Today’s Veterans Owe Allot to our Predecessors

Kevin walked up to me one day and started talking about his time during the Vietnam War. As he continued to talk his demeanor changed when he started discussing his health and the Veterans Administration (VA).  He had been drafted into the military and started having problems as he got older. Like many Vietnam veterans he suffers from diabetes, a presumptive illness for Vietnam Veterans caused by Agent Orange. A presumptive disease is where the VA assumes there are certain diseases that can be directly related to exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam and Chemical weapons, oil smoke, and vaccines in Gulf War veterans.  He believes his exposure to Agent Orange is the cause of his diabetes, but after numerous attempts the VA has failed to give him his benefits. According to the VA, veterans who develop type 2 diabetes mellitus and were exposed to Agent Orange or other herbicides during military service do not have to prove a connection between their diabetes and military service to be eligible to receive disability compensation. You would think Kevin would qualify for this disability according to the VA’s own words. The only problem is Kevin was never sent to Vietnam. He was in the Air Force stationed at one of the six air bases in Thailand where he handled Agent Orange while loading it onto aircraft to be dispersed, but the VA denies his claims. According to the VA those that served in Thailand on or near the perimeters of military bases between 2/28/61 to 5/7/75 may qualify for VA benefits, may being the key word. Kevin falls into the category, but the VA is attributing his diabetes to age, not the presumptive of Agent Orange exposure.

This is not the first I have heard of this type of situation. It seems to be the person with the best advocate, not the claim that helps get benefits. Multiple veteran groups like the American Legion, VFW, and the DAV have advocates on staff.  It appears to be the luck of the draw if you go it alone. As I was researching this situation I read a story about two Navy buddies that were on the same ship at the same time off the coast of Vietnam. Both filed a claim for diabetes, one received the benefits and one was denied. The problem seems to not be with the people of the VA but the inconsistency of the VA system and training. As long as humans are handling these claims, there will be inconsistency.

Another case that seems to not make since is the VA is not accepting some claims from Vietnam veterans with PTSD because it did not exist. According to some in the VA it is not possible for a Vietnam veteran to have PTSD because it was not in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) at the time. Instead of PTSD they used either combat neurosis or Post-Vietnam Syndrome which was not compensable. What is disturbing is Vietnam veterans were used to provide information for the establishment of the PTSD criteria in the DSM. If not for the Vietnam veterans it is possible the advancements we have today on PTSD would not exist. Even though the VA used them to establish PTSD guidelines some claims are still being denied because the diagnosis was not established until 1980.

This era of veterans owe allot to our predecessors. As a Desert Storm veteran I am well aware of who made sure we were treated with respect when we returned home. They are the main force behind the respect veteran’s receive today. They have laid the groundwork for us to follow and the ones used to prove PTSD existed.  They continue to fight for veteran’s rights every day. They made sure there are presumptive diseases with the VA. Our era of veterans has presumptive diseases because the Vietnam era veterans fought and continue to fight for our rights.

We must remember the Korean War veterans were generally ignored, and the Vietnam veterans were treated poorly and are still fighting for what is right. Peacetime veterans are totally overlooked by the VA and many in the community. Most did not get free school, some are getting denied for Agent Orange and PTSD claims. It is because of their fights and sacrifices that veterans have what we have today. As a recent veteran I remind myself every day of what our veterans have had to endure for us to have what we have. When you see a WWII, Korean War, Vietnam, Peace time, or Granada veteran be sure and thank them for the benefits you have, and will continue to have. They are still fighting for veteran’s rights! It’s our turn to pick up the flag and move forward!  

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