Ao Presumption, Brown & Blue Water

[Chuck75]

Ran across this (It's about time!)

http://www.vawatchdog.org/10/nf10/nfjan10/nf012210-3.htm

(Extract from VA Bulletin referenced above)

Compensation & Pension Service Bulletin

January 2010

Policy (211)

Information on Vietnam Naval Operations

Compensation and Pension (C&P) Service has

initiated a program to collect data on Vietnam

naval operations for the purpose of providing

regional offices with information to assist with

development in Haas related disability claims

based on herbicide exposure from Navy

Veterans. To date, we have received verification

from various sources showing that a number of

offshore “blue water” naval vessels conducted

operations on the inland “brown water” rivers

and delta areas of Vietnam. We have also

identified certain vessel types that operated

primarily or exclusively on the inland

waterways.

The ships and dates of inland

waterway service are listed below. If a

Veteran’s service aboard one of these ships can

be confirmed through military records during the

time frames specified, then exposure to herbicide

agents can be presumed without further

development.

All vessels of Inshore Fire Support [iFS]

Division 93 during their entire Vietnam tour

USS Carronade (IFS 1)

USS Clarion River (LSMR 409) [Landing Ship,

Medium, Rocket]

USS Francis River (LSMR 525)

USS White River (LSMR 536)

All vessels with the designation LST [Landing

Ship, Tank] during their entire tour

[WWII ships converted to transport supplies on

rivers and serve as barracks for brown water

Mobile Riverine Forces]

All vessels with the designation LCVP [Landing

Craft, Vehicle, Personnel] during their entire tour

Extract end

There are additional ships listed in the full document, mainly Destroyers.

The Document has a few rough edges--

More or less unmodified LSTs of the 1156 class built for the Korean war were used to support the Mobile Riverine Forces.

These LSTs carried supplies and ammunition as cargo, and were also used to house crew from various types of river patrol boats. They often stayed in the rivers for a month to several months at a time. These LSTs were considered part of 7th fleet, and attached to the Mobile Riverine Forces.

LSTs carried LCVPs, usually up to four. LCVPs are Boats, not vessels. LCVPs might carry a small number of troops, and/or a small vehicle, such as a Jeep or P/U truck. LCMs (larger) are sort of seagoing, and might be considered "vessels" or "ships". LCMs were not mentioned, yet several were in service in the Vietnam rivers. Thier supply lines were very "iffy", and often had to obtain what they could any way they could.

[Berta]

Chuck-I posted this yesterday in Claims research-thanks for getting it here-

This will help Brown Water vets but some of them have succeeded on their claims under AO regs already-

There is scuttlebutt around that maybe this is some sort of attempt to appease vets if the AO Equity Act (232 sponsors so far) does not pass.

At first I thought this was Very good news for many Brown Waters but it is news that still leaves many Brown and all Blue Waters out of the mix.

Many Brown water claims have been denied for years by the VA - vets who might have been on these ships and landing crafts -I wonder when they will get wind of this- It seems the media never focuses enough on when the VA opens the door to new regs that could affect many vets- already denied-like vets who now fall under the 3 new presumptives and can put themseselves with evidence on these vessels in the specific time frame.

[mos1833]

chuck75 and berta, help me get straight on this ao presumption ship list.

any Lst. ship -?

any date - ?

any place - ?

any amount of time limits on board the ship -?

where is the catch

thanks for any help

[N4XV]

chuck75 and berta, help me get straight on this ao presumption ship list.

any Lst. ship -?

Any LST ship that operated within the boundaries of RVN inland waterways.

any date - ?

Any date within the timeline of the Vietnam war.

any place - ?

Any place within the boundaries of the RVN

any amount of time limits on board the ship -?

Any amount of time on board the ship during it's actual time in country RVN 

where is the catch

No catch. They are compiling the list as new claims come in to assist all the VARO's with

development in Haas related disability claims based on herbicide exposure from Navy

Veterans.

 

thanks for any help