Here it is-

Please ask your Senators and Congressmen and women to support this!

I attached the Flyer from Kurt and the proposed modification of the AO Equity Act.

Many many veterans and advocates worked hard on this entire matter-
John Rossie is the President of Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Association and Kurt Priessman is the recently awarded AO Thailand vet who proved (and got VA to concede) the usage of AO at many US installations in Thailand.

For less than $1.50 you can send copies of the modification and a short personal letter asking for support to your Reps in the Senate and COngress by regular mail.
For a little more postage $ you can send this to every member of the House/Senate Committees on Veterans Affairs-
And be sure-if you know of any veteran who was exposed to AO outside of Vietnam, any Blue Water Navy vet, any Korean veteran-
to tell them of this modification and ask them to support this.

Countless veterans and advocates got this whole thing going for true Equity for all AO veterans-and certainly NVLSP has done all they can -and are appealing Haas and have been aggressively standing on the watch of all AO veterans.

This is a very happy day for me to see ALL AO vets getting closer to Equity in the regs- there are no guarantees how all of this will turn out- if there is a lot of visible support- via letters to Congressmen and women and Senators NOW-it will show that vets and advocates are concerned and certainly want the regs to be rectified for Equity!

Please pass the flyer to anyone who needs (maybe the VA's will allow it to be on their bulletin boards?)

And to any Vet reps or NSOs-

Here in rural NY- there is a large vets community and this can be posted on any community bulletin board or in any Penny Savers for a few bucks with the modification attached to it.

Maybe your local newspaper will publish it for free.



The Modification is to go with your cover letter to your Reps in House/Senate.

Hello
First time using this site, so please forgive me if I mess up. I was trying to open the word document attachements and it won't let me. Can you help?

Welcome aboard-

The flyer is OK but I just got word some changes might need to be made again to the inclusion-

names were left oput and also Jphn Rossie sure doesnt want the slash between BWN VVA it is BWNVVA-Bl;ue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Association-

I dont blame him-I am BWNVVA member-havent been VVA member for years-

Try this and if this attachment doesnt work I will email this to you.

Thank you Berta! K9USAFRet

Kurt's info here for Thailand AO vets just went out on Colonel Dan's email list and is so important I posted it all here:


also see:

. http://cid-bdb328182ccb4e51.skydrive.live....%20Thailand.pdf



2. http://cid-bdb328182ccb4e51.skydrive.live....%20MAC%20HI.pdf



3. http://cid-bdb328182ccb4e51.skydrive.live....0and%20Laos.doc



From: KURT PRIESSMAN [mailto:kpriessman@msn.com]
Sent: Tuesday, August 26, 2008 9:27 PM
To: Burns, Steve; Colonel Dan


Please read the material. It is important to determine if you qualify based on the evidence you have and is the subject of these instructions. It only applies to those stationed in Thailand after November 1, 1969 and have other evidence that meets the requirements below.



Collection of Information:



Obtain your DD-214(s) if you do not have them in your possession. They can be obtained online:



http://www.archives.gov/veterans/evetrecs/...erans/evetrecs/



Obtain your service records and you service medical records from the same place; unless,



http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-...ds/medical.html



If you have ever submitted a claim to the Department of Veterans Affairs, it is very likely they have your service and service medical records in what they call your C-File. Remember that you may only obtain this file once without charge, so pick the right time.



If you have these records, and have never filed a claim, do not request your C-File.



Collect personal records concerning yourself, your family, including ex-spouses. You may need to have birth certificates, marriage licenses, divorce degrees, etc.



You may file a claim yourself using the following methods:



VONAPP - http://vabenefits.vba.va.gov/vonapp/main.asp (On-line application)



VA Form 21-526 - Veteran's Application for Compensation and/or Pension (Fillable)



More than likely you will also need to fill out a statement supporting your claim which may indicate your service at a particular place, your duties, etc. It may include a statement that as a Security Policeman or a Military Working Dog Handler your duties included patrolling the perimeters of the base, in the MMS area, or a place very likely for you to have been exposed.



VA Form 21-4138 - Statement in Support of Claim (Fillable)



Kurt, Is this statement something the handler can provide on his own with the help of a DD214 if they do not have any other reports and records?



Evidence: A statement may be accompanied by other evidence to include Airman Performance Reports, TDY or PCS Orders, copies of military or military health records, or any other document that substantiates your claim.



You can do the above on your own or with the help of a Veterans Service Officer (DAV, AmVets, etc.). If you use a VSO, please be careful. Some are better than others. If they even hint that they do not believe you have a valid claim, choose another organization.



Tell your VSO that the claim is for 'direct exposure to herbicides outside Vietnam', and is not a claim under P.L. 102-4 for presumption of exposure to herbicides in the country of Vietnam (38 CFR 3.307(a)(6) and 38 CFR 3.309(e)).



Evidence: Attach copies of 'Mission Policy on Base Defense', 11/1/1969 from AFHRA FOIA 08-0020, on the VDHA site and if they have to have it, the FOIA letter, you have the actual policy.



VDHA Site: http://vdha.us/content15203.html

Veterans Info.org Site: http://www.veteransinfo.org/id58.html

The Bottom Line Site: http://cid-bdb328182ccb4e51.skydrive.live....nd%20Herbicides



Evidence: Attach copies of 'Project CHECO: Base Defense in Thailand', excerpt from AFHRA FOIA 07-066, on the VDHA site and if they have to have it, the FOIA letter, I believe you should include only the top letter and the attached excerpt.



VDHA Site: http://vdha.us/content15203.html

Veterans Info.org Site: http://www.veteransinfo.org/id58.html

The Bottom Line Site: http://cid-bdb328182ccb4e51.skydrive.live....nd%20Herbicides



Evidence: Pictures of your base from the VDHA site, or from TLC or the Bottom Line (My site). Kurt, Need the link if they need to get to “(My Site)”.



Tell your VSO that your claim is filed in accordance with current regulations, laws, and court decisions, and is in no way reliant on your award of the Vietnam Service Medal and that:



'Notwithstanding the aforementioned provisions relating to presumptive service connection, which arose out of the Veteran's Dioxin and Radiation Exposure Compensation Standards Act, P. L. No. 98-542, § 5, 98 Stat. 2,725, 2,727-29 (1984), and the Agent Orange Act of 1991, Pub. L. No. 102-4, § 2, 105 Stat. 11 (1991), the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has determined that a claimant is not precluded from establishing service connection with proof of direct causation. Combee v. Brown, 34 F.3d 1039, 1042 (Fed. Cir. 1994); see also 38 C.F.R. § 3.303(d).



As evidence, make sure the following is submitted remembering that Agent Orange use was terminated November 26, 1971, therefore use 'herbicides' as defined in M21-1MR, Part IV, Subpart ii, Chapter 2, Section C, paragraph 10a. This can be found at:



http://www.warms.vba.va.gov/admin21/m21%5F...ch02%5Fsecc.doc



and at 38 CFR 3.307(a)(6)(i),



Nexus: If you have a disease that is on the Agent Orange List of Presumptive Diseases, and you prove exposure, you do not need a nexus between your service in Thailand and the disease. If it is not, you must show how your service is connected to the disease. You made need statements from your doctor or someone who understands dioxin and your health problems."

Berta

This is EXTREMELY important for female vets that served at Ft McClellan (according to 60 Minutes the most toxic miliatry installation).
The DOD and the Army has refused to recognize the the diseases of the female soldiers and the birth defects of their progeny, simply because we do not have testcles.
It will be interesting to see if the "old boys club" actually recognize any bases inside the U.S. where they have to
equality to females.

WE SERVED...WE DESERVE

we need to make it anywhere,anytime,to anyone...period.the va is dividing and conquering

Thanks Berta for the welcome and the word doc's. They came through this time.