Agent Orange rules revised

Dear editor:

About 18 months ago, I wrote in to tell everyone about expansion of the VA Agent Orange rules.

Now, it has happened again.

The VA now presumes exposure for veterans serving between April 1, 1968 and Aug. 31, 1971, if a vet served in a unit determined by VA and DoD to have operated in an area of the DMZ where Agent Orange or other herbicides were applied.

Vets are presumed eligible for treatment or pensions or both for an expanded list of illnesses, and their widows may also be eligible for benefits.

Presumed eligible means vets do not need to prove a connection between the disease and military service or exposure to Agent Orange. There is a long list of diseases, but a few are common, like Type 2 Diabetes, Ischemic Heart Disease, Parkinson's Disease, Prostate Cancer, and several respiratory cancers. Eligible vets who died of one of the diseases often left widows who may be eligible for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation, which now starts at $1,195 per month. There are also education, home loan, health care, and federal job preference benefits.

Eligible vets served in Vietnam anytime between Jan. 9, 1962 and May 7, 1975, including brief visits ashore or service aboard a ship that operated on the inland waterways of Vietnam. Others eligible are those who served on or near the perimeters of military bases in Thailand during the Vietnam era. Also, those who served where herbicides were tested, stored or disposed of outside of Vietnam or who were crew members on C-123 planes flown after the Vietnam War. And, VA presumes ANY vet who served in the military 90 continuous days and has a diagnosis of Lou Gehrig's Disease or ALS is eligible.

Widows or vets with eligible service history and one of the above diagnoses should apply for VA benefits.

They can get help applying from Wade Baumgardner, the Elmore County veterans service officer, often found in the morning hours at War Memorial Hall (American Legion Hall) in Mountain Home. Or they can apply online at va.ebenefits.gov or call 1-800-827-1000. They can also visit the VA in Boise, or stop in at the VA offices and ask the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) national service officer for help. DAV services are totally free to any veteran or widow and they will help fill out forms and represent claimants to the VA, including appeals of decisions if necessary.

-- Jim Breslin