diabetes Question For Berta

[Computer Tech]

Berta:

I was wondering if it would help my claim for diabetes & glaucoma due to herbicide exposure in Thailand if I were to send in the attached statement or something like when I sent in the CUE and other evidence? I also plan to have it notarized. Do you think I should add anything about the dust being raised when you walked anywhere around the building?

Thanks for advice.

statement.PDF

[Computer Tech]

"I was looking at the stuff storied on my computer and found an old map of Camp Friendship and in I suppose is the southwest corner is a road leading to Jones Par and for some reason Jones Park sounds familiar, I need to check with some of the people that worked at the computer center to see if that was where the computer center was located. But I do remember that as we turned into the compound you could see the main gate, we used to joke about the Thais using the shipping crates stacked outside of Camp Friendship as housing."

I just heard for one of the people that worked at the Autodin site and he says that the Army radio site, the Autodin building, another building and the incinerator were located at Jones Park which was on the perimeter so maybe the attached map of Camp Friendship would be better to submit.

[Berta]

Does the photo of the barren ground have a date stamp on the back?

If it does and the date corresponds with your time stationed in Thailand-that could help.

"I've attached them to an earlier post in this thread. I also other pictures taken around the computer center showing light stripped drums lying around or being stored."

Does this have a date stamp too?

Barrels of AO looked a specific way with the stripe.Is this photo in color?

Is there anything in these pictures (in the background) that would positively show the photos were taken in Thailand at the Area where you worked or near the perimeter?

Still- a date stamp if visible on the back-would help a lot.

"I just heard for one of the people that worked at the Autodin site and he says that the Army radio site, the Autodin building, another building and the incinerator were located at Jones Park which was on the perimeter so maybe the attached map of Camp Friendship would be better to submit."

The map is good. Would this vet be able to help you somehow with a buddy statement?

If the incinerator was on the perimeter and you used it as part of your MOS, that might be the KEY to proving the claim.

Jmes Cripps MOS put him into a Park at Fort Gordon.Although that park was probably unlike a 'park' on the base in Thailand, that too would suggest they sprayed for brush and overgrowth there too.

If you submit the Map (I sure would) I suggest maybe you also make a tracing or additional copy of it to explain to them exactly where everything was.

I did something this for my past claim- it wasn't a map-it was generic med school diagrams of brain and heart and I copied it again and pinpointed on the copy to the VA the areas of heart and brain damage that were consistent with my husband's autopsy.

It sounds morbid-sorry about that- but the VA needs to have it all spelled out to them clearly when they consider maps or any other visual stuff.

Did you ever send any more photos home from Thailand to any friend or relative who might still have them?

[Berta]

BTW-the regs say "on" or "near" so that gives leeway here-

http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/thailand.asp

I don't know what the VA would consider as "near" but it seems to me you were as "near" as possible to the perimeter.

Any map you have with your location pinpointed as to your MOS will help.

[Computer Tech]

Actually what the VA might consider near scares me, they may say that you had to be right on the fence line, don't forget the only specific MOS' mentioned in that bulletin is security police and security dog handler.

None of the pictures that I submitted are date stamped and except for the picture taken out the back door all of the pictures are in black and white. The pictures of the barrels were taken about a year before I was there. I don't know when the picture out the back door was taken but it is in color and that area looked exactly the same when I was there.

The vet did give me a buddy statement which I submitted which the VA ignored, here's what he said:

"I was stationed at Korat RTAFB, Thailand for 37 months, from June 1969 to July 1972. I wotked in the

AUTODIN building on Camp Friendship during this time. The area surrounding the AUTODIN building and

extending to the fence separating Camp Friendship from Friendship Highway was brown and devoid of vegetation

the entire time that I was stationed at Korat. In addition the incinerator that was utilized for burning classified

documents was located between the AUTODIN building and the fence.

I have also been informed that Agent Orange was stored at Korat and the storage facility was located

across the toad from the Communications Squadron Orderly Road."

Jones Park wasn't a park park it was more an industrial area except that the only thin paved was the road reading in and out, the parking lot was just dirt, which means that when the buses and trucks drove over it clouds of dust were raised.

Hopefully I'll soon hear something on my IHD claim, although I will keep in mind the dates I don't see doing much with the diabetes and glaucoma until I hear something on the IHD that way if they do the same with the heart that they did with the diabetes and glaucoma I can get them on all three at one time. Of course I could get lucky and when they make a decision on the heart review all of the evidence and decide that I was exposed to herbicides on a facts found basis which means that they would then have to give me the diabetes and glaucoma. But for now is the hard part, waiting.

Berta, I want to thank you again for your ideas and suggestions, they have definitely helped me.

[Berta]

The buddy statement is good and so is this:

"I have also been informed that Agent Orange was stored at Korat and the storage facility was located

across the toad from the Communications Squadron Orderly Road."

WOW- it would be great if there was a away to prove the storage.If you raise the storage issue, VA would have to try to prove otherwise.But they had to store it somewhere.

I am very glad you have pursued and continue to pursue this claim because Nothing is impossible.

The only other thing I could think of is if you got a very strong medical opinion from an independent private doctor who could state emphatically that there is no other etiology for your disabilities except for exposure to AO.

Vets have gotten those types of IMOs but they can be very costly and the VA still would try to knock the opinion down.

Yes the waiting is very hard.