my latest ltte printed today re:Viet Nam Vets

[w8liftinglady]

http://www.thedailylight.com/articles/2010/02/15/opinion/doc4b79912ad98c2139879359.txt
To the Editor,

While most of my focus has been on the medical issues of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans,we need to remember the veterans of other conflicts as well. One group who has been treated poorly by their government and the nation are Vietnam veterans. As time passes, their medical issues are finally being recognized, especially those with exposure to Agent Orange. These are the troops I want to focus on today. My reason for writing this is that some vets may have just given up, or their spouses and children may be due retribution.

Agent Orange was used as an defoliant from 1965-1971. It is estimated that 2.6 million troops were directly exposed to this. Veterans have been battling with the V.A. for years to have their illnesses recognized as “service-related.” Only recently has the V.A. recognized 15 diseases to be presumptively service-related, meaning if you were “in country” from 1965-1971, your illness can be compensated by the V.A. and you can qualify for disability. The current list of illnesses is:

1. B cell leukemia;

2. Parkinson’s disease;

3. Ischemic heart disease;

4. Acute and Subacute Transient Peripheral Neuropathy;

5. AL Amyloidosis;

6. Chloracne;

7. Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia;

8. Diabetes Mellitus (Type 2);

9. Hodgkin’s Disease;

10. Multiple Myeloma

11. Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

12. Porphyria Cutanea Tarda

13. Prostate Cancer

14. Respiratory Cancers,

15. Soft Tissue Sarcoma (other than Osteosarcoma, Chondrosarcoma, Kaposi’s sarcoma, or Mesothelioma)

If you or your family member has one of these conditions and is a Vietnam vet, you can obtain help from the following resources:

VFW’s Veterans’ Service hotline: [phone]

Dallas VAMC Service Officer hotline: [phone] or 1295 — especially if you have had a claim denied in the past.

This Web site has step-by-step info on filing a claim and compensation http://alabamavva.org/aovva.html.

Don’t suffer in silence. Your country owes you and your family for your bravery and sacrifice.

[Glorfindel]

1. Kicked & recommended.

Thank you! :patriot:

[gimama]

2. Thank YOU for this!

I appreciate this so much..
Also, I've posted recently, that according to the VA,
& reported by Veterans for Common Sense,
& Iraq & Afganistan Vets of America,

2 troubling facts:

the VA is currently short some 800+ Mental Health professionals
&
90% of Veterans calling the VA do NOT get through,
they get recorded messages,"due to a high volume of calls, please call back.."
or the call is dropped.

I urge Pres. Obama to HIRE the necessary PEOPLE to address these issues.

Thanks, again!:patriot:

[sailor65]

3. Rec for my Dad

He got dosed with that crap and it's been affecting him ever since.