Dennis Urban

While serving on the DMZ between the Koreas in 1968, we constantly traveled in open trucks, convoy style, from our camps to our positions on the barrier fence, to go to our patrol jump off places, or to go into the DMZ for GP (Guard Post) hilltop positions. Every day the dirt roads were nothing but pure dust, and we would breathe this into our lungs usually twice a day for 20 minutes or more per trip. While in country I suffered no breathing problems, as well as when I was discharged. About 12 years ago I noticed that I was short of breathe a lot, especially when I would be playing around with my grandchildren. Shortly after that, I went to a specialist doctor who determined that I had a "unknown" breathing problem, which he said was COPD/Asthma. Since then I went to a second doctor, who confirmed I indeed had a problem, complicated by Sleep Apnea during two overnight "Sleep Exams". Currently I use three (3) different inhalers, and use a CPAC Nasal Mask whenever I lay down to rest or sleep. My CPAC is set at #9, because they found during the 2nd sleep study about 2 years ago, that I have a "arrhythmia" of my heart, which goes away once I am put past #8 on my CPAC Machine. I filed a claim for Compensation based on exposure to chemicals sprayed onto the dirt roads as "Dust Control", these chemicals being Agent Orange and Agent Blue (which had Arsenic as part of it's makeup). It was denied. I filed a appeal with even more information. It was denied. I have now filed a appeal to the BVA, and am in the process of getting a even stronger support letter from my breathing doctor. and am using excerpts from a book written by two Sgts. and a Officer who actually sprayed this stuff in Korea along the DMZ and the roads going to the camps. All 3 of these men are dying from exposure to the chemicals that they sprayed while in Korea. What more can I do to bolster my case for approval? Sgt. Dennis Urban Korea DMZ 1968-69 - Imjin River Scout