Nehmer And Ao Guam And Johnston Island

[augoldminer]

I am a blue water vet with no boots on the ground in Vietnam.

I just got one of the Nehmer review notices and I wonder if i should add a statement that i have boots on the ground in Guam and Johnston island in 1973 and how i would have been exposed just in case they ever admit that agent orange was used or leaked in both places.(We all know that did happen. Especially Johnston island)

The mine sweep i was on pulled into johnston island twice and we stayed over night to do repairs and take on stores, fuel, and fresh water from the islands distillation/reverse Osmosis plant(understand they had both types in 1973).

[Berta]

If you can prove exposure to AO on Guam or Johnson Island, they will award your claim if you have a presumptive AO disability.

One of our members here proven exposure to AO in Thailand and was awarded and went on to help many more Thailand vets prove their exposure.

Also another member here was the first CONUS AO award- exposure to AO at Fort Gorden,USA.

If HR 2254 ever passes (The AO Equity Act ) to include Blue Waters -I believe that Johnson Island is included in that regulation.

However that is a big "if" and Blue Waters should do all they can to prove exposure to AO - were you in Brown Water at all? did your ship dock? there is a ships list here showing ships and other vessels that might have been exposed to AO.

[Berta]

Here is one of the Johnson Island AO awards:

“FINDINGS OF FACT

1. The veteran did not serve in the Republic of the Vietnam

during the Vietnam era or along the Korean demilitarized zone

from April 1968 through July 1969.

2. Resolving doubt in favor of the veteran, the evidence

establishes that the veteran was exposed to Agent Orange

herbicides while stationed on Johnston Island from February

1972 to January 1973.

3. There is competent evidence of a current diagnosis of

diabetes mellitus type II and the competent evidence

establishes that the diabetes mellitus type II requires

insulin and a restricted diet.”

FINDINGS OF FACT

1. The veteran did not serve in the Republic of the Vietnam

during the Vietnam era or along the Korean demilitarized zone

from April 1968 through July 1969.

2. Resolving doubt in favor of the veteran, the evidence

establishes that the veteran was exposed to Agent Orange

herbicides while stationed on Johnston Island from February

1972 to January 1973.

3. There is competent evidence of a current diagnosis of

diabetes mellitus type II and the competent evidence

establishes that the diabetes mellitus type II requires

insulin and a restricted diet.

http://www4.va.gov/vetapp07/files1/0708979.txt

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

It takes time and persistence to find awards like this outside of Vietnam or Korea AO areea but the BVA cases give a good example of what evidence might be needed.

[LarryJ]

Johnston Island. If you were there, you were exposed to all sorts of chemicals, nerve agents, AO and it's derivatives (approx. 15), and Ionizing Radiation (they had to pop the cap on two experimental rocket launches and destroy the nuclear warhead immediately upon lift-off, spreading nuclear warhead material ALL OVER the atoll (of course, they got all that "cleaned up", no problema'!))!

I have two veterans now that I have gotten "enrolled" in the Agent Orange Registry and I need to file an active Agent Orange claim for one of them, both of whom were NOT exposed at any other place THAN Johnston Island. If you were there, you were exposed, and the VA has NOT argued otherwise, probably hoping that the vets that WERE there will not ALL hear about this and, hence, will NOT file!

...........oy vey!

[john999]

Augoldminer

You say you got a Nehmer notice. What was the reason you got the notice? The VA is great at keeping us in the dark.