Was everyone in Vietnam exposed to Agent Orange?

How Many Vietnam Veterans Have Been Affected by Agent Orange? It is difficult to say how many Vietnam veterans have been affected by Agent Orange. However, any veteran who served in Vietnam between January 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975, is presumed by the VA to have been exposed to Agent Orange.

Were all Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange?

For the purposes of VA compensation benefits, Veterans who served anywhere in Vietnam between January 9, 1962 and May 7, 1975 are presumed to have been exposed to herbicides, as specified in the Agent Orange Act of 1991.

How do I know if I was exposed to Agent Orange in Vietnam?

Unfortunately, there's no medical test or biological feature that can show that someone was exposed to Agent Orange or other herbicides, so the health exam cannot confirm that you were (or were not) exposed.

How many Vietnam veterans were exposed to Agent Orange?

All told, about 9 million military personnel served on active duty during the Vietnam era, but most were not stationed in the country. Of those, some 2.6 million were potentially exposed to Agent Orange, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates.

Who was all affected by Agent Orange?

Vietnam reports that some 400,000 people have suffered death or permanent injury from exposure to Agent Orange. Furthermore, it is estimated that 2,000,000 people have suffered from illnesses caused by exposure and that half a million babies were born with birth defects due to the effects of Agent Orange.

Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange still seeking needed benefits

Who qualifies as a Vietnam era veteran?

(1) Veteran of the Vietnam era means an eligible veteran any part of whose active military, naval, or air service was during the Vietnam era. (ii) A person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

Can Agent Orange be passed from father to child?

There is currently no definitive evidence that a father's exposure to Agent Orange causes birth defects. However, an analysis of Agent Orange registry data from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) suggests a link between males' exposure to Agent Orange and having children with certain birth defects.

How do you prove exposure to Agent Orange?

What qualifies a veteran for Agent Orange benefits?

Surviving spouses, dependent children and dependent parents of Veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange or other herbicides during service and died as the result of diseases related to the exposure may be eligible for health care, compensation, education, and home loan benefits.

How long does it take for Agent Orange to show up?

Elevated blood TCDD levels, probably related to Agent Orange exposure, can be detected between two and three decades after potential exposure in some American veterans. Original levels were estimated to be 35-1,500-fold greater that that of the general population (4 ppt, lipid) at the time of exposure.

How much does a veteran get for Agent Orange exposure?

Of the 105,000 claims received by the Payment Program, approximately 52,000 Vietnam Veterans or their survivors received cash payments which averaged about $3,800 each.

What is the difference between a Vietnam era veteran and a Vietnam veteran?

Vietnam era veterans are those who served during the time of the Vietnam war but didn't set foot in the country of Vietnam. The Vietnam vet is one who was assigned within the combat zone of the country and it's surrounding waters.

Are all Vietnam veterans eligible for VA benefits?

VA Benefits for Vietnam Veterans

Vietnam Veterans may be eligible for a wide-variety of benefits available to all U.S. military Veterans. VA benefits include disability compensation, pension, education and training, health care, home loans, insurance, vocational rehabilitation and employment, and burial.

What areas of Vietnam was Agent Orange used the most?

According to military estimates of herbicide use, 90 percent of Agent Orange was used in Ranch Hand forest defoliation missions; 8 percent was used in Ranch Hand crop destruction missions; and 2 percent was sprayed from the ground around base perimeters and cache sites, waterways, and communication lines (NAS, 1974).

How do you prove a veteran was in Vietnam?

To verify service in the RVN, review the veteran's DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, to determine if appropriate service, such as “Foreign Service: Republic of Vietnam,” is shown.

Which areas of Vietnam were most affected by Agent Orange?

Setting Priorities: Addressing the Heavily Sprayed AreasTwelve provinces were the most heavily sprayed with Agent Orange during the war. Ten of them cluster around one of the three air bases that became the most contaminate with dioxin: Da Nang, Phu Cat and Bien Hoa.

Do you get back pay for Agent Orange?

Blue Water Back Pay Errors

VA has been awarding benefits to Vietnam veterans for any conditions related to Agent Orange for decades. When Congress passed new legislation that expanded coverage to the veterans who served on offshore ships, VA did not award retroactive benefits beyond the passage of that law.

How much money do Vietnam veterans get?

For veterans who received VA's disability payments in addition to their other income, the average annual payment was $18,100. Those disability payments made their income higher than other veterans' income, on average.

What percentage of Agent Orange is considered a disability?

VA Ratings for Porphyria cutanea tarda due to Agent Orange exposure range from 10 percent to 60 percent with a break at 30 percent.

What benefits do Vietnam veterans get for Agent Orange?

VA offers health care and disability benefits for veterans who may have been exposed to Agent Orange or other herbicides during military service. These services include an Agent Orange Registry health exam and clinical treatment at VA's War Related Illness and Injury Study Center.

What are signs of Agent Orange?

How far back will the VA pay back pay?

The VA typically only pays disability compensation going back to the date of discharge to veterans who apply for their VA disability benefits within one year of being discharged. All of this underscores the need to submit your VA disability benefits claim as soon as possible.

What is an Agent Orange baby?

Spina bifida is a spinal cord birth defect. A baby develops spina bifida while still in the womb. In some cases, a parent's past contact with specific chemicals causes this birth defect.

What birth defects did Americans get from Agent Orange?

Spina bifida (except spina bifida occulta), a defect in the developing fetus that results in incomplete closing of the spine, is associated with Veterans' exposure to Agent Orange or other herbicides during qualifying service in Vietnam or Korea.

Does Agent Orange go through generations?

Changes in gene expression — whether a gene for a trait is turned on or off — can be passed from one generation to the next, research shows. A 2012 study, for example, showed that gestating female rats exposed to dioxin, a byproduct found in Agent Orange, passed mutations to future generations.