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August 10th is recognized as Agent Orange Awareness Day.
On August 10th, 1961, the United States military began spraying Agent Orange in Vietnam to defoliate the jungle. Agent Orange contained dioxin, a toxic substance responsible for cancer, birth defects, and other symptoms. In the subsequent decades, thousands of Vietnam veterans and countless Vietnamese have fought illnesses related to Agent Orange exposure.
If you have an illness caused by exposure to Agent Orange during your military service, you may be eligible for disability compensation from the VA. Illnesses caused by Agent Orange exposure include:
- Chronic B-cell Leukemia
- Hodgkin’s disease
- Multiple myeloma
- Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
- Prostate cancer
- Respiratory cancers (including lung cancer)
- Some soft tissue sarcomas
- AL amyloidosis
- Chloracne (or other types of acneiform disease like it)
- Diabetes mellitus type 2
- Hypothyroidism
- Ischemic heart disease
- Parkinsonism
- Parkinson’s disease
- Peripheral neuropathy, early-onset
- Porphyria cutanea tarda:
For a full list of eligibility requirements, click here. DVS can help you file for VA disability compensation, including compensation for Agent Orange exposure. For assistance, please fill out the form at VetConnectNYC.org and select Benefits Navigation as your preferred service.
On Tuesday, August 10th, from 6 to 8 pm, the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 126 will host Agent Orange Day in NYC at Vietnam Veterans Plaza (55 Water St, New York, NY 10041). The event will include a reading of the names of those who died or have suffered from Agent Orange and other toxic chemicals, as well as a lighting of Agent Orange Remembrance Candles. DVS Commissioner James Hendon will address those in attendance.
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