Vietnam veterans asked to attend Agent Orange Town Hall

ASHEVILLE – For a decade, it was standard operating procedure in Vietnam: wherever the notoriously dense foliage and canopy hid enemy soldiers, American servicemen would chemically annihilate it.

The defoliant of choice was Agent Orange, so named because of the orange stripes on the 55-gallon drums it was shipped in. From 1962-71, U.S. servicemen sprayed almost 11 million gallons of Agent Orange from planes, helicopters, trucks and backpack sprayers to kill vegetation around bases, landing zones and river banks, according to Vietnam Veterans of America.

"When you were over there, it was, 'Don't worry about it. It's going to kill the foliage, but it's not going to hurt you,'" said Herb Worthington, the VVA's national committee chair for Agent Orange and one of the guest speakers at an upcoming Agent Orange Town Hall meeting in Asheville. "Some guys were covered in it."

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VVA supports S.2738, Toxic Exposure Research Act of 2014 introduced by Senatora Jerry Moran-KS and Richard Blumenthal-CT

VIETNAM VETERANS OF AMERICA
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 1, 2014
No. 14-17
Contact: Mokie Porter
301-996-0901

Sen. Jerry Moran Joins With Senator Blumenthal To Introduce Toxic Exposure Research and Military Family Support Act of 2014

(Washington, DC) – “We applaud Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) for joining forces to introduce The Toxic Exposure Research Act of 2014, said VVA National President John Rowan. “Among the so-called invisible wounds of war are those brought home by troops that may not manifest for decades. And most tragically, the damage done by the toxins may pass on genetically to the children and grandchildren of our nation’s warriors. Our children are the innocent victims of our military service.”

This bill, (S.2738), instructs the Department of Veterans Affairs to establish a national center for research on the diagnosis and treatment of health conditions of the descendants of veterans exposed to toxins during service in the Armed Forces. Further, S.2738 calls for the establishment of an advisory board to oversee and assess the work of the center to determine health conditions that result from toxic exposure and to study and evaluate cases of exposure. The advisory board will advise the Secretary of VA on issues related to research conducted at the National Center and the particular benefits and services required by the descendants of individuals exposed while serving as members of the Armed Forces.

Commission to Hold Hearing in Fayetteville, NC

The Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission (MCRMC) will conduct a town hall meeting on the evening of Wednesday, June 25 2014 in Fayetteville, North Carolina. The Commission requests participation from anyone who resides in the general vicinity of Fayetteville. The Commissioners will hear testimony from witnesses on matters surrounding the programs that compensate the members of our Unformed Services and that therefore support the long-term health of the All-Volunteer Force.
Go to this website <http://naus.informz.net/z/cjUucD9taT00MTAyMjMyJnA9MSZ1PTEwMDAwODA4MjAmbGk9MjM0NDM5MzU/index.html> for additional information about the Commission.
The Chairman and Commissioners will hear from Service members, veterans, retirees, family members, and the public. Attendees will be given an opportunity to address the Chairman and Commissioners and relay to them their experience and comments.

Date: Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Location: Embassy Suites, 4760 Lake Valley Drive, Fayetteville, North Carolina 28303
Time: 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm

VA Opening Burn Pit Registry

VA Press Release

The VA is committed to caring for the needs of Veterans who have lung and other health conditions possibly related to their deployment to the Southwest Asia Theater of Operations. The Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry <http://naus.informz.net/z/cjUucD9taT00MTAyMjMyJnA9MSZ1PTEwMDAwODA4MjAmbGk9MjM0NDM5Mzc/index.html> will enable VA to better assess the health of veterans exposed to burn pits and other airborne hazards.