(Spirit Lake)– Good news for veterans of the Vietnam War suffering from medical conditions not previously eligible for benefits through the Veterans Administration.
Ernie Cupp, Dickinson County Veteran’s Affairs Director, tells KUOO news the V-A has expanded the list to include B cell leukemias, such as hairy cell leukemia; Parkinson’s Disease; and ischemic heart disease.
Cupp says Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki added those conditions based on an independent study that links them with the chemical Agent Orange that was used during the Vietnam War to defoliate jungles. The V-A estimates 2.6 military personnel who served in Vietnam were potentially exposed to the chemical.
The Secretary’s decision brings to 15 the number of presumed illnesses recognized by the V-A.
Cupp encourages Dickinson county veterans who feel they may qualify under the expanded conditions to contact his office at 336-0883.
Other illnesses on the list previously for which Vietnam veterans can qualify for assistance include AL Amyloidosis, Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, Type Two Diabetes, Hodgkin’s Disease, Multiple Myeloma, Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, Prostate Cancer, respiratory cancers and certain soft tissue sarcomas.
