Hope for Blue Water Veterans

[Berta]

Carol Ozanecki- Blue Water vet Advocate called me with this news:

https://www.stripes.com/news/lawmakers-launch-new-effort-to-provide-agent-orange-coverage-for-blue-water-navy-vets-1.525395

Also there is a article in Pop Culture she sent to me----mentionig Blue Water vets buy I felt it was too political to post here. You can google it if you want to read it.

 

 

[Gastone]

Was "Blue Water" addressed in the 2017 IOM AO Study, Final Report?

[Berta]

BWV was mentioned in the last IOM report:

"Veterans who stepped foot in Vietnam or served on its inland waterways anytime between January 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975, are presumed to have been exposed to herbicides when claiming service-connection for diseases related to Agent Orange exposure. Veterans in these circumstances can find the ship(s) on which they served in the list as well.

Exception: Blue Water Veterans with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma may be granted service-connection without showing inland waterway service or that they set foot in Vietnam. This is because VA also recognizes non-Hodgkin's lymphoma as related to service in Vietnam or the waters offshore of Vietnam during the Vietnam Era.

 

HMD report on Agent Orange exposure

VA asked the Health and Medicine Division (HMD) (formally known as the Institute of Medicine) of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to review the medical and scientific evidence regarding Blue Water Veterans’ possible exposure to Agent Orange and other herbicides.

HMD's report Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans and Agent Orange Exposurewas released in May 2011. The report concluded that "the committee was unable to state with certainty whether Blue Water Navy personnel were or were not exposed to Agent Orange."

(https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/locations/blue-water-veterans.asp)

There is considerable more info on the net on this issue:

https://www.veterans.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/BWN Testimony FTR 5.13.151.pdf

John Rossie wrote this report.

Also this just came out:

https://www.militarytimes.com/veterans/2018/05/04/new-blue-water-veterans-deal-could-mean-benefits-for-90000-vietnam-war-troops/

 

 

 

[Gastone]

I was familiar with the 2011  report but couldn't recall the particulars. I think it referenced, and still does, those ships operating within Vietnam Territorial Waters (12 Nautical miles), from low tide shore.

I was looking for the scientific  Data regarding AO disbursement from runoff & Rivers.

[Berta]

I dont know where data like that would be,but the AO ships list has grown over the years, primarly due to Vietnam vets proving their ship or vessel was exposed to AO.

Rivers and tributaries ,as Brown Water, were accessed by many types of vessels.

https://www.veteranslawblog.org/brown-water-agent-orange-claims/

This AO Ships list  list was posted 4 days ago- and is extensive: 

https://www.benefits.va.gov/compensation/docs/shiplist.docx

 

[FormerMember]

I read up on it. There's no IOM scientific basis for inclusion of BWV. That would be a first for VA. If they grant, they'll have to include Vets who actually were exposed. Think about those thousands of Air Force, Army and Marines deployed in Thailand and Laos and you really have a VA budget deficit. They'd have to dump TDIU to even get close to balancing it. It intrigued me so much I wrote an article as I am wont to do..

https://asknod.org/2018/05/06/sunday-morning-first-you-love-me-and-then-you-fade-away/

[Gastone]

The 2018 AO BW Ship List, specifies Dates personnel listed in respective Ship's Log had possible "Boots on Ground" in Nam, Landing Craft, Shore Leave etc.

As I recall, Jarhead REMF's stationed Camp Hanson, Okinawa would volunteer to do a 1 or 2-week work party at the 1st Mar Div HQ Danang, filling sandbags. That (1) week filling bags at the relatively safe Div HQ got them their Nam Service Medal and unbeknownst at the time, the "Boots" for the AO Presumptive. A few of them probably filed for PTSD (2013 or 14) after the Rules changed and added "Fear Of."

I haven't been able to find any AO Concentration data regarding AO disbursement within the 12 Mile Territorial Waters of Nam. Did time between operations along the coast aboard the USS Okinawa. As I recall, showers were all Salt Water except for periodic Desalinated Water Hours. If I were a Squid and the "AO BW" with Boots didn't apply, I go for a Direct AO Exposure from Daily Showers and Drinking of the Desalinated Sea Water.