Operation Frequent Wind 1975

[Aviationtech]

Good morning everyone.

  I seemed to have gotten myself very confused reading everything new regarding the new rules for Blue Water Veterans claim. I was present as a Marine attached to the USS Denver during Operation Frequent Wind during April and part of May in 1975. I was awarded the VSM as well as the humanitarian service medal. I now have metastatic prostrate cancer with no family history and have been told to file a claim with the VA for disability. I’m also one of those marines exposed to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. From what I read prostrate cancer is on the presumptive list for agent orange but I’m getting confused on weather or not the ship was within the 12 miles distance. I know this, land was within site (Vung Tau). Could anyone offer any advice. Thank you for any help. Roy

[toddt]

I could not find that the USS Denver (LPD-9) was listed in the Blue Water Navy guide but that should not stop you from filing.  LPDs generally operate close to shore for boat operations.  Did the Denver use her boats for Operation Frequent Wind or just the helicopters?  I can't imagine that the Denver will not be on the list of Blue Water Navy ships. The Blue Water Navy cases will not be decided until sometime in 2020 (they say January, but this is the government).  

As for Camp Lejeune; prostate cancer is not on the presumptive list but the VA is "encouraging"  you to file because more diseases may be added. (https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/camp-lejeune/)

 

[GBArmy]

Quote

 

Hi Aviationtech Welcome aboard, as those Navy guys say. You being a Marine, you might have heard it before. OK, so, there really hasn't been too many entries on problems on the BWN law; Berta has been been more involved as just about anyone, but I can give a little input. If you look up the Denver' s Ship log https://catalog.archives.gov/search?q="Denver (LPD-9)"&f.oldScope=online&f.level=fileunit&f.ancestorNaIds=594258&sort=naIdSort asc you are supposed to see chronologically where the ships were on any given day. I tried it just now and got nodda, but you can try again later. Vietnam service according to the dates I have seen supposedly ends May 7, 1975. So I don't know if the new law has an expanded date for recognized service. You do your own research if you were there after May 7th. I assume if you can "see" the shore, you are closer than 12 miles, but heck, I don't know about nautical stuff. Camp Lejeune runs from 8-1-53 to 12-31-87, so if you were there and have one of the presumptives listed, you are eligible. I don't see prostate cancer on the presumptive list for Lejeune contaminated water if that is what you had in mind. You can check it out yourself as well. The fact that you have a VSM doesn't really come into play now; it used to. I suggest you file, immediately, an intent to file form with the VA. You can do it on line thru ebenies or thru a VSO. If you chose a VSO, make sure he has  VBMS capability so he will be able to monitor your progress. You can then do your research on ship location, etc. Keep in mind, just because you might not qualify for a presumptive disease, it doesn't mean all is lost. It is a lot easier to get the disability, but if you don't have it, with a good IMO from a cancer doc, you can still possibly win. Get you ITF in now, and protect your eed.

[GeekySquid]

At the link GBArmy gave for the archives, try this search and variants

"operation frequent wind" +1975

do advanced search and select all possible types like web pages.

You will find some squadron reports that may help and photos with dates and dates and descriptions.

you will have to do a lot of research as I cannot file the ships logs there from between 70 and 79 for some reason.

This map from Wikipedia (so you will have to verify it elsewhere) shows the Denver started OFW ops out past 30Km

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/Operation_Frequent_Wind_ship_disposition_1975_-_Recreated_map.svg

It does not mean it was not closer in, just that it was there and more than 30Km out from shore.

[Buck52]

viationtech quoted

'' I know this, land was within site (Vung Tau). Could anyone offer any advice.'' Thank you for any help. Roy''

 

if you have evidence your ship was within 12 miles of VungTau  thats all you should need  for presumption claims filing under the blue water criteria for exposure to A.O.

Ms berta can chime in here  she knows the bluewater regs  she helped get them passed by congress   so we all owe her a great deal of gratitude . and all her hard work in this process.

[Berta]

The USS Denver is on the July 2019 Ships list-:

"USS Denver  (LPD-9) transported troops, equipment, and supplies ashore with smaller vessels and docked at Da Nang and elsewhere from February-September 1970;  March-June and November 1971; and January-August 1972"   I have updated that list many times since the VA started to develop it and as the VA Ship's says, if you ship is not on the that does not mean you were not exposed to AO. In this link Tbird recently alphabetized the list ( That was Great- it took me a lot of time with some BWNVets to find if their ship was on the older lists. I have been involved with the AO situation since 1991, long before my husband or I, as his widow ever had a dog in the fight- With Tbird's idea this AM I will try to start a blog for Blue Water Navy vets and the new regulations. I have maps of Vietnam and the 12 mile limit and a Deck log example etc et etc , and of course the actual wording of HR 299. I already have a NVLSP contact lawyer and expect this to be as big as the 2010 AO IHD Nehmer decision-and NVLSP has already confirmed to me that Footnote One Nehmer will kick in.Sec wilkie  expects as many as 130,000 claims- maybe but many of that number, in my opinion, will be survivor's claims.

Edited September 15, 2019 by Berta

[Buck52]

do you know the year you were on  USS Denver?

This might help?

April 1972 DENVER's crew received the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal. In May DENVER's crew received the Combat Action Ribbon and in June received the Navy Unit Commendation from the Secretary of the Navy for making aeronautical history as the first ship to launch U.S. Marine attack helicopter on missions in North Vietnamese waters.