Pvt Charles J Shutt Detachment VAVS

Relying on an independent study by theInstitute of Medicine (IOM), Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K.Shinseki decided to establish a service-connection for Vietnam Veteranswith three specific illnesses based on the latest evidence of anassociation with the herbicides referred to Agent Orange.

The illnesses affected by the recent decision are B cell leukemias, suchas hairy cell leukemia; Parkinson's disease; and ischemic heart disease. Used in Vietnam to defoliate trees and remove concealment for the enemy,Agent Orange left a legacy of suffering and disability that continues tothe present. Between January 1965 and April 1970, an estimated 2.6million military personnel who served in Vietnam were potentiallyexposed to sprayed Agent Orange.

In practical terms, Veterans who served in Vietnam during the war andwho have a "presumed" illness don't have to prove an association betweentheir illnesses and their military service. This "presumption"simplifies and speeds up the application process for benefits.

The Secretary's decision brings to 15 the number of presumed illnessesrecognized by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). "We must do better reviews of illnesses that may be connected toservice, and we will," Shinseki added. "Veterans who endure healthproblems deserve timely decisions based on solid evidence."

Other illnesses previously recognized under VA's "presumption" rule asbeing caused by exposure to herbicides during the Vietnam War are:
* Acute and Subacute Transient Peripheral Neuropathy * AL Amyloidosis * Chloracne * Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia * Diabetes Mellitus (Type 2) * Hodgkin's Disease * Multiple Myeloma * Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma * Porphyria Cutanea Tarda * Prostate Cancer * Respiratory Cancers , and * Soft Tissue Sarcoma (other than Osteosarcoma, Chondrosarcoma,Kaposi's sarcoma, or Mesothelioma) Additional information about Agent Orange and VA's services and programsfor Veterans exposed to the chemical are available atwww.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange .