SERVING
Those That
SERVED
Residual Agent Orange Confirmed
Residual Agent Orange Confirmed
More than two dozen U.S. Air Force planes used to spray Agent Orange during the Vietnam War remained contaminated with the herbicide at levels that likely posed a health risk to some personnel who flew on them in the decade after the conflict, according to a new report.
The report could open the way to medical care and disability pay for hundreds of reservists who worked on the C-123 planes until 1982 and later developed certain medical conditions.
The Department of Veterans Affairs has denied nearly all their claims for compensation, arguing that any chemical residues in the planes had solidified and therefore were unlikely to pose a threat. The Institute of Medicine’s report has discovered data that differs from the VA.
Your Agent Orange Benefits May Be Ready
In case you forgot, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) still continues to distribute disability benefits to Vietnam Veterans who qualify for compensation under established liberalized rules for Agent Orange exposure.
Up to 200,000 Vietnam Veterans are potentially eligible to receive VA disability compensation for medical conditions recently associated with Agent Orange. The expansion of coverage involves B-cell (or hairy-cell) leukemia, Parkinson’s disease and ischemic heart disease.
Veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange and suffer from any one of the three diseases should make sure their applications have been submitted as soon as possible.
VA has offered Veterans exposed to Agent Orange special access to health care since 1978, and priority medical care since 1981. VA has been providing disability compensation to Veterans with medical problems related to Agent Orange since 1985.
Veterans whose service involved military duty on or near the perimeters of military bases outside of Vietnam between February 28, 1961 and May 7, 1975 may have been exposed to Agent Orange or dangerous herbicides and may qualify for VA disability benefits. Click here to see other areas.