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Brown Water Navy Vets

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Guest terrysturgis

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Guest terrysturgis

A brown water in country Viet Nam vet called me yesterday. He filed a claim in November of 2006 and was questioning the time frame for his prostrate cancer claim. I told him that the pole on HADIT looks to be 6 months to a year on average for most claims.

The question I have is are there any Navy vets here on HADIT that have won Brown Water presumptive claims? DMII, cancer, etc. Of course I referred him to the board and suggested he register to get information to help him guide his claim. THANKS! Terry Sturgis

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We had a Brown Water vet here who contacted me some time ago-

because the VA had awarded him AO comp but then proposed to reduce it because they could not find evidence of "one foot on land".

This claim was one of the most important claims I ever had-

The VA was going to take away his VA comp!

Long story-this was a very proactive vet-----

He not only challenged the regs by gbetting an English teacher to write a clarification of them for VA- but more importantly he reclled an incident where the BW boat had to pick up and then disembark some Vietnamese officers.

There was no way-since he helped these officers from shore to the boat and back that he didnt step one foot on land-

He made this point to VA.

Long story more to it- but he DID prove one foot on land-

However in light of the Haas decision and hopefully VA will not screw that up-

Brown Water vets have succeeded- and should continue their claims for AO disability.

Brown Waters have-in my opinion- proof of closer exposure that Blue Waters -but ALL vets who served in Nam, in tributary waters ,rivers, etc and in the whole 7th Fleet from Nam to Okinawa- should file claims for disabilities of presumptive to AO.

Did this vet ever pick up the mail in Nam and bring back to the ship or boat?

Did this vet ever stop off for a hootchy coochy girl or a haircut in the Nam?

Did this vet ever have direct contact with an incountry foot on land vet?

Did this vet ever have direct contact with any Vietnamese person at all?

Did they take on any Vietnamese officers, ARVNS, or POWS, or injured Vietnamese onto any boat water boat?

How about fuel or water?

Did he witness AO being dumped on or near him?

If this claim was filed in Buffalo VARO - it could be 4-5 months or 4-5 years-

They wont question the AO presumptive-they will question even in light of Haas decision-how was he exposed to the AO?

If he did have a foot on land- and can prove it-then no problem there .

GRADUATE ! Nov 2nd 2007 American Military University !

When thousands of Americans faced annihilation in the 1800s Chief

Osceola's response to his people, the Seminoles, was

simply "They(the US Army)have guns, but so do we."

Sameo to us -They (VA) have 38 CFR ,38 USC, and M21-1- but so do we.

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