diabetes Ao Thailand Recently Awarded Vet

[Berta]

Kurt has prepared his own media release for this important show-

Wednesday Night at 6:30 EDT at Stardust Radio-SVR show-

You can join the chat room and interact with us and I will try to get your chat room questions to our guest- or feel free to call in toll free- 1-800-273-4329

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One day in the fall of 2006, I received an email from a contact of the Vietnam Dog Handler Association (VDHA), that some of the handlers had been working on a project concerning Agent Orange and that Mrs. Marilyn Oliver would be sending a survey to fill out concerning my illnesses. That was my introduction to the world of veterans advocates.

Soon after I received a CD from the group which included Taura King and Susie Belanger of the BWN Committee, Marilyn from Order of the Silver Rose, Thailand Vietnam Vets for Equal Treatment (TVVET) and other groups, and the VSPA/VDHA members. It put me on to the fact I could file a claim, although I had only gone through Vietnam, for my Diabetes and other secondary diseases, and I later learned that I could file for Direct Exposure Outside of Vietnam.

I began by requesting information from NPRC and DFAS, and the transfer of my VA records to Waco Regional Office from Phoenix, and made a FOIA request through DOD which passed it on to JSRRC, Travis AFB, CA and AFHRA. I also began to research databases such as Moise's Bibliography and many veteran online sites. But Moise's was the crucial key which led me to do a paper on the Airlift Routing to Thailand, and through the Project CHECO, many detailed documents on AO, base defense in Vietnam, and the Rules of Engagement (ROE). This later became crucial to my search as it led to me back to the old adage "don't fix it if it ain't broke."

I went through Buckingham's Ranch Hand, Cecil's Ranch Hand thesis, and documents from the Alvin Young Collection. But after receiving disappointing results on my records, and no evidence of herbicides in Thailand other than some Ranch Hand sorties flown into Laos, I asked for the Project CHECO: Base Defense in Thailand. It required declassification by the Air Force, OSI, and the State Department.

Finally, in September 2007, I received the declassified report. I must have read it three or four times. There is was, the use at three bases. I read the footnotes and references and made another FOIA asking for many of those references. Of the 45 documents I requested, I received six, one of the being the USMACTHAI/JUSMACTHAI Memorandum: "Mission Policy on Base Defense", a document relating to the ROE in Thailand. Bingo! This document included the authorization of the use of herbicides in Thailand around the perimeters of U.S. occupied Thai bases.

Still, my claims languished at the Regional Office under the Haas stay until Berta recommended I call OGC to seek administrative remedy. That begins the rest of the story.

Kurt Priessman, MSgt, USAF (Ret)

Vet Advocate

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Edited August 5, 2008 by Berta

[Berta]

SORRY ALL- the toll free number for SVR Stardust is 1-877-213-4329

So much is going on in some of the electronic vets community regarding this Historic veteran's award-that I cant seem to think straight-

this award could well open the door for MANY other vets.

One of my happiest days as an advocate was this Sunday when I learned of all this.

[simple fly]

i've been watching it close. my ao claim hinges on this case and the ao equity act.

[Berta]

There are problems with the Agent Orange Equity Act-

we will discuss this on the show- and urge all to write to COngressman Filner about it-unless we come up with some other way-maybe we should all write to Congressman John Hall instead-

The AOE press release was one thing but the act as written must be changed-to be equitable-

Kurt has talked at length to BWN (John Rossie) and all AO exposed outside of Vietnam vets have to unite on this one.