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From: Jim M, PO1st Class
Date: 11/30/2001
Time: 9:30:10 AM
Remote Name: 137.237.213.30
Jim Price recommended I give you a post. I have noted that you are having problems with cancer and such. Although I was in the Navy it appears that I too have fallen victim to agent oragne. I have had my cancer already, so far it has not returned and it's been three years now. But as I continued my examination with the VA they have found my left lung to be badly scarred and lab tests show my lung capacity to be half gone, (no wonder I can't function!). I spent three tours of duty in and around Viet Nam doing what is called electronic countermeasures, mostly classified. The VA has been mostly non responsive and won't make any committements, is this something you have had to deal with? I am considering applying for full disability, especially now that type II diabeties symptoms is hitting me. Problem is I can't get any response for paperwork help from any of the organizations, this is pretty disheartening, this discussion forum is the only place I have even gotten a single response from. I guess I can trace this back to when I got spit at when I arrived back on CONUS. Then after my discharge I couldn't get a job to save my ass, now this 30 years later. I could probably take this abuse but when some of the silence comes from your own fellow veterans it is difficult. At the moment I have 10 per cent disability, (from a shoulder injury while parachuting into my drop zone). Not wanting to be nosey but are you presently on diability and if so what steps did you have to take to apply. I have looked at the spray zones and the time frames, and it coincides exactly with my tours of duty. What did you have to prove to the VA if anything? Does anyone have any idea of how many vets have been poisoned? Talking to the lady in the pulmonary lab, she stated that I am lucky that I am a big guy, she said the small vets are already dead. This is not espcially encouraging. Otherwise as they say it looks like I got killed in Nam and didn't even know it. Regards Jim