Veteran calls himself an 'Agent Orange warrior'

After the war, Vietnam veteran Steve Dudich joined the Salvation Army as a lieutenant where he served impoverished neighborhoods in the Bay Area.

"Were you in Vietnam?"

That’s a haunting question Steve Dudich, of Arroyo Grande, has heard more times than he cares to remember.

Doctors asked when they detected his daughter had a rare cancer of the forehead, when his wife miscarried a child and when he developed ischemic heart disease, forcing his heart to beat 250 beats per minute, more than twice as fast as it should be beating.

A Serbian whose family fled to America, Dudich joined the Marines at 16 years old (his father, he said, forged his mother’s signature on the recruitment paperwork). As soon as he caught wind that the Russians were transporting missiles to Cuba, he vowed he would do whatever he could to fight communism.

He never imagined it would lead him into battle against his own government.

“I’ve been an Agent Orange warrior ever since I was first in (the) country. I was burned bad by that stuff,” Dudich said. “Agent Orange has destroyed my life. It has harmed my children, it has harmed my first wife … what they have done to us and put us through when we came home, there’s no excuse for what this government did.”

U.S. forces sprayed more than 19 million gallons of the herbicide throughout Vietnam between 1961 and 1972, using the powerful acid to cut down dense foliage enemies used for cover.

Dudich sprinted through a barrage of bamboo doused in Agent Orange. The splinters penetrated his skin, injecting the herbicide into his body hundreds of times. The pain became overwhelming. He stripped down to his skivvies.

“People thought I’d gone crazy. I looked like I’d been dipped in a vat of acid,” Dudich said. “That’s where I think I got my worst contamination.”

The effects are lasting.

He developed outbreaks of rashes and blisters throughout his body, repulsing his young daughters.

“They were scared of me," Dudich said. "My eyes would have blisters, my face would have blisters. I’d stay in my room and not come out.”

His daughters harbor resentment, Dudich said. Although not physically visible, they sustain secondary exposure to Agent Orange.

One of his daughters said she considers herself “tweaked.”

Dudich has spent his life advocating for veterans rights.

Before his exposure to the herbicide, Dudich was a brash soldier. He carried a Ruger Blackhawk 357 revolver and quick drew it like a cowboy. He would wear a white T-shirt instead of Army camouflage and a soft cover instead of hard helmet.

The bright target would flush out snipers, and as soon as Dudich found out where they were firing from, he’d call in an airstrike.

“I had every attitude at my young age that I could have. I’m ghetto born and bred, man.”

Years after the war, Dudich’s commanding officers offered to promote him to captain with retroactive pay, and award him the Navy Cross. He turned them down.

“What’s that do for me?” Dudich asked.

Eventually, Dudich would be commissioned as an officer, however. He joined the Salvation Army as a lieutenant where he served impoverished neighborhoods in the Bay Area.

“Never have I regretted going into the service,” Dudich said. “I learned so much through the war. Going forward, I can see the things other people just can’t see.”

LINK

Agent Orange: It's Affecting Veterans and Their Kids

The number of Vietnam veterans affected by the chemical Agent Orange is astonishing.

Roughly 300-thousand veterans have died from Agent Orange exposure -- that's almost five times as many as the 58-thousand who died in combat.

“Did it save lives? No doubt. Over there it did, but nobody knew it was going to be taking them later,” said Dan Stenvold, President of the North Dakota branch of the VVA.

The Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) define Agent Orange as a highly toxic herbicide used by the U.S. military to kill vegetation during the Vietnam War.

"You know we killed the jungle with back packs, sprayed so we had a good perimeter," said Stenvold.

According to Stenvold, one tablespoon of Agent Orange in the drinking water of Los Angeles would kill the entire city.

That toxicity is coming back to haunt veterans and it's also affecting their children...

“Well my dad was a Vietnam veteran, my brother has brain cancer believed to be caused by Agent Orange passed through my father,” said Ashely Busby, daughter of a Vietnam Vet.

…And their children's children.

“Our daughters that can't have children, there's a lot of them. I was telling Ashley I know of at least 70 in North Dakota alone where the daughters can't have kids,” said Stenvold.

11 million gallons of Agent Orange were sprayed in Vietnam over 20 million acres, putting three million Vietnam veterans and their families at risk.

"It’s an everyday question kind of, you know, what's passed on, what's not passed on," said Busby.

Stenvold did three tours in Vietnam and in 2002 he was diagnosed with diabetes linked to Agent Orange.

Since then he says he's made a vow to raise awareness.

Two years ago, the VVA received 50 thousand dollars from the state to do just that.

"It’s amazing how many Vietnam veterans don't know about it and you know it's really opened the eyes, I gotta thank the North Dakota legislature because two years ago they had enough faith in us to go out and do what we're doing and it's working," said Stenvold.

There are about 50 diseases connected agent orange exposure and nearly 20 birth defects recognized in the children of Vietnam veterans.

"I had a close friend who died a five years ago from lymphoma and he's laying in Minot, he's from Minot, dying and he says, "you know we all took a bullet over there, some of us just didn't know it. We're all going to die from it, eventually, or a lot of us will," said Stenvold.

Mcneilus steel in Fargo made history as the first corporation in North Dakota to donate money to the VVA.

The employees and the company gave a total of $1,500 dollars to this cause.

http://www.valleynewslive.com/home/headlines/Agent-Orange-It--296824751.html

Veterans touched by Agent Orange tell their stories

Clifford Anderson’s serious health problems began when he was in his 30s.

It began with a diagnosis of colitis, an inflammation of the inner lining of his colon, in the early 1980s. By 1990, his colon had to be removed.

“When they took the colon out, the doctor at the university said they’ve never seen a colon like that before,” Anderson said. “It was like battleship gray.”

His health continued to deteriorate over the years as he developed poor circulation, bleeding ulcers on his ankles, blood clots, eye disease and now a rare cancer that leaves small tumors on the inside of his intestines.

Anderson, 67, of Joy, Ill., is convinced that his health problems stem from his exposure to Agent Orange, a highly toxic chemical sprayed on trees and vegetation during the Vietnam War. Anderson served with the 101st Airborne Division from February 1966 to September 1967.

“I felt sorry for myself for a long time,” Anderson said Saturday. “But I tell you the worst thing is, and I’ll just put it very bluntly, the hell I put my family through.”

Now, he worries about the effects of the drug being passed down genetically to his son and eventually his granddaughter.

In fact, the effects of Agent Orange and other toxic chemicals that soldiers may come in contact with during war may be felt in the next five to seven generations, said Maynard Kaderlik of the Minnesota State Council, Vietnam Veterans of America.

“We beat up ourselves a lot over the years,” Kaderlik told a packed room of veterans and their families at the Rogalski Center at St. Ambrose University in Davenport on Saturday. “Don’t blame yourself for this issue, OK? We didn’t know that the stuff was going to do this to us.”

The town hall forum lasted much of Saturday and is the first of its kind in Iowa, said Gary Paulline, president of the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 776, Bettendorf.

The Department of Veterans Affairs currently recognizes about 50 illnesses, such as Parkinson ’s disease and multiple forms of cancer, connected to exposure to Agent Orange.

The VA also recognizes some birth defects, such as spina bifida and hip dysplasia, of children born to female Vietnam War veterans.

"We believe genetically we passed it on to our children and now the dioxin is in our tissue, so we don't know when the bomb's going to go off," Kaderlik said.

Since the Vietnam Veterans of America began doing the town hall meeting several years ago, they have identified about 750 diseases that may be linked to Agent Orange and other toxins, Kaderlik said.

It's not just Vietnam War veterans who were exposed to toxic agents.

In the Gulf War, service men and women were exposed to such things as depleted uranium used extensively in American armor-piercing ammunition and to enhance armor protection for some tanks. In the case of veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, they were exposed to the smoke and fumes of burn pits used to burn everything from basic trash to chemical waste and human feces.

During the Agent Orange town hall meetings, the Vietnam Veterans of America also has collected stories from Vietnam War veterans and their families and plan to share them Congress in a push for legislation that calls for more research for toxic exposure research and support for military families.

They are doing it, in large part, for the future generations who may be affected by Agent Orange and other toxic chemicals, Kaderlik said.

"We have to fight the fight, we have to keep at it," he said.

Kaderlik encouraged veterans to file claims with the Veterans Administration for themselves and family members and register with the VA's Agent Orange registry, which provides a comprehensive health exam that alerts veterans to possible long-term effects related to Agent Orange.

Anderson said his son, born in Belgium in 1970, has had issues with his teeth, heart and hips for much of his life. He worries about his granddaughter, who has not shown any symptoms.

“We’re talking about the children here, but I’m still a firm believer that if we don’t get this on the registry and get proof of this, we’re all in trouble,” Anderson said.

Copyright 2015 The Quad-City Times. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Veterans Day Freebies & Deals 2014

On Tuesday, November 11th, veterans and active duty military can feel even more appreciated for the sacrifices they’ve made to serve our country with loads of freebies from restaurants and other businesses. Enjoy everything from free meals to a free car wash.

Make sure to bring valid proof of service as most places will request it for the discounts and specials to apply. Since promotions vary by location, it’s also a good idea to call the location nearest you before heading out to verify they are participating.

7-Eleven: Veterans, active members of the US military and their immediate families can enjoy a free small Slurpee drink on Veterans Day from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Applebee’s: Veterans and Active Duty Military can enjoy a free Signature Entrée from its Veterans Days menu on November 11th. The menu includes dishes like The American Standard All-In Burger, Three-Cheese Chicken Penne, Double Crunch Shrimp, 7 oz. House Sirloin and more.

Carraba’s: Enjoy a free appetizer of your choice with military ID or proof of service.

Chili’s: Those who have served and active military veterans may choose a free meal on Veterans Day. Choose any lunch combo during lunch hours, or between 7 meals during the dinner hour.

Denny’s: Veterans and active, non-active and retired military personnel can come by between 5 a.m. and 12 p.m. on Veterans Day to enjoy a free Build Your Own Grand Slam.

Free Car Wash: Head over to Grace for Veterans for a full list of participating locations to enjoy a free car wash on Veterans Day.

Friendly’s: Veterans and those with a valid military ID or honorable discharge card can enjoy a free breakfast, lunch or dinner on Veterans Day. Choose from their Big-Two-Do’s breakfast options or the All American Burger with fries and a beverage for lunch or dinner.

National Parks: Enjoy free admission to national parks on Veterans Day!

On The Border: All veterans and active duty military receive free OTB’s “Create Your Own Combo menu” on Veterans Day.

Outback Steakhouse: Veterans and active duty military get a free Bloomin’ Onion and a non-alcoholic beverage free on Veterans Day. When dining Nov. 12 to Dec. 31, 2014, receive 15% off your purchase.

Red Lobster: Veterans and those with military ID may choose from a select list of appetizers to enjoy for free on Monday, November 10th – Thursday, November 13th.

Starbucks: Call locations beforehand to see if they’re participating in offering active duty military, veterans, and their spouses a free tall brewed coffee on November 11th.

LINK

(From Nan...... Hooter's normally participates, too!)

MARCH AGAINST MONSANTO TO SHOUT “HELL NO TO GMOS” FOR SECOND YEAR

 In 2013, Tami Monroe Canal founded March Against Monsanto because she believed it would protect her daughters’ health. Monsanto is an agricultural company that produces seed brands and herbicides (most famously, Roundup), some of which have been scientifically proven to cause health risks, such as birth defects, cancer, organ damage and auto-immune conditions. Monsanto is also one of the world’s leading producers of genetically modified organisms (better known as GMOs).

GMOs have been partially banned in several countries and foods containing GMO ingredients are currently labeled in 64 countries. Monsanto has spent millions in lobbying efforts opposing such laws in the United States. (Anti-labeling groups spent $22 million in an attempt to beat down labeling legislation in the state of Washington alone). The company has failed to make nice with independent farmers; early this year it won a lawsuit that allows the agri-giant to sue farmers whose fields are found to contain patent-protected Monsanto biotechnology, even if the farmers did not knowingly use such matter.

Despite the insistence from Monsanto that their company helps, not hurts, farmers, and the lack of credible scientific evidence proving that GMOs harm health and environment, Canal’s anti-Monsanto message is increasingly popular, evidenced by the 54 GMO labeling bills currently being discussed in 26 states, including Vermont’s signing such a bill into state law in early May.

March Against Monsanto (MAM) will gather on May 24 across “six continents, in 52 countries, with events in over 400 cities.” Participants demand Monsanto halt GMO use and the production of pesticides they believe are hazardous to human health and the environment, and support GMO labeling legislation as well. Locally, the march is organized by Cynthia Rose Kurkowski.

From the Farmers’ Perspective

OSGATA (Organic Seed Growers Association) v. Monsanto was filed by farmers and farm organizations in March 2011 to “invalidate Monsanto’s patents and protect organic and non-GMO family farmers from unwanted genetic contamination of their crops.” Monsanto sees it differently though, according to its website: “We understand the importance of planting and harvesting and always seek to minimize interfering with farmers’ normal activities.” However, unwanted seeds can blow into farmers’ crops, cross-pollinating with traditional crops, which ruins organic farms.

Since the GMO seeds are patented, this gives Monsanto the power to enforce their legal patents. Supporters of OSGATA argue that Monsanto harms independent farmers’ livelihoods worldwide with ruthless patent infringement legislation and its giant status as a near-monopoly means some crops, like corn and soybeans, are virtually impossible to guarantee as organic and GMO-free.

Agent Orange

Monsanto was the largest producer of agent orange during the Vietnam War and “half of agent orange’s chemical compound (2,4-D) and pesticides like Roundup are chemicals being sprayed on GMO crops,” allege The Children of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance and March Against Monsanto. The groups insinuate that this could negatively impact health, with CVVHA pointing to its members’ own myriad defects and chronic diseases; however, the EPA has said 2,4-D and Roundup are safe for farming.

Halting Influence on Government

Many MAM marchers are also concerned about Monsanto’s influence in government circles. There’s the ability to invest millions in lobbying efforts (as in Washington State) for one, but there’s also a more insidious dynamic at play, according to anti-GMO activists. In 1998, writing for progressive British journal The Ecologist, Jennifer Ferrera noted that several former Monsanto employees held key positions in the U.S.’ Food and Drug Administration. To the activists this creates a troubling conflict of interest in Monsanto and other biotech giants’ favor. Monsanto brushes this off as a logical progression for industry specialists.

MARCH AGAINST MONSANTO ON MAY 24th in a city near you!

LINK

Agent Orange: Vets need help with this scourge

The Salisbury Post published this editorial Wednesday.

Although the nation’s Vietnam veterans have received some belated apologies for the shameful treatment many of them received when they came home from war, there’s still some unfinished business — including the scourge of Agent Orange.

The U.S. military used the dioxin-laced herbicide as a defoliant in Southeast Asia, dumping it by the millions of gallons. It’s estimated that 2.5 million U.S. veterans may have been exposed to the chemical, which has now been linked to various cancers, Type 2 diabetes and other physical problems.

Although the conflict ended decades ago, veterans continue trying to get answers to how that exposure may have affected their health — and get help coping with the consequences. Now, veterans also have concerns that the harmful effects of Agent Orange may be showing up in birth defects and other health problems affecting their children and grandchildren.

To help raise awareness about Agent Orange and share information about available resources, veterans have been holding town-hall meetings around the nation, with sponsorship from local VA groups as well as the Vietnam Veterans of America and the Associates of Vietnam Veterans, which supports veterans’ family members. A meeting last week in Mooresville at Richard’s Coffee Shop and Military Museum drew about 150 participants, many traveling from around the state or farther to listen to speakers and share their experiences with other vets.

(You can find more information about upcoming meetings at http://www.vva.org/Committees/AgentOrange/TownHall.htm.)

Many vets are worried that the toxic effects of their decades-old exposure to Agent Orange may extend even to their offspring’s offspring. Legislation was introduced in Congress last year to fund research into such “legacy problems,” but the issue has not yet gained the groundswell of support needed to push through passage.
Millions of service members were exposed to Agent Orange, and a growing body of research points to its link with many health problems. Veterans deserve stronger support and more assurance their government won’t shirk its responsibilities to support veterans and their families still dealing with this toxic legacy of war. These veterans have suffered enough in body as well as spirit. They shouldn’t have to refight the Agent Orange battle on behalf of their children or their children’s children.

Editorial Here

OCTOBER IS AGENT ORANGE AWARENESS MONTH

Please Check out this Wonderful Blog!

Agent Orange – Granchildren of Vietnam Veterans Reported Birth Defects Update

GRANDCHILDREN OF VIETNAM VETERANS, THIRD GENERATION, AGENT ORANGE DIOXIN BIRTH DEFECTS & HEALTH ISSUES
We have compiled a list of 159 reported illnesses that the biological Grand-Children of Vietnam Veterans are suffering from to try and find common threads. There have been no official claims that anything on this list has been proven to be caused by Agent Orange/Dioxin unless otherwise noted in the information below. If your child is suffering from any illness not listed, please email us at COVVHA@GMAIL.COM. This list has been updated as of September 22, 2013.
1. 16p deletion in DNA:
2. Abdominal Migraines
3. Abdominal Scar Tissue Growth
4. Alopecia Universalis
5. Allergic Rhinitis AKA Hay Fever
6. Allergies- Food, Milk, Meds, Gluten, Seasonal, Severe, ETC
7. Amblyopia AKA Lazy Eye
8. Anemia
9. Anencephaly
10. Anger Problems
11. Anxiety
12. Apraxia of Limb
13. Apraxia of Speech
14. Arthritis
15. Asperger’s – Autism Spectrum Disorder
16. Asthma
17. Attention Deficit Disorder
18. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
19. ATYPICAL TUBERCULOSIS (NOT REGULAR TUBERCULOSIS)
20. Auditory Processing Disorder
21. Autoimmune Problems
22. Beckwith–Weidemann Syndrome
23. Bedwetting
24. Bicuspid Aortic Stenosis
25. Bilateral Retinoblastoma
26. Bipolar Disorder AKA Bipolar Affective Disorder, Manic-Depressive Disorder, or Manic Depression
27. Blood Clotting Issues
28. Borderline Personality Disorder
29. Born with One Kidney
30. Bowel Obstruction
31. Celiac Disease
32. Cellulitis
33. Chest Pain: Undefined
34. (Chronic) Bronchitis
35. Chronic Ear Infections
36. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)
37. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease AKA Emphysema
38. Cleft Palate
39. Clubbed Thumb
40. Congenital Talipes Equinovarus (CTEV) AKA Club Foot
41. Congenital Hypothyroidism
42. Constipation AKA Costiveness AKA Dyschezia AKA Trouble moving Bowels
43. Crohn’s Disease AKA Crohn’s Syndrome AKA Regional Enteritis
44. Cystic Hygroma
45. Cysts
46. Deafness
47. Deformed Baby Teeth
48. Depression
49. Developmental Delay
50. Dual AV Node In Heart
51. Dyslexia
52. Eczema
53. Edwards Syndrome
54. Ehler’s- Danlos Syndrome AKA Cutis Hyperelastica
55. Emotional Problems
56. Endometriosis
57. Enlarged Adenoids
58. Enlarged Tonsils
59. Failure to Thrive (Difficulty Gaining Weight)
60. Fibromyalgia
61. Fine Motor Aphasia
62. Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
63. Gross Motor Aphasia
64. Headaches
65. Hearing Aids (Both Ears)
66. Hearing Loss
67. Heart Murmur
68. High Blood Pressure AKA Hypertension
69. High Cholesterol AKA Hypercholesterolemia
70. Hip Dysplasia
71. Hirsutism AKA Frasonism (Female facial hair)
72. Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
73. Hole in Heart
74. Holoprosencephaly (Lobar)
75. Hydrocephalus
76. Hydronephrosis AKA Enlarged Kidney
77. Hyperflexability in the Joints AKA Hypermobility in the Joints
78. Hypospadias
79. Hypovitaminosis D AKA Vitamin D Deficiency
80. Idiopathic Thrombocytic Purpura (ITP)
81. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
82. Insomnia AKA Trouble Sleeping AKA Sleeplessness
83. Idiopathic Thrombocytic Purpura (ITP)
84. Keratosis Pilaris (KP) AKA Chicken Skin
85. Kidney Problems
86. Kyphosis
87. Learning Disability, Non Specific
88. Leg and Hip Problems at Birth
89. Low Birth Weight
90. Lupus AKA Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
91. Metabolic Syndrome
92. Migraines
93. Minimal Separation of Left Renal Collecting System
94. Missing Teeth
95. Moody
96. Neural Tube Defects
97. Night Terrors
98. Nosebleeds AKA Epistaxis
99. Obesity
100. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
101. One Testicle That is Smaller Than the Other One
102. Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)
103. Osteoporosis
104. Overall Weak Immune System
105. Past Urinary Problems
106. Pervasive Developmental Disorder- Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) (Form of Autism)
107. Peeling Finger/ Toe Nails
108. Pericardial Cyst On Heart
109. Photosensitivity
110. Pica
111. Plagiocephaly
112. Poland Syndrome, Undiagnosed
113. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
114. Poor Hand/Eye Coordination
115. Potty Training Problems
116. Premature Birth
117. Primary Teeth Retention- Causes Crooked and Crowded Teeth
118. Prone to Vericocele/ Hydracele
119. Prune Belly Syndrome
120. Pulmonary Stenosis
121. Pyloric Stenosis
122. Radial Dysphasia of the Wrist
123. Reflex Neurovascular Dystrophy
124. Retinoblastoma AKA Cancer of the Retina
125. Ruptured Ear Drums
126. Scoliosis
127. Seizures
128. Sensitive Skin
129. Sensory Processing Disorder/ Dysfunction of Sensory Integration
130. Severe Colic
131. 130.Sickle Cell Anemia
132. Sinusitis
133. Skin Problems
134. Sleep Apnea
135. Snoring
136. Social Anxiety Disorder
137. Speech Disorder, Articulation
138. Spinal Muscular Atrophy
139. Spine is Blunt at the Bottom
140. Stickler Syndrome
141. Stomach Pain: Undefined
142. Teeth Growing in Crooked
143. Thoracic Kyphosis
144. Tibial Torsion
145. Ticks
146. Torticollis AKA Wry Neck
147. Tourette’s Syndrome
148. Two Uteruses
149. Type One Diabetes
150. Umbilical Hernia (At Birth)
151. Urinary Tract Infection AKA Bladder Infections
152. Vacterl Syndrome (Born without an Anus)
153. Ventricular Septial Defect
154. Viral Meningitis
155. Von Willebrand Disease
156. Warts
157. Weak Baby Teeth
158. Weak Enamel In/On Teeth
159. Weird Skin Rashes

Please click on News Alerts to become an email subscriber. You will then receive notifications when databases for 2ND GENERATION, 3RD GENERATION, and VETERANS HEALTH have been updated as well as any new articles that are published. Please be sure to check your email after subscribing for your confirmation completion.

We are now collecting 3rd generation (biological grandchildren of Vietnam Veterans) illnesses to add to our databases.

Please contact us at COVVHA@Gmail.com to participate.  Any information you provide will be kept confidential.

LINK

AGENT ORANGE- Fighting for the Next Generation

Vietnam vets push for help, recognition of Agent Orange's effect on their children

After Al and Sharon Martinelli had their first son who was born with short limbs, they thought they had the assurance they needed before having their second child.

"One of the questions that we asked a team of doctors is, if we have more children, what are the chances (of having another child with a disorder)," Al said. "They looked at me in the eye and said the chances would be a million to one."

The Cocolalla couple also had family history on their side. Neither Al nor Sharon had a history of any disorders in their families.

But, three years later, their second son was born with Down syndrome.
"We saw one of the doctors we had seen three years before, and you should have seen the expression on that man's face," Al said. "He was devastated when he saw Chris. That poor guy didn't know what to say."

Martinelli said having two sons with conditions was devastating for the young couple starting out after he had served in the Navy Reserve during the Vietnam War.
"
It was a tough situation," he said, fighting back tears. "Having children with completely different maladies - one with a bone disorder and one with a chromosome disorder - was pretty amazing according to the doctors. But we came to the conclusion that it is what it is, and we'll make the best of it."

The situation of the Martinellis and some other Vietnam veterans is at the core of fellow Vietnam vet Dick Phenneger's research and findings on Agent Orange, an herbicide used during the war.

Phenneger, of Post Falls and founder of a nonprofit called Veterans Services Transparency, has interviewed more than 200 area Vietnam vets and their families, assembled a chronological table on Agent Orange findings and has mingled with several lawmakers, scientists and foundations in pursuit of finding more help for those affected by the herbicide.

Agent Orange was intended to defoliate forest, depriving guerrillas of cover. The herbicide was later discovered to be contaminated with a toxic dioxin compound that resulted in deaths, illnesses and birth defects.

When Martinelli participated last year Phenneger's survey of Vietnam veterans, a light came on.

Several of the questions about exposure to the herbicide and medical conditions that resulted afterward to both himself and his children were relevant.
"I'm convinced, after doing a lot of research, that some of my problems and those of my children are the result of my exposure to Agent Orange," Martinelli said.
The duty of the ship Martinelli served on was to offload and retrieve Marines and keep them supplied.

"During the course of our action in that area, they were spraying Agent Orange along the river banks and any roadways they used to transport supplies that we offloaded," he said. "I saw aircrafts spraying it as they'd come off the river. Materials we handled had been exposed. It was everywhere.

"During that time, not knowing it then, but knowing it now, we were exposed to large amounts of Agent Orange both in the water and air."

Martinelli isn't eligible for benefits associated with exposure to the herbicide because he was not "boots on the ground" in Vietnam. He said he has had both physical and psychological effects from the war, but declined to discuss the details.

While Martinelli said he realizes the government won't likely recognize his conditions and those of some fellow Vietnam veterans as being eligible to receive benefits associated with herbicide exposure during his lifetime, he's hoping there will be breakthroughs with studies and research for his children's generation and future generations.

The Martinellis have insurance to help with their children's conditions, but "the monetary strain on the family has still been tremendous," Martinelli said.

Phenneger plans to submit his findings and research to federal lawmakers in hopes of sparking an independent national epidemiological study on the effects of Agent Orange on veterans and their children.

Phenneger said 20 percent of the Vietnam veterans he interviewed had children with birth defects or related illnesses.

Phenneger, who has made trips to Washington, D.C., to discuss his efforts with key players, said the study would cost an estimated $19 million. His talks lead him to believe that amount is reachable.

"This is a drop in the bucket for Congress," Phenneger said.

He said the study can't be completed without the assistance of government agencies that have the records needed.
"So congressional approval of the study with independent scientists is a must," he said.

Phenneger said he hopes the study will result in a national Children of Agent Orange Trust Fund to assist those who were affected by the herbicide.

"The veterans who I have spoken with during the past year have said, 'Dick, what has happened to us, has happened, but we've got to take care of our kids,'" Phenneger said. "That's why I'm shifting focus to getting action to address that Agent Orange causes birth deformities."

Phenneger said the government has fallen short of taking care of Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange, more needs to be done and previous government-funded efforts on the subject have fizzled.

The Department of Veterans Affairs in Spokane directed questions seeking comment to the federal office in Washington, D.C.

Randy Noller, a spokesman for the V.A. in Washington, said children of Vietnam veterans may receive benefits if they are born with spina bifida, a developmental disorder, or with certain other birth defects born to a female veteran. He said such benefits could be expanded to others.

"V.A. makes these decisions relying on our scientific advisers from the independent Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences," Noller wrote in an e-mail. "IOM has ongoing analysis of the scientific literature looking at questions of health effects from exposure to Agent Orange, including birth defects."

Martinelli said Phenneger's efforts to assist veterans and their families is a "noble cause." He said while the time is ticking to help Vietnam veterans, there's hope to help their children and younger generations of veterans.

"The biggest reward for us would be that the folks coming up the line are treated with more respect and get more help," Martinelli said. "It's not going to be a perfect world - we realize that - but when you come back from the combat zone you should be taken care of in a manner that shows respect for these people."

LINK

Agent Orange – The Chicken Before The #GMO Egg

For 50 years, Monsanto and 6 other chemical companies have gotten away with murder. The weapon used, most predominantly during the Vietnam War, was Agent Orange, second only to radioactive waste. During the Vietnam War era, Monsanto produced agent orange at 1,000 times greater the potency vs. the other 6 companies. Hundreds of thousands globally have died including members of Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance and will continue to die drastically before the average human lifespan.

Today, half of Agent Orange’s chemical compound, 2, 4,-D, and other pesticides like roundup, are the chemicals being sprayed on GMO (genetically modified organism) crops, resulting in triple the danger of food that is not organic.  Imagine what happens to a body already exposed to agent orange like myself, Truth Teller, that consumes these GMO pesticides and foods.  In a nutshell, Agent Orange was, in essence, the chicken before the GMO egg.

As I said before,  for the last 50 years, Monsanto has gotten away with this crime.  If there is no unity between organizations fighting for Agent Orange justice and those fighting for the labeling & banning of GMO’s, how many more years do you think it will take before you see a change?  The answer, can simply be only one…. TOO MANY.

This is a call for ALL to educate themselves, others, & those that fight against us to UNITE.  My only question left to ask now is, are YOU in or are you out?

(C) Kelly L. Derricks, Co-Founder/President
(COVVHA) Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance INC.

LINK

Agent Orange – What Veterans Should Know

What every present day Veteran Should Know

Most of the veterans around today are of the Korean war, Vietnam war and Gulf war. In the past 10 to 11 years, Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Those of past wars and those who served in peace time need to explain to their sons, daughters, grand kids and maybe for some great grand kids, who may be serving their Country. How important it is to maintain records.

Upon discharge from any branch of the Armed Forces, the service member receives a DD-214, release of service discharge. A very important document. Sometimes on that discharge document it might state medals earned and duty stations served at. It is not always the case. Often times the person typing up the DD-214 does not go through the members service record to record medals and duty stations.

Upon discharge from any branch of service along with receiving a DD-214, they should ask for copies of their medical records, record of medals earned and duty stations and or commands served under. Also they should keep copies of all transfer orders and travel orders. These are important documents.

You may ask why keep those documents? It can be very likely they may be needed at some point in time years after discharge from military service.

An old injury creeps up on you that might be service connected or an illness that could be service connected. So you submit a VA claim. The VA asks for evidence of your service that may have caused an injury or illness. They will want to know what medals you earned, especially combat medals. They will want you to prove what duty stations and or commands you were attached to. Injury’s that may be service connect you have to prove with your medical records as well as medical records from a health care provider. Illness’s that may be service connected and prove where you were that could attest to a location.

If you don’t have these records or did have them and threw them away or misplaced them, good luck. It is a nightmare to get those records of service, that holds true to all branches of service. I could take mountains of paperwork on your part to find what you need as evidence for a VA claim. It could take several months even a year or more to find the documents needed. Any documents relative to the above should be kept in a safe place. A family member, wife, child, father, mother, etc. should now where you keep those documents for any event. By having these documents, it will be so much easier to submit a VA claim if and when needed for disability. The VA will not search for these documents for you, you are on your own to present them.

I am a Vietnam war veteran and I had saved all of my service documents over my 22 years of service. When I came down with Agent Orange exposure, those documents I saved were like gold. I had every thing the VA asked for and then some. It only took me a year to be rated disabled. On the other hand, if I did not have those documents, it conceivably could have taken several years to be rated disabled, that is if I were able to find what was needed by the VA.

Another important thing a veteran upon discharge should do is register with the VA to be in the system. This can be done by a phone call or on-line to get a form of registration and sending it in with a copy of your DD-214. Also all documents you collect must show your SS#, just write it on the top of each page. There is the possibility you may one day need to submit a VA claim. Safe guard your service documents, they may one day be important to you. Don’t cause yourself a nightmare later in life when you find you need help.

This advice is given by: © John J. Bury, US Navy, retired, Vietnam War veteran
Author for COVVHA

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Veterans' Diseases Associated with Agent Orange

VA assumes that certain diseases can be related to a Veteran’s qualifying military service. We call these "presumptive diseases."

VA has recognized certain cancers and other health problems as presumptive diseases associated with exposure to Agent Orange or other herbicides during military service. Veterans and their survivors may be eligible for disability compensation or survivors' benefits for these diseases.


*AL Amyloidosis
A rare disease caused when an abnormal protein, amyloid, enters tissues or organs

*Chronic B-cell Leukemias
A type of cancer which affects white blood cells

*Chloracne (or similar acneform disease)
A skin condition that occurs soon after exposure to chemicals and looks like common forms of acne seen in teenagers. Under VA's rating regulations, it must be at least 10 percent disabling within one year of exposure to herbicides.

*Diabetes Mellitus Type 2
A disease characterized by high blood sugar levels resulting from the body’s inability to respond properly to the hormone insulin

*Hodgkin’s Disease
A malignant lymphoma (cancer) characterized by progressive enlargement of the lymph nodes, liver, and spleen, and by progressive anemia

*Ischemic Heart Disease
A disease characterized by a reduced supply of blood to the heart, that leads to chest pain

*Multiple Myeloma
A cancer of plasma cells, a type of white blood cell in bone marrow

*Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
A group of cancers that affect the lymph glands and other lymphatic tissue

*Parkinson’s Disease
A progressive disorder of the nervous system that affects muscle movement

*Peripheral Neuropathy, Acute and Subacute
A nervous system condition that causes numbness, tingling, and motor weakness. Currently, it must be at least 10 percent disabling within one year of herbicide exposure and resolve within two years. VA proposed on Aug. 10, 2012, to replace "acute and subacute" with "early-onset" and eliminate the requirement that symptoms resolve within two years.

*Porphyria Cutanea Tarda
A disorder characterized by liver dysfunction and by thinning and blistering of the skin in sun-exposed areas. Under VA's rating regulations, it must be at least 10 percent disabling within one year of exposure to herbicides.

*Prostate Cancer
Cancer of the prostate; one of the most common cancers among men

*Respiratory Cancers (includes lung cancer)
Cancers of the lung, larynx, trachea, and bronchus

*Soft Tissue Sarcomas (other than osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, Kaposi’s sarcoma, or mesothelioma)
A group of different types of cancers in body tissues such as muscle, fat, blood and lymph vessels, and connective tissues

*Children with Birth Defects: VA presumes certain birth defects in children of Vietnam and Korea Veterans associated with Veterans' qualifying military service.

*Veterans with Lou Gehrig's Disease: VA presumes Lou Gehrig's Disease (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS) diagnosed in all Veterans who had 90 days or more continuous active military service is related to their service, although ALS is not related to Agent Orange exposure.

LINK

Join COVVHA’S Email List For Breaking Agent Orange News

CHILDREN OF VIETNAM VETERANS HEALTH ALLIANCE EMAIL SUBSCRIPTION

YOU WILL RECEIVE A ONCE DAILY EMAIL OF ANY BREAKING AGENT ORANGE NEWS AND RELATED TOPICS IN ADDITION TO ANY COVVHA UPDATES

PLEASE ENTER YOUR EMAIL IN THE BOX BELOW,  A CONFIRMATION LINK WILL BE SENT TO YOUR EMAIL.  YOU MUST OPEN THE EMAIL AND CLICK THE CONFIRMATION LINK TO COMPLETE THE PROCESS.

Link to this Wonderful Group

AGENT ORANGE DOCTORS NOTE FOR PATIENTS

COVVHA has worked diligently putting together a letter that the Children Of Vietnam Veterans can take to their doctors.  The intent is to increase doctor/patient communication and awareness regarding the health and medical effects of generational Agent Orange/Dioxin exposures.

Print this patient information letter to bring to your doctors visit. Request that your doctor review the information and place in your medical chart.

Direction for printing: Click on the title link above the document to be re-routed to SCRIBD. Use the Download and Print options on the right hand side.

JUMP to Children of Vietnam Veterans site