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Support H.R.2254 Agent Orange Equity Act of 2009

Support H.R.2254 Agent Orange Equity Act of 2009

Target:
US House of Representatives
Sponsored by: 
Senator Bob Filner, California 51st district, has in committee a bill that will restore the benefits of a certain group of Vietnam Veterans who had those benefits illegally taken away by the Department of Veterans Affairs. (better known by many as the Department of Veterans Antagonists)
I've started this petition to send to the House of Representatives to try to open their eyes to how much support there is for correcting the egregious error the DVA made in their mandate of "boots on the ground" something not intended in the original Agent Orange Act of 1991.
Following is the text of the bill.
Be sure to sign the petition. Your help is appreciated.

A BILL

To amend title 38, United States Code, to clarify presumptions relating to the exposure of certain veterans who served in the vicinity of the Republic of Vietnam.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
    This Act may be cited as the `Agent Orange Equity Act of 2009'.
SEC. 2. CLARIFICATION OF PRESUMPTIONS OF EXPOSURE FOR VETERANS WHO SERVED IN THE VICINITY OF THE REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM.
    (a) Clarification- Section 1116 of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
      (1) in subsections (a)(1) and (f), by striking `a veteran who, during active military, naval, or air service, served in the Republic of Vietnam during the period beginning on January 9, 1962, and ending on May 7, 1975' and inserting `a veteran described in subsection (g)'; and
      (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    `(g) A veteran described in this subsection is a veteran who--
      `(1) during active military, naval, or air service--
        `(A) served in the Republic of Vietnam (including the inland waterways, ports, and harbors of such Republic, the waters offshore of such Republic, and the airspace above such Republic) during the period beginning on January 9, 1962, and ending on May 7, 1975; or
        `(B) served in Johnston Island during the period beginning on April 1, 1972, and ending on September 30, 1977; or
      `(2) received the Vietnam Service Medal or the Vietnam Campaign Medal.'.
    (b) Effective Date- The amendments made by subsection (a) shall take effect as of September 25, 1985.
Senator Bob Filner, California 51st district, has in committee a bill that will restore the benefits of a certain group of Vietnam Veterans who had those benefits illegally taken away by the Department of Veterans Affairs. (better known by many as the Department of Veterans Antagonists)
I've started this petition to send to the House of Representatives to try to open their eyes to how much support there is for correcting the egregious error the DVA made in their mandate of "boots on the ground" something not intended in the original Agent Orange Act of 1991.
Following is the text of the bill.
Be sure to sign the petition. Your help is appreciated.

A BILL

To amend title 38, United States Code, to clarify presumptions relating to the exposure of certain veterans who served in the vicinity of the Republic of Vietnam.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
    This Act may be cited as the `Agent Orange Equity Act of 2009'.
SEC. 2. CLARIFICATION OF PRESUMPTIONS OF EXPOSURE FOR VETERANS WHO SERVED IN THE VICINITY OF THE REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM.
    (a) Clarification- Section 1116 of title 38, United States Code, is amended--
      (1) in subsections (a)(1) and (f), by striking `a veteran who, during active military, naval, or air service, served in the Republic of Vietnam during the period beginning on January 9, 1962, and ending on May 7, 1975' and inserting `a veteran described in subsection (g)'; and
      (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    `(g) A veteran described in this subsection is a veteran who--
      `(1) during active military, naval, or air service--
        `(A) served in the Republic of Vietnam (including the inland waterways, ports, and harbors of such Republic, the waters offshore of such Republic, and the airspace above such Republic) during the period beginning on January 9, 1962, and ending on May 7, 1975; or
        `(B) served in Johnston Island during the period beginning on April 1, 1972, and ending on September 30, 1977; or
      `(2) received the Vietnam Service Medal or the Vietnam Campaign Medal.'.
    (b) Effective Date- The amendments made by subsection (a) shall take effect as of September 25, 1985.
We the undersigned strongly urge you to co sponsor, fund and enact H.R. 2254 the Agent Orange Equity Act of 2009 introduced by Representative Bob Filner on May 5th, 2009.

This legislation would clarify the legal presumption of exposure to Agent Orange for veterans who served in the vicinity of Vietnam.

Currently, US Code 38 Section 1116, defines a Viet Nam veteran as "a veteran who, during active military, naval, or air service, served in the Republic of Vietnam during the period beginning on January 9, 1962, and ending on May 7, 1975." The Department of Veterans Affairs uses a conservative interpretation to mean "boots on the ground" which excludes most Navy and Air Force personnel who have Agent Orange related diseases but who cannot prove "boots on the ground".

H.R. 2254 would clarify this section by redefining a Vietnam veteran as one who during active military, naval or air service (a) served in the Republic of Vietnam (including the inland waterways, ports, and harbors of such Republic, the waters offshore of such Republic, and the airspace above such Republic) during the period January 9, 1962 May 7, 1975; (b) served in Johnston Island during the period April 1, 1972 September 30, 1977; or (c) received the Vietnam Service Medal or the Vietnam Campaign Medal.

Again, we want to thank you for your support for veterans to this point and urge you strongly to co sponsor, fund and enact H.R. 2254

Respectfully,

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We signed the "Support H.R.2254 Agent Orange Equity Act of 2009" petition!
# 687:
9:42 am PDT, Sep 8, Vickie Nelson, North Carolina
All of our veterans deserve every benefit possible! These dedicated people have risked their lives and limbs to keep our country safe and free. This should not be an issue at all. Reduce spending on something else to fund this effort if necessary!! How would you feel if you had something like this to face?
# 686:
5:05 pm PDT, Sep 7, JOHN WAGNER, North Carolina
# 685:
4:54 pm PDT, Sep 7, Joe Delacruz, California
I am a veteran of the VIETNAM war, and have had diabetis for many years.I have read that it could be related to the toxins sprayed in Vietnam.
# 684:
2:59 pm PDT, Sep 7, Chad Cromer, South Carolina
# 683:
12:17 pm PDT, Sep 6, Name not displayed, New Jersey
# 682:
7:12 am PDT, Sep 4, Mulford Smith, Virginia
I have suffered from cancer due to its cause; Agent Orange.

yes

# 681:
5:34 pm PDT, Sep 3, Name not displayed, Oregon
# 680:
5:24 pm PDT, Sep 3, Philip Saleet, North Carolina
# 679:
2:11 pm PDT, Sep 3, Name not displayed, Tennessee
My husband has been suffering from C.L.L. and c.o.p.d. for sometime now. You just don't know the worry, wandering if your spouce is going to be awake from morning to morning. Please support the H-2254 Agent act of 2009
# 678:
1:23 pm PDT, Sep 3, Name not displayed, Texas
# 677:
2:59 pm PDT, Sep 2, Chris Allen, Texas
I serv ed and all my shipmates have agent orange type stuff...several died from cancers that are addressed by the boots on the ground coverage and I wonder if theior families willhave access to benefits such as Champva?

I am a decorated disabled vet from Viet campaigns with Combat Action Award and Presidential Unit Ciraion yet I am discriminated because we can't document a tradewind that crossed our bow?????

# 676:
9:06 am PDT, Sep 2, Tamara Feuchtwanger, Texas
# 675:
6:44 pm PDT, Sep 1, Larry Massa, Texas
I am fighting prostate cancer and type II diabetes. I am the only member of a large family with either of these illnesses, and the only one who served in Vietnam. Coincidence, I think not. Please pass this legislation and allow us access to the medical care we deserve.
# 674:
7:43 am PDT, Sep 1, Gregg Mitchell, Oregon
Greater accountability is needed on the part of the VA with respect to timeliness. It has taken me over a year to have my service-connected hearing loss addresses and I'm still waiting to hear on my Agent Orange exposure. I was in-country for more than 5 months in DaNang where Agent Orange missions were, according to some accounts, originating. I've been left with classic symptoms of chloracne yet the VA still drags its feet.
# 673:
5:51 pm PDT, Aug 31, Kelly Sidley, New Jersey
Dear Congressman, My father gave thirty years of service to the Navy and his country. He was severely and permanently disabled on the USS Forrestal in 1967. Each and every time his case came up for review, the doctors told him he was not fully disabled. He accepted that. I cannot accept the Vietnam service medal, the bronze star, and the purple heart were for naught and do not count as "Vietnam Service" because he didn't put "boots on the ground". Do not deny his service to his country.

My father died from lung cancer, after beating skin cancer.

# 672:
2:24 pm PDT, Aug 31, Dwight Immohotichey, Oklahoma
# 671:
9:49 am PDT, Aug 31, Shawna Shelton, Texas
My dad is suffering the side effects of agent orange and continues to meet with private doctors that believe the exposure to be the source of his issues. However, the VA continues to disregard these claims. We are proud of our Vets and want our government to pass this bill to assist our men in their time of need.
# 670:
6:28 pm PDT, Aug 30, Tammy Greer Brown, New York
# 669:
2:39 pm PDT, Aug 30, James Arnold, North Carolina
Have Type II diabetes and a few other things
# 668:
10:20 am PDT, Aug 30, Lynda Aalfs, Florida
# 667:
10:11 am PDT, Aug 30, Cifers Echols, Illinois
# 666:
10:15 pm PDT, Aug 27, Shawn Neugart, California
# 665:
8:03 pm PDT, Aug 27, Toni Smith, North Carolina
# 664:
8:14 am PDT, Aug 27, John Foster, South Carolina
I have been diagnosed with polycythemia vera, a bone cancer. I have tested positive for the JAK2 genetic mutation which results in this disorder. The dioxins and benzene derivatives in Agent Orange have been shown to induce genetic mutations. I was exposed to Agent Orange and other defoliants in 1965-1966 as an advisor to the Vietnamese Navy Junk Force operating in Kien Hoa province in the Mekong Delta.
# 663:
1:54 pm PDT, Aug 26, Rodney Larson, Minnesota
I was on the USS America & the USS Coral Sea off the coast of Vietnam. Restore our benefits!!
# 662:
1:53 pm PDT, Aug 26, Alicia Villasenor, California
Every Veteran affected by Agent Orange should receive free medical care that is substantial. They should not be turned away.
# 661:
8:01 am PDT, Aug 26, Harold Hosmon, Illinois
Help restore our rights. I have been denied benefits of agent orange because I didn't have boots on the ground. I have prostate cancer. I met all the rules but denied benefits. I was on the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt CVA-42.

Yes

# 660:
1:05 am PDT, Aug 26, Kyle Blake, Florida
# 659:
12:56 am PDT, Aug 26, Rebecca Price, Louisiana
# 658:
6:39 pm PDT, Aug 25, Karen Price, California
# 657:
5:36 pm PDT, Aug 25, Betty Price, Louisiana
To deny any service member the care they need, deserve and earned by their sacrifices for our nation is unconscionable and just downright unAmerican.

My brother served in the Navy offshore of Vietnam during the war and has developed medical conditions related to exposure to agent orange.

# 656:
3:38 pm PDT, Aug 25, Norman Fussell, Georgia
# 655:
2:42 pm PDT, Aug 25, Richard Wasil, New York
I am doing this to support my brother, who received two Purple Hearts and a Silver Star in Vietnam, and all of the other veterans who have served our country.
# 654:
2:49 pm PDT, Aug 24, Maurice Cottingham, Virginia
Denying people who served this nation in time of war is a travesty. Please restore the benefits to those Viet Nam veterans who have been denied those benefits.

I was not a Viet Nam veteran; I have a number of cousins who were.

# 653:
2:17 pm PDT, Aug 24, Barrett Fisher, Louisiana
I am a Blue Water Vietnam Sailor. Presently I have three of the ten deseases with presumptive status for exposure to agent orange. They are Periphal Neurophaty, Diabetes, and Prostate Cancer. DVA has denied my claim for Agent Orange benefits because I never had "boots on the ground" in Vietnam. Time is running out. I am now 67 years old. I will be dead and in the ground before the Government ever does the right thing and compensates me and my family for our sacrifice. Please help us.
# 652:
7:57 am PDT, Aug 23, William Lavato, Massachusetts
I was at NKP thailand 1971 and have contracted prostate cancer
# 651:
6:40 am PDT, Aug 23, Phillip Redo, Michigan
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