Vietnam Veterans and Agent Orange

What:   Vietnam veterans diagnosed with prostate cancer may qualify for service-related disability compensation.  Veterans who served in Korea in 1968 or 1969 may also qualify.  (Navy and Coast Guard personnel who served aboard ships off the Vietnamese coast [so-called “Blue Water Navy”] are seeking inclusion in the Agent Orange program and are encouraged to apply for benefits.)

Why:   The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has determined that a positive association exists between exposure to herbicides and the subsequent development of adenocarcinoma of the prostate (and 10 other diseases).  Veterans who served in Vietnam between January 9, 1962 and May 5, 1975 and develop prostate cancer qualify for compensation no matter when the prostate cancer develops.

How:   Submit a Veteran’s Application for Compensation or Pension (VA Form 21-526) immediately after being diagnosed with prostate cancer – prior to any treatment – to initially qualify for a 100 percent disability rating for at least six months.  Applications filed after treatment may not be approved with a presumption that the cancer is cured, though may qualify for a reduced disability rating if treatment resulted in side effects.

How Much:   Effective December 1, 2006, 100% disability compensation rates

(see Compensation Rate Table at www.vba.va.gov for other rates)

Ø      Veteran alone:  $ 2,471/month

Ø      Veteran with spouse:  $ 2,610/month

Supporting Documents:   You will need a copy of DD Form 214 verifying your presence in Vietnam, and a copy of your prostate biopsy pathology report.  (If you’re unable to locate your DD Form 214, a veteran service officer or the VA can assist you in obtaining a copy.)

How to Apply:   While you can apply online through the VA website, or by mailing your application, we encourage you to apply in-person with the assistance of a local Veteran Service Officer. 

Where to Apply:  Veteran Service Officers (VSRs) are located at all VA Regional Offices, in VA medical centers and at most VA clinics.  For help locating a VSR near you, contact the VA Benefits office:  1-800-827-1000.

Assistance with VA Claims Applications is FREE from these Veterans’ Service Organizations:

Ø      Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs:     405-521-3684

Regional offices in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Muskogee and Lawton and Veterans Service Representatives travel throughout all counties in Oklahoma offering assistance.  (www.odva.state.ok.us includes a link to this travel schedule)

Ø      American Legion:     Dept Svc Office for Oklahoma  918-781-7760  (Muskogee)

or office with the Oklahoma City VA hospital 405-270-0501 x5481

Ø      Vietnam Veterans of America:     800-VVA-1316  The director of veterans benefits will connect you with a service representative in your area – they have 4 in Oklahoma.  You can also go to www.vva.org and click on “Benefits” to locate a service representative.

Ø      Armed Forces Services Corporation (services for members only):  888-237-2872

Ø      Disabled American Veterans:     Oklahoma 918-781-7764 (Power of Attorney required for their assistance)

Ø      Veterans of Foreign Wars of the US:     VFW Assistant Department Service Officer c/o VA Medical Center  405-270-0501 ext. 5476

For Information from Veterans active in Us TOO of Central Oklahoma:

Ø      Contact Jerry Jewell  405-517-4874    jerrynadine@hughes.net

Vietnam Veteran and prostate cancer survivor

Ø      Contact Robert Adams  405-341-8766  jadams53@sbcglobal.net

Vietnam Veteran and prostate cancer survivor

About Us TOO of Central Oklahoma           www.ustoo.org

Us TOO is an organization of prostate cancer survivors and their partners, affiliated with a nationwide network of men helping men. We recognize the special needs of prostate cancer patients and their families. Monthly meetings feature health professionals who provide valuable information, as well as the opportunity for patients and their spouses to discuss problems and anxieties related to prostate cancer, with the goal of improving the quality of life.

Other cancers presumptively recognized for service connection as having been associated with exposure to Agent Orange:

Ø      Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

Ø      Hodgkin’s Disease

Ø      Respiratory Cancers (including lung, bronchus, larynx, and trachea)

Ø      Soft Tissue Sarcomas (other than osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, Kaposi’s sarcoma, or mesothelioma)

Ø      Multiple Myeloma

Ø      Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)

Other conditions presumptively recognized for service connection as having been associated with exposure to Agent Orange:

Ø      Type II Diabetes

Ø      Chloracne (occurring within 1 year of exposure)

Ø      Acute and subacute transient peripheral neuropathy (occurring within 1 year of exposure and resolving within 2 years of onset)

Ø      Porphyria cutanea tarda (occurring within 1 year of exposure)

Conditions recognized in children of Vietnam Veterans:

Ø      Spina bifida (except spina bifida occulta)

Ø      Certain other birth defects in the children of women Vietnam veterans

An abundance of information regarding Veterans and Agent Orange can be found at www.VA.gov/AgentOrange.

Veterans with questions can call the VA’s Special Issues Helpline at 1-800-749-8387.