Special thanks to Bob Chatigny for heading up the project. Thanks also to Kenny Heins, Larry Hammer, Terry Webber, Dennis Gardner and all the guys who pitched in to get the facts straight for the author. Thanks also to Janie Blankenship who did a great job writing the Article for the January, 2008 issue of VFW Magazine.
Casualty Addendum:
What is not stated in this article is that during the years following the war, many more who were on these hills were later diagnosed with Agent Orange Poisoning, leading to such diseases as diabetes, cancer and assorted causes of heart, liver and other organ failure, nervous system damage, birth defects and mental disorders, including PTSD.. Although everyone on these hills was exposed to Agent Orange, federal authorities suppressed information regarding its danger and thus caused many not to seek early diagnosis and treatment which may have greatly reduced the symptoms and the effect upon their lives. It will probably never be known how many of our comrades suffered from Agent Orange poisoning and were unaware that is what caused their ailments. However, it was not until the late 1990s (30 years after the war) that the government admitted a direct link to Agent Orange poisoning and Diabetes...to such an extent that if a Vietnam Veteran can show he was in an area that was sprayed with Agent Orange and has since contracted Diabetes, he can receive Veteran's Disability Compensation and medical care without challenge to his integrity. He will not, however, be compensated for the damaging effects on his life for the 30 years prior to the government admitting Agent Orange is a deadly poison; despite evidence that the government knew it when it sprayed our troops with it.
At least 30 more of our comrades were also diagnosed with Post Traumatic Shock Disorder, which has caused two known suicides, so far, and has caused the virtual trashing of any chance they may have had toward living a normal, happy, productive life. Marriages were wrecked, families divided, careers lost, and even jail factored in to many of these lives due to the PTSD causing many to seek escape through alcohol and drugs, or as a result of violent symptoms of the disease itself which can manifest in some.. In this case, the government said it did not "discover" PTSD until the late 1980s, thus relieving its responsibility to compensate these men for their untreated combat injury which created unnecessary hardship for all and for many, completely destroyed their lives. This, despite full knowledge of the effects of what was called "Shell Shock" following World War II and Korea. In effect, the government just "discovered" a new name for it, so it could duck out on its failure to treat Vietnam Vets for it. Many of our comrades are still undergoing the tedious process filing claims with the VA for their PTSD.
Meanwhile, there are some good things going on too. Click the Purple Heart on our home page and see what you can do to help our Marine Veterans get their lives back together after war. If we don't do it, who will?
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