Agent Orange catching up to Vietnam veterans decades later

[unhappycamper]

http://pilotonline.com/news/military/veterans/agent-orange-catching-up-to-vietnam-veterans-decades-later/article_1678d1d1-ddd0-5b36-81b7-e7284e2af0cc.html

Agent Orange catching up to Vietnam veterans decades later
By DON WILKINS
Updated 17 hrs ago

OWENSBORO, Ky. (AP) — Snow fell outside the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 696 as its members held their monthly meeting Feb. 9.

Although attendance was down, most of those present were Vietnam veterans receiving some percentage of disability benefits from their exposure to Agent Orange — a herbicide sprayed by the United States military during the Vietnam War from 1961 to 1971.

~snip~

They were like thousands of other Vietnam vets who returned home unaware that they had been exposed to the same toxic dioxin that was meant to combat their enemies — the Viet Cong guerrillas and the North Vietnamese Army, known as "Charlie" to U.S. forces.

Now, decades later, Agent Orange is catching up with Vietnam veterans, leading to debilitating and deadly health problems that range from heart disease to various forms of cancer.

[djean111]

1. My sister's husband was a helicopter pilot in Vietnam.

He was told that his heart problems (myocardial ischemia, recently had an attack that put him on the ground, unconscious), and PTSD symptoms were not the result of Agent Orange in Vietnam, because he was in the sky, not on the ground.
What utter reeking bullshit.

So finally, there is a list of symptoms, including the myocardial ischemia, instead of the dismissive well, you were not on the ground. So he is getting treatment and psychological help. Hope it is not too late.

[CentralMass]

2. My brother in law who served in Vietnam was treated for bladder cancer last year.

He was a pilot.

[unhappycamper]

3. I know a number of Vietnam vets who are also affected. n/t

[TexasProgresive]

4. We will never learn the human toll of agent orange

I think it killed my brother-in-law. He served in the field so I am sure he was exposed. He died of an extremely virulent and fast acting lung/brain cancer that suddenly appeared and ended his life in 6 weeks. Then there are all the people exposed and being exposed in Vietnam.

[patricia92243]

5. Does anybody know if the children of veterans exposed to agent orange have problems?

We have a family member who says she has to have blood transfusions occasionally because her dad was exposed. I have always wondered if this is the truth, because she has problems with truth telling on other subjects.

[Mbrow]

6. Absolutely, One of the Vets I use to drive to the

SLC center had two children born with severe deformities, He thought the first was a fluke but after the second one he got snipped quick, he didn't want to have another child with the same issues. Of course there is no proof but he was in the thick of it and has major issues of his own from it. God damn these assholes who ignore the issues of the people they send off to die.

[Victor_c3]

7. Sadly similar issues are impacting the more recent vets a their children

From Iraq and Afghanistan. It wasn't agent orange, but burn pits burned by anything and everything from human wastes, bodies, chemicals like feet and bug spray, etc.

It's a crime that the government is at times so slow to recognize these issues and then to adequately address them.

The problems returning vets have don't end with the veteran themselves. Many issues, including psychiatric, get passed right along to their families and children. I get care and I'm compensated for my PTSD, but my children and family suffers as much as I do and they get next to nothing. What sort of long term impacts will my multiple suicide attempts, anger outbursts, night terrors and screaming, and frequent extensive psychiatric hospitalization a have on them? How will my children's long term psychiatric health be impacted by their crazy dad? How traumatized do you think my wife is after I attempted suicide right on front of her?

[Mbrow]

8. Thanks for this.

I hope with time things calm down for you. Good luck.