nam phong, thailand agent orange

Good luck to all and Semper Fi. Vietnam-era Veterans whose service involved duty on or near the perimeters of military bases in Thailand anytime between February 28, 1961 and May 7, 1975 may have been exposed to herbicides. During the Vietnam Era, the military made no distinction between commercial and tactical agents in their own supply system. I have photographs which I took of the area which demonstrate the extensive defoliation of the area. VAs regulation38 C.F.R. He stated that when the weather was bad, the crew would stay in Thailand at Ubon, NKP, or Udorn. . . It was the closest . The VA offers health registry exams, health care, disability compensation and other benefits to eligible veterans affected by Agent Orange toxic exposure. Brooklyn, NY: 300 Cadman Plaza West, One Pierrepont Plaza, 12th Floor, Brooklyn, NY, 11201 This is an up-to-date list of conditions on the VAs Agent Orange presumptive list. Gymnastics will be held on May 6-9 at the Olympic Stadium Centre's Marquee Tent in Phnom Penh. TDD (for hearing impaired): 1 800 827-4833. Disclaimer: This information is not legal advice. The location must have been a DoD installation, land under control of DoD or a non-DoD location where service members were present during testing, application, transportation or storage. Historical reports establish that a squadron in 1971 began spraying chemical herbicides on the troublesome plants. In 1972, the leadership at U-Tapao sought to expand use of herbicides in clearing 100 feet from the perimeter fence and invoking an aggressive program on vegetation control. Together, the Airmans statement and historical reports demonstrate consistent use of herbicides in which the Air Force utilized internal equipment to accomplish defoliation. For example, 28,000 gallons of herbicides were airlifted by two C-130s from Phu Cat Airbase in Vietnam to Udorn prior to some of the RANCH HAND missions later launched from Udorn to targets in Laos from February 2 to 7, 1969. As stated above, prior to the passage of the PACT Act, veterans could only be eligible for presumptive service connection if they served near the perimeter of specific bases. 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Yet, VA has used this Memorandum and the so-called distinction between commercial and tactical herbicides to deny thousands of herbicide-related disability claims by Vietnam-era Thailand veterans. 1116 is a dual-function statute titled:Presumptions of service connection for diseases associated with exposure to certain herbicide agents; presumption of exposure for veterans who served in the Republic of Vietnam.. Yeah from what I have read and through diagrams I have obtained (google Agent Orange Korat Thailand) they did spray the perimeter of the base I was also there from 73-74 I was a 462 Weapons Mechanic at the perimeter every day. This CHECO report addresses the development of USAF base defense in Thailand from the initial attack on Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base RTAFB through 30 June 1972. Furthermore, the Memorandum for the Record contains erroneous and misleading statements. and get all the latest updates straight to your inbox. Due to the concerns over the integrity of studies completed for VA, the scientific community created a unified response rebutting the reasoning behind VAs policies. All of the vegetation I saw on the base was reddish brown and wilted. He, too, stated that the barrels often leaked. The attorneys at Hill & Ponton are here to support you in your claim and determining your agent orange disability percentage. This is a huge win for any Vietnam War or any other veteran suffering from agent orange exposure related symptoms. A 2023 Guide to VA Disability Rates & Pay Schedules, Individual Unemployability Rating Calculator, List of Blue Water Navy Ships Exposed to Agent Orange (Interactive Vietnam Map), Social Security Disability Benefits Guide. In December 2019, DOD published its updated list of locations where Agent Orange and other herbicides were tested, used, or stored outside of Vietnam. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising. Houston, TX: 2925 Richmond Ave, 12th Floor, Houston, TX 77098 Those who had served at one of the military bases in Thailand listed in the below URL and the locations at those bases identified, and experiencing any of the ailments considered possibly caused by Agent Orange (including prostate cancer) may now be eligible for VA treatment and compensation. Once Operation Ranch Hand began, around 20 million gallons of Agents Green, Pink, Purple, Blue, White, Orange,. They are not intended as a guarantee that we will obtain the same or similar results in every case we undertake. I am investigating as to whether or not I may have been exposed to Agent Orange and if so what should I do. The article Viet Cong Right or Wrong, published in the National Guardsman in 1966, notes the Defense Departments Advance Research Project Agency was moving forward with defoliant improvement projects in Thailand. These presumptions result in the award of VA benefits, such as disability compensation, health care, etc. Any U.S. or Royal Thai military base in Thailand from January 9, 1962, through June 30, 1976, Laos from December 1, 1965, through September 30, 1969, Cambodia at Mimot or Krek, Kampong Cham Province from April 16, 1969, through April 30, 1969, Guam or American Samoa or in the territorial waters off of Guam or American Samoa from January 9, 1962, through July 30, 1980, Johnston Atoll or on a ship that called at Johnston Atoll from January 1, 1972, through September 30, 1977, Parkinsonism: A condition with symptoms of Parkinsons Disease, including, Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance. Permalink: https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2019/10/improving-benefits-for-veterans-exposed-to-agent-orange-during-service-in-thailand, Improving Benefits for Veterans Exposed to Agent Orange During Service in Thailand, https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2019/10/improving-benefits-for-veterans-exposed-to-agent-orange-during-service-in-thailand, Boozman Shares Service Memories of Lavaca Veteran, The Hill: American generosity has saved 25 million lives and counting. What Benefits Do I Get From Agent Orange Exposure? From December 29, 1968, to January 2, 1969, RANCH HAND aircraft flew Agent Orange missions out of Udorn. In Mr. Hogstads statement, he said that he observed a C-123 aircraft mounted with spray equipment next to barrels with orange stripes. VA should afford the same presumption of exposure to Thailand veterans that it affords to Vietnam veterans because the same herbicides agents were used in Thailand. Are Vietnam Veterans the Only Veterans Exposed to Agent Orange? . yet assertive representation for our clients. As a result, the embassy approved the use of herbicides. Phone number 9197780046. In Sidney Chancellors sworn statement, he noted that his duties in an engineer unit from June 1967 to November 1968 included spraying herbicides along NKPs perimeter so that a fence could be installed. Exposure to these herbicides was later determined to pose a health risk to service members. The VA is warning veterans to avoid PACT Act fraud and to be wary of third parties such as non-VA-accredited law firms Rep. Mike Bost said he sees no signs that the VA is being overwhelmed, noting that the law also gave the department the Command Sgt. The 1986 Scientific Feasibility of Agent Orange Ground Troop Study noted that the group could not gain a clear indication from exposed verses non-exposed veterans because the records were incomplete. Records from the Ranch Hand History Project show that Sergeant Richard E. Wolf, who worked on Operation RANCH HAND, received a letter of commendation for his actions in Thailand during these operations. *Exceptions: osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, Kaposis sarcoma, and mesothelioma. With those mandates, VA instituted a systematic process that restricts the law and ensures that otherwise qualifying veterans and their families are denied benefits. I arrived in Nam Phong in June of 1972. Mr. George Collins was assigned to the Aero Space Ground Equipment (AGE) unit in U-Tapao for seven months beginning in 1969 and ending in 1970. He stated, back at our base, we would get buckets of Agent Orange and fill pump fire extinguishers with AO [Agent Orange] so we could spray around our local area.. 404 of the Honoring Our PACT Act (the short name being, Fair Care for Vietnam Veterans Act) which lists two additional diseases that can be service connected. Portland, OR: 650 N. E. Holladay Street, Suite 1600, Portland, OR, 97232 Our message to VA would be that they should grant benefits if a veteran has any evidence demonstrating that the spraying may have occurred, and that would be if there is an old list where DoD confirmed that there was storage or spraying, Gallucci said. By using our website, you agree to the use of certain cookies. He also saw an aircraft spray the kennel area, and he remembers vegetation in that area dying shortly thereafter. As noted in a 1986 report to the White House, only two percent of military records were preserved in the National Archives, and herbicide records were not regarded as a priority for retention. Despite this evidence, VAs position is that RANCH HAND aircraft and herbicides were either temporarily staged, or never staged, on Thailand bases. Called a Vietnam era vet same . They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant advertisements on other websites. Phoenix, AZ: One Renaissance Tower, Two North Central Avenue, 18th & 19th Floor, Phoenix, AZ 85004 Joel. Thailand Agent Orange Claim Denials VA's Herbicide Problem Introduction: Agent Orange is an herbicide that was used by the United States during the Vietnam War. In his request, the Commander stated: Application must be by air because area is overgrown and ground application would be extremely dangerous due to live munitions in the area., In order to create a uniform standard for the use of herbicides, military leadership established annual training and standard operating procedures. Specialties: Welcome to Nam Phuong restaurant. In such a strict application, VA arbitrarily ignored its own policy of conceding herbicide exposure for veterans who served near the perimeter. Also, they must have been used in application at test sites, in labs or greenhouses, while being transported on vehicles or ships or stored. Hence, herbicides including Agent Orange were used in Thailand. Agent Orange Registry health exam: The Agent Orange Registry is a program administered by the VA since 1978. So that takes care of the event and service. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship. The legal team at Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick LTD has done extensive research on the use of herbicides in Thailand during the Vietnam War. Diese Region ist Siedlungsgebiet von vielen ethnischen Minderheiten, wobei die Stadt Sa Pa am Fue des Phan-xi-png die meisten Touristen anzieht. Although VA recognizes there was significant use of herbicides at numerous Thailand military bases, it only recently granted Thailand veterans the presumption of exposure afforded to Vietnam veterans. Our firm was founded in 1986 in Orlando, Florida. RANCH HAND was also not prohibited from herbicide spray missions in Thailand. He reported that he took time to ride with a mobile unit Security Alert Team around NKP bases perimeters, [and] while going along the east perimeter a crew from civil engineering with a truck with a tank sprayed what Mr. Hogstad believed to be Agent Orange. They may also be used to keep track of what [products, video, links, etc.] I was one of the first to arrive. The new law adds an estimated 420,000 to 560,000 veterans to those already eligible for care and benefits for possible exposure. Prichard said locations where exposure occurred under conditions already granted presumption of exposure such as Vietnam and the Korean DMZ were not included on this list. Gallons of Herbicides Sprayed. The term is used only in the Memorandum for the Record and in individual cases wherein VA uses the distinction to deny benefits. Section 1116 of title 38 of the United States Code and 38 C.F.R. . Bases in Thailand, including Korat, Nakhon Phanom (NKP), Ubon, Udorn, and U-Tapao, were subjected to sniper fire, perimeter penetration, and sapper (combat engineer) attacks. But one who stepped off an aircraft for 10 seconds gets boot on the ground. Sometimes it takes an act of Congress to modernize benefits like in the case with the Blue Water Navy legislation. Welch,Mike Sec. In the 1968 Contemporary Historical Examination of Current Operation (CHECO) Project Southeast Asia Report: Attack on Udorn, the Air Force recognized that Thailand was a prime target of Communist expansion, and the interest of the Communists was intensified by the USAF presence. The report also noted that there were an estimated 15,500 Communist insurgents and sympathizers in Thailand. These services include an Agent Orange Registry health exam and clinical treatment at VA's War Related Illness and Injury Study Center. (Butch) Pvt. I served with VMFA -115 72-73 Nam Phong.. At age 53 I had a six way heart bypass. Many of us were exposed to herbicides which were used extensively all over the site. Service members were also exposed to herbicides while constructing the perimeter. Are walking blood banks coming to a field hospital near you? In Command Sergeant Major (Ret.) More specifically, herbicides were used to improve visual observation of the base perimeter. National Archives records reveal that herbicides were transported from Vietnam to Takhli on April 7, 1973. The directive empowered the Commander U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (COMUSMAV), and the U.S. Leakage from empty herbicide barrels was also noted because it was difficult to drain the last two or three gallons. Joe, To date only one of these have received disability bennifits and he died 0ne month later. We are sorry that this post was not as useful for you! Chemical Corps described these products as expandable supply items to be available to all users, meaning they were meant for use by facility engineers as an herbicide for grounds keeping (i.e., brush and weed control).. Yunnan-Hochland: Gebirgslandschaft im Norden, wo Vietnam an China grenzt und sein hchster Berg Phan-xi-png (3144 m) liegt. Was in NamPhong 11/72 thru Sept 73, my wife has had 4 miscarriages, we had a daughter born with a form of Spina Bifida, my son has the digits of his left foot deformed and I have been diagnosed with ischemic heart disease. Disabled Veterans Sign up for a Career Change. Jeanne Stellman, an Agent Orange expert at Columbia Universitys Mailman School of Public Health, and Fred Berman, the director of the Oregon Health and Science Universitys CROET Toxicology Information Center, along with 14 other doctors, toxicologists, and environmental scientists, signed a letter in November 2012 that refutes VAs boots on the ground approach to Agent Orange exposure. VA depends on DOD to provide information regarding in-service environmental exposure for disability claims based on exposure to herbicides outside of Vietnam, Wilkie said in a statement. I was there all the time. These cookies are also used to let affiliates know if you came to one of our websites from an affiliate and if your visit resulted in the use or purchase of a product or service from us, including details of the product or service purchased. These cookies allow the website to remember choices you make to give you better functionality and personal features. Do You Qualify for Long Term Disability Benefits? This information is not a substitute for legal advice. He also noted in his sworn statement that the barrels were leaking all the time and the herbicide got all over his uniform and hands. By using this information, you understand that there is no attorney-client relationship created by you reading or using the information contained on this website or in this newsletter, article, or blog. The color distortion caused by leaking barrels containing herbicides is noted in pictures of herbicides stored on Johnston Atoll. Now he and many others are fighting for medical benefits from the VA. CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. We have spent a lot of time on the Price of Freedom . Rhodes and his fellow veterans who served in Thailand and suffer from Agent Orange-related illnesses are continuing to press Congress to take action to update the presumption policy through the orange envelope letter-writing . The Challenge Ambassador to authorize herbicide operations. I have been experiencing some of the symptoms mentioned above. That leaves 21,000 gallons of herbicide unaccounted for with their last known location in Thailand. Japan Nov. 1971 - July, 1972; Nam Phong Thailand, July 1972 - Nov., 1972. The heavy foliage provided excellent cover for the enemy. I reminded my colleagues of the legislation to help these veterans and encouraged them to keep these veterans and their families in mind as we improve veteran benefits policies. consider passing this info on to them. Before the PACT Act was enacted on August 10, 2022, VAs application of its Thailand perimeter policy only conceded exposure for service members with a security-related military occupational specialty (MOS), such as military police, who conducted foot patrols at the perimeter. This often meant that the veteran needed to prove that their MOS required them to be near the perimeter of the base. I am fortunate to not have cancer like other guys. Agent Orange was a weed killer sprayed on the jungles of Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War to eliminate forest cover and crops for North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops. If you are intending to appeal a denied claim, you can contact us for an evaluation. Click the link below to learn more. Da Nang is one of Vietnam's major ports, a city rich in history.

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