It’s Official: Vietnam Blue Water Navy Veterans Get Agent Orange Presumption

What has been going on?

Blue Water Navy Veterans are sailors and Marines who were stationed and served offshore in Vietnam. Many of these veterans have developed health problems associated with Agent Orange. However, because these soldiers were not on the ground on the Republic of Vietnam or in the brown water, they have been denied the presumption of Agent Orange exposure. This effects over 90,000 veterans nationwide who deal with the effects of exposure; yet, the VA has been excluding them from the Agent Orange presumption, denying them the ability to fair compensation based on their conditions.

What happened?

In January, the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC) ruled for a man named Procopio, holding that Congress did not intend to exclude the service members stationed in the seas around Vietnam. Therefore, blue water veterans are now included in the Agent Orange presumption. While many celebrated this decision, others were aware that the VA had 90 days to decide if they wanted to appeal the decision. After asking two times for deadline extensions to file an appeal, the VA officially let go of the appeal.

How does this change things?

Blue water veterans now officially are included in the Agent Orange Presumption. Now, these veterans can claim any of the conditions they have that are associated with Agent Orange for disability benefits. These diseases include amyloidosis, chronic B-cell leukemia, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, chloracne, ischemic heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, multiple myeloma, Parkinsons’s disease, porphyria, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, early onset peripheral neuropathy, prostate cancer, porphyria, respiratory cancers, and soft tissue sarcomas.

If you’re a Blue Water Veteran and exhibit any of the above conditions, please contact us at 855-855-8992 or chat with us online for a free consultation. Veterans Help Group has been helping veterans get the rating they deserve since 1995.