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Our
Guest, Bob Ford is a former US Marine & author of War Against the Navy.
According
to the book description, "Agent Orange is a term used to describe a combination of deadly dioxins which were repeatedly
sprayed over Vietnam for the purpose of defoliating the jungles. The term originated from the Orange stripe around the barrels
of chemicals that were used.
Dumped
by the tons from the skies from large multi-engine aircraft, often 3 & 4 abreast, & it did indeed transform much of
Vietnam into a deadly wasteland. It also exposed American servicemen & women to the origins of numerous cancers that now
have them dying at a rate of 13 years earlier than their counterparts who did not serve in Vietnam. When all this was taking
place, the military was told there was nothing to fear from Agent Orange.
After years of denial in a prolonged battle by Vietnam
veterans, the government finally acknowledged the disabilities caused by Agent Orange, and a system was established to process
claims for those who now have one or more of the related diseases recognized by VA as caused by exposure to these chemicals.
The legislation was clear in that anyone who served, whether on land or sea, was presumed to have been exposed to Agent Orange.
Obviously, the one claim no veteran would ever hope to file with VA would be for Agent Orange benefits. The stark reality
is that you must already have cancer to qualify.
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