Agent Orange Equity

[Berta 4,215]

The AO Equity Act-

hopefully will be discussed tonight at SVR Radio when Kurt Priessman, hadit member, tells of his Thailand AO award and why this is important to many Thailand vets if not to ALL exposed to AO with disabilities on the presumptive list.

Vets from Laos ,Cambodia, Okinawa, Guam, Thailand, Alaska, Fort Greeley,Panama etc etc etc were left out-

and ironically-in my opinion-so were hundreds and hundreds of BWN vets too-!(maybe thousands)

My point is-this act would give many pilots a chance to be considered "exposed" as the regs as they stand certainly dont include fly overs at high altitudes and award AO only if the vet made a pit stop or lay over (proven) in Vietnam.

BUT- "the waters offshore of such Republic" gets to me-

What waters: the 12 mile limit?, the CIA definition of continguous waters?, territorial waters?

I am looking right this minute at my Vietnam War Map- the entire China Sea,Cam Rahn Bay and other Bays, the 7th Fleet , Dixie Station, Yankee Station and the whole Pacific Ocean is -in essense -"off shore" Vietnam.

The definition of "offshore" certainly has to be clarified and expanded.

Any affected veteran- waiting for Equity regarding AO exposure should follow up on what the vet sites are doing on this Act-

follow the news on it, and try to access any on line info and discussions on it- because ultimately we will have chances for input into this and if enough vets get on board with this whole situation- maybe then ALL AO vets will have the Equity status they deserve when they file their VA claims.

Here is the Act:

"Agent Orange Equity Act of 2008 (Introduced in House)

HR 6562 IH

110th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 6562

To amend title 38, United States Code, relating to presumptions of exposure for veterans who served in the vicinity of Vietnam.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

July 22, 2008

Mr. FILNER (for himself, Mr. SESTAK, Mr. HALL of New York, Mrs. GILLIBRAND, and Mr. LATHAM) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

A BILL

To amend title 38, United States Code, relating to presumptions of exposure for veterans who served in the vicinity of Vietnam.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Agent Orange Equity Act of 2008'.

SEC. 2. CLARIFICATION OF PRESUMPTIONS OF EXPOSURE FOR VETERANS WHO SERVED IN THE VICINITY OF VIETNAM.

Effective on and after September 25, 1985, subsections (a) and (f) of section 1116 of title 38, United States Code, are each amended by inserting after `Republic of Vietnam' each place it appears the following: `including the inland waterways of such Republic, the waters offshore of such Republic, and the airspace above such Republic'."

-------------------------

[simple fly 0]

i have been fighting the battle for years that the planes i was a mechanic on were flying through the clouds of ao or whatever you want to call it. we had to wash the planes as they came back from thailand and were transitioned back to the bases in germany.a few of us started getting bumps and stuff on our skin and could not find a reason why.this stuff was deep in the inner structure of these jets[f-4's] then we were told to wash these drop tanks that came over on cargo planes.we never knew what was in them.we just stayed at medical with problems.all in the smr's.

now i have,diabetes,neuropathy,skin cancer,and can't get the va to even listen. buddy letters have fallen on blind eyes.

so i'm hoping some of this will fall in our favor.

[LLoyd USMC 0]

Does anyone know where the points "yankee station and or shasta shoals" were in relationship to VN

Thanks LLoyd USMC

[Pete53 0]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yankee_Station

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Yankee_..._Location_1.gif

Edited August 7, 2008 by Pete53