue in East Liverpool, Ohio.
Several speakers will address various illnesses related to Agent Orange exposure as well as possible compensation.
The chapter is also seeking the names and addresses of of military personnel serving overseas so that packages may be shipped to them.
For information, call 330-386-4588.

Veterans and Prostate Cancer – Part 1

http://www.examiner.com/article/veterans-and-prostate-cancer-part-1

The DOD and VA didn't learn a thing from the debacle of Agent Orange. The Vietnam War ended in March 29, 1973, forty years ago. In its wake many of the Veterans who served there are among hundreds of thousands of veterans filing for damages four decades after the war. According to the Los Angeles Times, "They account for the largest share of the 865,000 veterans stuck in a growing and widely denounced backlog of compensation claims — some 37%. The post 9-11 wars in Afghanistan and Iraq account for 20%. The remainder are from the 1991 Gulf War, Korea, World War II and times of peace... about 40% are making claims for the first time. The rest already receive some compensation. Veterans who are denied can reapply indefinitely to increase their payments as existing conditions get worse or new ones emerge".
Our government began testing of herbicides for use as a military defoliant in 1944 at Ft. Detrick. By the late 1960s, it became known that the manufacture of tetrachlorodibenzodioxin (TCDD), know as dioxin, was the main concern because of adverse health effects from the use of the herbicide. In 2011, I wrote an article about biological warfare dating back to 1952. The discussion of deterrence and the hopes of never having to resort to the use of such weapons were at the heart of the discussion. I had received a video regarding dioxin because WMD's (weapons of mass destruction) were on everyone’s mind back then because of the Cold War between the East Countries of the Soviet Union and Western Allies.

The problem of using our own troops as guinea pigs to test new weaponry and tactics is that the resultant damage is not fully known until years, if not decades later.

READ MORE: http://www.examiner.com/article/veterans-and-prostate-cancer-part-1

For women veterans

Coming Home Becoming Whole Retreat for Female Veterans

Thursday, September 19 Sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy, Cranaleith offers a contemplative space for all those seeking wholeness and transformation for themselves and society.   Coming Home Becoming Whole Retreat for Female Veterans Thursday, September 19, 2013 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Cost: Free Women Veterans face unique challenges when returning from combat, often carrying stress, grief, numbness and anxiety in their spirits and bodies. This day of retreat is an opportunity to come together in a supportive environment with others who have shared your experience: to tend the soul-wounds of war, to rekindle hope and compassion, and to reconnect to the wisdom of your own heart.   This day will offer: - A safe and serene place of hospitality - An opportunity for quiet reflection and sharing with others who have lived your story - The support of skilled and gentle facilitators - The availability of holistic modes of healing   Cranaleith, which means "sanctuary of trees" in Gaelic, is a lovely oasis of rest in the city, surrounded by beautiful countryside. Our mission is wholeness and transformation for all who seek peace. All are welcome.   Register by email (info@cranaleith.org) or phone (215-934-6206). Directions available at www.cranaleith.org. CRANALEITH SPIRITUAL CENTER 13475 Proctor Road, Philadelphia, PA 19116

Health Benefits for Families at Camp Lejeune 1957-87

Health Benefits for Families at Camp Lejeune 1957-87

US Department of Veterans Affairs sent this bulletin at 08/13/2013 10:41 AM EDT

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

VA will be able to reimburse Veterans’ family members for eligible out-of-pocket health care expenses for 15 health conditions after we publish regulations. Prepare in 3 steps:

1. Call 1-877-222-8387 to be added to VA’s Camp Lejeune database.
2. Gather documents showing your relationship to a Veteran who served at Camp Lejeune and that you lived on base for 30 days or more between 1957-87.
3. Keep receipts for health care expenses you paid for a covered condition on or after March 26, 2013.

Learn More: Camp LeJeune Water Supplies Visit www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures to learn about other military exposures and VA benefits.

Okinawa dump site may be proof of Agent Orange: experts

Dioxin spike raises fears of local health risks

From Dr. Wayne Dwernychuk, who seems to be the only other reader who picked up on the "expert opinion" of our "dear friend" (beloved by all veterans!) Al Young the PhD botanist that VA, DoD and the courts all believe Al's "expert opinions" are the only one that count, despite a plethora of scientific data to the contrary.

The recent discovery of 22 barrels buried on former U.S. military land in the city of Okinawa could be posing the same level of risks to local residents as dioxin hot spots in Vietnam where the American military stored toxic defoliants during the 1960s and 1970s, according to two leading Agent Orange specialists.

Richard Clapp, professor emeritus at Boston University School of Public Health, and Wayne Dwernychuk, the scientist previously in charge of identifying defoliant contamination in Southeast Asia, recently cited the risks to Okinawa residents and urged the immediate cleanup of the land to limit the threat to human health.
Dwernychuk also ventured that the discovery of the barrels may disprove the Pentagon’s repeated denials that military defoliants were ever present on Okinawa Island.
The scientists’ comments came in response to the July 31 release of independent tests undertaken at the request of the city of Okinawa by Ehime University — one of the nation’s top institutes for dioxin testing. The study revealed that all 22 barrels found beneath the city’s soccer pitch contained traces of the herbicide 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T), and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), the most lethal form of dioxin.
One barrel contained dioxin levels 840 percent above the safe standard, while samples of water taken nearby revealed levels 280 times the legal limits. Both 2,4,5-T and TCDD are two of the substances found in Agent Orange and other Vietnam War-era defoliants.
At least three of the barrels were labeled with markings from Dow Chemical Co. — one of the primary manufacturers of Agent Orange.
READ MORE: Dioxin spike raises fears of local health risks

 

Vietnamese forest devastated by Agent Orange restored to health

Life After Death

HO CHI MINH CITY--The government of Vietnam is claiming victory in its battle to save a mangrove forest that was destroyed during the Vietnam War (1960-75) through the U.S. military’s use of the defoliant Agent Orange.
The wetlands located to the southeast of Ho Chi Minh City in Can Gio district are listed as a UNESCO biosphere reserve. The "forest of the sea" as it is called, covers an area of 37,000 hectares, or about 370 times the area Tokyo Disney Resort occupies.
No wildlife remained by the time the two-decade conflict ended.
The Vietnamese government launched a large-scale reforestation effort after the war to restore the area to its natural state. Red mangrove (rhizophora apiculata) saplings were brought into the area by boats.

“With no maps or compasses, we lived on a boat every day,” recalled Vien Ngoc Nam, a professor of forestry at Nong Lam University.
Thirty-five years after the start of the rehabilitation program, the forest is now home to at least 16 mammal and 135 bird species.
Long-tailed monkeys are some of those who have returned to the forest.
Local salt farmers are also harvesting the salt fields once again--a tradition in the area.
In order to further protect the forest, the government has commissioned 140 households in the area to report on illegal logging.
There are problems that remain to be solved, however; the recovered forest lacks biodiversity given that only trees that are fast growing and more likely to survive were planted.
Japanese nongovernmental organizations took part in the effort to restore the area’s wetland forests--a very difficult endeavor. The conservation efforts continue.

Expert: Chemicals found on Okinawa likely not Agent Orange

OKINAWA Barrels

CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa — Chemical barrels recently unearthed on former U.S. military land on Okinawa most likely contained military maintenance shop and hospital waste, not Agent Orange as many feared, according to an American expert on the herbicide.

About two dozen rusted Dow Chemical Company barrels found under a soccer field in Okinawa City appear to be part of a former landfill used by Kadena Air Base for solvents as well as burnt plastic and other waste, according to Alvin Young, a retired Air Force colonel and Department of Defense consultant who has studied tactical herbicides for 30 years.

Young, who assisted with a military investigation of similar Agent Orange claims at U.S. bases in South Korea in 2011, reviewed soil test data from the Japan Ministry of Defense and Okinawa City at the request of Stars and Stripes.

READ MORE: Okinawa Barrels

Health Benefits for Families at Camp Lejeune 1957-87

Health Benefits for Families at Camp Lejeune 1957-87

US Department of Veterans Affairs sent this bulletin at 08/13/2013 10:41 AM EDT

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

VA will be able to reimburse Veterans’ family members for eligible out-of-pocket health care expenses for 15 health conditions after we publish regulations.
Prepare in 3 steps:

1. Call 1-877-222-8387 to be added to VA’s Camp Lejeune database.
2. Gather documents showing your relationship to a Veteran who served at Camp Lejeune and that you lived on base for 30 days or more between 1957-87.
3. Keep receipts for health care expenses you paid for a covered condition on or after March 26, 2013.

Learn more. 
Visit www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures to learn about other military exposures and VA benefits.

C-123 Veterans: VA Blocks Agent Orange Claims - Illegally!

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/c-123-veterans-va-blocks-agent/id680418307?mt=11
C-123 Provider aircraft sprayed Agent Orange in Vietnam and remained contaminated with deadly dioxin…and the AF knew and failed to inform the aircrews. 

Apple's iTunes has released an interim version 1.6 of our C-123 Agent Orange booklet, free to download (320MB). It is for iPad only! Their publication of the better-edited version 2.0 is still a couple weeks off, and will be smaller as some of the imbedded videos are removed in favor of hyperlinks.

READ MORE: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/c-123-veterans-va-blocks-agent/id680418307?mt=11

Australian War Memorial: Commission a new account of the Vietnam war's Agent Orange controversy.

Australian War Memorial

From 1962 to 1972, Australia, with the United States, was involved in a war in Vietnam.

There is a wound from that war still unhealed. It is the account of the Agent Orange controversy in Australia’s Official War History. It insults worthy Vietnam veterans and gets the story oh so wrong. But we should start from the beginning.

The US Air Force wanted to unleash its massive firepower but the enemy was hidden under the dense canopy of the Vietnamese jungles. To the US Air Force the solution was simple; defoliate the jungles by the aerial spraying millions of litres of herbicides, especially Agent Orange. Australian and US troops as well as the local population suffered exposure to this deluge of Agent Orange through its pollution of the waterways, foliage and the ground as well as directly from the air.

After the war, evidence emerged from the US that exposure to Agent Orange might cause certain cancers and other problems. The evidence, however, was contested; some experts arguing one way, some the other. But the law applying to war veterans gave them the benefit of any doubt raised by this clash of expert opinion.

This concession for war veterans was not new. Since the First World War, Federal Parliaments had passed legislation making special provision for dealing with war caused injury and illness.

So Vietnam veterans were confident their claims for medical treatment and compensation for cancer linked with exposure to Agent Orange would succeed.

READ MORE & WATCH VIDEO: Australian War Memorial

President Obama Promises Disabled Veterans Aid, As More Seek Compensation For Agent Orange Exposure

http://www.medicaldaily.com/president-obama-promises-disabled-veterans-aid-more-seek-compensation-agent-orange-exposure-250431
On Saturday, President Obama addressed 3,400 attendees at the annual Disabled American Veterans Convention in Orlando, Fla., promising to streamline the backlogged disability claims system for illness and injury resulting from military service and committing more support for returned veterans at home.
In his speech, President Obama addressed the needs of veterans who have experienced illness and injuries caused by military service, proposing more research for traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, and suicide among veterans. Speaking to the general population returned service members, including those who recently returned from Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi freedom, he spoke of the administration's commitment to helping veterans earn college degrees and get high-skills job training.
Of particular concern to his audience is the current backlog of disability claims for compensation for illnesses and injuries resulting from military service. Currently, there are 780,000 claims pending in the system administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Of those, 500,000 are considered backlogged, having been in the system for more than 125 days, a number that is down from 611,000 in March.
READ MORE: http://www.medicaldaily.com/president-obama-promises-disabled-veterans-aid-more-seek-compensation-agent-orange-exposure-250431

Miss Vietnam 2012 selected ‘Charity Ambassador’ for AO Victims

http://www.saigon-gpdaily.com.vn/Culture_Art/2013/8/105892/
Miss Vietnam 2012 title holder, Dang Thu Thao, has been chosen as first Charity Ambassador of the program ‘Erasing AO/Dioxin Pain Together’, for the year 2013.

This news was released by Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Rinh, President of the Vietnam Association of Victims of Agent Orange (VAVA), at a press brief on August 9.
Thao will contribute to promoting VAVA activities in the community and link donors with millions of Vietnamese AO/Dioxin Victims. 
In related news, an exhibition of photos opened at the Youth Cultural House in Ho Chi Minh City on August 9 on occasion of 52nd Anniversary of the First Spraying of Agent Orange in Vietnam by the US Government in 1961, and ten years of establishment of Vietnam Association of Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin.
The exhibition will display photos of the association activities in the last ten years; appeals hearings for seeking justice for Victims of Agent Orange; international supporters of Vietnamese Agent Orange Victims; and good models of Agent Orange Victims who have overcome their disabilities to re-integrate into society.

North Dakota Launches Agent Orange Education Campaign

http://www.vva.org/WebWeekly/html/20130809.html#uno

This billboard is located on the west side of I29 Between 7th Avenue N. and 12th Avenue N. in Fargo, ND. A second billboard is located on the north side of Interstate 94 east of Steele facing west.
On Tuesday, August 6, The Vietnam Veterans of America North Dakota State Council launched a statewide Agent Orange Education Campaign with the unveiling the first of a series of billboards. Their goal is to reach fellow veterans and their dependents exposed to and suffering from the effects of Agent Orange/dioxin.
"Through advertisements such as our billboards and by convening town hall meetings, stand downs, and other outreach events throughout North Dakota, we hope to reach those suffering from the effects of Agent Orange to provide them with information and resources they need," said Dan Stenvold, President of the VVA North Dakota State Council.
"Along with the North Dakota Department of Veterans of Affairs, we will be working with many organizations to contact those who may have been exposed and their families. We are grateful to the North Dakota 63rd legislative assembly, which appropriated a $50,000 grant for 2013-2015, in support of our outreach efforts," said Stenvold.
VVA is committed to ensuring that all veterans exposed during their service receive the care and compensation they have earned by their service to our nation. This includes those who served in Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Korea, and Laos, as well as those who flew on C-123s, aboard Navy vessels, and on certain military installations and other facilities on and outside the continental U.S., including Guam, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Johnson Island, Ft. Detrick, and elsewhere.

Associates of Vietnam Veterans of America to Hold Town Hall Meeting on the Generational Legacy of Dioxin

                                    PRESS RELEASE

Associates of Vietnam Veterans of America, Inc.

8719 Colesville Road, Suite 100

Silver Spring, MD   20910

(301) 585-4000

IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                August 8, 2013                                No. 12-03

Press Release Contact:

Suzanne Blohm-Weber

(386) 986-9153

Associates of Vietnam Veterans of America to Hold Town Hall Meeting on the Generational Legacy of Dioxin

(Washington, D.C.)--The Associates of Vietnam Veterans of America (AVVA) will hold an Agent Orange Town Hall meeting on Saturday, August 17, 2013, 11:00 a.m., at the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville-Riverfront, in Jacksonville, Florida. The forum, held in conjunction with the AVVA/VVA national conventions, will address the birth defects, diseases, and learning disabilities affecting the children and grandchildren of Vietnam veterans.

 “We must not be silent about the ill health effects of battlefield exposures on our veterans and on our children, our grandchildren, and the generations to come. We encourage all veterans and their families with children and/or grandchildren suffering from mysterious illnesses to attend the Agent Orange Town Hall meeting,” said Nancy Switzer, AVVA President.

Issues surrounding Agent Orange exposure will be explored, including scientific information, health effects, and methods for educating the public about the issues of Vietnam Veterans, their children and their families.

“Veterans of all wars are subjected to many contaminates. Our children are the innocent victims of war, and they need the help of our government to cope with these problems. We worry, who will be there to take care of them when we are gone,” said Switzer.

--30--

The Associates of Vietnam Veterans of America is dedicated to the aggressive advancement of realistic goals with integrity and in the spirit of unity that reflects our commitment to veterans, their families and others.