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!
Children of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance Hosting Reception and Film Screening
Living The Silent Spring
Generational Victims of Agent Orange from around the country will host a reception and film screening on April 14th starting at 6pm at Ohio Naturopathic Wellness Center, 755 Boardman-Canfield Rd., Suite D-3 (Southbridge West), Boardman, OH. Light appetizers will be served, followed by the documentary screening at 7pm. Please make your reservations at COVVHA@Gmail.com for film viewing since seating is limited. The reception itself is open to the public, no reservations necessary. This is a free community event. You can also join through Facebook –
Seven Agent Orange generational Victims from around the United States will be in Canfield, Ohio for three days to collaborate on a new organization created for the children of Vietnam Veterans by children of Vietnam Veterans. The new organization name is‘Children of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance’ (COVVHA). During this time, award winning photographer Goro Nakamura will be documenting this historic meeting. In addition Kyoren Takamasa, a Japanese reporter and staff writer forThe Chugoku Shimbun will be interviewing the Agent Orange generational victims and attending the reception. Both are flying in from Japan to record this unprecedented event. Never before have so many U.S. Agent Orange second generation victims come together to change the face of Agent Orange Activism. 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. They believe in empowering each other to hold the companies and governments responsible for causing so much devastation and suffering to their generations. Their mission includes fighting for justice globally.
Attendance at the reception and screening include:
Heather A. Bowser, OH, Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, COVVHA Founder, Director of International Affairs & Mental Health Services. Born with multiple birth defects.
Kelly L. Derricks, PA, Retired Mental Health Therapist, COVVHA Founder, Director of Legislation & Operations, and Agent Orange Victim suffering over 25 unexplained illnesses.
Laura Hammons, TX, Founder of Daughters of Vietnam Veterans (DOVV) and sibling of an affected Agent Orange victim.
Jennifer Loney, PA, born without her arm, and 1982 subject of Japanese Photographer, Goro Nakamaura’s Photographs chronicling Agent Orange devastation in the USA and in Vietnam. Her photograph is on permanent display in Ho Chi Minh City, VN at the War Remnant Museum. It also has been exhibited in NYC.
Tanya Mack, CA, Daughter of a Vietnam Veteran who served in one of the most densely sprayed areas in Vietnam. Tanya was born with birth defects and is currently fighting rare cancers.
Jenna Mack, CA, Tanya’s oldest daughter, Miss Teen California, Murrieta, who educates others how agent Orange has affected her life for her pageant platform.
Ben Quick, AZ, Author of ”The Boneyard”, Adjunct Professor of English and Creative Writing at The University of Arizona, born with Agent Orange related Birth defects.
All will be available to talk and answer questions regarding Agent Orange/Dioxin exposures and the effects taken on their lives as a result.
The film screening will be of ”Living The Silent Spring“, by Japanese Filmmaker, Masako Sakata, a widow of an American Vietnam Veteran. The film features Canfield, Ohio resident and Agent Orange Activist, Heather A. Bowser, a thirty nine year old female born with birth defects associated with her father’s exposure to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War.
The event will be hosted by Children of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance (COVVHA), a newly founded organization fighting to give the children and grandchildren of Vietnam Veterans a voice. Many Children and Grandchildren of Vietnam Veterans are suffering from birth defects and unexplained illnesses which have no prior family history. Like their Fathers, many have become seriously ill in the prime of their lives. At this time, the United States Government refuses recognition for the birth defects and illnesses in the children of male Vietnam Veterans accept for certain types of Spina Bifida.
More about the documentary:
Living the Silent Spring: Fifty years ago, Rachel Carson‘s landmark book “Silent Spring” warned of the danger of widespread use of pesticides and herbicides, helping to launch the environmental movement in the U.S. Around this same time, the U.S. military began to spray defoliants in Vietnam, so as to deny cover to guerrilla forces entrenched in dense jungles and swampland. The defoliants, including Agent Orange, were potent mixes of chemicals used in agriculture, which were contaminated with the deadly toxin, Dioxin during manufacturing. Over a decade of U.S. spraying, some 4 million Vietnamese were directly exposed to the defoliants, and the health effects continue today. American soldiers serving in Vietnam, and other locations, were also exposed. Many veterans suffer a range of diseases as a consequence. In both countries, the effects have now carried over to the children and even grandchildren of those exposed including Heather A. Bowser, the daughter of an American Vietnam Veteran, who was born missing a leg and many of her fingers. In the film Heather visits Vietnam, her father’s battleground, and discovers the importance of building links between victims of Agent Orange in the U.S. and Vietnam. Living the Silent Spring depicts the struggles and courage of American and Vietnamese children who bear the imprint of Agent Orange, and asks us to once again heed the prophetic warnings of Rachel Carson.
About Agent Orange:
Agent Orange the chemical defoliant sprayed in Vietnam during the Vietnam War, has been linked to many illnesses in our country’s Vietnam Veterans. Many people do not know the long term, unrecognized, damage the chemical has done to the Children of Vietnam Veterans from around the world not just the U.S. but also, in the adults and children of Vietnam. Children of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance is working diligently to bring awareness and justice for all generational victims of Agent Orange wherever in the world they may be.
