Page 24 - Scene Magazine 46-04 April 2021

Local Interest
BY AARON D. EDLEFSON, MPA
Director, Calhoun County Veterans Affairs
Agent Orange was a defoliant designed to clear vegetation for military oper- ations and is most associated with its use during the Vietnam War. Veterans who served “boots on the ground” in Vietnam between January 9, 1962,
is not necessarily exhaustive. Other illnesses can be claimed but require more evidentiary support and may still be denied. Conditions that are related to the above cancers and illnesses can also be claimed as secondary condi- tions such as diabetes mellitus type 2 contributing to vascular dementia or prostate cancer causing erectile dys- function. More rare, but still available, are disability benefits for the children of Agent Orange exposed Veterans. The children of both male and females Veterans who have been diagnosed with spina bifida may be eligible for VA disability benefits. There is a much more extensive list of birth defects that may be eligible for disability benefits for the children of female Veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange.
and May 7, 1975, are presumed to have been exposed to Agent Orange. Presumed exposure also applies to Veterans who, within those same dates, served on U.S. military vessels in inland waterways of Vietnam, served on vessels not more than 12 miles from the waters of Vietnam and Cambodia, or had regular perimeter duty on U.S. Army or Royal Thai Air Force bases
For disability compensation, the Department of Veteran Affairs has compiled a list of cancers and illness- es that are presumed to be caused by exposure to Agent Orange. Associated cancers include chronic b-cell leu- kemia, Hodgkin’s disease, multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, prostrate cancer, respiratory cancers (lungs, larynx, trachea, and bron- chus), and some soft tissue sarcomas. Non-cancer illnesses that are asso- ciated with Agent Orange exposure include AL amyloidosis, chloracne, diabetes mellitus type 2, ischemic
in Thailand (included in those bases are U-Tapao, Ubon, Nakhon Phanom, Udorn, Takhli, Korat, or Don Muang). Veterans who served in or near the Korean DMZ between September 1, 1967, and August 31, 1971, are also presumed to have been exposed to
As with all VA claims, documenta- tion is extremely important. For Agent Orange related claims, we require verification that the Veteran would have had presumed exposure during service. This requirement is usually satisfied with a DD-214, but occasionally requires further documentation such as the Veteran’s Official Military Personnel File. These documents can be ordered through our office. Secondly, we must have a diagnosis from a medical provid- er. If the Veteran’s medical treatment is only through a VA Medical Center, the Veteran does not need to submit records to us. However, if the Veteran’s medical treatment occurred outside of the VA, medical documentation must be provid- ed to us for submission.
The most com- mon service-con- nected disability claims we work on at Calhoun County Veterans Affairs are claims related to Agent Orange exposure.
Agent Orange. Presumed exposure does not necessarily mean a Veteran was exposed in a place where Agent Orange was actively being deployed
as a defoliant. This is evidenced by
the VA conceding exposure to Veter- ans who served in Air Force units that worked with C-123 aircraft that had been exposed to Agent Orange, Veter- ans who transported, tested, or assisted in storing Agent Orange, and certain reservists who might have come into contact with Agent Orange at Lock- bourne/Rickenbacker Air Force Base (1969-1996), Westover Air Force Base, and Pittsburgh International Airport (both 1972-1982).
heart disease, Parkinson’s disease, peripheral neuropathy (if it manifests within one year of exposure), and porphyria cutanea tarda (also within one year). While these cancers and illnesses have been definitively linked to Agent Orange exposure, the list
Agent Orange and Disability Benefits
Providing services for veterans and their families.
Federal Benefits Emergency County Burial and Programs Assistance Benefits Benefits
(269) 969-6735 • 190 East Michigan Avenue, Third Floor, Battle Creek, Michigan calhouncountymi.gov/departments/veterans_affairs/index.php
If you have questions regarding Agent Orange exposure, effects, or claims process, please do not hesitate to contact us. Likewise, if you have questions regarding any other benefits for Veterans please contact us. Calhoun County Veterans Affairs can be reached at (269) 969-6735. If you would prefer to reach us by e-mail, you can do so at va@calhouncountymi.gov.
24 SCENE 4604 I WOMEN IN BUSINESS