Ao Question

[Vync]

I am not too familiar with the geography of Vietnam, but does the new AO bills/laws cover personnel who were stationed in Camron Bay or Lane Army Heliport (about 10 km from Quin Nhon)?

[jbasser]

It is on the eastern side of Viet Nam and yes sir, Boots on the ground if you were there.

J

[Berta]

HR 2254 (please ask your congresspeople to support and your senators)

covers anyone incountry Vietnam, and in the vicinity of Vietnam to include Johnson Island

I posted Danang Map and also war map of Vietnam here - maybe search would pick it up.

Yep you are right on the button-about 8 miles or 10 clicks NW from Qui Nhon in the Phu Ti Valley-was the Lane Army Heliport.

[Vync]

Berta,

Thank you very much. I will check it out. My father was in Vietnam, so I am hoping to possibly help him out. I asked him about his health conditions since he left the service. I am curious if his time in Vietnam may be related.

I also found this (probably posted somewhere else here):

http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/a...ge/diseases.asp

[Berta]

This is good info at the VA web site-however it does not list the 34 soft tissue sarcomas (STS)-it only lists the 4 types of sarcoma they exclude.

I posted the 34 sarcomas here many times- hope it is still in the archives under search.

I took me almost a week-hours a day- to find that a local vet friend -with an extraordinary stack of med recs- who was denied as not having a STS- did in fact have STS due to Vietnam in his VA med recs.

Cancers have numerous descriptions and medical terms-the VA will not take the time to hunt through stacks of med recs to find a definition of ANY disability unless it is cut and dried.

They skim over the AO list and probably deny many AO claims because the disability-if due to a soft tissue sarcoma-does not appear defined exactly that way in the medical nomenclature in the med recs.

Medical records have to be thoroughly reviewed for many AO claims.

A STS AO cancer could metasize into a different body system and the vet might claim the metasized cancer and they would could deny-by not considering that this non AO cancer was caused by an AO STS cancer.

Most of the AO disabilities are clear cut-but the STS cancers often need thorough reviews of the medical records.

Thanks for looking into your father's situation, I hope he has copy of his medical records.

[buickx]

Print out the va booklet below....info for vietnam veterans ref: AO

http://www1.va.gov/vhapublications/ViewPub...asp?pub_ID=1474

[sixthscents]

Berta makes some VERY important points in her post... personally if I was trying to file a claim under AO, her stuff would be required reading.

I love the fact that Hadit has some of the most expert and knowlegable people about so many differing types of claims, and at this point it is unreal how much experience the volunteer posters and advocates on Hadit have. If the DAV hired US to do claims... well there are several good claim officers out there, but boy are there a bunch of bad ones too.

I am so proud of what Hadit has become over the years. Proud of the volunteers, proud of the vets, and especially proud of Tbird. Proud to be part of it. But, it just blows me away how much people here KNOW.

Also rentalguy, if your are cruising around anon, please come back dude. Hey I left once too, and have been reprimanded by carlie (let me tell you she carries a BIG stick, and beats ya over the head HARD if you do things that are not very bright... which I have)and even Tbird has dressed me down upon occasion.

The truth is dude... are you going to let anger over one issue, or ever several drive you away from a place where you can and have helped so many vets? Is thats whats best for the vets? I dont knopw the whole story of what went on, but honestly man it doesn't matter. I think you put out a lot of great info, helped a lot of vets, and feel and felt driven to help others going thru the same experience as you.

I think that as a vet yourself, you feel a sense of duty to these strangers in our midst simply because they to are your family in a way. I know I do. And the bald truth is if you cannot help as many vets anywhere else as you can here... the other boards (excepting perhaps VBN) simply do not get the traffic Hadit does.

So, I am asking you - personally and publicly. Please come back. Someone here NEEDS your help, and they also served and believe in silly things like honor, dignity, and duty. And without you, someone will slip thru the cracks... they will anyway there are just not enough of us, and often our own problems interfere (especially with me huh), but without you more will - and its is a shame and brings dishonor upon our nation that they are trapped in this situation against the VA. People, veterans and their families are counting on your help dude. And being angry over a decision made by a mod to the extent that you leave... well I been there and done that but I cant say I was right. Again... please come back man veterans are counting on you.

Bob Smith