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MILITARY
FORUM
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July 16, 2010
AS HEARING
NEARS, AGENT ORANGE DEBATE HEATS UP
Readers of
Tom Philpott’s Military Update column sound off
My
father served in Vietnam. He drove a supply truck, which means he drove
right through the jungles as they were spraying. He said a day later,
on their way back, he would see foliage on the trees shriveled and
brown.
He was
a very young man at the time so you may not think
much about the effects it could cause. But he started having a rash that
never went away long before he was out of the army. This is all in his
files and it states the rash was a caused from Agent Orange.
But
the real impact had not hit until 2002 when he was diagnosed
with Parkinson's disease. We found no one family history of this
disease but found it could be caused my large amounts of herbicides like
those he exposed to that in Vietnam.
We
take young men, put them in a war far from home, exposed to God only
knows what, then send them home to be looked down on for having been
there and we leave them with toxic chemicals in their systems. And when
their health is failing from heart disease, Parkinson's disease and
B-Cell
leukemia, among other conditions, and their way of life is taken along
with their dignity and pride, we say, “No, that is too much money. We
can't take care of you. We need more proof.”
If you
could only see the things I have seen of what this disease does to my
father. It takes your life: the way you walk, talk, brush your hair,
shave, button a shirt, open a door or even feed.
Think
about the men and women who served us, not just the money.
DANA
MOSER
Via
email
I just
read about the Agent Orange hearing scheduled for September to look at
the VA decision to make ischemic heart disease, Parkinson's disease and
B-cell leukemia compensable for veterans who served in Vietnam on the
presumption that these ailments were caused by exposure to defoliants
used in the war.
In the
course of life, practically every male and female in the Western
World, if he or she lives long enough, will get ischemic heart disease,
also know as coronary artery disease, arteriosclerosis, atherosclerosis
and coronary heart disease. The main risk factors are: age (usually
older), gender (usually male), smoking, poor diet (especially lots of
saturated fats --the typical American diet), lack of exercise, diabetes
and family history.
For
Vietnam veterans groups to demand VA benefits for those with “ischemic
heart disease” strikes me as presumptuous.
Causes
of type II diabetes too are essentially the same as above, except women
probably are as susceptible as men. Those with type II diabetes are
often overweight or obese. The cause of the diabetes is not related to
military service but to rich American and European diets and lifestyle,
and also somewhat to genetics.
It
also distresses me that military associations constantly lobby for
increased financial benefits for issues that are tenuous at best. An
example is full concurrent receipt of both military retired pay and
disability compensation for any medical problem that shows up while
someone happens to be on active duty.
Yes,
those injured in combat or in training deserve more. But those who
get unfortunate diseases such as diabetes, leukemia or cancer, or a
sports or auto injury while on free time, are in a different category.
They still get free VA medical care and their VA benefits are tax free.
But to ask for full retirement pay in addition to tax-free VA benefits
seems to me unfair to the American taxpayer, especially in these
difficult financial times.
It
seems everybody is trying to bankrupt the U.S. government.
I hope
Sen. James Webb will carefully review the information provided by
Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki on Sept. 23 concerning these
three diseases. If Secretary Shinseki has definite proof Agent Orange
causes one or more of these diseases, then a veteran with them does
deserve some compensation (pro-rated and taking into account smoking,
dietary history and other risk factors). However, I truly doubt he has
such proof.
WILLIAM O. WALCOTT, M.D.
Colonel, USA-Ret.
Via
e-mail
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