Talk of The Villages Florida - View Single Post - VA Benefits from Agent Orange exposure
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Old 06-26-2012, 03:14 PM
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From the VA website


"For the purposes of disability compensation, VA presumes that Veterans were exposed to Agent Orange or other herbicides if they served:
■In Vietnam anytime between January 9, 1962 and May 7, 1975 (includes brief visits ashore or service aboard a ship that operated on the inland waterways of Vietnam). Check VA's list of U.S. Navy and Coast Guard ships that operated in Vietnam.
■In or near the Korean demilitarized zone anytime between April 1, 1968 and August 31, 1971

These Veterans do NOT need to prove that they were exposed to Agent Orange or other herbicides to qualify for disability compensation for diseases related to Agent Orange exposure (also called "presumptive diseases")."

Ischemic heart disease is one of the presumptive diseases which is included in the Agent Orange act of 1991. This is based on The Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences concluded in its report "Veterans and Agent Orange: Update 2008" released July 24, 2009, that there is "suggestive but limited evidence that exposure to Agent Orange and other herbicides used during the Vietnam War is associated with an increased chance of developing ischemic heart disease."
Based on this suggestive but limited evidence, the VA covers any service personnel who may have been exposed no matter how briefly to Agent Orange. Ever having had a foot on the ground in Nam qualifies, as does having served on transport ships or aircraft. Good Luck