"Vietnam vets only got 1/2 of the
disability approvals they should have
had. Korean vets should have had the
same, plus the others they did get
approved. Gulf war vets have no
Presumptive list , sadly; not even ALS
which they have higher incidence of
(most exposure to 2-butoxyethanol is
what I think)"
by DaveBarker:
ALS can be related to Persian Gulf War veterans.
The very first service connected ALS case
approved was one of my clients. We won the case
in an appeal in an in person BVA hearing.
Korean veterans who were exposed to herbicides
are given the same consideration as those in
Vietnam. Herbicide use in Korea was limited to a
short period 1967-69 and in the DMZ area.
Everyone is entitled to an opinion. However
service connection of exposure to a disease is
more than just opinion. The condition must be
scientifically linked to exposure and the
studies must be strong enough to convince the
politicians to approve the scientific results.
That is not easy to do.
I have been working on Agent Orange (and other
chemical) issues since 1977. Many thousands of
veterans have been interviewed by me (as their
service officer) when they applied for
compensation. In 1983 my Agent Orange articles
began to be published. After a few years they
were formed into a book which has been revised
many times. The first several chapters have not
seen modification, however chapters were added
as needed.
My work uses several sources, including the
National Academy of Sciences book "VETERANS AND
AGENT ORANGE" as well as the UPDATES which have
been about every 2 years.
The problem is the acceptance of science by the
politicians. After the scientists and physicians
give their opinions, the results are then
reviewed by VA lawyers. Their opinions are then
reviewed and either accepted, or rejected by the
political administration in power at the time.
______________________________________
Dear Maggie:
Doctors for WWII vets are really stumped,
because they want to look in the direction of
Agent Orange for the ailments these came down
with ... & of course it is not a choice for
them.
Congratulations on helping your ALS 'gulf war
syndrome' vet for getting disability approved.
Must have been very hard to appear in person
with that aillment ...
Sadly, it is not a presumptively approved
disability for this group ... even with the
'stand out' harm in that category ... or in any
of the 'higher incidences' reported by this
group.
I still contend that the common chemical of harm
for the 30s - present day is 2-butoxyethanol ...
and a stronger version of it probably from the
male tanks of WWI & other war periods.
For those who will look at the bigger picture,
the pattern is there in all these groups. Simply
put, you are looking for the CFIDS biomarkers,
and doctors, to date, do not know what the
fatigue is (AIHA or approaching AIHA is what
this chemical would cause - New term is Immune
Mediated Hemolytic Anemia)
Too bad Korean Vets' disability approval is
limited to any times they were around Dioxin. I
noticed that. The list, I firmly believe, is
unfairly limited. It should be expanded.
Why do our health-damaged soldiers have to fight
so? I think it is a blight on our Nation.
Approve them all, that's what I think!
How hard is this for the ailments that show up
during service: they were healthy before they
entered; not well during their service? These,
at the very least, should be easily approved.
For others, they will definitely remember a
serious FLU, or multilple bouts of diarrhea and
flu-like symptoms. I did a 'chemical profile'
regarding possible exposure to this chemical for
one of our Citizens a few months ago. I suspect
his being in Korea was one of them.
Our Jeff
Today's soldier says, "I
need help"
As to 'gulf war syndrome'
Why I think the USA can't find the real
cause
