I thought this had all been rectified.
The reason there was so much confusion for so long is because, when properly made, in a cold process, Agent Orange and the other “rainbow” defoliants are entirely harmless, and test after test demonstrated the fact.
However, when *improperly* made, in a hot process, contaminants are produced that cause all these nightmarish symptoms.
To discover this, investigators actually had to go back to Vietnam, to get samples from some of the rusting and decaying 55 gallon drums that remained there after the war. And they discovered the contaminants.
At first, the assumption was that the defoliant had been added to reused drums with existing contaminants in them, but the evidence did not support that conclusion. Finally they discovered the difference in the manufacturing process.
However, after all was said and done, the lawyers for the veterans agreed to a remarkably small settlement, just before trial, that outraged the veterans, but the federal judge hearing the case refused to set it aside as unconscionable.
Some of the veterans actually lost more benefits they were going to get then they got from the settlement.
So, in one last act of betrayal, congress again screwed military personnel.
Comment on original posted opinion link.
http://www.ctmirror.org/comment/16748#comment-16748
This Veterans need to receive compensation
Submitted by fuzzyfrog on 11/22/2013 06:11 pm
Welcome Home
and God Bless these sickened and fallen American Heroes due to Agent Orange Dioxins ( 69 cancers & sicknesses have caused these illnesses that the VA recognizes as being eligible for compensation but only if you served In Country, Boots on Ground..
We currently have what I consider a Pandemic loss of over 1,000 Vietnam Veterans that are terminally ill or dying daily.
All of these is due to the over 22 and 1/2 Million Gallons of Agent Orange Dioxins sprayed during the war..In Vietnam
.
The Federal Government is aware that there are 69 cancers and sicknesses caused by these AO Dioxins...
Sadly the writer of this email Paul Sutton has been a Executive member of the National Vietnam Veterans of America for over 25 years and this is the first attempt he has made to try and help these “Blue Water Navy Heroes”. Why has he waited so long with his friends to suddenly care?
When they have had the membership ( which most have quit their group) at one time and the Financial Cash flow of a average of almost 100 Million dollars a year that could have been spent on these Heroes
In addition The National Vietnam Veterans of America group themselves have known of this Pandemic amount of deaths for over 25 years also and done Nothing and not spent a penny out of the Multi Million dollars they have received at National level from donations and membership dues.
I ask why all of a sudden Mr, Sutton seeks to solve this problem that is shy well over 100 votes to even get this to voted on in Congress in the form of a Bill? and then it has a huge fight to face in the Senate.
I think we all know that this President is far from being Veterans friendly as he is seeking to cut our Military by 30% or more. He has the ability to Veto all of this work when it’s done and shows no sign of doing anything extra to improve the processing of well over of the over 700,000 Veterans we now have in claims waiting to be processed and have been waiting for almost a decade
America is over 17 Trillion dollars in debt.
What proposal does Mr. Sutton have to help these Millions of Blue Water Veterans by guiding them through receiving compensation, sign ups, and Where will the money come from? The President of this Country cannot organize “Affordable Health Care” lol . alone
Let alone organize the Veterans Administration which is in the habit of offering Dr’s appointments in the mode of seeing the average Vet in the system now in three to 4 months or more.
These In Country Veterans of the war alone have suffered well over 2 million deaths from Agent Orange Dioxins alone.out of about 2.6 Million who served In Country
Gary J, Chenett
Vietnam 1967/68
I am also a 100% disabled combat Veteran A proud one I must add and a Four Time Survivor of Agent Orange Terminal cancers.
However, after all was said and done, the lawyers for the veterans agreed to a remarkably small settlement, just before trial, that outraged the veterans, but the federal judge hearing the case refused to set it aside as unconscionable.
As I remember it was 85 million?
I was a member of the origional group to sue,
the judge made it a class action.
Oh how the lawyers cried when the judge told them
they were not going to get what they wanted out of
the settlement. He appointed a “special Master” to
deal with the settlement.
In the end, the veterans got little or nothing, one of
the guys I knew in the beginning died and the settlement
sent his family two thousand dollars. I got nothing, as
the settlement org decided I didn’t qualify.
I even got the spray path computer print outs from
the Pentagon that showed exposure but no dice.
The VA later recognized a presumption of exposure
but still doesn’t recognize my type of cancer.
When they do, I suppose I will apply for retroactive
recognition to when I first applied in 85, but don’t
hold out much hope of that. At this point what difference
does it make, as someone once said.
Thanks for your service.
Our service NOW is to make sure those serving today
get the thanks and recognition they deserve.
t.