Every soldier knows that war comes with a price, but what the men and women who fought in Vietnam didn’t know was that price could possibly cost their children and grandchildren.
Such was the case for Bob Cummings, who served in the Army from 1970-1972. Cummings was one of the six panel speakers at the Agent Orange (AO) Town Hall Meeting, which was hosted by Christ the King Church (CTK) on Oct. 24. The meeting was presented by VVA Oakland County Chapter 133, Associates of VVA Oakland County Chapter 133 and the CTK Veterans Ministry.
Cummings was also one of the many who fought in Vietnam that was exposed to the controversial herbicide, known as Agent Orange (AO). He has five children, four of which are still living. All have had major medical issues related to his exposure to AO. His first son a son had spina bifida, a daughter had a hysterectomy at 32 years-old due to cancer. Another son was born with a congenital heart defect, which included two open heart surgeries and a pacemaker by age 23 and his other daughter now has Crohn’s Disease and has had six inches of her intestine removed.
‘So all of my children have been affected by my service, I don’t take the blame, but at first I did. There are a lot of veterans who feel guilty, but it’s nothing we had no control over,? explained Cummings. ‘It’s the federal government, Dow Chemical and Monsanto, because they knew what they were concocting and knew what the results would be.?
Cummings is also chairman of the Agent Orange Riders (agentorangeriders.org), a group that is dedicated to not just bringing education and awareness of what’s going on with children of the Vietnam vets, but is committed to helping those children affected by AO out. All money donated to the Agent Orange Riders goes towards research.
Cummings believes vets have an obligation to make sure their children get the help they need.
‘All veterans are called collateral damage and we understand that. When we came home, we didn’t say our children were collateral damage,? he said. ‘That’s what we need to take a stand against.?
Another person taking up the fight is 39 year-old Lori Webber, a daughter of a Vietnam veteran.
‘If you didn’t see me sitting before you in my wheelchair or my braces, you would think that I look perfectly healthy, but that’s not the case, she said. ‘My life has been completely destroyed because of Agent Orange.?
Like many veterans who returned from Vietnam, Webber’s parents decided to start a family. With the many horror stories of children of Vietnam Vets being born with birth defects or missing limbs, Webber said her parents counted themselves ‘pretty darn lucky,? when they saw she had all 10 fingers and toes.
‘As I was growing up they did note that my arms and legs bent at weird angles and I would complain of back pain, but the doctor would say it was ‘nothing to worry about? and I was just growing. I tore my ACL when I was younger. Three reconstructive surgeries failed. The reason behind the doctor’s thought was, I still played sports and was just ‘too active,? she said. ‘Even though my parents asked questions, they just went with a false hope that things will get better as I get older. The problems went on and became worse.?
In her mid 20’s Webber began having back pain and other pains in her body but had a pretty normal life. She got married, she graduated with a bachelor and master’s degree to become an elementary teacher, she and her husband bought their dream home and they had a son. Age 30 is when Webber said her ‘life went to hell.?
An initial tear in the cartilage in her right knee at the age of 31 has led Webber down the road of multiple surgeries and thousands of dollars spent on various medical conditions such as hip dysplasia, an autoimmune disease known as Hoshimoto Thyroiditis, and a pars defect in her spine.
Because of all her medical issues, Webber was forced to retire from her elementary teaching job, which she loved, and her daily life consists of the using pull-on braces or her customized wheelchair.
‘I can no longer sleep for more than two hours at a time. I have anxiety every night when I go to bed because I know when I lay down, my body will tense up and I’ll wake up in more pain then when I went to bed,? she said. ‘I now often feel useless when I sit at home and have severe guilt for all the money my parents invested in my education. I can no longer take field trips or even go shopping with my friends because physically I can’t keep up or my pain overtakes me. This also has led to me losing friends.?
Because Webber can no longer bend or move well she can no longer clean her house and she is unable to drive a distance beyond 10 miles, which requires her to have to ask others for help.
‘I have put tremendous pressure on my wonderful husband to help with everything. Besides working all day, he must be the one to drive to all the sporting events and activities. He must help with cleaning the house. He’s given up 10 promotions that would make his job easier and more enjoyable, but that’s not an option because he has to take me everywhere,? Webber said with tear-filled eyes. ‘The hardest thing for me though is looking at my now 11 year-old son and everyday I fear he is going to end up having what I have.?
There is a list of 18 birth defects in the biological children of female Vietnam veterans which the VA presumes was caused by their military service, but not their exposure to herbicides. At this point, the VA doesn’t recognize that Agent Orange causes any birth defects or illnesses in the children or grandchildren of male Vietnam veterans except Spina bifida. As a result, Webber has not been able to receive any assistance because it was her father that served and not her mother.
‘I pray everyday that someday somebody will have the answer that the government will accept its responsibility,? she said. ‘I also pray that everyone that was exposed will stay healthy if you are still healthy.?
Eight years ago when Webber began her journey, her dad showed no signs of Agent Orange illness, but now he has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and this too has brought heartache to Webber.
‘The strong proud man I remember playing catch with me for two hours everyday while I practiced softball or would build my loft in college, must now ask somebody to cut his food and button his shirt for him,? she added.
The one thing Webber wants veterans to remember is ‘it’s not your fault.?
‘Take this as your opportunity to go to the VA (Veterans Affairs) and file claims,? she said. ‘Because the more you flood the system with paperwork and your children go and file claims it becomes public record. And public record cannot be denied that there is an outcry for support.?
Like Webber, Jennifer Hardacre understands the hardships of being a daughter of a vet exposed to Agent Orange. Hardacre works closely with the Children of Vietnam Veterans? Health Alliance (COVVHA). It was around age 30 that Hardacre learned she had a Chiari Malformation, a condition in which brain tissue extends into the spinal canal.
‘That day changed everything in my life. I lost all my friends, pretty much my whole family. While my dad was sick, we lost our house and moved into my dad’s house because I lost my job, couldn’t work anymore. I couldn’t do anything any more,? Hardacre said. ‘If it wasn’t for my mom helping us, we wouldn’t have had anything. I won social security two years ago and receive a little under $500 per month for a family of five. That doesn’t pay the bills. My husband was on disability for his heart and is now going back to work to help support our family.?
Hardacre said she was always sick at a child and had both ADHD (Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) and depression. At age 15 she was diagnosed with endometriosis, a disorder in which tissue that normally lines the uterus grows outside the uterus. She has also had other illnesses including numerous odd drug allergies, iron deficiency, anemia, her gull bladder was removed at age 20, a hysterectomy at 23, as well as fibromyalgia, Her four children have all suffered health issues too.
‘Two have bipolar disorder. One has unexplained seizures and extreme menstrual issues. They all wear glasses and one has rheumatoid arthritis and kidney problems at the age of nine. The doctors are also watching him for Lupus,? she said. ‘I often wonder what else my children may get and if I am going be here to help them.?
Hardacre said her father blamed himself for the issues his daughter and grandchildren have.
‘He told me many times if he’d known the Agent Orange was capable of doing this to me and my kids, he would of never had children,? she said. ‘I tried to assure him it was not his fault and that it was chemical companies. I told him not to blame himself for something he had no control over, even though in my heart and mind (I knew) telling him did not console him.?
‘That’s why we’re here today,? Hardacre added. ‘We need to bring awareness to everyone to what the Agent Orange has done to our fathers, our grandfathers, children, grandchildren and other (people’s) children’s children.?
Accountability
Sandie Wilson, who served in Vietnam in the army and nurse core between 1968-69, and is the Voice Chair for the VVA National Healthcare Committee, as well as a member of the VVA Director at Large and National Agent Orange Committee.
Wilson believes there are two types of scientists today. What she calls ‘normal scientists,? which are ones that work for Dow Chemical and Monsanto,? two of the companies that produced Agent Orange.
The Midland-based Dow Chemical, to this day maintains there’s no definitive proof of a link between the herbicide and veterans? health problems.
‘The very substantial body of human evidence on Agent Orange does not establish that veterans? illnesses are caused by Agent Orange,? states the Dow Chemical website.
The second group of scientists is called ‘Science for sustainability.?
‘The question we have to ask is can we have sustainability in a capitalistic society? I believe the scientists and the chemists that developed the chemicals that were used on us knew the effects,? Wilson said. ‘And I believe our government knew the effects and they have been lying to us for 50 years. It is time for them to take responsibility for what they did and that’s why we’re here today.?
To help give greater help to veterans Wilson is urging people to call the constituent in their congressional district to urge their congressman/woman to co-sponsor and support H.R. 1769 and S.901: the Toxic Exposure Research Act of 2015, which would ‘establish within the Department of Veterans Affairs a national center for the research on the diagnosis and treatment of health conditions of the descendants of veterans exposed to toxic substances during service in the Armed Forces.?
‘We want you to call every Michigan Congressman whether you’re in his district or not, because we have to have the research,? she added. ‘My goal is America, being the great country it is, do whatever is necessary to make this whole thing go away. We should not have our children and grandchildren (suffer).?
As for accountability, George Claxton knows a little bit about that, Claxton was the second plaintiff to file suit against Dow Chemical, Monsanto and the other chemical companies that created Agent Orange and settled for $180 million.
He did two tours, in Vietnam 1966-1967 and 1969-1970 and is the first national chairman for the Agent Orange VVA National. He has spent the last 30 years as an Agent Orange Advocate, researching all the different dioxins and toxins used in warfare.
‘You’ve heard the term dioxins, but I doubt very seriously that you know what dioxins are,? he said. ‘Dioxins are chlorinated chemicals.?
One of the strongest and deadliest is a dioxin called Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin’also known as (TCDD), which Claxton said was used in AO. He believes the VA doesn’t want people to know the truth about the dioxins that were used.
‘The reason the VA doesn’t want you knowing this is because the trillions of dollars of legal liability that the VA could be looking passed are incredulous,? he added.
Wilson explained that the problem with the Dioxins is that they are only one to two atoms different than some of the hormones that are created by the Endocrine system, which includes the hypothalamus, thyroid, pancreas, ovaries, metabolism, pituitary system, parathyroid and adrenal system. So often times the body mistakes the chemicals as a normal hormone and it attaches itself to a part of the body, which then leads to issues.
‘The Va doesn’t want you to have information that could conceivably show that these hormones are causing imbalance, known as ‘Great Peter Circadian Rhythm,? what that means is it offsets your body’s time-clock,? Claxton added. ‘Eventually it can show up in cancer, in more metabolic syndrome, such as diabetes. Just about any disease when you come right down to it.?
Claxton believes in the future there will be an answer and he’s been working on collecting data that stops the dioxins from poisoning the body.
‘If you can find the bio-markers in your body that are going wrong, down the road I think there is a chance we may be able to cure it,? he said. ‘I’m not a medical doctor or scientist. I’ve just worked harder than any scientist.?
How to know what you were possibly exposed too?
While Steve House never served in Vietnam, he served in the Vietnam era in the army as a heavy-duty equipment operator in the Corp of Engineers from 1975-1979. House got his exposure to Agent Orange and many other toxins as he helped bury 250 barrels of AO, 650 barrels of Compound Blue and several other toxins in a land farm while in South Korea.
When health problems started showing up for House, he started making claims in 2004 and when he hit a wall in 2011 and had to quit working due to his multiple health issues. House, who was living in Arizona at the time decided it was time to call the local news station and blow the whistle on the burial site of deadly toxins he helped cover-up. The video can be found on Youtube.com under ‘toxic secret.?
When it comes to writing claims, House urges people not trap themselves.
‘Don’t pin yourself in the corner saying you were exposed to Agent Orange,? he said. ‘Write ‘I was exposed to herbicides and pesticides and other toxic war material.? You were also exposed to a lot of herbicides, agent white, agent blue and purple.?
House said the pesticides that were and are used are of a ‘tactical grade,? simply meaning they’ve been ‘weaponized.?
He also noted that soldiers were exposed to high toxins on their bases.
‘What I found out was every single military base in our military system has at least one if not multiple toxic landfills on the base,? he said. ‘Some of it got so unstable it was easier to try and not move and spread the contamination everywhere, so they took the cheap way out and land filled it (on base).?
And because military bases are classified as ‘industrial sites,? House noted that higher chemical levels are allowed in drinking water. To know what people were exposed to, he advised people to ‘start digging? on their own. One of the best websites House found to get information is www.DTIC.mil, which is the Defence Technical Information Center.
‘Type in the name of your base, use the terms water testing program, ‘environmental impact study?, ‘land survey? and you’ll be shocked at what pops up,? he said. ‘Then you’ll see what you were drinking while you were in that particular area. You’re not going to like what you find out.?