For additional information from the VA about Agent Orange and VA’s services and programs for exposed veterans, go to www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange
Additional information can also be obtained
from The VVA Self-Help Guide To Service-Connected Disability Compensation For Exposure To Agent Orange For Veterans And Their Families
at http://www.vva.org/Guides/AgentOrangeGuide.pdf
THE GENERATIONAL LEGACY OF AGENT ORANGE
Perhaps the most pressing priority for Vietnam Veterans of America in the next Congress is to secure legislation to start addressing the birth defects and birth anomalies that appear clear to us in greatly disproportionate numbers in our children, grandchildren, and perhaps even in our great-grandchildren. These range from extraordinarily rare cancers, to neurological problems, to learning disabilities. These appear in large numbers in every town hall meeting we have held at locations from Vermont to California, from Minnesota to Florida. You can read the stories of some of these veterans and their families [link didn't work - try an internet search] or go to Faces of Agent Orange on Facebook.
The problem is that we do not have sufficient independent scientific data and articles published in peer-reviewed scientific journals to confirm what we see at town hall meetings. That is, that there is a significant generational impact of AO by means of its profound effects on the genetics of male sperm, exposed during service, on the progeny of Vietnam veterans.
We need immediate federal legislation directing and funding the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs to contract with the National Academies of Science/Institute of Medicine to do the research on this Agent Orange issue among generations of families who previously had no histories of birth defects, the inability to conceive, etc.
VVA also strongly feels that there is enough data that can be collected in short order to move ahead to start providing basic clinical and other vitally needed care to those who suffer due to the service of their parents or grandparents.
Consistent with VVA’s congressional charter to represent the interests of Vietnam veterans, and consistent with our motto—Never again will one generation of veterans abandon another—VVA has sponsored the town hall meetings. Our goal is to find ten specific case examples of potential linkage of birth defects and other maladies per congressional district by the end of 2013 to help inform members of Congress and the nation of this pressing issue. Putting a human face on the legacy of AO, we find, is very helpful in moving members to act.
In summary, we can wait until more Vietnam veterans have died, thus further limiting the sample and the potential exposure to the federal government for harm, or we can get started now. This is not only a political decision; it is a moral obligation and imperative.
Toxic exposures during military service continue to be a serious concern for all aspects of our federal missions through which men and women serve and are harmed, in every generation. The harm caused does not often become apparent before or soon after service separation. It can take years and decades. We need to change the culture of our defense agencies to think about such potential exposures before—not just after. The fiscal impacts of such a cultural change could profoundly reduce the cost of war post conflict or service. This is clearly in the national interest.
The whole report "The Work Before Us" can be found online The VVA Veteran Online, VVA.org
For additional information from the VA about Agent Orange and VA’s services and programs for exposed veterans, go to www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange
I work with the US Army Chemical Corps Museum doing research into chemical activities in Vietnam. One facet of that is looking into the deaths of Chemical Soldiers in Vietnam so that they may be properly honored and remembered and to provide closure to their families. I’m having a particularly difficult time uncovering information concerning an incident that occurred on 31 January 1970 that involved Company C of the 3/22d on the ground. A helicopter flying in support of the action crashed killing all seven men aboard including three Chemical Corps officers. I’ve attached a brief article describing the incident … in the hope that some of your members might be able to provide an insight into what happened… but there are still gaps in the story to fill. Thank you.
John Thiel, Doctor of Business Administration,Indiana University, Kelley School, 1978, United States Army Retired
THE PERIMETER (sent in by Dave Gehr)
The Perimeter, in the infantry, is a circle of men. It is half a squad, platoon or company. One half is on guard, staying vigilant, watching for the enemy, while the other half rests, sleeps and carries on with life as it is. They are more than just men; they are a brotherhood in uniform.
They share their plans, dreams and hopes with each other. In hard times, they share their sadness, fears and pain. They face the enemy together, some like brothers, others like fathers and sons, and always as true friends. They find a spirit in each other that binds them to one another in a bond that lasts forever.
As time passes, they will leave the service and each other. They will travel many different paths of life, some to prosper well and others not so well. Somewhere in life’s travels, these men find themselves lost in the world, confused, dazed, scarred, unhappy and searching for something; something they are not even sure exists. They are not soldiers anymore, they are called veterans. Somehow, in their search, they once again find others like themselves. They find brothers of the past, brothers of the Perimeter, that circle of safety, where someone else shares their pain, their confusion and their fear. That Perimeter where the fear is eased, where there is less confusion. They share each other’s pain in stories, in tears and in silence. Inside the Perimeter, eye contact can say it all. This Perimeter is a circle of life and a circle of death; it is a circle of wounded warriors, with wounds of both flesh and spirit. The Perimeter is a circle of iron that has never broken. It is a circle of common duty that knows no color, no creed and no religious ground. The circle will last forever, through the best of times and the worst of times. The Perimeter is a place warriors will always seek – even for eternity. Just gaze out at our national cemeteries. For out there, on the outer edge, ever so vigilant, are those on the Perimeter.
By James R. Lawson
VA Medical Center
Mountain Home, TN.
From Dennis Sigler: Went up to Mt. Soledad veterans memorial today & took some photos for you to see with a little scope on the
size, etc. Also visited some other plaques there of Eisenhower, Reagan, Jimmy Stewart and several other heroes of the past.
On our plaque, I touched the names of Alton Shedd & Gary Lininger. I look forward to our official dedication in October. Stay
well & proud brothers, Dennis
From Pat Shine: The nephew of Robert Dorshak(KIA-8/25/68) just sent me some pics a few days ago. Mark Dorshak, who I became friends
with 7-8 years ago, said these were just found very recently. I never knew of their existence even though I’m in a couple of them
with Bob. So It would be good to add them to our web site. Mark said he and his dad, Bob’s older brother, wanted to have the photo
with only Bob in it added to his Hero page rather than his service photo presently shown. I have some difficulty putting names with
all of the guys in the other two pics. Maybe some of the names will come to me and maybe someone else can recognize one or more.