Warner, Kaine sponsor legislation for 'Blue Water' Navy Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange
U.S. Senators Mark Warner, D-Va., and Tim Kaine, D-Va., co-sponsored legislation Wednesday that would make Navy veterans who served off the Vietnam shore during the war there eligible for care for Agent Orange exposure.
If passed, the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act would clarify an existing law so that these "Blue Water" veterans would be fully covered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs if they served within 12 miles of shore, according to a joint statement released by the senators' offices.
Between 1962 and 1971, more than 19 million gallons of various herbicides, known collectively as Agent Orange, were sprayed in Vietnam to kill dense jungle foliage. Since then, the chemicals have been linked to diseases like diabetes, Hodgkin's, Parkinson's and cancers of the prostate and respiratory systems.
"I've heard from too many Virginia veterans who are suffering from illnesses that have been linked to Agent Orange, yet are unable to access health benefits or disability compensation simply because of where they served," Warner said in the statement. "Regardless of whether they served on land or at sea, those who have fallen victim to Agent Orange exposure deserve access to the same benefits and compensation. We owe our heroes no less."
In 1991, Congress required the VA to provide coverage to Vietnam veterans with illnesses directly linked to Agent Orange exposure. But, in 2002, the VA determined that it would only cover veterans who proved they were on the ground in Vietnam during the war.
In June, the VA came out with a new rule that affected 1,500 to 2,100 Air Force personnel who flew or worked on Fairchild C-123 aircraft in the United States and were believed to have been exposed to Agent Orange residue. C-123s were used to spray the herbicides in Vietnam. That marked the first time the VA has established care for troops who weren't on the ground or didn't serve on inland waterways in Vietnam.
Citing weaker evidence, the VA said it wouldn't cover the some 200,000 "Blue Water veterans who say they were exposed to Agent Orange while serving aboard deep-water naval vessels off Vietnam's coast. In Virginia alone, there are more than 3,800 "Blue Water" Vietnam veterans.
USS Missouri guns get new home at Virginia War Museum
The Virginia War Museum in Newport News will receive on Thursday a set of anti-aircraft guns from the battleship on which the Japanese signed terms of surrender to end World War II.
The quad-barreled 40mm Bofors are from the USS Missouri, which is currently part of the Pearl Harbor memorial in Hawaii. The guns were used by both Axis and Allied powers during the second World War for anti-aircraft defense. Some were used through the Gulf War, but they fell out of popularity because they weren't effective against jet powered aircraft.
They been out of public view at the Navy's Training Support Center Hampton Roads at Dam Neck in Virginia Beach for years, and were restored by volunteers from the museum's foundation.
"These guns will serve as a fitting monument to the end of World War II and as a bookend to the existing Pearl Harbor Survivors Association monument, which is located across the street from the guns' future home in historic Huntington Park," said Dick Hoffeditz, curator at the Virginia War Museum, in a statement.
The delivery is expected between noon and 3 p.m. The museum is located at 9285 Warwick Blvd.
Langley to hold POW events
Langley Air Force Base is hosting a series of events on Thursday and Friday to recognize prisoners of war and those missing in action.
An opening ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m. Thursday to kick off a 24-hour memorial run, which will continue through Friday morning. Retired Lt. Gen. Glen "Wally" Moorhead III will serve as guest speaker at the closing ceremony set for 10 a.m. Friday. Moorhead retired in 2006 with more than 38 years of active Air Force service, earning a Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star and Purple Heart.
