Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

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COVVHA Welcomed to Salem News

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

Children of Vietnam Veterans: Their Voice Keeps Growing

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Children of Vietnam Veterans: Their Voice Keeps Growing

Vietnam War Era Music Columbia Music Historian Compiles Vietnam War Songs

On March 7, 2013 By Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

“The Girl in the Picture (Napalm Girl),” released by Yanah in 2004, is one of more than 300 famous and not-so-famous songs and spoken-word tracks about the war that are included in a 13-CD anthology assembled by Keesing, a Columbia resident. He will discuss the collection Tuesday with the aid of slides and songs at the 50+ Center at the East Columbia branch of the Howard County Public Library.

“There has been a renewed interest in Vietnam since the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan bear similarities to it,” said the producer of “Next Stop is Vietnam: The War on Record, 1961-2008,” which is accompanied by a companion book and a 14th disc that contains song lyrics. “In today’s generation, many students have parents, uncles or grandfathers who served in Vietnam,” said Keesing, who took his anthology’s title from the popular anti-war anthem “I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-to-Die Rag,” released by Country Joe and the Fish in 1967 and performed at Woodstock.
For someone who has never studied music, Keesing has attracted the attention of such notable publications as Rolling Stone for his 2010 effort, which one reviewer described as “essential American history in sound — and a lesson in the art of morale.” Lisa Bankman, Howard County library’s events and seminars manager, called the anthology “one of a kind” for its approach to chronicling “the historical, cultural and emotional aspects of the Vietnam War” and advancing understanding of the war’s place in American history. “When vets experience [Keesing's presentation], they often offer up their thoughts and anecdotes through tears,” she said.

The compilation of songs ensures that Yanah’s tune and dozens of other little-known protest songs of all genres have taken their rightful place next to the famous music of the era. Mixed in with songs that defined the war — such as “The Eve of Destruction” by Barry McGuire, “We Gotta Get Out of This Place” by The Animals, and “The Ballad of the Green Berets” by Staff Sgt. Barry Sadler — are unknown songs about topics such as post-traumatic stress disorder, Agent Orange and homelessness among veterans, Keesing said. There are also excerpts from speeches by President Richard M. Nixon and Gen. William C. Westmoreland, who led U.S. troops in Vietnam.

“That’s what makes this anthology so very different from the commercial stuff,” Keesing said, even though such artists as Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Bruce Springsteen and Joan Baez are featured. Some of the lesser-known songs were written and performed by Vietnam veterans such as Phil Ferrazano, whose song, “Bobby’s Saigon Boogie,” made the cut on disc 12.
Reached at his home in Clearwater, Fla., Ferrazano, now 62, said his song details the exploits of a wounded soldier who gets separated from his buddies in town and ends up singing and playing guitar in a bar to escape the war for a day.
“Writing songs is a therapeutic thing, and it made me feel good to be included in this,” he said, noting he has released a CD and also written a book. “I’m still dealing with the war today, but I still hear from other vets who have been helped by my writing.” When Keesing began stockpiling his favorite records in the 1950s, he did not know he was laying the foundation for a lifelong hobby. “I took my records to parties and acted as an amateur DJ,” Keesing recalled. By the time he entered Duke University, he had collected 400 records. When he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1965, he owned 700.
“A lot of them were topical records, one-hit wonders that said something about the time,” he said.

Keesing’s love of music and the impulse to collect have stuck with him through the years, but it was his love of history that tied all of his interests together. As an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland, College Park, he noticed that students sat up and took notice in class whenever he cited song lyrics to bring home a point.

In 1975, his proposal to teach a contemporary U.S. history course based on popular music was approved by the university’s American studies department, and three years later he was pulling in 75 students per class. By 1980, he averaged between 280 and 300 students, and the class was one of the university’s most popular electives, he said. He stopped teaching the course in 1991 after 16 years because he “couldn’t relate to heavy-metal and rap music,” he said. When he completed the anthology, Keesing had amassed 2,000 songs from which to pick and choose. Since the anthology’s release, he has more than doubled that number to an inventory of 5,000 recordings, he said.

“What I’ve found is music is a vehicle that gets vets to talk about their experiences,” he said, noting he sent invitations to his talk to eight area chapters of the Vietnam Veterans of America. And with an ever-expanding selection of stories “that could otherwise be lost or never told,” Keesing is planning a second compilation.

“We now know more about Vietnam’s role in shaping our country’s history and foreign policy,” he said. “We must look back to learn and relearn the lessons of war.”

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2012-01-14/news/bs-ho-neighbors-vietnam-music-0115-20120112_1_songs-vietnam-war-music-historian

The Beast

On March 3, 2013 By James J. Alonzo

The Beast

“The Beast”, we called combat, the death, the killing, the atrocities, the chaos, the terror, the reality, the fear, the ugliness, of the war in Viet Nam, “The Beast”.

The soldiers in the American Civil War called it the Elephant. That was what going into combat was called then. Please understand how young a lot of these guys were. Their youth was a factor in how they thought and spoke.

The Beast, they used to say in Vietnam, as if it was a ghost, an evil ghost that was loose, one of the demons, known in the Vietnamese language as ” Ma”. Weaving in and out of sanity or insanity, a dancing ghost, it would appear suddenly out of a whirl, shimmer for an instant, and be lost.

The troopers when they saw it, and would say without excitement, “The Beast” with emphasis on the last word, to let their buddies know that they had seen it and to be hopefully confirmed that their buddies had seen it too.

“The Beast”, was without form itself, but could assume infinite identities. It was as small as a ant and as huge as the huge black jungle canopy! It became events, it became things themselves. It had no strength of its own because it used human strength.

“The Beast”. It had no life of its own because it used human lives with abandonment! It used so many young lives, it could assume a youthful, frolicsome aspect, at the same time destroying their innocence. The Beast took lives, maimed lives!

Combat soldiers all had one thing in common, because at one time or another, we had all caught a glimpse of The Beast. The war’s infernal playful, manipulative, sadistic ghost. Some combat soldiers that experience the Beast, felt a severe coldness, chills, even though it was hot in the tropical Viet Nam. Some smelled the “rust smell” of blood, before the fighting even started, and wondered if they were smelling their own bloody death!

My personal Beast experience began on a morning of the TET offense 1968. Our company set out for convoy to Cu Chi in the “Iron Triangle”, because all Hell had broken loose, where the enemy had attack every provincial capital and base camps at the same time, and the units in Cu Chi needed ammo and supplies.

“Hey L T”, I joked, asking the lieutenant, “if we were going to Cu Chi could you put me on the next chopper out of here?” Because Cu Chi was heavy with Viet Cong, and we suffered many ambushes going to Ch Chi and Tay Ninh, so I knew we were going to catch it big time.

“Don’t worry, Alonzo,” L T responded, ” I’ll put you on a chopper in a couple of days if you are killed or wounded.” (laughing) “Besides, think of it as just another ordinary convoy, a holiday drive in the country.”

“Right!” I said as I knew the Beast was going to be out there, and he was hungry!

I knew this was not going to be a Sunday drive. We were fighting the Viet Cong, and The VC carried RPG’s (rocket propelled grenades) and AK-47′s (machine guns) and The VC shoots back!

It was no fun being shot at. The last thing I wanted was to get blown up with mines (IED) or shot up, on a Sunday drive. A Sunday drive my ass! Before the TET OFFENSIVE, driving in a convoy daily, was routine that we would come into contact with the enemy ambushes, twice or three times a week and those encounters were usually brief.

We were driving along the route through the Bo Lo Woods near the Michlin Rubber Plantation, when one of our APC’s (armored personel carriers) tracks ran over a landmine, and it blew the whole right side completely up, rendering it useless. The lieutenant said to make sure all the live ammo was put into another track, and not to leave anything behind that the VC could use against us.

The convoy commander ordered men to help get the ammunition off the track, I was standing, waiting, watching to do my part to help, when it came my turn, out of nowhere, I heard this voice say with some authority,

“I’ll do it!”

At first, I just looked at him for I could see he was a new man, but I hadnt noticed him before.

As I watched him, I noticed that he was very young looking, blonde hair, wearing new fatigues and new boots.

“Who the hell is this guy,’ I thought, ‘and where did he come from?”

I had never seen this guy before and I’d been with this unit longer than anyone. He looked like he was 16 years old to me, even though I knew he had to be 18 to be a member of this man’s army. I later found out his name was Arnold White.

As Arnold turned to leave with some of the ammunition, the LT received a call from command that they were sending a Chinook helicopter to pick up the APC. Meanwhile, a very loud ground shaking explosion rang out.

The concussion from the explosion had picked me up and threw me about five feet where I landed in the bottom of a muddy water scummy ditch, along side the roadway, that was about four feet deep. The new young soldier had stepped on a mine, and it destroyed his body from the waist down. His lower half, what was left of it was held together with torn muscle and ligaments and his tattered pants!

I finally regained my wits and as I looked up from the bottom of the crater, the lieutenant was standing there with a mad look on his face. He was trying to tell me something, and I was trying to tell him that I couldn’t hear him. My head was hurting and I had cuts and abrasions. That explosion was when the Vietnamese hit us with everything they had.

The Lt. took off running, to find radio, meanwhile J J appeared, looking down at me as he set up his M-60,

“You planning on staying down there or you going to give me your hand?”

J J hauling on me, I crawled my way up to the top of the ditch, the firefight was in full swing, machine guns and small arms on both sides firing! Meanwhile, I started looking around to see what was going on. And the first thing I saw was the new guy lying there. The medic had already checked him out and had covered him up with a poncho.

A Huey chopper came in and was trying to land, when two RPG’S went off just over their heads and they got the hell out of range! The chopper pilot circled around to his left to get out of harms way. When they had tried to land the prop blast of the chopper blew the poncho off Arnold, and I was looking him right in his eyes, eyes that blinked!

I was stunned, and couldn’t believe it, I saw him blink his eyes! I called for a medic to check him again, even though the medic tried to tell me the new guy was KIA. Once established that he was still alive! A couple of guys ran over put him on the poncho, to get him on the chopper. I saw that they needed one more to help carry the soldier around where the chopper was waiting.

The firefight still continuing, I grabbed the left side of the poncho and we took off for the chopper. As we made our way to the chopper, I was still trying to get the lower parts of his body on the poncho with my left hand so they wouldn’t drag on the ground. We finally got him into the chopper, and the chopper took off to the nearest hospital. Later the Lt. told me the soldier died about ten minutes after the chopper left with him.

As the firefight continued, The L T called in artillery which blew the VC all to hell. Soon after the artillery barrage, the fighting ended just as quickly as it started, with the VC blending back into the heavy jungle.

We regrouped, and took care of the wounded, and loaded the medivac choppers, with an additional 3 troopers KIA, and several wounded. After loading up we continued on our mission.

Shaking my head, glad that I wasn’t killed or maimed, I thought “The Beast, he was hungry today!”

The Beast; the animal is there in all of us. combat brings the intensity of life and death into full combination with the soul….. God has granted us. We are exalted and ashamed at the same moment! Such is the price we will continue to pay for all our remaining days. It shall be a chosen path, a natural decision we made as the warrior clan of our tribe.

The Beast; We see it in our blood, we find it in our faith. If the great tribe blesses us, it shall be well in our spirit. If they, (anti-war protesters-society) refused our sacrifices, the price is beyond words. No therapy or pill shall free us from our fate. so be it.

“We have seen the beast and it is us!

©Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

I Was Just There Last Night

On January 30, 2013 By James J. Alonzo

I Was Just There Last Night

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

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

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

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

Living With Fibromyalgia, Solutions For Suffering

On January 28, 2013 By Q.A.S

Fibromyalgia 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

GRANDCHILDREN OF VIETNAM VETERANS REPORTED ILLNESS DATABASE UPDATE – 2013

On January 23, 2013 By Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

GRANDCHILDREN OF VIETNAM VETERANS, THIRD GENERATION, AGENT ORANGE DIOXIN BIRTH DEFECTS & HEALTH ISSUES

We have compiled a list of 107 reported illnesses that the biological Grand-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. If your child is suffering from any illness not listed, please email us at COVVHA@GMAIL.COM This list has been updated as of January 22, 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.

Abdominal Scar Tissue Growth
Abdominal Migraines
Allergies
Amblyopia
Anencephaly
Anxiety
Apraxia of Speech
Apraxia of Limb
Asperger’s – Autism Spectrum Disorder
Asthma
Auditory Processing Disorder
Attention Deficit Disorder
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Autoimmune Problems
Beckwith–Wiedemann Syndrome
Bedwetting
Borderline Personality Disorder
Born with One Kidney
Bowel Obstruction
Cellulitis
Chronic Bronchitis
Chronic Ear Infections
Cleft Palate
Constipation
Cystic Hygroma
Deafness (in one ear)
Deformed Baby Teeth
Depression
Developmental Delay
Dual AV Node In Heart
Dyslexia
Eczema
Edwards Syndrome
Enlarged Adenoids
Enlarged Tonsils
Failure to Thrive
Fibromyalgia
Fine Motor Aphasia
Frequent Ear Infections
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
Gluten Allergy
Gross Motor Aphasia
Heart Murmur
Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
Hole in Heart
Hydrocephalus
Hyperflexability in the Joints
Hypospadias
Insomnia
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
ITP
Keratosis Pilaris
Lazy Eye
Learning Disability, Non Specific
Leg and Hip Problems at Birth
Low Vitamin D Levels
Migraines
Missing Teeth
Neural Tube Defects
Night Terrors
Nosebleeds
Not Good Hand/ Eye Coordination
Obesity
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
One Testicle That is Smaller Than the Other One
Overall Weak Immune System
Past Urinary Problems
Peeling Finger/ Toe Nails
Photosensitivity
Plagiocephaly
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
Potty Training Problems
Premature Birth
Prone to Vericocele/ Hydracele
Prune Belly Syndrome
Pulmonary Stenosis
Pyloric Stenosis
Radial Dysphasia of the Wrist
Reflux
Retinoblastoma
Ruptured Ear Drums
Scoliosis
Seizures
Sensitive Skin
Sensory Processing Disorder/ Dysfunction of Sensory Integration
Severe Colic
Severe Seasonal Allergies
Sickle Cell Anemia
Sinusitis
Sleep Apnea
Snoring
Social Anxiety Disorder
Speech Disorder, Articulation
Spine is Blunt at the Bottom
Stickler Syndrome
Teeth Growing in Crooked
Tourette’s Syndrome
Two Uteruses
Type One Diabetes
UTI’s/ Bladder Infections
Vacterl Syndrome
Ventricular Septial Defect
Von Willebrand Disease
Warts
Weak Baby Teeth
Weak Enamel In/On Teeth
Weird Skin Rashes

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

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

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.

Abnormal Cervical Bleeding
Abnormal Growth between the Ovaries
Abnormal Pap Smears
Abnormal Periods
Abnormal Rectal Bleeding
Achy Body
Acid Reflux
Acne Issues Undefined Cystic
Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Acute Myeloid Leukemia
ADD
Addiction Cigarettes
Addiction other than Cigarettes
Addison’s Disease
Adenomyosis
ADHD
Adrenal Gland Tumors
Adult Acne
Agoraphobia Severe
Albinism
Alcoholism
Allergies
Alopecia Areata
Amblyopia
Amenorrhoea
Amputation
Anal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Basaloid Type
Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma
Anaphylaxis
Anencephaly
Anemia
Anger Issues
Angioedema
Ankyloglossia
Ankylosing Spondylitis
Annual Decrease in Night Vision
Anorexia Nervosa
Antiphospholipid Syndrome
Anxiety
Aortic Pulmonary Regurgitation
Aphasia
Appendicitis Cancerous/Undefined
Appendicitis
Arachnoid Cyst In Brain Space
Arachnoiditis
Arnold-Chiari Malformation
Arrhythmia
Arteriovenous Malformation
Arthritis Inflammatory Of The Si Joint Rheumatoid
Arthritis Juvenile
Asperger’s
Asthma
Ataxia
Atrial Fibrillation
Autism
Autoimmune Disease
Autoimmune Disease Unknown Etiology
Autonomic Nervous System Dysfunction
Autonomic Neuropathy
Back Pain
Bacterial Meningitis
Bacterial Infections
Balance Problem
Bell’s Palsy
Benign Cyst Armpit
Benign Multinodular Goiter
Benign Oral Cysts
Benign Tumor on Thyroid/ Near Total Thyroidectomy Surgery
Berger’s Disease
Bicornuate Uterus
Bicuspid Aortic Heart Valve
Bicuspid Valve Prolapse
Bilateral Baker Cysts
Bilateral Uterus
Bipartite Patellas
Bipolar Disorder
Blackouts
Bladder Infections/ Utis
Bladder Is Collapsing
Bladder Issues Infections/Overactive
Bladder Lift
Bleeding Issues
Blindness
Blood in Urine Undefined
Blood Vessel Issues
Boils
Bone Cancer
Bone Spurs/Problems Undefined
Bones Missing At Birth
Border Line Diabetic
Borderline High Blood Pressure
Borderline Personality Disorder
Borderline Schizophrenia
Born Blind
Born Deaf
Bowel Deformity/Issues
Bradycardia Arrhythmia
Brain Calcification And An Enlarged Perivascular Space
Brain Issues Water On The Brain
Brain Lesions Aneurism/Tumors/Surgery
Brain Stem Abnormalities
Brain Stem Small
Brain Tumors
Breast Cancer
Breast Pain
Breathing Problems Undefined
Bronchitis/Bronchial Spasms
Bursitis
Calcium Deficiency
Calluses on Vocal Chords Faulty Stomach Acid Caused
Camptodactyly
Cancer
Cancer Undefined
Cardiac Arrhythmia
Cardiac Deformity
Cardiomyopathy
Cardiac Sarcoma
Carpal Tunnel
Caudal Regression
Cava Perthes
Celiac Disease
Cellulitis
Central Nervous System Disorder
Cerebral Palsy
Cerebellum Issues Undefined
Cerebral Aneurysm
Cerebral Palsy
Cervical Cancer
Cervical Dysplasia/Incompetency
Cervical Infections
Chiari Malformation Assoc W/ Spina Bifida
Chemical Sensitivity
Chest Wall Pain/ Breast Pain/Chest Pain
Childhood Bedwetting
Childhood Extreme Shyness
Chloracne
Choristoma Tumor in the Ear
Chromosome Abnormalities
Crohn’s Disease
Chronic Asthmatic Bronchitis
Chronic Candida and Other Female Reproductive Organ Infections
Chronic Childhood Ear Infections
Chronic Constipation
Chronic Costochondritis
Chronic ENT Issues Resulting In Adenoidectomy Tonsillectomy And Ear Tubes
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Chronic Fatigue and Immune Deficiency Syndrome
Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy
Chronic Insomnia
Chronic Kidney Disease
Chronic Knee Dysplasia
Chronic Migraines
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Copd
Chronic Pneumonia
Chronic Sinusitis
Chronic Urinary Tract Infections
Chronic Venous Insufficiency Cvi Severe
Cleft Palate Lips
Clotting Disorders
Club Foot
Club Foot Talipes Equinovarus
Cognitive Disorder
Cognitive Disorder
Cognitive Issues
Cold Hands/Feet
Cold/Flu Chronic
Collapsed Vertebra
Colon Issues
Complete Hysterectomy
Complete Pelvic Floor Collapse
Compromised Immune System
Compulsive Skin Picking Around Fingers
Congenial Scoliosis
Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia
Congenital Anosmia Born Without the Ability To Smile
Congenital Heart Blockage
Congenital Hips
Congenital Hypertension
Connective Tissue Disorder
Constipation/Cramping
Conversion Disorder
Costochondritis
Cranial Synthesis
Crest Syndrome
Crohn’s Disease
Crossed Eyes Newborn
Cryoglobulinemia
Cushings Syndrome
Cystic Acne
Cystic Fibrosis
Cystic Fibrosis
Cysts
Cysts Arm Brain Hand Leg Shoulder Blade Thyroid
Daily Headaches
Debilitating Muscle Spasms
Deep Venous Thrombosis
Deformed Arms/Legs/Fingers/Toes/Feet
Deformed Sinuses
Deformity of Chest/Breast
Deformity of Shoulders/Muscles
Deformity of The Face/Head/Neck
Degenerative Disc Disease
Degenerative Joint Syndrome
Degenerative Ligament Tissue
Dehydration
Dental Problems
Depression
Depression Major Clinical
Dermatitis
Detached Retina
Developmental Delay
Deviated Nasal Septum
Dextrocardia
Diabetes Type I
Diabetes Type II
Diagonal Earlobe Crease
Dilated Cardiomyopathy with Enlarged Left Ventricle And Heart Sound
Diarrhea SP
Digestive Issues
Disc Desiccation
Dissociative Disorder
Diverticulitis
Dizzy Spells
Double Cervix
Double Hernia @ Birth
Double Ureter
Double Uterus/Cervix
Double Uvula/Cleft Uvula
Droop Eye Ptosis
Drug Abuse
Duane Syndrome
Dwarfism
Dysautonomia
Dyslexia
Dysphagia
Dysthymia Aka Chronic Depression
Ear Infections/Problems/Surgeries/Tubes
Ectopic Pregnancy
Eczema
Electrolyte Abnormalities
Elevated Heart Rate
Emotional Problems
Empty Sella Syndrome
Endocrine Disorders
Endometrial Cancer
Endometrial Hyperplasia
Endometriosis-
Enlarged Heart
Enlarged Liver-Cause Unknown
Epilepsy
Eustachian Tube Dysfunction
Excessive Nose Bleeds
Excessive Sweating
Exotropia
Extra Body Parts
Extra Bones
Extra Vertebrae
Eye Floaters
Eye Problems Undefined
Eyes Legs Stomach Abdomen
Facet Joint Syndrome
Facial Aplasia
Factor V Leiden
Familial Tremor
Fatigue Chronic Syndrome,
Fatty Deposits on Liver
Felty’s Syndrome
Fever Seizures
Fever Undefined
Fibrocystic Breast Disease
Fibroid Cysts in Breast
Fibromyalgia
Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis
Follicular Lymphoma/Large B Cell Lymphoma
Food Allergies
Foot Deformity/Issues/Burning
Fragile X Syndrome
Frazonism
Fused Digits
Fused Vertebrae in Neck
Fused Vertebrae/Disc
Gall Bladder Disease/ Gall Stones
Ganglion Cyst
Gastritis
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
Gastrointestinal Problems
Gastroparesis SP
Gene Mutations gg MHP
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Gestational Diabetes
Glaucoma
Glioblastoma
Gluten Intolerance
Goiter
Goldenhar Syndrome
Gout
Grand Mal Seizures
Grave’s Disease
Growth Hormone Deficiency
Growths/Lumps on Skull
Hae – Hereditary Angioedema
Hair Loss
Hairy Cell Leukemia
Hashimoto’s Autoimmune Thyroid Disease
Head Sores
Headaches (Chronic
Hearing Loss
Hearing Loss/Deafness
Heart Attack
Heart Defect/Murmur/Newborn
Heart Disease
Heart Failure
Heart Murmur
Heart Palpitations
Heart Problems/Surgery Undefined
Heat Intolerance
Heel Spur
Hemangioma
Hereditary Atypical Hemochromatosis
Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia
Hernia
Herniated Discs
High ANA Levels In Blood Leads To Potential Lupus Diagnosis
High Blood Pressure
High Cholesterol
High Myopia/ Shortsightedness
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
Hydrocele Testis
Hydrocephalus
Hydrocephaly CG (brother-deceased
Hydrocoele Hernia
Hyaline Membrane
Hymen Issues Partially Intact
Hypercoagulability
Hyperhomocysteinemia
Hyperinsulinemia
Hyperlipidemia
Hypermobility Issues/Surgeries
Hyperparathyroidism
Hypertension
Hyperthyroidism
Hypoglycemia
Hypoparathyroidism
Hypoplasia Entire Right Side
Hypoplastic Heart
Hypospadias
Hypothyroidism
Hyperprolactinemia
Hysterectomy
Idiopathic Gastroparesis
Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension
Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura Itp Platelet Disorder
Immune System Issues Undefined & Ivig Infusions
Imperforate Anus
Incompetent Cervix
Infant/Toddler Lethargy Withdrawal
Infertility
Insomnia
Insulin Resistance
Interstitial Cystitis
Intracranial Cyst
Intracranial Hypertension Formally Known As PTC
Involuntary Muscle Spasms Face
Iron Deficiency
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Ischemic Heart Disease
ITP
Jaw Deformity/Surgery
Joint & Muscle Problems/Pain
Joint Hypermobility Syndrome
Juvenile Macular Degeneration
Keratosis Pilaris
Kidney Disease/Surgery
Kidney Issues/Infections/Cysts
Kidney Stones
Kienbock’s Disease
Knee Chondromalacia Patella
Knee Problems/Dysplasia/Pain/Surgery
Kyphosis
Lactose Intolerant
Lateral Epicondylitis
Bilateral Microtia
Lazy Eye
Learning Disabilities
Legally Blind
Lethargy
Leukemia
Leukocytosis with Neutrophilia
Lhermitte’s Sign
Lichen Planus
Lipomas-Non-Cancerous Tumors Throughout Body
Liver cirrhosis due to atypical hereditary hemochromatosis
Liver Disease Fatty/Undefined
Liver Inflammation/Other
Liver Lesions
Long Qt Syndrome
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
Lumbarization
Lumps On the Head
Lung Cancers and Hocm
Lung Deformity rd Lung
Lung Disease/Nodules/Tumors/Clots
Lupus
Lupus of The Skin
Lymphocytic Thyroiditis
Lymphatic Tumors/Lymphangioma
Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Lymphoma
Macrodactyly
Major Depressive Disorder
Malabsorption of Food/Drink
Malabsorption of Vitamin B
Marfan Syndrome
Mastocytosis
Mastoiditis
Melanoma
Memory Loss
Menieres Disease
Menopause Issues Early
Menorrhagia
Menstrual Cycle Issues
Mental Health Issues
Mental Retardation
Metabolic Syndromes
Metatarsus Varus Pigeon Toe
Methicillin Staphylococcus Resistant Aureus
Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase
Microtia
Migraine Headaches
Migraines : Hypnic Cluster Basilar Hemiplegic
Mild Dysplasia
Misopedia
Missing A Whole Layer of Dermis
Missing Big Toe ,
Missing Digits
Missing Fingers
Missing Limb Right Leg below the Knee
Missing Limbs/Body Parts
Missing Vertebrae
Mitral Valve Prolapse
Mittelschmerz
Mixed Connective Tissue Disease
Mood Swings
Multiple Sclerosis
Mullerian Aplasia
Multiple Cardiac Arrests
Multiple Recurring Undiagnosable Oozing Sores
Muscle Spasms/Pain/Numbness Undefined
Musculoskeletal Problems,
Muscular Dystrophy
Myasthenia Gravis
Mycobacterium Gordonae
Myelodysplastic Syndrome
Mitral Valve Prolapse Duplicate Mitral Valve
Nasal Cancer
Nasal Polyps
Nausea
Neck Pain
Nephrolithiasis
Nerve Damage
Neuralgia Face Feet Hands Legs
Neurocardiogenic
Neurological Problem Undefined
Neuropathy
Neutropenia
Nevus Sebaceous
Night Blindness
Night Sweats
Night Terrors
Nightmares
Non-Hodgkin’S Lymphoma
Nosebleeds
Numbness
Nystagmus
Obesity
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Oppositional Defiant Disorder
Orthostatic Hypotension
Orthostatic Intolerance
Osteoarthritis
Osteochondritis
Osteogenesis Imperfecta
Osteopenia
Osteoporosis
Ostras Laughters
Otosclerosis
Ovarian Cancer
Ovarian Cysts
Ovaries & Wrists
Overactive Bladder
Pain In Chest Radiating Up My Right Side of Neck
Pain Undefined
Palate Problems
Pancreases
Pancreatitis
Pancytopenia
Panic Attacks
Paralysis
Paresthesias
Para-Thyroid Gland Disfunction
Pericarditis
Pars Planitis
Partial Thyroidectomy
Patellar Subluxation Left Knee
Pectus Excavatum
Peeling As If Sunburned Face and Body
Pelvic Bones Not Fused
Pelvic Congestion Syndrome K, before Hysterectomy
Pelvic Reconstruction/Issues
Peptic Ulcers
Peripheral Neuropathy
Periventricular Leukomalacia
Pernicious Anemia
Personality Disorder
Phantom Pains Photosensitivity
Pierre Robin Sequence
Pituitary Gland Disfunction
Pityriasis
Planar Spaciatis
Pneumonia Childhood / Recurring
Poland Syndrome
Poliosis
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
Polycystic Kidney Disease
Polycythemia
Polycythemia Vera without Genetic Factor
Polymorphic Light Eruption
Polymyositis
Poor Egg Quality
Porphyria
Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome
Potassium Issues
Preeclampsia
Pregnancy Complications Undefined
Pregnancy Partial Molar
Premature Babies
Premature Menopause
Premature Ovarian Failure
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder
Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor
Prolactinoma
Prolapsed Cervix
Prostate Problems/Enlarged
Psoriasis
Psoriatic Arthritis
Psoriatic Rheumatoid Arthritis
Pseudo-Obstruction Intestinal Neurological
Pseudotumor Cerebri
Ptosis
PTSD Primary Related To Family Violence
PTSD Secondary
Pulmonary Embolism
Pulmonary Edema
Pulmonary Fibrosis/Other Undefined
Pulmonary Restriction
PVC’s
Pyloric Stenosis
Rapid absorption
Rash under My Arm Same Place My Dad Gets It
Rashes Newborn
Rashes Undefined
Raynaud’s Syndrome
Rectal Prolapse
Rectal Seal Prolapse
Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy
Renal Cysts/Calcifications
Renal Failure
Reproductive Problems Female
Respiratory Infections/Distress
Restless Leg Syndrome
Retroverted Uterus
Rhabdomyosarcoma
Rheumatic Fever
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rosacea
Sacral Agenesis
Sacral lumbarization
Salpingitis Isthmica Nodosa
Sarcoidosis
Schizophrenia
Scleroderma
Scoliosis
Sebaceous Cysts
Seborrheic Dermatitis
Secondary infertility
Seizures Petit Mal
Seizures,
Sensitive Skin
Sensitive Teeth
Sensitivity to Medications
Septate Uterus
Septate Uterus
Severe Chronic Neutropenia
Severe Depression
Severe Light Sensitivity
Shingles Ears Mouth Ophthalmic Throat
Short Term Memory Problems
Shyness
Sinus Infections/Problems
Sinus Tachycardia
Sinusitis
Sjogrens Syndrome
Skin Cancer -
Skin Lesions
Skin Problems/Deformity
Skin Rashes
Sleep Apnea
Slight Deviated Jaw
Small Digits on Hands-
Snoring
Social Anxiety Disorder
Social Problems
Spastic Colon
Speech Problems
Sphincter of Oddi Disorder
Spina Bifida
Spina Bifida Occulta
Spinal Cord Disease/Tumors
Spinal Deformities
Spinal Deterioration
Spinal Surgeries/Pain/Undefined
Spinal Meningitis
SpinoCerebellar Ataxia
SpinoCerebellar Degeneration
Splenetic Cysts
Spondyloarthropy
Spondylolisthesis
Spondylolysis and Spondylolisthesis
Squamous Papilloma Benign Polyp In Mouth
Steatohepatitis
Stenosis of The Spine
Stomach Pains/Problems
Strabismus
Strange Growths
Strep Throat
Stress
Stress Seizures
Stroke
Sturge Weber Syndrome
Subglottic Stenosis
Suicidal Thoughts
Suicide Brother
Supraventricular Tachycardia
Swelling Undefined
Swollen Glands
Syndactyly
Syringomyelia
Tachycardia
Tachycardia Unknown Due To Wpw Syndrome
Temporal Arteritis
Temporomandibular Joint Disorder
Tendonitis
Testicular Deformity
Thinning Of Hair Top Front
Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
Throat Tumors
Thrombophilia
Thyroid Cancer Hashimoto’s
Thyroid Issues & Cysts Hyperthyroidism
Tilted Uterus
Tinea Versicolor
Tinnitus Lifelong
Tired
Tonsillitis/Tonsillectomy
Tooth Decay Abnormal
Tooth Formation Absence Adult Teeth Never Came In
Torticollis
Tourettes
Toxic Shock Syndrome
Tracheoesophageal Fistula
Tracheo-Esophageal Fistula
Tremors
Triple Ureter
Triple X Syndrome
Truncus Arteriosus
Tuberculosis
Tumor on The Parathyroid
Tumors
Tumors on Liver
Twitches
Ulcerated Colitis
Ulcers Stomach Mouth Nose
Undiagnosed Rash One Side of Body
Unexplained Numbness
Unexplained Tingling Right Side of Body
Unspecified Immunodeficiency
Urinary Tract Infections/Issues
Uterine Cancer
Uterine Fibroids
Uterine Leiomyosarcoma
Uterine Polyps
Urticaria
Vacterl Syndrome
Vaginal Bleeding
Vaginosis
Vascular Headaches
Vasculitis
Varicose Veins
Vertebrae Extra/Missing
Vertigo
Viral Meningitis
Vision Problems
Vitamin B Deficiency
Vitiligo
Vomiting
Von Willebrand’S Disease
Vulvodynia Pain in the Vulva
Weak Enamel In/On Teeth
Weak Muscles Left Leg
Webbed Toes
Weight Loss
Whole Thyroidectomy Surgery
Wolff- Parkinson- White Syndrome

© (COVVHA) CHILDREN OF VIETNAM VETERANS HEALTH ALLIANCE INC

Never Forgetting Our Heroes

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

I just got done watching an episode of Bones called “The Patriot in Purgatory”, starring David Boreanaz and Emily Deschanel. It is a show on the FOX network and it was originally aired on November 12th, 2012. This is a clip from that show, http://youtu.be/ooRloIi1Yq4. It was about a homeless man that they were trying to identify, he had been found in a parking garage, believed to have been murdered. It turns out that he was a veteran from Afghanistan that had PTSD and he was at the Pentagon on September 11th. The injuries that he sustained were believed to be from being beaten to death but were in fact from saving 3 people from the rubble of the Pentagon after the plane hit. He had been there every day, yelling out the names of the soldiers that were with him in battle and were killed in an ammo dump. He thought it was the only way to get these guys the silver star, he had petitioned the Pentagon 56 times to no avail. He bled out after 10 days from a punctured lung. Once he was identified, he was given a full military funeral.

The reason I am writing this article is that I am extremely humbled in knowing that there are thousands of homeless veterans in this country and they seem to be invisible. They went to war, be it in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq or Afghanistan, they fought for us, they lost men that they loved as brothers in doing so and we can’t be bothered to help these men. I think back to my own family. My dad was in Vietnam in 1965, he was one of the lucky ones, he got to come home. My brother was in Desert Storm in Iraq in 1991. He also came home but at what price? Dad was exposed to Agent Orange/Dioxin and has health problems because of it. His best friend didn’t come home. He was killed in an accident due to carelessness. My brother has issues due to his service over there. How much is a human life worth? You can’t turn on the TV these days without hearing about the suicides of the vets coming back from Iraq/Afghanistan. Has this county gotten so jaded that these men mean nothing, that their service to this country was just for fun? We have forgotten our heros! We have forgotten that without them, we would be living a much different life. This is unfair and it is unacceptable!

We have all lost something due to war. These men and women have lost so much, their health, their lives, their sanity, their hope! This country was changed on September 11, 2001. Some lost parents, husbands, wives, their humanity, their faith in GOD, what have you. That should have been a wake up call for us, for us to take care of our own and make sure that they know how much we appreciate them and how important they are to us. Instead, we focus on our own trivial lives and continue on like these men are just window dressing. PLEASE, take some time out to thank a veteran today and to welcome him or her home. There was a number and a website at the end of the show for the Veterans Crisis Line, www.veteranscrisisline.net, the phone number is 1-800-273-8255.The VA has a program to help homeless vets, that address is www.va.gov/Homeless,www.voa.org/ If you know of a veteran that is need of help, reach out, give them a hand up. Go to the VA and see if you can volunteer, if you know of a veteran that is homeless, give him or her a blanket and steer them to where they can get help. Write or call your Senators and Congressmen and women to tell that they need to support the legislation concerning veterans and their welfare. The reason that the man in the show was homeless is because he was the only one of his unit that survived an attack on the ammo dump they were in. He couldn’t handle being indoors and his wife would find him sleeping in a park somewhere. These men and women aren’t lazy or pathetic, who among us knows what they went through and why they are homeless? There is no purple heart for PTSD and no recognition for what they have given up or lost to fight for us.

We as the children of Vietnam Veterans know better than anyone what life is like for our vets. We need to help them through whatever hardship they may be facing, they fought and died for us, what more can they do? Be thankful, so many of us have lost them for different reasons, most of which are due to Agent Orange/ Dioxin exposure. We have each other to lean on for support and for comfort, these men have fallen through the cracks and don’t have anyone. We can’t give up on them. We can’t forget what they have sacrificed for us and what they stand for. We aren’t alone, don’t let them be, you can make a difference in someone’s life today. It is time that we showed them just how much they are not forgotten. They didn’t forget us when they laid their lives on the line for all of us, not just their own families but for all of us as a nation. Don’t let their sacrifices mean nothing!

In closing, I would like to say Thank You and Welcome Home to any and all veterans that are reading this article and I would just ask that you not forget out heros! We can make a difference if we all just stick together and do something. Thank you for reading this and know that none of us are alone. We just have to take the time to see what has been invisible for too long. It is up to us as a nation to uphold all veterans, whether they are Vietnam Vets or Iraq/ Afghanistan vets. Without them, where would we be now?

Karen Y. Wengert

The Lingering Effects of Agent Orange

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

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

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

http://vimeo.com/peaceboat

Agent Orange Holidays Depression #COVVHA

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

On November 27, 2012 By Q.A.S

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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A Window Into The Holidays…

On November 15, 2012 By Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

It is Thanksgiving morning and I am so excited I can’t hardly wait! We are going to Grandma and Grandpa’s for dinner and it is going to be so much fun and oh my, all the yummy food to eat. There are chores to be done before we can leave and every time I look at the clock, it doesn’t look like it has moved at all and it feels like it is taking forever to get through them. My Great aunts and Great uncles will be there and my cousins will be there, my Uncle Vernon is always so jolly, he makes me laugh.

I take my shower and change into my Sunday best, as we always dress for special dinners like Thanksgiving and Christmas, and it is finally time to leave. I help my mom to carry things to the car and we are on our way. It is a cold November morning, drizzling rain and a little snow too, maybe it will turn into all snow by tomorrow. We get to the house and when we get to the back door, the outer porch windows are steamed up, you can see the little drops of water streaming down the glass. I prepare myself to open the door for that smell. I know when I open the door that I am going to be enveloped in all kinds of good smells. Turkey, dressing ( 2 kinds, oyster and regular for those of us that think that oysters are gross!), pies, mashed potatoes, and so many other things, YUM!! I was not disappointed when I opened the door when that warm, yummy air hit me right in the face, it was like Heaven. Grandma is in front of the stove and Aunt Katie is by the sink and everyone else is in the dining room, setting the table. I give hugs and run into the living room, where my cousins are and we watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade together and talk like we haven’t seen each other in a year. Grandpa had started a fire in the wood burner that morning so it was nice a cozy so I settle in his big red rocker to watch TV til dinner.

It is time to eat. My eyes are as big as my stomach. I don’t know what I want first. We say grace and then dig in, everyone starts to pass the food and it slowly makes its way to the kids table where the 4 of us a relegated to. It is delicious as always. I look around the table and I see my Grandparents, my parents, my brother, my aunt and uncle, my 2 cousins, my 3 Great Aunts, my 2 Great Uncles and my 93 year old Great Grandmother and I truly feel blessed to be there! There is football on the TV, laughter and talking all around the room and the warmth of a family breaking bread together. It is the best Thanksgiving ever and I will never forget it as long as I live!!

That is a glimpse into my childhood, thank you for letting me share it with you. I would have been about 9 when that happened. The Christmases at Grandma and Grandpa’s were just as wonderful. We would gather in the middle room around a beautiful tree to open gifts and be together. I hope that you spend this holiday season with your friends and family. The most important thing in this world is love. We can possess all sorts of material items, we can have all the money that the world can give us, we can even be the most famous people in the world but if there is no love in your life, there is nothing.

If you are in need of something to do to remember one that you have lost in your life, there are things that you can do this holiday season. I have done some of these things as most of the people in this story have passed and I miss them dearly. It can be a very lonely and sad time of year for some because they are missing loved ones, whether they have passed, whether they have parted ways for various reasons, you can make a difference in someone’s life. You are never alone.

* You could go to a friend’s or loved one’s house and celebrate with them. It is important that you not isolate at this time of year.

* You could go to a nursing home and “adopt” a grandparent. Some of the people that are in these facilities either don’t have families or they have them and they are dumped there and forgotten about. They are lonely and would love to have the company.

* You could volunteer at a Food Pantry or a Soup Kitchen. I did this my Senior Year in High School. We threw a dinner for the kids at the Domestic Violence Shelter, we had a Santa for them and we made dinner for them and it was one of the best Christmases of my life.

* You could find a church that you are comfortable in and take part in the activities that they are having. You can meet some wonderful people at the churches and it would be a wonderful way to spend the day.

* You could volunteer at a Veterans Organization. Find a Veterans Home in your area, go to your local VVA chapter, see if the VA has any Volunteer Opportunities.

* You could “adopt” children that don’t have anything and be their Santa. The best Christmas of my life was the year that my mom died. My dad worked with a lady that was married to a minister. She came to me and said that she had these 2 children in her church and they didn’t have anything and was wondering if I might be willing to help them out. They were 10 and 7, what really broke my heart about these 2 children was that the little girl stopped believing in Santa because she asked for a doll for Christmas and it wasn’t there because they didn’t have the money to get it. Between myself, my best friend, my dad, and her grandmother, we got $ 300 together and went and bought them clothes, toys, bath stuff, Krogers donated gift certificates for both kids, we had 6 full size trash bags full of gifts for these kids by the time we were done. Their mom cried when she came to pick the stuff up, my mom was with me that day, it is no less than she would have done!

* If you don’t feel like leaving and being a little more private, you and your family could set a place at the table for your loved one so that they are “still with you,” kind of like a memorial. We used to do that after my Grandpa passed. It made my Grandmother feel better.

* Turn to a support group, COVVHA, a grief support group in your community, an online support group, etc, so that you have someone that knows how you are feeling and can give you feedback and support. Some of my very best friends have come from online support groups!

So you see, there are things that you can do to get through the holidays so that they aren’t quite so lonely. It is my hope that you have plenty of love and support around you and that you have the love that I had in this wonderful memory to share. The holidays can be a very hard time of year but they don’t have to be. You are never alone and we here at COVVHA wish you the very best that this Holiday season has to offer. Happy Holidays!

Karen Y. Wengert

©Children of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

Love To The World

On November 14, 2012 By Q.A.S

Dear readers I want you to know that the holiday season is upon us. It comes in many shapes and forms and encompasses the whole of the world. There are many different colors of people and religions and beliefs as a whole. There will be different food and different ways to eat it. There will be themes that we might not think of ourselves. There may be songs we do not normally know or hear being sung in remote parts of this beautiful world that we live in. There will be dances that we do not know and might watch with curiosity.

We may not fully understand all the holidays all over the world. But that is OK. The idea is not to understand all of the differences and traditions that may not make any sense to us at all. The point is that we understand that people all over are sharing the same body that we have and soul and heart and mind and breath. It is important to note that we all hunger for love and companionship and warmth. We all of us desire to get along and find a way to make this world flourish with all of us inside of it. We all hope for a good future for our children and a warm home for them to live in and be safe from harm. We all pray or meditate or think of others in time of need and in times of plenty. We think for a moment of someone we miss because they are no longer here in physical form. We all know that somewhere someone is sad and wants to help. To me these are universal truths that surround us all.

This year I want to share an idea with all of you. This is in my heart and it gives me warmth and comfort and hope. I want all of you to see this world as one living breathing organism. I want you to remember to love and give all year long and forever try to remember the positive. Focus on the joyful moments in your life and try to give to others. There is a giving loving person inside of everyone. Even if you suffer yourself you are not alone. You have family somewhere. They may not share your blood but they share your humanity. They understand the basic needs of each person. So I ask that you remember these unifying truths. I want you to remember that you can do good or you can do harm but the choice is eventually up to you.

For every horrible thing that happens and is shared through the news media remember please..That for every one of those there are plenty of good things happening. Do not allow the world to overwhelm you with the spectacle of the media. Look for the good in the world. Find the stories that give hope and love a chance and succeed. Step away from the stereotypes and harness that light within you and share it with everyone. Do not let the world dim your light inside. Walk away from stereotypes and remember the truths that you see and know in life. Whenever someone makes a joke at the expense of anothers pain do not feed into it. Help all those that you can and do good.

You are capable even when you feel your worst moment is upon you to help another. Small things can become great big amazing stories to share with your grandchildren and friends. When you have more give to others. Play with your children and hold your loved ones. Know that around every corner is a potential friend or someone that can teach you many new things. Every single person is put in your path to teach you something. What you take from that experience will be up to you. Someone may come into your life and cause you problems but in doing so they teach you to look for trouble and how to avoid it. How to become stronger and yet deal with things fairly. Or they may be there to teach you patience. But regardless of what they teach you they were put in your path for a reason. Try not to forget that.

This season I want you to recognize that we are all one humanity one consciousness sharing this planet together. Find reasons to come together instead of giving in to things that may tear you apart. Be good to everyone year round and know peace. Know that I am writing this because I love you and I want you to know the same love and hope that I do. Things can get hard but remember there is always something that you can do to make a change for the better. Do not let your emotions tangle you and mislead you. Love love and love some more. Make the world a brighter more loving place.

Q.A.S.

COVVHA Organic View Radio Agent Orange Veterans

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

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

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

Click the player below to hear the show!

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

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

COVVHA BY DESIGN CUSTOM CLOTHING LINE

On November 5, 2012 By Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

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

On October 1, 2012 By Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

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

Veterans health: Why the US government is failing at helping veterans

On July 31, 2012 By Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

Earlier this week President Obama announced a “reverse bootcamp” for veterans returning from war in an attempt to overhaul the transition assistance program (TAP), which provides service members with information about benefits as well as career workshops.

Obama has been ambitious about trying to help veterans as he acknowledged Vietnam vets’ rights to claim compensation for more illnesses linked to Agent Orange (but not the water at Camp Lejeune or the chemicals at Fort McClellan), expanded education benefits for GIs and made it easier to file claims for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

But a new report from Phil Stewart of Reuters lays out that despite (and perhaps because of) these efforts the Obama administration is struggling to provide a safety net for veterans, and the numbers are pretty daunting:

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

On July 24, 2012 By Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

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

On July 23, 2012 By Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

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.

Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

Treatment for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Military and Veteran Populations: IOM Initial Assessment

On July 20, 2012 By Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

An estimated 13 to 20 percent of United States service members who have fought in Iraq or Afghanistan since 2001 suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), brought on by a specific traumatic event, including combat. As the U.S. reduces its military involvement in the Middle East, the Departments of Defense (DoD) and Veterans Affairs (VA) anticipate that increasing numbers of returning veterans will need PTSD services. As a result, Congress asked the DoD, in consultation with the VA, to sponsor an IOM study to assess both departments’ PTSD treatment programs and services. This first of two mandated reports examines the some of the available prevention, screening, diagnostic, treatment, and rehabilitation programs and encourages further research that can help to improve PTSD care. View Full Report Below

Iom Assessment Ptsd

Hearing on Monsanto lawsuit deal begins Monday – Nitro Vest Virginia

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

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.

Read Next Page

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

On June 15, 2012 By Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

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

Agent Orange & Dioxin In The News – Recent Article Collection

On June 14, 2012 By Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

A collection of several recent articles in the news relating to Agent Orange and Dioxin

Vietnamese AO victims to get free check-ups in Korea

We thought VA was VA, and it isn’t’Widow reflects on veteran’s illnesses and death

Vietnam Joins Protest Against Dow Chemicals

Phil Kraft: Ongoing service defines Vietnam vet’s patriotism

Guest view: The war that never ends

Vietnamese AO victims association visits Laos

Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Association Announces Free Documents Library

Common farm chemical has impact for generations

Agent Orange ‘tested in Okinawa’

U.S. Veteran Exposes Pentagon’s Denials of Agent Orange Use on Okinawa

Writers Center hosts veterans’ poetry project

Veterans for Veterans

Vietnam to use advanced technology to clear dioxin contamination

What new 2,4-D-resistant crops mean – going backwards

Teachers for disabled underpaid, overworked

Vietnam veterans still struggle with service-related health problems

Agent Orange at base in ’80s: U.S. vet Nearby residents of Futenma possibly tainted by leaking barrels

Children in US Warzones

Agent Orange & Dioxin The VVA Veteran — May 2012

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

Agent Orange & Dioxin The VVA Veteran — May 2012 Table Of Contents

The VVA Veteran — May 2012

Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance Honors Memorial Day 2012 – Video Tribute

On May 24, 2012 By Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

“If the only place where I could see you was in my dreams, I’d sleep forever.”

Unknown

Video Tribute
Play Video

In Loving Memory

Statistics of the Vietnam Wall

On May 24, 2012 By Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

Our society teaches us that nothing important happened before yesterday. Oh how wrong they are!

Carved on these walls is the story of America, of a continuing quest
to preserve both democracy and decency, and to protect a national
treasure that we call the American dream.”

There are 58,267 names now listed on that polished black wall,
including those added in 2010.

The names are arranged in the order in which they were taken from us
by date and within each date the names are alphabetized. It is hard to
believe it is 36 years since the last casualties.

Beginning at the apex on panel 1E and going out to the end of the East
wall, appearing to recede into the earth (numbered 70E – May 25,
1968), then resuming at the end of the West wall, as the wall emerges
from the earth (numbered 70W – continuing May 25, 1968) and ending
with a date in1975. Thus the war’s beginning and end meet. The war is
complete, coming full circle, yet broken by the earth that bounds the
angle’s open side and contained within the earth itself.

The first known casualty was Richard B. Fitzgibbon, of North Weymouth,
Mass. listed by the U.S. Department of Defense as having been killed
on June 8, 1956. His name is listed on the Wall with that of his son,
Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Richard B. Fitzgibbon III, who was killed on
Sept. 7, 1965.

There are three sets of fathers and sons on the Wall.

39,996 on the Wall were just 22 or younger.

The largest age group, 8,283 were just 19 years old 33,103 were 18 years old.

12 soldiers on the Wall were 17 years old.

5 soldiers on the Wall were 16 years old.

One soldier, PFC Dan Bullock was 15 years old.

997 soldiers were killed on their first day in Vietnam .
1,448 soldiers were killed on their last day in Vietnam .

31 sets of brothers are on the Wall.

Thirty-one sets of parents lost two of their sons.

54 soldiers on attended Thomas Edison High School in Philadelphia ….
wonder why so many from one school?

8 Women are on the Wall. Nursing the wounded.

244 soldiers were awarded the Medal of Honor during the Vietnam War
153 of them are on the Wall.

Beallsville, Ohio with a population of 475, lost 6 of her sons.

West Virginia had the highest casualty rate per capita in the nation.
There are 711 West Virginians on the Wall.

The Marines of Morenci – They led some of the scrappiest high school
football and basketball teams that the little Arizona copper town of
Morenci (pop. 5,058) had ever known and cheered. They enjoyed roaring
beer busts. In quieter moments, they rode horses along the Coronado
Trail, stalked deer in the Apache National Forest. And in the
patriotic camaraderie typical of Morenci’s mining families, the nine
graduates of Morenci High enlisted as a group in the Marine Corps.
Their service began on Independence Day, 1966. Only 3 returned home.

The Buddies of Midvale – LeRoy Tafoya, Jimmy Martinez, Tom Gonzales
were all boyhood friends and lived on three consecutive streets in
Midvale, Utah on Fifth, Sixth and Seventh avenues. They lived only a
few yards apart. They played ball at the adjacent sandlot ball field.
And they all went to Vietnam. In a span of 16 dark days in late 1967,
all three would be killed. LeRoy was killed on Wednesday, Nov. 22, the
fourth anniversary of John F. Kennedy’s assassination. Jimmy died less
than 24 hours later on Thanksgiving Day. Tom was shot dead assaulting
the enemy on Dec. 7, Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.

The most casualty deaths for a single day was on January 31, 1968 ~ 245 deaths.

The most casualty deaths for a single month was May 1968 – 2,415
casualties were incurred.

For most Americans who read this they will only see the numbers that
the Vietnam War created. To those of us who survived the war, and to
the families of those who did not, we see the faces, we feel the pain
that these numbers created. We are, until we too pass away, haunted
with these numbers, because they were our fellow servicemen and women,
friends, fathers, husbands, wives, sons and daughters.

There are no noble wars, just noble warriors.

We Vietnam Veterans stand as one when we say,

“Never again will one generation of Veterans abandon another.”

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

On May 24, 2012 By Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

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

9 Best Ways to Support Someone with Depression

On May 16, 2012 By Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

9 Best Ways to Support Someone with Depression

Pysch-Central

MARGARITA TARTAKOVSKY, M.S.

If your loved one is struggling with depression, you may feel confused, frustrated and distraught yourself. Maybe you feel like you’re walking on eggshells because you’re afraid of upsetting them even more. Maybe you’re at such a loss that you’ve adopted the silent approach. Or maybe you keep giving your loved one advice, which they just aren’t taking.

Depression is an insidious, isolating disorder, which can sabotage relationships. And this can make not knowing how to help all the more confusing.

But your support is significant. And you can learn the various ways to best support your loved one. Below, Deborah Serani, PsyD, a psychologist who’s struggled with depression herself, shares nine valuable strategies.

1. Be there.

According to Serani, the best thing you can do for someone with depression is to be there. “When I was struggling with my own depression, the most healing moments came when someone I loved simply sat with me while I cried, or wordlessly held my hand, or spoke warmly to me with statements like ‘You’re so important to me.’ ‘Tell me what I can do to help you.’ ‘We’re going to find a way to help you to feel better.’”

2. Try a small gesture.

If you’re uncomfortable with emotional expression, you can show support in other ways, said Serani, who’s also author of the excellent book Living with Depression.

She suggested everything from sending a card or a text to cooking a meal to leaving a voicemail. “These gestures provide a loving connection [and] they’re also a beacon of light that helps guide your loved one when the darkness lifts.”

3. Don’t judge or criticize.

What you say can have a powerful impact on your loved one. According to Serani, avoid saying statements such as: “You just need to see things as half full, not half empty” or “I think this is really all just in your head. If you got up out of bed and moved around, you’d see things better.”

These words imply “that your loved one has a choice in how they feel – and has chosen, by free will, to be depressed,” Serani said. They’re not only insensitive but can isolate your loved one even more, she added.

4. Avoid the tough-love approach.

Many individuals think that being tough on their loved one will undo their depression or inspire positive behavioral changes, Serani said. For instance, some people might intentionally be impatient with their loved one, push their boundaries, use silence, be callous or even give an ultimatum (e.g., “You better snap out of it or I’m going to leave”), Serani said. But consider that this is as useless, hurtful and harmful as ignoring, pushing away or not helping someone who has cancer.

5. Don’t minimize their pain.

Statements such as“You’re just too thin-skinned” or “Why do you let every little thing bother you?” shame a person with depression, Serani said. It invalidates what they’re experiencing and completely glosses over the fact that they’re struggling with a difficult disorder – not some weakness or personality flaw.

To view tips 6-9 please visit the Psych-central article –
http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2012/05/08/9-best-ways-to-support-someone-with-depression/

What my father could never tell me: The Vietnam Interview

On May 15, 2012 By Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

What my father could never tell me: The Vietnam Interview

NURSEINTERUPTED

My father and I have *never* had a good relationship. I’ve spent the better part of a lifetime trying to figure out why he was the way he was—impatient, temperamental, moody, and the tendency to go from 0-360 in seconds—especially when it involved me. Out of myself and two brothers for some reason it was my father and I that could instantly ignite an inferno. Over the years mistakes have been made, a lot of hurt has piled up in dark, dank places. Although in recent years we have begun to heal old wounds, one word was always persisted in the back of my mind: Vietnam. I’ve always wondered whether his behavior and our tendency to spontaneously combust had anything to do with that. This “tough it out, don’t cry, be strong” mentality he instilled in me. This weird way he would startle easily and get agitated over the smallest things. Things I thought were of no consequence, stupid stuff. Something always seemed amiss. I used my time at Northern Arizona University to not only take a Chicano History course to understand my culture and his years as a child, but I also took a few courses about Vietnam—the politics of the war, as well as the social side—the side experienced by the soldiers, their families, how the media portrayed the war, and how the people of our nation reacted to the war and to the men and women who selflessly served during one of the worst campaigns in recent history.

I came away with a new understanding of the Vietnam experience, the politics behind it, as well as how expertly the media here in the states twisted and turned and refashioned the war for the American public to see and read. I learned about the lasting effects of the war on the veterans, and how poorly they were received when they came home from their tours. I speak often of the Vietnam veterans I have encountered as a nurse and on the streets—the ones that continue to wander, stuck in time, and forgotten—their minds left back in a place they can no longer get to. I’ve said more than once how much it infuriates me that we failed these men and women and how much I want to make up for that in my own way. My ultimate goal as a nurse “WAS” to use my Adult NP as a means to open my own heart failure clinic and a free health clinic for veterans. Obviously there has been a big AXE taken to those plans so I am going to find another way to do my part as a way of making up at least a small part of what we did not give these vets when they stepped off the planes for the first time…battle weary, broken, confused, tired, displaced, and sick with memories that they would live with forever.

Despite the classes, the books, the documentaries, the stories relayed to me by numerous patients over the years I still felt there was a piece missing with regard to my father, my understanding of him, and why our relationship was always so difficult, discombobulated, and disconnected. I needed his story. I needed his memories. I needed to understand what happened to him over there….what he experienced, heard, felt, smelled, saw…..He never would talk to me about Vietnam. In fact, when I was younger my mom told me that one day he had gathered up a box of memorabilia from his tour of duty, went to my grandparent’s house and proceeded to dump it all in a big metal drum in the alley– setting fire to all of it. His efforts were in vain….burning it did not make anything leave his mind. My mother shared with me that I am the only one of us kids that has persisted over the years in studying the war and trying to learn more from my father. Call it my own little mission I guess. But, I felt I had missed out on a part of who my father was—the part that the war took from him and took from me as his daughter.

In 2009 the Voces Oral History Project was started at the University of Texas. Its purpose was to “foster a greater awareness of the contributions of Latinos and Latinas who served in World War II and Vietnam.” In World War II approximately 250,000-750,000 Latinos and Latinas served in all areas of the military. The Project has actually been gathering data and stories since 1999 having compiled “850 interviews with men and women, thousands of photos, publishing three books on the subject, and increasing awareness via numerous exhibits.” My father was one of eight Vietnam veterans selected from Arizona to be interviewed so that he could share his memories…among them the day he got summoned for duty, the night he walked off the big transport plane to their base camp—magazine loaded and weapon ready to fire (there was conflict right from the start) and numerous other experiences.There were three segments in the video: Life story, enlisting and battle, coming home and readjusting/rebuilding a life. Each veteran was asked to share something they had learned in life, something to pass on to anyone who viewed his/her story.

I didn’t know this video existed until I asked my mom for any pictures remaining from Vietnam that I could use for my ongoing research. In the process she found this video, dated August 16, 2010. She said that there was only one segment on it and was disappointed that no more videos came so they could watch the whole interview. I was skeptical about this, thinking to myself that they probably didn’t fast forward far enough…..fortunately, I was right. She went out to the backyard, DVD in hand, and I watched her ask my father if I could view it. I saw his jaw tense, watched him toss the hose he was using to water the flowerbeds to the ground, shaking his head, hands on his hips. Then there was the familiar stance when he gets irritated, arms folded, pursed lips. I watched my mom motioning with her hands and I knew she was pleading my case. He quickly nodded his head and turned his back to her, picking up the garden hose again. I had my mom’s blessing—at least.

I was unsure about watching this video, perhaps scared about what I would learn or discover about my father and his experiences. This knowledge, this last piece of the puzzle between he and I—had been years in the making.I took the incidental discovery of the DVD by my mom as a sign that it was time to close the circle so the healing could continue between my father and I. Before my dad could change his mind I tucked the DVD away in my purse, hugged my mom goodbye, and headed home with racing thoughts and some hope that this might be what would help me see my father in a whole new perspective and what my place was as his daughter, his first born.

After picking up some dinner for me and Anaya I popped in the DVD, we settled onto the couch to eat, and clicked “play.” I was in no way prepared for what I would see, or what I would hear from my dad, or how I would become profoundly affected by his recollection of events. To say the experience of watching him on the television screen, his nervous body language, his discomfort with some of the questions, his fidgeting….and at times, the obvious efforts to hold back emotion was difficult is putting it lightly.

I was fascinated to hear about our family history, his days growing up, the political unrest of living in the barrio and the segregation of blacks, Hispanics, and whites, as well as how he assimilated into a mixed high school learning how to speak English so he could learn more. I learned his goal was to be a business mogul someday….Vietnam was the “someday” that arrived first….forever altering the determined path he had set for himself so he could get out of the poverty ridden barrios of South Phoenix. He had finished just one year at Phoenix College.

My father’s journey to Vietnam actually came by chance. Although he was drafted and enlisted, he didn’t mind going. He wanted to be part of something important for his country and felt going to fight was the “right thing to do.” He felt he would regret not doing his part as an American—and that if he did not serve and “do the right thing” he would live with regret and shame for not doing so. He was actually slated to go to Germany after basic training…but at the last minute, his orders changed. He was sent to Fort Benning to go through “jungle training” and would be deployed to Vietnam shortly thereafter. This is where the second and most difficult segment of the video begins. My father relays the one quote he remembers from the “pep talk” given to them before they boarded the big military plane bound for Vietnam: “Some of you will not make it back.” It was the moment everything became “real.”

I learned about the experiences he was “willing” to discuss—the racial tension in the tents, the frequent fighting, times he had been injured, escaped death, was pinned down in a bunker at night under fire while he was doing his night “guard shift.” He described, with swallowed emotion, the death of his best friend who was shot in the head. When asked what event stuck with him the most, he became silent, looking downward. With a deep breath he tells of an attack on a nearby major weapons depot at 0400, waking him up out of sleep. The depot was stocked with massive amounts of artillery, bombs, rockets—everything. With vivid recollection he paints the scene: The sky lighting up in fire. The confusion of his unit as they struggled to get their flak jackets and weapons loaded. When the Vietnamese blew up the depot, many were killed and they had to take cover for days because bombs and other devices were continuing to be set off by the initial bombing and flames. On one of those days, my dad had decided to take a peak outside his tent because it had quieted down…as he did so, a short distance away he remembers seeing a “miniature atomic bomb” go off, the sound louder than anything he could ever describe. He felt the earth beneath his feet shaking violently, and how the earth seemed to shake with more violence as the effects of the bomb got nearer to their base camp. He was caught up in this explosion, along with the entire basecamp—and was injured. With carefully measured words he recalled seeing the bombing of the depot, the bomb going off a short distance outside his tent, and being a part of this massive explosion as the event that impacted him the most. Afew days after his return to the states he would learn that his base camp was overrun, the VC had dug tunnels underneath it, killing all of his remaining comrades.

An especially moving part of my father’s story was the experience of realizing his tour was up… the few short days before he was to return to the United States. He described his level of anticipation, his relief, and his elation at the prospect of leaving Vietnam….of SURVIVING what many of his brothers did not. His recollection of seeing the Pan Am airliner for the first time was the most poignant. He relays, in vivid detail how he and his comrades cheered as the plane came into view, landing, to take them home. He also smiles as he recalls the cheers of all the men on the plane as the airliner took to the air. But he also felt a twinge of guilt as he caught a view of a military plane that had just landed and was unloading fresh troops to begin their tours. The stewardesses, the “American Women” were a “beautiful sight for sore eyes.” What the battle fatigued and traumatized soldiers were not prepared for was the unsavory welcoming they would receive when they landed in the states…a place they used to know as “home.” In Vietnam, the soldiers were never clued into the political climate in the states. They had no idea that there were protests, or ugly pictures painted on TV screens and magazine covers all over the country portraying their “supposed” activities. They had no warning. Their much dreamed about first steps off the plane on their home soil…were met with signs of protest and crowds yelling “murderers and baby killers.” The feelings of rejection and betrayal, he says, were overwhelming. My father marks those moments as the “beginning of knowing I was never going to be the same person I used to be, that I might not ever fit in here ever again, that I might not ever be able to connect like I used to.” “The war took something from me, I was never the same.” After being met at Sky Harbor airport with a much more loving reception than his previous landing in San Francisco, my father went home with his family. In the first few days home he recalls noticing a very “loud” feeling of being “numb and totally disconnected from everything and everyone.” There was the constant question of “Now what?” My father also discusses (rather cautiously) his struggles with PTSD, how it’s affected him, his family, thinking that it started the day of the bomb and never left him.

Of the entire three hour interview, these were some of the most emotional stories/memories. What I was not expecting, what brought me to tears, were the last ten minutes of the video when he talked about me. His daughter. He said things about me, about my life, my accomplishments, his overwhelming pride about watching me get off of welfare, raise my daughter alone, while getting both a Bachelors and Master’s degree. At one point, he swallows his emotions and struggles to talk. As I hear these words I am overcome with emotion and begin sobbing. He has never said these things to me; he has never said these things about me in my presence. This moment is the first time I have heard my father talk about how he really feels about the person I am, the mother I am, and how proud he is of me as his child.

The ending of the video follows shortly thereafter…and the irony of his last statement comes at a devastating and life altering time in my own life. The interviewer asks my dad to share something he learned by his experiences in Vietnam and coming home and having to rebuild his life again:

He responds:

“ I think anybody watching this video should remember to do what feels right, if you know what the right thing to do is, do it…because those choices become part of you, part of your life forever…”

He wipes away a single tear and grows quiet as the camera remains on him. A faraway look comes over his face as he stares quietly past the camera.

The television screen goes black.

Tears run down my face…Naya sits in silence holding my hand.

Now I understand it all…

http://nurseinterupted.wordpress.com/2012/05/06/what-my-father-could-never-tell-me-the-vietnam-interview/

Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance