By David Fleet
Editor
Brandon Twp.—   Loyd Case recalls the orange-like colored liquid sprayed in the jungle.
“The defoliant Agent Orange was all around you,” recalled Case, a Texas native and 1966 Brandon High School graduate. “We didn’t know what that product was or the issues it would caused later in life.”
More than 50 years has passed since the Brandon Township resident served in Vietnam and was in contact with Agent Orange, a tactical herbicide the military used to clear vegetation for military operations.
Case is one 2.6 million military potentially exposed to Agent Orange, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates.
Case was 18 years-old when he reported to Detroit for an Army physical after he received his draft notice in the mail.
“The next thing I knew, I was on a train to Fort Knox,” he said. “I had a girlfriend at home, a car and I didn’t even get a chance to quit my job.”
Case then reported to Fort Eustis, Va., before heading West toward Vietnam. Since he was the sole surviving son of his family, he was to serve in Hawaii for the duration of his Army stint. However, growing tired of Hawaii, Case requested another assignment in Germany. The Army denied that request and shipped him out to Vietnam where he allegedly was to be in a safe place as a helicopter repair specialist.
“When I arrived in Vietnam they told me, ‘yes you’ll be assigned to transportation’,” recalled Case. “However, ‘your transportation is your feet,’  they told me. I ended up in the Army 25th Infantry.”
On Jan. 1, 1968, Case arrived in Vietnam and later that month the North Vietnamese and communist Viet Cong forces launched the Tet Offensive, a coordinated attack against several locations in South Vietnam. The fighting raged on until September 1968 and Case would serve until July 6, 1969.
Case received many injuries including nerve damage, Type II diabetes from Agent Orange along with knee damage.
“They sprayed it all over and Agent Orange killed everything on contact so there was no place for the enemy to hide,” he said. “It was a double-edged sword, the foliage was gone but the Viet Cong just went underground.”
Years after his discharge, many health issues developed for Case.
On Jan. 10, 2010, Case first visited the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare system.
“The first step is the scariest,” said Case, now 74-years-old. “But, you owe it to yourself, and your family to go. They will take care of you, to those veterans that are reluctant to go, swallow your pride. They have come a long way.”
For veterans like Case who may need assistance, whether health or other support there is help.
The Veteran Navigators was created to assist Veterans and military families of all eras and discharge types. They work to connect Veterans and their families to federal, state and local resources to ease issues regarding mental health, substance abuse, housing and other common issues that impact veterans in order to support healthier lifestyles and provide support.
Robert Bull, is a veteran peer support specialist for the navigator program in Michigan.
“The Navigator program is the place to start or direction,” said Bull, a Vietnam veteran. “By calling a Navigator you have a much better chance with the support system. A lot of times a veteran will not qualify for VA healthcare, of the 579,000 veterans in this state only 27 percent is under their care. The national average is 35 percent.”
Every zone in Michigan has a Navigator in Oakland County call Chaka McDonald (248) 764-4443 in Genesee County Call Eduardo Calzada (810 496-5620.
“The VA can only take you so far due to the bureaucracy,” he said. “There are programs through the VA, but it can be a challenge to access, it may take months to resolve. With the Navigators, we can make some phones and get help within a few hours. From housing to food to funds we can help right away if needed.”
Erika Behm is the veteran Navigator who serves Lenawee County through the Community Mental Health Partnership of Southeast Michigan.
“The unique part of the Veteran Navigator program, especially the ones with peer support, is that they meet veterans right where they are. Our charge as Navigators is to find veterans who are not connected or to be more connected based on what they have using federal, state or local resources. The Navigators are on the ground locally in their own community.”
“Veterans are not alone,” said Behm. “We are out here looking for veterans who need more support, mental, financial, legal, whatever the need may be.”