Agent Orange linked to more Sites Outside of Vietnam, Including U.S. Bases, links more diseases

Available shipment documentation indicates that nearly all of the Agent Orange procured was either used in U.S. military operations in Southeast Asia, used for testing, damaged, or destroyed. However, some records are incomplete, such as shipment documentation and logbooks that identify ports where vessels stopped on the way to Southeast Asia. GAO obtained and reviewed shipment documentation for over 12.1 million of the 13.9 million gallons of Agent Orange procured by the Department of Defense (DOD). GAO reviewed logbooks for 96 percent (152 of 158) of those shipments and identified that vessels stopped at various ports on the way to Southeast Asia, including at least one vessel carrying Agent Orange that stopped at Guam. While the logbooks GAO reviewed identify when vessels left various ports as they traveled to and from Vietnam, they do not show whether and how much cargo was loaded or unloaded at those ports.
DOD’s official list of herbicide testing and storage locations outside of Vietnam that is posted on the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) website is inaccurate and incomplete. ….The following our responses to the government accounting agency demands:

VA Releases Updated DOD List Identifying Agent Orange Sites Outside of Vietnam ,

VA recognizes Agent Orange link to more diseases

By Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 

Based on an independent study by the Institute of Medicine in October, Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki has directed broader health coverage from his department for Vietnam War veterans, possibly including some in the Monterey area, who were exposed to Agent Orange. 

Research found that three illnesses – B cell leukemias, Parkinson’s disease and ischemic heart disease – possibly are associated with Agent Orange exposure. 

Those conditions join a list of related diseases for which Vietnam War veterans already receive compensation, such as prostate cancer, respiratory cancers, soft-tissue sarcomas, Hodgkin’s disease, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and multiple myeloma. 

“Since my confirmation as secretary, I’ve often asked why, 40 years after Agent Orange was last used in Vietnam, we’re still trying to determine the health consequences to our veterans who served in the combat theater,” Shinseki said in a statement provided by VA Nov. 20 to American Forces Press Service. “Veterans who endure a host of health problems deserve timely decisions.”

Veterans who served in Vietnam between 1962 and 1975 may qualify for monthly disability compensation and do not have to provide proof they were exposed to Agent Orange to qualify for health benefits. 

“We must do better reviews of illnesses that may be connected to service, and we will,” Shinseki said in statement released last month. “Veterans who endure health problems deserve timely decisions based on solid evidence.” 

The U.S. military used Agent Orange herbicides in the Vietnam conflict from 1961 to 1971 to clear foliage that provided enemy cover. VA officials estimate that about 2.6 million military personnel who served in Vietnam were affected. 

U.S. Rep. Bob Filner, House Veterans Affairs Committee chairman, released a statement Nov. 20 calling for additional support of the Agent Orange Equity Act of 2009. The bill expands eligibility for presumptive conditions to veterans who were not directly “boots on the ground,” such as sailors and pilots. 

Current law suggests that location of service in Vietnam affects some of the qualifications for Agent Orange compensation. 

“Time is running out for these Vietnam veterans,” Filner said. “Many are dying from their Agent Orange-related diseases, uncompensated for their sacrifice. If, as a result of service, a veteran was exposed to Agent Orange, and it has resulted in failing health, this country has a moral obligation to care for each veteran the way we promised we would.” 

About 800,000 Vietnam veterans are estimated to be alive today and eligible for treatment for Agent Orange-related illnesses. According to VA’s Web site, the department presumes all military members who served in Vietnam were exposed to Agent Orange. 

Also, some children of female Vietnam veterans may qualify for compensation, based on birth defects associated with the chemicals.

2020 VA Releases Updated DOD List Identifying Agent Orange Sites Outside of Vietnam
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) released in January 2020 an updated Department of Defense (DoD) list of locations outside of Vietnam where tactical herbicides were used, tested, or stored by the United States military.

”DoD will continue to be responsive to the needs of our interagency partners in all matters related to taking care of both current and former service members,” said Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper. ”The updated list includes Agents Orange, Pink, Green, Purple, Blue and White and other chemicals and will be updated as verifiable information becomes available.”

DoD conducted a thorough review of research, reports, and Government publications in response to a November 2018 Government Accountability Office report.

”This update was necessary to improve accuracy and communication of information,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. ”VA depends on DoD to provide information regarding in-service environmental exposure for disability claims based on exposure to herbicides outside of Vietnam.”

The list of locations is available online.