Veteran's Affairs Update
Date: Sun, 3 Sep 2000 21:32:56 -0800 Congress has declared that ANY service
member who served in Vietnam during the war time era 2-28-61 thru 5-7-75 was exposed to agent orange, and such exposure may have caused several types of
cancer.
Diagnosis of any of these conditions will be considered "Service Connected" by the VA. The Veteran may be entitled to compensation from $0 a
month to over $2000 a month. If the Veteran is retired from the military this could change him or her to tax free status. All Vietnam veterans should
get a complete physical, compliments of the VA. If a Vietnam Vet comes down with the following it will be considered "Service connected". Lung Cancer,
multiple myeloma, Hodgkin's disease, lymphoma, and prostrate cancer, even if it is many years after service. Call 1-800-827-1000 for a claim form and
submit it to your nearest VA. If you have trouble call DAV, VFW, AL,OPH, or any service org for free help. Don't take NO for an Answer.
Following is a letter received from George Blankenship, with
personal experience in dealing with the VA on these matters. Important
tips are included. Thank you George.
"I read with interest the article, "Veterans Affairs Update" on our home page. I say that because the list of conditions is either incomplete or the government (VA) has screwed us again by eliminating five other conditions. The ten conditions that the VA has approved for possible compensation are as follows:
1- Chloracne
2- Hodgkin's disease
3- Multiple myeloma
4- Non Hodgkin's lymphoma
5- Porphyria cutanea tarda
6- Respiratory cancers (Lung, bronchus, larynx, and trachea)
7- Soft-tissue sarcoma
8- Acute and subacute peripheral neuropathy
9- Prostate cancer
10- Spina bifida (In children of Vietnam vets)
This list goes back to at least 1997 and may be earlier.
The VA has presumed from the beginning that all military personnel who served in Vietnam were exposed to Agent Orange and that the veteran did not have to prove exposure to Agent Orange. I know a little bit about this particular subject because I was diagnosed with throat cancer in early 1996 and subsequently filed an Agent Orange claim with the VA which was denied, of course. One tip you might want to pass on to fellow Marines, the diagnosis from the doctor has to be named EXACTLY as it appears on the list and it has to be in the EXACT location, otherwise, you'll get the green weenie. Semper Fi. George.
"
