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Agent Orange time-bomb went off ...

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WomanMarine

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First off I am a Vietnam ERA vet and never served in VN nor the blue waters of VN. My AO contact came from MCAS El Toro and it hit me like a time-bomb!

Currently I am 90% P&T which mostly stems to my R knee and an injury I received in the Corps. However I have had issues that are now surfacing that are not from my knee, but I believe because of my contact with TCE. 

I was the 'first' woman flight crew capt., although I had the duties, women did not have an 'official' MOS as such. Never-the-less I came into contact with cleaning solvents for jet parts. As well it is widely known that we sprayed the flight decks with AO to get rid of vegetation.  

Hypertension was diagnosed by the VA in 1998. In 2009 I started having heart issues, and had to have a stint. And again in 2012 another stint. In late 2017 I had a heart attack and early in 2018 I had a disc go out and render me helpless causing my drop foot.

The V.A., allowed me to see an outside cardiologist, who concurred I had the heart attack and scheduled me for a stress test, which I did not pass. Subsequently, in August, I was hospitalized and had a quad-by-pass. Just this month, the by-pass failed and I had to have 8 stints placed. This last week, because of no comms between VA and public hospital (choice), I went home without meds and had another heart attack, needing one of those stints replaced. 

I have an upcoming C&P for the issues attached. I had included my heart and hypertension, due to my AO contact, who btw I was informed by a V.A. x-ray tech to check my duty stations for AO contamination ... NOT MY PRIMARY! 😡 

Since 2018 I have to have the assistance of another person to get around. I was enrolled VR independent Living Program, who sent out an Industrial Psychologist to my home who, among other recommendations suggested I needed Aid and Attendance as well as someone to come in and help with household chores.

Since my heart is new, I have had to file a Supplemental claim to these additional claims. I opened it with 'new' evidence from my cardiologist which clearly states I have Ischemic heart disease.

Curious if folks that did not serve in VN get AO connected?

Any idea where I might fall on the SMC chart? That is so difficult to figure. I have loss of use of my left foot, as I have been told that a 'foot drop' diagnosis hold that place. I have degenerative disc disease and am just now seeing a Neurologist, my accident occurred 02/2018 and left me paralyzed for two weeks and the residual foot.

I am not sure how they would rate my heart, or if they would, as I did not serve in VN.

Thoughts?

 

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Edited by WomanMarine
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3 hours ago, Berta said:

"C-123 Airplanes and Agent Orange Residue

Fairchild C-123K Provider, U.S. Air Force

Fairchild C-123K Provider
U.S. Air Force

Some Air Force Reservists who were crew members on C-123 Provider aircraft, formerly used to spray Agent Orange during the Vietnam War, have raised health concerns about exposure to residual amounts of herbicides on plane surfaces.

Responding to these concerns, 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 study possible exposure and increase in adverse health effects in C-123 crew members.

HMD's scientific report on C-123 contaminated aircraft

HMD released its report, Post-Vietnam Dioxin Exposure in Agent Orange-Contaminated C-123 Aircraft, Jan. 9, 2015. According to the report, from 1972 to 1982, approximately 1,500 to 2,100 Air Force Reserve personnel trained and worked on C-123 aircraft that previously had been used to spray herbicides, including Agent Orange, in Vietnam. Those aircraft were used for military airlift, medical transport, and cargo transport operations in the United States and internationally.

HMD found that Reservists who served as flight crew (pilot, navigator, flight engineer, and loadmaster), ground maintenance crew, and aero-medical personnel had regular contact with the aircraft, and would have experienced some exposure to chemicals from herbicide residue. The report determined that it is possible that this exposure contributed to some adverse health effects.

How Reservists may have been exposed

TCDD, the toxic substance in Agent Orange, may be inhaled as an aerosol or ingested by contaminated food or water or from hand-to-mouth transfer.

During the Vietnam War, the U.S. Air Force used C-123 aircraft to spray Agent Orange to clear jungles that provided enemy cover in Vietnam. At the end of the spraying campaign in 1971, the remaining C-123 planes were reassigned to reserve units in the U.S. for routine cargo and medical evacuation missions spanning the next 10 years."

https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/locations/residue-c123-aircraft/index.asp

 

The C-123 flew into El Toro bringing our boys back from Nam ... 😢

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I believe if I am correct that in very recent years Agent Orange benefits have been approved for veterans who worked on or cleaned these aircraft after their return to stateside.   Broncovet and Berta have excellent info on the entire Agent Orange issue more than I.  A good Google search along with other search engines should reveal this up to date info.

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I know of at least two Marines who won their claims before the VA, for AO exposure at Subic Bay, Philippines.

https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2013/07/09/559030/10039531/en/Two-Marine-Veterans-Unite-Decades-Later-to-Win-VA-Appeals-for-Exposure-to-Agent-Orange-in-Subic-Bay-Philippines.html

Both were there around the same time as my husband was. My husband, before he died, did mention leaking barrels on the pier and at or near the Armoury. He said the stuff got on their boots, etc. He did not mention AO, just that the stuff smelt. It was not till after his death that I found out about the AO/Subic Bay link.

I have not filed for AO exposure, that is on the back burner. Currently I am battling with the VA over his exposure to the toxic water at Camp Lejuene.

The VA and the US govt has denied that AO was ever at Subic Bay or any other part of the Philippines, however there was some limited testing of AO done there. I also have reason to believe that AO was shipped there from New Zealand. I was born in New Zealand and was living there when some of the AO inquiries took place. There was more than one Kiwi VN vet, including the VN Veteran's Assoc president , that spoke out about it. The MP for New Plymouth also confirmed it, but then backed off, I think from govt, etc pressure. He has made oblique comments in email though.

The Dr George Mason, in the article below, was a scientist at Watkin Dow during the time that this was taking place. The other scientific Dr Peter Hayward was my former brother in law and worked there with Dr Mason, before going into business with them. Neither of them are as yet confirming that AO was sent from there, however they are not denying it either. 

https://i.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/118430310/new-year-honours-dr-george-mason---the-environmentalist-whos-donated-more-than-5m

Good luck with your claim..

 

Edited by KiwiKaren
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