Agent Orange & Dioxin Committee Update March/April 2022

BY SANDIE WILSON, CHAIR

The National Convention and the Board and committee meetings held in January in Silver Spring have proven that we can meet in person without endangering our health.

This committee will continue its work using all possible methods.

The most-heard request is communication. We are moving forward. The IT system in the national office has been improved. The committee group email has been upgraded. Committee reports will appear in The Veteran in either the print or online editions. Thanks to Paul Sutton and Jim Doyle, the AO Update is again functioning. If you would like to receive it, email mporter@vva.org

We are also using the VVA Web Weekly to get the word out. You can be added to this service by going to https://vva.org/category/web-weekly/

We are looking forward to holding educational meetings on toxic exposure sponsored by chapters and state councils as the pandemic subsides. Please schedule with Mokie Porter.

You can also contact me at swilson@vva.org Be aware, I do not spend every day on the computer, and scammers got my email address when they hacked the VA. If you email, please use the subject line, “AO matter.”

Most of our committee resolutions have to do with research to prove a connection between forever toxic chemicals and military service. Even with the pandemic restrictions, we have been working on them. The VA Secretary denied implementing the law on toxic exposure research for our offspring. That law was written for more than the offspring of Vietnam veterans. It included the children and grandchildren of all veterans. At this point, we believe that the offspring of Gulf War veterans have more structural defects, while our children mostly have functional defects, which usually are not apparent for years. They include conditions such as diabetes, asthma, and immunity disorders.

Committee advisers have been meeting with VA researchers and the Air Force virtually to get needed research approved. Other committee members have been meet- ing with epigenetic researchers from a variety of universities.

One of the problems with human AO re- search has been the lack of a nationwide registry. We need to upgrade the usefulness of the birthdefects.org registry by having nonveterans as well as veterans enter their offspring. Families who registered on paper need to re-register online so the information will be computer accessible.

One medical condition that has not been classified as presumptive is hypertension. Getting hypertension recognized as presumptive will be difficult because it would involve large disability payments. Some people in Washington, D.C., have started referring to Vietnam veterans as “welfare queens.” This is not welfare. Our treatment is the lasting cost of war.

As a grassroots organization committee, we are looking for the involvement of the membership to achieve our mission.

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The Agent Orange/Dioxin Committee: Sandie Wilson, Chair; Mike Demske, Vice Chair. Members: John Hargens, Ken Holybee, Roland Mayhew, Joe McIntire, Rossie Nance, and Gerry Wright. Advisers: Frank Arminio, Ron Brown, Bob Cummings, Jim Doyle, Maynard Kaderlik, Mike Jared, Jack McManus, John Rossie, Paul Sutton, Tom Owen, Linda Schwartz, and Steve House. AVVA Advisers: Nancy Switzer and Kathy Andras. Staff Support: Mokie Porter.

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