The USS Galveston & Agent Orange *

The hot issue for aging veterans of the Vietnam era is illness related to Agent Orange (AO) exposure.  The Q&A with links and articles could be of interest to CLG3 Vietnam War Veterans.

Question:  I served aboard the USS Galveston while she conducted war operations off the coast of Vietnam.  Am I eligible for VA disability benefits associated with Agent Orange exposure related illnesses.

Answer: NO ... probably - read on -- Classified as a Blue Water Navy Vessel, the Galveston and its crew is presumed not to have been exposed to AO and therefore are barred from submitting an AO related claim. This could change tomorrow, and as one shipmate currently working with the VA told us "any Veteran can apply or claim exposure to AO. In claiming AO exposure, each individual Veterans' submitted claim substantiation is reviewed by the Veterans Administration to decide, through it's adjudication processing, about each claims' merits before any decision is made to grant acceptance of a veteran's claim for benefits." So there is a chance for a successful claim -- based on individual merits and circumstances.

However service in country or aboard another vessel may qualify you to a benefit claim. For a list of Vessels that have been qualified for AO due to their having entered inland waterways, and/or docked at specific times and locations in Vietnam
CLICK HERE and be connected to Blue Water Navy's website.

For more on this issue a good reference site is military.com

Article taken off Military.com
June 2011

Excerpts taken from the VAntage Point Blog – written by J. Slider

This week the Department of Veterans Affairs official blog, VAntage Point, addressed the findings of the recent ruling on the affects of Agent Orange on Blue Water Sailors —those who served on deep water Navy or Coast Guard vessels. In summary, the report stated that the exposure of Vietnam era Blue Water Navy Veterans to Agent Orange cannot reasonably be determined due to a lack of data on environmental concentrations of Agent Orange contaminants.

Although this means that this group of veterans do not have a presumptive connection to AO, it does not mean that Blue Water Navy Veterans can’t submit claims and apply for benefits if they feel they were exposed to AO. In fact, as the VA blog points out, the VA has recognized claims from Vietnam Veterans whose ships entered inland waterways, and/or docked at specific times and locations, if they claim that they went ashore. So far, this applies to 140 ships and 51 classes of vessels. Veterans who were aboard these ships may be eligible for benefits based on the presumption that their diseases are associated with AO during their service in Vietnam.


Read more: http://militaryadvantage.military.com/2011/06/the-latest-blue-water-agent-orange-ruling/#ixzz1dLBiaJ6D

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