NEW: Agent Orange linked to ‘aggressive’ bone marrow cancers in Vietnam veterans

(forwarded by Paul Bergeron)
Agent Orange exposure is a recognized risk factor for several types of bone marrow cancers, and is a presumptive condition for U.S. veterans seeking health and disability benefits. These include multiple myeloma and, based on recent research, myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). 

Confirmed Bone Marrow Cancers:
VA officially recognizes the following bone marrow-related conditions as presumptively linked to Agent Orange exposure:

1. Multiple Myeloma: This is a cancer of the plasma cells, a type of white blood cell found in the bone marrow. The VA considers it a presumptive condition, which means affected veterans do not have to prove a direct connection between their service exposure and the disease to be eligible for benefits.
2. Chronic B-cell Leukemias: This group of blood cancers affects B-cells, which also originate in the bone marrow and are part of the immune system. 

Emerging Evidence: Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS):
Until recently, the link between Agent Orange and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) was less clear, creating barriers for veterans seeking care and disability benefits. However, significant new research, presented at the 2025 American Society of Hematology annual meeting and published in the journal Blood, has established a strong association.
The study identified genetic mutations tied to earlier diagnosis and faster progression of the disease, he said. “What we’re seeing is that Agent Orange added a mutation — and that mutation sets patients on the road to cancer 50 years later,” researchers stated.
These findings are expected to help formalize the recognition of MDS as a presumptive condition, aiding veterans in accessing the care they need. 

Key findings from this research indicate that exposed veterans:
• Have a higher risk of developing MDS.
• Tend to be diagnosed at a younger age.
• Exhibit more aggressive forms of the disease with a higher number of harmful genetic mutations.
• Are nearly twice as likely to see their condition progress to acute myeloid leukemia (AML). 

Actionable Steps for Veterans:
If you or a loved one are a veteran who was exposed to Agent Orange and have been diagnosed with a bone marrow cancer:
• Check Eligibility: Veterans who served in specific areas (e.g., Vietnam, the Korean DMZ) during defined time frames are presumed to have been exposed.
• Apply for Benefits: You may be eligible for VA health care and disability compensation. You can learn more about the process and eligible conditions on the official VA Public Health website. While many health problems such as MDS are not recognized by VA as presumptively associated with Agent Orange exposure, a claim can proceed for a case-by-case adjudication. This MDS study can help support such a claim. Seek help from an accredited veterans service officer, such as from DAV, VFW, state or local governments.
• Seek Specific Care: The findings from recent studies suggest that Agent Orange-related MDS has unique genetic patterns, which might influence specific treatment decisions. Consult with a hematology specialist. Make sure your health care providers are aware of your Agent Orange exposure history!
• Get an Exam: Eligible veterans can receive a free Agent Orange Registry health exam to document exposure-related health concerns. 

Burn Pits Designed as “Instrumentalities of War” for Medical Retirement Combat-Related Findings

The National Veterans Legal Services Program (NVLSP, the same non-profit that helped us C-123 vets with Agent Orange) reached a settlement in Smoke et al. v. Driscoll, a class action lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. The suit challenged the Army’s denial of a combat-related designation during the Disability Evaluation System process for disabilities presumed to be caused by exposure to military burn pits under the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (“PACT”) Act, 38 U.S.C. § 1120.

Veterans who were MEDICALLY RETIRED (an important point) following sustained exposure to burn pits, on behalf of a class of current and future veterans who were wrongfully denied a combat-related tax-exemption on their medical retirement pay. One veteran suing was medically retired for asthma, another medically retired due to breast cancer—both conditions that are known to be (and under the PACT Act, presumed to be) caused by burn-pit exposure.

Under federal law, veterans who are medically retired due to “combat related” injuries—a category that includes conditions caused by “instrumentalities of war”—are entitled to tax-free retirement benefits. 

The Physical Evaluation Board (PEB), nonetheless, concluded that medically retired veterans did not suffer from combat-related injuries, based on a PEB policy that burn pits are not “instrumentalities of war” except when being used to burn things like combat, simulated combat, Agent Orange exposure, spent ammunition, ordinance, or military vehicles. The PEB’s policy was contrary to the Army’s policy for administering Combat-Related Special Compensation, under which burn pits are treated as “instrumentalities of war.”

In the settlement, the Army agreed to issue a new internal policy defining open-air burn pits located in combat zones as “instrumentalities of war” under 26 U.S.C. § 104(b)(3)(B) for purposes of Army disability determinations. The Army has posted the revised policy on its website.

The Army has agreed as part of the settlement to review the records of all other veterans who were retired for disabilities presumed to be caused by burn pits under the PACT Act and determine whether their conditions merit combat-related determinations under its new policy. The Army will make reasonable efforts to complete this review of prior determinations for other veterans within six months. Veterans of other services would do well to contact their retirement authorities.

“The Department of Defense estimates that 3.5 million service members were exposed to burn pits, and far too many have since faced serious, life-altering illnesses. This settlement ensures the Army will finally treat burn pits as what they are—instrumentalities of war—so Soldiers who are medically retired for burn-pit presumptive conditions are not unfairly denied the combat-related designation that makes their disability retirement pay tax-free. Importantly, the Army has committed to correcting past denials and applying this policy going forward.”

“This settlement represents a meaningful and well-deserved victory for many veterans living with the lasting effects of burn-pit exposure."

If you are a veteran from any of the branches who was denied combat-related findings for PACT Act conditions during the Disability Evaluation System process, NVLSP encourages you to email lsw.classaction@nvlsp.org to learn more about this case. See NVLSP’s Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the settlement.

New York State Now Offers 100% Disabled Vets Property Tax Exemption!

FYI to all 100% disabled vets: beginning in 2027, the State of New York joins 27 other states in excusing VA-100% disabled vets from all or most primary residence property taxes. This enables the small number of affected vets to keep the homes they have, or to get homes, without what many find to be a brick-wall tax barrier to home ownership. This is very kind of the state, especially considering my home state of Colorado only exempts a fraction of the home's value, typically saving totally disabled vets only a few hundred dollars.

This is a big reason Colorado ranks only 27th in value of benefits permitted disabled veterans. All legislators need to realize that states with stronger benefits keep (or attract) veterans and the economic impact of the vets and their retirements/pensions more than outweighs the cost of the benefits.

Disabled Veterans: A New 2026 Savings Program with tax-free investment growth: The Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) account

GREAT NEW IRS TAX BENEFIT FOR DISABLED VETERANS. An Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) account is a tax-advantaged savings tool for individuals (including disabled veterans who qualify) with disabilities, allowing them to save $20,000 each year without losing federal benefits like SSI, Medicaid, or VA disability! Authorized by the 2014 ABLE Act, these accounts vary somewhat by state, but they generally enable tax-free growth and withdrawals for "qualified disability expenses" such as housing, education, and transportation. Effective January 1, 2026, eligibility expands to those whose disability began before age 46, allowing tax-free growth and withdrawals for housing, healthcare, and education.

Previously, the disability had to begin by age 26, and that left most veterans unable to apply because so many of us became disabled later in life. Fortunately for us, the government moved that qualifying age up to 46 or earlier. For example, I was medically retired at age 45 following the Gulf War, but now am eligible for an ABLE account. There is a veteran-specific web page to learn more. An ABLE account seems ideal for those of us who don't itemize deductions...consult a tax professional wiser than me! An ABLE account is funded with after-tax income, but can also accept gifts and unearned income investment, unlike IRAs which are for earned income only.

Key Details for ABLE Accounts:

Eligibility: Must be a U.S. citizen/US state resident with a qualifying disability (SSA criteria) that began before age 46. 100% VA service-connected disability does not automatically apply, as VA and SSA disability standards are different. The issue is based on inability to work, although some employment is allowed. Checking qualifications online at the Able National Resource Center is an important next step. Each state also has its own info page, and vets can get specific info. 

Benefits: Funds in the account are generally not counted against means-tested benefits (like VA, Medicaid/SSI) up to certain limits.

Tax Advantages: Contributions may be deductible from state income tax (they are in Colorado and most states), and earnings grow tax-free. ABLE accounts allow qualified disabled veterans to save up to $20,000 annually (2025/2026) without jeopardizing means-tested benefits like Medicaid or VA disability or pension, provided their disability occurred before age 46 (as of Jan 2026). Funds grow tax-free and can be used for qualified disability expenses, including housing, transportation, and healthcare. Property taxes and mortgage payment are typically included in the "housing" category.

Key Details for Disabled Veterans' ABLE Accounts

Eligibility Expansion: As of January 1, 2026, the age of onset for the disability increased from 26 to 46, making millions more, including many veterans, eligible.

Protection of Benefits: ABLE accounts allow for savings that do not count against the individual resource limit for SSI or other means-tested programs, such as the VA non-service-connected pension.

Definition of Disability: You must meet the Social Security Administration's (SSA) definition of "marked and severe" functional limitations, or have a signed physician's certification. You do not need to be receiving Social Security disability benefits to qualify, Additionally, if you were on SSDI but "aged-out" at 65, that's considered qualifying.

Qualified Expenses (QDEs): Funds can be used tax-free for a wide range of expenses, including education, housing, transportation, healthcare, prevention of homelessness, and employment training.

Contribution Limits: In 2026, the annual contribution limit is $20,000 which may increase annually. The current maximum in an account is limited to $100,000.

Account Setup: Veterans can open an account in any state that accepts out-of-state residents, with many offering online enrollment. 

Eligibility:

Eligible for your state's ABLE account

US citizen and state resident

New accounts must be opened by June 30, 2026.

The account must be in good order to receive funds.

Funds can be dispersed the following month from when the account was opened.

"VA Math." Why 50% + 50% might be only 70%. Or 65%. Or it could be 100%. How's that possible?

How? The VA does not add disability percentages for each recognized service-connected disability when calculating a veteran's disability rating. Rather, each disability's rating, started with the largest (and presumably the most serious) is applied to the portion of "independent healthy working adult" that remains “healthy.”  So we can all agree that a 100% previously healthy veteran who experiences a 50% disability has a 50% total VA disability rating. 

So far, that's logical. No brain pain understanding that math.

Here's where logic is less logical but it kinda makes sense...if only from the VA's perspective: A 50% rating for one disability leaves a vet with a remaining 50% working efficiency, but another 30% added for a second disability consumes 30% of that remaining 50%, (that's .3 x .5) yielding 65% total, but that's rounded to 70% for disability compensation purposes. 

Thus, 50% plus 50% equals 70%. But only at 810 Vermont Street, Washington DC (VA HQ).

Don't keep scratching your head trying to understand. Its the VA – it just is.

And it gets worse.

If a vet has a 50% disability rating, the compensation is $1,102. If a vet has a 100% disability rating, the compensation is $3,831. Thus 50% disability equals not 50% of the 100% rate but only 29% of the 100% disability. More VA "logic" and mysterious math!

VA Claims for Peripheral Neuropathy – CLAIMS ARE NOT RESTRICTED TO ONE YEAR AFTER AGENT ORANGE EXPOSURE!

I've had so many conversations with veterans complaining that VA refuses their disability claims for delayed onset peripheral neuropathy. Theylling me that VA insists peripheral neuropathy (PN) is only covered if diagnosed within a year of Agent Orange exposure.

WRONG. But also just partly right: VA does have a presumptive disability for early onset-peripheral neuropathy diagnosed within a year of exposure. PN can also be claimed as a secondary disability from diabetes, and diabetes is a presumptive illness and that claim easily established. Very few veterans had early PN diagnosis because it most often develops over years.

But in no way does having PN diagnosed later in life prohibit PN disability claims based on what VA terms "direct service connection." 

Put simply, direct service connection means a little more work convincing VA that, more likely than not, your peripheral neuropathy developed as a result of Agent Orange exposure regardless of the disease onset. You do this with a physician's nexus letter, which hopefully cites some of the many medical articles showing PN onset years and even decades after leaving military service.

Here's one such article, and it mentions PN developing 25-30 years after exposure:

de la Monte SM, Goel A. Agent Orange Reviewed: Potential Role in Peripheral Neuropathy and Neurodegeneration. Journal of Military Veterans Health. 2022 Apr;30(2):17-26. PMID: 36785586; PMCID: PMC9920643.

If needed, here's a helpful guide for submitting direct service connection and secondary condition service connection claims.

What is Combat Related Special Compensation & the Importance to Retired Reservists

Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC) provides tax-free payments to retired Veterans (and Retired Reservists) with combat-related disabilities. You must apply for CRSC through your uniformed service. A VA disability decision based on Agent Orange exposure qualifies for CRSC because AO is considered "an instrumentality of war."

Eligibility for Combat-Related Special Compensation:

All of these must be true:

• You’re retired (and entitled to or receiving military retirement pay), and
• You have a VA disability rating of at least 10%, and
• You currently have your DoD retirement payments reduced by the amount of your VA disability payments

To qualify, one of these must be true:

• You had 20 or more years of service in the military, National Guard, or Reserve, or
• You retired for medical reasons with a disability rating of at least 30% (under Chapter 61), or
• You’re covered under the Temporary Early Retirement Act (TERA), or
• You’re on the Temporary Disability Retired List (TDRL), or
• You’re on the Permanent Disability Retired List (PDRL)

Evidence and other documents you’ll need to provide:

Evidence like this that proves your disability or injuries are the result of a combat-related event:

• Service medical records. These must be from when your injury happened. They must show the severity of your medical condition and that it’s combat-related.
  Note: Provide only relevant medical records. Please don’t send us all your medical records.
• Official service records. These include After Action Reports, Investigative Reports, personnel action requests (like DA 4187), and performance evaluations (like NCOERs and OERs), flight orders, AF Form 603
• Decorations and award recommendations. These include Purple Heart citations, Combat Action Badges, medals, and decorations for valor.

Other documents:

• Retirement records. These include retirement orders and the Armed Forces of the United States Report of Transfer.
• Your VA decision notice
• Your DD214

What the evidence must show about your combat-related disability

The evidence must show that your injury happened while you were:

• Engaged in armed conflict (in combat or during an occupation or raid), or 
• Engaged in hazardous duty (like demolition, flying, or parachuting), or
• Participating in war simulation activities (like live fire weapons practice or hand-to-hand combat training), or
• Exposed to instruments of war (like a military vehicle, weapon, or chemical agent such as Agent Orange), or
• Engaged in an activity you received a Purple Heart for

How to request the documents you need

Decision notice: Send us a request in the form of a letter or note. Unless you have kept a copy, be sure to ask for “my VA rating decision letter,” and sign your name. Send your request to your nearest VA regional office.

Find your nearest VA regional office

Great News for Retirees Qualified for Combat Related Special Compensation

NVLSP Issues FAQ for Veterans on Retroactive Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC) under Supreme Court Unanimous Ruling on Soto v. United States

On June 12, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously in favor of a class of over 9000 disabled Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard veterans who were wrongfully limited to six-years of retroactive combat-related special compensation (CRSC). The Supreme Court unanimously held that there is no six-year cap on retroactive CRSC payments.

On August 25, 2025, NVLSP published a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) guide regarding the Soto case. These questions include:

• Which Veterans will Benefit?

Veterans who (1) have been granted CRSC benefits, (2) qualified for retroactive CRSC benefits for a period longer than six years from the date they filed for CRSC, and (3) whose retroactive benefits were limited to only six years from the date of their initial application.

• How do I know if I am a member of the Soto class?

In 2021, DOD sent notices to approximately 9,000 individuals who were identified as belonging to the Sotoclass at that time.For veterans who were retired, obtained service connection, or received a CRSC decision after the 2021 notice to class members, there has not been any class notice. A detailed review of files would be required to determine whether a veteran is a class member. 

• Will retroactive benefits be the same as current CRSC benefits?

Probably not. CRSC rates are based on VA compensation rates and there has been a cost-of-living adjustment most years. Rates paid in 2025 are different than rates paid, for example, 10 years ago.

• What is being done to implement Soto?

Counsel for the military has stated in a court filing in mid-August 2025: “The Department of Defense (DoD) is in the process of drafting a directive to the military branches and the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) with guidance for implementing the decision in Soto both retroactively to individuals who have had the Barring Act applied to their Combat Related Special Compensation (CRSC) claims and prospectively with respect to future CRSC claims."

About The National Veterans Legal Services Program (NVLSP)
The National Veterans Legal Services Program (NVLSP) is an independent, nonprofit veterans service organization that has served active duty military personnel and veterans since 1981. NVLSP strives to ensure that our nation honors its commitment to its 18 million veterans and active duty personnel by ensuring they have the benefits they have earned through their service to our country. NVLSP has represented veterans in lawsuits that compelled enforcement of the law where the VA or other military services denied benefits to veterans in violation of the law. NVLSP’s success in these lawsuits has resulted in more than $5.6 billion dollars being awarded in disability, death and medical benefits to hundreds of thousands of veterans and their survivors. www.nvlsp.org.

Next Veteran Claim Packet: Avascular Necrosis

COMPLETED in draft form:

Our next document to support veterans' disabilities claims is for avascular necrosis (AVN) also known as bone death.

In my own situation, I associated Agent Orange exposure as the probable cause of two "new" hips (and a third because of infections), but it can also result from fractures, radiation, long-term steroid medication, alcohol abuse, parachuting, and joint dislocations. Suggestions most WELCOME!

Newest Claims Project: Peripheral Neuropathy

 I've drafted a sample VA disability claim for peripheral neuropathy as SECONDARY to diabetes. Vietnam War and C-123 veterans are presumed exposed to Agent Orange and already get service connection for diabetes if diagnosed. The effort here will be to illustrate how a veteran can get service connection by using diabetes type 2 (and other causes) and then peripheral neuropathy as a secondary issue.

Many vets have complained that their peripheral neuropathy claims long after Vietnam are denied due to VA's one year for symptoms requirement – this effort is an alternate approach using peripheral neuropathy as secondary to another illness or injury already recognized by VA as service connected. It’s for anyone, not just Agent Orange folks. Many other ailments are associated with peripheral neuropathy and if you have PN, you'd be wise to investigate.

Pentagon Cancer Study Aids Aircrew & Maintainers' VA Claims

So...What's This All About?
About YOU as a veteran, and perhaps also you as a veteran with cancers a Pentagon study identified as somehow related to aviation. We’re addressing active duty as well as Reserve Component servicemembers, and veterans of all services.

A 2024 Pentagon study identified several cancers as being significantly greater among aircrews and aviation ground support than in a similar non-flying population: What’s greater? 87% melanoma, thyroid cancer 39%, and breast cancer and prostate cancer both 16% greater. The study is attached for your review.

We’re veterans of the 74th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, Westover ARB, MA. Our history includes over a decade flying that infamous former Agent Orange spray airplanes, the C-123 Provider. Our planes remained contaminated with dioxin. It took many years of fighting until in 2015 VA finally conceded our exposures. Our veterans (plus dozens of other bases and units) are now presumed by VA as having been exposed and our claims for the various Agent Orange ailments are finally being honored. So much so, in fact, that over $80 million in medical care, compensation and survivor Agent Orange benefits have been won for C-123 veterans.

However, Agent Orange is now pretty much in the “rear view mirror” for most veterans. Our concern shifts to you and other exposure injuries if you were in some way associated with military aviation and now suffer one of these cancers. We want to emphasize the importance of the Pentagon study and its value to a VA claim – and the great value to your physician who we hope will cite the study as persuasive in a nexus opinion supporting your VA claim for what VA terms "direct service connection."

The study can help support claims from aircrews or aviation ground support for cancers not already associated with VA-recognized exposure situations. It can also support claims from veterans regardless of whether or not they deployed to VA-recognized exposure situations.

VA has typically denied Reserve Component exposure claims (except ours) insisting Reservists weren’t on full time active duty when exposed: no active duty = no benefits. They also insisted active duty veterans experiencing these cancers only many years after service weren’t injured with military exposures and their claims were also denied.

The Pentagon study is often our solution. It established that something associated with aviation is causing significantly greater risk of cancers, with worrisome percentages cited above. Now Reservists can claim an exposure injury and have the study (and their physician’s letter citing the study) as strong supporting proof. An exposure injury makes a Reservist a veteran per VA regulations. The same with active duty – if you flew, the study gives a link between flying/maintaining and the cancers. Being a Department of Defense report, the VA finds it damn hard to dispute, particularly because they contributed to it!

There are four claim packets in our Pentagon report. For each named cancer, we’ve writing a brief introduction, attached a VA Form 526EZ disability claim form, the VA physical exam form for each specific cancer, and a VA Form 21-10210 statement of support. The 21-10210 explains to the VA claims agent why the Pentagon report constitutes powerful evidence supporting your claim. In fact, other veterans have already won claims and appeals by citing the report – it works! Share it with your VSO!

Here are individual claims packets, smaller and easier to download:

Breast Cancer

Thyroid Cancer

Melanoma

Prostate Cancer

Good luck with your claim and let us know how you did.

Wes Carter, 74AES, C-123 Veterans Association.  

rustysilverwings@gmail.com

c123kcancer.blogspot.com

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD: Claims packets for flight crews and aviation ground support veterans: Melanoma, thyroid cancer, breast cancer and prostate cancer. All four combined in one file to simplify distribution. Each has an intro, the VA Form 526EZ to initiate a claim, the cancer-specific VA veterans benefit questionnaire" for a physical exam, and a VA statement explaining about the Pentagon study's importance to aviation-related disability claims.

Here is information on the Pentagon study.

AIREVAC HUMOR (?)

 

Our Family T-Shirt

 

74AES – 439AES Annual Reunion Dinner

 September 13, 2025

"Maude DeVictor, Continuing Her Crusade to Expose Agent Orange" - Washington Post, November 1986

Heros come in all shapes, all sizes, wherever they are needed. Vietnam Veterans needed Maude DeVictor
and she was there for us. Our hero, Navy veteran Ms. Maude DeVictor.

(First Published November 9, 1986)\

By Desson Howee

She welcomes you into her hotel room like a distracted hostess -- glad to see you but worried about the pot roast.

"I'm looking ragged and battered and pudgy," she says. She asks you to cool your heels a bit, while she adjusts. Her garment bag lies unopened on the bed. Mister Rogers is welcoming everyone to his neighborhood loudly on the unwatched television and the phone rings constantly with calls from the press.

This is an elated Maude DeVictor. The woman known for her advocacy for Vietnam veterans -- particularly over the issue of Agent Orange -- has just jetted in from Boston, where she was received by Mayor Raymond Flynn and Gov. Michael Dukakis (Flynn declared today Maude DeVictor Day). This past weekend in Washington she attended "In Service to America," a conference sponsored by the Vietnam Veterans of America.

DeVictor's frenetic activity is connected with tonight's "Unnatural Causes," a controversial NBC television drama based on her battle to establish a connection between the defoliant Agent Orange used in the war and a plethora of deaths, illnesses and physical ailments that many Vietnam veterans have suffered. A consultant on the film, she says the docudrama "accurately depicts" the circumstances of her career with the Veterans Administration's Chicago Regional Office.

"Just do the top," she says to a photographer. She points to her hips and laughs.

"Have you heard of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo?" she asks, referring to a Buddhist chant. She throws a visitor a leaflet on Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism before heading for the bathroom with a lipstick.

"This is like a victory for fat people," she says just before disappearing and lets out a cackle that threatens to vibrate the infrastructure.

When DeVictor, a benefits counselor at the VA office, filed a claim in 1977 on behalf of a Vietnam veteran who had terminal cancer, it was the beginning of what may be a lifelong mission. The veteran's widow claimed his death resulted from exposure to Agent Orange, and DeVictor -- a divorced mother raising a son -- began to discover other veterans who also believed their medical problems came from the toxin.

The Origins of the Agent Orange Act of 1991

On February 6, 1991, President George H. W. Bush signed the Agent Orange Act of 1991. This act was the first piece of legislation to officially establish a group of presumptive conditions for Vietnam Veterans exposed to herbicides, meaning that Veterans with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, soft tissue sarcomas, and chloracne could now receive medical benefits from the Veterans Administration (VA) as a result of their service in Vietnam. 

This legislation was applauded by Veterans groups, government officials, and the general public. Yet, it was rooted in over a decade of fierce debate, VA institutional resistance, and confusion over the long-term health effects of Agent Orange and dioxin exposure.

Agent Orange was the most common of the so-called Rainbow Herbicides used during Operation Ranch Hand in the Vietnam War. It was made up of a 50:50 mixture of 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T, the latter of which contained a contaminant known as TCDD, a type of dioxin or organic pollutant. The herbicide was remarkably effective at clearing jungle foliage and depriving Viet Cong forces of both cover and workable farmland. Operation Ranch Hand lasted from 1962 until 1971. 

By the time the Air Force ceased these herbicide spraying missions, Agent Orange alone accounted for 11.22 million of the over 18 million gallons of herbicide sprayed in Southeast Asia. Many Veterans still recall being sprayed with Agent Orange but were instead "treated" with malathion, sprayed from C-123 Tail Number 362 for insect control. Planes spraying for insect control had the green paint removed as the malathion would foul the surfaces.

By the late 1970s, the public was seriously questioning the health effects of dioxin exposure. Many Veterans claimed (and VA totally denied) Agent Orange or other herbicides were behind their chronic fatigue, vision loss, numbness, cancer, birth defects in their children, and a myriad of other health concerns. VA began receiving medical claims from Veterans alleging dioxin exposure at least as early as 1977, but, as media coverage on the issue grew, so did the number of claims. At the time, only chloracne, a rare skin condition, had been scientifically linked to dioxin exposure. If Veterans claimed that contact with herbicides was the cause for any other illnesses, VA ultimately denied all their medical claims "due to the lack of scientific evidence."

However, VA did take some baby steps to address the issue, mostly because of Veteran pressure, some press coverage, and a determined Veteran's advocate named Maude DeVictor. In 1978, VA established an internal Agent Orange Registry and began conducting in-depth medical examinations for Veterans claiming they were exposed to Agent Orange. They also assigned “environmental health physicians” at each of their medical centers who were specifically tasked with gathering information related to chemical exposures. In 1979, they established the VA Advisory Committee on Health-Related Effects of Herbicides, and in the early 1980s, they also created the Agent Orange Projects Office, the Chloracne Task Force, the Data Analysis Task Force, and the Agent Orange Research and Education Office, each of which were tasked with studying various aspects of Agent Orange exposure among Veterans.

Under Congressional pressure, VA also launched multiple weak-kneed outreach efforts related to dioxin exposure. The Agent Orange Bulletin was launched in December 1980 and provided updates on Agent Orange activities for VA medical center staff. For Veterans themselves, VA released a 30-minute videotape titled Agent Orange: A Search for Answers, as well as pamphlet titled “Worried About Agent Orange?” which was distributed to all Veterans during their Agent Orange medical examinations. Both the videotape and pamphlet emphasized the fact that chloracne remained the only known medical condition directly attributable to herbicide exposure. 

In November 1982, VA also introduced the Agent Orange Review, a recurring newsletter meant to keep Veterans up to date on the latest developments on Agent Orange research and policies. Even so, official VA policy still called for physicians in VA medical centers to refrain from prematurely attributing a Veteran’s ill-health to Agent Orange exposure until more concrete evidence proving association became available: VA physicians were prohibited from offering opinions on Agent Orange-suspected illnesses.

Multiple agencies, including VA, began publishing the results of dioxin-related studies throughout the 1980s. Most of these initial studies maintained that there was no link between dioxin exposure and long-term health problems, although it was difficult to prove which had Veterans had been exposed while in the service. In 1990, however, studies by the CDC and VA’s Advisory Committee on Health-Related Effects of Herbicides determined that non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and soft tissue sarcomas among Vietnam Veterans were “at least as likely as not” connected to herbicide exposure. 

VA’s secretary at the time, Edward J. Derwinski, was especially invested in the Agent Orange issue. The day after each of these studies were released, he classified each respective illness as service-connected for Vietnam Veterans. These classifications officially became law with the Agent Orange Act of 1991.

Upon the passage of the bill, Derwinski noted that “VA has [always had] one overriding goal in this area: providing, as best we can, the truth for our Vietnam Veterans about the effects of exposure to Agent Orange. Because, in our opinion, that is the goal of this fine legislation, we are pleased to offer our support.” Derwinki’s “open mind” on the Agent Orange debate was lauded by the public and members of Congress alike. Representative Thomas Daschle, who had previously been critical of VA efforts concerning herbicide exposure, commented that Derwinki’s “willingness to listen to Veterans, to reexamine the scientific evidence, and to give Veterans the benefit of the doubt has been crucial to the effort to redefine the federal government’s response to the Agent Orange problem.”

Still, neither Derwinki nor the VA moved on Agent Orange benefits until Congress shoved the 1991 Agent Orange Act down the VA's throat.

While many of the questions surrounding Agent Orange remained, the Agent Orange Act of 1991 was a turning point in providing Vietnam Veterans with needed care, and over the following decades, VA classified over a dozen additional conditions as presumptive for Veterans who were exposed to herbicides.

Westover C-123 Nearly Brings Down the President!

 Old Warbirds: What Fascinating Stories They Tell

By Wes Carter, 74AES,1974-1992

FORWARD:  

In an earlier article I suggested this essay would present a true story. I said I’d somehow weave together an Air Force C-123 airplane I once crewed, Doan's Headache Pills, Tom Cruise, Ayatollah Khomeini, “The Fat Man and the Fat Lady,” Richard Nixon and Watergate, FBI, José Fernando Canales Aleman, CIA, a USAF 439th TAW Honduran beach bar with wings, Ms. Fawn Hall’s September 2025 wedding, Dennis Hopper, Pablo Escobar and lots of cocaine and money.

Plus, for extra credit, Ronald Reagan and jelly beans. “Now there you go again.” If you wish, simply

return to this paragraph to check off players, events and other items as the story evolves. All this = one story. And true!

I freely admit this is a long and detailed read, but it happened with terrible consequences. I guess I like to hear myself type almost as much as hear myself talk, however I'll try to keep this short enough my printer won't choke on it.

Things like this shouldn't have happened but seem to bite us sharply in our national politics again and again. Maybe our poetical parties need an ethics and morality device, kind of like Spock’s Star Trek tricorder. That would be so cool!

Everything began to unravel on October 5, 1986, when a Nicaraguan soldier downed an American plane carrying arms to “Contra” guerrillas, exposing a tightly held U.S. clandestine program. A month later, reports surfaced that Washington had been covertly selling arms to Iran (our sworn enemy and a state sponsor of terrorism), in exchange for help freeing hostages in Beirut. The profits, it turned out, were going to support the Contras, despite an explicit ban by Congress.

In the firestorm that erupted, shocking details emerged, raising the prospect of impeachment, and the American public confronted a scandal as momentous as it was confusing. At its center was President Ronald Reagan amid a swirl of questions about illegal wars, consorting with terrorists, and the abuse of presidential power.

DATE AND SETTING: Western Hemisphere, 1982-1988

Chapter One, Ronald Reagan: (continued below)

"Now there you go again." President Reagan's mild censure of his White House press corps gave every reporter in the briefing room fits of frustration at his evasiveness and those smiles that the Old Man does so effectively.

Bubba's First Day as USAF MSC Officer?

 

C-123 Aircraft Agent Orange Exposure –disability medical care and compensation

Our C-123 Agent Orange effort began at Westover in 2010 and has now impacted over 30 other Active Duty and Reserve Units, and thousands of veterans! Thus far, veterans and their families have received over $80 million in medical care, disability compensation, and survivor benefits.
If you had regular contact with C-123 aircraft while serving as an active-duty service member or Reservist, or are the survivor of such a veteran, you may be eligible for VA disability or other compensation. Call the VA today!
Active-duty units

Unit	Base location	Service dates
1st Special Operations Wing (SOW)	Hurlburt Auxiliary Field, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida	1970 to 1973
24th Special Operations Wing (SOW)	Howard Air Force Base, Panama	1970 to 1973
51st Air Base Wing (ABW)	Osan Air Base, South Korea	1970 to 1973
56th Air Base Wing (ABW)	Luke Air Force Base, Arizona	1970 to 1973
309th Special Operations Squadron (SOS)	Tainan Air Field, Taiwan	1969 to 1970
310th Special Operations Squadron (SOS)	Tainan Air Field, Taiwan	1969 to 1970
405th Fighter Wing (FW)	Clark Air Force Base, Philippines	1969 to 1970
4410th Combat Crew Tactical Wing (CCTW)	Hurlburt Auxiliary Field, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida	1970 to 1973
4500th Air Base Wing (ABW)	Langley Air Force Base, Virginia	1962 to 1963, 1970 to 1973

Reserve units

Unit	Base location	Service dates
74th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron (AES)	Westover Air Force Base and Hanscom Field, Massachusetts	1972 to 1982
355th Tactical Airlift Squadron (TAS)	Lockbourne/Rickenbacker Air Force Base, Ohio	1969 to 1986
356th Tactical Airlift Squadron (TAS)	Lockbourne/Rickenbacker Air Force Base, Ohio	1969 to 1986
731st Tactical Airlift Squadron (TAS)	Westover Air Force Base and Hanscom Field, Massachusetts	1972 to 1982
758th Airlift Squadron (AS)	Pittsburgh International Airport, Pennsylvania	1972 to 1982
901st Organizational Maintenance Squadron (OMS)	Westover Air Force Base and Hanscom Field, Massachusetts	1972 to 1982
911th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron (AES)	Pittsburgh International Airport, Pennsylvania	1972 to 1982
911th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron (AMS)	Pittsburgh International Airport, Pennsylvania	1972 to 1982
4413th Combat Crew Tactical Wing (CCTW)	Lockbourne/Rickenbacker Air Force Base, Ohio	1969 to 1986