nam phong, thailand agent orange
Gretchen Whitmer Copyright 2023 Military.com. Nam Phong has been a Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) communications center. The information these cookies collect will not personally identify you, and they cannot track your browsing activity on other websites. The Rules provided authorization for, and limits on, the employment of herbicides throughout the Southeast Asian conflict. If you filed a claim for one of these conditions in the past, the VA will automatically review your case to see if youre now eligible. Veterans who served on the ground in Vietnam, on inland waterways or certain Navy ships engaged in combat operations and who have one or more illnesses thought to be caused by exposure to Agent Orange and other defoliants have presumptive status for disability benefits, meaning they only have to prove that they served in the theater to receive health care and compensation. Specialties: Welcome to Nam Phuong restaurant. Similarities between the Rules in Thailand and Vietnam were also necessary due to Operation RANCH HAND activities in Thailand. Agent Orange is an herbicide that was used by the United States during the Vietnam War. As stated above, prior to the passage of the PACT Act, veterans could only be eligible for presumptive service connection if they served near the perimeter of specific bases. This shows a robust relationship between the 315th Air Division and the movement of herbicides. The intended result was to expose enemy forces who relied on the trees for cover. Surviving spouses agent orange widows, dependent children and dependent parents of veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange or other herbicides during service and died as the result of the diseases related to exposure may be eligible for healthcare, compensation, education and home loan benefits. In Dr. Alvin Youngs working paper draft of suggested criteria for determining levels of herbicide exposure, he noted that groups exposed to associated dioxin contaminant were personnel assigned to support functions, to include: Personnel that sprayed herbicides using helicopters or ground application equipment; personnel that may have delivered the herbicide to the unit performing the defoliation missions; aircraft mechanics who were specialized and occasionally provided support to RANCH HAND aircrafts. If your VA disability claim related to exposure to Agent Orange in Thailand has been denied, we may be able to help you. TDD (for hearing impaired): 1 800 827-4833. These cookies allow the website to remember choices you make to give you better functionality and personal features. . I have lived 50 years since then, and it has been a been a rewarding and, sometimes disappointing life.No ones fault but myself. From 1966 to mid-1968, insurgents conducted 331 assassinations and 1,087 armed encounters. The VA offers health registry exams, health care, disability compensation and other benefits to eligible veterans affected by Agent Orange toxic exposure. The name came. Not sure what your veteran health care benefits are? I am fortunate to not have cancer like other guys. The Air Force leadership argued that adherence to the SOP should eliminate any misuse of herbicide application on Takhli. During the Vietnam Era, the military made no distinction between commercial and tactical agents in their own supply system. Because of these risks, Congress eventually enacted laws providing benefits to those who were exposed if they subsequently developed certain diseases associated with the exposure. and get all the latest updates straight to your inbox. U.S. Army Manual 3-3 (dated 1971) advises that a 500-meter buffer zone must be maintained to avoid damage caused by drifts while ground spraying herbicides. Prichard said locations where exposure occurred under conditions already granted presumption of exposure such as Vietnam and the Korean DMZ were not included on this list. The class consisted of twelve non-commissioned officers. yet assertive representation for our clients. I have pictures of Thais using elephants to remove foliage that was dead from spraying and cleared from our base. He, too, stated that the barrels often leaked. This suggests that the defoliant improvement projects occurred after the herbicide testing (1964-1965). Please contact me me via email at philamdia@yahoo.com. arrived at Nam Phong, asked 'someone else ' (PVT, PFC, etc.) These cookies may be set through our website by our advertising partners. If you are intending to appeal a denied claim, you can contact us for an evaluation. U-Tapao Air Base, Thailand, 1972 The National Archives return to top Phone number 9197780046. Are Vietnam Veterans the Only Veterans Exposed to Agent Orange? For veterans like Rhodes who served in Nam Phong, Thailand, this is a policy they are calling on Congress to change. An on-site visit in January 2019 by several Marine veterans of Task Force Delta report that the base was minimally staffed and the runway surface is in poor condition and would not support non-emergency fixed-wing aircraft use. Vietnam veterans and those who served in certain other locations (such as Thailand or the Korean Demilitarized Zone) and were exposed to Agent Orange or other herbicides may be eligible for 3 kinds of benefits. Fast Letter 09-20 states in part: The stay affected a large number of veteran claimants with service in Thailand during the Vietnam era. Yeah from what I have read and through diagrams I have obtained (google Agent Orange Korat Thailand) they did spray the perimeter of the base I was also there from 73-74 I was a 462 Weapons Mechanic at the perimeter every day. It is imperative to note that sworn statements of Airmen referenced throughout this report predate the Air Force Historical Research Agency discovering and/or releasing documents showing movement of herbicides from Vietnam to Thailand. But one who stepped off an aircraft for 10 seconds gets boot on the ground. . Notably, Mr. Pippengers statement and the time period in which he served at Udorn coincide with official records of the delivery of 28,000 gallons of Agents Orange and Blue to Udorn in 1969 and the use of some of those herbicides by C-123 aircraft. His statements corroborate documentation demonstrating the use of herbicides on U-Tapao in 1971 and 1972. On January 17, 1969, seven RANCH HAND aircraft flew to Ubon to conduct an attack the next day against a special target in Laos. VA 38 U.S.C. These services include an Agent Orange Registry health exam and clinical treatment at VA's War Related Illness and Injury Study Center. The color distortion caused by leaking barrels containing herbicides is noted in pictures of herbicides stored on Johnston Atoll. 3.307(a)(6)(i). In its report, GAO called the list inaccurate and incomplete, and urged DoD to update the publication, which hadnt been updated in more than a decade. Veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange or other herbicides during military service may be eligible for: Veterans may be eligible for disability compensation if they have a service-connected disability related to Agent Orange exposure. Houston, TX: 2925 Richmond Ave, 12th Floor, Houston, TX 77098 Do You Have Long-Term Disability Insurance Coverage? The directive empowered the Commander U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (COMUSMAV), and the U.S. That expansion includes Navy veterans who served in the territorial waters of Vietnam and Cambodia, as well as veterans of all branches who may have been exposed in other locations, including stateside bases. Furthermore, there are several reference reports admitting herbicide use throughout bases in Thailand. These presumptions result in the award of VA benefits, such as disability compensation, health care, etc. The Department of Defense has released a new list of locations outside Vietnam where herbicides like Agent Orange were tested and stored, a compilation that could provide some veterans proof. specifically: 2,4-D; 2,4,5-T and its contaminant TCDD; cacodylic acid; and picloram. 38 C.F.R. The Memorandum for the Record, which VA often cites in these cases, is outdated, contains erroneous and misleading statements, and was never intended for perimeter policy cases. They are not intended as a guarantee that we will obtain the same or similar results in every case we undertake. I served with MAG 15 H&MS 15 in Nam Phong, Thailand Feb Sep 1973. The VA has recognized certain cancers and healthcare problems associated with Agent Orange, as outlined above. I was only a PFC and did not get any higher than that. If you have a health condition caused by exposure to the herbicide Agent Orange during your service, you may be eligible for VA disability compensation. Subscribe to Military.com. VA depends on DOD to provide information regarding in-service environmental exposure for disability claims based on exposure to herbicides outside of Vietnam, Wilkie said in a statement. VA now recognizes thatany servicemember with active military naval, air, or space service who served in Thailand,at any U.S. or Thai base,between January 9, 1962 and June 30, 1976were likely exposed to Agent Orange. Nam Phong Thailand. According to DoD spokesman Chuck Prichard, the new list replaces the one from 2018 and is the result of DoDs thorough review of the records for use, storage and testing of Agent Orange and other tactical herbicides outside of Vietnam.. If a veteran served in an area other than Vietnam, such as Thailand or Korea, but was nonetheless exposed to the same herbicide agent as used in Vietnam, then they were to be awarded the same benefits as would a Vietnam veteran for the diseases associated with such exposure. The Nam Phong district is surrounded by Non Sa-at (in the Udon Thani province ), Kranuan, Sam Sung, Mueang Khon Kaen, Ubolratana, and Khao Suan Kwang . These cookies do not store any personal information. Watch below for our full discussion into the latest update of the Honoring Our PACT Act of 2022. Furthermore, as to case summaries, reports of past results, individual lawyer biographies, news posts and other information pertaining to past and present cases, these descriptions are meant only to provide information to the public about the activities and experience of our law firm. I have no genetic background history in my family of this issue. Gymnastics will be held on May 6-9 at the Olympic Stadium Centre's Marquee Tent in Phnom Penh. In researching I have come across several fellow marines that I served dead from cancers and others having similar problems I am curently appling for benefits for these problems. Called a Vietnam era vet same . In fact, they specifically pointed out that defoliants VA now labels as tactical were commercially available. Thailand Agent Orange Claim Denials VA's Herbicide Problem Introduction: Agent Orange is an herbicide that was used by the United States during the Vietnam War. Once Operation Ranch Hand began, around 20 million gallons of Agents Green, Pink, Purple, Blue, White, Orange,. During the detail, he used defoliants that were contained in 55-gallon drums with orange stripes. For instance, which pages you go to most. Veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange or other herbicides during service may be eligible for a variety of VA benefits, including an Agent Orange Registry health exam, health care and disability compensation for diseases associated with exposure. Following the passing of the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, there are now three new conditions on the Agent Orange presumptive list. The location must have been a DoD installation, land under control of DoD or a non-DoD location where service members were present during testing, application, transportation or storage. Tucson, AZ: One South Church Avenue, 12th Floor, Tucson, AZ, 85701 Brothers, I was a Marine stationed in Nam Pong from June 1 , 1972 until I rotated back to the world in late May, 1973. Interestingly, this was after all aerial herbicide spray missions in Vietnam had ceased. Philadelphia, PA: 1 International Plaza, Suite 550, Philadelphia, PA, 19113 Furthermore, the Memorandum for the Record contains erroneous and misleading statements. consider passing this info on to them. I have been dealing with this for years now with Tricare and Medicare and I think it is time to see what I can do with the VA.Thank you for helping me brothers and letting me that I am not alone. Throughout the Vietnam War, RANCH HAND aircraft utilizedbases in Thailand. . The 26 July 1968 attack on Udorn RTAFB was the first overt, hostile action by either communist-inspired insurgent forces or military units of North Vietnam against United States Air Force personnel and resources located in the . Editors note: This story was updated to include further input from the Department of Defense. However, at that time, if the veteran did not serve in Vietnam, VA regulations provided no presumption of exposure for that veteran. Given no more credit than those who lived stateside during same time . This is HUGE NEWS for thousands of Vietnam vets who were stationed outside of Vietnam but were still toxic-exposed to Agent Orange. Learn more about us, Veterans Disability Claim Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV) Directive 525-1 (1966) highlighted the procedure for requesting aerial spray, power spray, and hand spray in Vietnam. . Agent Orange Registry health exam: The Agent Orange Registry is a program administered by the VA since 1978. This storage is often necessary for basic functionality of the web site or the storage may be used for the purposes of marketing, analytics, and personalization of the web site such as storing your preferences. In fact, the distinction is notably absent from records until 2009 when VA published a Memorandum for the Record regarding herbicide use in Thailand during the Vietnam Era. Aircraft used for RANCH HAND, UC-123Ks, launched from airbases in Thailand including Ubon, Udorn, NKP, and Takhli on numerous occasions to conduct missions against targets in Vietnam and Laos. Many of us were exposed to herbicides which were used extensively all over the site. We pulled perimeter guard and walked thru the dead foliage and barbed wire. I spent 2 months there and handled equipment that arrived from NAM. Trump appeared to confuse napalm with Agent Orange and he reportedly got the idea from an iconic movie set in the Vietnam War David Choi 2018-08-17T23:51:55Z VA Secretary Robert Wilkie said the update was necessary to improve accuracy and [for] communication of information.. Japan Nov. 1971 - July, 1972; Nam Phong Thailand, July 1972 - Nov., 1972. Further documentation and sworn statements contradict that claim. I have been experiencing some of the symptoms mentioned above. As a result, the embassy approved the use of herbicides. The Department of Defense had legitimate concerns about the threat to U.S. personnel and equipment, which led to the decision to use herbicides within base perimeters as a means of preventing ambushes in Thailand.6. Permalink: https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2019/10/improving-benefits-for-veterans-exposed-to-agent-orange-during-service-in-thailand, Improving Benefits for Veterans Exposed to Agent Orange During Service in Thailand, https://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2019/10/improving-benefits-for-veterans-exposed-to-agent-orange-during-service-in-thailand, Boozman Shares Service Memories of Lavaca Veteran, The Hill: American generosity has saved 25 million lives and counting. 7 Things Every Veteran Should Know About Agent Orange Video. Agent Orange was made up of 2,4-D, 2,4,5-T. Its contaminant TCDD is a highly toxic byproduct of producing Agent Orange. I have also been denied compensation for herbicide exposure and am awaiting a hearing. This reporting directly corresponds to other Air Force archives documents from 1973 showing that the Civil Engineers had developed a standard operating procedure for the use of herbicide on Takhli to avoid misuse. Lieutenant Colonel Paul Bailey, a member of RANCH HAND, noted that the pressurized aerial spraying tanks would leak herbicides inside the aircraft. The attorneys at Hill & Ponton are here to support you in your claim and determining your agent orange disability percentage. Annual training was conducted on Takhli from March 17 to 21, 1969, and July 13 to 16, 1970, with representatives from all Thailand bases. It was where the French first landed in the 19th Century in their quest to control the area and where . The article Viet Cong Right or Wrong, published in the National Guardsman in 1966, notes the Defense Departments Advance Research Project Agency was moving forward with defoliant improvement projects in Thailand. The news comes on the heels of the Jan. 1, 2020, VA expansion of Agent Orange benefits to veterans who were exposed to the herbicide during their service. He recognized in a draft report that the number of military personnel exposed is unknown because most military bases had vehicle-mounted and back-spray units available for use in routine vegetation control. Dr. Youngs documents indicate that herbicides, including Agent Orange and its counterparts, were used for routine vegetation control programs. Herbicides were used to control vegetation in Thailands tropical environment. Da Nang Cluster. From December 29, 1968, to January 2, 1969, RANCH HAND aircraft flew Agent Orange missions out of Udorn. We are sorry that this post was not as useful for you! This new list contains six different locations in Thailand, which confirms its extensive use in the country during the Vietnam Era. As of the enactment of the PACT Act on August 10, 2022, veterans who served in Thailand are eligible for presumptive service connection,regardless of their MOS or where on the base they were located. and was diagnosed with ischemic heart disease. The name "Agent. I have photographs which I took of the area which demonstrate the extensive defoliation of the area. When addressing the adequacy of facility security, official documents state that herbicides were applied to the fenced in area around the ammo storage, facility, around all perimeter guard towers, and the areas around runway overrun lights. The 1973 CHECO report also states that herbicides were used on areas within the perimeter. (Emphasis added.) In view of the above, a mowing operation for vegetation control will be impossible. The VA is warning veterans to avoid PACT Act fraud and to be wary of third parties such as non-VA-accredited law firms Rep. Mike Bost said he sees no signs that the VA is being overwhelmed, noting that the law also gave the department the Command Sgt. *Exceptions: osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, Kaposis sarcoma, and mesothelioma. She enjoys working with the Veteran population and keeping them up to date with information they need the most. You should contact the VA immediately if you or a loved one served in one of the designated Agent Orange exposure locations. Are walking blood banks coming to a field hospital near you? Columbus, OH: 100 E. Campus View Boulevard, Suite #250, Columbus, OH, 43235 In response to a 1971-72 Congressional record, an Air Force consultant wrote, [t]he Air Force does not and has not used any defoliants that are not in general use in this country. Later, in the 1980s, the government did indeed ban the use of all 2,4,5-T based herbicides for the same reasons it previously stopped the use of Agent Orange (a 2,4,5-T based herbicide) in Vietnamcontamination with 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, or TCDD.. In Mr. Hogstads statement, he said that he observed a C-123 aircraft mounted with spray equipment next to barrels with orange stripes. RANCH HAND was also not prohibited from herbicide spray missions in Thailand. you viewed to avoid repetition. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising. Fast Letter 09-20 dealt exclusively with Haas-related claims from Thailand veterans that had been stayed. The Agent Orange litigation team relied heavily on perimeter spraying, which is noted in its 1984 files. Ten of them cluster around one of the three air bases that became the most contaminate with dioxin: Da Nang, Phu Cat and Bien Hoa. Whats disappointing is. Although most of the Air Force bases in Thailand were seen as staging hubs for operations within Vietnam, military personnel located throughout Thailand were also subjected to hostile attacks from Communists. L still remember the smell of the spaying of defoliant while we were living in our hardback tents.I too have skin and prostate cancer and both are malignant. Agent Orange is an herbicide that was used to defoliate the thick jungle in Vietnam and elsewhere in Southeast Asia, such as the Korean Demilitarized Zone. Due to attacks on Thailand bases, military leaders ordered the use of herbicides. For veterans like Rhodes who served in Nam Phong, Thailand, this is a policy they are calling on Congress to change. The herbicides stored on Johnston Island were burned at sea in approximately 1977. I was a vehicle mechanic. The new DoD list contains nearly 150 testing and storage locations, with updates that include specific dates of release or containment, as well as 26 additions, including places like Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., Dugway Proving Ground, Utah, and Johnston Atoll in the central Pacific Ocean. He also saw an aircraft spray the kennel area, and he remembers vegetation in that area dying shortly thereafter. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant advertisements on other websites. So, when a stack of orange envelopes arrived in my Washington, D.C. office in mid-September it caught my attention. Thailand veteran Michael Williams, who was stationed at Ubon from May 1969 to May 1970, asserted that he was assigned to a detail that involved defoliating the perimeter of the base. Finally, we invite you to contact us and we welcome your calls, letters and electronic mail. 741 and S.B. Vietnam-era Veterans whose service involved duty on or near the perimeters of military bases in Thailand anytime between February 28, 1961 and May 7, 1975 may have been exposed to herbicides. They sprayed our living areas with DDT, which was banned in the US. This is an up-to-date list of conditions on the VAs Agent Orange presumptive list. Mr. George Collins was assigned to the Aero Space Ground Equipment (AGE) unit in U-Tapao for seven months beginning in 1969 and ending in 1970. Veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange or other herbicides during military service may be eligible for: Agent Orange Registry health exam, a free exam for possible long-term health problems related to herbicide exposure. The distinction between a tactical herbicide and a commercial herbicide has no legal or factual significance. Moreover, the application stated that select personnel would receive their own copy of the herbicide manual. Although the current whereabouts of the herbicide manual are unknown, the publication of such a manual demonstrates the regular use of herbicides throughout Thailand. The 6/11/15 News Argus has a article stating that 2 democratic senators want to know why the VA is delaying the disability bennifits to the 1200-2000 reservist who served 1972 1982 flying and working on the 123s and are coming down with the AO symptoms. Information within those records was assessed against stringent joint VA-DOD criteria for what constitutes a location where tactical herbicides were tested, used and stored, Prichard said. And for the last 20 years, we always . The VA currently awards service-connected benefits for exposure to Agent Orange to veterans whose duties placed them on or near the perimeters of Thai military bases from February 28, 1961 to May 7, 1975. The term commercial herbicide is notably absent from Air Force archive documentation, including the 1973 CHECO report which specifically states that herbicides used in Thailand had to undergo the same embassy approval process as herbicides used in Vietnam. This means that veterans who meet certain eligibility criteria are automatically eligible for VA disability benefits. The area between the fences is intended to be used as a no-mans land with additional detection and deterrent devices such as trip flares, TSSE, tangle-foot, etc. Disclaimer: This information is not legal advice. By Telephone. Jeanne Stellman, an Agent Orange expert at Columbia Universitys Mailman School of Public Health, and Fred Berman, the director of the Oregon Health and Science Universitys CROET Toxicology Information Center, along with 14 other doctors, toxicologists, and environmental scientists, signed a letter in November 2012 that refutes VAs boots on the ground approach to Agent Orange exposure.
