Veterans Corner

By Bobbye C. Jerone / guest columnist

August 02, 2008 12:43 am

— There is good news for Blue Water Veterans! One congressman stood up this past week and took a stand in favor of the veterans, for a change.
HR 6562 was introduced on July 22, 2008. It is sponsored by Representative Bob Filner (D-Calif.) and states that all veterans who have been exposed to toxic herbicides in Southeast Asia should be treated the same by the VA. If this bill passes it will end the present discrimination against those who served on ships just off shore; those called the "Blue Water Navy."
How in the world did such discrimination come about? A few years ago Congress, in their infinite wisdom and trying to save our taxpayers dollars, ordered the VA to stop paying any disability compensation to those who served "only" on the ships off shore. This effectively caused the Navy in Vietnam and the South China Sea to be cut in half; Blue water (those whose feet never touched the ground) and Brown Water (those who served inland, or on the inland waterways.)While this order from the hallowed halls of congress saved taxpayer dollars; it caused horrific hardship on the veterans who served honorably but didn't get sent into shore. VA was allowed to process the claim of, and pay compensation to, a veteran of the "Brown Water Navy." They were ordered not to even process a claim from a veteran of the "Blue Water Navy." This all happened a few years ago, and several years after many veterans were already receiving justly deserved disability compensation for one (or more) of the diseases on the "magic 11" list ( a list of 11 diseases which are presumed to be service connected because they are known to be caused by toxic herbicides, such as Agent Orange, that were sprayed over the jungles of Vietnam. Those veterans already receiving benefits when the order came from congress were terminated.
The "Blue Water" veterans became angry, banded together and hired a lawyer. They suffered the exact same disabilities as their "Brown Water" brothers, why should their country do this to them, they asked. Retired Navy Commander Haas organized a group, and the resulting lawsuit bears his name. The veterans sued the Department of Veteran Affairs. They won. Congress ordered the VA to appeal, and the Vets won again. At every level, the veterans won. Finally, in May 2008, the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals (the court right under the U.S. Supreme Court) agreed with Congress, and found for the VA against the veterans. The National Veterans Legal Services Program (a national organization dedicated to the legal rights of veterans) has now taken the case and is appealing it to the U.S. Supreme Court. If they are lucky, it might be heard in a couple of years. But it also means the sick and dying veterans will have to wait some more. How many of them will die before the case is heard?
Congratulations, Representative Filner! Thank you for doing the right thing! In the world of today it is rare to see one of our members of Congress actually taking a stand for the right reasons. We know this is only the beginning of the process to get this bill passed. But, when it is passed, this bill will wipe out a horrible injustice; one that never should have happened. And, if enough citizens demand to be heard, and that their representatives work for them for a change, it can pass a lot faster than waiting to go before the Supreme Court. We encourage every veteran, every member of a veteran's family, and every other patriotic concerned citizen to write or call their representatives in congress and demand they vote for HR 6562. The bill is now in the House Committee on Veteran Affairs. It is up to us to make sure it gets out of committee quickly. It is up to us to now fight for these brave sailors who fought so hard for us. This bill needs to be passed. Now!

• Submitted by Bobbye C. Jerone, Independent
Veterans Advocate and Public Information Officer; the Veterans Alliance of East Mississippi and West Alabama. She can be reached at
bvj1101@bellsouth.net or (601) 679-5055.