Thursday March 28, 2024
SNc Channels:

Search
About Salem-News.com

 

Oct-09-2011 12:08printcomments

Rebuttal to Salem-News Over Agent Orange Story

Regarding The Veterans Association of Sailors of the Vietnam War stance on the petition mentioned in the article.

Image by Horst Faas
Agent Orange being sprayed on Vietnam, photo by the incredible Horst Faas

(WASHINGTON D.C.) - In an October 05 Salem-News.com article and the description on the “We the People” petition site, the phrase "This petition can coincide with Senator Gillibrand's investigation into Agent Orange herbicide use and HR2634 VICTIMS OF AGENT ORANGE", is misleading at best.

The Veterans Association of Sailors of the Vietnam War (VASVW) vehemently opposes the petition and the perceived attempt by those who started the petition to ride on the coat tails of S.1629, a simple restoration act, and H.R.2634, a bill to provide relief to actual victims of Agent Orange exposure.

First and foremost is the fact that Senator Gillibrand is not conducting an investigation into “Agent Orange herbicide use and HR2634 victims of Agent Orange”. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, along with Senator Lindsey Graham introduced S. 1629, The Agent Orange Act of 2011, to the Senate Veterans Committee on September 23, 2011. S.1629 is a bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to clarify presumptions relating to the exposure of certain veterans who served in the vicinity of the Republic of Vietnam, and there is no way the petition can coincide with S.1629 since the petition calls for an investigation into all areas Agent Orange was used outside of Vietnam, while S.1629, simply restores benefits to the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans who served within territorial waters of Vietnam.

H.R. 2634: Victims of Agent Orange Relief Act of 2011 is a bill presented by Congressman Bob Filner, and is designed to direct the Secretary of State to provide assistance for certain Vietnamese individuals affected by exposure to Agent Orange, and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to enhance the availability of medical care for descendants of veterans of the Vietnam War.

While H.R.2634 is much more inclusive of those who may have been exposed to Agent Orange it is still limited to Vietnam and the theater of operations so the petition cannot even coincide with it because the petition calls for inclusion of areas outside the Vietnam theater of operations. It is VASVW's opinion that those who started the petition have not done their due diligence, done the requisite research, nor do they have their facts straight. VASVW calls on all veterans and other interested parties to also oppose this petition and it's blatant attempt at misleading the population to gain support.

Bill Miltenberger

CEO VASVW




Comments Leave a comment on this story.
Name:

All comments and messages are approved by people and self promotional links or unacceptable comments are denied.



MASTER SERGEANT July 6, 2012 3:31 am (Pacific time)

JOIN THE AOMG WHICH MARCHED IN DC JUN 27-28 TO LEAVE NO ONE BEHIND AND TO DEMAND ALL VETS EXPOSED TO AO BE INCLUDED IN ANY AO BILL IN CONGRESS. ALL OR NONE ! GET IT! IF YOU DON'T GO TO HELL IN A HAND BASKET !


MASTER SGT January 22, 2012 3:54 pm (Pacific time)

The segregation/separation of AGENT ORANGE VETERANS is a move by CONGRESS/DOD/VA AND VSO LEADERSHIP TO LET MORE BROTHERS AND SISTERS DIE WITHOUT ANY REMORSE. THEY ARE THE GOOD OL BOY CLUB GETTING THEIRS AND TO HELL WITH THOSE THAT FOUGHT THE WAR. WRITE YOUR CONGRESS AND SENATE AND DEMAND THAT THE NEHMER LAW BY JUDGE BROWN BE FOLLOWED EXPLICITY. ALL AGENT ORANGE VETERANS BE HONORED AND BE COMPENSATED BEFORE OR AFTER DEATH. CONGRESS AND THE GOOD OL BOYS TWISTED THE JUDGES DECISION IN 1991 TO COME UP WITH THE NEW DEFINITION OF BOOTS ON THE GROUND AND BLUE WATER NAVY. THE JUDGE DID NOT SAY THAT. HE SAID "ALL VETERANS EXPOSED TO AGENT ORANGE WHERE EVER IT HAPPENED" . THOSE WHO CONTINUE TO REDEFINE HISTORY NEED TO FACE A JURY AND CRIMINAL TRIAL KILLING AND DEFRAUDING THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF VIETNAM WAR VETERANS EXPOSED TO AGENT ORANGE.


Mark Shapiro November 5, 2011 8:29 am (Pacific time)

Agent Orange Action Group Calls for protest at Monsanto’s annual general meeting (Agent Orange Action Group Calls for protest at Monsanto's annual general meeting - Salem-News.com)

Monsanto, the company that manufactured Agent Orange used on Vietnam resulting in the deaths of many thousands of Vietnamese and the abnormal births of many thousands more, and also among military forces from the US and other countries who served during the Vietnam War, announced on 25th October that its Board of Directors has designated

Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012 as the date of the next annual meeting of shareowners.

Monsanto’s annual meeting will be held at the company’s headquarters facility in suburban St. Louis. Additional meeting details will be included in the company’s proxy statement, which will be available in December.

Len Aldis, Chairman of Agent Orange Action Group called upon all who are suffering from the effects of Agent Orange to take this opportunity to purchase shares in the company in so doing they can express their anger and concerns by asking questions to the board members for the criminal damage Agent Orange has caused to all victims and their families.

For those unable to purchase share, to encourage others to join you outside the meeting in a peaceful expression of your anger.

Len Aldis. Chairman
Agent Orange Action Group
lenaoag@gmail.org
Visit our website: www.aoag.org


Teppnme October 18, 2011 10:33 pm (Pacific time)

Is H.R. 2634 Going to help the children of American Vietnam Vets who passed down AO when Children were conceived or not???? This bill appears to be very mis-leading


SONAM SULTHANA October 13, 2011 10:22 pm (Pacific time)

Its really cruel.how many people suffered in this.visit agent orange videos in you tube.feel sorry for our bros and sis.


One vet tired of the VN cry babies! October 12, 2011 1:11 pm (Pacific time)

This is just one of many instances of where the VN vet holds him/her self above all other veterans of that era. Vietnam was catered to and only reported about during that period of time. We who served along the DMZ of Korea saw as much and in many cases, more, combat as many of the Vietnam veterans during that period of time, but we were given no coverage, acknowledgement or benefits that the Vietnam veteran received. It is time that the double standards shown the Vietnam vet stop. If blue water navy vets qualify for AO exposure, than Korea, Guam, Thailand and MANY others should be a shoe in. WE ACTUALLY WERE BOOTS ON TROOPS.


DMZ Korea' OSVN October 11, 2011 10:35 am (Pacific time)

It is an Outrage for anyone to make an assumption about Herbicide exposure and the effects on Veterans and Families, or where they were exposed with discriminatory allegations


Bill Miltenberger October 11, 2011 9:10 am (Pacific time)

First, Gentlemen, Benefits were never authorized under the Agent Orange Act of 1991 for Vietnam Era Veterans who did not receive the Vietnam Service Medal [VSM] or the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal for Service in Vietnam [AFEM-V].  
 
The Veterans who earned those awards participated in direct combat or combat support operations during the war.  Those Navy personnel serving off shore were included in the law until the DVA illegally removed them from eligibility in 2002.  
 
Senator Gillibrand's Bill, S1939 seek to RESTORE those benefits.   This is the third time in three straight Congressional Sessions that a bill to accomplish this has been introduced.  On each occurrence, Vietnam Era Veterans who served where Agent Orange was stored, used, or shipped through, but were not awarded the VSM or the AFEM-V, have demanded to be added to those restoration bills, resulting in legislative appropriations level far too high to expect passage...the additional coverage made the bills far too expensive to pass. 
 
Accordingly, for the past three years VASVW and the VNVets Blog have both offered a companion bill to any restoration act, that would cover any Vietnam Era Veteran who served anywhere outside the Vietnam Theater of War [Vietnam and coastal waters, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia -- TLC], and who did not receive either the AFEM-V or the VSM under a new chapter in Title 38.  We have written the proposed bill, called the Agent Orange Supplemental Act, and offered it to many non-Vietnam Veterans to get introduced in Congress. 
 
We have offered advice on organizing and conducting a grass roots effort to gain support in Congress for the Supplemental Bill. 
 
In three years no one has bothered to attempt to get someone in Congress to introduce that bill.  Instead, there have been repeated attempts to pile on to the restoration bills, making them too expensive to pass. 
 
In doing so, in your attempt to leave no one behind, you leave everyone behind. 
 
Accordingly, we are attaching, for your use, a copy of the Agent Orange Supplemental Act.  Since you are apparently so well connected, feel free to use those connections to introduce a bill that would cover all the Non-Vietnam Veterans.  
 
VASVW and the VNVets Blog have always advocated coverage for all who were exposed.  We also advocate a common sense approach to getting legislation passed to accomplish that.  That approach calls for small bites of the apple, restoration, then expansion.  It makes sense that way, calls attention to the need, that way and provides Congress with the time to fully investigate the use of tactical herbicides outside of Vietnam, and TLC.  And it is in our mission statement that after any bill passes we will go back for more. 
 
Feel free to contact your Senators and your Representative and ask them to introduce the Supplemental act.  
 
It may need some minor modification but essentially it does the job.  The sticking point will be in getting the Department of Defense to open up as to where the tactical herbicides were stored, handled, or used.  There is a document already out there that detail some of it, but not nearly all.  Its a starting point.  Link to the supplemental act:
https://www.box.net/shared/glt6hq05klet4xpz7evb

Link to the DoD report:
https://www.box.net/shared/gqbqffcv3qqe3z4lznsh
 
We have worked for seven years to get the Blue Water Navy restored to benefit status.  It is frustrating that while we have done the work, apparently those who want to be added to the restoration bills have not done theirs.  We have done much of it for you.  Use it.  Develop it.  Organize and start your grass roots campaign but not until you get everybody headed in the same direction.   Get them behind the Supplemental Bill.  It will do the job.  
 
But please leave the restoration bill alone.  That is S.1629.  
 
Good luck.  If you have any questions feel free to contact us. 


Ed Jackson October 10, 2011 2:54 pm (Pacific time)

Mr. Miltenberger, I think you will have a hard time defining the real "theater of operations for the Vietnam War", as opposed to one defined in the 1991 Agent Orange Act. Most B-52 raids originated and ended in Guam, and those that did not came from Thailand. KC-135 combat refueling aircraft flew from Guam, Thailand, and Okinawa. Guam and Okinawa were major storage depots for bombs, shells, Agent Orange, and the other military equipment needed by that war. These are the so called "beans and bullets" the war needed, including many of the 5", 6", 8", and 16" shells fired by NGFS DDs, CLs, CAs, and the BB New Jersey on the "gun line". The Blue Water Navy (BWN) was an important part of that war, but it wasn't the only part. Andersen AFB and the Agana Navy Station on Guam did more than their part, too. Yes BWN veterans have suffered the health effects of Agent Orange due to the drifting spray and inland sprayed rivers that flowed into ocean waters. Those ships, as you know, processed that water into fresh water for drinking, bathing, and cooking aboard ship. None of the veterans who fought that war outside of the country or waters off Vietnam have ever disputed the fact our brothers in arms aboard those ships were exposed, just as we were. Now perhaps the originator of the petition did not cross all of his "t" or dot all of his "i", but he is pointing out a major health problem, for all veterans becuase we are ignored and forgotten by the government. The big issue here is beyond any proceedual mistakes he may have made, as it is to support all veterans from all the branches, including the Coast Guard, who's cutters steamed along side your ships, who were exposed, no matter where or how the exposure took place. We are all brothers here, and you speaking for the VASVW make it sound like the rest of us are somehow undeserving. If that is your intention, sir, then you are wrong. There are many other VSOs that do support the Guam, Okinawa, Thailand, Philippine, and South Korea veterans of the 1960s and 1970s. You don't have to sign the petition if you have some reservations about how it is worded. But, we will always fully support our BWN brothers fighting for the benefits they have already earned, but to this point in time, have been denied.


Master Sergeant October 10, 2011 11:56 am (Pacific time)

Bill Miltenberger is totally wrong and greedy wanting to leave thousands of brothers and sisters behind. I am from Senator Gillibrand's voting district and she is investigating the use of Agent Orange outside of Vietnam and in particular Agent Orange use on Guam where I handled it, mixed it and power sprayed it on Andersen AFB Guam and offbase. The coat tails as Bill is referring to is a lie. I wasn't out in the middle of the freakin ocean on some ship which wasn't anywhere near any spraying operation. I was handling the drums of it, the bags of it and power spraying it all over Andersen AFB and off base Guam. LET'S SEE HIM PROVE BLUE WATER NAVY WAS HANDLING IT OR SPRAYING IT. He is just trying to isolate all veterans directly exposed to it. Blue water navy veterans in particualr this author of this story is a not telling the truth. I have it right in my AIRMAN PERFORMANCE REPORTS OF HANDLING AND SPRAYING AO HERBICIDES ON GUAM.


Mark London UK October 10, 2011 2:57 am (Pacific time)

Readers my wish to visit a new website, 'The Agent Orange Action Group' at www.aoag.org

[Return to Top]
©2024 Salem-News.com. All opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Salem-News.com.


Articles for October 8, 2011 | Articles for October 9, 2011 | Articles for October 10, 2011
The NAACP of the Willamette Valley

Tribute to Palestine and to the incredible courage, determination and struggle of the Palestinian People. ~Dom Martin

Support
Salem-News.com:

Sean Flynn was a photojournalist in Vietnam, taken captive in 1970 in Cambodia and never seen again.

googlec507860f6901db00.html
Annual Hemp Festival & Event Calendar