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RP Members and Connections I post this question on behalf of Sgt David G Duchesneau Vietnam Veteran and Marine.
Do you think the Vietnam War is really over for those of you who suffer from that, "gift that keeps on giving," Agent Orange?
It's been over forty-six years and ten months since David came back from Serving two tours in Vietnam and he still battling the effects of being exposed to Agent Orange. Finally, after all of this time, the VA has recognized Agent Orange. David was exposed to what he was told is, "this defoliant agent that will never hurt you or your health."
How many Vietnam Veterans have become a casualty, a statistic, of the Vietnam War?
Yes, the Vietnam War maybe over, but how many of you are still battling the effects of Vietnam? So now what happens? For many like Sgt David G. Duchesneau and so many others like him, the Vietnam War will never end until that so called Agent,"Agent Orange" finally kills them. Let's hope not!
Do you think the Vietnam War is really over for those of you who suffer from that, "gift that keeps on giving," Agent Orange?
It's been over forty-six years and ten months since David came back from Serving two tours in Vietnam and he still battling the effects of being exposed to Agent Orange. Finally, after all of this time, the VA has recognized Agent Orange. David was exposed to what he was told is, "this defoliant agent that will never hurt you or your health."
How many Vietnam Veterans have become a casualty, a statistic, of the Vietnam War?
Yes, the Vietnam War maybe over, but how many of you are still battling the effects of Vietnam? So now what happens? For many like Sgt David G. Duchesneau and so many others like him, the Vietnam War will never end until that so called Agent,"Agent Orange" finally kills them. Let's hope not!
Vietnam War
Agent Orange
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
Health
Edited 7 y ago
Posted 7 y ago
Responses: 127
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No. Every time I go to the VA. I see all the Vietnam vets and I here there stories. But now something similar is happening to my generation of fellow combat vets. All the burn pits and all toxic materials that were being burned and everyone breathing it in. I have had a few of my buddies die of cancer probably related to that. It sucks that you survive combat and come back to die from something so painful and horrible. Get tested it just might save your life.
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Every one of us who were in line units were exposed to Agent Orange--thank the Lord it did not affect some of us as much as others---no matter how many years it has been since we were there parts of VN will continue to live in our memory and every once in a while the closet door to that memory will open up and there it is alive again. God be with all you youngsters who are in the military today. My prayers are for you.
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COL the occupying terrain is over but for many of our people they have many war related health issues. Not mention there are many Vietnam vets with a rucksack full of ghosts and demons. We as a nation learned a great deal but for many of our Veitnam era vets it's to late
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No. Plain and simple. We are still repeating some of the same mistakes today so that will keep it alive as well.
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One of the cases where we are better off than if we had achieved a military victory. Victory would have left the country divided and no one knows in Cambodia and Laos. We would still have troops there. I have my war based problems but that is me, my war won't be over until I'm buried
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SSG Edward Tilton
I recall reading about an awesome baby boom in Cambodia, five years after the Vietnamese drove the Khmer Rouges out the millions slaughtered by them had been replaced by children. I guess by now there are few who have any first hand knowledge of it
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No, for those who were over there it is not. As a Vietnam Era vet, for many years I felt a little guilty at not going. Today, having witnessed first hand the many issues, both psychological and health, that so many friends and acquaintances have had to struggle with, I am grateful I was not sent. I realize now that perhaps it was the grace of God that kept me out.
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PO2 Richard C.
PO3 Bob McCord - Except the time I mentioned and one other with the PNP, I never did either. Don't know if it was an agreement with the Navy or they were just afraid of the area. I could believe either. Remember how they always used to tell anyone going on liberty there to never leave the main drag of Olongapo or go down the alleys, especially alone? I was on duty one night when we had to assist at a dead body scene. It was a missing Marine who apparently didn't pay any attention to that advice. They had stripped him, cut his throat and shoved him in the river. When we got there, he had just been pulled out. Crabs were crawling out from where soft parts used to be. NOT one of my fondest memories of Subic. That part of Olongapo has been plowed to the ground for a number of years now. No Loss to the world.
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PO2 Richard C.
PO3 Bob McCord - The girl friend covered you. It was the one-shot street girls you had to watch out for. If you made it through the first round and shacked it on a regular basis with the same girl they pretty much left you alone. We took care of one or two guys a night who would get beat up and rolled in some alley.
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PO2 Richard C.
PO3 Bob McCord - Kudos for backing off after getting married. I knew a lot of guys that justified knocking off a strange piece just because there wife wasn't there - like it was her fault or something.
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COL Burroughs: The Vietnam war will never be over for the veterans who served in that war much the same as veterans who served in other wars our nation has fought. My best friend in high school was drafted into the army and served in Vietnam. He did come home after his tour ended but he was not the same guy I knew before he went to Vietnam. He held his Vietnam experience inside and could never adjust to civilian life not to mention the sorry welcome home he received. He told me he could not clear his mind of what he had seen in Vietnam. He did enter into a treatment program but that did not save his marriage as his wife filed for divorce. Multiply his story thousands of times for his brothers in arms. For the Vietnam veteran there is no such thing as "closure".
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PO1 Kevin Dougherty
I had a friend who passed a couple of years ago from AO related issues. He also lost his family. He would say he did not blame his wife. He knew the issues he had, including significant PTSD, (he was a door gunner/crew chief, with 4 purple hearts, and had spent time in a POW camp), and would say he wouldn't want to live with him either. There was a well worn trail along the borders of his property where he "walked post" when nothing else would calm him down. His closure was to go before his Maker.
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