Example of a Positive VA Award - Agent Orange Exposure outside Vietman

This positive finding is important: it established Agent Orange for a veteran able to prove he was exposed to Agent Orange outside Vietnam, claiming it was sprayed around the base area. We should be able to use a similar argument before the VA!
-------- Citation NR: 9800877-------

Decision Date: 01/13/98 Archive Date: 01/21/98  DOCKET NO.  97-05 078

On appeal from the Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office San Diego, CA

ISSUE: Service connection for prostate cancer due to Agent Orange exposure.

WITNESS AT HEARING ON APPEAL: Appellant

ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD, Alice A. Booher, Counsel

INTRODUCTION: The veteran had active service from July 1960 to October 

1963. This appeal to the Board of Veterans' Appeals (the Board) is 

from rating action by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) 

Regional Office (RO) in Salt Lake City.  

Important Agent Orange & Veterans Issues Links

IMPORTANT LINKS		Click on any to access!
COPIES OF RELATED REPORTS, STUDIES: Agent Orange Training for the VA Board of Appeals VBA21 -4138: Statement in Support of Claim: a statement from a fellow veterans who saw you in some activity, observed your accident, illness or knows of typical situations. Your doctor's letter (remind them to make positive statements, not "may have" or other inconclusive & vague stuff), your wife, anyone who can add info. Professional opinions must be phrased "his condition is as likely to as not be caused by" etc. as the weakest wording, and "with medical certainty"-type language if possible. Veterans & Agent Orange Update, Institute of Medicine (2008, over 800 pages)

Getting the word out!

Late last week and this weekend we've had several former members of the 74AES as well as LtCol John Harris active in contacting veterans' organizations, news outlets, reporters specializing in military issues, newspapers in the Springfield MA and New Hampshire area, as well as a couple law firms. One firm specializes in veterans issues which are before the Board of Veterans Appeals, and one specializes in Agent Orange issues and thus far has been very successful.

Personal: Today I learned my great brother-in-law, Sergeant First Class Willie Chiquina USA Ret, passed away with complications from Alzheimer's. Born and raised on Guam, and stationed there for some years later, Willy and my sister lost their first child while being medevac'd from Berlin to Landstuhl...the child died of neurological issues the parents always thought were associated with Agent Orange. In 1983 I had the honor of doing his last reenlistment before his retirement.

Buck Passing - what a surprise (not!)

Amazing how government agencies so often refer you to other agencies, which either can't help you or refer you to yet another agency.


Gathering a complete collection of our documents showing the contamination of the C-123K as well as our flight orders and other papers placing us on duty aboard that toxic airplane, I asked several agencies to review our case. I asked that if their study of the papers would lead them to conclude that we'd been exposed to Agent Orange contaminants, to please write a letter saying so as that would be helpful to put our case before the VA, Universally, these agencies didn't refuse directly, but explained that all such responses must come from the VA,