No on 37: The same corporations that brought us DDT and Agent Orange
http://www.carighttoknow.org/tags/agent_orangehttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
The No on 37 campaign: brought to you by the same corporations that told us DDT and Agent Orange were safe, orchestrated by the same guys who helped mislead the public about the health risks of tobacco. Now they're telling us we don't have a right to know if our food is genetically engineered.
Monsanto, the largest contributor to No on 37 at $4.2 million, was the primary manufacturer of Agent Orange, the code name for herbicides used by the U.S. Military during the Vietnam War. U.S. soldiers were told that it was “perfectly safe” and often wore little protective clothing when applying it, as shown in our ad. Agent Orange is now linked with various types of cancer and other diseases.
READ MORE: http://www.carighttoknow.org/agent_orange
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
LINK CORRECTION: Birth Defect Research for Children fund raising link
http://www.birthdefects.org/
We are hoping to gain public support for the work we are doing on birth defects in the children of Vietnam, Gulf War veterans and those who have been exposed to similar exposures in the civilian environment.
We know that veterans’ families whose children have been affected are struggling financially and we aren’t asking them to give. But, they can help us get their story to the public. We have a fundraiser at
http://www.indiegogo.com/bdrc. The more activity there is on a fundraising page, the more likely it is to be featured on the front page where millions can see it. Just making comments, visiting the page frequently to look at updates and generally showing that this is a charitable cause that people are interested in will help us compete for a front page feature.
If you could share this with your list and just ask them to visit the site and make a comment, it would be a huge help.
With best regards,
Betty Mekdeci
Executive Director
Birth Defect Research for Children
We are hoping to gain public support for the work we are doing on birth defects in the children of Vietnam, Gulf War veterans and those who have been exposed to similar exposures in the civilian environment.
We know that veterans’ families whose children have been affected are struggling financially and we aren’t asking them to give. But, they can help us get their story to the public. We have a fundraiser at
http://www.indiegogo.com/bdrc. The more activity there is on a fundraising page, the more likely it is to be featured on the front page where millions can see it. Just making comments, visiting the page frequently to look at updates and generally showing that this is a charitable cause that people are interested in will help us compete for a front page feature.
If you could share this with your list and just ask them to visit the site and make a comment, it would be a huge help.
With best regards,
Betty Mekdeci
Executive Director
Birth Defect Research for Children
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Navy Veteran pushes bill to help "Blue Water Sailors"
http://www.9wsyr.com/content/news/onlyon9/Navy-Veteran-pushes-bill-to-help-Blue-Water/fpQOvSQZNUCeg6BGfa2RfA.cspx
Syracuse (WSYR-TV) -- David Zielinski was a "Blue Water Sailor" who served at sea, never stepping foot on land.
"As soon as I turned 17, I enlisted,” Zielinski said. “We were right out in the waters outside Vietnam, protecting the waters from any ships or anything else, any enemy ships or planes coming in. We were like the protectors in the waters."
On shore, Dave's comrades faced a jungle. To clear away foliage, the military dumped millions of gallons of Agent Orange -- a chemical experts now link to several diseases. The U.S. government acknowledges that men with "boots on the ground" were likely affected. Those stationed on vessels nearby, who believe they were exposed through the air or water supply, are still fighting for equal benefits.
“As me being a Navy man, being out to sea...when we run out of water, we'd convert salt water into fresh water. We'd shower with it; we'd drink it; we'd eat it,” Zielinski continued.
READ MORE: http://www.9wsyr.com/content/news/onlyon9/Navy-Veteran-pushes-bill-to-help-Blue-Water/fpQOvSQZNUCeg6BGfa2RfA.cspx
Syracuse (WSYR-TV) -- David Zielinski was a "Blue Water Sailor" who served at sea, never stepping foot on land.
"As soon as I turned 17, I enlisted,” Zielinski said. “We were right out in the waters outside Vietnam, protecting the waters from any ships or anything else, any enemy ships or planes coming in. We were like the protectors in the waters."
On shore, Dave's comrades faced a jungle. To clear away foliage, the military dumped millions of gallons of Agent Orange -- a chemical experts now link to several diseases. The U.S. government acknowledges that men with "boots on the ground" were likely affected. Those stationed on vessels nearby, who believe they were exposed through the air or water supply, are still fighting for equal benefits.
“As me being a Navy man, being out to sea...when we run out of water, we'd convert salt water into fresh water. We'd shower with it; we'd drink it; we'd eat it,” Zielinski continued.
READ MORE: http://www.9wsyr.com/content/news/onlyon9/Navy-Veteran-pushes-bill-to-help-Blue-Water/fpQOvSQZNUCeg6BGfa2RfA.cspx
Japanese peace boat arrives in Danang
http://english.vovnews.vn/Home/Japanese-peace-boat-arrives-in-Danang/20129/141648.vov
A group of nearly 40 victims of Agent Orange (AO) worldwide and those Japanese affected by atomic bombs aboard Japan’s Peace Boat joined in an exchange with Vietnamese AO victims in Danang city, on August 31.
Dioxin clean-up project grabs US headlines
At the event, the participants shared the pain that the AO victims suffered during the war and encouraged each other to overcome difficulties in their daily lives.
The same day, over 300 young people from the locality and Peace Boat engaged in a cultural exchange, where they had a chance to enjoy traditional music performances.
Since 2007, the Peace Boat has mobilised nearly VND500 million in aid for AO victims based in Danang city, which is chosen as its regular destination each year.
A group of nearly 40 victims of Agent Orange (AO) worldwide and those Japanese affected by atomic bombs aboard Japan’s Peace Boat joined in an exchange with Vietnamese AO victims in Danang city, on August 31.
Dioxin clean-up project grabs US headlines
At the event, the participants shared the pain that the AO victims suffered during the war and encouraged each other to overcome difficulties in their daily lives.
The same day, over 300 young people from the locality and Peace Boat engaged in a cultural exchange, where they had a chance to enjoy traditional music performances.
Since 2007, the Peace Boat has mobilised nearly VND500 million in aid for AO victims based in Danang city, which is chosen as its regular destination each year.
Action Alert: Keep Dow Chemical's "Agent Orange" 2,4-D soy from coming to a plate near you
http://buzz.naturalnews.com/000516-Dow_Chemical-Agent_Orange-GMO_soy.html
From Food Democracy Now:
Dow Chemical is back at it again! Last week Dow Chemical donated $1.2 million to defeat Prop 37 to label genetically engineered foods, which will appear on the ballot in California this fall. At the same time, they happen to be petitioning the U.S. Department of Agriculture for the approval of a new genetically engineered http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif"Agent Orange" soybean that tolerates the extremely toxic chemical herbicide 2,4-D, a major component of the Vietnam War era defoliant Agent Orange.
Not only does Dow Chemical not want you to know what's in your food, but now they want to dump more toxic chemicals on it too! Numerous studies have linked exposure to 2,4-D toserious health problems that include cancer (particularly non-Hodgkin's lymphoma), lowered sperm counts, liver disease and Parkinson's disease. In addition, dozens of peer-reviewed studies have found the use of 2,4-D to contribute to hormone-disrupting activity linked to reproductive problems and thyroid dysfunction.
Now Dow AgroScience wants to spray this toxic chemical on our food and in our fields in unprecedented amounts. To help put a stop to this and read more, go here:
http://action.fooddemocracynow.org
From Food Democracy Now:
Dow Chemical is back at it again! Last week Dow Chemical donated $1.2 million to defeat Prop 37 to label genetically engineered foods, which will appear on the ballot in California this fall. At the same time, they happen to be petitioning the U.S. Department of Agriculture for the approval of a new genetically engineered http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif"Agent Orange" soybean that tolerates the extremely toxic chemical herbicide 2,4-D, a major component of the Vietnam War era defoliant Agent Orange.
Not only does Dow Chemical not want you to know what's in your food, but now they want to dump more toxic chemicals on it too! Numerous studies have linked exposure to 2,4-D toserious health problems that include cancer (particularly non-Hodgkin's lymphoma), lowered sperm counts, liver disease and Parkinson's disease. In addition, dozens of peer-reviewed studies have found the use of 2,4-D to contribute to hormone-disrupting activity linked to reproductive problems and thyroid dysfunction.
Now Dow AgroScience wants to spray this toxic chemical on our food and in our fields in unprecedented amounts. To help put a stop to this and read more, go here:
http://action.fooddemocracynow.org
Project Agent Orange Poetry Blog poetry to empower Agent Orange victims
http://projectagentorange.com/wordpress/?p=964
Chemicals, Dirt and Rainwater
A Poem by Devlin De La Chapa
He stood amidst the fields of foreign crops
like a statue frozen in time-
as his body remains, his mind
rewinds present to past,
the past, pitch black darkness
and it’s raining inconsistently, but in
the present, the sun is consistent,
shining down bright over his obscurity;
he’s a beautiful man, a broken man,
a man raped by the ill politics of one
country’s hunger to save everything,
and everyone, for a country fighting
amongst their own pillars of division;
the piper cub flying over the foreign fields
dispenses his soul, and he becomes
a multi hue of Agent Orange liquescence,
and his ignorance dries like a Monsanto fragrance
of cologne enriched of chemicals, dirt and rainwater
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Health Notice for Vets at Camp Lejeune 50s through the 80s
http://www.va.gov/health/NewsFeatures/20120823a.asp
If you served on active duty at Camp Lejeune between 1957 and 1987, you may have been exposed to contaminated drinking water.
Under a new law (pdf) just signed by President Obama, you can receive VA medical care if you are suffering from any of the medical conditions described in the law and resided or served on active duty at Camp Lejeune for not fewer than 30 days between January 1, 1957 and December 31, 1987.
VA will provide care immediately for those conditions while your eligibility under the new law is confirmed. VA’s Public Health web site contains important information about the law along with links to other useful web sites. Or call 1-877-222-8387 for assistance.
READ MORE: http://www.va.gov/health/NewsFeatures/20120823a.asp
If you served on active duty at Camp Lejeune between 1957 and 1987, you may have been exposed to contaminated drinking water.
Under a new law (pdf) just signed by President Obama, you can receive VA medical care if you are suffering from any of the medical conditions described in the law and resided or served on active duty at Camp Lejeune for not fewer than 30 days between January 1, 1957 and December 31, 1987.
VA will provide care immediately for those conditions while your eligibility under the new law is confirmed. VA’s Public Health web site contains important information about the law along with links to other useful web sites. Or call 1-877-222-8387 for assistance.
READ MORE: http://www.va.gov/health/NewsFeatures/20120823a.asp
Monday, August 27, 2012
Birth Defect Research for Children
http://www.birthdefects.org/
We are hoping to gain public support for the work we are doing on birth defects in the children of Vietnam, Gulf War veterans and those who have been exposed to similar exposures in the civilian environment.
We know that veterans’ families whose children have been affected are struggling financially and we aren’t asking them to give. But, they can help us get their story to the public. We have a fundraiser at www.indigogo.com/bdrc . The more activity there is on a fundraising page, the more likely it is to be featured on the front page where millions can see it. Just making comments, visiting the page frequently to look at updates and generally showing that this is a charitable cause that people are interested in will help us compete for a front page feature.
If you could share this with your list and just ask them to visit the site and make a comment, it would be a huge help.
With best regards,
Betty Mekdeci
Executive Director
Birth Defect Research for Children
U. S. Army Chemical Activity, Pacific - 267th Chemical Service Platoon
http://www.johnstonmemories.com/usarmy.htm
THE U. S. Army Chemical Activity, Pacific, had its beginnings April 20, 1945, when the 267th Chemical Service Platoon was activated at Fort Richardson, Alaska, but the platoon was inactivated on Nov. 1 of the same year, primarily because of the end of World War II.
The platoon was activated in 1962 and assigned to the U.S. Army Depot, Okinawa. It became the 267th Chem. Company in 1965 and was reassigned to the 196th Ordinance Battalion, 2nd Logistics Command, Okinawa.
The U.S. government directed relocation of chemical munitions from Okinawa to Johnston Island in 1971. The initial phase of Operation Red Hat involved the movement of chemical munitions from a depot storage site to Tengan Pier, eight miles away, and required 1,332 trailers in 148 convoys. The second phase of the operation moved the munitions to Johnston Atoll.
Completion of cargo discharge from the USNS McGraw at Johnston Island on Sept. 21 completed Operation Red Hat, and the company completed redeploymenthttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif on Sept. 27.
The company came under the 45th General Support Group in 1976 and was redesignated as Johnston Island Chemical Activity in October 1983. The unit was reorganized and activated as the U.S. Army Chemical Activity, Western Command, in 1985.
READ MORE: http://www.johnstonmemories.com/usarmy.htm
THE U. S. Army Chemical Activity, Pacific, had its beginnings April 20, 1945, when the 267th Chemical Service Platoon was activated at Fort Richardson, Alaska, but the platoon was inactivated on Nov. 1 of the same year, primarily because of the end of World War II.
The platoon was activated in 1962 and assigned to the U.S. Army Depot, Okinawa. It became the 267th Chem. Company in 1965 and was reassigned to the 196th Ordinance Battalion, 2nd Logistics Command, Okinawa.
The U.S. government directed relocation of chemical munitions from Okinawa to Johnston Island in 1971. The initial phase of Operation Red Hat involved the movement of chemical munitions from a depot storage site to Tengan Pier, eight miles away, and required 1,332 trailers in 148 convoys. The second phase of the operation moved the munitions to Johnston Atoll.
Completion of cargo discharge from the USNS McGraw at Johnston Island on Sept. 21 completed Operation Red Hat, and the company completed redeploymenthttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif on Sept. 27.
The company came under the 45th General Support Group in 1976 and was redesignated as Johnston Island Chemical Activity in October 1983. The unit was reorganized and activated as the U.S. Army Chemical Activity, Western Command, in 1985.
READ MORE: http://www.johnstonmemories.com/usarmy.htm
Friday, July 27, 2012
Vietnam veterans should get Agent Orange tests
http://www.dailyworld.com/article/20120726/NEWS01/207260304/Vietnam-veterans-should-get-Agent-Orange-tests?nclick_check=1
I may sound like a broken record by mentioning over and over to my Vietnam veterans that if you served in Vietnam "go to the VA hospital and take the test."
The Veterans Administration offers compensation and benefits for Vietnam veterans suffering from diseases considered to have been caused by Agent Orange exposure. Recently three more diseases qualify as service-connected conditions from Agent Orange. This totals 14 diseases related to Agent Orange.
The Agent Orange test consists of an X-ray, EKG and blood work. Of course, you have to prove you're a Vietnam veteran. I cannot figure out why anyone would put off finding out if that ailment you have may be caused by Agent Orange.
Information provided by Tim Dyhouse in one of theVFW magazines should get the attention of our Korea DMZ veterans. The VA has acknowledged that even more veterans were exposed to Agent Orange while serving on Korea's demilitarized zone (DMZ).
On Jan. 25, 2011, VA announced that it now presumes that veterans who served along the DMZ between April 1, 1968, and Aug. 31, 1971, were exposed to the herbicide. The 2nd Infantry Division (Combat Brigade) and the 7th Infantry Division (3rd Brigade) are the two units the VA and the Pentagon have identified as units that qualify for this new ruling. Your local veterans service officer should be able to provide and verify which regiments and battalions were assigned to the 2nd and 7th Infantry during this time frame.
READ MORE: http://www.dailyworld.com/article/20120726/NEWS01/207260304/Vietnam-veterans-should-get-Agent-Orange-tests?nclick_check=1
NOTE: SEE - NEW VA CLAIMS FILING SYSTEM below
I may sound like a broken record by mentioning over and over to my Vietnam veterans that if you served in Vietnam "go to the VA hospital and take the test."
The Veterans Administration offers compensation and benefits for Vietnam veterans suffering from diseases considered to have been caused by Agent Orange exposure. Recently three more diseases qualify as service-connected conditions from Agent Orange. This totals 14 diseases related to Agent Orange.
The Agent Orange test consists of an X-ray, EKG and blood work. Of course, you have to prove you're a Vietnam veteran. I cannot figure out why anyone would put off finding out if that ailment you have may be caused by Agent Orange.
Information provided by Tim Dyhouse in one of theVFW magazines should get the attention of our Korea DMZ veterans. The VA has acknowledged that even more veterans were exposed to Agent Orange while serving on Korea's demilitarized zone (DMZ).
On Jan. 25, 2011, VA announced that it now presumes that veterans who served along the DMZ between April 1, 1968, and Aug. 31, 1971, were exposed to the herbicide. The 2nd Infantry Division (Combat Brigade) and the 7th Infantry Division (3rd Brigade) are the two units the VA and the Pentagon have identified as units that qualify for this new ruling. Your local veterans service officer should be able to provide and verify which regiments and battalions were assigned to the 2nd and 7th Infantry during this time frame.
READ MORE: http://www.dailyworld.com/article/20120726/NEWS01/207260304/Vietnam-veterans-should-get-Agent-Orange-tests?nclick_check=1
NOTE: SEE - NEW VA CLAIMS FILING SYSTEM below
Books and films donated to AO/Dioxin victims
http://www.nhandan.com.vn/cmlink/nhandan-online/homepage/society/current/books-and-films-donated-to-ao-dioxin-victims-1.359841
Nhan Dan – A ceremony was held in Hanoi on July 25 to present 200 copies of a book and 100 DVDs of a documentary film to the Vietnam Association of Victims of Agent Orange(AO)/Dioxin (VAVA).
The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Do Quy Doan and VAVA Vice Chairman Nguyen The Luc.
The book, ‘Nửa thế kỷ một nỗi đau’ (Half a Century - One Pain), and the film, ‘Chất độc da cam, nỗi đau còn đó’ (Agent Orange – Lingering Pain), feature the physical and spritual pain suffered by AO/Dioxin victims and reflect how people of all social strata are trying to help them integrate into the community.
It is hoped that these gifts will contribute to raising public awareness and increasing the voice of Vietnamese AO victims and international friends in their continuing struggle for truth and justice.
The ceremony was organised by VAVA and the Ministry of Information and Communications to promote the cause and support victims of AO/Dioxin in Vietnam.
Nhan Dan – A ceremony was held in Hanoi on July 25 to present 200 copies of a book and 100 DVDs of a documentary film to the Vietnam Association of Victims of Agent Orange(AO)/Dioxin (VAVA).
The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Do Quy Doan and VAVA Vice Chairman Nguyen The Luc.
The book, ‘Nửa thế kỷ một nỗi đau’ (Half a Century - One Pain), and the film, ‘Chất độc da cam, nỗi đau còn đó’ (Agent Orange – Lingering Pain), feature the physical and spritual pain suffered by AO/Dioxin victims and reflect how people of all social strata are trying to help them integrate into the community.
It is hoped that these gifts will contribute to raising public awareness and increasing the voice of Vietnamese AO victims and international friends in their continuing struggle for truth and justice.
The ceremony was organised by VAVA and the Ministry of Information and Communications to promote the cause and support victims of AO/Dioxin in Vietnam.
CDC to probe Maine troops' possible toxin exposure
http://www.kjonline.com/news/CDC-Maine-troops-herbicide-military-agent-orange-toxin.html
Maine soldiers may have been exposed to potentially toxic herbicides during training at a Canadian base during the mid-1950s to the mid-1980s
WASHINGTON — Federal health officials have agreed to investigate whether Maine soldiers were exposed to potentially toxic herbicides – including Agent Orange – while training at a Canadian base during the mid-1950s to the mid-1980s.
In a letter to Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention pledged to “conduct a thorough investigation of the situation” at the Canadian Forces Base Gagetown in New Brunswick, where herbicides and defoliants have been used for decades.
Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the CDC, said staff have requested documents and reports to look into the possibility that Maine veterans were exposed to harmful chemicals.
“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) share your concerns about the health of our military veterans and this situation in particular,” Frieden wrote.
Frieden was responding to a June 2012 letter from Collins in which the senator urged the ATSDR to conduct a detailed analysis of the potential health risks for Mainers who trained in Gagetown.
Although Agent Orange – a Vietnam War-era defoliant that causes cancer and severe health problems – was only used for several days at Gagetown in the 1960s, the base continued to use other herbicides and defoliants that have been linked to health problems.
Concerns over troop exposure to potentially toxic herbicides at the Gagetown base are not new. The Canadian government investigated the issue years ago and subsequently agreed to compensate some soldiers who were sickened due to exposure to Agent Orange. Maine officials have also been involved in the issue since at least 2005.
For instance, in an August 2006 “information paper” on the issue, the Maine Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management expressed concerns about the “bigger issue” of Maine National Guard troops’ exposure to herbicides other than Agent Orange that were used for decades.
Although those chemicals were approved for use as herbicides by Canadian government, that fact does not negate the reality that the nature of military training could increase the risk of exposure, the paper’s authors wrote.
“Maine National Guard soldiers dug foxholes, low crawled, slept in pup tents, and lived in some of these areas for up to 12 days at a time,” the paper stated. “Guard engineers graded roads where herbicides were used to keep brush growth down on the edge of the road; cleared brush out of and constructed bivouac sites; and conducted demolition and engineer missions all over CFB Gagetown. Artillerymen fired thousands of rounds into the impact areas and the detonation of those rounds put those chemicals back into the air to be dispersed wherever the wind took them.”
Collins said today she was pleased with the CDC’s decision to look into the matter.
"Protecting the health of those who were training to protect us is a solemn responsibility from which we must not walk away,” Collins said in a statement.
Maine soldiers may have been exposed to potentially toxic herbicides during training at a Canadian base during the mid-1950s to the mid-1980s
WASHINGTON — Federal health officials have agreed to investigate whether Maine soldiers were exposed to potentially toxic herbicides – including Agent Orange – while training at a Canadian base during the mid-1950s to the mid-1980s.
In a letter to Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention pledged to “conduct a thorough investigation of the situation” at the Canadian Forces Base Gagetown in New Brunswick, where herbicides and defoliants have been used for decades.
Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the CDC, said staff have requested documents and reports to look into the possibility that Maine veterans were exposed to harmful chemicals.
“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) share your concerns about the health of our military veterans and this situation in particular,” Frieden wrote.
Frieden was responding to a June 2012 letter from Collins in which the senator urged the ATSDR to conduct a detailed analysis of the potential health risks for Mainers who trained in Gagetown.
Although Agent Orange – a Vietnam War-era defoliant that causes cancer and severe health problems – was only used for several days at Gagetown in the 1960s, the base continued to use other herbicides and defoliants that have been linked to health problems.
Concerns over troop exposure to potentially toxic herbicides at the Gagetown base are not new. The Canadian government investigated the issue years ago and subsequently agreed to compensate some soldiers who were sickened due to exposure to Agent Orange. Maine officials have also been involved in the issue since at least 2005.
For instance, in an August 2006 “information paper” on the issue, the Maine Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management expressed concerns about the “bigger issue” of Maine National Guard troops’ exposure to herbicides other than Agent Orange that were used for decades.
Although those chemicals were approved for use as herbicides by Canadian government, that fact does not negate the reality that the nature of military training could increase the risk of exposure, the paper’s authors wrote.
“Maine National Guard soldiers dug foxholes, low crawled, slept in pup tents, and lived in some of these areas for up to 12 days at a time,” the paper stated. “Guard engineers graded roads where herbicides were used to keep brush growth down on the edge of the road; cleared brush out of and constructed bivouac sites; and conducted demolition and engineer missions all over CFB Gagetown. Artillerymen fired thousands of rounds into the impact areas and the detonation of those rounds put those chemicals back into the air to be dispersed wherever the wind took them.”
Collins said today she was pleased with the CDC’s decision to look into the matter.
"Protecting the health of those who were training to protect us is a solemn responsibility from which we must not walk away,” Collins said in a statement.
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