1 mile west of the Chicago Premium Outlet Mall (800) 810 3100
By Estate Planning Attorney Rick Law of The Estate Planning Center at Law Elder Law in Aurora, IL, just off I-88 Want to apply for much needed Veterans benefits? Here are the items you’ll need if you are a veteran, veteran and spouse, or widow or widower of a veteran. Veteran only:
  • DD-214 or discharge papers
  • Annual Social Security Award letter received in January OR other documentation to verify your income
  • A printout from your pharmacy of three months of expenses
  • Copies of all your latest financial statements
Veteran and spouse:  All of the above for you and your spouse, PLUS
  • Marriage certificate
  • Death certificate or divorce decree if either spouse was previously married
Widow or Widower of a veteran:
  • The veteran’s DD-214 or discharge papers
  • Annual Social Security Award letter received in January AND other documentation to verify your income
  • A printout from your pharmacy of three months of expenses
  • Marriage certificate
  • Veteran’s death certificate
  • Death certificate or divorce decree related to any previous marriages of either you or the veteran
  • Copies of all your latest financial statements
Additional forms that will need to be filled out and filed with the claim for benefits:
  • Statement of Attending Physician
  • VA Form 21-0779 – Nursing Home Information
  • Report OR Care Provider Report
  • Authorizations and Consent to Release Information to the VA for each physician of the veteran or spouse
  • Statement Regarding Claimant’s IRA
  • VA Form 8416 Medical Expense Report
If the veteran you love could use some extra money to help pay for the cost of in-home, nursing home, or assisted living care, give our office a call at 800-310-3100 or 630-585-5200.  Your first consultation is absolutely free.  We’ll let you know what steps you need to take, right now, to protect yourself and your family.  Call now! Sincerely, Rick L. Law, Attorney, Estate Planner for Retirees Rick was named the #1 Illinois elder law estate planning attorney by Leading Lawyer Magazine. He has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, AARP Magazine, TheStreet.com, and numerous newspapers and articles. Rick is the lead attorney for Law Elder Law, LLP, focusing in Estate Planning, Guardianship, and Nursing Home Solutions. His goal is to give retirees an informed edge when it comes to dealing with an uncertain future.  Get flexible retirement strategies that work during good times and bad, plus information on how you can save your home and assets from being used to pay for long term care.  
0

By Rick Law of Law Elder Law in West Suburban Aurora, IL Many people think the dates for “periods of war” are much narrower than they actually are. Since part of the requirements for the Aid and Attendance benefit for Veterans over age 65 require that you or your veteran spouse served 90 days of active service, at least one day of which was during a period of war, this is an important item to note. Take a look below to see if your service dates fit! Official Dates for Periods of War:
  • Mexican Border: May 9, 1916 to April 5, 1917
  • World War I: April 6, 1917 to November 11, 1918 / April 1, 1920 (if served in Russia)
  • World War II: December 7, 1941 to December 31, 1946
  • Korean War: June 27, 1950 to January 31, 1955
  • Vietnam War: August 5, 1964 to May 7, 1975 / February 28, 1961 (if served in Vietnam)
  • Persian Gulf War: August 2, 1990 to [date not yet determined]
Other Groups Who Qualify: In addition to active duty vets from the armed services, these little-known groups also meet the active duty qualification for VA benefits. If you belong to any of these groups and received a discharge by the Secretary of Defense, your service meets the active duty service requirement for benefits:
  • Recipients of the Medal of Honor
  • Women Air Force Service Pilots (WASPs)
  • WWI Signal Corps Female Telephone Operators Unit
  • WWI Engineer Field Clerks
  • Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC)
  • Female clerical employees of the Quartermaster Corps serving with the American Expeditionary Forces in WWI
  • Civilian employees of Pacific naval air bases who actively participated in defense of Wake Island during WWII
  • Reconstruction aides and dietitians of WWI
  • Male civilian ferry pilots
  • Wake Island defenders from Guam
  • Civilian personnel assigned to OSS secret intelligence
  • Guam Combat Patrol
  • Quartermaster Corps members of the Keswick crew on Corregidor during WWII
  • U.S. civilians who participated in the defense of Bataan
  • U.S. merchant seamen who served on block ships in support of Operation Mulberry in the WWII invasion of Normandy
  • American merchant marines in oceangoing service during WWII
  • Civilian Navy IFF radar technicians who served in combat areas of the Pacific during WWI
  • U.S. civilians of the American Field Service who served overseas under U.S. armies and U.S. army groups in WWII
  • U.S. civilian employees of American Airlines who served overseas in contract with the Air Transport Command between 12/14/41 and 8/14/45
  • Civilian crewmen of certain U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey vessels between 12/7/41 and 8/15/45
  • Members of the American Volunteer Group (Flying Tigers) who served between 12/7/41 and 8/14/45
  • U.S. civilian flight crew and aviation ground support of TWA who served overseas between 12/14/41 and 8/14/45
  • U.S. civilian flight crew and aviation ground support of Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corp. who served overseas between 12/14/41 and 8/14/45
  • Honorably discharged members of the American Volunteer Guard, Eritrea Service Command, between 6/21/42 and 3/31/43
  • U.S. civilian flight crew and aviation ground support of Northwest Airlines who served overseas between 12/14/41 and 8/14/45
  • U.S. civilian female employees of the U.S. Army Nurse Corps who served in the defense of Bataan and Corregidor from 1/2/42 to 2/3/45
  • U.S. civilian flight crew and aviation ground support of Braniff Airways who served overseas in the North Atlantic between 2/26/42 to 8/14/45
  • Chamorro and Carolina former native police who received military training in the Donnal area of central Saipan and were placed under command of Lt. Casino of the 6th Provisional Military Police Battalion to accompany U.S. Marines on active, combat patrol from 8/19/45 to 9/2/45
  • The operational Analysis Group of the Office of Scientific Research and Development, Office of Emergency Management, which served overseas with the U.S. Army Air Corps from 12/7/41 through 8/15/45
  • Honorably discharged members of the Alaska Territorial Guard during WWII
If the veteran you love could use some extra money to help pay for the cost of in-home, nursing home, or assisted living care, give our office a call at 800-310-3100 or 630-585-5200. Your first consultation is absolutely free. We’ll let you know what steps you need to take, right now, to protect yourself and your family. Call now. Sincerely, Rick L. Law, Attorney, Estate Planner for Retirees. Rick was named the #1 Illinois elder law estate planning attorney by Leading Lawyer Magazine. He has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, AARP Magazine, TheStreet.com, and numerous newspapers and articles. Rick is the lead attorney for Law Elder Law, LLP, focusing in Estate Planning, Guardianship, and Nursing Home Solutions. His goal is to give retirees an informed edge when it comes to dealing with an uncertain future. Get flexible retirement strategies that work during good times and bad, plus information on how you can save your home and assets from being used to pay for long term care.
0

An Introductory Tour of the  Special Monthly Pension available for Wartime Veterans And/Or Survivor Spouses who are Age 65 Or Older OR Permanently and Totally Disabled. Most people think of veterans’ benefits as being only for servicemen and women who were wounded or disabled while serving in the armed forces. By and large, that is true. But we have learned about substantial benefits that may be available to wartime veterans who are now senior citizens and facing the burden of long term care due to a host of diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, MS, Lou Gehrig’s Disease, and many others. In fact, the Veterans Administration estimates that millions of wartime veterans and their spouses may be eligible for Special Monthly Pension benefits and are not even aware of it! Wartime veterans or their surviving spouses become eligible for the Special Monthly Pension benefit when they are over 65 years old, are permanently disabled and unable to work, are homebound, or need the regular aid and attendance of another—whether at home, in assisted/ supportive living, or in a nursing home. The program is based on actual financial need for assistance, so there are income and asset limitations. Unfortunately, there is widespread misunderstanding regarding how to determine qualification for this important benefit. It is the goal of this Nuts and Bolts Guide to give you a start in understanding the ins, outs, ups and downs of the VA benefit maze commonly referred to as “Aid and Attendance.” Even though finding your way through the maze can be extremely difficult, it is worth the effort to assist wartime veterans and their surviving spouses during times of great need. The maximum benefit available can provide significant help in paying for long term care costs, either for the homebound and/or nursing home veteran/surviving spouse. There are only three types of people who are authorized to provide a veteran with assistance filing a claim for veterans’ benefits: 1. An attorney licensed to practice law in your state 2. A veterans service organization such as VFW, American Legion, Amvets, etc. 3. A state or county official of the Dept. of Veterans Affairs in your state Unfortunately, there are very few attorneys who have knowledge in this particular area because it is illegal to charge a veteran a legal fee for providing assistance in filing a claim for benefits. Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs) are often hard-pressed to have sufficient resources to assist multiple generations of veterans, so it is sometimes difficult for a veteran or his/her surviving spouse to get help in filing a claim. We strongly recommend that you contact an elder law attorney such as those at Law Elder Law to determine if you qualify. An elder law attorney can assist you and your family by explaining many difficult-to-understand things about long term care. Qualification for a VA benefit is only one of several concerns that must be considered. As you struggle to provide dignified long term care for a wartime veteran and/or surviving spouse, we can help you understand the options. We are your advocates and we want to help you stretch your hard-earned dollars. VA benefits are only one part of the puzzle. We will hold your hand and guide you every step of the way as we consider all of your family’s resources and needs. Sincerely, Rick L. Law, Attorney and Estate Planner for Retirees. Rick was named the #1 Illinois elder law estate planning attorney by Leading Lawyer Magazine. He has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, AARP Magazine, TheStreet.com, and numerous newspapers and articles. Rick is the lead attorney for Law Elder Law, LLP, focusing in Estate Planning, Guardianship, and Nursing Home Solutions. His goal is to give retirees an informed edge when it comes to dealing with an uncertain future.  Get flexible retirement strategies that work during good times and bad, plus information on how you can save your home and assets from being used to pay for long term care.  Appointments available in Chicago, Aurora, Oak Brook, Schaumburg, and Joliet.  Call 800-310-3100 for your free consultation now!
0

When my friend came to me in need of help with veteran’s benefits, I realized how little I knew about the complicated VA benefit process.  What a horrible feeling, not being able to help someone I care about when they needed me most.  What’s worse, I didn’t know any lawyer who knew enough about veteran’s benefits to give my friend the help she needed.  Telling my friend I couldn’t help was not an option. I had to find the answers that would help my loved one. So why are VA benefits so confusing and difficult to qualify for? Part of the reason is that our Congress has erected a wall around VA benefits.  The first thing to know is that the only folks who are legally authorized to provide information to veterans about benefits are: 1. Federal Veterans Administration employees and employees of State Departments of Veteran’s Affairs; 2. Authorized representatives of Veterans Service Organizations like the VFW and American Legion, among others; and 3. Attorneys licensed to practice law in the veteran’s state and accredited by the VA. That’s right! You’ve got just three options to get the info and calling a lawyer is one of them. That being said, federal law prohibits a lawyer from charging a fee to actually assist a veteran with the claim for VA benefits. So why did Congress set it up this way?  Theoretically, lawyers are not allowed to charge a veteran to help with a VA benefit claim form because: – There are plenty of capable and trained VA employees available to help vets fill out VA claim forms for free; – There are plenty of capable and trained volunteers available at the various Veteran’s Service Organizations to help fill out VA claim forms; and – Veterans should be protected from attorneys who would overcharge them for doing something as simple as completing and submitting a VA claim form. Like many of our government’s plans, this works much better in theory than in practice. If you have not already tried to get help from either the Veterans Administration or a Veteran’s Service Organization, then I highly recommend that you do try that first. And please, do it immediately. Like everything else pertaining to elder care, planning early – before emergencies begin to occur – is the best way to avoid catastrophe! The folks at the Veterans Administration and the Veteran’s Service Organizations truly do want to help you. Unfortunately, because of their limited staff and hours, sometimes there’s simply not enough help to go around.  Many of you have already tried to find help, but still need more.  If you are confused, have been denied benefits, or still have questions, then it’s time to give us a call at 800-310-3100.    Rick Law Elder Law Attorney at Law Elder Law, LLP Rick was named the #1 Illinois elder law estate planning attorney by Leading Lawyer Magazine. He has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, AARP Magazine, TheStreet.com, and numerous newspapers and articles. Rick is the lead attorney for Law Elder Law, LLP, focusing in Estate Planning, Guardianship, and Nursing Home Solutions. His goal is to give retirees an informed edge when it comes to dealing with an uncertain future.  Get flexible retirement strategies that work during good times and bad, plus information on how you can save your home and assets from being used to pay for long term care.  Appointments are available in Chicago, Aurora, Oak Brook, Schaumburg, and Joliet.  Call 800-310-3100 for your free consultation now!
0

(This post about our amazing veterans and Law Elder Law’s dedication to helping them receive the benefits they deserve was first published in October of 2008. I am reposting this today in the hopes that it will help more veterans and their families find the aid they need.)
“Most of the men who hit the beach with me that day now lie under little white crosses. Some news guy wrote that if you landed on Iwo Jima in the first wave and you were not hit by machine gun fire, that it was as unlikely as running through a thunderstorm and not getting wet. There was nowhere to hide on that rock. It was like fighting on the moon. No trees, nowhere to find cover. There were so many of us that every time the Japanese fired, somebody got hit. During the first three days that I was on the island, I got a bullet-hole through my shirt, my helmet, and my pants.”
These are the words of my client Fred as he described to me the experience of going up against the Japanese forces who manned the island of Iwo Jima on February 19, 1945. Many of my veteran clients have amazing stories to tell from their days in the service. As an attorney who is focused on the issues of the elderly, an important part of my practice is to assist wartime veterans who are now over 65 and disabled. We often assist them (pro bono) by securing a veteran benefit to help pay for care for themselves and/or their disabled spouses. I am honored to have the opportunity to serve those who have served their country so well. Fred was in my office that day to discuss how he was going to pay the over $8000 a month cost of care for his wife, who suffered her first debilitating stroke eighteen years ago and has needed care ever since. Fortunately for Fred, a wartime veteran does have the possibility of receiving some assistance through a VA Special Monthly Pension. It’s important to understand that Aid and Attendance or the Survivor Spouse VA benefit is only available to those who meet very stringent limitations related to medical necessity for care, and financial need as determined by both income and asset limitations. It is my job as an attorney to be able to assist individuals to evaluate what, if any, VA Aid and Attendance benefits may be available to them. This VA benefit can make all the difference in helping a wartime veteran or widowed spouse maintain their dignity, home, and lifestyle. For more information click here to download any of our .pdf guides about VA Benefits.
0

brown-water-vets-graphic-man-yelling (“Brown water” means service in the rivers and delta areas of Vietnam) Even though elder law attorneys are primarily focused on nursing home benefits for wartime veterans who may be eligible for “Aid and Attendance” (a long term care benefit which helps to pay for in-home care, assisted living care, and nursing home care), we are also keenly interested in veteran’s benefits for Vietnam-era veterans.  This post has important information that should be forwarded to anyone who served in Vietnam during the Vietnam Conflict. One of the ongoing scandals of our country is our failure to fairly compensate Vietnam war era veterans who were exposed to the poison called dioxin that was in the herbicide referred to as “Agent Orange” (AO).  Many vets have been denied legitimate claims when trying to receive disability compensation for delayed diseases due to their exposure to AO.  Agent Orange is still killing Vietnam veterans from all of our service branches. We belong to an organization called the Veteran’s Advocates Group of America (VAGA), which provides educational materials and communication for those who are concerned about VA issues.  It was reported to us last week by Karen McIntyre, president of VAGA, that  the VA has just announced that veterans serving on certain ships in the waters of Vietnam during the Vietnam Conflict are now eligible for Agent Orange presumptive service compensation benefits.  This also opens the door for surviving spouses, dependent children, and dependent parents who may possibly get death benefits due to the death of their Vietnam veteran spouse, parent, or child. This decision to compensate “brown water” Vietnam veterans opens the door for VA health insurance as well.  In the past, an Agent Orange claimant had to prove that he/she was a veteran who had “boots on the ground” in Vietnam before the VA would award service-connected compensation.  But this recent “brown water” ruling finally opens the door for many of these deserving veterans and their dependents to get much-needed benefits as well. It’s important to remember that there are many who served in Vietnam who have already died as a result of an Agent Orange condition—so it is not too late for survivor spouses or dependents to file for benefits. I have attached a .pdf document at the bottom of this post (entitled “BrownWaterClaims”), which you can click on and download for information about Vietnam naval ships which worked in the inland waterways known as the “brown water” rivers and delta areas of Vietnam.  This is a  huge step forward for many of our veterans who were serving on “blue water” naval vessels but who also conducted operations in “brown water.”  Individuals who served on these ships may be presumed to have had exposure to Agent Orange and its deadly herbicide called dioxin.  Please forward this communication to all Vietnam war veterans and/or surviving spouses. This expansion of coverage still leaves our “blue water” servicemen and women who served on naval ships at sea without adequate compensation.  Despite the fact that it is now well known that Agent Orange was toxic to anyone who handled it, the federal government and the VA have continued to deny full coverage to many of our servicemen/women.  The next big step is for our government to admit that anyone serving in the Vietnam theater of operations may well have been poisoned by Agent Orange.  Nonetheless, let’s celebrate this victory and the extension of benefits to “brown water Vietnam veterans.”   Hooray! BrownWaterClaims
0

This is a story about heroes who serve heroes—our veterans of the armed forces. I first met the dedicated warriors of the Veteran’s Assistance Commission of DeKalb County, Illinois (DeKalb VAC) when they visited our law firm, Law Elder Law LLP recently.  The DeKalb VAC provide a full range of services related to veteran’s benefits.  I wanted to get to know them, because we need a knowledgeable source of VA benefit information in order to serve our clients with excellence.  We deal with an important “sliver” of the VA benefits panorama; we often provide free advice to  wartime veterans who are over 65 regarding the VA “aid and attendance” long term care benefit. Interestingly, even though the State of Illinois has authorized counties to create Veteran’s Assistance Commissions, most counties  have not provided funds to actually fulfill that all-important task.  Here in the Chicago metro area we are fortunate to have several county veteran’s assistance commissions.  Herb Holderman, Steve “Scooter” Scoughton, Linda Drake, and Tammy Anderson are the knowledgeable and caring team who  help “needy and/or disabled veterans” at the DeKalb VAC. Today, the DeKalb VAC serves several hundred veterans every year—but it has not always been there for veteran’s needs.  The story of the founding of the DeKalb VAC is a testimony to the power of democracy, a great idea, and the focused persistence of honest men and women with servant’s hearts.  Herb Holderman and other community leaders worked together to bring the organization into existence.  Herb is now the superintendent—but he worked behind the scenes for years and was the driving force that brought life to the DeKalb VAC.   After many years of trying to convince the political powers that there should be a Veteran’s Assistance Commission there, in 2003 Herb and the grassroots group were finally allowed to file a special tax referendum.  The goal was to create a taxing district which would fund the veteran’s service organization.  As you can imagine, the likelihood of passing a new tax seemed remote.  Yet with the help of local veterans’ groups and other concerned citizens, they raised the  battle flag and fought for support.  The idea proved to be so popular that the referendum passed by a 76%  “yes vote”—what a victory! Today, only a few years later, they work to serve veterans from World War II through Iraq and Afghanistan.  Their job is to help provide veterans with shelter assistance, food, utilities, transportation to medical appointments, and information about educational and vocational rehabilitation benefits. When I asked what they thought was the most important part of their work, each one had a different perspective.  Scooter responded that he enjoys creating close personal relationships with veterans and those who work at the VA hospitals and other principal service providers. That is his way to providing veterans with even greater access to benefits.  Tammy shared that she believes that it’s her goal to be both a helper and a listener; she wants to provide the veteran with both patience and compassion.  Tammy added, “The Vietnam veterans were treated really badly.  I tell them that I am here to fight for them.”  Veterans Service Officer Linda loves her job, and her only regret is that she is not a veteran herself.  She feels honored to be doing the job of helping brave men and women with VA benefit assistance.  Then Herb, the superintendent summarized this way: “Our veterans are proud, and they want to be able to stand on their own.  When it gets to the point that they might lose their home, they come in to see us with tears in their eyes.  Our job is to help them so that they can keep it all together.” Then he quietly stated, “Unfortunately, this year, due to the times, the needs of the veterans have doubled.” Even though the needs have doubled,  this is a story which has many happy endings.  It is my privilege to have you meet Herb, Scooter, Tammy, and Linda.  Every day they make life better for our United States Armed Forces veterans.  I salute you!
0

wwii-memorial-cropped1 Will Rogers once said, “We can’t all be heroes. Some of us get to stand on the curb and clap as they go by.” I am proud to say that our client Richard Reimer is an American hero.  He served his country in the United States Navy between 1943 and 1946 in the Pacific Theater during World War II.  One of the great blessings of our elder law practice is assisting our wartime veterans with VA long term care benefits.  Richard and his wife Virginia live at Alden of Waterford.  They are provided live-in care by a beloved caregiver named Jean. Despite age-related obstacles, Richard (“Dick” to his longtime friends) joined 79 other veterans and 70 volunteers for the April 15, 2009 Chicago to Washington, D.C. Honor Flight.  Honor Flight’s noble objective is “bringing Chicago veterans to DC – with honor.”  Their goal is to get our surviving World War II veterans to Washington so they can experience “their memorial.” Dick told me that he knows that this memorial belongs to the people. He got involved early, and he personally wrote twenty checks over the years to help fund the project.  He showed me his donor certificate. As a member of the April Honor Flight, Dick was thrilled to hear again the music of the Andrews Sisters as presented by the Legacy Girls.  What a day he had! It was 23 hours from start to stop.  He got to the assembly area at 2:00 a.m. and did not stop until he got back home at 12:01 a.m. the next morning. Although it was a gray, rain-filled day, Dick visited the World War II memorial and the Illinois pillar.  Each state has a pillar with veterans’ names available via a computer monitor built into the pillar. Dick was accompanied by his proud daughter, Susan Reimer, R.N.  Susan served the Honor Flight as a volunteer nurse and had to pay her own way. One of the great things about the day was the veteran group was meeted, feted, and greeted at both ends of the flight by bands, cheering crowds, and lots of love.  When I asked Dick to describe what he felt was the most important thing about the Honor Flight, he responded with this: “I am just grateful that after 60 years someone cared.  You know, the first group of guys that got home [from the war]—they they got cheers and bands, but the rest of us… just came home. After the war, I left Hawaii on a liner to go to Treasure Island in California.  Then I took a train from California to Chicago.  From there I went to Great Lakes Naval Station.  At Great Lakes I got discharged.  They gave me the cash they owed me and some car fare and I went home to Elgin.  That was it.” So after 60+ years, Honor Flight of Chicago is providing a way for our World War II veterans who “just came home” to be treated to the welcome that they truly deserve. The Honor Flight needs both funds and volunteers to help more veterans to have their chance to see the World War II Memorial.  Our own Rick Niksic, who serves as the education and outreach director for Law Elder Law, will serve as a volunteer on the Wednesday, July 15, 2009 flight. For more information about how you can help the Honor Flight program, see www.honorflightchicago.org or e-mail Mary Pettinato at mpettinato@introncorp.com. P.S.  It costs about $48,000 per flight to cover the entire cost for 80 veterans from Chicago to Washington, D.C.
0

vietnam-vetfallen-soldierboots-on-the-ground-in-vietnam A substance known as Agent Orange (AO) is still killing Vietnam veterans after all these years.  If you know and love a Vietnam War veteran, this post has important information that should be forwarded to everyone who “had boots on the ground” in Vietnam during the Vietnam War. In June I was speaking in Atlanta at the “Advanced VA Benefits Course.”  Because of my concentration in the area of elder law, I was able to unveil some of the secrets about a special VA benefit to pay long term care expenses.  Benefits may be available for the over-65 wartime veteran and/or spouse of a veteran who is burdened with long term care costs due to Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, or other age-related long term disabilities.  This benefit helps pay for home care, assisted living facility care, and nursing home care. After my speech, I eagerly awaited the next presenter, Karen McIntyre, a nationally known VA-accredited agent.  Her topic was “Presumptive Diseases Linked to Agent Orange Exposure.”  For me, that is one hot topic.  Within the last twelve months I have served two Vietnam vet clients who have died of cancers which they felt were caused by their wartime service.  Unfortunately for them and their surviving spouses, the Veterans Administration had rejected the benefit claims that they had submitted through a Veterans Service Organization (VSO). Agent Orange was an herbicide which was liberally sprayed all over Vietnam to defoliate the tropical forest.  It was believed that defoliation was necessary so that enemy troops infiltrating from North Vietnam would be more visible from the air.  Unfortunately for our servicemen, servicewomen, and the civilian Vietnamese population, our government chose to buy the “cheap stuff” which was filled with dioxins. I asked Wayne Tomlinson, an expert in agrichemicals, to explain Agent Orange to me.  He responded, “Actually, Agent Orange is very similar to some commonly used agricultural herbicides and  brush killers known as 2,4,D and 2,4,5,T.  In its proper form it is harmless to humans. I have been totally immersed in both 2,4,D and 2,4,5,T and it has never caused me any harm.  These chemicals been used extensively within the United States on roadsides, pastures, and parks.  Within the United States the dioxins have been removed from the final product. Unfortunately, I guess that when some government purchasing agent asked for the lowest price bid for this substance to be delivered as a weapon of war, they did not specify that it needed to be dioxin-free.” Due to the presence of dioxins and the passage of almost 40 years, there are now many diseases that have now been conclusively linked to AO exposure.  When contracted by a Vietnam War veteran, they are now presumed to have been caused by AO.  A Vietnam vet must prove that he or she “had boots on the ground” in Vietnam to receive these medical and monetary benefits.  The benefits can be of assistance to both the veteran and the surviving spouse.  The list of diseases is scattered throughout the official government documents and the VA regulations.  I have consolidated a list of diseases which are presumed to have been caused by Agent Orange exposure.  Click here to find this information: vietnam-vet-conditions-list If you need to find an attorney to assist a veteran please click here.  In addition, Veterans Service Organizations are available to assist you. P.S.  Many of our Marines and Special Forces units did have “boots on the ground” in Vietnam, but their service record shows they were stationed outside of Vietnam on ships or in other countries.  The veteran can prove his or her presence in Vietnam by supplying an affidavit from a fellow service person.  This is called a “Buddy Statement.”
2