This information page courtesy of "Doc"
Agent
Orange Exposure
Service
on Vietnam's Waterways - Korean DMZ - Thailand Air Force Bases
The
Committee on Veterans' Affairs frequently receives questions from Vietnam-era
veterans about circumstances apart from service on
the
land of Vietnam under which VA will recognize exposure to herbicides such
as Agent Orange. Chairman Murray wants every veteran to get
the
benefits they deserve, and we are therefore providing information below
to help shed light on these circumstances.
Under
VA's "boots on the ground" policy, a presumption of herbicide exposure
is limited to those veterans who served in Vietnam.
Importantly,
this presumption extends to service on Vietnam's inland waterways --i.e.,
its rivers, estuaries, and the Mekong Delta--
and
even for very limited contact on land in Vietnam.
VA
will also concede herbicide exposure for certain veterans for their service
in other locations, namely, service along the Korean Demilitarized Zone
(DMZ)
and on the perimeters of Air Force Bases in Thailand during the Vietnam
era. The use of herbicides has been documented at these
locations,
potentially exposing veterans in certain occupations or units.
If
you file a claim for compensation based on the criteria below for an illness
linked to herbicide exposure, you also should request that VA obtain
your
personnel file from the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC). This
is because VA must have documentation that shows you meet such criteria
before granting your claim.
CLICK HERE Concerning AO exposures and service in Vietnam's inland waterways
CLICK HERE Concerning AO exposures and service in Korean Demilitarized Zone
CLICK HERE Concerning AO exposures and service on Thailand Air Force Bases
Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma:
Expanded Definition
The
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has expanded eligibility for disability
compensation due to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) for veterans who
served
in Vietnam's offshore waters. This is welcome news for Blue Water
veterans whose claims for compensation benefits had been
denied
under VA's earlier more restrictive definition of the disease.
Background:
The term NHL includes a number of different conditions that may be categorized
differently under various medical classification systems.
Recently,
VA expanded its definition of NHL to include chronic lymphocytic leukemia
and small-cell lymphocytic lymphoma, two conditions that VA previously
contended were unrelated.
VA's
decision
Grants
of Service Connection under the Provisions of 38 CFR § 3.313
Under
the provisions of 38 CFR § 3.313, Veterans who served in Vietnam,
including service in the waters offshore, are entitled
to
a presumption of service connection for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
We
have received questions about the connection between non-Hodgkin's lymphoma,
chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and small-cell lymphocytic lymphoma.
Discussions
with medical professionals at the Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
and with our attorneys at the Office of General
Counsel
(OGC) led to the conclusion that these diseases should all be considered
the same disease for purposes of § 3.313.