Environmental Research Journal Proves C-123 Veterans Exposed!

The journal Environmental Research released its article  "Post-Vietnam military herbicide exposures in UC-123 Agent Orange spray aircraft" today. It proves post-Vietnam aircrews were exposed to Agent Orange, previously denied by both the USAF and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Authors Dr. Jeanne Stellman, Dr. Richard Clapp, Dr. Peter Lurker and Dr. Fred Berman have established that C-123 aircrews and maintenance workers were exposed. That word "exposed" is critical...the law requires veterans claiming Agent Orange outside Vietnam to prove exposure. This article does that!

Dr. Lurker is particularly familiar with the 2012 Air Force Consultant Report which concluded aircrews were probably not exposed. This suggests the report from the Air Force was faulty...the Air Force report was not subjected to critical outside peer review, as was this article released today.

Congratulations to the authors on their contribution to toxicological scholarship. And our thanks as well as for their scientific expertise and assistance to veterans of the C-123 seeking VA medical care and other benefits, thus far denied.

Every veteran submitting an Agent Orange exposure claim, or who has a claim in process, or who has a denied claim being appealed, needs to submit this article to substantiate the fact that our "boots on the airplane" meant Agent Orange exposure. 

Confirmed!

C-123 Veterans Seek Association of Public Health Assistance

Before heading back from LtCol Paul Bailey's memorial services, I obtained press credentials and attended the Boston based-meeting of the American Public Health Association.

I missed Dr. Richard Clapp's presentation on Vietnam's problems with Agent Orange which was presented yesterday, but benefited from many experts who have weighed in to support our arguments with the Department of Veterans Affairs which opposes all C-123 veterans' claims. VA utilizes their unique redefinition of "exposed" to insure none of the Agent Orange-exposed veterans will receive medical care for their Agent Orange-associated illnesses.

In particular, I was helped at the Arizona State University booth, the National Cancer Institute booth and most especially, at the CDC booth where I was able to express my appreciation for the opinions of Rear Admiral (USPHS) Robin Ikeda.

9/24: VA Rejects C-123 Veteran's Agent Orange Claims!

The Big VA Smack-Down!

In one of the first formal rejections of a C-123 veteran's Agent Orange exposure claim, the VA's Director VA Compensation Service (C&P) himself authored a four-page, detailed denial of each expert cited in the veteran's application. The director brings his extensive business background, including several years at Home Depot and 21 years of Reserve service in making his conclusions about the toxicological, medical, environmental sciences and other issues at hand.

Of course, C&P had to reach deep. Very deep, in structuring his denial. He had to flat-out deny professional toxicologists and epidemiologists who'd supported our veterans. He even had to deny the professional qualifications of Dr. Tom Sinks, Deputy Director of the CDC's Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Regisry! Dr. Sinks is the government expert who opined who told the AF and the VA"Given the available information, I believe that aircrews operating in this, and similar, environments were exposed to TCDD." C&P somehow concludes his review of Dr. Sinks' comments with the amazing, bewildering, fantastic, statement:

In summary, there is no conclusive evidence that TCDD exposure causes any adverse health effects.

Veterans should draw comfort from C&P's reassurances. The director's basic objection to the multitude of experts who weighed in to support C-123 veterans was that they were not physicians. He feels only physicians could offer reasonably informed expert opinions. Of course, one is left certain that if instead four gallant physicians had investigated the situation and provided their input, it would be rejected because they're physicians and not scientists.

Amazing, because what the VA initially argued was a scientific question, not a medical one. VA argued that no aircrew exposure to dioxin in our contaminated airplanes could occur. Congress and the IOM already resolved the question about a medical nexus between exposure and Agent Orange-associated illnesses, yet here VA twists logic into an enigma wrapped in confusion and surrounded by mystery and obfuscation. Anything to deny a veteran's claim, right, C&P?

Oh, well. This just means more work ahead. More windmills at which to tilt until, in that Great Glory Day Coming, someone at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue or at 810 Vermont Avenue can see both justice and common sense with the same pair of eyes! The application which C&P trashed is my own, submitted early-on in our struggle. I'm saddened that this means the VA's rubber stamp is ready to smash DENIED on all our veterans' applications.

As for you, dear reader: Know any physicians who will weigh in on this? We could sure use their help1

C-123 Returns to Westover! Great New England Air Show

Thunder Pig at Westover 5 Aug 2012 (photo David Henry)

This weekend's Great New England Air Show brought out over 100,000 visitors each day, thanks to great Westover hospitality, warm weather and a host of wonderful airplanes.

And especially, thanks to the return to Westover of Thunder Pig, perhaps the only remaining original-configuration C-123 still flying in CONUS. Gail French (who earned a DFC for landing 707 in flames and saving his crew) stopped by to admire the old ship and thank the volunteers who keep her flying.

Thanks to AF veteran David Henry, a treasure trove of documentary photographs were gathered to help describe the interior and exterior of this historic aircraft. Although not an Agent Orange spray bird, Thunder Pig's configuration is the same as the aircraft stationed at Westover 1972-1982, and the photos show the complexity of surfaces and different materials which, on spray aircraft, remained contaminated with dioxin and allowed aircrew, aerial port and maintainers to be exposed.

The dioxin on the former spray birds couldn't be removed - it took three decontamination efforts on Patches in 1995 for the AF Museum to get it safe enough to position inside their Vietnam-era display, yet we flew them immediately after the Providers left Vietnam and were so very much more contaminated in those earlier years!

cables, wood, canvas, rubber, cotton, painted surfaces - all contaminated and unable to be decontaminated on Agent Orange spray C-123 aircraft (photo David Henry)