Currently viewing the category: "Veterans"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Heather A. Bowser, MsEd, LPCC

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

On May 1, 2013 By Q.A.S

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

http://kids-alliance.org/

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

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

http://www.ymca.net/volunteer

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

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

http://www.freearts.org/volunteers

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Quiescent Aureate Serpent

BECOME AN EMAIL MEMBER OF CHILDREN OF VIETNAM VETERANS HEALTH ALLIANCE

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

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

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

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

Genetically Engineered Food Right-to-Know Act

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

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

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

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

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

Kelly L. Derricks (T.T.)

CLICK TO CAST YOUR HOUSE VOTE ON POPVOX NOW

CLICK TO CAST YOUR SENATE VOTE ON POPVOX NOW

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

Truth Teller
www.covvha.net

AGENT ORANGE DARK MATTERS TWISTED BUT TRUE

AGENT ORANGE – The Accidental Inventor – VIDEO

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

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

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

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

COVVHA 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

I Was Just There Last Night

On January 30, 2013 By James J. Alonzo

I Was Just There Last Night

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Please See Below COVVHA’s Full IOM Testimony Packet

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

BECOME A MEMBER OF CHILDREN OF VIETNAM VETERANS HEALTH ALLIANCE

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

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

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

monsanto agent orange vietnam veterans gmo news

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

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

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

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

‘Legacies of War’

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

Agent Orange, United States Military Veterans, And Myelodysplastic …

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

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

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

AO Victims Grateful to British PM

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

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

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

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

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

The pesticides you eat

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

THE INFORMATION INCLUDED IN THE ARTICLE IS MISLEADING AND INCORRECT

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Visit The Main Website At WWW.COVVHA.NET

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

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

Veterans Healthcare Children of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

Improving Healthcare For Veterans On College Campuses

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

Improving healthcare for veterans on college campuses

By DAVID ROSENMAN, MD AND GLENN L. LAUDENSLAGER IV, MBA on March 24th, 2012 in CONDITIONS

http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2012/03/improving-healthcare-veterans-college-campuses.html

The healthcare needs and challenges presented by the nation’s returning veterans are complex and critical.

That’s not news to all, yet not all clinicians realize how close and relevant the issues actually are. More than half of all returning veterans are treated outside of the military healthcare system and the VA, which means community-based clinicians are on the front lines of care delivery to veterans.

Very often, this also now means that veterans seek care on college campuses, which are seeing a huge surge in veteran enrollment. Some campuses have seen an increase of more than 50% in student-veterans as they take advantage of the Post 9/11 GI Bill after their service is complete.

The need for increased education on assessing and treating veterans in the campus environment became obvious during recent conversations with leaders of college-based healthcare and mental health services. Some weren’t aware of basic resources like the VA’s PTSD 101 online modules or the PTSD Check List – Military (PCL-M).

Some also were naïve as to why it was not safe to assume that everyone discharged from the military was properly screened for both PTSD and TBI.

And there’s good reason why you can’t assume that. Often, the Post-Deployment Health Reassessment Program (PDHRA) gets postponed (despite the best efforts of the Service branches) until a day before final discharge, and the “scuttlebutt” from veterans is that if you answer any of the screening questions affirmatively, you can be “held back” for a work-up (and possible Medical Board Evaluation) of any problems disclosed.

It’s therefore not a surprise that many symptoms go unreported at these exit evaluations.

As proof of this, consider the case of a Veteran whom I (Dr. Rosenman) saw at a community college where I did volunteer work. He was late thirties, 6′ 2″, close to 200 pounds with 1% body fat, blond hair, blue eyes, and a firm handshake. He could have stepped out of a recruiting poster.

He was registered as a student at the college and connected with the VA system so that his GI Bill educational benefits could start, but to the dismay of his case manager, he was unable to complete a class schedule, or to register for any classes. At that point, the student services personnel brought him over to chat with me.

I learned he had started and left the DOD at nearby military base, and was married and had 3 children.

My first question was whether or not he had been concussed in Iraq because of IEDs. His reply was: “Four times that I can remember.”

I quietly explained that sometimes these concussions cause damage to the brain that would not be apparent to him and, that with his permission, I was going to check for this, and he agreed – which, in essence, was a Mental Status Exam (MSE). He was oriented as to person, place and time.

However, he could remember none of the six items I asked him to remember, only got to 93 on Serial 7′s before he stopped and asked for a pen and paper, and remembered only one President.

Given his in-theater history, the reason why he was brought to my attention, and his clearly impaired MSE, I strongly suspected a TBI diagnosis.

I said to him, “Sir, I know that some people are so anxious to be discharged, that when they take the PDHRA, they report that they are totally symptom free. Was that the case for you?”

He paused, smiled sheepishly, and said, “Yes, Doc.”

At that point it was clear to me that he needed more thorough treatment. So I gently conveyed my thoughts to him and then called the local VA hospital, where a caseworker accompanied him and where later that day that based on further screening, an MRI, and their clinical evaluation the diagnosis was confirmed.

He was admitted for further care, and ultimately received a Medical Board 100% permanent Disability Rating secondary to his TBI.

That’s meaningful, because he got access to VA social workers to counsel his family on the diagnosis, a Palm Pilot to help with short-term memory, vocational training, and more significantly, a substantial disability payment – which means a much smaller financial impact on his family, and a decreased chance of divorce and/or homelessness.

Drawing on this example, we strongly encourage you to access the many resources that exist for community and college-based physicians, nurses, counselors and psychologists.

It’s imperative that on this very day you become more familiar with standard assessment tools for veterans, as well as next-step treatment-referral resources. There are plenty of educational resources on Medscape, a wealth of information from the VA’s National Center for PTSD, free online training from the Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital Home Base Program and the National Center for PTSD, and more.

It’s critical to identify individuals who need assistance, like the Veteran described in the example above. He may be sitting in front of you tomorrow, but may look more the part of scattered student than wounded Veteran. They served this country with courage and selflessness, and we have to show those same characteristics to raise our knowledge of the issues, screen effectively, and get them the best care possible.

David Rosenman is a psychiatrist and Emeritus Director, Student Health and Counseling Service, California State University-Fullerton. He has worked as a civilian psychiatrist at two Department of Defense hospitals with returning troops. Glenn L. Laudenslager IV is President of Charge Ahead Marketing and has worked on initiatives and education in veterans’ healthcare for several years.

BREAKING AGENT ORANGE NEWS – Okinawa Japan Operation Red Hat

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

THE ZEIT GIST

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

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

By JON MITCHELL

Special to The Japan Times

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Japan Times: Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012

The Lingering Effects of Agent Orange

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

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

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

http://vimeo.com/peaceboat

Agent Orange Holidays Depression #COVVHA

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

On November 27, 2012 By Q.A.S

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

JUST IN TIME FOR THE HOLIDAYS!!!

The Perfect stocking stuffer gift that will shine the whole year through!!!

Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance is proud to introduce our new Lapel Pins for purchase

Individual Pins Are Priced At $12.00

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

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

COVVHA Organic View Radio Agent Orange Veterans

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

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

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

Click the player below to hear the show!

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

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

VETERANS DAY 2012 FLAG 2 CHILDREN OF VIETNAM VETERANS HEALTH ALLIANCE

Veterans Day in America 2012

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

Written By Heather A. Bowser

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

Have you ever noticed? They are all around you.

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

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

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

“Freedom Is NOT Free”

© Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

2012 Veterans Day Discounts Sales Deals and Free Meals

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

Restaurants with Veterans Day Free Meals

Applebees Free Meal
Applebees is offering a free signature entree on Sunday November 11th, 2012 at participating locations. Must present valid Veteran’s form of identification.

Arby’s Free Roast Beef Sandwich
Arby’s largest franchisee is offering a free roast beef sandwich at their 280 Arby’s restaurants on Monday, November 12, 2012. This offer is valid only at all participating Arby’s locations in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois and Colorado (Colorado Springs and Pueblo).

Bar Louie Free Lunch or Dinner
Bar Louie is saluting veterans and active-duty on Sunday and Monday (November 11-12) this year with a free lunch or dinner, up to an $11 value.

California Pizza Kitchen
California Pizza Kitchen is honoring Veterans and Military personnel by inviting them in to dine for free on November 11 (Veterans Day) and November 12. Enjoy an pizza and a non-alcoholic beverage for free. Dine-in only. Please come in uniform or bring your military ID or other proof of service.

Carrows Free Slice of Pie
Sunday, November 11 get a free slice of pie with any purchase. Present military ID.

Champps Free Cheeseburger and Fries
On Monday, November 12 veterans and active-duty can get a free cheeseburger and fries all day.

Charlie Brown’s Steakhouse Eat Free
Monday, November 12, 2012 Veterans and active-duty military eat free with a coupon. Valid ID required or in uniform or photo in uniform.

Cheeseburger In Paradise Free Meal
Monday, November 12, 2012 veterans are saluted with a free meal.

Chili’s Free Meal
Sunday, November 11, 2012 from 11 am to 5 pm Veterans and active-duty military get a choice of 7 free meals. Must show proof of military service.

Coco’s Free Slice of Pie
Sunday, November 11 get a free slice of pie with any purchase. Present military ID.

Denny’s All You Can Eat Pancakes
Get all you can eat pancakes for all active duty military and veterans with a valid ID on Monday, November 12, 2012.

Einstein Bagels Free Bagel
Receive a classic or signature bagel on Sunday November 11, 2012.

Famous Dave’s Free or Discounted Meal
On November 11th, 2012 Famous Dave’s is providing a variety of free meals and discounts at participating locations to former and current military personnel. Offers vary by location.

Great American Cookies Free Cookie
Sunday, November 11, 2012 all those who served get a free cookie with valid military id.

Friendly’s Free Breakfast and Coffee
Monday, November 12 until 11:00 am get a free Big Two Do Breakfast and coffee.

Golden Corral Free Meal
Get a Veterans Day free meal to any veteran who has served in the United States military or is a current active duty service member. All Golden Corral locations will be participating On Monday, November 12, 2012 from 4 PM to 9 PM. No identification is required to get your free Veterans day meal.

Hooters 10 Free Boneless Wings
On Sunday November 11th, 2012 receive 10 free boneless wings with the purchase of a drink for all veterans and active duty military. Military ID or proof of service required.

Hy-Vee Free Breakfast
Monday, November 12, 2012 Hy-Vee is providing free breakfast during regular breakfast hours.

Krispy Kreme Free Donut & Coffee
On Sunday, November 11 is offering a free donut to all those served or currently are serving. Proof of military service required or those in uniform.

Little Caesars Free Crazy Bread
Receive free Crazy Bread with valid ID Sunday, November 11, 2012.

Longhorn Steakhouse Free App & Drink
On Monday, November 12 get a free appetizer and drink.

Max & Erma’s Free Cheeseburger Combo Meal with Dessert
On Veterans Day, Sunday, November 11, 2012, participating Max & Erma’s locations are celebrating veterans and active military personnel with a free cup of Tortilla Soup or side Caesar Salad, a Cheeseburger, seasoned fries and a chocolate chip cookie.

McCormick and Schmick’s Free Entree
Enjoy a complimentary entree Sunday, Nov. 11. All veterans must show official verification. Veterans Day entrees must be enjoyed at the restaurant. No to-go orders permitted.

Mimi’s Cafre Free Meal with a Purchase
Free lunch or dinner entree with the purchase of a meal plus two beverages. Valid November 9th to the 11th, must bring coupon.

O’Charley’s 20% Off Your Order
On Veterans Day vets and active duty receive 20% off your order. Bring coupon.

Olive Garden Free Meal
On Sunday, November 11, 2012 all veterans and military active duty will receive a choice of 1 of 5 entrees plus unlimited soup, salad and breadsticks.

On The Border Free Entree
On 11/11/12 15% of purchases will be donated to Carry The Load plus veterans and active-duty will receive a free entrée certificate, valid up to $10 and good through 11/30/2012.

Outback Steakhouse Free Bloomin’ Onion® and Coca-Cola®
On November 11th and 12th, 2012 military personnel and veterans get FREE Bloomin’ Onion® and Coca-Cola®. Must have valid identification. Also, receive 10% off the entire guest check (excluding alcohol, taxes and gratuity) from November 13- December 31, 2012.

Red Lobster
Sunday, November 11, 2012 a free appetizer to all veterans and active-duty personnel.

Sizzler Free Lunch
Monday, November 12, 2012 through 4 PM Veterans and active duty military will receive a free lunch from a select menu. Valid ID required or in uniform or photo in uniform.

Soup Plantation Free Meal with Purchase
Past and present military can receive a free meal this Sunday and Monday, November 11 and 12th with the purchase of another regular priced meal. Just show proof of military service or be in uniform.

Spaghetti Warehouse Buy 1 Get 1 Free Meal
Friday thru Monday (November 9-12) buy 1 meal and get 1 Original Recipe Spaghetti Entrée for your veteran.

Sweet Tomatoes Free Meal Free Meal with Purchase
Past and present military can receive a free meal this Sunday and Monday, November 11 and 12th with the purchase of another regular priced meal. Just show proof of military service or be in uniform.

Texas Corral Free Entree
A free entrée on Veterans Day to vets and active duty. Unofficially we believe it’s Sunday but their website just says Veterans Day. Call ahead to confirm.

Texas Roadhouse Free Lunch
Monday, November 12, 2012 select from a special veterans lunch menu.

Tim Hortons Cafe & Bake Shop Free Donut
Sunday, November 11, 2012 Veterans active duty-duty military will receive a free donut. No purchase required. Valid ID required or show up in uniform.

TGI Fridays Free Lunch
On Monday, November 12 from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm get a free Veterans Day lunch.

Travel Centers of America Free Meal
All CDL drivers who are Military Veterans eat free on November 11th, 2012. Up to $15 on a complimentary meal of your choice Must present valid ID or photograph in uniform.

Twin Peaks Free Meal
Twins Peaks provides vague information and it doesn’t look like it includes Veterans. Here are their event details. “For Serving Us, We’re Serving You! Service men and women eat free on Veteran’s Day.” Starts on Thursday, November 8 through Sunday, November 11. We are working on clarifying this information.

Uno’s free entrée or pizza with a purchase
On both Sunday and Monday, November 11- 12 get a free entrée or individual pizza with an entrée or pizza purchase or equal or greater value and with a military or veterans ID.

For More Great Deals Please Visit This Link –

http://militarybenefits.info/veterans-day-discounts-sales-deals-free-meals/

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

RED ZONE GRAPHIC EMBROIDERY

Check out some of our photos for our different brand lines like :

COVVHA SPORT FOR WOMEN

COVVHA GEAR FOR MEN

COVVHA COMFORT SLEEP LINE

COVVHA VETERANS & MILITARY

COVVHA LAPEL PINS

R2M CUSTOM

For Ordering and product Information Please Contact

PMASON@COVVHA.NET

To View Photos, please Click HERE

Agent Orange News Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance 2012

Agent Orange Dioxin & GMO News September – October

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

One veteran’s story about fighting Agent Orange

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

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

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

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

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

Red Fridays – Burn Pits, the new Agent Orange

Genetically Modified Organisms No Answer to Food Shortage

Treatment of veterans is totally disgusting

Federal Judge Dismisses Agent Orange Case in NY

Agent Orange in Okinawa: the Smoking Gun

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

New method of cleaning Passaic River fails test in Lyndhurst

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

Agent Orange wrecks future generations’ too?

Corpus Christi Army Depot’s safety history sometimes spotty

Letters: A veteran’s take on his healthcare

After military service, veterans next battle V.A.

Vietnamese, Korean dioxin victims on epic bike trip

Homeland Security is Working for Monsanto

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

War veterans’ children supported by scholarships

Over VND2.5 billion raised for disadvantaged children

Agent Orange consequences to be overcome by 2020

Vietnam Veteran Remembered As Kind, Proud American

SEARCH TIME.COM

US, Vietnam join hands to deal with AO consequences

Agent Orange chemical in GM war on resistant weeds

Agent Orange cleanup effort stirs questions about responsibility

Mag Links Romney To Monsanto

Remember Vietnam,Continuing Birth Defects Caused By Agent …

Massive Attack on GMO Labeling Proposal in California

Monsanto: One of Romney & Bain’s Earliest Clients

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

Oregonians Fear Harmful Effects From Timberland Herbicides

AGENT ORANGE Rainbow Herbicides A Bioforming Pandemic Killing Some …

Feds May Acknowledge Ground Zero Cancer Link

FRA | Legislative Update: Agent Orange Reform

Debate over genetically modified food gets political with Prop. 37

Agent Orange’s shameful legacy

U.S. and Vietnam looking to improve trade relations

American student asks justice for AO victims

Birth defects caused by Agent Orange : WTF

Dow denies succour to Bhopal despite new-found enveronmentalism

Navy veteran says Agent Orange is still a concern

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

Laos still in the dark on Agent Orange impact

United States and Laos yet to deal with Agent Orange legacy

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

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

Da Nang: 62 people infected with dioxin

VA Harnesses Big Data For Broader Impact

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

Craig Wehrle: War supporter Grothman should look at birth defects

The Terrible Legacy of Agent Orange

Vietnam forgotten, more than a ‘Lost Generation’

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

He’s telling the other side of war

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

Cleaning Agent Orange - Video Library – The New York Times

Behind the front line

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

Camp #Lejeune Toxic Water Contamination victims finally eligible for compensation

On October 2, 2012 By Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

According to a number of investigative reporting pieces published over the past several years, a large number of marines and their families stationed at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune near Jacksonville, N.C., were exposed to contaminated water during the 30-year period of 1957 to 1987. Reports say that toxins were found in drinking water in some areas there at levels of more than 3,400 times recommend safe levels, resulting in a high incidence of cancer among persons and family members stationed there during that time and even death for some— including the nine-year-old daughter of a former master sergeant. Among contaminants reportedly found in the water were the degreaser trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene, dry cleaning solvents, benzene and various dangerous hydrocarbons.

Although the water had been tested over the years by various agencies and private contractors, a number of Marine Corps officials said that it was unlikely that the chemicals in the water could be responsible for cancer in military personnel and families exposed to tainted water on the base. In fact, as late as 1997, Corps officials were citing an Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) report confirming that view. The investigation, however, failed to note the high level of benzene— a substance known to increase cancer risks and damage to the liver, kidneys, the heart and brain—in the water at Camp Lejeune. It wasn’t until 2009 that the ATSDR admitted that the water at the base indeed was contaminated with benzene, going back on the earlier report.

Interestingly enough, 10 years prior, the Marine Corps had begun to notify former base residents of the possible contamination. Subsequently, the U.S. government was hit with a number of high profile suits by persons formerly stationed there, claiming that their cancers were the result of water contamination at Camp Lejeune. Just last year, former Marine Joel P. Shirberg filed suite claiming that his breast cancer was the result of ingesting and or bathing in the base’s contaminated water supply.

Still, it wasn’t until this year that Congress passed legislation designed to acknowledge the problems caused by the tainted water at the base, possibly including the cancer—including unusually high male breast cancer rates and deaths of former military personal and their family members. According to a White House press release, “…the new law offers extended care to a group of service members who were based at Camp Lejeune with their families during a period when contaminated water caused major medical issues for a number of individuals.”

For local veterans advocate Rick Ritter, justice for those persons affected by the tainted water at Camp Lejeune is long overdue.

A Vietnam era-Marine Corps disabled veteran who worked as a councilor at the Vet Center in Fort Wayne from 1979 to 1988 before going into private practice as a trauma therapist, Ritter is happy that the government finally is doing something to help those whose health was damaged at Lejeune. But, he is disappointed with the the amount of time it has taken for the government and the Marine Corps to admit what happened there and to compensate the victims.

“The motto of the Marine Corps is ‘Always Faithful.’ In this particular instance, that’s a joke because they haven’t been faithful to our own,” he said.

He compared it to the problems of getting the military to finally recognize the health problems veterans experienced after being exposed to Agent Orange during Vietnam. Ritter said it took scores of people coming forward with health problems before the government would budge on the issue.

“The body count has to be high enough before anyone will do anything,” he said.

http://www.frostillustrated.com/atf.php?sid=10956

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.

Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

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

DIOXIN WSU EPIGENETICS AGENT ORANGE #COVVHA

#Dioxin Agent Orange causes disease reproductive problems across generations – WSU #Epigenetics COMPLETE Study

On September 27, 2012 By Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

“Dioxin (TCDD) Induces Epigenetic Transgenerational Inheritance of Adult Onset Disease and Sperm Epimutations,”

Dioxin causes disease, reproductive problems across generations

By Eric Sorensen, WSU science writer

PULLMAN, Wash. – Since the 1960s, when the defoliant Agent Orange was widely used in Vietnam, military, industry and environmental groups have debated the toxicity of its main ingredient, the chemical dioxin, and how it should be regulated.

But even if all the dioxin were eliminated from the planet, Washington State University researchers say its legacy would live on in the way it turns genes on and off in the descendants of people exposed over the past half century.

Writing in the journal PLoS ONE, biologist Michael Skinner and members of his lab say dioxin administered to pregnant rats resulted in a variety of reproductive problems and disease in subsequent generations. The first generation of rats had prostate disease, polycystic ovarian disease and fewer ovarian follicles, the structures that contain eggs. To the surprise of Skinner and his colleagues, the third generation had even more dramatic incidences of ovarian disease and, in males, kidney disease.

“Therefore, it is not just the individuals exposed, but potentially the great-grandchildren that may experience increased adult-onset disease susceptibility,” says Skinner.

Skinner is a professor of reproductive biology and environmental epigenetics – the process in which environmental factors affect how genes are turned on and off in the offspring of an exposed animal, even though its DNA sequences remain unchanged. In this year alone, Skinner and colleagues have published studies finding epigenetic diseases promoted by jet fuel and other hydrocarbon mixtures, plastics, pesticides and fungicides, as well as dioxin.

The field of epigenetics opens new ground in the study of how diseases and reproductive problems develop. While toxicologists generally focus on animals exposed to a compound, work in Skinner’s lab further demonstrates that diseases can also stem from older, ancestral exposures that are then mediated through epigenetic changes in sperm.

This latest study was funded by the U.S. Department of Defense, the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Skinner designed the study; the research was done by Assistant Research Professor Mohan Manikkam, Research Technician Rebecca Tracey and Post-doctoral Researcher Carlos Guerrero-Bosagna.

The study, “Dioxin (TCDD) Induces Epigenetic Transgenerational Inheritance of Adult Onset Disease and Sperm Epimutations,” is embedded below and also available at http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0046249.

Contact:
Michael Skinner, WSU Professor of Environmental Epigenetics And Reproductive Biology, 509-335-1524, skinner@wsu.edu

Dioxin (TCDD) Induces Epigenetic Transgenerational Inheritance of Adult Onset Disease and Sperm Epimutations

Agent Orange In Ohio – COVVHA Event Press Release

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

For Immediate Release

Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance
COVVHA@GMAIL.COM
www.Covvha.net

Agent Orange In Ohio

Boardman, OH – October, 13 2012 – Two Generational Victims of Agent Orange who founded the Non-Profit Organization ‘Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance’ will host a meet & greet and educational seminar on October 13th starting at 6pm at Ohio Naturopathic Wellness Center, 755 Boardman-Canfield Rd., Suite D- (Southbridge West), Boardman, OH. Appetizers and beverages will be served, followed by the seminar at 7pm. Please make your reservations at COVVHA@Gmail.com for attendance since seating is limited. The event is free and open to the public and can also be joined through Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/COVVHA

Heather A. Bowser (39), Daughter of Bill Morris, of Canfield Ohio and Kelly L. Derricks (37), Daughter of Harry C. Mackel Jr., of Bucks County Pennsylvania are both daughters of deceased Vietnam War Veterans. Each of their father’s were exposed to the deadly herbicide Agent Orange/Dioxin while serving with the United States Military resulting in their untimely deaths. Heather and Kelly were both born with multiple birth defects and illnesses which they still suffer from Today. In early 2012, after many years of independent advocacy, they came together to form ‘Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance’ a Non-Profit organization seeking justice and providing assistance for the tens of thousands of sons and daughters also suffering from the generational effects of Agent Orange that occurs during the conception of a child.

Karen Y. Wengert (38), Daughter of surviving Vietnam Veteran George Ridgeway, of Newark Ohio, will also be attending the event. Karen’s mother, Barbara Ridgeway (Dunn), who is now deceased, was a key proponent in starting the area’s local VVA chapter. At the age of 8, Karen accompanied by her parents on November 11, 1982, stood in attendance at the official opening of the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial Wall in Washington D.C. As a surviving Vietnam Veteran, Karen’s father now suffers the severe health effects that Agent Orange / Dioxin is known for leaving in its destructive wake. Recently, Heather and Kelly were very pleased when Karen graciously accepted the position of Secretary as an Official COVVHA board member. Karen has worked tirelessly over the last several months, despite her suffering with numerous illnesses, to ensure COVVHA’s ability to reach the 2ND generation victims of Agent Orange.

Nicknamed COVVHA, Kelly and Heather stress four simple words that have reached millions, not just in the American community, but also the international community of those exposed including Vietnam, Australia, Korea, Japan, Guam, and Canada; “You Are NOT Alone.” COVVHA has vowed that no Vietnam Veteran, Child, Grandchild, or those who were exposed to Agent Orange by other circumstances, will ever feel like they are waging the fight for their lives alone. The event which is being hosted by Kelly and Heather on October 13th starting at 6pm at Ohio Naturopathic Wellness Center, 755 Boardman-Canfield Rd., Suite D-(Southbridge West), Boardman, Ohio, Is intended to educate the general public and those exposed about the generational health and medical effects of Agent Orange. They also hope to meet other Sons and Daughters of Vietnam Veterans who may have interest in volunteering any extra time to COVVHA.

Before his Death at the age of 37, Kelly’s father stated, “I know I have a bomb ticking inside of me, I know that bomb is Agent Orange.” Before his death at the age of 50, Heather’s father stated, “If I only knew I was taking my children to war, I would have dodged the draft.” Please join Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance on Saturday evening, October 13, 2012 to help COVVHA raise awareness. R.S.V.P. by email at COVVHA@GMAIL.COM At the conclusion of the evening’s events, A brief memorial tribute will be held in honor of Kelly’s father marking the 30 year anniversary of his death on October 14, 1982. Kelly was only 7 years old when her father died. Agent Orange was not just a Vietnam War Era tragedy. In fact, Agent Orange was used globally long before the war began. To people like Kelly and Heather and the millions they fight for, the Vietnam War never ended. The battle ground and weaponry have simply changed.

Visit Children of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance at their main website www.CovvHa.net

Support COVVHA’S Facebook Page by clicking the “LIKE” button at https://www.facebook.com/COVVHA

Contact Heather and Kelly by email at COVVHA@GMAIL.COM

COVVHA Heather Bowser – A personal testimony to the generational effects of Agent Orange, Aug 26, 2012

On September 19, 2012 By Children Of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance

Heather shared her personal story with Peace Boat participants, describing the ways in which her father’s exposure to Agent Orange in Viet Nam resulted in her multiple birth defects. For the first in a series of lectures covering the topic of Agent Orange, Heather Bowser appeared on stage to discuss her personal connection to the virulent wartime herbicide. Filling the entire auditorium, participants gathered to hear her testimony. Heather, an mother of two from the US with a business in antiques and part time career as a mental health therapist, is also a second generation Agent Orange survivor who was born with multiple birth defects. This has led her to reach out to other innocent victims like her–most of whom have long suffered in silence, bearing the scars of a war that began and ended long before they were born. Heather also speaks out about the issue in order to raise awareness of the need to prevent such horrific man-made chemical disasters in the future.”Agent Orange was the code name for a chemical herbicide developed for the U.S. military, the purpose of which was to deny an enemy cover and concealment by defoliating the trees where the Vietnamese enemy could hide,” Heather explained. She went on to tell the audience that her father Bill Morris was drafted to Long Binh, Viet Nam in 1968, where he was forced to work in conditions where Agent Orange was transported and stored. Heather’s father even recalled servicemen using the barrels for BBQs and collecting drinking water. The U.S. government assured servicemen and the world that Agent Orange was proven to be harmless to humans and would only destroy one crop cycle.

Heather came aboard Peace Boat along with fellow Agent Orange survivors Kenneth Young (far right) and Jenna Mack (left), and journalist Jon Mitchell. Tragically for Bill and other veterans alike, Agent Orange did in fact contain highly poisonous dioxin, which had devastating affects on many people exposed to it. It primarily resulted in flu-like symptoms and rapidly led to life threatening diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and neuropathies. To add to the horror of this deadly chemical, the dioxins in Agent Orange were also proven to spread themselves across further generations by corrupting the DNA and genetic make-up of the children born to parents exposed. Heather went on to explain that soon after the war, her father returned to the U.S. and in October 1972, she was born. “I was born two months premature, missing my right leg below the knee, the top joints of five fingers, my big toe on my left foot with the remaining toes on my left foot webbed.” Heather discussed the emotional impact her birth defects had on her family’s life. “The nurses blamed my parents for my problems referring to me as ‘it’; growing up was a lonely time for me.” Her father also began to notice changes in his own health, initially suffering hypertension at the age of 23, experiencing five heart bypasses by 38, later developing diabetes, at 48 a stroke and at the tender age of 50 he tragically died of a heart attack.Despite the difficulties she has faced as a result of Agent Orange, Heather has been incredibly active and vocal on the topic, particularly in relation to the innocent second and third generation victims. As a co-founder of Children of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance, or COVVHA, Heather offers a network of support for people living with Agent Orange-related problems. “Despite the fact that we were victimized, we prefer to be called Agent Orange survivors, not victims.” This empowering twist is the type of fuel that powers Heather’s movement, which aims to create a sense of solidarity and strength among the generations affected.

Heather worked closely with Peace Boat volunteers who together helped raise awareness of the ongoing generational effects of Agent Orange. They collaborated to create posters, banners and messages of support for Agent Orange victims, additionally assisting Heather with lectures and workshops. Heather also works towards seeking support from the U.S. government, which up until this point has taken minimal responsibility for the generational effects associated with Agent Orange. While some compensation is available, it is primarily for survivors born to female veterans who were exposed and only in very rare cases for males, and Heather’s condition is invalid under U.S. government designations. She explained that it is not only the sense of neglect from her own government that is immoral but the financial burden left to those in need of medical assistance. “Every morning when I put on my artificial leg, I wonder if the people who decided to dump 20 million gallons of a toxic chemical on Vietnam think of the people who they harmed.

Heather joined the 77th Peace Boat voyage, sailing with participants and fellow Guest Educators from Yokohama to Da Nang, Viet Nam Heather’s argument and cause are not confined to the U.S., however. She has shown incredible empathy for the estimated 4.5 million Agent Orange victims in Viet Nam, making visits to the care centers around hot spots such as Da Nang. She aims to create an international support network that connects the innocent survivors still bearing the burden of a war they were not responsible for. She also raised the issue of the U.S. efforts to clear up the Da Nang base, still contaminated with huge quantities of Agent Orange. “The U.S. government recently offered 43 million dollars to help clean up one of the 28 contaminated hot spots in Viet Nam. This donation is a step in the right direction, but considering the fact that the cost will only cover the clean up for two out of the five hotspots in Da Nang alone, I consider it an insult to the Vietnamese people.” She added, “the clean up comes 51 years after Agent Orange was sprayed in Viet Nam–long after it has already generated numerous victims–and that the U.S. government still does not recognize any responsibility for the human toll of Agent Orange.”

Peace Boat participants piled onto the stage following Heather’s lecture, showing their support for Agent Orange survivors. Through her workshops, Heather also encouraged Peace Boat participants to draw on connections between Agent Orange and the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster. Visiting Fukushima last year, Heather established ties with those affected, sharing her knowledge around safety myths and the importance of international solidarity. “The unseen danger is what we have in common. The effects of Agent Orange slowly crept up on the victims and you never know where it will end in your family. Of course nuclear energy is useful, but when there is an error it is hugely damaging to innocent people.”

After docking in Da Nang, Heather visited one of the Agent Orange victim support centers, a partner organization of Peace Boat. There, Heather connected with second and third generation child victims still living with the effects of Agent Orange. Heather’s speech and workshops left a huge impression on Peace Boat participants, inspiring them to create their own events in areas that they are passionate about, both onboard and on land. After her journey onboard the ship, Heather spent a week in Viet Nam visiting some of the areas most heavily effected by Agent Orange in a rare opportunity allowing first, second and third generation non-Vietnamese Agent Orange survivors to connect with Vietnamese survivors. The trip began with a visit to the Da Nang Centre for Supporting Agent Orange and Disadvantaged Children, a centre supported by Peace Boat that offers second generation Agent Orange survivors support and training. “People put greed in front of human life. Governments will go to war without thinking of the people who live there. We all suffer because of war and my future intent is to continue to bring peace and try to promote a future where we can live together, no longer harming each other and no longer harming each other’s children.”

COVVHA Biography – Karen Wengert

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

My name is Karen Yvonne (Ridgeway) Wengert and I was born June 28th, 1974, to George and Barbara (Dunn) Ridgeway in Columbus, Ohio. My dad is a Vietnam Veteran and I am his very proud daughter. He was in Bien Hoa and Tan Son Nhut in 1965- 1966 and they were two of the heaviest effected areas for Agent Orange. He was a Flight Operations Coordinator with the 197th Aviation Company, his rank was SP5.

I had the typical childhood until I started to get migraines at the age of 4. I was officially diagnosed after many tests and treatments when I was 6. I still suffer with them to this day and on Social Security for them. They are so bad now that they effect my vision and I am on 3 types of medication to control them.

I grew up with an older sibling, who has had learning disabilities from a young age, and led an relatively uneventful life until I started to get Chroic Bronchitis when I was 12. I got it 4 times a year every year until I was 30.

I suffer from several mental disabilities, which I am on Social Security for now, and have from the age of 12. It began as depression. It turned into Clinical depression, which I was diagnosed with at 19, Bipolar disorder was next but I had to fight for an official diagnosis for that and got it at 26. I also have General Anxiety Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, and Dysthemia.

I had a cancer scare in 2008. I was having a lot of health problems and come to find out that I had Type II Diabetes and Gall Stones. I was having trouble at work because I was sick all the time. I went for a CT scan as I was having pain in my abdomen and they found spots on my lungs. To make a long story short, after more tests, they told me that I was looking at Lymphoma. It turned out to be Sarcoidosis.

I have always had problems with my menstual cycle, I started at 13 and didn’t have another cycle until I was 15. I had excrutiating pain with my periods and I was sick every time. I was diagnosed at 18 with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. I went on over the years dealing the best that I could and it finally came to a head last year when I had to have a complete Hysterectomy at the age of 37. My ovaries were the size of small potatoes and I had scar tissue trying to attach to my bowel.

I take 12 different pills everyday so that I am able to function properly. Not to mention the Vitamin D, as my levels are so very low. It has been a struggle over the years but I am here to tell the tale. My sibling and I both have mental issues and have been hospitalized for them, well, since we were teenagers.

My hope in being involve with COVVHA is that I can help Heather and Kelly to make a difference, to make a change. They are strong, independent fighters and I hope that I can take up the mantle and help where I can. I have been in the Vietnam Veteran Arena since I was 8 years old. My parents, along with a group of Vietnam Vets started the local VVA chapter here in town. I was at the Wall when it was opened on November 11th, 1982 and it is something that I will never forget. My mother was a lot like Kelly. She fought for those that didn’t have a voice or couldn’t. She would provide food and clothes for those that didn’t have any, we would have someone at our house for dinner or I was always babysitting so someone could go job hunting. I want to be able to say that I could help, even if it is from the background. I don’t have a very loud voice but I have other talents that will be beneficial to this group. I am proud of what my parents accomplished with the VVA and I am proud of this group as well!!