A Few Ao Q&a

[Stretch]

These are just a few of the questions and answers on this webpage about Agent Orange.

http://www.veterans.state.ny.us/faq/faqagentorange.htm#When

Q. What is Agent Orange?

A. Agent Orange was an herbicide used in Vietnam to kill unwanted plants and to remove leaves from trees which otherwise provided cover for the enemy. The name, "Agent Orange," came from the orange stripe on the 55-gallon drums in which it was stored. Other herbicides, including Agent White and Agent Blue, were also used in Vietnam to a much lesser extent.

Q. When and where was Agent Orange used in Vietnam?

A. Fifteen different herbicides were shipped to and used in Vietnam between January 1962 and September 1971. More than 80 percent of the herbicide sprayed in Vietnam was Agent Orange, which was used between January 1965 and April 1970. Herbicides other than Agent Orange were used in Vietnam prior to 1965, but to a very limited extent. The total area sprayed with herbicides between 1962 and 1965 was small. Before the end of the spraying in 1971 more than 20 million gallons of herbicides were sprayed over six million acres, some of which were sprayed more than once. Spraying occurred in all four military zones of Vietnam.

Heavily sprayed areas included inland forests near the demarcation zone; inland forests at the junction of the borders of Cambodia, Laos, and South Vietnam; inland forests north and northwest of Saigon; mangrove forests on the southernmost peninsula of Vietnam; and mangrove forests along major shipping channels southeast of Saigon.

Q. What are the long-term effects of exposure to Agent Orange?

A. In the 1970's some veterans became concerned that exposure to Agent Orange might cause delayed health effects. One of the chemicals in Agent Orange contained minute traces of TCDD or dioxin, which caused a variety of illnesses in laboratory animals. More recent studies have suggested that the chemical may be related to a number of types of cancer and other disorders.

Q. What can concerned Vietnam veterans do?

A. In 1978, the Veterans Administration, now known as the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), set up the Agent Orange Registry health examination program for Vietnam veterans who were concerned about the possible long-term medical effects of exposure to Agent Orange. Vietnam veterans who are interested in participating in this program should contact the nearest VA medical center for an examination.

[Berta]

They hold my POA and I have been updating their main Albany office-----don't they have Haas on the site yet??????? CRIPES!

CAVC ever put a ticker up-at their site ---this p----s me off-the most important AO legislation in years and they dont have it there?

If you go to NYSDVA-anyone here-

bring a copy of the NVLSP statement with you that I posted here as soon as I got it-last week-

Haas is for AO Navy widows too and it mentions Thailand vets also-

I say if you are Blue Water, Thailand, Cambodia or Laos and have the VSM or AFEC on your DD 214 and have a presumptive AO condition- file the claim or re-open your old claim if it was denied for AO.

If you have a pending claim at CAVC or the BVA tell the vet rep at NYSDVA to carefullyread the info from NVLSP on that.

I will post any further info as I get it on this most important "Law of the Land" for Blue Water Navy vets.

Law -until VA tries to put it in the crapper- but any claims filed before that happens are bonafide AO claims under Haas.

Edited August 30, 2006 by Berta

[john999]

Stretch

When the VA says AO disabled vets are entitled to hospital and medical care and nursing home care does this mean for all conditions besides AO. I am already IU so does the exposure diseases add any priority to my so-called medical care? I have five AO conditions and the VA still sends bills to my medical insurance.

[Stretch]

I went in to VAMC today and was added into the AO registry. I requested for it over 1 1/2 years ago. VA will not do anything unless you are there to make them do it. The C&P office did hear about Haas vs. Nicholson. I took a copy in just in case they did not hear about it. The PN, at the C&P, said that you had to see an NSO in order to file a claim, hehe.

John,

I guess your are in one of the 100% SC groups. Not all Veterans are in that group. I think that there are 8 groups. If you are fortunate enough to have medical insurance, which many newer and older vets do not have, then you are doing pretty well. I only know a little. I am not IU, so I don't have an answer for your question. Maybe a VSO or NSO could help you.

There are newer vets, Navy people, and others that could use your knowledge. It is evident that you have read this information before. There are many others that are new to this, because of VA mistakes within interpretation of the law many years ago.