Document RpL350Y0vrnwNJ8x2mzV4ORkX

Univa Macro 0C role Task f o r c a on V lac Nam V eteran * Vaca ran a Accio C ooadttae? | Muraaat o f Nursing / "AGENT - ORANGE" May 15, 1981 and May 16, 1981 OBJECTIVES Agent Orange, o r dioxin (2, 4, 5-T o r 2, 4-D) poisoning, has d r a m a t i c a l l y e f f e c t e d th e l i v e s o f many f o r m e r V i e t Nam v eteran s, r a ilro a d w orkers, fanners and homeowners. Agent Orange was u sed by th e U .S . governm ent i n V iec Nam a s a s t r a t e g i c maneuver to destroy the food sources and fo lia g e of the V iet Cong. This was a ls o sprayed around U.S. b ases to d e stro y f o li a g e and p r e v e n t s u r p r i s e a t t a c k . Many V i e t Nam v e t e r a n s have been exposed to t h i s . In the U .S ., 2, 4, 5-T and 2, 4-D was used to p rev en t weed growth around r a i l r o a d t r a c k s , on farms and on lawns. Extensive exposure to th is chemical is believed to have caused many s e r i o u s p ro b le m s: Birth defects Cancer S terility A ltered sex drive Nervous d iso rd ers Psychological effects This two-day conference is designed to provide the p a r ti c i pant with re su lts of current epidem iological stu d ies, treatment m odalities, psychological counseling, genetic counseling, litig a tio n and l e g i s l a t i v e r e s p o n s e s , and a p a n e l o f p e o p le who have p e r s o n a l l y experienced Agent Orange. JD /laz 5/7/81 C O N F ID E N T I & L SUBJECT TO PROTECTIVE ORDER. C22846 AGEKT ORANGE SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE Name: Address: Phone: _ Dates of Service: \ Location of Service 1n Vietnam (Corp, Base and Kovement within country): . How did exposure occur? How often? A*.so, were you given the Dapsonc P i l l ? i (Continue to Page 2) CONFIDENTIAL SUBJECT TO PROTECTIVE ORDER. r ^' -A G22847 L- *i*-c* the symptoms tnat you are presently experiencing: t . Gastrointestinal 5. Metabolic (Cor.t'd,} Less of Appetite (Anorexia) Nausea | Vor.lting C 'a r rh e a Constipation Yellowing cf eyes. Skin and urine (Jaundice) lite r inflafxat*cn Vomiting bloGd (Hematemes!s) Abdominal pain Gastric hyperplasia Gastric ulcers 2. Genitourinary Stones Burning Bloody urine {Hematuria) Dribbling Brown urine Eladder discomfort (clone/ pain 3. Neurological Tingling Hirtbness '~ Dizziness Headaches Twitching, fidgeting etc. (Autonomic dyscontrol) Suspension of breath (Sleep apnea) Incoordination Unnaturally drowsy (Hypersomnolence) Loss of sensation in extremities A. P sy c h ia tric Violent Irritable Angry Severe depression Suicide Frenzied (Marie) Treruicus [''-Tory "ioss Loss of concentration Severe personality charges Fatigue Rapid weight less Spontaneous fever C h ills 6. Cardiovascular Elevated blood pressure Blood deficiency (Anemia) 7. Skin CMoracne Rash Increased se n sitivity (heat) Increased se n sitivity (sun) Altered skin color Loss of hair Brittle nails 8. Cancer Tumors Liver Lung Testicular Ear duct 9. Endocrine Enlarged male mammary glands ((tynecomastie Excessive milk flow from nipples Decreased sexual desire D iffic u lty maintaining an erection 10. Visual Blurring Burning 11. hearing loss 12. Respiratory D ifficu lt or painful breath (Dysrea) Shortness of o^eath Metabolic rat15J* CO NFIDENTIAL SUBJECT. TO PROTECTIVE ORDER. G22848 * ' ft. Veterans Adnnnistrati A) Helpful _____ B) Questionable _____ What diagnosis were you given? C) Hanful 2. Private: A) Helpful J____ B) Questionalbe _____ What diagnosis were you given? C) Hirwful Do any of your children have birth defects? Yes No I f yes* check as many as apply to each child: Child 1 i Cleft palate ________________ `__________ Open SX1 *kTidSniey abnormalities Enlarged liv e r " " InTaroed head Club foot in te stin a l hemorrhage ~-- Missing or abnormalfingers", toes Missing or abnormal reproductive rgani Missing, abnormi or displaced body parts Child 2 Child 3 ---- f ------ - I Child 4 Conmnts: (use th is sp a n for any additional Information): n. CONFIDENTIAL SUBJECT TO PROTECTIVE ORDER. C2284) i , The Veteran's SELF-HELP GUIDE ON AGENT ORANGE Suggestions for filing a claim at the VA for problems possibly caused by Agent Orange. The defoliant Agent Orange was widely used in Southeast Asia between 1962 and 1971. Many veterans have begun to complain about a variety of health problems that they believe may be related to their possible exposure to Agent Orange. CONTENTS STEP 1: GET YOUR RECORDS STEP 2: PUT YOUR FACTS TOGETHER STEP 3: FILE YOUR CLAIM STEP 4: OBTAIN A FREE MEDICAL EXAM If- you think you have medical problems because of Agent Orange, you should go to the Veterans Administration and tell them. Doing this will say to the VA that you believe your problems began when you were on active duty and so are " service-connected/' Even if you are not positive, but you are having medical problems now, there is ho harm in getting your claim on file. ___ , Nothing will guarantee that the VA will give you the help you need. As a matter of fact, through December 1979, the VA had turned down all those claims where veterans said their problems were caused by Agent Orange. But there are two good reasons you should go ahead and immediately get your claim on file at the VA. First, if your claim is granted, your benefits will go back to the date you filed your claim. Even if your claim is turned down, but the VA later changes its attitude about Agent Orange, they will have your claim on file and be able to reopen it quickly. Second, taking the time to go to the VA shows how serious you are about this problem and that you think the government has a responsibility to help. The government can be impressed with a large number o f vets requesting help--statistics can make a dif ference. NOTE: If you are turned down, you can and should appeal. Look for instructions on the letter that turns you down on how to appeal. The next section of this Guide is only a short summary of the VA claims system, A more complete description is found in the ACLU Handbook: The Rights of Veterans available in most bookstores. STEP Is GET YOUR RECORDS To refresh your memory and help you build your case, you should obtain a free copy o f all your military' and medical records. Use a Standard Form 180 to do that (if not enclosed with these instructions you can obtain one from any VA office). STEP 2: PUT YOUR FACTS TOGETHER 1 Before you go to the VA office to file your claim, you should put the facts together. Follow the instructions p 9 p c c : j Copyright 980, National Veterans Law CenterMU Rights Reserved. KJ&&OU\J To encourage widespread distribution, permission to reproduce this Guide is granted to any member organization o f the Hfftipng/ l/n y r iw Task Force on Agent Qrenge;*ind permission wilt be readily granted, upon written request, to those organizations supporting social justice fo r veterans. Bulk orders are invited. Segments o f this Guide may be excerpted or reproducedfo r counseling, self-help, and scholarly purposes without further permission; we request only that proper credit be given. A n y other use requires written authorization o f the National Veterans Law Center (4900 Massachusetts A venue NW , Washington D C 20016j. Second Printing: March 1980 CONFIDENTIAL SUBJECT TO PROTECTIVE O R D ER "U '* $ below and use the ATTACHME; on the next page as a guide. The ATTACHMENT is designed to be xeroxed and then stapled to the official VA forms you'll have to fill out at the VA office (that's discussed at STEP 3). The first two paragraphs o f the ATTACHMENT were written to force the VA to review vour case thoroughlyand to require the VA, rather than you, to come up with evidence about your contact with Agent Orange. You still must describe as best as you can all your contacts with Agent Orange, though. Instructions on SECTION I of the ATTACHMENT Most o f Section 1 is easy enough. But if you served more than one tour in Vietnam, be sure to list the dates o f each tour. Also, identify the lowest unit level you served with. For example, the company and squad name would be better than just the company name. So .far, the government has not tried to match troop locations with the locations o f the Agent Orange spraying operations. But if you now provide the lowest unit level, they will have the information if in the future they are forced to put it together. They can use the HERBS computer tapes which are a record o f the spraying missions. You may want to refer to the map on page 4. Be as exact as possible about your duties. If you worked in the field you were trained for, list it (an MOS or other code for your job). Try to describe exactly what you did if you didn't do the work you were trained for and state how many months youhad that duty. Instructions on SECTION II of the ATTACHMENT Be as exact as you can in describing the way you believe you came into contact with Agent Orange. A few examples are that you could have been directly sprayed with it; you may have handled containers of it; inhaled it; ate food covered with it; drank water with it in it; had duty in an area where it had been sprayed. There are any number o f possible ways you may have been exposed to it. List all the ways you believe you were exposed and when and where it happened if you can remember. d UQI Instructions on SECTION III.A of the Od O ATTACHMENT U>l Describe all medical problems which you think were caused by Agent Orange. Be as exact as you can about the a nature o f the problems you now have. Explain when symptoms began to appear and include a complete description o f these symptoms. If you had a child with a IO. birth defect and you think that the defect may have been caused by Agent Orange, state in Section III.A that you o (not your child) suffered4`genetic damage*' as a result of t u Agent Orange exposure. Z0 3 Instructions on SECTION III.B of the ATTACHMENT C22851 3 In addition to physical problems many veterans believe are directly caused by Agent Orange, many vets have begun to compK of the stress and anxiety caused by their worry over whether they too either have Agent Orange illnesses or might some day have them. This type o f stress has long been connected with people with serious illnesses or people who are afraid of getting a serious disease like cancer. This type o f stress might by itself be a disability for which the VA should give benefits. If you feel you are suffering anxiety or stress over, your illness or are afraid of getting such illnesses because of Agent Orange, consider filing a claim for the disability. This type o f claim would ask for stress-related benefits, not for benefits for a disability directly caused by contact with Agent Orange. Use Section III.B to describe these problems com pletely. Include when you first began to worry and' how these problems affected your ability to work and get along with your family or friends. STEP 3: FILE YOUR CLAIM You can fill out the necessary paperwork the VA wants at any VA office. We know going to a VA office is not easy but we don't recommend that you try to fill out the VA forms by yourself--they are complicated. Find the address in your phone book under the U.S. Government section.,When you arrive at the office, you will be asked to fill out a Form 21-526 to make your formal claim; someone there should help you. Staple a xerox copy of the ATTACHMENT you filled out in STEP 2 to that VA form. The VA will give you an identification number (a " C " number) which you should include on any other letters you send to the VA; mark it on the AT TACHMENT, too. STEP 4: OBTAIN A FREE MEDICAL EXAM The VA has a standing order that vets complaining about Agent Orange are to be given a medical exam. The exam should help detect present health problems and locate future ones. If you are interested, call your nearest VA medical center and make an appointment. If the VA medical center does not know about their duty to give you an exam, refer them io ,4DM & S Cir. 10-79-83." . That VA circular requires a detailed exam. Some VA medical centers may give you only a short physical and blood test. If they do that, refer them to DM & S Cir. 10-79-83 and ask for the full series o f tests. Once your exam is completed be sure to insist that a copy o f your medical record and the results o f the tests be given to you. You can seek treatment at the VA hospital for any problems detected by the exam if you cannot afford private medical care. Even if you have an Undesirable Discharge you are still entitled to the exam. If you.have any problems in getting health care because o f your discharge, refer the VA staff to *`DVB Cir. 20-78-18." * ...A.- . r tf11 | . '* ,|h .r (Staple to VA Form 21-526 to snport your claim fo r Agent Orange related d eb ilities.J NAME: ADDRESS: ATTACHMENT Dale filed: Claim number: C- I request (hat the VA, in addition to the information given here, develop pursuant to 38 CFR 3.103, evidence of m> exposure to Agent Orange while I served in Vietnam; Specifically, 1 request (he VA to match the movement of my unit in Vietnam with any spraying operations described in the HERBS tapes. I would like to be notified im mediately when such development has been completed and be sent a copy of the results of such development. This aiso is to request that the VA presume 1 was exposed to Agent Orange, as I describe below, unless the VA can affirmatively establish that 1 was not exposed to Agent Orange. Because military service records contain no information about veterans* exposure to Agent Orange in Southeast Asia, proof that I was NOT exposed can be established only by a cross-check of my movement with the HERBS tapes. This request, and that any reasonable doubt involving my claim (particularly with regard to the question of whether 1 was exposed to Agent Orange) should be resolved in my favor, is made pursuant to 38 CFR 3.102. SECTION I I served in Vietnam from the month o f . 19 , to the month of ,1 9 .1 served with ihe following organizations: _________!___________________________________________________________ _________ CtV* I was in the following provinces and towns on the dates listed below: I had the following duties during the dates listed below: SECTION 11 1was exposed to Agent Orange in the places and on the dales listed below: \ SECTION III.A j I I request VA service-connected benefits for the following medical disabilities which I claim were caused by my exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam: ___________________________________________________ ________ SECTION III.B CS285 In addition to the disabilities listed above, 1 also file this claim for benefits for other current disabilities. I want lo make clear that I do nut claim that these disabilities were caused by my exposure to Agent Orange. However, I believe I am suffering from these problems because I may have been exposed to Agent Orange and now fear that 1 have contracted or will contract chronic disabilities suffered by other Vietnam veterans who also may have been exposed. ___ 1- _______________________________________________________________ : __________ CONFIDENTIAL SUBJECT TO PROTECTIVE ORDER. youm oke sm extra copy o f this attachment and send it the Mpitpoal Veterans information Clearinghouse on J346 Connecticut Avenue MW, P m .iif,w 2ijA ington DC 200361, we may bedbfe to TO LEARN MORE If you want to read more about Agent Orange, the following are useful: GAO Report: Health Effects o f Exposure to Herbicide Orange in South Vietnam Should Be Resolved, April 6, 1979 (CED-79-22) GAO Report: U.S. Ground Troops in South Vietnam Were in Areas Sprayed with Herbicide ` Orange, November 16, 1979 (FPCD-80-23) {GAO reports are free; write: G AO Distribution Section, Rm . 518, 441 G St., N H \ Washington D C 20548.) The Pendulum and the Toxic Cloud, by Thomas Whiteside (Yale University Press, 1979) Agent Orange, A Legacy o f Suspicion, by Richard Severo (New York Times, May 27, 28,29,1979) M dR E tiE L P IN YOUR AREA MAY BE AVAILABLE For names o f organizations in your state that may be able to provide help, send a selfaddressed, stamped envelope to the National Veterans Information Clearinghouse on Agent Orange, c /o Veterans' "Education Project, 1346 Connecticut Avenue NW, Rm. 904, Washington DC 20036. This Guide wasprovided by: n C O N FID E N T I A.L SUBJECT TO PROTECTIVE ORDER. C22853 J"1 & REQUEST PERTAINING TO MILITARY RECORDS Please read Privacy Act Statement and instruc ATE OF REQUEST tions on reverse. It more space needed, attach additional sheets. SECTIO N I-- IN FO R M A T IO N N E E D E D TO LOCATE R E C O R D S (Furnish as much information as possible) 1. NAME USED DURING SERVICE (Leal. Jlrat, fa U l I 2. SOCIAL SECURITY NO. ; 3. DATE OF BIRTH 4. PLACE OF BIRTH For an effective records search, it is important that ALL periods of service be shown below. ACTIVE SERVICE-- PAST AND PRESENT S. BRANCH OF SERVICE tSAow 1m l u i o r fu ts s lim . i f In w re ) ! OATES OF a c t iv c d u t v P Oat* EntVndf I Oita R ilta u d 7. Chtck Ona____ ' g. SERVICE NUMBER Officr ! Enllstad- DURING THIS PERIOD t . b r a n c h o f s e r vic e RESERVE SERVICE-- PAST AND PRESENT V n o n e , c h e c k q n o n e 10. DATES OF MEMBERSHIP Baginning Date 4- ; Ending Date 11. Chack Ona i 12. SERVICE NUMBER Officer j Enliited ! DURING THIS PERIOD NATIONAL GUARD MEM BERSHIP NONE CHECK Q NONE 13. ARMY 14. AIR IS . state ; IS. ORGANIZATION 1 20. IS SERVICE PERSON DECEASES? no YES ( / / " Y u " 0n U r 4aU;> 17. OATES OF MEMBERSHIP Beginninc Date Ending Data , Officar , Cnliatad ; DURING THIS PERIOD DATE OF DEATH 1 i 21. IS (Was) INDIVIDUAL A MILITARY RETIREE OR FLEET RESERVIST? NO YES SECTION II-- REQUEST 1. EXPLAIN WHAT INFORMATION OR DOCUMENTS YOU NEED OR CHECK ITEMS 2 OR 3 BELOW 2. Q CHECK TH IS BOX IF YOU NEED A STATEMENT OF SERVICE ONLY 3. LOST SEPARATION DOCUMENT REPLACEMENT REQUESTED (Cluck On) 140-104 022854 STANDARD FORM ISO (REV. 1 -7 0 Prescribed by CSA ;*'omo3AiiD3iOMdoi loarans SSSSEO 'i v--NaaidNOD -------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------- A ______________________ ______________________ PRIVACY ACT OF 1974 COMPLIANCE INFORMATION The following information is provided in accordane with S U.S.C. 552(o)(3) and applies to Standard Form 180: Authority for collection of th e infqr--a r r i is 44 U.S.C. 2907, 3101. and 3103, and E.O. 9397, of November 22. 1943. Disclosure of the information is voluntary. The principal purpose of the -~.?c*mation is to assist the facility servicing the records in locating, and verifying the correctness of. the requested records cr information to ans we - / o . r inquiry. Routine uses of the information as established and published in accordance with 5 U.S.C. S52afj(4)(D) include the transfer of re'ewa^t matioh to appropriata Federal, state, local, or foreign agencies for use in civil, criminal, r regulatory investigations o ' prosecution. In as=;l'Cn ?*>-i *5 TM. will be filed with the appropriata military records and may be transferred along with the rocorci to another agency m accordance with the 'cu : ne . t established by lha agency whieh maintains the record. If the requested information is not provided, it may not ba possible ts n a te ysu r ~ a - y REQUEST PERTAINING 1. INFORMATION NEEOEO TO LOCATE RECORDS. Certain identifying information is necessary to detannine the location of an individual's record of m ilitary service. Please give careful con* sidration to, and answer each item of this form, tf you do not have and cannot obtain the information for an item, show "NA" meaning the information is "not available." Include as much requested information as you can. This will help us give you the bast possible service. 2. CHARGES FOR SERVICE. A nominal fa is charged for certain typas of service. In most instances service fee costs cannot ba determined in advance. If your request in* volves a servie charge, you will ba advised as soon as that determination is made. TO MILITARY RECORDS 3. RESTRICTIONS ON RELEASE OF INFORMATION. The Military Departments have restrictions regard,ng the re asst =f . information from records of military personne:. A ssrv.ct erae- ca^ obtain almost any information concerned in h it own record. The neat :? km. if the veteran is deceased, and Federal officers for o*isre: are authorized to receive most typas of information from a m ilitar> -. ce or madical record. Other requesters must have tna Raises# Autnsr'za:-3" in item .6 of the request signed by lha vataran, or, if deceased, a y The 'e r r of kin. Employers and others naadmg proof of rrvitery service r ; . t accopt. as authentic, the information shown on documents iss.ee s* tn Armed Forces at the tim e the servie parsons ara sapa rated. LOCATION OF MILITARY PERSONNEL AND MEDICAL RECORDS Tha various categories of Military Personnel Records ara described below. For aach category there is a ' COOE number which indicates tha aecress at the bottom of tha page to which this request should be forwarded. For each military sarvica there is a NOTE siplainm g approai*natal> hew .sng tn a records ara haid by the m ilitary services before they are transferred to tha National Personnel Records Canter. St. Louis. Please reao these not* la w fully and make sure you sand your inquiry to tha right address. (If tha person has two or more periods of service witnin tha same branch, m o o your: request to the office having tha record for the last period.) TOCATEGORY OF RECORDS AND W HERE WRITE ADDRESS CODE Activa mamba (incl. Natl Guard on aetiva duty In Air Forca); TDRL**; and general office retired with pay. Coda No. " 1 CATEGORY OF RECORDS AND WHERE TO WRITE ADDRESS CODE i Office separated before 7-1-17 and enlisted separated before 11-1-12. CM# Ns. 6 tal OBE O Reserve; retired reservist in non-pay status; currant Nat'l Guard officers not on activa duty in Air Force; and Natl Guard released from aetiva duty in Air Forca. 2 Reserve; TDRL**; living retired membera less general office; active duty records of currant Nat'l Guard membera who per 7 formed service in the U.S. Army prior to 1 July 1972.' Ik Currant Nctl Guard entistad not on activa duty In Air Force. 13 ; Active office (incl. Nat'l Guard on active duty in US. Army) j and retired general office. 8 < Discharged; deceased; and ratirad with pay ((ess general office retired with pay). 1 A Ire! Active enlisted (ine). NetTGoard on active duty in U,S..Army). < Current Nat'l Guard officers not on activa duty m U.S. Army. 9 12 NOTE: Air Forca records are transferred to NPRC*-as soon gg pigfH iw L-ihiuit 3 0 days after gnfifratlan. ! Current Nat'l Guard enlisted not on active duty in U.S. Army. _1_3_ O s Active, reserve and TDRL** members plus office separated before 1-1-29. 3 5 W Discharged, deceased, and retired members, except officers separated before 1 -1 -2 --sea item above. 14 hm ig NOTE: Coast Guard officer records are transferred to NPRC* 3 months after separation; enlisted records after 6 months. Archive-- see first category under Army. NOTE: Army records are transferred to NPRC* as soon as processed-- about 30 days after separation. Active and TDRL*J membera, reserve officers, and er.i:s:ad reserve in drill status. Discharged, deceased, retired, and enlisted reserve status pool. 14 10 14 oc Active and TDRL** membera, reserve office, Class II & III enlisted reserve, and Fleet Marine Corps Reserve. 8 j Class III Reservists (Inactive). tal Z ! Discharged, deceased, and retired. 4 5 14 NAVY NOTE: Navy officer records era transferred to NPRC* 1 year after separation; active enlisted after 6 months; end enlisted reserve status pool 18 months pnor to d<s- charge date. reserve status. 11 $ j NOTE: Marina Cori cords aro transferred to NPRC* 4 Z j months after separation. NOTE: Medical records transferred to NPRC* G months after retirement or complete separation. NPRC: National Parson nai Records Center TD R L: Temporary Disability Ratirad List C o d a 12 applies to active duty records of currant N a ft Guard officers who performed aarvtce in tha U.S. Army after 3 0 June 1972. C o d a 13 appllts to active duty records of current N a ft Guard enlisted mam bars who performed sarvica in tha U.S. Army after 39 June 1972 AD D RESS LIST OF CUSTODIANS-- W HERE TO W RITE FOR EACH CATEGORY OF RECORDS jUSAFMilitaryPersonnel Cantar 1}MilitaryPersonnel RacontaDivision jRandolph AF8. TX 78148 !AirRasarvaPersonnel Cantar 2 13800YorkStreet (Dmvw, CO 80205 ICamaandant 3<U.S. Coast Guard ---.1-Wc-o-am-sh-mi-nagntdoann.tD0*.Cth.eM20a5r9in0sCorps 4 1Ksadquarian, U.S. MarinsCorps <Washington, D.C. 20380 MarinoCorpsRatorvoForetsClassIII 5 1500.E. Btnnisttr Road Kansas City, M0 64131 6, WGMNeaainltsiiehtoarinarnsylg!tSAoAorncrn,hcnhiDveiev.Cse.ADidivm2Ri0siein4oci0nos8trrdastiServie* .7. Commander U.S. ArmyResoneComponenti Personnel AAdministration r' 97 toBoulevard St. Luuis, MO 63132 fl 111ATWDTheaeTpsNhaA:rtdnmAjiutGeotnaPnntF.toDGl.etChno.eraAl2rm03y10 Q;1!UCFto..SRm.eBmcAeoanrrnmiddaysmerECinnelniHstetaerrdrisPoenrs.onINnel46243 Chiefol Navel Personnel 10 . Department of theNavy .Washinjton, D.C. 20370 | , BureauofMedicinaandS -y [111 Oapeitmantol theNavy ! Weshinyton. D.C. 20330 12 National Gue*i Bureau Wishnjton. D.C. I'.Y.Z TheAd,j:ant Genera, a*:* 13 AppropriataState: 0.C. er Puerto R:M 14 3iSNM7Ia.Sitii9oLtnaoPsruy!a*r!^.tPten5MroosDonninenee6lli*rP;t:'re:::;e':i:trCt-'t- u.v;. coyERNHorr reuinMG nei :*n--O-2I0-4U >7-1 STANneon r n a u inn mat* rarv 1- 7*1 AGENT ORANGE: The Persistent Uncertainty and Continuing Anguish Are Not Likely to End Soon Agent Orange was one of several pow authorities who would not listen to con to research on the health effects o f die erful defoliants or herbicides used exten cerns over Agent Orange and went to the xin-bearing herbicides. sively in Southeast Asia during the Viet national media to expose the problem. Mounting public concern forced a lui nam War to deprive the enemy of ground Media news stories on Agent Orange, naround--though certainly a slow tut cover and destroy his food supply. The began to proliferate immediately, and the niround-in the government's attitude u chemical compound got its name from the defoliants used in Vietnam became a na ward the dioxin question in 1979. In ih orange stripes that marked the 55-galIun tional issue. spring of that year, a new VA advisoi barrels in which it was shipped to the war For the past two years, the controversy Committee on the Health-Related LHec zone. over Agent Orange has raged. Many have of Herbicides was formed, and the VA pt Millions o f gallons o f Agent Orange suted unequivocally that Agent Orange some steam behind its research on Aget were sprayed liberally over more than five has caused death and disability, while Orange. million acres o f Vietnam, approximately others have been just as firm In heralding However, when the VA's advisory con 12 percent of the country's land area, the safety of the herbicide. Both sides have mince was established, the DAV leame between 1962 and 1970. Usually sprayed been impassioned in their arguments, and that it was made up solely of governmei crop-duster style from U.S. aircraft, the both have snatched at what little scientific scientists, health care professionals, an defoliant was used most heavily from 1966 evidence that exists to prove their points. representatives o f the chemical companic to 1969. when American troop strength The fact is that no scientific evidence No Vietnam veterans had been appoime in Vietnam was at its highest. today conclusively shows that use of Agent to the committee to an as consumer re| The exiremc toxidty o f dioxin, a con Orange in Vietnam is causing long-term rcsentatives. taminant found in minute quantities in health problems among Vietnam veterans.' Taken aback, the DAV pressured il Agent Orange, was not known at the time, When the defoliant controversy agency into appointing a combat-disahlc though a few scientists were beginning to mushroomed two years ago. it immedi Vietnam veteran. DAV Special Projec express concern over use of the chemical ately became d ea r that no federal agency Officer Bob Lcnham. to the cummitie in the late 1960s. wanted to assume responsibility for the Lcnham has kept a close eye on the gi But Agent Orange had immediate ad veterans who believed their disabilities cmmcni'% pnigress toward resolving ill vantages. Its use foiled ambushes and and the birth defects o f their children had questions that surround Agent Orange. provided open fields o f fire, thus saving been caused by Agent Orange. Though he advises veterans to he pi American fives and holding down casual To the DAV, it looked very much like lient and realize that scientific resear ties. l-ew precautions were taken to protect the callous treatment the government had lakes time. Ixnltam remains dissatisio our G ls-o r anyone-from exposure to fur years afforded to veterans who had that the VA still cannot point to any p Agent-Orange and other dioxin-bearing partidpated in atomic weapons tests in the live results in its research on the defoha herbicides. 1950s and I960*. Many of these veterans issue. The chemicals were not sprayed only suffered disabilities related to the radia "Vietnam vrnirans iwod **urnm ih in limited, restricted areas, and they were tion to which they were exposed during their government is doing everything pn almost certainly spread beyond treated the tests. Yet. it took years before a serv sible to address the herbicide issue." l.ci areas by winds and by water flowing ice-connection was ever granted for a dis ham said recently. through ditches; streams, and riven. In ability related to radiation exposure. "We want to see research conduct* addition to sprayings over jungle and The VA was particularly resistant to expeditiously, but we want tu sec qualii forest areas. Agent Orange was also used assuming responsibility for veterans ex research . . . research that Vietnam vote around base camps, compounds, roads, posed to Agent Orange. Of course, the an* can have confidence in," added l.ci and ditches used by American forces. agency was faced with the possibility of ham's alternate on the VA commmci The Department of Defense viewed disability claims and health care costs that DAV Administrative Assistant t 'hnrli these chcmicqb as a boon to U.S. ground could amount to hundreds o f millions of Thompson, also a disabled veteran if it troops in Vietnam. But, in what is one dollars, and the situation called Tor cau Vietnam War. o f the blackest ironies of the Vietnam tion. The DAV's commitment to lorcefi War. Agent Orange may be causing the Iluwcver, it was readily apparent (hat representation o f veterans expose! i list o f the war's casualties to mount the VA. the Department of Defense, and Agent Orange was reasserted by DA today--yean after the last drop o f di other federal agencies were dragging their National Commander Stan IValer. also oxin-bearing defoliant fell on the thick, feet on the defoliant question. And. seeing Vietnam era veteran. Thai represenuin steamy jungles o f Southeast Asia. this insensitivity tpa problem that affected is not limited to pressure on the Tcdcr Is there a cause for concern? As far back the lives of as many is 2.S million Vietnam government to move on the research ar as ten yean ago. apprehensions in the veterans, the DAV and several others public policy aspects of (he defoliant issu scientific community had become so pro raised an immediate outcry. In the spring of 1979, the DAV set t nounced that the Defense Department Early in 1979. these concerns were a centralized system for handling clan decided to end the sprayings in (he war echoed by Senate Veterans* Affairs Com related to herbicide exposure. Current zone. And a year and a half ago. the U.S. mittee Chairman Alan Cranston (D- the DAV ts representing approximate Environmental Protection Agency banned Cafif.). who called on the VA to "move 2.000 Vietnam veterans who believe thi Agent Orange for domestic use in agricul more aggressively to learn the truth about disabilities may have been caused 1 ture and forestry. Agent Orange and determine if veterans Agent Orange or other defoliants. The dangers o f dioxin first came u> have a legitimate reason for their anxiety." These veterans, of course, get the fr general public attention in I97X when lie accused the VA o f "proceeding at representation of c*|tcrt DAV n.uioii Maude DeVictor. a VA veterans benefits loo limited and loo leisurely a pace" and service officers (NNOs) in their arcav 11 counselor in Chicago, became fed up with giving "an inexcusable lack of priority" the centralized system oilers ihe add< p,8e8CO NFIDENTIAL SUBJECT TOPROTECTIVE ORDER. DAV MAGAZINE C22856 advantage uf making the most up-to-date which the White House established to The first finding involves increased information on herbicede claimsavailable oversee research the federal government - rates of certain forms o f cancer among to each DAV NSO. is conducting in the-Agent Orange arena. a group of Swedish workers exposed to DAV National Director o f Services In its fourth report to the While House, dioxin during an industrial accident. Norman B. Hartnett cautioned, however, the 1AG stated that it may be far longer While the number of workers studied is that the VA has granted service* than two or three yean before answers , loo small to provide conclusive evidence connection in only a handful o f cases to some of the questions surrounding the that dioxin exposure causes certain forms involving herbicide exposure as yet. These herbicide issue are resolved. o f cancer, this research points to an in service-connections have been limited to According to the report, none o f the creased cancer risk. chloracnc. a severe skin rash that resem studies now planned "will be able to be The second finding involves male mice bles acne and is usually found on the face, used to determine whether Agent Orange exposed to nonlethal doses o f Agcm chest, back, arms or legs: and they have is the cause of particular health decre Orange over a period of weeks. Hxposed only been grunted when medical records ments of Vietnam veterans, particularly mice suirercd enlarged livers during and showed that the chioracne appeared while if the studies do not identify any rare or after their exposures. However, no signifi the veteran was still in military service. unique diseases associated with Agent cant differences were noted with regard Research has not yet demonstrated a Orange exposure." to birth defects in pups fathered by ex positive and definite link between dioxin Because of this, the lAG's Scientific posed males, mating activity of the ex and any other disabilities. Nonetheless. Panel recommended "that additional stu posed males with nonexposed females, Hartnett strongly urged all veterans who dies should be considered which focus on and the fertility of exposed males. feel they have disabilities caused by Agent the health status of Vietnam veterans, to b e US. Air Force study o f the "Ranch Orange to file VA disability claims determine whether service' in Vietnam, ^ tasd " personnel who sprayed Agent through their DAV NSOs. rather than solely Agent Orange exposure, `-'Grange during the Vietnam War hasn't Said Hartnett. "Claims for disability may have placed Vietnam veterans at yet gotten off the ground, but is already benefits based oh dioxin poisoning are, higher risk of suffering certain health de the subject o f some controversy which the . in every case, extremely difficult to sub crements." IAG addressed. First, because there is stantiate. T hat's one reason why these While such an approach would not pro such a small number of these veterans claims should be filed as early as possible. vide many o f the conclusive answers that (only 1,160) and because these airmen "Using the services of DAV NSOs puts everyone concerned would like to see, it were exposed to extraordinarily heavy the resources of the entire DAV National would open the door for DAV efforts to amounts of Agent Orange, they are not Service Program behind your claim ." work toward gaining presumption o f representative of what might be happen Hartnett told veterans. "This is important service-connection for certain disabilities ing to (hose who served as ground troops in any claim, hut it's particularly impor among Vietnam veterans. Winning such in the war. tant in claims that arc difficult to substan presumptions o f service-connection liven so. if higher incidences o f certain tiate." through changes in law or VA regulation health problems are found among these1 Besides Chloracnc. the most common may. in the end. he the only way to make veterans, the information gained from the symptoms alleged to be linked with~ex-~ sure veterans with some disabilities get the study will be helpful in determining which, posure to Agent Orange indude: benefits and health, care .they've earned. disabilities should be looked at more j --birth defects in children bom to af fected parents, primarily defects o f the r,t^eVAput out* brochure dtisely. And the DAV feels this research j lAhcmftAaanLOranaa." is very important. j hands, fingers, feet and toes; Also, since the Air Force did the spray- j -cancer, particularly cancer o f the liver ing o f Agent Orange during the Vietnam and other liver diseases, as well as cancer War. there is an obvious conflict o f inter- ! in other soft tissues, including the stom --"A detailed study of the air crews who esi in having the Air Force conduct this, j ach: sprayed herbicides in Vietnam to see if study. However, the IAG suggested Icav- ; -psychological effects, including loss of the members of this most heavily exposed ing the study,in the hands of ilic Air Force.; [ menjory. confusion, aggression, or irri group have any unusual health problems: saying it is more important to gel this tability: - " A registry o f all workers in the research underway as soon as possible --nervous disorders, especially loss or United States who have been involved in than to find an outside firm to handle it. decrease in the sensitivity of the senses; making Z4.5-T. one of the components The conflict o f interest problem i ` -numbness in fingers, toes, arms, and o f Agent Orange, and a program to moni cropped up again at the DAV Department \ legs in varying degrees; tor the mortality rates o f these workers; o f California convention last summer . sterility; and -"Follow-up studies of other people when Senator Cranston called for man-, \ --alteredsex drive, including diminished both in the United Stales and abroad who agemeni of Agent Orange research to he sex drive or impotence in men and in were exposed to dioxin as a result of taken out of the VA's control and turned creased sexual activity in women. industrial accidents; over to an agency outside the federal gov Wnh the exception of chloracnc. none --"A study to determine the incidence ernment. of these disabilities have conclusively been o f birth defects in children of Vietnam At the convention, the Senator said. linked by research to Agent Orange or any veterans: and "There is now serious doubt (hat a study o f its component or contaminant chemi --"A study now being designed to eval being planned by the Veterans Adminis cals. leaving tens of thousands of veterans uate any health problems peculiar to tration will ultimately be accepted as fair with their questions unanswered and their Vietnam veterans to see if these are related by either veterans or the general public." ; jnxictics unresolved. to Agent Orange exposure." What is the status of the Agent Orange Unfortunately, it may be two or three Research efforts have recently come up issue today? 1 years before any real answers are forth with two findings that may be significant: The government is finally moving, and coming. That is the assessment of the however. Vietnam veterans should be research is underway. But the basic ques Interagency Work Group to Study the warned that these findings provide no tions of how herhicide exposure lias af- Possible l.ong-Turm Ilicets of IMicnoxy dcluutivc answers that can Ik* used m lectcd the licallli of VictiMiu vctei.ius Herbicides and Contaminants (IAG). making policy decisions. remain unanswered. OCTOBUK 1980 G22857 P|jc 9 AGENT ORANGE l s 5 0 -5 0 mixture o f 2 ,4 -D , and 2 ,4 ,5 - T , two commonly used h erb icid es. % AGENT ORANGE was in te n d e d f o r u s e by th e US M i l i t a r y I n V ietnam as a means of d e f o lia tin g ju n g le and d e stro y in g cropp which were presumed a v i t a l food source fo r th e enemy. '^ T e s ts perform ed on unused 55 g a llo n drums o f th e d e f o lle n t showed th e p r e s e n c e o f 2 , 3 , 7 , 8 - TETRACHLORODIBENZO - PARA - DIOXIN, (DIOXIN), in amounts of 3 p a rts p er m illio n to 50 p a r ts p er m illio n ^ D ioxin is c o n sid e re d to be "one o f th e most* to x ic su b sta n c e s known to m an." i( ^ L o n g -term h e a l t h e f f e c t s o f DIOXIN e x p o s u r are- g e n e r a lly unknown and su b stan cially untes t ed. J In th e l a s t two y e a rs a v e ry d i s t u r b i n g e v e n t h as been re p la y e d In v a r io u s c i t i e s a ro u n d th e w o r ld . T hose who w ere in a p o s i t i o n to b e In c o n ta c t w ith AGENT ORANGE h av e b e e n e x p e r ie n c in g v a r ie d form s o f p h y sical and m ental d y sfu n ctio n sin ce exposure. T ra d itio n a l m edicala n a ly sis and treatm en ts have proven s u b s ta n tia lly inadequate fo r re so lu tio n of th e ir problem s. Only when c e r t a i n I n d iv id u a ls p u b l i c a l l y announced th e symptoms o f d io x in p o is o n in g , in th e b e l i e f t h a t US Servicemen/W omen had b een e x p o se d , d id th e c a l l s b e g in . L a rg e num bers o f p e o p le have now re p o rte d a wide v a r ie ty o f problem s which a re th e same s u b s ta n c ia l com plaints acro ss' the c a ll in g p o p u la tio n . Syafoms announced p u b lic a lly a r e o n ly th e t i p o f a g row in g symptom l i s t . The o n ly common f a c t o r s ap p ear to be th e s h a rin g o f th e same p h y s ic a l and m ental problem s and - th e s h a r in g o f p r o b a b le e x p o s u re to AGENT ORANGE o r one o f i t ' s com ponents. Those c lo se to the issu e claim c an c e r, b ir th d e fe c ts , and v ario u s o th e r forms of d e b ilita tin g o r l i f e th re a te n in g illn e s s can be caused by exposure to 3 to 5 p a rts p er t r i l l i o n . JON R. FURST# * CAVEAT INC. f (C oncerned1A m erican V e te r a n s A g a in s t T o x in s , I n c . ) Informaren distributed by AAichigan Association of concerned Veterans A. O. Program 313 - 232*8742 CONFIDENTIAL SUBJECT TO PROTECTIVE ORDER. C22858 xtmun mer (Gnftcerned American Veterans Against Toxins) SAINT L$|j5 %JNSS0URl AREA j "SYHPTOH" PERCENTAGE OF 55 NUMBER REPORTING RASH ,, NUMBNESS AND TINGLING . CHEST PAIN - SWEATS - FATIGUE. - LOWER BACK PAIN ' GASTRO-INTESTINAL DISORDERS '"JOINT PAINS STARS 'VISIO N '-HEADACHES. URINARY DISORDERS HEARING LIGHT SENSITIVITY IHKUNO'OISORDERS ALCOHOL (REDUCED TOLERANCE) SORE THROATS/GLANDULAR SWELLING . ,, -ABDOMINAL PAIN * BOWEL HABITS (DRAMATIC CHANGE IN ,) ^SINUS/ALLERGY (EMERGENCE SINCE EXPOSURE) ^ SMELL (LOSS OF,) . ^SPONTANIOUS NOSEBLEEDS , POUNDING IN CHEST DRAMATIC WEIGHT LOSS (UNEXPLAINED) CONFIDENTIAL . SUBJECT to p r o t e c t iv e o r d e r 89.OX 83.OS 80. OX 7 4 . 5X 69.IS 67.2X 65.SS 6 5 . SX 63.6X 63.6X 60.OS 50.OS 450.*5X 45.5S 43.6X 43.6X 41.8 40.OX 36. 36.4X 34.5X 29. IX 27.3X 25.5X 49 46 44 41 38 37 36 36 35 35 33 28 25 ' 25 24 24 23 22 20 20 19 16 15 14 C2285!) SYMPTOMOTOLOGY (Continued) . - FAINTING SPELLS LOSS. OR CHANGE IN. TOENAILS LOSS. OR CHANGE IN. FINGERNAILS HAIR LOSS TASTE, INABILITY TO, APPETITE LOSS RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS BEHAVIOR - 18.22 18.22 14.52 14.52 12.72 10.92 3.62 10 10 8 8 7 6 2 MEMORY LOSS "IRRITABILITY - SLEEP PATTERN DISRUPTION AGGRESSION decreased sexual d r iv e CONFUSION - DEPRESSION (INCOMPLETE FIGURES) TREMORS . GENERAL BEHAVIOR DISORDERS . -- CHILDREN -- 65.52 60.02 54.52 43.62 .43.62 29.12 20.02 7/32 3.62 .i 36 33 30 24 24 . 16 11 4 2 MISCARRIAGES ,, RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS FEVERS OF SHORT DURATION (Unexplained) RASHES ALLERGIES SPEECH DEFICIENCIES HEART MURMURS HYPERACTIVITY ^ CONFIDENTIAL SIIR IFCT TO PROTECTIVE ORDER. 30.72 26.92 25.02 23.12 19.22 17.32 13.52 13,52 C22860 -- 16 14 13 12 10 9 7 7 THE FOLLOWING DESCRIPTIONS ARE BASED ON 650 CONTACTS FROM PERSONS WHO HAY HAVE BECOME VICTIMS OF "DIOXIN" EXPOSURE, THE DESCRIPTIONS SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED "SCIENTIFIC". A DELIBERATE ATTEMPT HAS BEEN MADE TO AVOID MEDICAL WORDING. CAVEAT / SAINT LOUIS.4 ( Concerned American Veterans Against Toxins ) CONFIDENTIAL SUBJECT 1 0 PROTECTIVE ORDER. ` C22861 INFORMAL DEFINITIONS OF "SYMPTOMS" ' SYMPTOM" NUMBER 1 . ' VISION - Refers to occational b lu rrin g of v isio n * which can be "blinked" * -away"7 and has occurred at some point in time since expected exposure, (u su a lly Vietnam se rv ic e ). U su a lly described in one o f three ways. a* Like a film on eyes, can be "blinked away", but q uickly returns only to be "blinked away" again. Interference with c le a r v isio n ' nay la s t a moment or two, to sporadic events la s tin g a day or two. b. In a b il it y to re a d ily focus upon items varying in distance. I f reading, may need .to b lin k and b lin k to change focus from book to o b j e c t across room. Those reporting b lu rrin g in t h is way occation. a l l y report inaccurate perception of lig h t in closed room as i f a lamp i s dinning or brightening, but often "seen" in an area o f ; ' the room where no lamp is lig h te d . c. Eyes attempt involuntary "c r o s s in g ", as i f the person i s desper- ate ly fig h tin g to stay awake. "Oust lik e a kid in church trying to stay awake, w restling with him self to keep h is eyes open." Such people seldom perceive themselves to be f a llin g asleep... -Just th e ir eyes in vo lu n tarily trying to close. 2. RASH - This, category does not re s t r ic t i t s e l f to "acne-like" skin eruptions. I t should be noted~"tKat a ll involved in preparing th is in formation were shocked at the predomination o f "acne" cases In th is catagory. Many reported one, or a very few, unusual skin eruptions occurring under the watch or ring. The usual description is of "eruptions surfacing in Vietnam, or since being there,(including recently,) which itch v io le n tly as a rule. The eruptions vary in size and kind. Some are reported to look lik e a small pimple, a large pimple, or perhaps not lik e an acne eruption at a ll. P so ria sis lik e patches are reported, and according to some, can be anticipated by a recurrant,oozirig, poison iv y - lik e rash. Usually the skin eruption is perceived as an in se c t-lik e b ite , which, i f scratched becomes extremely tender and the itch more -aggrivated. The eruptions are often reported to re sist.a c tu a lly coming to a "head", leaving a lump under the skin that becomes covered with scar tissu e . They take a long time to go away, often leaving a small pock mark. T f, by the way, eruptions occur under one's watch', I am told that continued wearing of a watch w ill "encourage" repeat episodes. Many report severe acne rash over much of their bodies. The nature of the rash varies greatly, and we have found that many who report having a rash do not associate, "acne-like episodes" with the ir "rash ". For instance, several reported having no rash, only to acknowledge with great .'-em phisis the acne-like events. . -- SUBJECT TO PROTECTIVE ORDER. 4 o f 10 '* '- 3 . * NUHBHESS AMO TlWGlIruS IN EXTREMITIES - Described r .*edom1nently as very^ \ lik e the reduced c ir c u la t io n occurrence of a Umb " f a l l i n g asleep". I s sometimes reported to In te rfe re with dexterity and strenght to such ft degree as to preclude the s k i l l s of em ployability. Reported as occu rring in varying degrees on a come and go b a sis. 4 CHEST PA1WS - Described, 1n general, as angina pectoris would be described. Pain i s u su a lly s u f f ic ie n t provocation to seek medical advice but almost a ll such inquires are discounted by physicians as no EKG fin d in g s v e r ify the complaints. When severe pains are reported, the pains are described as "ra d ia tin g down e m ,H with accompanying shortness of breath o r in a b ilit y to draw deep breath * . -due to the trig g e rin g o f "stab b in g" pain which "shoo ts* from s o la rplexus region up to heart region (deep inside to rso ). The description In clude the words "sta b b in g " and "shootin g"*w ith such consistency that I t i s deemed appropriate to include these words in t h is Inform ation. While the d e scrip tion o f "severe" pain is greatly in te re stin g , most who report chest pain experience a d u ll, somewhat p e rsiste n t ache which I s frig h te n in g but not nearly so dramatic. Many who have the le ss dramatic experience report at le a st one se rious episode. _S. ABDQggJfAL PATH - U su a lly described as sim ila r to "gas p ain s" most o f the time. However, i t appears that the "so larp le xu s-stab b in g" pain related in " CHEST PAIH" section i s present and confuses us as to which seems most' lik e iy . Keep 1n mind that constipation and diahrea are being experienced also. 6. SWEATS - A sp e ir. occurring without warning o r apparent common cause, which very nearly always Includes ALL of the follow ing: a. Pervasive weakness. b. Bausea. c. D izziness or Balance lo ss. d. Profuse p e rsp ira tio n . e. Clamminess. f. Experiencing of hot or cold "flu sh e s." g. Sapid but weak pulse. h. O n some) reduction of f ie ld of visio n . T h is I s described as being "on the edge o f passing out" with remark able consistency. On occation, the c a lle r w ill remark that they could feel th e ir heart pounding through out their bodies. Most also say th a t I t f a i l s , oddly enough, to scare them, as i f the experience somehow In su la te s them from fear. Much lik e shock, but a doctor should make such d ecisions. confidential' SUBJECT TO PROTECTIVE ORDER. 5 o f 0 a. Seems'muscul *. ' * -.,i y,. b. ' Se`ems:*'`more in te rn a l" * u .i .-i c. Seems spinal or ske le tal in* o rig in .'- **- ` jm , ;* ' .Often considered 'chronic by c a lle r , and in some 'seAerely d isa b lin g ' :a n `occatio`n.' Se ve rity-flu ctu a te s. * " ,1 ' ** <C* ; - ' **-.' * - * I . - - . .11 : f i , I J i'.j .J 8. `.'FATIGUE"-? 'Our be's t e fforts'se e m to* indicate th is to be more- a rchronic problem. Is defined as both beyond what has been previously, normal fo r individual as well as out of apparent r e la t io n to exertion* . * 1*3i->: 9. JOINT PAIN - Includes jo in t pain, jo in t sw elling, and jo in t stiffn e ss. Has been,'when severe, capable of immobilizing a p e rso n .F o r-so m e W t is the. cause of gre atly increased absenteeism from work;- ."j?-. 10. HEADACHES - Host often described-as a marked increase in .frequency and severity of headaches.' Often described as beginning around eye area, or temple area:- !some reporting the s c v e r ity a s -"b lin d in g 7 / - wives have said, on occation "he dropped to his knees; held h is-fa c e ;a t h is eyes, and simply* began to sob.u ' *-.,* *. We have heard th is many times. We telleve that i t is s ig n ific a n t to "`'report 'many *j ay pain only occurs on one side o f h e a d s o m e : of* the.. '* ' " "Symptoms,T in t h is 'lis t - s e e m ' to be related to only..one s id e ;o.f,`the body - but d iffe re n t side s fo r d iffe re n t peop'Ie-'V:if a- sp e c ific side of the body is affected on an individual - most o f these problems w ill occur'on`that side. - .*.,- 11. IRRITABILITY - U sually id e n tifie d as a major change from famil-riar behavior. I t is a popular c u rio s ity among those in contact with lo ts of c a lle rs to wonder i f th is'm igh t* in dicate1a lo ss or decrease in basic coping s k i l l s . C alle rs "sa y -it is * absolutely beyond what has always heen normal fo r them*. - ; *- *: **. I t, * * t 12. LOSS OF MEMORY - Again, a marked change in fa m ilie s individual behavior. . Most appropriate paraphrase i s "d isru p tio n of immediate r e c a ll1', or so i t seems. The wives of some in d iv id u a ls propose that the information seems not to have been received, therefor, cannot be recalled. The best analogy being the difference between "hearing" and Vl.istentpg." * Some say have become lo s t d riv in g on th e ir own street.*.-, . 13. SEEING STARS - U sually occurs when a risin g q uickly - but a small number ' of those reporting "s t a r s " see them while relaxed, watching, .television `or something equally passive; - Many report experiencing th is .when per- Tforming hea\y labor, .or in conjunction.with..other ."symptqms.". *p 'ii* * ? * * " . i, * * *" 14. 'SLEEP PATTERN DISRUPTION - Many c a lle rs report the in a b ilit y .to go to sleep on a reasonable b asis. Other com plaintsinclude awakening with a sta rt, and fin d in g themselves unable to return to sleep. Wives often ' report that sleep w ill-be avoidsd-or unattainable for a time,only for sleep*-to`come* al 1 at once fo r long stretches. " F ir s t h e c a n -1 sleep, then nobody can wake him up, fo r long periods of time. CONFIDENT! &li SUBJECT TO PROTECTIVE ORDER. C22S64 ----------------- 15. HEARING - Host cg only described as a lo ss or crease In the a b ilit y to hear w ell. In roostr' a b ilit y to hear flu ctuate s, and in some occurs 1n one ear more than the other. 'i A complaint of p e rsiste n t s h r i l l rin gin g in the ears, fo r periods o f tine, ha's been added to our l i s t , VJe have no real information on the number of our c a lle rs who would report rin g in g , due to the lateness of our awareness - (in casual conversation with some o f our possi e exposure victim s, i t has been noted as a f a ir ly connon experience - and i s apparently, not perceived as a "normal" exper ience.) 16. URINARY - Complaints under th is heading may include any or a ll o f the to 1.1owing: a. Minor burning at urination . b. Having, on occction, to "force needed u rination s. c. Rapid appearance and disappearance of "symptoms." d. Inconsisten t response to medication. e. O ccctionally experienced strong odor to urine. f. Cloudy or dark urine. 17. ALCOHOL INTOLERANCE - Perceived changes in ones a H U t y to consume alcoho). These complaints center on flu ctuations in the in d iv id u a l's a b ility to predict Liieir reaction to alcohol. Regarding the popular v isio n of the "overindulgent Vietnam veteran," we were tru ly shocked at the number of c a lle rs who report they no longer choose, or are able, to consume alcohol. I t makes some v io le n tly i l l * when they were able to consume morderate to large amounts of alcohol before Vietnam, or assumed exposure to the substances in question. Some report that as l i t t l e as one beer can launch them in to a conslderalbe, state of inebriation. 18. SINUS - Many of those t a llie d sounded as i f they had a bad cold. Upon being asked i f they had sinus trouble they reported the emergence o f sinus trouble since th e ir time in service. 19. DECREASED SEX DRIVE - This concerns those reporting a s ig n ific a n t lo ss of sexual perspective in the liv e s. The p ro b a b ility i s that the actual number of c a lle rs experiencing th is is la rg e r than reported. Several o f those who allowed th e ir wives to help with the intake had1said there was no change in th e ir sexual behavior. Only to be confronted with o very d iffe re n t perspective by th e ir wives. The drive seems to be, quite simply, absent. Sexual a c t iv it y i s very Infrequent fo r some, sporadic fo r others, ju st fine fo r others. CONFIDENTIAL SUBJECT. TO. PROTECTIVE ORDER. 7 o f 10 C22S66 ?  -CAVEAT " 20. GASTRIC DISRUPTION - In th is catagory, we have included those who claim periods of a week, to a year or so, of markedly Increased heartburn and/or indigestion. Possibly s ig n ific a n t , i s the seemingly frequent report o f ulcers since Vietnam, or the physicians perceptions that the stomach and entire small in te stin e i s h ig h ly inflamed, or so some of * these people have been advised. Host common response to the question about a cid ity, etc. has been "eat antacids lik e candy sometimes, or c a n 't get through the day." I t seems to come and go. 21. REDUCED IMMUNITY - These people believe they experience a higher frequency of colds, f lu , and general illn e s s . They also perceive they have more d if f ic u l t y recovering from such illn e s s . 22. THROAT PAIN/SWELLING - This catagory is fo r those who feel they have acquired a problem with frequent, (fo r them,) sore throats, and/or, glandular sw elling o f the throat. We are unsure of what th is should be ca lle d fo r a better more defined explanation. One. Medical School Student referred to the glandular sw elling a s-"su b Mandibular non-tender.11 23. CHANGE IN BOWEL HABITS - These complaints include periods o f increased consitpation and/or diahrea. C allers who complained o f such changes in th e ir bowel habits characterize such changes as "not normal- fo r them." 24. AGGRESSION - Again, we are -hearing of a noteable increase in aggression, as a MAJOR .CHANGE in the in d iv id u a l's behavior they say they d o n 't understand th e ir fe elings. They, in th e ir own words "c a n 't cope" sometimes. Most common descriptions include ah aftermath period of a day or two, during which many grieve for th e ir behavior and discount altogether, any appropriate rational for such behavior. 25. NOSEBLEEDS - Since Vietnam or other possible exposure to toxic substances, some in d iv id u a ls have had a period of time in which, for no apparent reason, the suffered nosebleeds. Most commonly ' these people have had a recovery of such problems. 26. WEIGHT LOSS Spontanious lo ss of weight has been reported by some. In some cases th is is a re su lt of one to three days of a revulsion to food. In some of the "re v u lsio n " people,.attempts at food intake were met with vomiting or intense nausea. However some report the lo ss of weight to have occurred without changes in d a ily routine or food intake. CONFIDENTIAL SUBJECT TO PROTECTIVE ORDER. 8 o f 10 C22S66 CAVEAT 27. SHELL - This refers to lo ss of smell. Loss o f smell, 1s.extremely d if f ic u lt to determine during extended phone intake. As our most productive approach, we asked the c a lle r i f they had ever experienced the 1na b i l i t y to perceive odors or fragrances which others in the room had commented on. Many disclaimed such I n a U l U y as a fa u lt o f sinues trouble. Some said they smoke cigarettes too heavily to tru st i t as a p ossib le effect of "AGENT ORANGE." Others said lo ss of the a t i l i t y was occational, and s t i l l others, chronic. 28. CONFUSION - Again, beyond what the in dividu al perceived "normal" fo r them7 While we cannot be certain of the accuracy of the statement, we f e lt there was a very general concensus that th is refers to an in a b ilit y to cope with an event. Perhaps th is i s the quasi-panic that one fe e ls under great stre ss when no options appear to e xist and the circumstance i s in tole rable . A blanking of productive thought. 29. MISCARRIAGES - S e lf evident, since Vietnam duty or other potential exposure. 30. TASTE - D iff ic u lt y or in a b ilit y to taste i s another problem with d e finition - too subjective. We chose to ask a q u a lify in g question: "Do you need to h e avily season your fo od ?," - most wives who said the ir husbands might have taste impairment were emphatic - no matter the amount of seasoning - further seasoning seemed necessary on foods. 31. CHANGE IN, OR LOSS OF, TOENAILS - Some report the lo ss o f 'toenails and/or fin g e rn a ils while in Vietnam or since p ossib le exposure. Many who say they've never a c tu a lly lo s t any without obvious reason they have dram atically changed in.appearar.ee. Cotintonly reported arc the following: thickening, yellow ing or other obvious color change b rittle n e ss, o r easy s p lit t in g / u su a lly diagnosed as fungus, but sometimes amazes and confuses doctors. 32. CHANGES IN HAIR - Some report c irc u la r bald spots, ranging in size from dims to s i l var d o lla r size . Our question allowed fo r (.1) scalp h air, (2) facial h a ir, (3). body h air. These bald spots recover th e ir hair. Reports have included a black mans bald spots growing back with a very d iffere nt texture, or lo ss of the mustache on h a lf of the lip , which grows back,' s im ilia r to the remaining h a lf mustache, but never quite matching exactly. The body h a ir was reported the le a st. Often -reported w&s the sudden graying of the h a ir at some point, u su a lly in the la s t fiv e years. Many report receeding h a irlin e s, but we have no figures on it . SUBJECT TO PROTECTIVE ORDER. 9 o f 10 `r 's' X'M 1 :V33. DEPRESSION - Most d o n 't wish to talk of such problems. In those reporting depression, i t was la rg e ly agreed that the depression had frightened them by it s in te n sity. Due to the nature of the phone c a ll intake and some "mechanical problems" with the count, we discount the 202 figure. We speculate that the fig u re is higher, and that the depression may be occurring in a come and go manner as do some of the other "symptoms". 34. LOSS OF APPETITE - See weight lo ss 26. 35. FAINTING - M ostly, s e lf evident we, on occation heard the report that people know they would pass out, but that i t v/as never in time to act. Length of time unconsious varies from a s p l i t second to hours. 36. TREMORS - The same as the shakes. Involuntary tw itching or shaking. Like a "brush with convulsions," doctors who have used muscle relaxants are reported. 't 37. EMERGING ALLERGIES - A lle rg ic reactions to some substances, which have surfaced since Vietnam duty or other possible exposure. i 38. IMPOTENCE - A few f e lt th is was p o ssib ly due to age! I t v a rie s in seriousness. 39. CHANGE, OR LOSS 0 F t FINGERNAILS - See Toenails *31. 40. UNEXPLAINED FEVER - S e lf evident/sometimes occational, sometimes chronic. 41. RESPIRATORY - D if f ic u lt ie s with the re sp irato ry system. 42. SPEECH PROBLEMS (ADULT) - This complaint was in regard to a man who now stu tte rs but never has before. . 43. SKIN TUMORS - The development of fatty skin tumors is seen with l more c la r it y i f entire contact f il e is reviewed. A lso , the appearance of b o ils or cystes is a f a ir ly frequent complaint. A core i s present which is some times posessed of a foul odor. 44. WEIGHT GAIN - Many said they had gained weight since returning from the se rvice . Fewer fe lt they had gained weight since "symptoms" onset. 45. INCREASED SEX DRIVE - A ra rity . Many, however, report no perceivable change in sexual behavior. CONFIDENTIAL SUBJECT TO PROTECTIVE ORDER. 10 o f 10 C2286 e Metro Detroit Jorot oa Viet H a Veterans j Veterans lotion for Horse bool of Nursing AGENT ORANGE" May 15, 1981 PROCHAM 8s30 9s00 10:00 10:15 11:50 1:00 2:15 Registration Dioxin Poisoning--Overview Janes B. Allen HD > JBL iasooiatea^ Novate, California (Formerly with the University of Wisconsin) Break Dioxin Poisoning (continued) Dr. Janes R. Allen Lunch (on your own) Psychological Counseling Michael K, Eats, RuD* Clinical Psychologist Dept, of Psychology Veterans Administration Medical Center Allen Park, Michigan Genetio Counseling Eugene V#J>. Perrin, HD Professor of Pathology in Pediatries Wayne State University Director of Histopathology Children's Hospital of Michigan Attending physician at Children's Hospital of Michigan, Hutzel Hospital, and Sinai Hospital Past President of the Sierra dub of Michigan B reak CONFIDENTIAL SUBJECT TO PROTECTIVE ORDER (over) C22869 "AOnt UCTUV'V f IMJ + 2:30 3 20 3*45 Litigation and Legislative Responses Arthur 8 Voll Attorney lew Koalov VoU Crowley *B m a 1 Southfield Mlohigan Hazy Roxburgh Special Project Assistant for Congressman David Bonier Community Resources Representative tron the City of Detroit neighborhood Services Center for the Education for Returning Veterans (CSV) Banal of people personally Involved with dioxin poisoning Tin See Moderator lV' * SUBJECT TO PROTECTIVE O RBik C2287U * tigV Q jlf c l T V s- S^/t-Yi 0 Loss of manory, nervousness, insomnia, birth defects, cancer, chloracne. Chloracne is a reoccurring skin condition that doesn't sean to have any cure and we find that in the people we've seen about 85% of them are suffering from chloracne in form or another. I have two people who live over at Davidson who can't go out in the daytime because they are so sun sensative, and they have skin like a crocodile. Sounds like a form of leprosy. Well as far as they are concerned it is. As to the birth defects, we have all of the information in a oanputer and, so that when we come accross a certain kind of birth defect we can see whether it's the kind of thing that we're getting a lot of. For instance, we have seme cases where - the children were b o m with their feet facing the wrong way, which is very odd, and we have 16 of those cases. We also have testicular cancer in young guys, which is almost unheard of. Vfe have a 26-30 percent birth defect rate in our verterans, progeny, their children, in so j that we have- a high number of verterans who are having surgery so they won't have any children. i Ihere is a terrible cancer syndrome going through this group of people. How about seme of the verterans that children of the verterans like, say they had kids before they were in the service, prior to and after they were in the service? We have cases like that. I have 8 guards, that there are 4 guards in the- Federal Correctional Institution in Miland, Michigan, j J who were professional soldiers and had families before they went to Vietnam and children and^* all of their children are health^ Since returning from Vietnam the 4 of them have 8 childr^aEj i 8 new children, and all 8 new children have birth defects ranging from severe learning P Z Wdisabilities and eye problems to unbelievable grotesque. One child has wings, instead of 0arms. Just little hands that stick out. What possible action would you gain from these . Well this particular class action is against the manufacturers of Agent Orange, it is not Zagainst the Federal Government, it is not against the V.A. as far as we're concerned. We claim that the manufacturers, vho made a large profit in this matter, failed to warn the 0 V Federal Government that there were sane by-products that were going to be very harmful. They knew what they were! They know that dioxin is very lethal, on cup of it would kill Detroit, everybody! They know that 100 parts per billion is a manageable level as a by product to the Agent Orange. In Vietnam, as far as we can tell, the average was 66,000 parts per billion of that which they sprayed. The reason it is called Agent Orange, by the way, is because C22871 . #. C O N F ID E N T 1 SUBJECT. TO PROTECTIVE ORDER. g, canisters they sprayed it on had an orange band around it. But they also sprayed agent white, blue, and purple, JUst' different colored bands. Which held the same ingredient. Ya, the same, it had to do with vho manufactured it, I think. In 1967, in Vietnam, they used up the world supply of the defoliant. Everything there was in the world they used in Vietnam. They had to get rid of it sandKW. Well they did, and they came to the chemical companies and said we need more. Now there is a way bo make that fairly safe, and it would not cost a whole lot of money compared to what the war costs, it'd be pennies, but no, they just went right in there and* they just produced it in vast quantities and had their technicians mixing it and they sprayed it everywhere. You knew what it does, don't you. It forces growth, so that the plant forgets to reproduce, and supposedly we weren't suppose to go into the areas for 2 months or 3 months, whatever the period was, after they had sprayed. They were spraying cur positions and they certainly sprayed all the Australians, they filed with us. They sprayed the first 100 meters of every base camp in South Vietnam. There is 330,000 tons we think. One cup will kill Detroit,hey. Right. Well three ounces will take out New York City in the water systan. Its the most deadly poison known to man. It's absolutely devastating. Knew we don't know what's going to happen, we have a huge birth defect rate. I talked to 5 veterans, all have three children with seme kind of birth defect, out of 5. That's just the first generation. Hew long is this going to go an. That's what this is about. In fact, in 1970, on the floor of the Congress, Philip Bart, Senator from Michigan, made a skathing speech about what are you doing you're going to kill everyone, this is going to be unbelievably horrible. Then it took then 3 years to find out, then they stopped spraying. It was time to do it. Tim, .when did you serve in Vietnam, where and with who? I served with the second of 47th infantry, 9th division, and I vrork recongizanze in the Mekong Delta and dambodia. And what year was that? 1968,1969 and 1970. Were you affected by Agent Orange, yourself, you know? I have kidney problems, I have skin rashes that haven't gone away, ny eyes are failing, every now and then I have a loss of memory. Hum. Who is actually being sued by the other veterans?. Well, its the class action suit, is against the Penn Chenical Company, who principally produced Agent Orange. Principally,-'the Dow Chemical Company. Hooker, of course, you would never want to leave then out of anything, and, give then all a plug, hey. Right. Are you handling any civilian dioxin cases, has there been any settlement. Actually, there.was one settled against Dow Chemical and the US Rarest Service but West somewherei and it was settled approximately 2 months ago. The suit had been in process for approximately 10 years and they sequested the settlonent, and that means that nobody knows who got what, it 's a secret. But the Claimants, who were same ladies living in an area where they did a lot of heavy, spraying in forstration to cut down the undergrowth, hai a lot of birth defects and miscarriages and problems of that nature along this certain area. They paid than all, but we don't knew whatthey paid than, 4 but this is the reason for suit and it took 10 years to do it. Jim, you mentioned on last . week's show that this Country has been using Agent Orange all along for years, I mean I'm. It's been in use since 1940 and range lands has been using it in past years where beef cat- tP tie for market, its been used state forest lands, its been used on the railroads, its been an the side of the road to kill the right away. And all along nobody ever kns* the tragedy * of this. It's in some of the different fertilizers and weed and feed that you used to buy _ tf in the market. You know you can make it safe. Hew is that just don't mix than together. No, NO, there's certain ways to make it, certain process, which are more expensive and take more time, they bring down the dioxin level below 100 parts per billion, you can do that. And it vrorks. But if you want to make maximized profits, there's other ways. I won't say that they did that but there are 66,000 parts per billion in the stuff used in Vietnam. In Oregon, along the Clamith River, there's a man by the name of Silus Vigims and his farm was sprayed, he had 500 acres of fruit trees, and his farm caught an overspray from the department of Forestry. It killed all 500 acres of his trees, that was in 1970. 8 years later when they replanted 5 different areas of that nan's 500 acres, all the trees died 8 years later. The ground was still saturated with that amount of poison, the trees oouldn't live. He had a son 4 years after the overspray, and his son was b o m with a cleft palate. The people who live next door to him, down the road or whatever, their son was b o m with a birth defect and they believe it came from the dioxin in his land through the water systen that ran between the houses. You said, wait a second, let me get this straight, you said 8 years CONFIDENTIAL SUBJECT TO PROTECTIVE ORDER. C22S7a later the ground was still saturated. Still saturated. For the stuff to go away. 500 years or else you can burn it. Forever. In other words, we gota live with this. It's something that doesn't go away, you gota understand that its biodegradeable. It doesn't go away. It's just there, all the time. You can get rid of it by burning it at 2,000. Ok, that's what they did with the 200 million gallons that were left over in Vietnam. It wasn't allowed to be brought back to the united States, so they burned it on a ship in the South Pacific called Valcanus, an inceneration ship. Didn't they import it. They didn't even want it back in * the united States. It was banned in 1970 in South Vietnam, but the ban wasn't put on hte United States until 1978. How long does this stuff last in your body then if it lasts on Earth that long? We don't knew, we've only been through our first generation. If it affects the DNA structure of the body, then once that blue print of life has,been affected it could go on for untolled generations. That's what part of the suit is, to set up the proper research facilities to discover its course and how long it lasts. We don't know, really, but supposedly it last forever. It's in the structure, the cell structure and once that happens, grandchildren of Vietnam veteran and great grandchildren ad infinitum will be having birth defects that are caused by something that happened in 1969 in the Mekong Delta. How about" the Vietnamese people .themselves, what's happening with than? That's a great question because the South Vietnamese nationals have .been paid for Agent Orange birth defects and they've been paid for defoliation and the loss of property. By united States Government? Right, the United States Government, but the United States Government won't pay their own Vietnam Veterans for birth defects and problems that they themselves are suffering at this time. And the people in the North won't admit that they were fighting in the South so they don't have a claim. Oh 1 see. But there's a study cjone in Switzerland about birth defects and cancer related incidents and relationship of stomack cancer of people who live in North Vietnam , South Vietnam is so astronomical it's a joke, its off every graph. There's so t many people there' with cancer. Hew many suits have been filed just in the veterans favor? CONFIDENTIAL su b je c t to pr o t ec t iv e o r d e r ro. Well, the class action suit has not been won, it goes on. It goes by what motions, is that what that is? Well, presently, they made a motion to discover whether or not there is a Federal Centra 1 law that question is being taken up to the Supreme Court of the United States. We expect to prevail, we prevail alot of times when logic says we're not supposed to, and every day the numbers grows, the evidence grows, more birth defects, more people with strange kinds of cancer, more kinds of interesting medical problems that shouldn't happen bo people. Like I mentioned before, testicular cancer. You never see testicular cancer in anybody under 30, just loads of people with that problem That's supposed to be a rare type of cancer. Well older, older, you know 27 years old, it just doesn't happen. We have won most of the motions that we have acme forth with, and we have been met at every turn with seme hard fighting, but we're doing great and things that we never think we need, we get in the mail anonymously. We have gotten reports, secret government reports have acme to our leading ' lawyer in New York, Victor , who is the lead lawyer in this case, from who knows where. Secret Air Force reports. Can they be used in Court? We find a report, we can get another copy of it. Well we're trying to do as much we can do, but there's a lot of cover up here, we think, I don't know who to point to but this is a huge national problem and its gona take in a lot of people. We have people that are today, who had been in Vietnam 13 years ago, wake up temorrew morning and find out they have cancer. I had a guy the first of the year, came to see me, worked in a bank in Lansi/ng. He was a Marine in Vietnam, he was there in '70, early '70's, and he felt pain in his shoulders, 31 years old. He went to see some doctor. Naw, its tennis shoulder. Then he went to see a second opinion, and they took his shoulder off. We did a tissue biopsy, that's how I knew this is an Agent Orange case, there's no question about it. We have the shoulder, and they did a tissue biopsy and we discovered dioxin in the fat tissue. There's no question in my mind, from the outfit he was in, the area he was in that he was sprayed. But it took him 13 years for it to develope. Now what else is going to happen, hew many other guys are walking around like time bembs waiting for something to happen. I mean I have people that come in today, who are having problens that are 2 and 3 months old, and haven't been in Vie ut it for 10 and 12 years. 1 i c r T to PROTECTIVE o r d e r . G22875 It incredible, aid what if they, have a child? We have a child with 7 of everything. 7 spleens, \ the whole thing, its incredible. Hie chance that they've taken. Isn't there a safe way to use this at all, or is it. Well, they could make it so that its useable. I don't know if it is safe or not. Prior to Vietnam, didn't, wasn't there directions on. On What! They sprayed it from the air. They sprayed it totally undiluted. They shipped it over in 55 ' gallon drums * YOu were in the A m y , weren't you? Ya,. I was in Vietnam. Right. That was b in 1971. They were spraying then. They told me it was. No, NO, they were spraying till '73, even though Tim thinks they stopped in '70. Hum. That's when the ban was put on. They changed the color codes then. They were spraying. Don't you know. YOu know hew the A m y does things. Everybody lines up and measures it out, They dump it out of the plane, Where do you think you are, that's war! People are shooting at you, you gona sit there and say what a minute we better not drop the dioxin on these guys, we might hit the Australians or the 9th division. Drop it out of the plane and go heme. It's the:name of the game. Put you 8 hours in and go home. *"Right, you were there. These suits that are filed now, are these covering just the Vets or is there something in it for their children and stuff. Oh yes, children are definately a large part of this suit. It makes up the real thrust of the suit. And what we really like to do, is we would like to have the studies done that we should have done. The VA has turned a deaf ear to this problem. In fact, just recently they decided there was something called Vietnam syndrome, which is kind of a new classifi cation for disability. I would say that 80% of the people I see have it in one degree or another, but they pay disability for that. The veteran that is forced to go into a veterans hospital for any problan ... (end of side one) Veterans whan they can't ccmnunicate with, they may be capable doctors but they don't speak English frankly. That's not funny if you have to go in there. We got sanething here frcm a Dr. Elizabeth Whalen from Scottsdale. She stated that she couldn't "link 2452 to health problems in animals or humans. She stated this to the EPA two weeks ago in efforts to having the ban an 2452 usuage in the United States lifted. What effects is this having on the environmental food stuffs that we grow in the United States. Let me say this to you, CONFIDENTIAL 022870 SUBJECT TO PROTECTIVE ORDER. I would like to know who financed her studies. i Because I--know for ar fact that we can't have 30,000 people with the same problen and have sane doctor who who knows where she got her money from, say oh that just kind of a coincidence right. Hew about 30,000 people that didn't go to Vietnam, lets see how many deformed children they have, and hew much cancer they have. I'll bet you that it'll be significantly different, OK. But the government won't do that study, that the study, we have a study, we're ready. We're not showing it yet, we know what we're doing. I don't care what Elizabeth whats-her-face says. Dr. Elizabeth Vhalen. Right. Are you familiar with the South resolution bill 6377, its know in Congress, for the benefit of Veterans exposed to Agent Orange. That bill is in Congress rightkrew, Representative Dashill introduced the bill its got the signature and indorsement of 136 other Congressmen. Moat the bill provides for is the veteran be allowed to be paid seme type of disability for Agent Orange exposure, he does not have to prove his exposure, all he has to furnish the VA with is his DD2-14 and his military records. From that, the Military has to prove he wasn't in an area sprayed. So, therefore, what this bill is doing is offering the veteran benefits \ on a presumption basis. They don't have to prove it. The VA has to prove that they weren't there and that they were not sprayed and that why this bill is very important to the veterans right new. Especially with the budget cuts that are going to be enacted pretty soon against the Veterans affairs and VA Administration, the Veteran outreach program, Bamboo raft and the Flight of the Pheonix will all be cut out all the phsycological help and job placement, technical training assistance programs will all be cut out by the budge cuts that Reagan's proposed. It canes down to 1/100 of 1% of the total Federal Budget. He sends- that 1/100 to El Salvador, it doesn't seen quite fair to the Vietnam Veterans. It's funny because they just had fought Congress for so long to get a job placenent bill that was suppose to go into affect in January and what was it called Dwatt or Dbopp or something, a funny nar/*e like that. And just as they got it going it's the first thing that cut, so nobody, CONFIDENTIAL SUBJECT TO PROTECTIVE ORDER. 022877 *% 1 they had studio, I ***** feasibility stiidies and all of that crap you know that they do. and they finally got than passed, and then they cut it out, so nobody every got anything, even though it took than 3 years and they did tons of studies and the feasibility and they really need this and the Vietnam Veterans really needs this and were gona do it in all the ' Viet centers. You know, the D-bopp program or the D-Wapp progran or whatever it's called. They cut it out nobody every got trained. They did all these fabulous studies to say they need it but know they cut it out. JUst a front in other words.1 Well, I mean, rsnariber that's all from Jinny Carter era and this is Ranald Reagan. But Reagan has always said you know he's a strong veterans guy, and everything else as long as it doesnVt-cost any money.* He supports the Vietnam veteran and he's kind of a haunt, but he closed all of the Vet Centers, and there all gona be gone by October, there won't be one left. Bamboo Raft and the Flight of the Phoenix we didn't get in Detroit until late '78, so we haven't even been effective, know we've had two and a half years of effectiveness, people are just starting to realise that they exist, the veterans have psychological problems, their wives go down there, and try and find out why is iry husband acting like this, he did not act like this before. At least Bamboo Raft and Flight of the Fhoanix are able to help these people and give then sane type of direction, know there gone. Hum. How long do you expect the litigation to take in these suits, before the final verdict comes down? I don't know, I wish I knew. T\ro or Three years I imagine it'll be and then we'll see an end to it. Don't you think that the Vietnam Veteran, maybe sane of then don't have that much time left. We have, we're taking depositions all the time by video tape of guys who are dying. The initial suit, the first case, was the one of the taro Agent Orange victims who were ever acknowledged by the VA and paid by the VA, died the night they paid him and they of course, cancelled the check. He is the lead case in this whole suit, it's all on video tape too. We take video tapes, oh somadiere in the Country, probably every day. I'm doing one in Harbor Springs or Silver Springs in taro weeks of a Veteran who we don't expect to survive. Two in Harper Hospital right now, who we are trying to arrange for testimony at this point so we can put it away, for their'estates. CONFIDENTIAL SUBJECT TO PROTECTIVE ORDER. Which is their Children? C2287 oM \ Whoever. We have veterans dying all the time. You knew,, this is not a new problon. In the late '40's and early '40's, they tested atonic bombs on .American Troops, you know. If *, there ever, all of the names of all of th'e troops that wait to these atonic tests, and, of course, they*.re all seen on Movietone Nara, watching the test, and all of those guys have * high rates of cancer. Most of than are dead, 30 years ago, 35 years ago. Hiey were as close as 400 yards to an atonic blast. Our own guys, checking it out. I rorember last week when Ken Bowling was on the program, his daughter developed a fsmall pimple behind her ear, and this week she is in the hospital and it had grown inside of a week to a size of' . a golf ball, she had it ranoved surgically this morning. Hie doctor couldn't acutally give why this occurred. How old is she? She's under the age of 8. Hum. You mentioned that you were the Comnunications Director of Veterans Action Ctmnittee, just what is thi$ Veterans Acticn Caimittee? Hie Veterans Action Conmittee was set up two years ago at Macomb College to help Veterans with' Education benefits and with Agent Orange claims and to help Veterans in the-catmunity have a place to go and have a rap session with their own type of peers and possibly do some good in the immunity. Hien you were just the attorney in the, the head go getter, hey, for the class action suit? Hie class action suit is in every state, and my particular jurisdiction in that class is.Southern Michigan an the Federal prison syston. You working in or out of the prisons to huh. How are the guys in prison taking this know? There's .a high degree of Vietnam veteran who is cane, run a foul in the long, the prisons are just loaded with guys who have been in Vietnam. Incredible numbers. How is there medical treatment canpared to our like on the outskirts. Well, medical treatment in prison is never the greatest, its kindof a controlled atmosphere. It turns out a lot of guards in Federal Prison System are also Vietnam Veterans, we have alot of them as clients too. Sane of the conditions that are, they halucinate alot. But they're the extrae cases, and there is same very serious problems among these people and among these people and among their progeny, alot of than have families, and there just incredible the kinds of skin conditions and cancers, kidney problons that are unheard of in people who hadn't been to Vietnam. Right accross the board, you won't just find one Co n f id e n t ia l SUBJECT TO PROTECTIVE ORDER. C'o 287 '6 you'll find 1/100. We have all the information in a computer in New York and we were kind of hoping that tie Federal Government vrould match our people with as many people that they have that have not been to Vietnam so that there would be a definitive study and there t could be a profile made on what is the Vietnam veteran' and what is h e really about and also the birth defect thing is just overwhelming at times, I mean sometimes its overwhelming t it truly is. It's ridiculous. Ihe rate is'incredible, its. 26 or 28 of their children. The'national average is just minut by comparison. If any of our vi&rcrs out there want to contact you, either one of you two about more information on Agent Orange hew would they ' get a hold of you. Well as a matter of fact we are having an Agent Orange saninar at the Vets Manorial and its May 16 at the Veteran Manorial building in Detroit there will be a saninar and I am listed in the book if anyboefy wants to talk about it. We will be holding open house at the Bamboo Baft and at the Flight of the Fhoaiix fran the week of the 11th for any Vietnan Veteran who wants to come over and discuss his prcblans or he can call me at my office and oczne any time he wants. They can get a hold of you through Veterans Action Ccnmittee-et Maocmb College. WELL THAT'S ABOUT OUR SHOW FOR TODAY." I'D LIKE TO THANK* YOU FOR JOINING US. Our guest next week will include Bob Morris, he's the Health Director for Veterans Action Conmittee out of Macomb County Gommunty College. CONFIDENTIAL SUBJECT TO PROTECTIVE ORDER. n o 2880