Veteran’s Chatter

Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki has decided to increase the number of illnesses that can be linked to Agent Orange. The three new illnesses are Hairy Cell Leukemia, Parkinson’s, and Ischemic Heart Disease. This brings the total number of illnesses that can be “presumed” service-connected to 15.

The VA is finally saying that “we believe you” and a Vietnam Veteran will no longer have to “prove” that the their illness was caused by Agent Orange. The decision to add these new illnesses is supported by an independent study by the Institute of Medicine.

Now it can be said that scientific research is validating what Vietnam veterans have been saying all along: Agent Orange causes diseases. More veterans should be getting better health care now that these three diseases have been added. The total list that now can be traced to Agent Orange is; Acute and Subacute Transient Peripheral Neuropathy AL Amyloidosis, Chloracne, Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, Diabetes Mellitus (type 2), Hairy Cell Leukemia, Hodgkins Disease, Ischemic Heart Disease, Multiple Myeloma, Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, Parkinson’s Disease, Porphyia Cutanea Tarda, Prostate Cancer, Respiratory Cancers, and Soft Tissue Sarcoma.

The main reason I bring this to everyone’s attention is that for years my brother fought to get his disease to be placed under the Agent Orange category . He suffered for a long time.

He served in Vietnam with the Seabees and shortly after coming home he came down with respiratory problems. He fought with the VA for years until he was finally too sick to continue. He had a lung transplant and seemed to be doing better but then the disease got into the new lung and he was dead at the tender age of 52.

I don’t know if the makers of Agent Orange knew that it would cause any diseases or not but it was needed to get rid of the foliage so that the enemy could be denied a hiding place.

Some veterans came together recently to participate and honor another veteran who died. It was good that so many came together to honor this man.

There are many veterans in the valley who don’t get military honors either at the burial site are in a memorial because relatives or loved ones forget to let the American Legion or VFW know about it. That is sad as that veteran earned it as well as they earned VA health care. The funeral director should ask the next of kin if the person was ever in the military and offer choices that pertain to the different options that the deceased is qualified to receive.

There were fourteen (14) veterans in uniform to honor their deceased comrade at the memorial service for Dave Bullock. That is a good showing for our valley but I do wish some younger veterans would take part in more of these so that tradition can remain alive. There is a kinship between veterans that will never die.

In closing, I hear through the talking drums that there is something afoot to try and honor all the WWII veterans. I hope it comes about before all our heroes have left us. I’ll let you know!