Currently viewing the category: "chemical warfare"

Monsanto – A Half Century Of Health Scandals

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Agent Orange, Dioxin, GMO, Aspartame, Growth Hormones, Herbicides, PCBs,

The giant U.S. agribusiness Monsanto was found guilty on Monday Feb. 13, after being sued by a small farmer from Charente who had been poisoned by a herbicide. This event is a first in France. On the scale of the history of the one-hundred-year-old multinational, this sentence constitutes just one more episode in an already long record of court procedures.

PCBs, Agent Orange, dioxin, GMO, Aspartame, growth hormones, herbicides (Lasso and Roundup) … a number of products that have made the fortune of Monsanto, have been marred by health scandals and trials sometimes leading to their prohibition. But nothing has so far hindered the irresistible rise of this former chemical giant who converted back to biogenetics and has mastered the art of lobbying. Portrait of a multinational multi-recidivist.

A chemical giant …explosive

Since its creation in 1901 in St. Louis, the small producer of saccharin that became one of the leading seed producers on the planet, has continued to make headlines. After the Second World War, the accidental explosion of a Monsanto plastics factory caused by a French freighter loaded with nitrate, which caused 500 deaths in Texas City in 1947, has remained in history as one of the first disasters of the chemical industry.

PCBs: the trial of shame

In 2001, 3,600 inhabitants of the city of Anniston, Alabama, attacked Monsanto for PCB contamination. According to a report, declassified by the U.S. Agency of Environmental Protection (EPA), Monsanto for almost forty years dumped thousands of tons of contaminated waste in a stream and an open garbage dump in the heart of a black neighborhood in the city.

Agent Orange: convinced of “poisoning”

During these same years, between 1961 and 1971, Monsanto produced Agent Orange, made up from the herbicide 2,4,5-T, whose dangerousness has been widely known ever since the explosion of the Nitro plant. This defoliant was massively dumped by U.S. aircraft over Vietnamese forests during the war. The consequences are still felt today, with many cancers and birth defects occurring in Vietnam, as well as various effects felt by many U.S. veterans.

In the 1970s, the Vietnam veterans opened a class action against the manufacturers of Agent Orange. Monsanto, alongside six other companies, was found to be the major guilty party in a lawsuit concerning damages for poisoning. In 1987, the seven manufacturers of Agent Orange were sentenced to pay $ 180 million to a compensation fund to U.S. soldiers.

During the trial, Monsanto presented scientific studies showing no link between exposure to dioxin and the cancers suffered by many veterans, in order to dismiss their action. It was demonstrated in the early 1990s that the studies based on the consequences of the explosion at the Nitro plant in 1949 were biased.

This scientific fraud is confirmed by the National Research Council, which found that Monsanto’s studies “suffer from misclassification between those exposed and not exposed to dioxin, and that this scientific fraud is confirmed by the National Research Council, and that they were biased in order to obtain the desired effect. “The case will be brought up again in 1990 by Greenpeace and the researcher Joe Thornton in a report entitled Science for Sale.

Read The Entire Article for more on  Is Roundup herbicide toxic?, Herbicide Lasso : off sale, Growth Hormones: scandal on Fox News, GMO: Law suits galore, Aspartame health scandal, 

http://www.opednews.com/articles/1/Monsanto-a-half-century-o-by-Soren-Seelow-Le-M-120325-363.html

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

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AGENT ORANGE INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE OFFICIAL COVVHA TESTIMONY
Tanya Mack COVVHA IOMThere 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


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Heather A. Bowser, MsEd, LPCC
© 2013 (COVVHA) Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance INC

Agent Orange – Who Ordered It To Be Sprayed…

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Who Ordered Agent Orange Sprayed
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(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”?

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

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Genetically Engineered Food Right-to-Know Act

GMO HOUSE AND SENATE POPVOX WWW.COVVHA.NETTake 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

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AGENT ORANGE DARK MATTERS TWISTED BUT TRUE

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

Genetic Roulette – The Gamble of our Lives – FULL MOVIE

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GENENTIC ROULETTE FULL MOVIE INSTITUTE FOR RESPONSIBLE TECHNOLOGY JEFFERY M. SMITH WWW.COVVHA.NET

Awarded Solari Best Film of the Year, 2012, Genetic Roulette has an opportunity to receive the AwareGuide Top Transformational Film, 2012! IRT is offering a free screening of GRM so you can watch and understand why this film certainly deserves the awarded for most transformational film, 2012!

If you have not yet seen this life changing film, Institute for Responsible Technology is offering a free screening.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnlTYFKBg18

When the US government ignored repeated warnings by its own scientists and allowed untested genetically modified (GM) crops into our environment and food supply, it was a gamble of unprecedented proportions. The health of all living things and all future generations were put at risk by an infant technology.

After two decades, physicians and scientists have uncovered a grave trend. The same serious health problems found in lab animals, livestock, and pets that have been fed GM foods are now on the rise in the US population. And when people and animals stop eating genetically modified organisms (GMOs), their health improves.

This seminal documentary provides compelling evidence to help explain the deteriorating health of Americans, especially among children, and offers a recipe for protecting ourselves and our future.

More information can be found at: http://geneticroulettemovie.com and http://responsibletechnology.org

Order the DVD at: http://seedsofdeception.com/store/dvdcd?product_id=124

Living With Fibromyalgia, Solutions For Suffering

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Fibromyalgia AGENT ORANGE WWW.COVVHA.NETFibromyalgia where to begin.

Where do you begin when you are feeling ill and overwhelmed with pain? When each movement is like some sort of agony, when stress can end your day and you spiral into another bout of pain. Getting out of bed can be a struggle and most days you most likely wish that you could just crawl back into bed and stay there. Does any of this sound familiar to you? Have you been wondering why do I feel this way? Why me? What have I done to deserve this? We can beat ourselves up over this or we can try to understand it. We can choose to give up or we can decide to take charge of our life and diet. We can crawl back into bed and wish it was all over or we can take some control back and realize that life IS worth fighting for. We can listen when people tell us it is all in our head, we made it up etc.

We can let the world bring us down or we can research, listen, learn, try something different. We oftentimes repeat our patterns over and over and wonder why nothing changes. In order for change to exist we have to try a new choice and stick to it. Fibromyalgia can become more bearable and I am living proof of that. Do you find that your skin tingles? Do you get muscle spasms? Weakness in your limbs or nerve pain? Do your muscles twitch or do you begin to find that good sleep is becoming more and more rare? Are you finding it difficult to concentrate? Do you suddenly find that either you can remember things that happened long ago and short term memories are disabled? Or is it the other way around for you? Did you used to be able to multitask like a pro and now you sit there wondering what you can do. Spend time doing that and before you know it your day is coming to an end and you are so tired and you go to bed. Then while you toss and turn do you turn to pills? All of these questions are linked to Fibromyalgia. We all feel this at some time or another. Some of us get all of these symptoms, some only a few.

http://www.fmnetnews.com/fibro-basics/symptoms

So you have just been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and you are terrified and overwhelmed and full of questions. You looked into the eyes of your doctor and found little help there. It is frustrating and sometimes you will cry. You might come home and look up on Google this  then you will read it. You might even read between the lines and realize that this is just a name for something that they do not really understand at all. That is when you got a little angry, when you realized that your doctors were practically clueless. That they wanted to throw pills at it and then hopefully you would leave them alone. For some a prescription for Lyrica works.You pray and hope and sit nervously in your chair. This is supposed to help you, you look at that bottle like a potential saviour. You might think that with this pill you just might be able to feel normal again, or at least to some degree. Right? Well the chances of it working are just like any other pill. It may or may not work.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fibromyalgia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pregabalin

One thing that you may have noticed having Fibromyalgia is that not only are you more sensitive physically. You may also find loud noises unbearable. Strong smells bother your olfactory sense as well. So on top of everything else your other senses may go into overload. Even spicy food is a bit too much for some people. Add in the extra strong senses into the situation and it can make most mundane tasks more difficult. It is a bit like being the most sensitive person in the world. You may wonder why you did not get your cape and outfit if you are going to have super anything. You might ask why you cannot at least fly along with super senses.

Treating Fibro can and should be more than just a pill. Pills treat symptoms but they do not cure. So this means that the root cause is somewhere either inside of you or around you. I am suggesting that you look at the inside of your home and inside of your body. Your home can be hiding many toxins that can only make you more miserable. This website goes on to speak about this. Chemicals are not going to help you at all. Whether it is a glass cleaner or a surface cleaner be very careful of chemicals. There is a way to make your own homemade cleaning items that work just like those cleaners bought from the store. The benefit of this is that you can eliminate not only chemicals that are having an effect on your Fibromyalgia symptoms, but also you are getting rid of chemicals that are harming your family too. People buy these items without thinking. Sometimes they do not even read the labels. You have to begin to read labels and take responsibility for what you are bringing into your environment. These take a toll on your health.

http://managingfibromyalgia.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/fibromyalgia-and-chemical-sensitivities.html

You may wonder how to make household cleaners or something that will clean your bathroom etc. You may also buy home fragrances, air fresheners, scent warmers or scented candles. The trouble with many of these is that they are chock full of synthetic scents etc. You should not be exposing yourself to things like this. This teaches you how to make your own. It is not hard at all once you get used to this. Not only that but doing this thoroughly around your home when you have the energy can really help you. If you cannot do it find someone that can and ask for help. Do not be ashamed to admit you need help. You are sick and you deserve understanding and compassion. Once you get this done then your home will not smell as bad. The vinegar does fade away leaving a clean surface. Plain candles can be substituted for those chemical nightmares.

http://frugalliving.about.com/od/cleaningtipsandrecipes/a/Homemade_Cleaners.htm

You also need to take a long look at what you are eating. This is no joke, this is your comfort and happiness here. You need to look at everything that you are eating and get rid of anything that is overly processed. You would be wise to seek out food in its most whole form. Instead of frozen potatoes or powdered ones buy the fresh ones. I know that Velveeta tastes good but it is nothing but chemicals and food colorings really. If you are going to eat cheese then make sure that you eat it sparingly and try to spend a little more and get real cheese. The same goes for sodas of all kinds. Sodas are not worth it. I know they taste good, but is it worth your health? Really consider this please. You may be saying but it tastes so good, or only a little bit can’t hurt me. A little bit can hurt you. Getting rid of processed foods and sodas is step one.

http://waterforlifeusa.com/blog/8-ways-soda-fizzles-your-health

Continuing on with diet, there have been studies done. There are clear links with a plant based diet and improving of symptoms of Fibromyalgia. Your author is on a plant based diet and has lost weight and symptoms have become better over time. Remembering how bad it was and where it is now, things are better. This is something worth looking at. There are many many places that tell you fish will help. I advise against consuming fish vehemently.There are studies coming out right now showing that mercury contamination is much higher than previously believed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_poisoning

http://www.greenandhealthy.info/fish.html

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11093597

Sleep is a very big issue with people suffering from Fibromyalgia. Sleep comes rarely and you wonder when it will come by and visit you. It becomes that thing that people talk about and you hear but seem to almost never experience. You toss and turn add pillows and finally you will sleep after tossing enough. When you wake up you may feel like you have been wrestling with sleep rather than sleeping next to it. This does not help you when all you want is sleep, some peace from the constant pain.  This article goes over some of the problems found with patient suffering from this.

http://www.musculoskeletalnetwork.com/fibromyalgia/content/article/1145622/2110825

Now I will cover medical marijuana uses for people with this.It can be said that the author uses this for medical reasons and it has helped tremendously. Each person makes their own choices and finds their own path. Personally, this coupled with a plant based diet and complete elimination of household chemicals and processed foods have helped. Symptoms are much less than they were which of course does tend to cause worry. Because it makes you wonder how bad it would be if these measures had not been taken. It is not so much pain relief as a disassociation from your pain that it provides. It makes it feel slowly less and less until your pain becomes easier to deal with.This is what most people that suffer from Fibromyalgia usually lament. They will say “I wish I had one day without pain, that would be nice, Or that would be a gift”  or they will simply lay in bed and cry wondering why they are suffering so much from something that even the doctors wonder about. These things do not inspire confidence or peace of mind.

http://www.medicalmarijuana.net/uses-and-treatments/fibromyalgia/

Herbal relief can also be something else that you can incorporate into your regimen. Now they do say that you should consult your doctor before you begin taking these supplements. Personally, I would make sure that my doctor knew and was open to the idea of herbal remedies. Many doctors seem to be against herbal remedies opting for the more standard western practices. So please be forewarned and forearmed. I am suggesting that you research it and try to find a homeopathic doctor in conjunction with your regular doctor. Just to make sure that you are not getting a biased opinion.

http://altmedicine.about.com/cs/conditionsetoh/a/Fibromyalgia.htm

http://www.myhomeremedies.com/topic.cgi?topicid=285

You can also try alternative therapies to find relief from your symptoms. There are many things that you can do that do not involve taking a pill, getting surgery of some kind, etc. Massage does help with the pain aspect of this. While massage is expensive for some it is possible to just do it yourself. You can give yourself a massage and relax somewhat if there is nobody to help you with this. You could also save up to buy a used massage table that you and your partner can use. You do not have to rely on a professional for the rest of your life. You can get books and begin to practice gently on your partner and eventually it can be something that you can share with your significant other. Acupressure and acupuncture can be very helpful as well. Read more about various other things that you can look into.

http://www.fibromyalgia-symptoms.org/self-massage-for-fibromyalgia.html

http://chronicfatigue.about.com/od/alternativetreatments/a/bodywork.htm

https://www.acufinder.com/Acupuncture+Information/Detail/Acupuncture+for+Fibromyalgia+Syndrome

Remember, you can be your own worst enemy if you do not watch what you say and do carefully. Do not pay attention to others that show you no patience at all while you suffer. The following is an article on ten things that you should stop doing to yourself.

http://chronicfatigue.about.com/od/copingwithfmscfs/a/10-Things-To-Stop-Doing-To-Yourself.htm

Ways of coping are very important tools. Sometimes perhaps write yourself small notes when you are feeling good. Then keep them stashed away somewhere for when you are feeling bad. When you are having a bad day read what you wrote and remember to smile even if you do not feel like it. You can fool yourself into being more happy over time if you just continue to smile.

http://chronicfatigue.about.com/od/copingwithfmscfs/a/pacing101.htm

Finally I want you to repeat after me. This is not my fault and I am a beautiful worthy person. You deserve to be happy and have enjoyment in life. This can feel like a heavy burden but you can find ways to lighten the load. My advice comes from living with Fibromyalgia myself. I know what it feels like and how hard it is. So just know that this advice is coming from someone that does indeed know how you feel. Find something that you enjoy doing that helps others. There is a joy in helping someone that cannot possibly pay you back for your kindness, but it brightens the world. You can smile and find joy and hope and a reason to go on. Life is beautiful and you are not alone.

Quiescent Aureate Serpent

©Children of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

ILLNESSES REPORTED BY CHILDREN OF VIETNAM VETERANS AGENT ORANGE WWW.COVVHA.NET

Agent Orange 731 Illnesses Reported By Children Of Vietnam Veterans – COVVHA Database Update 2013

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Agent Orange 731 Illnesses Reported By Children Of Vietnam Veterans – COVVHA Database Update 2013

We have compiled a list of 731 reported illnesses that the biological Children of Vietnam Veterans are suffering from to try and find common threads. There have been no official claims that anything on this list has been proven to be caused by Agent Orange/Dioxin unless otherwise noted in the information below. Other reports indicate that there are up to 30 years of illnesses and conditions being collected that we suffer from as the second generation. While many of us are born with these problems, our members that participated in this list are generally between the ages of 20-45 both male and female, often with no prior family history. If you are suffering from any illness not listed, please email us at COVVHA@GMAIL.COM. This list has been updated as of January 9, 2013. Please click on the page “JOIN OUR SITE” to become an email subscriber. You will then receive notifications when databases for 2ND GENERATION, 3RD GENERATION, and VETERANS HEALTH have been updated as well as any new articles that are published. Please be sure to check your email after subscribing for your confirmation completion.

  1. Abnormal Cervical Bleeding
  2. Abnormal Growth between the Ovaries
  3. Abnormal Pap Smears
  4. Abnormal Periods
  5. Abnormal Rectal Bleeding
  6. Achy Body
  7. Acid Reflux
  8. Acne Issues Undefined Cystic
  9. Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
  10. Acute Myeloid Leukemia
  11. ADD
  12. Addiction Cigarettes
  13. Addiction other than Cigarettes
  14. Addison’s Disease
  15. Adenomyosis
  16. ADHD
  17. Adrenal Gland Tumors
  18. Adult Acne
  19. Agoraphobia Severe
  20. Albinism
  21. Alcoholism
  22. Allergies
  23. Alopecia Areata
  24. Amblyopia
  25. Amenorrhoea
  26. Amputation
  27. Anal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Basaloid Type
  28. Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma
  29. Anaphylaxis
  30. Anencephaly
  31. Anemia
  32. Anger Issues
  33. Angioedema
  34. Ankyloglossia
  35. Ankylosing Spondylitis
  36. Annual Decrease in Night Vision
  37. Anorexia Nervosa
  38. Antiphospholipid Syndrome
  39. Anxiety
  40. Aortic Pulmonary Regurgitation
  41. Aphasia
  42. Appendicitis Cancerous/Undefined
  43. Appendicitis
  44. Arachnoid Cyst In Brain Space
  45. Arachnoiditis
  46. Arnold-Chiari Malformation
  47. Arrhythmia
  48. Arteriovenous Malformation
  49. Arthritis Inflammatory Of The Si Joint Rheumatoid
  50. Arthritis Juvenile
  51. Asperger’s
  52. Asthma
  53. Ataxia
  54. Atrial Fibrillation
  55. Autism
  56. Autoimmune Disease
  57. Autoimmune Disease Unknown Etiology
  58. Autonomic Nervous System Dysfunction
  59. Autonomic Neuropathy
  60. Back Pain
  61. Bacterial Meningitis
  62. Bacterial Infections
  63. Balance Problem
  64. Bell’s Palsy
  65. Benign Cyst Armpit
  66. Benign Multinodular Goiter
  67. Benign Oral Cysts
  68. Benign Tumor on Thyroid/ Near Total Thyroidectomy Surgery
  69. Berger’s Disease
  70. Bicornuate Uterus
  71. Bicuspid Aortic Heart Valve
  72. Bicuspid Valve Prolapse
  73. Bilateral Baker Cysts
  74. Bilateral Uterus
  75. Bipartite Patellas
  76. Bipolar Disorder
  77. Blackouts
  78. Bladder Infections/ Utis
  79. Bladder Is Collapsing
  80. Bladder Issues Infections/Overactive
  81. Bladder Lift
  82. Bleeding Issues
  83. Blindness
  84. Blood in Urine Undefined
  85. Blood Vessel Issues
  86. Boils
  87. Bone Cancer
  88. Bone Spurs/Problems Undefined
  89. Bones Missing At Birth
  90. Border Line Diabetic
  91. Borderline High Blood Pressure
  92. Borderline Personality Disorder
  93. Borderline Schizophrenia
  94. Born Blind
  95. Born Deaf
  96. Bowel Deformity/Issues
  97. Bradycardia Arrhythmia
  98. Brain Calcification And An Enlarged Perivascular Space
  99. Brain Issues Water On The Brain
  100. Brain Lesions Aneurism/Tumors/Surgery
  101. Brain Stem Abnormalities
  102. Brain Stem Small
  103. Brain Tumors
  104. Breast Cancer
  105. Breast Pain
  106. Breathing Problems Undefined
  107. Bronchitis/Bronchial Spasms
  108. Bursitis
  109. Calcium Deficiency
  110. Calluses on Vocal Chords Faulty Stomach Acid Caused
  111. Camptodactyly
  112. Cancer
  113. Cancer Undefined
  114. Cardiac Arrhythmia
  115. Cardiac Deformity
  116. Cardiomyopathy
  117. Cardiac Sarcoma
  118. Carpal Tunnel
  119. Caudal Regression
  120. Cava Perthes
  121. Celiac Disease
  122. Cellulitis
  123. Central Nervous System Disorder
  124. Cerebral Palsy
  125. Cerebellum Issues Undefined
  126. Cerebral Aneurysm
  127. Cerebral Palsy
  128. Cervical Cancer
  129. Cervical Dysplasia/Incompetency
  130. Cervical Infections
  131. Chiari Malformation Assoc W/ Spina Bifida
  132. Chemical Sensitivity
  133. Chest Wall Pain/ Breast Pain/Chest Pain
  134. Childhood Bedwetting
  135. Childhood Extreme Shyness
  136. Chloracne
  137. Choristoma Tumor in the Ear
  138. Chromosome Abnormalities
  139. Crohn’s Disease
  140. Chronic Asthmatic Bronchitis
  141. Chronic Candida and Other Female Reproductive Organ Infections
  142. Chronic Childhood Ear Infections
  143. Chronic Constipation
  144. Chronic Costochondritis
  145. Chronic ENT Issues Resulting In Adenoidectomy Tonsillectomy And Ear Tubes
  146. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
  147. Chronic Fatigue and Immune Deficiency Syndrome
  148. Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy
  149. Chronic Insomnia
  150. Chronic Kidney Disease
  151. Chronic Knee Dysplasia
  152. Chronic Migraines
  153. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Copd
  154. Chronic Pneumonia
  155. Chronic Sinusitis
  156. Chronic Urinary Tract Infections
  157. Chronic Venous Insufficiency Cvi Severe
  158. Cleft Palate Lips
  159. Clotting Disorders
  160. Club Foot
  161. Club Foot Talipes Equinovarus
  162. Cognitive Disorder
  163. Cognitive Disorder
  164. Cognitive Issues
  165. Cold Hands/Feet
  166. Cold/Flu Chronic
  167. Collapsed Vertebra
  168. Colon Issues
  169. Complete Hysterectomy
  170. Complete Pelvic Floor Collapse
  171. Compromised Immune System
  172. Compulsive Skin Picking Around Fingers
  173. Congenial Scoliosis
  174. Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia
  175. Congenital Anosmia Born Without the Ability To Smile
  176. Congenital Heart Blockage
  177. Congenital Hips
  178. Congenital Hypertension
  179. Connective Tissue Disorder
  180. Constipation/Cramping
  181. Conversion Disorder
  182. Costochondritis
  183. Cranial Synthesis
  184. Crest Syndrome
  185. Crohn’s Disease
  186. Crossed Eyes Newborn
  187. Cryoglobulinemia
  188. Cushings Syndrome
  189. Cystic Acne
  190. Cystic Fibrosis
  191. Cystic Fibrosis
  192. Cysts
  193. Cysts Arm Brain Hand Leg Shoulder Blade Thyroid
  194. Daily Headaches
  195. Debilitating Muscle Spasms
  196. Deep Venous Thrombosis
  197. Deformed Arms/Legs/Fingers/Toes/Feet
  198. Deformed Sinuses
  199. Deformity of Chest/Breast
  200. Deformity of Shoulders/Muscles
  201. Deformity of The Face/Head/Neck
  202. Degenerative Disc Disease
  203. Degenerative Joint Syndrome
  204. Degenerative Ligament Tissue
  205. Dehydration
  206. Dental Problems
  207. Depression
  208. Depression Major Clinical
  209. Dermatitis
  210. Detached Retina
  211. Developmental Delay
  212. Deviated Nasal Septum
  213. Dextrocardia
  214. Diabetes Type I
  215. Diabetes Type II
  216. Diagonal Earlobe Crease
  217. Dilated Cardiomyopathy with Enlarged Left Ventricle And Heart Sound
  218. Diarrhea SP
  219. Digestive Issues
  220. Disc Desiccation
  221. Dissociative Disorder
  222. Diverticulitis
  223. Dizzy Spells
  224. Double Cervix
  225. Double Hernia @ Birth
  226. Double Ureter
  227. Double Uterus/Cervix
  228. Double Uvula/Cleft Uvula
  229. Droop Eye Ptosis
  230. Drug Abuse
  231. Duane Syndrome
  232. Dwarfism
  233. Dysautonomia
  234. Dyslexia
  235. Dysphagia
  236. Dysthymia Aka Chronic Depression
  237. Ear Infections/Problems/Surgeries/Tubes
  238. Ectopic Pregnancy
  239. Eczema
  240. Electrolyte Abnormalities
  241. Elevated Heart Rate
  242. Emotional Problems
  243. Empty Sella Syndrome
  244. Endocrine Disorders
  245. Endometrial Cancer
  246. Endometrial Hyperplasia
  247. Endometriosis-
  248. Enlarged Heart
  249. Enlarged Liver-Cause Unknown
  250. Epilepsy
  251. Eustachian Tube Dysfunction
  252. Excessive Nose Bleeds
  253. Excessive Sweating
  254. Exotropia
  255. Extra Body Parts
  256. Extra Bones
  257. Extra Vertebrae
  258. Eye Floaters
  259. Eye Problems Undefined
  260. Eyes Legs Stomach Abdomen
  261. Facet Joint Syndrome
  262. Facial Aplasia
  263. Factor V Leiden
  264. Familial Tremor
  265. Fatigue Chronic Syndrome,
  266. Fatty Deposits on Liver
  267. Felty’s Syndrome
  268. Fever Seizures
  269. Fever Undefined
  270. Fibrocystic Breast Disease
  271. Fibroid Cysts in Breast
  272. Fibromyalgia
  273. Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis
  274. Follicular Lymphoma/Large B Cell Lymphoma
  275. Food Allergies
  276. Foot Deformity/Issues/Burning
  277. Fragile X Syndrome
  278. Frazonism
  279. Fused Digits
  280. Fused Vertebrae in Neck
  281. Fused Vertebrae/Disc
  282. Gall Bladder Disease/ Gall Stones
  283. Ganglion Cyst
  284. Gastritis
  285. Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD
  286. Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
  287. Gastrointestinal Problems
  288. Gastroparesis SP
  289. Gene Mutations gg MHP
  290. Generalized Anxiety Disorder
  291. Gestational Diabetes
  292. Glaucoma
  293. Glioblastoma
  294. Gluten Intolerance
  295. Goiter
  296. Goldenhar Syndrome
  297. Gout
  298. Grand Mal Seizures
  299. Grave’s Disease
  300. Growth Hormone Deficiency
  301. Growths/Lumps on Skull
  302. Hae – Hereditary Angioedema
  303. Hair Loss
  304. Hairy Cell Leukemia
  305. Hashimoto’s Autoimmune Thyroid Disease
  306. Head Sores
  307. Headaches (Chronic
  308. Hearing Loss
  309. Hearing Loss/Deafness
  310. Heart Attack
  311. Heart Defect/Murmur/Newborn
  312. Heart Disease
  313. Heart Failure
  314. Heart Murmur
  315. Heart Palpitations
  316. Heart Problems/Surgery Undefined
  317. Heat Intolerance
  318. Heel Spur
  319. Hemangioma
  320. Hereditary Atypical Hemochromatosis
  321. Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia
  322. Hernia
  323. Herniated Discs
  324. High ANA Levels In Blood Leads To Potential Lupus Diagnosis
  325. High Blood Pressure
  326. High Cholesterol
  327. High Myopia/ Shortsightedness
  328. High Pulse Rate
  329. Hip Deformity/Pain/Surgery/Undefined -
  330. Hip Dysplasia
  331. Hip Pain Undefined
  332. Hip Replacement
  333. Hirsutism
  334. Histiocytosis
  335. Hives
  336. Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
  337. Hormone Issues/Replacement
  338. Hidradenitis Suppurativa
  339. Hydrocele Testis
  340. Hydrocephalus
  341. Hydrocephaly CG (brother-deceased
  342. Hydrocoele Hernia
  343. Hyaline Membrane
  344. Hymen Issues Partially Intact
  345. Hypercoagulability
  346. Hyperhomocysteinemia
  347. Hyperinsulinemia
  348. Hyperlipidemia
  349. Hypermobility Issues/Surgeries
  350. Hyperparathyroidism
  351. Hypertension
  352. Hyperthyroidism
  353. Hypoglycemia
  354. Hypoparathyroidism
  355. Hypoplasia Entire Right Side
  356. Hypoplastic Heart
  357. Hypospadias
  358. Hypothyroidism
  359. Hyperprolactinemia
  360. Hysterectomy
  361. Idiopathic Gastroparesis
  362. Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension
  363. Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura Itp Platelet Disorder
  364. Immune System Issues Undefined & Ivig Infusions
  365. Imperforate Anus
  366. Incompetent Cervix
  367. Infant/Toddler Lethargy Withdrawal
  368. Infertility
  369. Insomnia
  370. Insulin Resistance
  371. Interstitial Cystitis
  372. Intracranial Cyst
  373. Intracranial Hypertension Formally Known As PTC
  374. Involuntary Muscle Spasms Face
  375. Iron Deficiency
  376. Irritable Bowel Syndrome
  377. Ischemic Heart Disease
  378. ITP
  379. Jaw Deformity/Surgery
  380. Joint & Muscle Problems/Pain
  381. Joint Hypermobility Syndrome
  382. Juvenile Macular Degeneration
  383. Keratosis Pilaris
  384. Kidney Disease/Surgery
  385. Kidney Issues/Infections/Cysts
  386. Kidney Stones
  387. Kienbock’s Disease
  388. Knee Chondromalacia Patella
  389. Knee Problems/Dysplasia/Pain/Surgery
  390. Kyphosis
  391. Lactose Intolerant
  392. Lateral Epicondylitis
  393. Bilateral Microtia
  394. Lazy Eye
  395. Learning Disabilities
  396. Legally Blind
  397. Lethargy
  398. Leukemia
  399. Leukocytosis with Neutrophilia
  400. Lhermitte’s Sign
  401. Lichen Planus
  402. Lipomas-Non-Cancerous Tumors Throughout Body
  403. Liver cirrhosis due to atypical hereditary hemochromatosis
  404. Liver Disease Fatty/Undefined
  405. Liver Inflammation/Other
  406. Liver Lesions
  407. Long Qt Syndrome
  408. Loss of Skin Pigment
  409. Loss of Strength In Limbs
  410. Low Blood Count Red
  411. Low Blood Pressure
  412. Low Estrogen
  413. Low Potassium
  414. Low Testosterone
  415. Low Vitamin D Levels
  416. Lumbarization
  417. Lumps On the Head
  418. Lung Cancers and Hocm
  419. Lung Deformity rd Lung
  420. Lung Disease/Nodules/Tumors/Clots
  421. Lupus
  422. Lupus of The Skin
  423. Lymphocytic Thyroiditis
  424. Lymphatic Tumors/Lymphangioma
  425. Lymphoblastic Leukemia
  426. Lymphoma
  427. Macrodactyly
  428. Major Depressive Disorder
  429. Malabsorption of Food/Drink
  430. Malabsorption of Vitamin B
  431. Marfan Syndrome
  432. Mastocytosis
  433. Mastoiditis
  434. Melanoma
  435. Memory Loss
  436. Menieres Disease
  437. Menopause Issues Early
  438. Menorrhagia
  439. Menstrual Cycle Issues
  440. Mental Health Issues
  441. Mental Retardation
  442. Metabolic Syndromes
  443. Metatarsus Varus Pigeon Toe
  444. Methicillin Staphylococcus Resistant Aureus
  445. Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase
  446. Microtia
  447. Migraine Headaches
  448. Migraines : Hypnic Cluster Basilar Hemiplegic
  449. Mild Dysplasia
  450. Misopedia
  451. Missing A Whole Layer of Dermis
  452. Missing Big Toe ,
  453. Missing Digits
  454. Missing Fingers
  455. Missing Limb Right Leg below the Knee
  456. Missing Limbs/Body Parts
  457. Missing Vertebrae
  458. Mitral Valve Prolapse
  459. Mittelschmerz
  460. Mixed Connective Tissue Disease
  461. Mood Swings
  462. Multiple Sclerosis
  463. Mullerian Aplasia
  464. Multiple Cardiac Arrests
  465. Multiple Recurring Undiagnosable Oozing Sores
  466. Muscle Spasms/Pain/Numbness Undefined
  467. Musculoskeletal Problems,
  468. Muscular Dystrophy
  469. Myasthenia Gravis
  470. Mycobacterium Gordonae
  471. Myelodysplastic Syndrome
  472. Mitral Valve Prolapse Duplicate Mitral Valve
  473. Nasal Cancer
  474. Nasal Polyps
  475. Nausea
  476. Neck Pain
  477. Nephrolithiasis
  478. Nerve Damage
  479. Neuralgia Face Feet Hands Legs
  480. Neurocardiogenic
  481. Neurological Problem Undefined
  482. Neuropathy
  483. Neutropenia
  484. Nevus Sebaceous
  485. Night Blindness
  486. Night Sweats
  487. Night Terrors
  488. Nightmares
  489. Non-Hodgkin’S Lymphoma
  490. Nosebleeds
  491. Numbness
  492. Nystagmus
  493. Obesity
  494. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
  495. Oppositional Defiant Disorder
  496. Orthostatic Hypotension
  497. Orthostatic Intolerance
  498. Osteoarthritis
  499. Osteochondritis
  500. Osteogenesis Imperfecta
  501. Osteopenia
  502. Osteoporosis
  503. Ostras Laughters
  504. Otosclerosis
  505. Ovarian Cancer
  506. Ovarian Cysts
  507. Ovaries & Wrists
  508. Overactive Bladder
  509. Pain In Chest Radiating Up My Right Side of Neck
  510. Pain Undefined
  511. Palate Problems
  512. Pancreases
  513. Pancreatitis
  514. Pancytopenia
  515. Panic Attacks
  516. Paralysis
  517. Paresthesias
  518. Para-Thyroid Gland Disfunction
  519. Pericarditis
  520. Pars Planitis
  521. Partial Thyroidectomy
  522. Patellar Subluxation Left Knee
  523. Pectus Excavatum
  524. Peeling As If Sunburned Face and Body
  525. Pelvic Bones Not Fused
  526. Pelvic Congestion Syndrome K, before Hysterectomy
  527. Pelvic Reconstruction/Issues
  528. Peptic Ulcers
  529. Peripheral Neuropathy
  530. Periventricular Leukomalacia
  531. Pernicious Anemia
  532. Personality Disorder
  533. Phantom Pains Photosensitivity
  534. Pierre Robin Sequence
  535. Pituitary Gland Disfunction
  536. Pityriasis
  537. Planar Spaciatis
  538. Pneumonia Childhood / Recurring
  539. Poland Syndrome
  540. Poliosis
  541. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
  542. Polycystic Kidney Disease
  543. Polycythemia
  544. Polycythemia Vera without Genetic Factor
  545. Polymorphic Light Eruption
  546. Polymyositis
  547. Poor Egg Quality
  548. Porphyria
  549. Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome
  550. Potassium Issues
  551. Preeclampsia
  552. Pregnancy Complications Undefined
  553. Pregnancy Partial Molar
  554. Premature Babies
  555. Premature Menopause
  556. Premature Ovarian Failure
  557. Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder
  558. Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor
  559. Prolactinoma
  560. Prolapsed Cervix
  561. Prostate Problems/Enlarged
  562. Psoriasis
  563. Psoriatic Arthritis
  564. Psoriatic Rheumatoid Arthritis
  565. Pseudo-Obstruction Intestinal Neurological
  566. Pseudotumor Cerebri
  567. Ptosis
  568. PTSD Primary Related To Family Violence
  569. PTSD Secondary
  570. Pulmonary Embolism
  571. Pulmonary Edema
  572. Pulmonary Fibrosis/Other Undefined
  573. Pulmonary Restriction
  574. PVC’s
  575. Pyloric Stenosis
  576. Rapid absorption
  577. Rash under My Arm Same Place My Dad Gets It
  578. Rashes Newborn
  579. Rashes Undefined
  580. Raynaud’s Syndrome
  581. Rectal Prolapse
  582. Rectal Seal Prolapse
  583. Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy
  584. Renal Cysts/Calcifications
  585. Renal Failure
  586. Reproductive Problems Female
  587. Respiratory Infections/Distress
  588. Restless Leg Syndrome
  589. Retroverted Uterus
  590. Rhabdomyosarcoma
  591. Rheumatic Fever
  592. Rheumatoid Arthritis
  593. Rosacea
  594. Sacral Agenesis
  595. Sacral lumbarization
  596. Salpingitis Isthmica Nodosa
  597. Sarcoidosis
  598. Schizophrenia
  599. Scleroderma
  600. Scoliosis
  601. Sebaceous Cysts
  602. Seborrheic Dermatitis
  603. Secondary infertility
  604. Seizures Petit Mal
  605. Seizures,
  606. Sensitive Skin
  607. Sensitive Teeth
  608. Sensitivity to Medications
  609. Septate Uterus
  610. Septate Uterus
  611. Severe Chronic Neutropenia
  612. Severe Depression
  613. Severe Light Sensitivity
  614. Shingles Ears Mouth Ophthalmic Throat
  615. Short Term Memory Problems
  616. Shyness
  617. Sinus Infections/Problems
  618. Sinus Tachycardia
  619. Sinusitis
  620. Sjogrens Syndrome
  621. Skin Cancer -
  622. Skin Lesions
  623. Skin Problems/Deformity
  624. Skin Rashes
  625. Sleep Apnea
  626. Slight Deviated Jaw
  627. Small Digits on Hands-
  628. Snoring
  629. Social Anxiety Disorder
  630. Social Problems
  631. Spastic Colon
  632. Speech Problems
  633. Sphincter of Oddi Disorder
  634. Spina Bifida
  635. Spina Bifida Occulta
  636. Spinal Cord Disease/Tumors
  637. Spinal Deformities
  638. Spinal Deterioration
  639. Spinal Surgeries/Pain/Undefined
  640. Spinal Meningitis
  641. SpinoCerebellar Ataxia
  642. SpinoCerebellar Degeneration
  643. Splenetic Cysts
  644. Spondyloarthropy
  645. Spondylolisthesis
  646. Spondylolysis and Spondylolisthesis
  647. Squamous Papilloma Benign Polyp In Mouth
  648. Steatohepatitis
  649. Stenosis of The Spine
  650. Stomach Pains/Problems
  651. Strabismus
  652. Strange Growths
  653. Strep Throat
  654. Stress
  655. Stress Seizures
  656. Stroke
  657. Sturge Weber Syndrome
  658. Subglottic Stenosis
  659. Suicidal Thoughts
  660. Suicide Brother
  661. Supraventricular Tachycardia
  662. Swelling Undefined
  663. Swollen Glands
  664. Syndactyly
  665. Syringomyelia
  666. Tachycardia
  667. Tachycardia Unknown Due To Wpw Syndrome
  668. Temporal Arteritis
  669. Temporomandibular Joint Disorder
  670. Tendonitis
  671. Testicular Deformity
  672. Thinning Of Hair Top Front
  673. Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
  674. Throat Tumors
  675. Thrombophilia
  676. Thyroid Cancer Hashimoto’s
  677. Thyroid Issues & Cysts Hyperthyroidism
  678. Tilted Uterus
  679. Tinea Versicolor
  680. Tinnitus Lifelong
  681. Tired
  682. Tonsillitis/Tonsillectomy
  683. Tooth Decay Abnormal
  684. Tooth Formation Absence Adult Teeth Never Came In
  685. Torticollis
  686. Tourettes
  687. Toxic Shock Syndrome
  688. Tracheoesophageal Fistula
  689. Tracheo-Esophageal Fistula
  690. Tremors
  691. Triple Ureter
  692. Triple X Syndrome
  693. Truncus Arteriosus
  694. Tuberculosis
  695. Tumor on The Parathyroid
  696. Tumors
  697. Tumors on Liver
  698. Twitches
  699. Ulcerated Colitis
  700. Ulcers Stomach Mouth Nose
  701. Undiagnosed Rash One Side of Body
  702. Unexplained Numbness
  703. Unexplained Tingling Right Side of Body
  704. Unspecified Immunodeficiency
  705. Urinary Tract Infections/Issues
  706. Uterine Cancer
  707. Uterine Fibroids
  708. Uterine Leiomyosarcoma
  709. Uterine Polyps
  710. Urticaria
  711. Vacterl Syndrome
  712. Vaginal Bleeding
  713. Vaginosis
  714. Vascular Headaches
  715. Vasculitis
  716. Varicose Veins
  717. Vertebrae Extra/Missing
  718. Vertigo
  719. Viral Meningitis
  720. Vision Problems
  721. Vitamin B Deficiency
  722. Vitiligo
  723. Vomiting
  724. Von Willebrand’S Disease
  725. Vulvodynia Pain in the Vulva
  726. Weak Enamel In/On Teeth
  727. Weak Muscles Left Leg
  728. Webbed Toes
  729. Weight Loss
  730. Whole Thyroidectomy Surgery
  731. Wolff- Parkinson- White Syndrome

© (COVVHA) CHILDREN OF VIETNAM VETERANS HEALTH ALLIANCE INC

monsanto agent orange vietnam veterans gmo news

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

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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

© Heather A. Bowser – (COVVHA) Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance INC

 

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

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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

OPERATION RED HAT AGENT ORANGE

BREAKING AGENT ORANGE NEWS – Okinawa Japan Operation Red Hat

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‘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

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.

News photo
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
Agent Orange Peace Boat 2012 COVVHA

The Lingering Effects of Agent Orange

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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

CBD LAPEL feature

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

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JUST IN TIME FOR THE HOLIDAYS!!!

The Perfect stocking stuffer gift that will shine the whole year through!!!
Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance is proud to introduce our new Lapel Pins for purchase

Individual Pins Are Priced At $12.00

Email Us At PMASON@COVVHA.NET To Place Your Orders!!!!

Veteran of The Month, November 2012

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By; John J. Bury, USN, retired, Vietnam War Veteran
Author for ©COVVHA

It was back in the summer of 2012. Doug Ferguson, Director of Alumni Programs of Delaware County Community College called me. He inquired about a couple article I had written for our locale newspaper, the Delaware County Time, Media, Pa. We chatted about those articles, his thought was my writing was an inspiration to veterans who needed help. I told Doug there are several articles I had written, all of which had been published nationwide. I sent all of them to him. Told him my writings speak for themselves. My thinking was that he was curious about what I write and why.

As time passed on, nothing more from Doug. I had forgotten all about his inquiry. It was about the last week of October, I receive an e-mail from Doug to call him. In our phone conversation, he announced to me that I had been selected by the college, of which I am a graduate Class of ‘85, to be Veteran of the month November 2012, veterans month. I was very much surprised to be selected for this honor. My thought at the moment, who am I to be so honored? There are many veterans out there other then me. The college has well over 250 veterans attending the college. I felt surely there were some who had been wounded in battle and some who had been award various medals for their heroism. Their story would be more interesting then my own.

Doug’s comment to me was, the Vietnam war with all its criticism back in the day, there was a need for its recognition; plus the work I was doing in having Vietnam veterans recognize, especially those who fell sick to Agent Orange Dioxin poisoning. He sent me a format of five question. A BIO of my college days and what that education did for me. Sort of a life experience during and after college.

I gave much thought of what and how to write this BIO. I though something brief, to the point and factual, sort of in a way I normally write for the news media. Hence, below is what I came up with: Also The actual write up as published in the Alumni news bulletin, goto: www.dccc.edu/alumni-and-friends/alumni-news-and-updates
Alumni News and Updates Delaware County Community College.

1. What year did you graduate from Delaware County Community College and with what degree? 1985. Business Management. Did it the hard way. Worked all day, college at night.

2. Did you pursue further academic goals? No.

3. Where are you now? Living in Middletown Township, Delaware County, Media, Pa. Retired.

4. What is next for you professionally? After retiring from the US Navy with 22 years service in 1975, I took a job with Williamson Free School of Mechanical Trades teaching disciplines of engineering in the Power Technology Department. After eight years, I moved on to become Director of Engineering and Plant Facilities at Westtown School. I retired from the work force in 1999. Some years later I become an Advocate for Vietnam War Veterans many of these veterans are infected with Agent Orange Dioxin who had served on land, in the air and at sea. Presently I am a writer/columnist, being published in news publications nationwide. I write about the effects of Agent Orange Dioxin and what it has/is doing to those who served in the Vietnam War. My goal is to have House Bill HR-3612 and Senate Bill S.1629, passed. These two Bills if passed will afford Vietnam veterans of all branches of service the VA benefits and compensation they deserve.

5. What advice would you give to current students and Alumni to capitalize on the education they receive from the College? Move forward at a pace you are comfortable with. Learn from other workers, those who know the job best, they are your asset to excel. As one of my DCCC professors would say, “Always remember there are two sides to a coin, understand both sides before coming to a conclusion.” Sounds like good advise to me.

COVVHA Organic View Radio Agent Orange Veterans

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

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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
CBD17

COVVHA BY DESIGN CUSTOM CLOTHING LINE

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WE ARE PROUD TO ANNOUNCE OUR NEW AGENT ORANGE AWARENESS CHILDREN OF VIETNAM VETERANS HEALTH ALLIANCE CUSTOM CLOTHING LINE “COVVHA BY DESIGN”  SPONSORED BY
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For Ordering and product Information Please Contact
PMASON@COVVHA.NET
 

To View Photos, please Click HERE

Agent Orange News Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance 2012

Agent Orange Dioxin & GMO News September – October

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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 Dioxin #COVVHA #AO2GEN

Children of Vietnam Health Alliance Makes Debut Appearance On Vietnam Television – VIDEO

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We here at COVVHA, get this question a lot…

When I made my first trip to Vietnam, my biggest fear was that I would be considered a traitor, a war sympathizer, and God forbid, a Hanoi Jane (A.K.A. Hanoi Heather). Even after my first trip, I was a little hesitant to start speaking out. Then it happened. I just started sharing my experiences with others. To my surprise, as I started speaking out, many American Vietnam Veterans came to me asking questions. They would ask, “Did you go to XXX? I served there, what is it like now?” Others would speak of the topography, where they went on R&R, more than one told me of a lost love, asking if I met any Vietnamese American children. Some would tentatively ask how I was treated by the Vietnamese. When I would tell the stories of meeting aging Vietnamese veterans, who once fought for the North or South, and how they would listen to my family’s tragic Agent Orange story, and tear up, then tell me through the translator, how they are very sick from diabetes, cancers and heart conditions and how their children are very ill or dead. The American Veteran would listen, and then more often than not say, “I’m glad you went, I’m not sure if I would go back, but I’m glad you went. I know your Dad is very proud of you.” That was all the affirmation I needed. I was on the right path. It took the men who are living the long Shadow of the Vietnam War to give me the courage I needed.

A few times, and I say very few, because it’s only happened twice, I have been called a “War sympathizer,” I will tell you no Vietnam Veteran has ever called me such. Maybe they are too polite or too pissed to speak with me, I get that, but I’ve never had that experience. When it has happened, I have said, I am not a war sympathizer, I am a humanitarian, the war is over, and our countries are at peace with each other. The mental, and physical pain left from the war is not over, on either side, but the actual taking up arms and killing each other is.

The Vastness of the problem with Agent Orange in Vietnam took till my third trip to even grasp. Vietnam is roughly the same size in square miles as the state of New Mexico. Vietnam reports it has over three million Agent Orange victims. Now think about a county in your state. In one small province in Vietnam I visited, there were 14,000 Agent Orange Victims, 7,000 of them were second generation victims. Can you imagine? Remember the polio epidemic? If it were happening again, would you just sit by and watch? Now, not only throw in the polio epidemic, but also throw in extreme poverty, very poor health care and toxic local environments that are continuing to poison the food supply, creating more victims. This is the current state of things in Vietnam. Would you support those who were doing the work to stop it, and improve the conditions of innocent children? There are many trying to stop this epidemic in Vietnam.

How can helping those offspring affected by Agent Orange in Vietnam help the offspring of Vietnam Veterans in the US or Australia? Currently, there is more research going on in Vietnam on issues of Agent Orange than anywhere else in the world. In Vietnam, there are more supporters globally then there have ever been for the children of US or Australian Veterans. Ninety nine percent of these global supporters do not even know there are Agent Orange offspring Victims in the United States or Australia. If none of the children of American Vietnam Vets or Australian Vietnam Vets are speaking out and educating those in the global community that we are in fact here, how will they ever know? How will they ever know we need help with health care costs and the like?
Why is all this research happening and global supporters still do not know other victims exist? Number one, it is the multitudes of identifiable Agent Orange victims in Vietnam. Remember, three million victims in the area as large as the state of New Mexico. Secondly, it has to do with the fact that Vietnam acknowledges there is a problem, unlike the Australian and US Governments, and invites researchers in to try to help. I do have to have a side note to say, at least the Australian Government has been more open to appropriate research. Our governments and chemical companies have worked hard to dismiss the Vietnam Veteran’s story of suffering in their children and stifle any real research. Then they turn around and say, there are no reputable studies on the affects of Dioxin in the offspring of Vietnam Veterans
.
Wouldn’t it be helpful if this international support would come to the offspring of American and Australian Agent Orange victims as well? Especially after the last 40 years that our own governments have turned their back on our Fathers, and our families. Wouldn’t it be amazing if the same pressure that is happening in Vietnam to require the government to create social/medical change for the victims of Agent Orange could also happen in the US and Australia? Unless the children of American and Australian Vietnam Veterans engage with the rest of the world, it will pass us by while we wait for our governments to just do the right thing. How much longer should we be passive?

There is something to be said for the emotional healing that has happened for me as a result of my trips to Vietnam. I was once extremely bitter, especially after my own Father died as a result of his AO illnesses. It changed me to see other disabled children born after the war, who also like myself, had no say in the politics of the 60’s, interacting and caring for each other. Their simple acts of compassion for each other helped heal a very lonely place left in my heart from childhood. It’s also given me hope by watching Non Government Organizations, physically help those in most need in Vietnam. I see what could be. I see the future for projects that could meet the unique needs of American and Australian generational victims of Agent Orange. We have to be out there meeting each other, we have to understand the suffering we ALL are going through. One of our dreams is to facilitate a group of American/Australian victims of Agent Orange to go to Vietnam as a delegation to experience this for themselves. It’s only with doing, engaging and acting can real change happen.

It’s about public relations, building relationships, comparing research, and comparing experiences, that helps not only the greater good, but us in the long run. Some may never agree with me, and that is fine. I am a humanitarian, not a war sympathizer, I have my Father’s approval and that is all I need to continue this work. Caring about the Vietnamese Agent Orange victim really does matter.

© Heather A. Bowser
Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxhnIKp3WlU

Agent Orange Pregnancy Outcomes Among Us Women Vietnam Veterans – IOM Report

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The possibility of long-term health effects includingadverse reproductive health outcomes resulting frommilitary service in Vietnam has been a subject of researchinterest in the United States over the past two decades [CDCVietnam Experience Study, 1988; Stellman et al., 1988].The U.S. Congress, responding to concerns of many womenVietnam veterans, legislatively mandated a comprehensive health study of women Vietnam veterans.

This mandate ledto three separate but related epidemiologic studies of women Vietnam era veterans: (1) post-Vietnam servicemortality follow-up; (2) assessment of psychologic healthoutcomes; and (3) reproductive health outcomes. Resultsof the ®rst two studies were published or submitted to Congress previously [Thomas et al., 1991; Dalager andKang, 1996]. The present report deals with the thirdstudy.

The studies of reproductive outcomes among maleveterans have been mostly negative in that service inVietnam was not associated with the risk of fathering a childwith birth defects, spontaneous abortion, stillbirth orneonatal death [Erickson et al., 1984; Donovan et al.,1984; Aschengrau and Monson, 1989, 1990]. However, inthe recent “Ranch Hand study”, neural tube defects (spinabi®da, anencephaly) were reported in four children of U.S.Air Force personnel who sprayed Agent Orange and other herbicides in Vietnam, while none was observed among children of control veterans [Wolfe et al., 1995].

Further-more, when the CDC birth defects study was reanalyzedusing the exposure opportunity index based upon interview data, the risk of spina bi®da was signi®cantly associatedwith the highest estimated level of Agent Orange exposure[Erickson et al., 1984]. Based on these data and others, anInstitute of Medicine panel suggested an associationbetween herbicide exposure in Vietnam and an increased risk of spina bi®da in children [IOM, 1996]

Agent Orange Pregnancy Outcomes Among Us Women Vietnam Veterans1097-0274(200010)38!4!447–AID-AJIM11-3.0

AGENT ORANGE ILLNESS DATABASE #COVVHA

Children Of Vietnam Veterans Agent Orange Dioxin Reported Illness List – COVVHA Database Update

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CHILDREN OF VIETNAM VETERANS, SONS AND DAUGHTERS, SECOND GENERATION, AGENT ORANGE DIOXIN BIRTH DEFECTS & HEALTH ISSUES

We have compiled a list of 63o reported illnesses that the biological Children of Vietnam Veterans are suffering from to try and find common threads. There have been no official claims that anything on this list has been proven to be caused by Agent Orange/Dioxin unless otherwise noted in the information below. Other reports indicate that there are up to 30 years of illnesses and conditions being collected that we suffer from as the second generation. While many of us are born with these problems, our members that participated in this list are generally between the ages of 20-45 both male and female, often with no prior family history. If you are suffering from any illness not listed, please email us at COVVHA@GMAIL.COM or fill out the comment section on our “Contact Us” page. This list has been updated as of July 24, 2012

Abnormal Cervical Bleeding
Abnormal growth between the ovaries
Abnormal Pap Smears
Abnormal Periods
Abnormal Rectal Bleeding
Achy Body
Acid Reflux
Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Addiction (cigarettes)
Addiction(other than cigs/alcohol, non drug)
Addison’s Disease
Adenomyosis
ADHD
Adult Acne
Albinism
Alcoholism
Allergies
Alopecia Areata
Amblyopia
Amenorrhoea
Amputation
Anal Squamous Cell Carcinoma-Basiloid Type
Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma
Anencephaly
Anemia
Anemia SC (as a small child when I had pneumonia)
Anger Issues
Angioedema
Ankyloglossia
Ankylosing spondylitis
Anorexia
Annual decrease in (night) vision
Anxiety/GAD
Aortic Pulmonary Regurgitation
Aphasia
Appendicitis
Arachnoid Cyst in Brain Space
Arnold Chiari Malformation
Arrhythmia
Arterial Vienous Malformation (AVM)
Arthritis: Inflammatory, of the SI Joint, Rhumatoid, Juvenile
ASD
Asperger’s Syndrome
Asthma
Ataxia
Atrial Fibrillation
Autism
Autoimmune Disease (Unknown Etiology)
Autonomic Neuropathy
Bacterial Infections
Back Pain
Balance Problems
Bell’s Palsy (now-resolved)
Berger’s Disease (Kidney Disease)
Benign Cyst (armpit)
Benign Multinodular Goiter
Benign Oral Cysts
Benign tumor on thryoid/ near total thyroidectomy surgery
Bicorneate Uterus
Bicuspid Aorta Heart Valve
Bicuspid Valve Prolapse
Bilateral Baker’s Cyst
Bilateral Uterus
Bipartide Patellas
Bipolar Disorder
Bladder infections/ UTI’s
BLADDER IS COLLAPSING
Bladder Lift
Bleeding Issues
Blindness
Blood in Urine (undefined)
Blood Vessel Issues
Boils
Bone Cancer
Bones Spurs/Problems (Undefined)
Bones Missing at Birth
Borderline High Blood Pressure
Borderline Diabetic
Borderline Schizophrenia
Born Blind
Born Deaf
Bowel Deformity/Issues
Brain Issues (Water on the brain, etc)
Brain (calcification & an enlarged Penvascular space)
Brain Lesions, Aneurisms, Tumors, Surgery
Brain Stem Abnormalities(Too small)
Brain Tumors
Breathing Problems (undefined)
Bronchitis/Bronchial Spasms
Bursitis
Calcium Deficiency
Calluses on vocal Chords-Faulty “flap” stomach acid caused
Camptodactyly
Cancer
Cardiac Arrhythmia
Cardiac Deformity
Cardiomyopathy
Cardio Sarcoma
Carpel Tunnel
Caudal Regression
Cava Perthes
Celiac Disease
Cellulitis Infections
Central Nervous System Disorder
Cerebellum Issues (Undefined)
Cerebra Aneurysm
Cerebral Palsy
Cervical Cancer
Cervical Dysplasia/Incompetency
Cervical Infections
Chiari Malformation (Assoc. with Spina Bifida)
Chemical Sensitivity
Chest Wall Pain/ Breast Pain
Childhood bedwetting
Childhood Extreme Shyness
Chloracne
Choristoma ( tumor in the ear)
Chromosome Abnormalities
Chronic (Asthmatic) Bronchitis
Chronic Candida and Other Female Reproductive Organ Infections
Chronic Childhood Ear Infections
Chronic Cold/Flu
Chronic Constipation
Chronic Costochondritits
Chronic ENT issues resulting in adenoidectomy, tonsillectomy and ear tubes
Chronic Fatigue And Immune Deficiency Syndrome (CFAIDS)
Chonic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP)
Chronic Insomnia
Chronic Kidney Disease
Chronic Knee Dysplasia
Chronic Migraines
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
Chronic Pneumonia (Childhood/Recurring)
Chronic Sinusitis
Chronic Urinary tract infections
Chronic Urinary Tract Infections
Chronic Venous Insufficiency (CVI), Severe
Cleft Palate, Lips
Clotting Disorders
Club Foot (Talipes equinovarus )
Cold Hands and Feet
Collapsed Vertebrae
Colon Issues
Complete Hysterectomy: Age 25, Age 31, Age 37,Age 36
Complete Pelvic Floor Collapse
Compromised Immune System
Compulsive Skin Picking
Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia
Congenital Anosenia (Born without the ability to smile)
Congenital Heart Blockage
Congenital Hips
Congenital Hypertension
Congenital Scoliosis
Cognitive Issues
Connective Tissue Disorder
Constipation/Cramping
Costochondritis
Conversion Disorder
Cranial Synthesis
Crohn’s Disease
Crossed Eyes (Newborn)
Cryoglobulinemia
Cushing’s Syndrome
Cystic Acne
Cystic Fibrosis
Cysts: Arm, Brain, Hand, Leg, Shoulder Blade, Thyroid, Arm, Ovaries & Wrists.
Daily Headaches
Debilitating Muscle Spasms
Deep Venous Thrombosis (DVT)
Deformed Extermities/Digits
Deformed Sinuses
Deformity Chest/Brest
Deformity Shoulder/Muscles
Degenerative Disc/Bone Disease
Degenerative Ligament Tissue
Degenerative Joint Disease
Dehydration
Dental Problems
Depression (Major, Clinical, Severe)
Dermatitis
Developmental Delay
Deviated Septum
Dextrocardia
Diagonal earlobe Crease
Diarrhea
Digestive Issues
Disc Desiccation
Dissociative Disorder
Diverticulitis
Dizzy Spells
Double Cervix
Double Hernia at Birth
Double Ureter
Double Uterus/Cervix
Double Uvula
Droop Eye (Ptosis)
Drug Abuse
Duane Syndrome
Dwarfism
Dysautonomia
Dysphaxia
Dyslexia
Dysthemia
Ear Infections, Problems, Surgeries, Tubes
Ectopic Pregnancy
Eczema
Electrolyte Abnormalities
Elevated Heart Rate
Emotional Problems
Endocrine Disorders
Endometrial Cancer
Endometrial Hyperplasia
Endometriosis
Enlarged Liver (Cause Unknown)
Epilepsy
Excessive Sweating
Exotropia
Extra body parts (Organs)
Eye Problems (Undefined)
Facet Joint Syndrome
Facial Aplasia
Factor Z Leiden
Familial Tremor
Fatty Deposits on Liver
Felty’s Syndrome
Fever (Undefined)
Fever Seizures
Fibrocystic Breast Disease
Fibroid Cysts in Breast
Fibromyalgia
Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS)
Food Allergies
Follicular Lymphoma/Large B Cell Lymphoma
Foot Deformity, Issues, Burning
Fragile X Syndrome
Frazonism
Fused Digits
Fused Vertebrae in Neck
Gall Bladder Disease
Gallstones
Ganglion Cyst
Gastritis
Gastrointestinal Problems
Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
Gastroparesis
Gene Mutation
Glaucoma
Glioblastoma
Gluten Intolerance
Goiter
Goldenhar Syndrome
Gout
Grand Mal Seizures
Grave’s Disease
Growth Hormone Deficiency (GHD)
Growths/Lumps on Skull
HAE – Hereditary Angioedema (still being tested for verification)
HAE – Hereditary Angioedema Type 3
Hair Loss
Hairy Cell Leukemia
Hashimoto’s auto-immune thyroid disease
Headaches
Head Sores
Heat Intolerance
Hearing Loss/Deafness
Heart Attack
Heart Disease
Heart Failure
Heart Problems/Surgery (Undefined)
Heart Murmur (as a child) Heart Palpatations
Heel Spur
Hemangioma
Hereditary (atypical) heochromatosis
Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia (HHT)
Hernia
Herniated Discs
High Blood Pressure
High Cholesterol
High Pulse Rate
Hip Deformity, Pain, Surgery (Undefined)
Hip Dysplasia
Hip Pain (Undefined)
Hip Replacement
Hirsutism
Histiocytosis
Hives
Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
Hormone Issues/Replacement
Hidradenitis suppurativa
Hydrocephalus
Hydrococle Hernia
Hylan Membrane
Hyman Issues (Partially Intact)
Hypercoagulability
Hyperhomocysteinemia
Hyperinsulimia
Hyperlipidemia
Hypermobility Issues/ Surgeries
Hyperparathyroidism
Hypospadias
Hypoplastic Heart
Hyoplasia –Entire Right Side
Hypertension
Hyperthyroidism
Hypoglycemia
Hypothyroidism (HASHIMOTOS)
Idiopathic Gastroparesis
Idiopathic Intercranial Hypertension (IIH)
Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP) Platelet Disorder
Immune System Issues (Undefined & IVIG Infusions)
Incompetent Cervix
Infertility (SECONDARY)
Insulin Resistance
Interstitial Cystitis (IC)
Intracranial Cyst
Intracranial Hypertension
Involuntary Muscle Spasm (Face) (EYE, LEGSSTOACH,ABDOMEN)
Iron Deficiency
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Ischemic Heart Disease
ITP
Jaw Deformity/Surgery
Joint & Muscle Problems/Pain
Joint Hypermobility Syndrome
Keratosis pilaris
Kidney Disease/Surgery
Kidney Stones, Infection, Cysts
Kienbock’s Disease
Knee Problems/Dysplasia ,Pain, Surgery
Knee Replacement
Lateral Microtia
Lazy Eye (x2)
Learning Disabilities
Legally blind
Lethargy
Leukemia
Leukocytosis with neutrophilia
Lhermitte’s Sign
Lichen Planus
Liponas-(non-cancerous tumors throughout the body)
Liver Disease (Fatty/Undefined)
Liver Inflammation/Other
Liver Lesions
Long QT Syndrome (LQTS)
Loss of Skin Pigment
Loss of Strength in Limbs
Low Blood Count (Red)
Low Blood Pressure
Low Estrogen
Low Potassium
Low Testosterone
Low vitamin D levels…even with sun and supplements
Lumbarization (Extra Vertabrae)
Lung Deformity (3rd Lung)
Lung Disease, Nodules, Tumors, Clots
Lupus
Lupus of the Skin
Lymphoma
Lymphatic Tumors/ Lymphangioma
Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Lymphocytic Thyroditis
Macrodactyly
Malabsorption of food/drink
Marfan Syndrome
Mastoiditis
Melanoma (spreading)
Memory Loss
Memory Retention Problems
Meniere’s Disease
Menopause Issues (Early)
Menstrual Cycle Issues
Mental Health Issues
Mental Retardation
Menorrhagia
Metabolic Syndromes
Methicillin Staphylococcus Resistant Aureus (MSRA)
Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (MTHFR)
Microtia
Migraine headaches ( Cluster, Basilar, and Hemiplegic Migraines)
Mild Displasia
Miscarriages
Missing a whole layer of dermis (skin)
Missing Big Toe
Missing Fingers
Missing Limb (Right Leg, Below the Knee)
Mitral valve prolapsed
Mittelschmerz
Mixed Connective Tissue Disease (MCTD)
Mood Swings
Motor Development (Slow @ Childhood)
Mullerian Aplasia
Multiple Cardiac Arrests
Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple Reoccuring Undiagnosed Oozing Sores
Muscle Spasms, Pain, Numbness, (Undefined)
Musco-Skeletal Problems
Muscular Dystrophy
Myasthenia Gravis
Mycobacterium gordonae
Nasal Cancer
Nasal Polyps
Nausea/Vomiting for no apparent reason.
Neck Pain/ Problems
Nerve Damage
Neuralgia: Face, Feet, Hands, Legs
Neurocardiogenic
Neurological Problems (Undefined)
Neuropathy
Neutropenia
Nevus Sebaceous
Night Blindness
Nightmares
Night Terrors
Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
Nosebleeds
Numbness (Hands, Feet, Body, Limbs)
Nystagmus
Obesity
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Oppositional Defiant Disorder
Orthostatic Hypotension
Osteoarthritis
Osteochondritis
Osteogenesis Imperfecta
Osteopenia
Osteoporosis
Osteosclerosis
Osteo-Slaughters
Ovarian Cancer
Ovarian Cysts
Overactive Bladder
Pain (Undefined)
Pain in chest, radiating up right side of neck
Palate Problems
Pancreatitis
Pancytopenia
Panic Attacks
Para-Thyroid Gland Disfunction
Paralysis
Paresthesia
Pericarditis
Pars Plantis
Patellar Subluxation (Left Knee)
Pectus Excavatum
Peeling As If Sunburned (Face and body)
Pelvic Bones Not Fused
Pelvic Congestion Syndrome (before hysterectomy)
Pelvic Reconstruction/Issues
Peptic Ulcers
Peripheral Neuropathy
Peripheral Nervous System Disorder
Periventricular Leukomalacia
Personality Disorder
Phantom pains in random places in my body with no apparent cause
Photo-sensitivity
Pierre Robin Sequence
Pituitary Gland Dysfunction
Pituitary Issues/Tumors
Pityriasis
Planar Spaciatis
Poland Syndrome
Poliosis
Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
Poly Cystic Kidney Disease (PKD)
Polycythemia Vera Without Genetic Factor
Polymyositis
Poor Egg Quality
Porphyria
Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)
Potassium Issues
Preeclampsia
Pregnancy Complications (Undefined)
Pregnancy, Partial Molar
Premature Babies
Premature Ovarian Failure (POF)
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder
Primitive Neuro-Ectodermal Tumor (PNET)
Prolactinemia
Prolapsed Cervix
Prostate Problems/Enlarged
Psoriasis
Psoriatic Arthritis
Psoriatic Rheumatoid Arthritis
Pseudo tumor Cerebri
Pseudo Obstruction (Intestinal, Neurological)
Ptosis
PTSD (Primary)
PTSD (Secondary)
Pulmonary Edema
Pulmonary Embolism
Pulmonary Fibrosis/Other (Undefined)
Pulmonary Restriction
Pyloric Stenosis
PVC’s
Rapid Absorption
Rash (Skin, Newborn, Undefined)
Raynaud’s Syndrome
Rectal Prolapse
Rectal Seal Prolapse
Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome
Renal Cysts/Calcifications
Renal Failure
Reproductive Problems (Female)
Respiratory Infections/Distress
Restless Leg Syndrome
Retroverted Uterus
Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD)
Rhabdomyosarcoma
Rosacea
Sacral Agenesis
Sacral Luburalization
Salpingitis Isthmica Nodosa (SIN)
Sarcoidosis
Schizophrenia
Scladerma
Scoliosis
Sebaceous Cysts (Lumps on the head)
Seizures, Stress
Seizures, Petite Mal
Sensitive Skin
Sensitive to Medication
Sensitive Teeth
Septate Uterus
Severe Chronic Neutropenia
Severe Light Sensitivity
Shingles: Ears, Mouth, Opthamalic, Throat
Short term memory problems
Sinus Tachycardia
Sinus Infections/ Problems
Sinusitis
Sjogrens
Skin Cancer
Skin Problems/ Deformity
Skin Rashes
Sleep Apnea
Slight Deviated Jaw
Snoring
Social Problems
Spastic Colon
Speech Problems
Spina Bifida
Spina Bifida Occulta
Spinal Cord Disease/ Tumors
Spinal Deformities
Spinal Deterioration
Spinal Meningitis
Spinal Surgeries/ Pain (Undefined)
Sphincter of Oddi Disorder-
Splentic Cysts
Spondyloarthropy
Spondylithesis
Spondylolytis
Squamous Papilloma (Benign Polyp in Mouth)
Steatohepatitis
Stenosis of the Spine
Stomach Pains/Problems
Strabismus
Strange Growths
Stress
Stroke
Sturge Weber Syndrome
Subglottal Stenosis
Suicidal Tendencies
Suicide
Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT)
Swelling (Undefined)
Swollen Glands
Syndactyly
Syringomyelia
Tachycardia (Unknown, Due to WPW Syndrome)
Temporal Arteritis
Tendonitis
Testicle Deformity
Thinning of the hair, top front
Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (TOS)
Throat Tumors
Thrombophilia
Thyroid Cancer (Hoshimotos)
Thyroid Issues & Cysts (Hyperthyroidism)
Tilted Uterus
Tinnitus (Lifelong)
TMJ
Tooth Decay (Abnormal)
Tooth Formation Absence (Adult Teeth Never Came In)
Torticollis
Tonsillitis/Tonsillectomy
Tourettes
Toxic Shock Syndrome
Tracheo-Esophageal Fistula
Tremors/ Ticks
Triple Ureter
Triple X Syndrome
Truncus Arteriosis
Tuberculosis (TB)
Tumors
Tumor on the parathyroid
Tumors on Liver
Twitches
Type 1 Diabetes
Type 2 Diabetes
Ulcers, Stomach, Mouth, Nose
Ulcerated Colitis
Undiagnosed Rash (One Side of Body)
Unexplained Numbness
Unexplained Tingling (Right Side Of Body)
Urinary Tract Infections (UTI)/ Issues
Uterine Cancer
Uterine Leiomyosarcoma
Urticaria
Unspecified Immunodeficiency
Uterine Fibroids
Uterine Polyps
Vacterl syndrome
Vaginal Bleeding
Vaginosis
Vasculitis
Vascular Headaches
Varicose Veins
Vertibrae, Extra/ Missing
Vertigo
Vision Problems
Vitiligo
Vomiting
Von Willebrand’s Disease
Vulvodynia (Pain In The Vulva)
Weak Muscles (Left Leg)
Webbed Toes
Weight Loss
Whole Thyroidectomy Surgery
Wolff- Parkinson- White Syndrome
VA has recognized that certain birth defects among Veterans’ children are associated with Veterans’ qualifying service in Vietnam or Korea. Spina bifida (except spina bifida occulta), a defect in the developing fetus that results in incomplete closing of the spine, is associated with Veterans’ exposure to Agent Orange or other herbicides during qualifying service in Vietnam or Korea. Birth defects in children of women Veterans is associated with their military service in Vietnam, but are not related to herbicide exposure. The affected child must have been conceived after the Veteran entered Vietnam or the Korean demilitarized zone during the qualifying service period. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

Many Children of Vietnam Veterans (COVVs) and family members of COVVs, contact us with questions about COVV’s health concerns. At this point in time, the government does not recognize that Agent Orange causes birth defects or illnesses in the children (or grandchildren) of male Vietnam Veterans, unless the COVV has Spina Bifida (Only for Children of Vietnam Vets not Grandchildren). This is a tragic denial of the many unexplained medical illnesses and birth defects many Children of Male Vietnam Veterans face. Please, if you or a loved one is suffering from an unexplained birth defect, or illness, you think may be caused by Agent Orange read the information below.
Please file a claim with the Department Of Veterans Affairs as soon as possible. This claim will be denied, but we have to start identifying ourselves with the VA.
You can find all mentioned forms on www.Va.gov.
Please follow the instructions below:
You will need to provide years your Father was in Vietnam and his Social Security number.
If your father has passed away, and his death was linked to Agent Orange exposure, state that.
1. Application for benefits (be sure to keep copies for your records)
A. Complete claim form no. 21-03042
B. Complete Statement of support form no. 21-4138 used to add additional information. Add anything you feel is necessary in understanding your claim.
Send these forms in as soon as possible!
2. RECEIVING YOUR DENIAL
Please be advised your claim will be denied. It will state, “There is no record of your mother serving in Vietnam or Korea. There is no proof of spina bifida.” This is their standard answer to all of the children of male Vietnam Veterans (unless you have Spina Bifida, then you are eligible for benefits).
3. Filing an appeal
A. Your next step is to file an appeal
1. Complete: Appeal Form VA9
2. Complete: Release of Medical Information Form 21-4142
a. The VA most likely will not attempt to acquire your records
4. Prepare for the hearing
A. Wait for your hearing Date
B. Gather all your medical records that support your claim
5. The Hearing
A. Take any witnesses that can support your claim
B. Contact your Senator or Congressman and senator, asking them to attend the hearing or to send a representative.

THE SOLDIER AND THE HIPPIE

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THE SOLDIER AND THE HIPPIE

Yep….As I write this, my hair color loosely resembles the pink cotton candy at the state fair. By the time this is printed, it will probably be more a lilac hue. One of my tattoos is a Tibetan Buddhist mantra, OM MANI PADME HUM. It translates to ,’OM, the jewel in the lotus,’ meaning to find compassion in the darkest, most unexpected places. I say this mantra often when I am at odds with someone, or feel tension of some sort. I also have symbols of the four elements tatted around my wrists, a reminder to keep all of my bodies in balance. According to Eastern mystics and meta-physicians, we have four bodies, of course. One of my heroes is Gloria Steinem. I honestly believe if women ran things, more progress would be made. Add Eastern thought to that equation, and I don’t believe we would find a need for war. The one time I held a cold and heavy gun, I got a bit nauseous. Seriously. I couldn’t do it. My body had a violent reaction to a violent and deadly weapon. In short, these are just some of the reasons I would not make a good soldier. These are also some of the topics that cause my former Marine and Nam vet dad, to argue with me. Or, to put it plainly, he argues and I say my mantras.

The Tibetan monk, Thich Nhat Hanh was interviewed by Oprah recently. He commented that if we each took the time to actively listen to one another, and just say, ‘I hear you. I hear your suffering. I empathize. I understand,” there would be no war. Not try to solve their issue, or argue their beliefs, just listen. I heartily agree. He also spoke of the famous Monk protests during the Vietnam war that upset so many, including my father. Hanh said the monks setting themselves aflame was not like the suicide bombers of today because they were only hurting themselves. To paraphrase, he explained it was their way to call attention to the suffering at the time.
It was because of this act so many years ago, that my father got upset when I started exploring Buddhism. It did not matter that the monks never physically hurt him or his men, he took it as an act against him. It did not matter that some of his men converted to Buddhism while stationed there. Still to this day, he has not forgiven those monks. Nor the protesters he encountered when he returned home in August of 1966. I suppose California was the last place the vets should have landed, with it being a hotbed of hippie counterculture.

“But they were receiving different information about the war than what you were told, Dad. Both of your groups were receiving misinformation. And some of them were just against the war, not you as a person,” I said after studying the era in high school. But, it didn’t matter. He hated them enough to get thrown in jail for punching one in the face, about six hours after landing. That’s my dad!
At the time, and even now, he cannot comprehend their side. His ability to forgive is masked by hurt and pain from the horrors he had witnessed, the difficult decisions he had made on a daily basis during his tour. He will not open his heart for them, or anyone else that attacks his fragile ego. I suppose I can understand others’ attitudes when I speak out against war; being his daughter. I can see a soldier being furious with me that I am not supporting them in something they fully see as their duty. But, can we not support the person as a human, and not a war? This is the thin line I walk between two worlds: my father’s world and the way I was raised, versus my world and my spiritual truth.

Dad’s world is VERY black and white. It has to be the way he wants it, from only his view. And then, there is the rest of the world. Separate. With him being the supreme ruler of our household, you cannot question him in any sense of the word. It was very difficult for me to grow up in this environment. He raised us like soldiers, but also prim and proper ladies. But never autonomous or free thinking. Have I shown you enough of my character for you to grasp how impossible this was/is for me to live with??  I need reasoning for things. I need to see all sides of the argument, the history, the patterns.

For instance, I researched some very gruesome, despicable men in my Criminal Justice courses for college, only to find they were also victims of abuse and neglect. When there are cases of extreme child abuse on Nancy Grace, I wonder, “Why did they do it?” As you can guess, Dad does not think this way. In fact, he doesn’t think about it at all. ‘She’s guilty! Fry her!” And while this is upsetting to me, I understand this is how he was taught to think. As you can surmise, I did not make it through the criminal justice program. Progressive liberal ways of thinking are much more suited in Early Childhood Development courses, and that is just where I went for my degree!
I often take part in letter writing and email campaigns for various causes dear to my heart. I would like to be more active outside the home, if my health issues improved. I feel the need, and have the right for my voice to be heard. I feel that we are all connected by a cosmic force, and that alone stirs my passion to speak. My dad, on the other hand, does not want to draw attention, anger anyone, or show any signs of protest to ‘The Man.’ It is a wonder I survived adolescence. When I see what I view as an  injustice, or see someone or something who cannot speak for themselves, I use my voice. I don’t wait for someone else to step in. I’ve been there many times throughout my life, and would have been relieved if someone spoke for me. It isn’t that I set out to make waves, or piss off my Dad, it just happens that way.

I imagine at the beginning of this piece, you thought was referring to two opposing forces of the Vietnam War. Did you guess by the end that I was using both words to describe me?

 Epilogue– After much debate, I shared this with my father. I had to quit reading for a bit after the Gloria Steinem comment, then again after the monks, so he could calm down. (He still is pissed at them.) The whole time, his chapped hands wrung anxiously. A few times he chuckled. He said he liked it, and thought it was good. Then, he talked for about and hour and a half about the war, which is rare for him. Among things, he admitted being stuck in the soldier mentality and in that era.
“The world moved on. I didn’t, ” he said. “I don’t know another way to be.” He still prefers WHITE men in charge; everyone to be Christian; men and women to marry only each other, and settle down to have nice, polite, and obedient children. He fears change so much, that he would rather be stressed and miserable than question why. I, on the other hand, dance with the hungry ghosts in my closet in order to learn about myself. I haplessly run towards the dark, unknown path where I faintly see only a few others ahead to challenge tradition and grow as my true self. But, I guess he already walked a more dangerous, unknown path with a different set of phantoms.

I don’t claim to be more elvolved, or have a clear picture why HE is the way he is, but i am more aware. And this is a start.

 © Willow

Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

London Assembly calls on IOC to review Dow Chemicals Olympics deal

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The London Assembly today called on the Olympics organisers to rethink their partner-relationship with Dow Chemicals—the company involved in producing the Agent Orange dioxin used during the Vietnam War.

Assembly members voted to urge Lord Coe’s 2012 committee and the IOC to “consider the environmental, social, ethical and human rights records of companies when awarding high-profile partnership deals.”

Dow and 35 other companies manufactured Agent Orange for the US government which was dropped on Vietnam rain forests in the 1960s which campaigners say got in the food chain and caused genetic birth deformities for generations.

The company, which sponsored the plastic ‘wrap around’ of the Olympic Stadium in east London, also bought Union Carbide, owners of the Bhopal pesticide plant which blew up in the 1984 disaster in India. The official death toll of Bhopal was 2,259, but thousands more died subsequently from poisoning.

“The Bhopal factory site still hasn’t been cleared up almost 30 years after the horrific chemical disaster,” Navin Shah told the Assembly. “The survivors and their families continue to fight for compensation.

“It is time for the 2012 organisers and the IOC to take their ethical and sustainability code seriously and exclude Dow Chemical from future sponsorship deals.”

He put forward a resolution urging organisers to review their partnership with Dow Chemicals.

“We owe it to the victims and their families to demand action and changes to keep out the likes of Dow Chemical from future Games,” he added.

The Assembly urged the IOC to tighten regulations around Olympic sponsorship.

Assembly member Darren Johnson said: “Enthusiasm for the London Games is in danger of being tarnished by association with companies like Dow Chemical.

“Dow bought Union Carbine with its assets and also took on the responsibility—it’s time they lived up to it.”

Campaigners in east London also have a score to settle over its involvement in Agent Orange.

Read More… http://www.eastlondonadvertiser.co.uk/news/london_assembly_calls_on_ioc_to_review_dow_chemicals_olympics_deal_1_1442659

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Vietnam on historic Laos visit

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Hillary Clinton on Wednesday became the first U.S. secretary of state to visit Laos in 57 years, on a trip focused on the damaging legacy of the Vietnam War and a controversial dam project.

At Vientiane’s flag-bedecked Wattay International airport, Mrs. Clinton was given flowers by girls in traditional purple-silk costumes, kicking off her brief but historic trip.

“It’s a pretty big deal for the Laotians, and we will underscore a number of areas that we’re working on together,” a senior U.S. official said.

These include leftover ordnance from the war which ended in 1975, excavating the remains of U.S. soldiers missing in action and the continuing effects of defoliant Agent Orange, used by the U.S. to try to flush out communist forces.

Mrs. Clinton, whose four-hour whirlwind trip has been front page news in Laos this week, met with Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong at his office in an elegant white-columned building with two large elephant statues outside.

The pair had “substantive discussions on the broadening bilateral cooperation,” according to a joint statement released after the meeting.

The countries “agreed to improve and further facilitate the accounting operations for American personnel still missing from the Indochina War era,” and address the “remaining challenges” of unexploded ordnance, the statement said.

They also discussed the forthcoming entry of landlocked Laos, one of the poorest nations in the world with just 6.5 million people and an annual gross domestic product growth rate of 7%, into the World Trade Organization.

Mrs. Clinton is only the second secretary of state to visit Laos after John Foster Dulles, who spent a day in the then-monarchy in 1955.

Mrs. Clinton was invited to Laos by Foreign Minister Thongloun Sisoulith in 2010 who was the first top Laotian official to visit Washington since the Soviet-backed communist rebels swept to power, ousting the monarchy, in 1975.

U.S. relations with Laos, while never severed, were long tense, in part over its campaign against the Hmong hill people who assisted U.S. forces during the Vietnam War.

Read More - http://www.gfmag.com/latestnews/latest-news-old.html?newsid=1.4177129E7

Agent Orange’s deadly legacy spreads to Japan

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The fallout from the US military’s use of Agent Orange may have spread from Vietnam to Japan. Massive caches of the toxic herbicide were buried on Futenma, “the world’s most dangerous base,” potentially poisoning the island, a Japanese daily reports.

The US military presence has long been a point of contention for locals on the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa, a cluster of islands located some 400 miles south of Japan.

A slew of violent crimes committed over the last 40 years by US servicemen has led 85 per cent of locals to oppose the presence of American bases on Okinawa. However, the military’s most deadly mark on the islands may be a far less visible killer: Agent Orange.

Scores of barrels of the defoliating chemical were clandestinely buried at Futenma Air Base on Okinawa Island following the Vietnam War, the Japan Times reports.

The Pentagon allegedly ignored repeated requests from soldiers serving on the island in the 70s and 80s to safely dispose of a pesticide a million times more toxic than any naturally occurring poison.

In the Summer of 1981, “unacceptably high readings” of chemicals in the wastewater flowing out of the installation prompted Lt. Col. Kris Roberts, the former head of maintenance projects on Futenma, to start digging up the ground near the end of the base’s runway.

“We unearthed over 100 barrels buried in rows. They were rusty and leaking and we could see orange markings around some of their middles,” Roberts, now a state representative in New Hampshire, told the Japan Times in a recent interview.

Agent Orange, the most widely-used of the “Rainbow Herbicides” deployed during the United States’ decade-long herbicidal warfare program in Vietnam, got its moniker from the orange-stripped barrels in which it was shipped. The US used over 76 million liters of defoliants to rob the Vietcong of cover and food.

As Okinawa was a forward staging post for the US military during the war, the base was a likely transit point for the herbicides despite the Pentagon’s insistence to the contrary.

Roberts’ ranking officers tried to hush the find up by having local workers haul off the seeping barrels to an undisclosed location. A typhoon soon flooded the burial site, whereby Roberts and his men jumped down into the toxic cesspool and drained “the contaminated water off the base.”

Since his contact with the chemicals, Roberts has been plagued by a series of life-threatening illnesses, including prostate cancer, precursors of lung cancer, and heart problems. His doctors have no doubt his ailments stem from his exposure to Agent Orange.

Roberts has fought to have the US Marine Corps and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) contact his former crew out of fear they were similarly poisoned, but his appeals have fallen on deaf ears.

Despite the official Pentagon position, in February the Department of Veterans’ Affairs awarded two former service members compensation for exposure to Agent Orange during their deployment on Okinawa at the time.
One of the sick veterans said it was routine to ship goods contaminated with Agent Orange for cleaning as the Vietnam War was winding down.

In fact, between 1962 and 2010, 132 Veterans serving on Okinawa during the Vietnam War era claim to have been exposed to Agent Orange, despite repeated denials from the Pentagon that the defoliant was ever present on the islands.

Read The Full Story
http://www.rt.com/news/agent-orange-buried-okinawa-932/

Hearing on Monsanto lawsuit deal begins Monday – Nitro Vest Virginia

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A hearing begins Monday to determine whether a multimillion-dollar settlement in the huge class-action Monsanto dioxin lawsuit should be approved.

Judge must decide if settlement is fair
By Kate White The Charleston Gazette

The judge must decide if the settlement reached Feb. 24, after nearly a decade of litigation, is fair, reasonable and adequate.

Under the tentative agreement, chemical giant Monsanto will provide class-members up to $93 million. The company has agreed to a 30-year medical monitoring program with a primary fund of $21 million for testing, and up to $63 million in additional funding, if necessary. It also has agreed to spend $9 million cleaning 4,500 homes.

The settlement also would allow residents to retain their right to file personal-injury lawsuits against Monsanto if medical tests turn up illnesses potentially related to dioxin exposure.

Word of the settlement emerged on the eve of an expected six-month trial in a case in which Nitro-area residents sought medical monitoring for dioxin-related illnesses and a cleanup of what they argue is a contaminated community.

Before an agreement in a class-action lawsuit is finalized, the members of the class must be notified of the proposed settlement and given a chance to object to its terms.

Expert testimony must be presented to prove the settlement is appropriate and that the testing procedures of the medical monitoring match the benefits that originally were sought, among other things.

In their lawsuit filed in 2004, Nitro residents said Monsanto unsafely burned dioxin wastes and spread contaminated soot and dust across the city, polluting homes with unsafe levels of the chemical.

For more than 50 years, the Monsanto plant in Nitro churned out herbicides, rubber products and other chemicals. The plant’s production of the defoliant Agent Orange created dioxin as a toxic chemical byproduct.

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http://sundaygazettemail.com/News/201206150173?page=2&build=cache

“Heart Of Rage”
Harry C. Mackel Jr. – In Memory Day 2012 Washington D.C.
Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance Original Article

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Harry C. Mackel Jr. September 4, 1945 – October 14, 1982
In Memory Day 2012

Today is a day I would have rather just kept to myself. As a matter of fact, for the last 2 weeks less than 5 people knew that exactly 30 years and 8 months to the date of my father’s death, his name would be included at a ceremony at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall known as “In Memory Day”.

I’m not there.  It was quite a difficult decision for me to make.  A decision that made me feel forced to attend a funeral of sorts.  I buried my father 30 years ago when I was 7 years old.  There’s not anything about the day that I don’t remember.  When I was told that his memory was to be included in today’s events I felt very sad.  I expressed to the people that did tell that I thought most would expect me to be happy about it.  But I wasn’t.  Not in any way.

Let’s face it.  People don’t visit the Vietnam Memorial Wall to be happy.  It is in essence a collective grave stone with more than 58,000 names on it.  30 years later our government has decided to acknowledge my father’s service in Vietnam and his death thereafter as something special?  30 years later?

To be clear, I did not submit the application, a relative did.  One that I have spoken to less than 10 times over the last 20 years.  When and if I ever go back to The Wall, it will be on my own terms and my own time.  It will certainly not be yet another day in history that the United States Government dictates to me how I am to feel about my father’s death and the Agent Orange that killed him.

So on a day that I wanted to keep to myself, I feel yet again forced to deal with the issue since going through my emails today; I was faced with an article written about the ceremony events.  An article that shared the story of another PA Vietnam Veteran who lost his life to Agent Orange & Dioxin exposure and was also being honored today.  The article failed to include the names of the other 9 PA Vietnam Veterans who are also being remembered today.  I felt that I should at least include my own father’s name, however in doing so I thought it necessary to share the story with all of you.

If anything positive has come out of today, I can say that it was one simple thing that I have been waiting for over the last 37 years of my life…..  To see my Father, Harry C. Mackel Jr., an active member of The United States Air Force for nearly 10 years, who voluntarily served 2 “Boots On The Ground” tours in Vietnam, in his USAF Military Uniform.  Yes, that is correct, for my entire life I have never seen a photo of my Father in his uniform, until now.  Included in the ceremony events are the names and photos of all of the Vietnam Veterans being honored today.  I received a photocopy of the picture being used in the booklet early last week.  It took me several days to convince myself that it was even my father.  My husband insisted that it was.  In the picture, he was probably just 17 years old, making it the youngest photo I have ever seen of my father.  For days, I traced the harsh lines of a photo that came out of a copy machine and then tri-folded for mailing.  For days, I had no idea who this man was in the photo, thinking it had to have been a mistake. For days, as I have done many times over the years, I questioned my own Identity.  Until I finally stared at his eyes.  They are unmistakable, they are mine.

Yet, as I write this story, I am filled with A Heart Of Rage.  The kind of rage that only a daughter of a Vietnam Veteran who has long been dead would know.  The rage of her Father being taken away.  You see, there is even more to this story then one could possibly imagine.   I found out about “In Memory Day” on a week night at 8:00 p.m.  Only 6 short hours before that, I received a different phone call.  One informing me of a situation which I knew in my heart would come one day, a situation I have been running from since I was a teenager.

AGENT ORANGE AGAIN RIPPING THE LIFE AWAY FROM YET ANOTHER LOVED ONE OF MINE. 

Who you ask?  The only other man that I have ever called my father.  A man that is now suffering the effects of Agent Orange and Dioxin.

My adopted Father.

 © Kelly L. Derricks
Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

 Below I have included the booklet that was at the Ceremony.  I have also included the link to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund for anyone interested in applying for the program.  In addition, you will find the original article written about the PA Vietnam Veteran also being honored.

In Memory Day Ceremony Book

Seeds of Freedom – GMO Film

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Seeds of Freedom charts the story of seed from its roots at the heart of traditional, diversity-rich farming systems across the world, to being transformed into a powerful commodity, used to monopolise the global food system.

The film highlights the extent to which the industrial agricultural system, and genetically modified (GM) seeds in particular, has impacted on the enormous agro-biodiversity evolved by farmers and communities around the world, since the beginning of agriculture. Seeds of Freedom seeks to challenge the mantra, promoted by the pro-GM lobby, that large-scale, industrial agriculture is the only means by which we can feed the world. In tracking the story of seed it becomes clear how the corporate agenda has driven the take over of seed in order to make vast profit and control of the global food system.

Through interviews with leading international experts such as Dr Vandana Shiva and Henk Hobbelink, and through the voices of a number of African farmers, the film highlights how the loss of indigenous seed goes hand in hand with loss of biodiversity and related knowledge; the loss of cultural traditions and practices; the loss of livelihoods; and the loss of food sovereignty. The pressure from agribusiness interests is growing and threatens to replace the diverse, nutritional, locally adapted and resilient seed crops which have been bred by small-scale farmers for millenia, by monocultures of GM seed.

The story of seed has become one of loss, control, dependence and debt. It’s been written by those who want to make vast profit from our food system, no matter what the true cost.  It’s time to change the story.

Watch The Film Now

http://seedsoffreedom.info/2012/05/01/seeds-of-freedom-watch-the-film/

For more information about the film, Visit the Seeds of Freedom Website
http://seedsoffreedom.info/

Children of Vietnam Veterans & Those Exposed To Agent Orange – Organic View Radio

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Listen To the Archived Broadcast Now

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/theorganicview/2012/05/24/children-of-vietnam-veterans-those-exposed-to-agent-orange/scrub/0

The Children of Vietnam Veterans and Those Exposed To Agent Orange & Dioxin is an organization founded by children of Vietnam Veterans dedicated to finding justice, finding answers and offering support for the generational victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin. This is the first group of its kind because it was founded by children of Vietnam Veterans who desperately want our peers to no longer feel alone. They acknowledge the vast amount of people around the globe who have come into contact with Agent Orange such as Americans, Australians, Vietnamese, Koreans, Canadians, Japanese, People of Guam and many more.  Because the generational victims are rarely recognized, COVVHA seeks to collectively bring about change and make the voices of those affected heard.

Kelly L. Derricks is the daughter of deceased Vietnam Veteran Harry C. Mackel, Jr.  Harry died in 1982 at the age of 37 after being exposed to Agent Orange while serving two tours in Vietnam in addition to a tour on Johnston Island. After serving with the United States Air Force, Harry went on to serve the City of Philadelphia as a highly regarded and awarded officer of the Stakeout Unit with the police department. Kelly was only seven years old when her father died.

Kelly has been working as an independent Agent Orange/Dioxin advocate since early 2007.  She has expanded her work under the name “Truth Teller” to legislative areas, environment and agriculture, public speaking, blog authoring, and medical awareness, while tying everything back to encompass her main platform of seeking justice for those exposed.

Kelly’s COVVHA partner Heather A. Bowser,  is also an Agent Orange activist.  Heather was born with multiple birth defects due to her father’s exposure, as a US solider during the Vietnam War, to the chemical defoliant, Agent Orange. Heather was born in 1972, two months premature; she weighed three pounds, four ounces. Heather is missing her right leg below the knee, several of her fingers, her big toe on her left foot, her remaining toes were webbed.

Heather started her activism early in her life along side her parents in the late 1970’s. As a young child, she had a passion to explain what the chemical Agent Orange had done to her family. Like how Mother Sharon, suffered three unexplained miscarriages and her Father had five bypasses at the age of thirty eight and died of a massive heart attack at age fifty.

As former high school teacher, and current mental health licensed professional, Heather uses her skills to reach out and educate others on the devastation that is Agent Orange. Heather has a strong belief in empowering all second and third generations of Agent Orange survivors, to use their voice when possible to speak out and tell others about Agent Orange. Heather’s wish is all Agent Orange survivors will find justice.

In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show on Thursday May 24,2012 at 4p.m. EST, host, June Stoyer talks to Kelly L. Derricks and her COVVHA partner Heather A. Bowser.  Join in and Stay tuned at the link below!

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/theorganicview/2012/05/24/children-of-vietnam-veterans-those-exposed-to-agent-orange/scrub/0

© 2013 ‎(COVVHA) Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance INC
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