In
1977, the first claims of Agent Orange exposure came flooding into the
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). But it took 14 years for Congress
to actually listen, take action and give our Vietnam veterans the
benefits they deserved.
The Agent Orange Act of 1991 was implemented to provide much-needed
care to veterans who were exposed to the harmful chemical cocktail Agent
Orange. Many of us thought the fight to get the medical attention we deserved was over, but that wasn’t the case.
In 2002, the VA amended its initial plan and excluded thousands of
“Blue Water” Navy vets -- vets who served right off the coast -- from
receiving our rightful benefits. Because we hadn’t served on land, the
VA tried to say we were unlikely to suffer the effects of Agent Orange
poisoning.
Even though we didn’t serve on Vietnamese soil, we were still exposed to Agent Orange.
In fact, a 2011 study by the National Institute of Medicine found that
Blue Water veterans could have been exposed in multiple ways, including
via the ships’ water distillation system and through the air. The
National Institute of Medicine also stated, “Given the available
evidence, the committee recommends that members of the Blue Water Navy
should not be excluded from the set of Vietnam-era veterans with
presumed herbicide exposure.”
We are asking for your help in urging Congress to pass
legislation (House Bill H 969 and Senate Bill S 681) that will
reinstate our right as Vietnam Navy veterans to receive the benefits we
deserve for being exposed to this terrible chemical.
Nearly 90,000 Blue Water vets are depending on you. We are dealing
with serious health issues that range from cancer to diabetes, and from
Parkinson’s to heart disease. Many of these diseases have made it nearly
impossible for some of us to get steady work.
Last year, the VA finally extended benefits to Air Force crew members
who flew in C-123s after they had been used in Vietnam to spray the
toxic cocktail. The VA came to the realization that even the slightest
exposure to this chemical had serious effects on a soldier's health. So
why are the Navy vets’ pleas being ignored? We breathed the Agent
Orange-polluted air that drifted from the coast and drank water
sprinkled with the herbicide, and now our bodies are paying the cost.
We ask you to stand with us, and with Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand
and Rep. Chris Gibson, and demand that the VA assume responsibility for
the effects of Agent Orange on Blue Water vets. Please sign our
petition asking Congress to pass House Bill H 969 and Senate Bill S 681
and give us our benefits. SIGN THE PETITION
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