March 17, 2020

Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019

Public Law 116-23

Veterans Benefits:

A threshold must be met per regulations of Federal Veterans Laws Rules and Regulations;

For veterans and or their dependents to receive what is generally known as “veterans’ benefits” certain qualifying factors must be met. Veterans need to have a discharge other than dishonorable to begin the claims process. This is why it is important for those seeking benefits to obtain assistance with a VA qualified representative. As a Certified Claims Agent with the Office of General Counsel in Washington DC, I am honored to share this story of one my veteran’s journey with his claim for benefits.

Mr. CH is a veteran of the Vietnam War, honorably serving from 1967 to 1971, in the United States Navy. We filed a claim for him in December of 2013 for his heart condition and his diabetes relating to his exposure of agent orange during his service aboard the USS Wallace Lind. We submitted evidence to support his claim including a statement from the veteran that he was on special missions aboard whaleboats, that they showered and drank the contaminated water. We submitted deck logs showing he was in shallow water during the conflict. All to be denied because it wasn’t shown in his records that he stepped foot on the ground! Unlike Brown Water Navy Vietnam Veterans; that never set foot on Vietnamese soil, serving on ships that operated outside Vietnam, VA had conceded they were exposed due to their inland missions, Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans were not afforded this luxury as of yet.