diabetes Agent Orange Question(S)

[CCC]

Hey, all. Not new here, but can't remember my log-in information, so I am ashamedly starting over. :)

I have a question or two related to Agent Orange exposure, disability, etc. If there's a place where I can read up on it, please direct me so I don't have to waste anyone's time, but y'all have been so helpful before.

OK, my husband is disabled. His paperwork says 50% but he's rated at 60%. I don't understand how that works, but he said it's a VA thing, and not supposed to make sense.

Reading here, and online, we got a little information regarding his exposure. He was never in Vietnam, but was Vietnam era. He was working at several Army bases as an MP, where AO was sprayed as a defoliant. Many of those Army bases are now considered "superfund" sites by the EPA because of the toxicity levels.

He has heart disease, type 2 diabetes, emphysema and a myriad of other conditions. The only one, at this time, considered service connected, is his heart. He had a heart attack when he was stationed in California, and this was about 10 years after his exposure to AO. This is all in his records, and he has no history of heart disease, himself or family.

We got notification yesterday of other documents needed, such as proving how AO resulted in heart disease, etc. I was wondering if anyone had any idea of how I would go about doing that? I'm not sure what my next step should be.

We are a little confused on how we are supposed to proceed. There were no tests done on him while he was in the military for anything - he said in the entire 20 years he was in the military, never once does he remember his finger being pricked or being checked for sugar. He remembers being in Ft. Carson, CO, and they were going to have to ship him to another base because he was having so much trouble breathing - he couldn't acclimate to the higher climate.

He was stationed at 5 different sites which are now considered EPA superfund sites, and especially remembers AO being sprayed along the fenceline, regularly, at Seneca Army Depot, also a superfund site. He said they sprayed it regularly, because it was a nuke depot, and they had to keep the weeds away from the fenceline.

Anyway, any help would be appreciated on how to proceed.

Thanks in advance. :)

[jbasser]

There is only 1 vet I know that proved AO conus and he actually sprayed the stuff himself at Ft Jackson.

Your chances may be slim at best but he will have to prove it and that is near impossible.

j

[boomer2]

CCC

Check this site if may give you some help. It is for the children of those that were exposed and passed on some of the diseases from AO.

http://agentorangelegacy.com/find-help/superfund-sites-u-s-bases-info/us-army-military-bases-on-epa-superfund-list/

[CCC]

Thanks for the help, everyone. I am getting some good ideas here. I just wish my posts would show up as I post them! This is the 2nd post I have "in holding" - hope y'all don't think I'm ignoring you.

How many posts do you need before you don't have to be approved?

[Berta]

Jbasser said

"There is only 1 vet I know that proved AO conus and he actually sprayed the stuff himself at Ft Jackson."

That's new- the only vet I now is James Cripps and he proved AO exposure at Fort Gordon Ga.

I posted his BVA decision here some time ago and he has been a guest at SVR.

James told me that, for the entire 5 years his claim took, he relentlessly researched for proof.

Fort Gordon was on the DOD list of tactical herbicides used outside of Vietnam but only for a very limited time frame and James proved he was in the time frame and his MOS put him exactly where they sprayed it.

[CCC]

Thanks, Berta. Any idea where that post is? Hubs was stationed at Ft. Gordon for MP training.

[boomer2]

Here is the docket # for his case 08-11-937, go to the home page and look for the link to the BVA cases and you can find it that way or through his name James Cripps.