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Ive been waiting for this. Check with your local VFW for assistance, Dick Puckett Vietnam '66-'67 Dick Puckett FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Oct. 13, 2009 VA Extends "Agent Orange" Benefits to More Veterans Parkinson's Disease, Two Other Illnesses Recognized WASHINGTON -Relying on an independent study by the Institute of Medicine (IOM), Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki decided to establish a service-connection for Vietnam Veterans with three specific illnesses based on the latest evidence of an association with the herbicides referred to as Agent Orange. The illnesses affected by the recent decision are hairy cell leukemia; Parkinson's disease; and ischemic heart disease. Used in Vietnam to defoliate trees and remove concealment from the enemy, Agent Orange left a legacy of suffering and disability that continues to the present. Between January 1965 and April 1970, an estimated 2.6 million military personnel who served in Vietnam were potentially exposed to sprayed Agent Orange. In practical terms, Veterans who served in Vietnam during the war and who have a "presumed" illness don't have to prove an association between their illnesses and their military service. This "presumption" simplifies and speeds up the application process for benefits. The Secretary's decision brings to 15 the number of presumed illnesses recognized by VA. "We must do better reviews of illnesses that may be connected to service, and we will," Shinseki added. "Veterans who endure health problems deserve timely decisions based on solid evidence." Other illnesses previously recognized under VA's "presumption" rule as being caused by exposure to herbicides during the Vietnam War are: o Acute and Subacute Transient Peripheral Neuropathy o AL Amyloidosis o Chloracne o Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia o Diabetes Mellitus (Type 2) o Hodgkin's Disease o Multiple Myeloma o Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma o Porphyria Cutanea Tarda o Prostate Cancer o Respiratory Cancers, and o Soft Tissue Sarcoma (other than Osteosarcoma, Chondrosarcoma, Kaposi's sarcoma, or Mesothelioma) Additional information about Agent Orange and VA's services and programs for Veterans exposed to the chemical are available at www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange. # # # Sincerely, Ron Klein Member of Congress ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn