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Opinion Columnists Guest Columnist Do you qualify for Agent Orange compensation?
Do you qualify for Agent Orange compensation?
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Veterans, in my first column I discussed pensions. The response I can say was, well, overwhelming. This topic may even be better. We’ll discuss Agent Orange presumptive diseases. I have a lot of veterans who come in and say, I’ve got Agent Orange disease. In itself, Agent Orange is not a disease — it is a cause of several diseases. Here is the list of the ones that the Department of Veterans Affairs acknowledges were caused by being exposed to Agent Orange. • Acute and Subacute Peripheral Neuropathy• AL Amyloidosis • Chloracne (or Similar Acneform Disease) • Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (Now Being Expanded to B Cell Leukemias) • Diabetes Mellitus (Type 2) • Hodgkin’s Disease • Multiple Myeloma • Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma • Porphyria Cutanea Tarda • Prostate Cancer • Respiratory Cancers • Soft Tissue Sarcoma (other than Osteosarcoma, Chondrosarcoma, Kaposi’s sarcoma, or Mesothelioma). • Ischemic Heart Disease • Parkinson’s Disease These are presumptive diseases — focus on the term “presumptive.” This means that the Department of Veterans Affairs will acknowledge and process these claims under the presumption that you served in Vietnam from Feb. 28, 1961, through May 7, 1975. To qualify for Agent Orange compensation you have to meet the following criteria: serve in the Republic of Vietnam during the above dates; have a current diagnosis of one or more of the above diseases; and have a discharge of conditions other than dishonorable. At the time that I’m writing this there are other prerequisites or caveats that I will briefly discuss. The Department of Veterans Affairs is requiring proof of “Boots on Ground” for serving in Vietnam. This is very easy for Army and Marine Corps veterans but can be challenging for Air Force and Navy veterans. However, when I say “challenging,” it will not stop me from processing and trying to win your claim. Also, there is an exception to Vietnam service to some Air Force veterans whose duties involved security and served in Thailand. These duty stations include the Royal Thai Air Force Bases of U-Tapao, Ubon, Nakhon Phanom,Udorn, Takhli, Korat and Don Muang. Remember these claims are for compensation and are not affected by your employment or assets. I am located at the Center for Human Development, 2301 Cove Ave., La Grande.
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