Agent Orange and the hidden effects years after the war

[NutLoose]

Interesting read

For decades, the VA turned to 1 man on whether Agent Orange harmed vets. His reliable answer: No. | Veterans | pilotonline.com (http://pilotonline.com/news/military/veterans/for-decades-the-va-turned-to-man-on-whether-agent/article_f6b15a6f-acc6-5360-9a38-f6e6d31021c1.html)

[SASless]

The VA....well....enough said!

We now have a long list of Presumptive Cancers and related illnesses that pertain to Agent Orange Exposure.

That being said....the Rules for Compensation and Pension for those are not designed to ease the process for those afflicted.

Studies in Vietnam have shown the horrible effects of Dioxin exposure and our Veterans are not the only ones suffering from the exposure to the lasting effects of defoliants during the War.

Hiv/Aids is not the only gift that keeps on giving!

http://www.index.va.gov/search/va/va_search.jsp?NQ=URL%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fva.gov%2F&QT=Agent+Orange%2C+Presumptive+Diseases&submit.x=0&submit.y=0

[bgbazz]

Very interesting read...thanks for posting the article.

I am no stranger to the saga, with almost 3 years spent in and around Vietnam in the mid-late 60s and exposure to that ****e on a regular basis.

Ended up with some very nasty side effects which persist to this day. After years of trying for a family, suffering through 5 stillborn births, my wife delivered 2 badly effected (heart defects) babies...18 months apart. These kids are still paying the price, but no one has ever admitted anything about possible causes.


:ugh::mad:

[MPN11]

I could equally argue that my brother-in-law's Prostate and Brain cancers were caused by years of 'sniffing' the aftermath of nuclear explosions on 27 Sqn without any NBC IPE whatsoever. Proving it is, of course, a different subject.

[bgbazz]

As you said...proving a connection is another thing.

I attended a sqn re-union about 10 years ago...out of an original 35 members, all of whom served alongside me, in the same places and at the same time...only 6 were still living. At the time of writing this, there are only 3 of us still living. EVERY one of the missing ones had died of cancer! The youngest one died at the ripe old age of 37, the rest followed over the next few years. I was 58 and a bit at the time of the last meeting and was counting my lucky stars...but it has caught up with me too. I was diagnosed about a year ago and the future isn't too bright.
It's a race against time to see who will be the last to go.

If that stuff is so harmless, why does anyone handling it these days have to dress up like a spaceman? Back in the days when it was soooooo safe, the average Joe wore shorts and boots...and a hat, if it was sunny.

[Krystal n chips]

No comment required.....the local population and the continued effects.

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/unreported-world/

[ShotOne]

Many of these comments apply equally to organophosphate (from aircraft engine oil) poisoning; operating aircraft which use bleed air for cabin pressure raises the risk of exposure. Not all individuals are equally affected by exposure but some of the long term effects are similar

[racedo]

So what about the Agent Orange of the 21st Century................... depleted Uranium, does anybody care ?

[ZFT]

Just spend a hour in the war museum in HCM to see the horrific legacy of agent orange.

Truly awful.

[Slow Biker]

A bit off the subject but did anyone watch Question Time last Thursday? Did I really hear Ken Loach declare the Allies used chemical weapons in Fallujah? Is he correct?

[effortless]

Slow Biker

I think he means White Phosphorous. Legal as smoke but, as has been seen, has other effects.

[AtomKraft]

ZFT
I've also seen those pics in the 'War Remnants' museum in Saigon/ HCMC.

There are things that you wish you hadn't seen, but cannot 'unsee'.....:sad: Those awfully deformed bodies contained real people, real souls. Extremely disturbing photographs of children born to parents who'd been 'defoliated'.

The US may have lost the war, but they poisoned the Viet gene pool massively.

It can only be a mystery for those who will not see.

[SASless]

Chunk a Willy Pete Grenade or Artillery shell into a house....it will very quickly empty and be clear of the Bad Guys.....as it signals to them there are far better places to hang out.

[racedo]

Chunk a Willy Pete Grenade or Artillery shell into a house....it will very quickly empty and be clear of the Bad Guys.....as it signals to them there are far better places to hang out.

But when people in the house live there and sheltering in terror from what is going in around............... what then ?

[A_Van]

Racedo,

A relevant point about depleted uranium (DU), BTW. Both in Yugoslavia and in Kuweit & Iraq. I am not referring to any arabian or russian sources as they are never considered unbiased, but this one comes from Canada, I suppose

http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-responsibility-of-the-us-in-contaminating-iraq-with-depleted-uranium/15966

And the conclusion is:

"Concluding Remarks:
1. The US and UK administrations have been using Depleted Uranium weapons against the civilian population and the environment of Iraq since 1991.
2. Laboratory studies and scientific evidence prove the link and causal relationship between exposure to Depleted Uranium and the increased risk of inducing neurodegenerative diseases, immune and hormonal system damage, initiation or promotion of cancer, Tetratogenic Toxicity which causes mental retardation and congenital malformations, miscarriages, and sterility.
3. Intentional denial and refusal of the US and UK administrations to release any information about the types, locations, and amounts of DU weapons that have been used against Iraq have caused additional radioactive doses, and health damages to the people in contaminated areas. Both administrations should be held responsible for this crime.
4. The drastic increase of cancer incidences in Iraq since 1995 to date and the DU related diseases like congenital malformation, miscarriages, etc, are all attributed to the use of prohibited weapons including Depleted Uranium.
5. DU contaminated areas all over the country are continuous source of radioactive pollution. Without cleaning and other measures, resuspension of these contaminants with each dust and sand storm can be considered as systematic attacks by the US and UK armies on civilians in an armed conflict.
This is a crime against humanity to its undifferentiated harmful health impacts on civilians long times to come after the military operations (Article 4 of the official regulations and Article 7 of ICC)."


I personally think that all those "greens" and pacifists are often over-reacting, like when you allow the doctors to catch and inspect you, they come with a long list of diseases so that you start thinking about reserving a sunny place at the cemetry.... and then nothing happens. However, a non-negligible piece of truth is there in this report, IMHO.