Agent Orange – Infertility In Children Of Vietnam Veterans

On May 15, 2013 By Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

Agent Orange – Infertility In Children Of Vietnam Veterans

AGENT ORANGE INFERTILITY CHILDREN OF VIETNAM VETERANS AO2GEN COVVHA.NET

“You Might Be Infertile Because Your Grandparents Were Mucking Around in Harmful Chemicals”

New research shows that if your grandmother or even your great-grandmother came in contact with some very common environmental chemicals, you could be suffering the consequences today in the form of male infertility, ovarian disease and the early or late onset of puberty.

It’s freaky when you think about it. It means that generations ago, for example, a pregnant woman was exposed to, say, DEET, the most common insect repellant in the whole world. Her baby grew up to have his own children and passed along mutations that occurred during mom’s exposure. Those children went on to also pass along those changes when they had their own kids, and there’s no telling how many future generations might be affected.

Michael Skinner and his colleagues at Washington State University in Pullman, Washington, published data supporting this phenomenon today in Public Libray of Sciences. In addition to DEET, they looked at several other common chemicals including those found in soft plastics, pesticides, and jet fuel. They also looked at dioxin, the contaminant in Agent Orange.

Skinner and his colleagues have published several other studies looking at a chemical called vinclozolin, a common fungicide used on crops. They found it impaired fertility, and that the effect was carried down through generations. Now, the scientists are adding BPA, phthalates, pesticides, DEET, permethrin, dioxin, jet fuel, hydrocarbons, and JP8 to the list of chemicals with a similar effect.

“We didn’t expect them all to have transgenerational effects, but all of them did,” Skinner told me. “I thought hydrocarbon would be negative but it was positive too. This tells us that it’s not simply a unique aspect for a unique compound but that many environmental compounds have the ability to do this.”

The reasons behind choosing which chemicals to study partly came from the Department of Defense, which initiated the study. Why jet fuel? Because military bases spray it on roads to control dust. That’s also why they looked at three plastic compounds found in disposable water bottles: troops stationed overseas almost always drink bottled water.

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AGENT ORANGE INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE – Official COVVHA Testimony Packet January 2013

On May 9, 2013 By Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

AGENT ORANGE INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE OFFICIAL COVVHA TESTIMONY
There is a renewed push for the Institute of Medicine to take seriously the claims made by the Children of Vietnam Veterans and their families about the birth defects and illnesses they are suffering from. The adverse affects of the dioxin laden herbicide sprayed over the jungles of Vietnam, AKA Agent Orange, have been well known since the government first admitted in 1991 to cause illnesses in Vietnam Veterans. For years, the veterans and their families have been saying birth defects and rare illnesses have affected their children’s health. These anomalies and illnesses are not only happening in the children of Vietnam Veterans (2nd generation), but now are showing up in alarming numbers in the grandchildren (3rd Generation) of Vietnam Veterans as well.

January 16, 2013, Children of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance (COVVHA) participated, in the public hearings for the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) Committee to Review on the Health Effects in Vietnam Veterans Exposure to Herbicides (Ninth Biennial Update) in Irvine, California. Tanya Mack, COVVHA Core Chairperson, and California resident, gave testimony on behalf of COVVHA to the committee. Tanya Mack is the Daughter of a recently, deceased Vietnam Veteran who succumbed service connected Agent Orange illnesses. She was born with severe hip dysplasia and has developed several rare aggressive cancers in her thirties which she is currently still fighting.

“The Institute of Medicine is an independent, nonprofit organization that works outside of government to provide unbiased and authoritative advice to decision makers and the public (From the IOM website).” They have been commissioned to review biannually, the most current data available about herbicides and the health effects on our Veterans. In the past, the IOM have been responsible for getting new illnesses added to the presumptive list for our ailing Vietnam Veterans. Like On October 13, 2009, when, the Veterans Affairs added three new medical conditions for Vietnam Veterans presumptively associated with exposure to herbicides; hairy cell and other B-cell leukemia’s, Parkinson’s disease, and ischemic heart disease, to the list of covered illnesses.

Included in COVVHA’s report to the committee, were the number and types of illnesses and congenital anomalies found in the second and third generation members of COVVHA. This includes the ailments that mirror the Vietnam Veterans and the congenital anomalies found on the list of birth defects covered in the children of women Vietnam Veterans. Tanya Mack, shared several studies from the early eighties including Ranch Hand studies and a current epigenetic study from Washington State that show a correlation to trans-generational exposures to dioxin, with the committee for them to consider. Several recommendations were made as to the next actions to help the children of Vietnam Veterans in the most practical ways.

Three of COVVHA recommendations included approving the currently covered eighteen plus, birth defects for children of female Vietnam Veterans for the children of male Vietnam Veterans. The second recommendation included the request for free DNA and Epigenetic testing for the biological children of Vietnam Veterans as needed, and an official Agent Orange Registry for Children of Vietnam Veterans. COVVHA made several other recommendations that were included in their submitted testimony.

Highlights of other participant’s testimony:
Ken Holybee, Director at Large, of Vietnam Veterans of America. Ken pointed out in the Veterans and Agent Orange 2008 Update, the IOM Committee concluded that it was plausible exposure to herbicides that could cause paternally mediated effects in offspring as a result of epigenetic changes, and that such changes would most likely be attributable to the TCDD contaminants in Agent Orange. He urged the committee to follow up on their 2008 recommendations. Due to the continued suffering the VVA sees in the families who attend their Agent Orange Town Hall Meetings.

Debra Kraus, widow of a Vietnam Veteran, Activist and Artist, shared a slideshow presentation of her art that is based on her experience through her husband’s dealings with the V.A. and health issues.

Elayne Mackey, National Health Committee co-chair for the Associates of Vietnam Veterans of America (AVVA). AVVA recommends the creation of Centers of Excellence to provide for research, treatment, and social services for the offspring of veterans of all eras who have been exposed to toxins while in service to our country.

Wesley T. Carter, Chair of the C-123 Veterans Association, asked for two possibilities, the Department of Defense designates the contaminated -123 aircraft, by specific tail number, as Agent Orange exposure sites. The other for the VA to accept claims from veterans able to provide evidence of service aboard the aircraft known to have been contaminated.

Andy Olshan, PhD, Chair of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina and Kim Boekelheide, MD, PhD, Professor of Medical Science, Brown University phoned into the meeting. The Doctors gave their opinion on the likelihood of Paternal Transmission of Dioxin through Sperm. The Doctors stated that paternal transmission is relatively small because the male system is made to minimize the transmission of issues and that there is not enough evidence to support the theory that Dioxin is transmitted through sperm.

COVVHA is committed to serving as a voice for the children of Vietnam Veterans including second and third generation victims of Agent Orange and Dioxin Exposures worldwide. We believe in empowering each other to hold the companies and governments responsible for causing so much devastation and suffering to our generations. We fight for justice globally. We hope the IOM will make the responsible recommendations to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Please, see the full testimony submitted to the Institute of Medicine attached which also includes Tanya Mack’s personal health struggle with Agent Orange related birth defects and cancers.

COVVHA members and supporters who have joined our email subscription will also receive the Video of Tanya’s testimony. If you would like to receive the video and other information from COVVHA you can subscribe in the box below

Committee to Review the Health Effects in Vietnam Veterans of Exposure to Herbicides (Ninth Biennial Update… by View Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance’s profile on Scribd” href=”http://www.scribd.com/COVVHA1″>Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

Heather A. Bowser, MsEd, LPCC

Agent Orange – Who Ordered It To Be Sprayed…

On May 5, 2013 By James J. Alonzo

Who Ordered Agent Orange Sprayed

(C) James J. Alonzo

With all the illnesses, malformed babies, and suffering from Agent Orange, one could wonder who the person that ordered it to be used was. It was Elmo Zumwalt Jr., who as commander of U.S. naval forces in Southeast Asia that ordered the chemical defoliant sprayed over the South Vietnamese countryside to deprive communist troops of cover.

Elmo Russell Zumwalt, Jr. (November 29, 1920 – January 2, 2000) was an American naval officer and the youngest man to serve as Chief of navel Operations. As an admiral and later the 19th Chief of navel Operations, Zumwalt played a major role in U.S. military history, especially during the Viet Nam War.

After his selection for the rank of Rear Admiral, Zumwalt assumed command in July 1965 of Cruiser-Destroyer Flotilla Seven. In September 1968, he became Commander Naval Forces, Viet Nam, and Chief of the Naval Advisory Group, U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam.

Zumwalt’s command was not a blue water unit, like the Seventh Fleet; it was a brown water unit: he commanded the flotilla of Swift boats that patrolled the coasts, harbors, and rivers of Vietnam. Among the swift-boat commanders were his son, Elmo Russell Zumwalt III, and later future Senator John Kerry. During this time, the elder Zumwalt had an opportunity to safeguard the men who served under his command from the Viet Cong who hid in the jungle and ambushed American and ARVN (Army of the Republic of Vietnam) patrols at will.

A new group of herbicides, Agent Orange, White, and other assorted color names, could be sprayed on the foliage to remove the cover that the Viet Cong used so effectively. It was claimed at that time that the side effects on humans of long-term exposure to Agent Orange were not yet known, and the manufacturers, Dow and Monsanto, were eager to reassure potential users about its safety.

Admiral Zumwalt acted to protect not only his own son, but also his many comrades from a “clear and present danger,” but in so doing, he exposed them to chemicals now known to cause cancer. As all commanders must do, Admiral Zumwalt acted quickly and decisively on the available information; in this case, he relied on sources that were biased and unreliable, as later developments made clear.

In the end, he paid personally for his decision. Zumwalt’s son, Elmo Zumwalt III, died in 1988, aged 42;

Zumwalt’s grandson (born 1977) suffers from a congenital dysfunction that confuses his physical senses. Zumwalt’s son, prior to his own death, said in 1986 that

“‘I am a lawyer and I don’t think I could prove in court, by the weight of the existing scientific evidence, that Agent Orange is the cause of all the medical problems – nervous disorders, cancer and skin problems – reported by Vietnam veterans, or of their children’s severe birth defects. But I am convinced that it is.” He also said he never blamed his father for his disease.

Admiral Zumwalt said he felt his son’s cancer was most definitely due to Agent Orange. He also mentioned that his grandson Russell suffered from very severe learning disabilities that could possibly be traced to it as well. However, Zumwalt said he did not regret ordering the use of Agent Orange, because it reduced casualties by making it difficult for the enemy to hide and find food.

Admiral Zumwalt, along with his son, authored a book called My Father, My Son, published by MacMillan in September 1986, where they discussed the family tragedy of his son’s battle with cancer.

After treatment in a number of hospitals, Elmo Zumwalt III went to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center inSeattle, where he received a bone marrow from his sister Mouzetta, whose tissues fortunately matched his well enough for this treatment to be feasible. Results were promising but in the end, he died in 1988.

Sadly the Zumwalt family also suffered from Agent Orange. Was it all a case of “What goes around, comes around” or for those of the eastern thought, Karma”?

Agent Orange Resources – Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance On-Line Sites

On May 4, 2013 By Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

Where To Find Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance On-Line

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GMO Toxicology – Long term toxicity of Roundup herbicide

On May 3, 2013 By Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

The health effects of a Roundup -tolerant genetically modiﬁed maize (from 11% in the diet), cultivatedwith or without Roundup, and Roundup alone (from 0.1ppb in water), were studied 2years in rats. Infemales, all treated groups died 2–3 times more than controls, and more rapidly. This difference was vis-ible in 3 male groups fed GMOs. All results were hormone and sex dependent, and the pathological pro-ﬁles were comparable. Females developed large mammary tumors almost always more often than andbefore controls, the pituitary was the second most disabled organ; the sex hormonal balance was mod-iﬁed by GMO and Roundup treatments. In treated males, liver congestions and necrosis were 2.5–5.5times higher. This pathology was conﬁrmed by optic and transmission electron microscopy. Markedandseverekidneynephropathieswerealsogenerally1.3–2.3greater.Malespresented4timesmorelargepalpable tumors than controls which occurred up to 600days earlier. Biochemistry data conﬁrmed verysigniﬁcant kidney chronic deﬁciencies; for all treatments and both sexes, 76% of the altered parameterswere kidney related. These results can be explained by the non linear endocrine-disrupting effects of Roundup, but also by the overexpression of the transgene in the GMO and its metabolic consequences.

GMO Toxicology

Agent Orange Infertility – For the hearts that Ache; but may still find joy

On May 1, 2013 By Q.A.S

Agent Orange & Infertility – Issues all too common for children of Vietnam Veterans

Today my words are meant to help uplift, empower and heal you. I know the feelings written here personally and it has hurt me in the past. I would like to give you some helpful ideas on how you can help children. How you can have them be a part of your life. How you can help them to fulfill their dreams, goals and lives even if you cannot have your own.

Recently I lost another child and finally put into motion a means that I would not concieve again to avoid the pain. I wanted to have my husbands child so badly that I could almost see him already. I felt that he was almost here and I could reach out and touch him and change my life. It was a boy I know that and it tore me open. I cried for weeks about this and I just want you to know that I truly understand how hard it is. This was not my first loss of a child but this one hurt the most.

I have had my share of trouble conceiving a child and then when I could was not able to carry to term. I made some changes in my lifestyle without the intention of having a baby at that time. I got rid of all the chemicals and animal products and voila ..side effect I was pregnant. I was so excited and happy. Then I found out the truth about what was happening and in the end I kissed my child goodbye and told him through tears that I was so sorry that I couldn’t be the mother that he had chosen.

I dealt with that pain and came out the other end knowing that I am here for another reason. That as much as my whole life i heard things like *Oh my god you will make such a good mom* to *You are so maternal* Why can’t I help children or adopt them and give them a better life? Why can’t I be their teacher and inspiration? Why can’t I help other people who feel like i do? I thought about it for months and came to the conclusion that I could do all and any of these things that I wanted to. The only limitation in place is what you believe there is. You can accomplish so much more than you may even realize.

I think that it is very important to remember that you may not be able to have your own child. But there are millions upon millions that could benefit from the love you hold in your heart for the ones you cannot have. They are just there waiting for you to find them, to lift them up and out of their desperate circumstances. To show them a better world and a kinder heart than they may have seen. So long as your choice is kindness and love towards a lonely or hurt child it is a good one.

These links will be a road that you may choose to go down. Remember while you do that just as you may feel alone and without joy and love, there are many children that feel the same exact way that you do. You hold this amazing gift in your hands and it is called free will. You can choose to gift and uplift and show these young people that they may suffer and that life is difficult but it is also filled with surprising kindnesses and gentle loving people.

http://kids-alliance.org/

http://www.casaforchildren.org/site/c.mtJSJ7MPIsE/b.5301295/k.BE9A/Home.htm

http://www.shiningstarsfoundation.org/how-to-help-1/volunteer/

http://www.ymca.net/volunteer

I try to think what the reasons could be as to why people cannot have children. There are so many it would take a very long time to cover even half of the reasons. But I think that while it is a heartbreaking thing to have to realize there is a reason I believe. We are here to help others. We are here to look at and find children that need us and just help them in any way we can. Mourn your losses and move on it is the best thing you can do for yourself. It may sound harsh but that is the truth. You are here for another potential purpose. Perhaps you are meant to be Father or Mother to the children of the world. Perhaps you were given a gift instead. One that could make a huge difference in the world. Have you considered that?

We are all here just floating around and sometimes we see something. We stop and look at it and examine it closely because it speaks to us. Loving other human being that may not be your blood is one of those things that passes by us. We should stop and examine it and see what we can do to help others and in doing so heal ourselves.

http://www.freearts.org/volunteers

http://www.pageahead.org/volunteer.php

I have been amazed at how many things we can do to help children. We could just type in volunteer to help children and find out for yourselves what is out there. What we can do to make a difference in the lives of so many children that lack hope. Because they have been hurt so badly that they find trusting someone difficult. But if this is what you want to do then there is nothing stopping you from helping someone else. Imagine the power that you possess! You could change the life of another human being for the better!

http://www.freethechildren.com/get-involved/

You could volunteer at your local school. See if they need any help and do what you can. If you have medical problems and I know that many of you do then tell them your limitations. Many would be happy to have the help from anyone. If they cannot work with you then keep trying and see what you might be able to start in your community. There is always some way to help others.

http://www.americaspromise.org/Act/Volunteer.aspx

http://www.abetterchance.org/abetterchance.aspx?pgID=963

http://www.mentoring.org/get_involved/become_a_mentor/volunteer_referral_service

http://www.bbbs.org/site/c.9iILI3NGKhK6F/b.5962345/k.E123/Volunteer_to_start_something.htm

I am including as many things that I can find that you could go out and do for yourself. Helping others can help to heal your own suffering. That is a proven fact in this world. If you reach out and help another human being you heal a hurt inside of you. These children that you help will not forget you or the things that you do to try and help them. I know you are hurting inside and I understand and this is a way to heal what is ailing you and your heart. Couples can benefit from this as well. Reach out and take a chance!

Quiescent Aureate Serpent

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GMO LEGISLATION Genetically Engineered Food Right-to-Know Act Endorsed By COVVHA

On April 25, 2013 By Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

Genetically Engineered Food Right-to-Know Act

Take Action and make your voice heard now!!!!!!

All Legislation Endorsed and/or Opposed Has Been Approved and Reviewed by Kelly L. Derricks

It has never been easier to write your State Representative and share your position on current legislation. C.O.V.V.H.A. has been making it even easier for members, fans and followers!! The days of getting your pens and papers out to send your letters are over!!!

An “action page” link has been set up for the Genetically Engineered Food Right-to-Know Act H.R.1699 & S.809 which takes you directly to the specific legislation as well as an area for your Name, Zip Code, and YOUR VOTE. That’s it!!! You hit enter and your information is sent directly to your State Representative in letter form which you will receive a copy of via email.

Your VOICE does count, PLEASE, use it!!!

Kelly L. Derricks (T.T.)

CLICK TO CAST YOUR HOUSE VOTE ON POPVOX NOW

CLICK TO CAST YOUR SENATE VOTE ON POPVOX NOW

I personally casted both of my votes and included the following statement to the United States House and Senate: I support H.R. 1699 (“To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require that genetically engineered food”) because… GMO foods are engineered with health threatening compounds and chemicals and then sprayed with half of the chemical compound used in the production of AGENT ORANGE. The U.S. Gov’t killed my Father at the age of 37 after serving in the Vietnam War. Agent Orange/DIOXIN was passed through his sperm mutating my DNA. I have to fight for my life every single day with more than 30 diagnosed illnesses at the age of 38 and so do tens of thousands of other Children of Vietnam Veterans who were exposed. Now the gov’t doesn’t care that we are being DOUBLE EXPOSED. That’s Capital Murder if you ask me. You’ll see me standing in a court room bringing charges of Murder against the United States Govt before you see me standing down on GMO.

Truth Teller
www.covvha.net

AGENT ORANGE DARK MATTERS TWISTED BUT TRUE

AGENT ORANGE – The Accidental Inventor – VIDEO

On April 19, 2013 By Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

Dark Matters Season 3 Episode 1, Agent Orange – The Accidental Inventor
Synopsis: A chemical that speeds up the flowering process in soybeans turns into a weapon during Vietnam.
Original air date: November 22, 2012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tw8OS925lUY

Dark Matters: Twisted But True is a television series featured on the Science Channel. Hosted by actor John Noble of Fringe and Lord of the Rings, the show takes the viewer inside the laboratory to profile strange science and expose some of history’s most bizarre experiments. This show uses narration and reenactments to portray the stories in this show

COVVHA Guest Speaker Attending Delaware Valley Vietnam Veterans Meeting

On April 2, 2013 By Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

COVVHA Co-Founder Kelly L. Derricks will be the guest speaker, this Wednesday April 3, 2013 at the Delaware Valley Vietnam Veterans meeting in Bristol, Pa. Bucks County. 7:00 p.m. all are welcome.

800 Coates Ave, Bristol, PA | Get Directions »

https://www.facebook.com/DV3PA

Agent Orange Support Groups Offered By COVVHA

On April 1, 2013 By Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

Children of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance Private Group

We will fight together till all Agent Orange Victims find justice. We will speak out about our what it meant to have Vietnam Veterans as parents. By sharing our experiences we will each become stronger. Welcome – You are not alone! At this time we are asking that only Children Of Vietnam Vets Join This Group.

Wives, Partners, and Widows of Agent Orange (Vietnam Era)

Together we can support each other through the difficulties of illness and loss associated with Agent Orange. Wherever in the globe you are from you are welcome here to find the comfort of others who understand.

Veterans & Caretakers Of Agent Orange and Dioxin

This group is for Veterans and caregivers who dedicate themselves to the well being of their loved ones suffering due to the long term consequences of Agent Orange and Dioxin exposures.

JOIN CHILDREN OF VIETNAM VETERANS HEALTH ALLIANCE ON FACEBOOK

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COVVHA Welcomed to Salem News

On March 28, 2013 By Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

Children of Vietnam Veterans: Their Voice Keeps Growing

Originally Published By Salem-News.com (Mar-27-2013 11:36)

(WASHINGTON DC) – Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance, INC. (COVVHA), is an organization that was founded to address the specialized needs of the children and grand children of Vietnam Veterans who have been negatively affected by their parent’s exposure to the herbicide, Agent Orange, during the Vietnam war. We educate veterans, their families, the general public, and lawmakers about Agent Orange and it’s effect on our lives.

COVVHA was founded by two children of Vietnam Veterans. Heather A. Bowser and Kelly L. Derricks. Both of their lifes have been significantly affected by Agent Orange. Kelly lost her father at age seven due to Agent Orange illnesses. Kelly currently suffers from twenty eight, unexplained illnesses which forced her to retire from her career in the mental health field. Heather was born with several birth defects, including missing her right leg below the knee, several of her fingers and big to on her left foot. Heather was born two months premature and only weighed 3.4 ounces. Her father is also deceased. Heather’s father had five bypasses on his heart at age 38, subsequently he died at ace 50 from a massive heart attack. His death was service related due to his Agent Orange exposure.

Kelly and Heather founded this organization because there are so many needs that are not being met in their peer group. The most pressing one, is the government has not acknowledged the devastating birth defects and illnesses in the children of male Vietnam Veterans, like they have in the children of female Vietnam Veterans. Currently, the government acknowledges eighteen plus birth defects in the children of female Vietnam Veterans. They only acknowledge one birth defect in the children of Male Vietnam Veterans. Spina Bifida. This, Kelly and Heather both feel is discrimination. Especially because they have so many reports of similar birth defects and illness.

COVVHA has also built a private support community for only children of Vietnam Veterans. It has over six hundred members. They educate and support each other in this group. Kelly and Heather want their members to understand that they are not alone. Many of them have lost, or are in the process of losing their Vietnam Veteran, plus they are dealing with birth defects or unexplained illnesses.

They are also seeing an influx of children of Vietnam Veterans who start researching Agent Orange because their child, the grand child of the Vietnam Veteran has been born with an issue, or suddenly has a rare illness.

COVVHA deals with a lot of issues, like grief, illness, anger and the like. The group also enjoys each others company and find many similar anecdotes of what it was like growing up with a Vietnam Veteran.

COVVHA is also involved in supporting international efforts in cleaning up, and disclosing locations of buried herbicide. Heather has traveled three times to Vietnam. She has visited two of the most poisonous hot spots still contaminated with Agent Orange, Da Nang, and Bein Hoa. Heather has also worked with organizations in Vietnam who support the on going health care of the Vietnamese children who are still being born today with birth defects due to their parents or grand parents exposure and the continued environmental pollutants. Recently Heather traveled to Okinawa, Japan to educate those seeking answers about reports that Agent Orange herbicide was stored, used and buried on the island of Okinawa. Building community with those who may have suffered due to Agent Orange in Japan is very important to the organization.

COVVHA seeks unity in all those who have been affected by Agent Orange dioxin so that our community may build strength in numbers and that our voices would be heard by those who make decisions.

(C) (COVVHA) Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance INC.

Children of Vietnam Veterans: Their Voice Keeps Growing

US Government released “Investigations into Allegations of Herbicide Orange on Okinawa Japan”

On March 11, 2013 By Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

US Government released “Investigations into Allegations of Herbicide Orange on Okinawa, Japan”

At the request of journalists, on March 9, the US Government released a report “Investigations into Allegations of Herbicide Orange on Okinawa, Japan” (embedded below) about which Jon Mitchell wrote in The Japan Times on February 15 It appears that the US Government wants to bring a closure to the issues of Agent Orange on Okinawa by providing the report, together with the Japanese Government.

The report concludes that “there were no documents found that validated the allegations that Herbicide Orange was involved in any of these events, nor were there records to validate that Herbicide Orange was shipped to or through, unloaded, used or buried on Okinawa”.

According to the author of the report, Dr. Alvin Yong it took 9 months to carry out the investigation through “an in-depth search of historical records and information”. However, the report is only 29 pages long. No interview with veterans who bravely testified about their exposure to Agent Orange during their service on Okinawa was conduced for the investigation.

The report also casts doubt on whether the Japanese Government honestly requested the US Government to carry out a thorough investigation with its aim of seeking the truth.

Local people have already taken action. Dr. Masami Kawamura, Director, Environmental Policy and Justice of Citizens’ Network for Biodiversity in Okinawa (Okinawa BD), has submitted a petition to the Okinawa Prefectural Assembly, requesting the prefecture to examine and analyze the report for themselves. Okinawa BD itself has started reviewing the report and has been convinced that this report is one more reason why the investigation on the issues of Agent Orange on Okinawa must go on.

http://okinawaoutreach.blogspot.jp/

Investigations Into Allegations of Herbicide Orange on Okinawa Japan

Summary of Herbicide Orange Investigation March 2013 by Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

Agent Orange COVVHA Doctors Note

On February 6, 2013 By Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

COVVHA has worked diligently putting together a letter that the Children Of Vietnam Veterans can take to their doctors. The intent is to increase doctor/patient communication and awareness regarding the health and medical effects of generational Agent Orange/Dioxin exposures.

Print this patient information letter to bring to your doctors visit. Request that your doctor review the information and place in your medical chart.

Direction for printing: Click on the title link above the document to be re-routed to SCRIBD. Use the Download and Print options on the right hand side.

Agent Orange COVVHA Doctors Note by Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

© (COVVHA) CHILDREN OF VIETNAM VETERANS HEALTH ALLIANCE INC

Legacies Of War – Agent Orange In Vietnam – Release Of Classified Zumwalt Documents

On February 4, 2013 By Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

AGENT ORANGE ZUMWALT DOCUMENTS WWW.COVVHA.NET

Legacies of War – Agent Orange Vietnam by Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

Report To The Secretary of The Department Of Veterans Affairs On The Association Between Adverse Health Eff… by Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

U.S. Vietnam Veterans and Agent Orange

On February 1, 2013 By Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

Understanding the Impact 40 Years Later U.S. Vietnam Veterans and Agent Orange: National Organization on Disability With funding from the Ford Foundation Special Initiative on Agent Orange/Dioxin.

Foreword The following paper was commissioned by the Ford Foundation Special Initiative on Agent Orange/Dioxin and written by the National Organization on Disability (NOD). The paper benefits extensively from independent research conducted for NOD in 2008 by Mary Carstensen, U.S. Army, Colonel (retired) and from additional research and analysis in 2008 and 2009 by Mary E. Dolan-Hogrefe, Vice President and Senior Advisor, NOD.

Understanding the Impact 40 Years Later U.S. Vietnam Veterans and Agent Orange:National Organization on Disability With funding from the Ford Foundation Special Initiative on Agent Orange/Dioxin By Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

I Was Just There Last Night

On January 30, 2013 By James J. Alonzo

I Was Just There Last Night

“Jim, do you still think about Viet Nam?’ asked Dr. Tallutto, my shrink at Veterans Hospital.

“How do you stop thinking about it.” I Laughed, “everyday for the last 30 plus years, I wake up with it, go to bed with it. Yeah, I think about it, I can’t quit thinking about it. I never will, but most of the time I have learned to live with it. I’m mostly comfortable with the memories, the flashbacks, I’ve learn to stop trying to forget, and I am trying to learn to embrace it. It just doesn’t scare me anymore.”

“Jim, if you weren’t being affected by the experience of war, combat, and death, that would be abnormal.”

When he told me that , it was like he’d have just given me a pardon, Read Full Article →

Agent Orange Testimony To Institute of Medicine January 2013 – COVVHA VIDEO

On January 29, 2013 By Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

CHILDREN OF VIETNAM VETERANS AGENT ORANGE TESTIMONY TO IOM WWW.COVVHA.NET

Good Afternoon, My name is Tanya Renee Mack. I am here representing (COVVHA) Children of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance INC. I am 39 years old and am a 2nd generation Agent Orange Survivor. My father, SSGT. James Sciaccotti was a Combat Controller in the United States Air Force and was part of the Special Operations Squadron, 101st Airborne Unit in the A shau Valley from 1966 –1968.

The age range of children of Vietnam Veterans is roughly between the ages of 20-45. Many of us have Fathers with service connected Agent Orange Claims recognized by the Veterans Administration. Most of us have Dads who are dead or dying of Agent Orange presumptive illnesses that have been recognized by the VA. Our lives and the lives of our kids are the result of a giant science experiment between the United States Government and the chemical companies gone awry. New information known about human exposure to dioxin and trans-generational exposures, reinforces our belief of a strong plausibility of an epigenetic link to our illnesses and our Father’s or Mother’s service connection to the Vietnam War. We have been treated as collateral damage. The science is now quickly catching up with what we have known all along, we’ve been damaged by a war we did not fight.

COVVHA completes an informal survey when a new member joins our private support community. Through our 500 members (only COVVs) we have consistently been faced with like illnesses, and deformities. We want to bring this information to you, the IOM, urging this committee to finally investigate fully what has been done to us and our children. From our informal research we believe the children and grandchildren of Vietnam Veterans have a much higher instance of several types of disease. (In our submitted documents you will see the categories of illnesses and the number of times the illness has been reported). Represented in our membership also, are several suffering from the illnesses on the Veterans Presumptive lists, please keep in mind this is a group of people between ages 20-45. Diabetes Type II, Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, Ischemic Heart Disease, Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, Peripheral Neuropathy, Acute and Sub-acute Respiratory Cancers, Soft Tissue Sarcoma, Parkinson’s Disease.

Our membership of 500 COVVs have reported as many as 93 different congenital anomalies. Fourteen of them listed on the testimony we have submitted are some of same birth defects that are currently covered for the children of Women Vietnam Veterans. Considering there were 6-8 thousand women Vietnam Veterans and Approximately 2.8 million men who served, COVVHA believes this Study was used to keep the children of male Vietnam Veterans from making claims even though early studies showed dioxin caused birth defects in the children of Male Vietnam Veterans. Our fathers were told they were overreacting; there was no scientific link to their children being born with birth defects, rare illnesses and cancers. Air Force study of Ranch Hand personnel responsible for herbicide spraying reported statistically significant increase in reported birth defects in the Ranch Hand group (Albanese, 1988). Defects included: Skin defects, Neural tube defects, Heart defects, Oral clefts, and Kidney defects. Erickson, et al (1984) reported that risks for fathering an infant with spina bifida, cleft lip, and certain neoplasms” were higher for Vietnam veterans than controls. Increased evidence of birth defects were also reported in a population of Vietnam veterans living in Tasmania (Field and Kerr, 1988)., These were ignored, as were many other studies on the effects of dioxin on offspring from other countries, like in Vietnam where reports of birth defects, miscarriage and deformities were rampant.

In September of 2012, Washington State University released an epigenetic study looking at exposures of female mice to dioxin and the trans-generational effects dioxin had on the children and grandchildren of the mice. The Study showed there was a negative trans-generational effect. We need more of this type of research, Skinner, et al (2012). That study was funded partially by the Department of Defense. Why can’t they replicate the same study, but just expose male mice?

COVVHA would like to offer the following recommendations (See our submitted testimony for more):

A. The eighteen plus birth defects for children of female Vietnam Veterans should be approved for children of male Vietnam Veterans: This act alone would help some of the most disabled, and those in most desperate need of services, in the COVV community.

B. Free DNA and Epigenetic testing for the biological Children of Vietnam Veterans : (Our Data shows that biological children of Vietnam Veterans who have been required by their Doctors to have DNA Testing have proven to show genetic mutations. See submitted documents).

C. An official agent Orange Registry for Children of Vietnam Veterans (COVVHA proposes that an official Agent Orange registry be made available to the biological children of Vietnam Veterans.) COVVHA has submitted the types and numbers of each of the roughly 694 illness we have had reported over the past year.

We are willing to cooperate with the IOM in any way possible.

The following is a glimpse of how my Father’s exposure to Agent Orange has affected my life. I am 39 years old and am a 2nd generation Agent Orange Survivor. I was born with severe hip dysplasia and started having hip reconstruction surgery at just 4 months old. I learned to walk in a full body cast after my second reconstruction at 13 months old. After 15 hip reconstruction surgeries, at age 17, I had my first total hip replacement surgery. 22 years later, I’ve had 4 total hip replacements. Currently, I’m scheduled to have it replaced for the 5th time. At 32 years old I started to develop multiple basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas. They were very aggressive and according to the pathology reports, were a different mutation than normal. I was sent to UCLA to have genetic testing. There, I was diagnosed with Basal Cell Nevus Syndrome (also known as Gorlin Syndrome) with a Mutation in my PTCH1 gene. A mutation in this gene is only caused one of two ways. It is either inherited from a parent or a new mutation occurs due to chemical or biological environmental exposures. Only 20% of all cases reported are new mutations. Both of my parents were tested, and neither one had the mutation which means that I am in the 20% of new mutations.

By the time I was 34 I had a total hysterectomy due to Squamous Cell Carcinoma in my Uterus and on my Ovaries. At 35 years old, I was diagnosed with Lupus and Raynaud’s Disease, again no family history. I was also informed the severe back pain that I was having was a curve in my spine. In 2010, I was diagnosed with Melanoma. I was fortunate that is was caught early and had not spread to my Lymph Nodes. It did however, spread far enough to have tissue and muscle removed, causing a golf ball size disfigurement in my shin. August, 2011, I was diagnosed with another rare form of Cancer called Bowen’s Disease. Now, my Oncologist was extremely worried because they almost never see this in someone as young as me. Bowen’s Disease is caused by extreme exposure to Arsenic and is considered Arsenic Poisoning. Since I have never worked or been exposed to herbicides or pesticides, I was told by my Oncologist that it was due to my Father’s exposure to Agent Orange. Over 50% of the Compound used in Agent Orange was Arsenic. In March 2012, my Oncologist found a large tumor on the neck of my gallbladder which required another surgery to have my entire gallbladder removed.

As of today, I have had 198 skin biopsies of which 181 were positive for Cancer. I am currently on a new Cancer drug in which I was involved in the Clinical Trial. This drug, however, will only slow down the progression of Basal Cells and still leaves me vulnerable for Squamous Cell and Melanoma. I’m in constant pain and my quality of life has decreased drastically over the last several years. My medical costs with insurance runs an average of $800-$1000 dollars a month. These costs consist of office visit copays ($45 per visit) and tier 6 drugs, these do not count toward my annual out of pocket maximum. Because of this, I struggle every month to make ends meet as my medical insurance and copayments/coinsurance have to be first priority. In March 2007, in an attempt to get help with my mounting medical costs, I applied to the Department of Veterans Affairs for benefits (38 U.S.C. 1815). I sent the V.A all of the required documents, and medical records. I felt confident I would get some help because after all, Hip Dysplasia is a covered birth defect. Four months later I received a letter from The Department of Veterans Affairs denying my claim (See Statement below).

“We denied entitlement to a monthly monetary allowance for your claimed birth defect(s) because the evidence
does not show that your biological Mother served in Vietnam to qualify for payment under 38 U.S.C. 1815. The
claimed disability is hip dysplasia which is considered a qualifying condition. However, regulation 38 C.F.R. 3.815
refers to benefits allowable for an individual with disability from covered birth defects whose biological mother is or was a Vietnam Veteran”

I remember thinking that my Father’s Service to his Country would end up killing me. In my opinion, this was blatant discrimination against men and their offspring. I became depressed and wanted to give up. I was undergoing systemic chemotherapy at the time of my denial letter, and did not know how I would be able to continue since I could not afford the coinsurance for each treatment. Without going into detail, I will say my family has had to give up a lot so I could stay alive. August 21, 2012, My father passed away from Lung and Colon Cancer. He was 64 years old. His Cancer had been attributed to his exposure to Agent Orange. At the time of his death, he was receiving benefits from the V.A. and was considered 100% disabled due to service connected Agent Orange Exposure…..But of course, according o the V.A., there was no possible way that his exposure could have any effect on me, Sad!

Please See Below COVVHA’s Full IOM Testimony Packet

Committee to Review the Health Effects in Vietnam Veterans of Exposure to Herbicides (Ninth Biennial Update… by
Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

BECOME A MEMBER OF CHILDREN OF VIETNAM VETERANS HEALTH ALLIANCE

YOU WILL RECEIVE A ONCE DAILY EMAIL OF ANY BREAKING AGENT ORANGE NEWS AND RELATED TOPICS IN ADDITION TO ANY COVVHA UPDATES

PLEASE ENTER YOUR EMAIL IN THE BOX BELOW, A CONFIRMATION LINK WILL BE SENT TO YOUR EMAIL. YOU MUST OPEN THE EMAIL AND CLICK THE CONFIRMATION LINK TO COMPLETE THE PROCESS.

monsanto agent orange vietnam veterans gmo news

Agent Orange, Vietnam Veterans, Monsanto, GMO News – November & December 2012

On December 26, 2012 By Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

What is A.O.F.D, Agent Orange Food Disorder, and how many …

Agent Orange Food Disorder, AOFD, is an ongoing mutation of cells from …. suffering birth defects as terrible as those found in the Agent Orange contaminated …

‘Legacies of War’

Coeur d’Alene Press Dewey Parker worked on a flight line inspecting airplanes that sprayed the Agent Orange herbicide during the Vietnam War. Today, the Air Force veteran who …

Agent Orange, United States Military Veterans, And Myelodysplastic …

The MDS Beacon I often see Vietnam-era military veterans in my clinic who have been diagnosed with MDS, and they always ask me, “Could Agent Orange exposure have …

What Are GMO? What Is A GMO? What Foods Are Genetically Modified …

OpEdNews … PCB’s & Agent Orange), Dow (Agent Orange and Agent Blue – Arsenic), Bayer (CCD – Colony Collapse Disorder of Bees), BASF (GMO Potatoes), DuPont

AO Victims Grateful to British PM

Salem-News.Com … of Agent Orange, was asked by the Viet Nam Association of Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin (VAVA) to present the gifts in person. The gifts comprised a selection of beautiful hand-embroidered linen and colourful hand-painted pictures made by….

Ten Top Reasons Why Food with GMO Ingredients Should Be So Labeled

Meridian Magazine In the past, Monsanto also assured us of the public safety of DDT and Agent Orange as household items, both of which were produced by Monsanto with devastating results. 7. GMO labeling has nothing to do with excessive government intervention and …

@DA NANG: Perception gap over Agent Orange is déjà vu after Fukushima

Asahi Shimbun Highly toxic dioxin, the main ingredient in Agent Orange, continues to be detected … is a Vietnam War veteran, and her mother was born with birth defects.

The pesticides you eat

Salt Lake Tribune Their answer to a failing Roundup system is now “Agent Orange Corn.” The corporate sales pitch is that GMOs increase crop yields and so are needed to feed …

A daughter faces demons of father’s war
CNN
“Yeah, because they’ve seen bad things,” Caitlin said. Christal had spoken with other grown children of Vietnam veterans. But this was the first time she saw herself in a child. Christal contained herself in front of Caitlin. But when she and her mom …

Tribute to Vietnam fallen helps keep Dad in her life
Tribune-Review
Rihn, a respiratory therapist, and about 70 other children of veterans went to Vietnam in 2003 to retrace the footsteps of their fathers. She and her husband, John, and their daughters, Megan, 20, and Alyssa, 17, make several trips a year to Washington …

Fifty years later, US, Vietnam deal with Agent Orange
USA TODAY
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs recently ruled that numerous ailments are presumed to have been caused by Agent Orange among the Vietnam veterans who have them. The ruling meant these veterans would qualify for certain benefits that had been …

Living With MDS: Why Did I Get Cancer?
The MDS Beacon
Dr. Steensma’s recent column about Agent Orange reminded me of the many months (or was it years?) I spent kicking myself over every poor decision I had ever made about my health. It also caused me to re-visit having lived near a dioxin superfund …

Agent Orange leaves lingering, costly aftermath
Reading Eagle
Some were casualties of Agent Orange. “A lot of them that were there had limbs … Tumors, rashes, miscarriages and birth defects were reported in the years …

Deadly rainbow: Veterans suffer from Agent Orange exposure
Montgomery Advertiser
The main dioxin in Agent Orange, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, or TCDD, is one of the most toxic. During the 1970s, veterans returning from Vietnam …

Air Force Vietnam veteran wants other vets to learn about Agent Orange Registry
ABC Action News
It did, it floored me,” recalled Bob Wood. When Wood suffered a heart attack two years ago, doctors at the Haley VA Hospital told him his exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam contributed to his heart disease. “This is unbelievable,” Wood thought at the…

A Battle Unending: The Vietnam War and Agent Orange
the Diplomat
By Simon Roughneen While the Vietnam War ended decades ago, its effects continue to linger on.Agent Orange haunts the lives of the people it has touched.

Monsanto and Genetically Engineered Food: Playing Roulette With …
Truth-Out
Is Monsanto the most pernicious global corporation when it comes to GMOs, … They lied to us about the safety of PCB’s, DDT and Agent Orange, …

Sister of Agent Orange victim says battle for recognition far from over
GlobalNews.ca
Bertrand was one of about 30 people who got compensation from the federal government after it overturned a decision to deny claims for people diagnosed with Agent Orange-related illnesses past a June 30, 2011 deadline. Timeline: The fight for Agent …

WMU professor’s book analyzes effects of Agent Orange
Western Herald
Ed Martini, Associate Professor of History and Associate Dean in the College of Arts and Sciences, recently published Agent Orange: History, Science, and the Politics of Uncertainty, a book that better explains the chemical used during the Vietnam War.

Dioxin, TCE Drums, U-235 and El Toro’s Panhandle
Salem-News.Com
We do know that one El Toro Marine who never served in Vietnam died from Agent Orange exposure, Dr. Chuck Bennett over 12 years ago cited two Orange County experts who examined soil samples from the panhandle and found weapons grade U-235 …

Vietnam Veterans Memorial 30 years later | Invisible Children Blog
Three decades ago, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington DC was officially dedicated on Nov. 13th 1982. Consisting of two reflective walls that span …

Veterans Corner: Vietnam service ‘presumptive’ disability benefits
Hanford Sentinel
Certain conditions are also recognized for the children of Vietnam veterans. Covered birth defects include a wide range conditions. Eighteen defects are specifically included and others not specifically excluded are covered. Vietnam veterans who served…
****COVVHA HAS RESPONDED TO THE ABOVE ARTICLE****

THE INFORMATION INCLUDED IN THE ARTICLE IS MISLEADING AND INCORRECT

“VA does this because of the unique circumstances of their military service. If one of these conditions is diagnosed in a veteran, VA presumes that the circumstances of his/her service caused the condition and disability compensation can be awarded.”

Let’s start with using the term, Agent Orange Dioxin. This is the “unique circumstance” our military members were exposed to, by their own government.

I think it’s totally disrespectful to not mention what the disability compensation is connected to.

The government used a chemical herbicide nicknamed Agent Orange (due to the orange stripe on the barrel). They used 22 million gallons on Southeast Asia to kill the vegetation, and deny the enemy cover. This chemical was also used along the Korean DMZ. Our government told our military was safe. What our troops were unaware of is that it contained Dioxin the most poisonous chemical known to man. Well, they found out, alright. Years later, our Vietnam Veterans began becoming seriously ill. Many died young, many young men acquired “old man” diseases with no prior family history all while our government denied their poison had any role in harming them.

The government waited till 1991 to help our veterans, prior to that they were called crazy or faking. The process has been so slow to help our Vietnam Veterans that even after they started to “Presume” a few illnesses, many Vets succumb to their illnesses leaving their families with only more questions and no support. There are claims dating back to the early 1980’s for Ischemic Heart disease (Added only to the presumptive list in 2010) still in appeal. This is not an easy process no matter what you may be led to believe. It is a tragedy.

Secondly, this article is disseminating incorrect information about the Children of Vietnam Veterans. After coming home from war, Veterans tried to move on with their lives and start their families. They soon discovered their children were being born with horrifying deformities, cleft Palate, Club foot, hip dysplasia, rare disorders, and strange illnesses. Our Government again turned it’s back.

“Certain conditions are also recognized for the children of Vietnam veterans. Covered birth defects include a wide range conditions. Eighteen defects are specifically included and others not specifically excluded are covered”

“Vietnam veterans who served in the Republic of Vietnam between Jan. 9, 1962 and May 7, 1975, and later contracted any of these conditions, or have children with birth defects, should apply for disability compensation benefits.”

This is very frustrating especially if this is supposed to be by someone knowledgeable in this field. There are not 18+ birth defects covered in the children of Male Vietnam Veterans. There is only one Spina Bifida. From the VA website:

Children who have spina bifida (except spina bifida occulta) and meet the following requirements may be eligible for VA compensation, health care, and vocational training:

Are biological children of Veterans who served:Were conceived after the date on which the Veteran first entered Vietnam or the Korean demilitarized zone during the qualifying service period
- In Vietnam during the period from January 9, 1962 through May 7, 1975, or
- In or near the Korean demilitarized zone between September 1, 1967 and August 31, 1971 and were exposed to herbicides. Veterans who served in a unit in or near the Korean demilitarized zone anytime between April 1, 1968 and August 31, 1971 are presumed to have been exposed to herbicides.
If you are the child of a Male Vietnam Veteran you are NOT eligible for compensation unless you have Spina Bifida (NOT OCCULTA- the most common form)

There is no help for the thousands and thousands of children of male Vietnam Veterans that are suffering from congenital deformities, Cancers, Autoimmune Diseases, Reproductive Problems and other rare illnesses. There were 2.8 million people that served in Vietnam. Six to eight thousand of them were women.

The eighteen, plus birth defects you talk about in this article are only covered in the children of WOMEN Vietnam Veterans NOT in the children of Male Vietnam Veterans even though the children of Male veterans suffer greatly with the same illnesses!

Anyone else who have the birth defects listed whose mother was not a Vietnam Veteran WILL BE DENIED.

Covered birth defects include, but are not limited to, the following conditions: NOT COVERED IN THE CHILDREN OF MALE VIETNAM VETERANS!!!!!!!!!!

Achondroplasia
Cleft lip and cleft palate
Congenital heart disease
Congenital talipes equinovarus (clubfoot)
Esophageal and intestinal atresia
Hallerman-Streiff syndrome
Hip dysplasia
Hirschprung’s disease (congenital megacolon)
Hydrocephalus due to aqueductal stenosis
Hypospadias
Imperforate anus
Neural tube defects
Poland syndrome
Pyloric stenosis
Syndactyly (fused digits)
Tracheoesophageal fistula
Undescended testicle
Williams syndrome

If you are confused over what is or isn’t covered for the Children of Vietnam Veterans feel free to email us at COVVHA@gmail.com

Medical History Should Include Military History, Doctor Says
New York Times (blog)
So he was surprised to learn not long ago — from reading a newspaper article — that at least one of those ailments, ischemic heart disease, has been linked to exposure to the defoliant Agent Orange, which was used widely in Vietnam. It dawned on him …

Over 200000 veterans exposed to Dioxin
VietNamNet Bridge
VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam currently has more than 200000 veterans exposed to Agent Orange/Dioxin and infected with some diseases identified by the US …

Agent Orange remains big health concern
Herald Palladium (subscription)
JOSEPH – A vestige of the Vietnam War is present front and center at the Berrien County Veterans Service Office. Dozens of veterans of the war, which ended in 1975, call or visit to get help in filing claims for illnesses and conditions attributed to …

Monsanto On Verge of $40 Million GMO Bailout in Europe: Report
DeathRattleSports.com
Monsanto GMO Bailout in Europe A Sign of Things to Come? … a company that moved from producing Agent Orange during the Vietnam War to using their …

Conditions recognized as related to exposure to Agent Orange
Journal Times
The following presumptive conditions are recognized by the Veterans Affairs as related to Agent Orange exposure for veterans who served in county in Vietnam during Jan. 9, 1962, through May 7, 1975. • AL Amyloidosis — A rare disease caused when an …

Vietnamese still fighting for recognition of Agent Orange impact
Toronto Star
They are, she believes, victims of the Agent Orange dumped on Vietnam’s … found “compelling evidence” linking a rise in birth defects and miscarriages in …

A toxic disaster
The Korea Herald
Authorities estimate that 4.8 million were exposed to Agent Orange dioxin in … causing men exposed to Agent Orange to father children with birth defects.

Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance | AGENT ORANGE
Memories of the Vietnam War are dimming, but veterans and Vietnamese nationals who were exposed to Agent Orange and other dioxin-laced defoliants are …

agent orange gmo monsanto children of vietnam veterans www.covvha.net

Agent Orange, Children Of Vietnam Veterans, Monsanto, GMO – The Video That Explains Everything

On December 18, 2012 By Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

On October 16, 2011, Kelly L. Derricks (TRUTH TELLER) traveled to New York City where she gave a public speech about Agent Orange after being invited by Millions Against Monsanto to participate in the rally event for World Food Day. Below is the video recording of that speech.

Kelly has battled severe health issues since she was born that continue today. Some of her illnesses, presumed to be associated with the inter-generational effects of Agent Orange, include but are not limited to the following:

• Chronic kidney disease
• Crohn’s disease
• Addison’s disease
• Congenital adrenal hyperplaysia
• Intersticial cystitis.

*Her complete list of illnesses staggers to 30 different things.

Kelly continues to fight for the Children of Vietnam Veterans as well as Vietnam Veterans and their families. In January of 2012 She Co-Founded The Non-Profit Organization (COVVHA) Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance INC

Visit The Main Website At WWW.COVVHA.NET

https://www.youtube.com/user/teppnme?feature=watch

Agent Orange Okinawa Japan Documentary #COVVHA

VIDEO – Agent Orange Okinawa Documentary

On December 10, 2012 By Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

Published on Nov 4, 2012
This is the English-language version of Defoliated Island, a Japanese
award-winning documentary about the usage of Agent Orange on Okinawa
during the Vietnam War. Produced by Okinawa TV station, QAB, the show won national acclaim in Japan when it was first aired in May 2012.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=5tRkP2b3dsM

BREAKING AGENT ORANGE NEWS – Okinawa Japan Operation Red Hat

On December 3, 2012 By Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

THE ZEIT GIST

‘Were we marines used as guinea pigs on Okinawa?’

Growing evidence suggests that the U.S. military tested biochemical agents on its own forces on the island in the 1960s

By JON MITCHELL

Special to The Japan Times

READ FULL ARTICLE - http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/fl20121204zg.html

Newly discovered documents reveal that 50 years ago this week, the Pentagon dispatched a chemical weapons platoon to Okinawa under the auspices of its infamous Project 112. Described by the U.S. Department of Defense as “biological and chemical warfare vulnerability tests,” the highly classified program subjected thousands of unwitting American service members around the globe to substances including sarin and VX nerve gases between 1962 and 1974.

According to papers obtained from the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, the 267th Chemical Platoon was activated on Okinawa on Dec. 1, 1962, with “the mission of operation of Site 2, DOD (Department of Defense) Project 112.” Before coming to Okinawa, the 36-member platoon had received training at Denver’s Rocky Mountain Arsenal, one of the key U.S. chemical and biological weapons (CBW) facilities. Upon its arrival on the island, the platoon was billeted just north of Okinawa City at Chibana — the site of a poison gas leak seven years later. Between December 1962 and August 1965, the 267th platoon received three classified shipments — codenamed YBA, YBB and YBF — believed to include sarin and mustard gas.

For decades, the Pentagon denied the existence of Project 112. Only in 2000 did the department finally admit to having exposed its own service members to CBW tests, which it claimed were designed to enable the U.S. to better plan for potential attacks on its troops. In response to mounting evidence of serious health problems among a number of veterans subjected to these experiments, Congress forced the Pentagon in 2003 to create a list of service members exposed during Project 112. While the Department of Defense acknowledges it conducted the tests in Hawaii, Panama and aboard ships in the Pacific Ocean, this is the first time that Okinawa — then under U.S. jurisdiction — has been implicated in the project.

Corroborating suspicions that Project 112 tests were conducted on Okinawa is the inclusion on the Pentagon’s list of at least one U.S. veteran exposed on the island. “Sprayed from numbered containers” reads the Project 112 file on former marine Don Heathcote. Heathcote, a private first class stationed on Okinawa’s Camp Hansen in 1962, clearly remembers the circumstances in which he was exposed.

Throughout the late 20th century, rumors of Project 112 were widespread among U.S. veterans, but they were quickly dismissed by an American public unwilling to believe its government would test such substances on its own troops. However, following a series of TV news reports by CBS, the Pentagon admitted to the existence of Project 112 and promised to come clean on the issue.In 1961, as the Cold War deepened, the U.S. initiated a comprehensive overhaul of its defensive capabilities in more than 100 different categories; No. 112 on this list was the study of CBW. Envisaged by President John F. Kennedy’s secretary of defense, Robert McNamara, as “an alternative to nuclear weapons,” Project 112 proposed experiments in “tropical climates” and, to evade laws regulating human testing in the U.S., it suggested the use of overseas “satellite sites.” Fulfilling both prerequisites, Okinawa must have seemed a perfect choice.

That disclosure began in 2000, when the Pentagon claimed that there had been 134 planned tests, of which 84 had been canceled. The experiments it admitted carrying out included the spraying of troops in Hawaii with E. coli, subjecting sailors to swarms of specially bred mosquitoes, and exposing troops in Alaska to VX gas. The Pentagon stated that no participants had been harmed in these tests.

Throughout the Cold War until 1969, Washington adhered to a strict policy of neither confirming nor denying the presence of CBW on Okinawa. In all likelihood, it would have continued to do so, were it not for the events of July 8 of that year. On that day, American service members were conducting maintenance on munition shells at the Chibana depot when one of the missiles sprung a leak. Twenty-three troops and one civilian fell sick from exposure to the missile’s contents — likely VX gas — and were hospitalized for up to a week.

Considering the toxicity of such weapons, those exposed escaped lightly. Nevertheless, when the accident was reported, its ramifications were far-reaching: The Pentagon was forced to acknowledge its chemical arsenal on Okinawa — infuriating local residents — and promised to remove the entire stockpile before the island’s reversion to Japanese control in 1972.

Proof of Project 112 on Okinawa?: An excerpt from the history of the 267th Chemical Platoon.

Operation Red Hat, the mission to transport the weapons off the island, was organized by the same man who had brought them to Okinawa two decades previously: John. J. Hayes (by then a general). It also involved the 267th Chemical Platoon, which had been renamed the 267th Chemical Company. During two separate phases in 1971, the military shipped thousands of truckloads of sarin, mustard gas, VX and skin-blistering agents from Okinawa to U.S.-administered Johnston Island in the middle of the Pacific. The consignments totaled 12,000 tons — a terrifying amount considering that many of these substances’ fatal dosage is measured in milligrams. After the final shipment had left the island, Hayes assured journalists, “Every round of toxic chemical munitions stored on Okinawa has now been removed.”

This year marks 60 years since the first delivery of chemical weapons to Okinawa; this week is the 50th anniversary of the launch of Project 112 on the island. However, the continuing illnesses suffered by U.S. veterans including Heathcote and Mohler suggest this problem is far from a purely historical matter — and only now are potential correlations between toxic munitions and illnesses among Okinawan residents coming to light.

In the near future, Washington plans to return a number of U.S. installations on Okinawa to civilian usage. However, just as former U.S. CBW storage sites elsewhere — such as the Rocky Mountain Arsenal and Johnston Island — remain dangerously contaminated, Okinawan land is likely to be handed back in a similarly toxic state.

Under the current U.S.-Japan Status of Forces Agreement, the host government is solely responsible for the cleanup of former bases — a task that’s expected to set Japanese taxpayers back hundreds of millions of dollars. With the true cost in terms of health and capital yet to be determined, there is a real risk that these weapons of mass destruction will poison not only the soil but also American-Japanese-Okinawan relations for decades to come.

In November, Japan’s Association of Commercial Broadcasters awarded the TV documentary “Defoliated Island” a commendation for excellence. The program was based on Jon Mitchell’s articles for The Japan Times investigating the U.S. military’s usage of Agent Orange on Okinawa during the Vietnam War. Send comments on this issue and story ideas to community@japantimes.co.jp.

The Japan Times: Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012

The Lingering Effects of Agent Orange

On December 3, 2012 By Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

This video explores the perspectives of three generations of Agent Orange survivors offering a rare insight into non-Vietnamese survivors highlighting the global scale of this issue. Additionally, Jon Mitchell, a Welsh born journalist now residing in Yokohama explains his groundbreaking work in helping to uncover the use, storage and burial of Agent Orange on the Japanese islands of Okinawa. Through the video, viewers can see how these inspiring individuals used their time aboard Peace Boat to spread the messages of this issue as well as their time on land in Da Nang, Vietnam; where they were able to visit a support center for Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange.
Special thanks to
Heather Bowser (Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance), Kenneth H. Young, Jenna Mack, Jon Mitchell
&
Da Nang Center for Agent Orange and Disadvantaged Children

The lingering effects of Agent Orange from Peace Boat on Vimeo.

http://vimeo.com/peaceboat

Agent Orange Holidays Depression #COVVHA

Battling Depression During “The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year”

On November 27, 2012 By Q.A.S

There is a season coming upon us soon and it is up to you what you let happen and how you react to it. During this season there is quite a bit of pressure. It builds up and I think that most of us do not even notice it until it becomes this great big mountain of expectation. So many things to do and people to see and cards to send out. Not to mention the fact that most of us have a family or friends that seem to have additional expectations of us. I do not personally think that they have our personal perspectives enough to understand just how stressful it is.

They do not realize when you snap that it is not at them personally. It is most likely that last straw that you just could not take anymore and you explode. You do this to people that you love and consider friends. So you loose your cool and well in the fallout there are hurt feelings and people not understanding. You are left wondering why you did it and how to fix it. Yet more stress yippee.. We have all been there and that time is again come upon us. Sometimes it would be nice to be a child again. Where all you have to do is get up open presents and be happy. Oh to have things be so simple again. Without knowing the reality behind that beautiful tree or those relatives lurking about the house that you REALLY do not know how to talk to. Or that wonderful dinner or that lovely card you just received in the mail. But reality is here and well there are things to do.

One of those things is to slow down once in a while. For you and your loved ones and friends. You really must regard yourself more. You must remember to focus on yourself and your frame of mind. That is an absolute imperative in my mind. If you are not ok no matter how much you try and hide it it will come out. It cannot be held back forever nor should it be. Whether it is anger, frustrations, stress, fear, worry or depression from feeling alone. You cannot ignore it forever and if you try you will regret it later.So following this will be a list of ideas that I can think of that will help you to relax and this time of year can come and go a little easier.

1. This is oversimplification but honestly who cares. You should just tell people how you are feeling. If you are stressed out tell them and why. Do not let them overwhelm you with their demands. Talk to people in your life and tell them what is going on. Sometimes they can surprise you by listening. I know it can sometimes be a long shot depending on who you talk to but it is worth a try. Give people a chance to surprise you.

2. There will be some things that you cannot get done. The sooner you recognize that and accept it the better. You are not superman or superwoman or anything in between. Period. Got that? You have limitations like everyone else. Do not overdo it. People in the end need you more than things even if they cannot see that themselves at first. You are a precious being and you cannot do it all. Even if you have a cape and tights..

3. Unplug. I cannot stress this enough. Kind of a funny play on words but it is true. Calm down and put your cell phone off and away from you for an hour. Do not tell me that you cannot..do it. This is your health and well being. Turn off the phone and turn off the computer damnit. *grumbles* It messes with you and you need a break from it. You do not have to know what is going on every minute of every day. Relax and turn it off. Don’t argue with me. I know how tempting it is to check that phone and look at facebook and give in to look. Don’t.

4. Sleeping cannot be the only time that you relax. Get real and stop doing so much. That is the main problem that I see. People running around buying things that in the end they probably do not need as badly as they think they do. Think to yourself please.. What Really Matters? Look at it honestly. Do you need all that Christmas stuff? Really? Do you really HAVE to go shopping? Do you absolutely have to have things to be happy and to consider it a successful holiday time? If you do then I cannot help you.

5. Oh and finally expect to miss out on some things. But missing out on them is the wrong way to look at it. You may not be able to go to an office party..and? So you cannot go do a get together with every member of your family. But let me guess they expect you to somehow and if you don’t then here comes the guilt trip. Well ignore them. I am dead serious. If they are making you feel guilty and you look at yourself and you really are trying then you are already stressed. Stop and breathe. They do not understand the purpose of this time of year.This time of year means many things to many people. Yet it can become this ugly thing if you let it. DON’T.

The chance to show your extended family can happen any time of the year. The chance to host a party can happen whenever you are ready for it. Most people still have some weekends off. Do it then. Breathe and please dear god relax and hug people. I am going to let you in on a secret. There is a chemical called Oxytocin. Ever heard of it? Well your body produces it naturally. I could give you all sorts of scientific information but it is referred to sometimes by the scientific community as *the love hormone* There are ways to get a bit more..here is how. Basically it is the brains love chemical. You must give love to get it in return. If you give freely of love and loving actions you will generate Oxytocin as a kind of reward.

• Give someone a hug
• Introduce yourself to someone new
• Make someone smile by being silly
• Share a meal
• Dance
• Make music with someone
• Join a choir
• Kiss
• Give someone a massage
• Go to the movies
• Ride a roller coaster
• Soak in a hot tub with a friend
• Surprise someone with a gift
• Pet a dog
• Use social media to connect to others
• Take a hike with a friend
• Write a note of thanks to a teacher or mentor
• Forgive someone who has wronged you
• Meditate or pray for 10 minutes focusing on compassion

Be kind to others, love others and do for others and your stress will lessen in time. So there you go. I hope this helps.

(COVVHA) Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance Lapel Pins On Sale Now!

On November 21, 2012 By Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

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COVVHA Organic View Radio Agent Orange Veterans

Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance On The Organic View Radio Show – Veterans Day Episode

On November 13, 2012 By Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

On Monday November 12, 2012, Kelly L. Derricks and Karen Y. Wengert were please to return to the Organic View Radio Show, hosted by June Stoyer, for a special Veterans Day feature about Agent Orange and the children of Vietnam Veterans.

Click the player below to hear the show!

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/theorganicview/2012/11/12/the-children-of-vietnam-veterans-health-alliance

Listen to internet radio with The Organic View on Blog Talk Radio

VETERANS DAY 2012 FLAG 2 CHILDREN OF VIETNAM VETERANS HEALTH ALLIANCE

Veterans Day in America 2012

On November 9, 2012 By Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

Written By Heather A. Bowser

America, the land of the free, and the home of the brave.

Have you ever noticed? They are all around you.

We have young ones, and old ones, yellow and red ones, ones from the south, ones from north, ones who are peace nicks and ones who still fight. We have compassionate ones too, mothers and fathers, plus sisters and brothers. We have wounded ones, and ones who are still intact. We have mentally ill ones, and homeless ones too. We have generational ones, and ones blazing a new trail. We have poor ones and well off ones, conservative ones, and liberal ones. We have gay ones (we are allowed to say that now), and straight ones.We have black ones, and white ones too. We have angry ones, and hurt ones, and ones with PTSD. We have ones who love their community, and ones who want to be left alone. We have proud ones, and ones who never talk. We have addicted ones, and cold stone sober ones. We have women ones, and men ones too. We have ones who have been raped. We have ones who have seen horrible things, and ones who have created peace. We have P.O.W. ones, and ones who have given the ultimate sacrifice, they will never be forgotten. We have ones who hate, and ones who love. We have poisoned ones, and amputee ones. We have ones who beep in metal detectors, and ones who saw no action. We have mid-western ones, and west coast ones. We have aggressive ones, and passive ones. There are abusive ones, and ones who have been abused. We have gun hating ones, and gun loving ones.We have in-country ones, and desk jockey ones. We have proud ones, and ashamed ones. We have immigrant ones, and hometown ones. We have ones with mixed emotions, and ones who are assured. We have ones with wanderlust, and ones who are homesick. We have ones with little children, and ones who have lost children. We have ones who’d never re-up, and ones who have over and over. We have suicidal ones, and ones who have died from suicide, lots and lots of ones. We have lots of different types of ones.

They may come from a different walks of life, political persuasions, or moral ideals then you, but they have laid it all on the line for your parents, you, your children, and your children’s future children. We are celebrating all the ones, the Americans, who have served in the U.S. Armed Services on this eleventh of November, 2012.

Children of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance, honors our Veterans today, and everyday. Thank you each for your service, and welcome home to the land of the brave.

“Freedom Is NOT Free”

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Agent Orange News Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance 2012

Agent Orange Dioxin & GMO News September – October

On October 8, 2012 By Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

One veteran’s story about fighting Agent Orange

Ruben Rosario: Did this veteran’s service cost him his life?

Ken Blum: Focus on Agent Orange before victims are all gone

John Bury: Victims of Agent Orange must band together to push …

Despite knowing Agent Orange, Parkinson’s link some veterans still have …

France May Issue Call for Europe-Wide Ban on GM Corn

Red Fridays – Burn Pits, the new Agent Orange

Genetically Modified Organisms No Answer to Food Shortage

Treatment of veterans is totally disgusting

Federal Judge Dismisses Agent Orange Case in NY

Agent Orange in Okinawa: the Smoking Gun

Prop 37: 8 Reasons for Voting Yes for Labeling GMO Foods

New method of cleaning Passaic River fails test in Lyndhurst

Promise made, promise kept: Son takes father’s fight about Agent …

Agent Orange wrecks future generations’ too?

Corpus Christi Army Depot’s safety history sometimes spotty

Letters: A veteran’s take on his healthcare

After military service, veterans next battle V.A.

Vietnamese, Korean dioxin victims on epic bike trip

Homeland Security is Working for Monsanto

US says to help clear dioxin from Da Nang airport by 2016

War veterans’ children supported by scholarships

Over VND2.5 billion raised for disadvantaged children

Agent Orange consequences to be overcome by 2020

Vietnam Veteran Remembered As Kind, Proud American

SEARCH TIME.COM

US, Vietnam join hands to deal with AO consequences

Agent Orange chemical in GM war on resistant weeds

Agent Orange cleanup effort stirs questions about responsibility

Mag Links Romney To Monsanto

Remember Vietnam,Continuing Birth Defects Caused By Agent …

Massive Attack on GMO Labeling Proposal in California

Monsanto: One of Romney & Bain’s Earliest Clients

Andrew G. Reiter: Questions on efforts to clean up Agent Orange

Oregonians Fear Harmful Effects From Timberland Herbicides

AGENT ORANGE Rainbow Herbicides A Bioforming Pandemic Killing Some …

Feds May Acknowledge Ground Zero Cancer Link

FRA | Legislative Update: Agent Orange Reform

Debate over genetically modified food gets political with Prop. 37

Agent Orange’s shameful legacy

U.S. and Vietnam looking to improve trade relations

American student asks justice for AO victims

Birth defects caused by Agent Orange : WTF

Dow denies succour to Bhopal despite new-found enveronmentalism

Navy veteran says Agent Orange is still a concern

Dow Chemical still blamed for deaths and birth defects and under …

Laos still in the dark on Agent Orange impact

United States and Laos yet to deal with Agent Orange legacy

I look to the positives rather than the ifs or the buts’

United States Embarks On $43 Million Effort to - Birth Defect Lawyer …

Da Nang: 62 people infected with dioxin

VA Harnesses Big Data For Broader Impact

McNair researcher to use Vietnam’s toxic aftermath for realistic theatre

Craig Wehrle: War supporter Grothman should look at birth defects

The Terrible Legacy of Agent Orange

Vietnam forgotten, more than a ‘Lost Generation’

150, 000 Vietnamese children born with birth defects - Agent …

He’s telling the other side of war

Veterans For Peace: U.S. just beginning Agent Orange cleanup in …

Cleaning Agent Orange - Video Library – The New York Times

Behind the front line

The Toxic Effects of Agent Orange Persist 51 Years After the …

Agent Orange Okinawa Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

Agent Orange on Okinawa – UPDATE

On October 4, 2012 By Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

During the Vietnam War, 25,000 barrels of Agent Orange were stored on Okinawa, according to a recently uncovered U.S. army report.¹ The barrels, containing over 1.4 million gallons (5.2 million liters) of the toxic defoliant, had been brought to Okinawa from Vietnam before being taken to Johnston Island in the Pacific Ocean where the US military incinerated its stocks of Agent Orange in 1977.

The army report is the first time the U.S. military has acknowledged the presence of these poisons on Okinawa – and it contradicts repeated denials from the Pentagon that Agent Orange was ever on the island. At the same time that the document was revealed, a series of photographs was also uncovered apparently showing the 25,000 barrels in storage on Okinawa’s Camp Kinser near Naha City.

The army report, published in 2003, is titled “An Ecological Assessment of Johnston Atoll”. Outlining the military’s efforts to clean up the tiny island that the U.S. used throughout the Cold War to store and dispose of its stockpiles of biochemical weapons, the report states, “In 1972, the U.S. Air Force brought about 25,000 55-gallon (208 liter) drums of the chemical Herbicide Orange (HO) to Johnston Island that originated from Vietnam and was stored on Okinawa.”

Read Full Article – http://www.japanfocus.org/-Jon-Mitchell/3838

This is a revised and expanded version of an article that appeared in The Japan Times on August 7, 2012.

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/fl20120807a2.html

Jon Mitchell teaches at Tokyo Institute of Technology and is an Asia-Pacific Journal associate. In September 2012, “Defoliated Island”, a TV documentary based upon his research, was awarded a commendation for excellence by Japan’s National Association of Commercial Broadcasters. An English version of the program is currently in production in order to assist U.S. veterans exposed to military defoliants on Okinawa. Updates on the issue can be found here –

http://www.jonmitchellinjapan.com/agent-orange-on-okinawa.html

1. The full document, “An Ecological Assessment of Johnston Atoll”, can be accessed from the U.S. Army Chemical Materials Activity homepage here

http://www.cma.army.mil/publications.aspx?criteria=site&value=JACADS

2. For a concise overview of the campaign to ban Agent Orange see Philip Jones Griffiths, “Agent Orange – ‘Collateral Damage in Viet Nam”, Trolley Ltd., London, 2003

http://www.amazon.com/Agent-Orange-Collateral-Damage-Vietnam/dp/1904563058

3. For a more detailed explanation of Operation Red Hat, see: Jon Mitchell, “Military defoliants on Okinawa: Agent Orange”, The Asia-Pacific Journal, September 12, 2011

http://www.japanfocus.org/-Jon-Mitchell/3601

4. The full text of the V.A. ruling is available here

http://www.va.gov/vetapp09/files5/0941781.txt

5. From interviews with author conducted Summer 2012 see also

http://www.guamagentorange.info/yahoo_site_admin/assets/docs/Johnston_Atoll_History261114404.225173000.pdf

6. For an account of Okinawan NGO Citizens’ Network for Biodiversity’s June 2012 meeting with Okinawa Prefecture see here

http://okinawaoutreach.blogspot.jp/2012/06/okinawa-ngo-discusses-with-okinawa.html

7. See for example Fred Wilcox, Scorched Earth: Legacies of Chemical Warfare in Vietnam, Seven Stories Press, New York, 2011.

http://www.fredawilcox.com/scorched_earth__legacies_of_chemical_warfare_in_vietnam_99600.htm

8. See Jon Mitchell. “U.S. Veteran Exposes Pentagon’s Denials of Agent Orange Use on Okinawa,” The Asia- Pacific Journal, Vol 10, Issue 17, No. 2.

http://www.japanfocus.org/-Jon-Mitchell/3740

9. See for example: Jon Mitchell, ‘Agent Orange on Okinawa – New Evidence,’ The Asia-Pacific Journal Vol 9, Issue 48 No

http://www.japanfocus.org/-Jon-Mitchell/3652

10. See Okinawa NGO discusses with Okinawa Prefecture over Agent Orange:

http://okinawaoutreach.blogspot.jp/2012/06/okinawa-ngo-discusses-with-okinawa.html