1/1/10

VA Adds Ships to Agent Orange Exposure List

This week the VA has added the below named ships to the already existing list for Navy and Coast Guard ships and vessels that are presumed to have been exposed to Agent Orange. If you served on any of these mentioned ships and you have had a claim denied, you should reapply citing the VA list as the source for your reapplication. NAUS is told the VA is already working on a third list that will have more ships listed. If you have a claim and evidence the ship you served on was in Vietnamese waters and/or actually tied up to a dock there, make sure you include that with your claim.

Vessels that operated primarily or exclusively on the inland waterways
All U.S. Coast Guard Cutters with hull designation WPB [patrol boat]
WHEC [high endurance cutters]

USS Mark (AKL-12) [light cargo ship]; USS Brule (AKL-28)
USS Patapsco (AOG-1) [gasoline tanker]; USS Elkhorn (AOG-7)
USS Genesee (AOG-8); USS Kishwaukee (AOG-9)
USS Tombigbee (AOG-11); USS Noxubee (AOG-56)
USS Okanogan (APA-210) [attack transport]; USS Montrose (APA-212)
USS Bexar (APA-237)
USS Benewah (APB-35) [self-propelled barracks ship]; USS Colleton (APB-36)
USS Mercer (APB-39); USS Nueces (APB-40)
Barracks Barge (APL-26) [sleeping quarters] ); Barracks Barge (APL-30)
USS Tutuila (ARG-4) [repair ship]; USS Satyr (ARL-23) [repair ship]
USS Sphinx (ARL-24); USS Askari (ARL-30); USS Indra (ARL-37)
USS Krishna (ARL-38)
USS Belle Grove (LSD-2) [landing ship dock]; USS Comstock (LSD-19)
USS Tortuga (LSD-26)
USS Asheville (PG-84) [patrol gunboat]; USS Gallop (PG-85)
USS Antelope (PG-86); USS Ready (PG-87); USS Crockett (PG-88)
USS Marathon (PG-89); USS Canon (PG-90)
Floating Base Platform (YRBM-17) [repair, berthing, and messing barge]
Floating Base Platform (YRBM-18); Floating Base Platform (YRBM-20)
Winnemucca (YTB-785) [harbor tug]

(4) Vessels that operated temporarily on Vietnam's inland waterways or docked to the shore:

USS Card (ACV-11) [escort carrier] mined, sunk, and salvaged in Saigon River Harbor during May 1964
USS Maury (AGS-16) [mapping survey ship] conducted surveys of Mekong Delta and other coastal areas and rivers beginning November 1965 through 1969
USS Henrico (APA-45) [amphibious attack transport] operated on Hue River during March 1965 and conducted numerous troop landings through March 1967
USS Montrose (APA-212) operated on Song Hue River during December 1965, operated on Long Tau River during March 1967, and operated on Cua Viet River and at Dong Ha during May 1967
USS Talladega (APA-208) operated on Saigon River during October 1967
USS Bolster (ARS-38) [salvage ship] crew operated on land.
USS Canberra (CAG-2) [guided missile cruiser] operated on Saigon River from March 31 through April 1, 1966, on Cua Viet River during December 15, 1966, and on Mekong Delta Ham Luong River during January 15, 1967
USS Sproston (DD-577) [destroyer] operated on Mekong Delta and Ganh Rai Bay during January 1966
USS Picking (DD-685) operated on Saigon River during November 16, 1965
USS Epperson (DD-719) docked to Da Nang Pier on October 4, 1970
USS Southerland (DD-743) operated on Song Nga Bay and Saigon River during July 1966
USS John W. Thomason (DD-760) operated on Nga Be River during 1969
USS Buck (DD-761) operated on Mekong River Delta and Saigon River during October 1966
USS Preston (DD-795) operated on Mekong River Delta, Ganh Rai Bay, and Saigon River during September 28 - 29 and December 27 - 29, 1965
USS Warrington (DD-843) operated on Mekong River Delta Rung Sat Special Zone, North of Vung Gahn Rai Bay during March 1967
USS Dyess (DD-880) operated on Saigon River and Rung Sat Special Zone from June 19-July 1, 1966
USS Perkins (DD-877) operated on Saigon River during June 1969
USS Orleck (DD-886) operated on Mekong River Delta during July 1969
USS Joseph Strauss (DDG-16) [guided missile destroyer] operated on Mekong River Delta and Ganh Rai Bay during November 7 and December 7, 1968
USS Waddell (DDG-24) operated on Cua Viet River during March 1967
USS Newell (DER-322) [radar destroyer escort] docked at port of Nha Trang during December 22-24, 1965
USS Duluth (LPD-6) [amphibious transport dock] docked to pier at Da Nang during March and October 1971
USS Cleveland (LPD-7) operated on Cua Viet River and at Dong Ha, as well as Hue River, from November 1967 through 1968 and Saigon River during September 1969
USS Dubuque (LPD-8) docked at Da Nang on March 15, 1970
USS Boxer (LPH-4) [amphibious assault ship] docked to pier at Cam Rahn Bay on September 9, 1965
USS Carter Hall (LSD-3) [landing ship dock] operated on Cua Viet River and at Dong Ha during December 1967

Information on Vietnam Naval Operations

Compensation and Pension (C&P) Service has initiated a program to collect data on Vietnam naval operations for the purpose of providing regional offices with information to assist with development in Haas related disability claims based on herbicide exposure from Navy Veterans.

To date, we have received verification from various sources showing that a number of offshore “blue water” naval vessels conducted operations on the inland “brown water” rivers and delta areas of Vietnam. We have also identified certain vessel types that operated primarily or exclusively on the inland waterways.

The ships and dates of inland waterway service are listed below.

If a Veteran’s service aboard one of these ships can be confirmed through military records during the time frames specified, then exposure to agents can be presumed without further development.

(5)All vessels of Inshore Fire Support [IFS] Division 93 during their entire Vietnam tour

USS Carronade (IFS 1)
USS Clarion River (LSMR 409) [Landing Ship, Medium, Rocket]
USS Francis River (LSMR 525)
USS White River (LSMR 536)

(6) All vessels with the designation LST [Landing Ship, Tank] during their entire tour

(7) WWII ships converted to transport supplies on rivers and serve as barracks for brown water Mobile Riverine Forces]

(8) Vessels with the designation LCVP [Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel] during their entire tour

(9) All vessels with the designation PCF [Patrol Craft, Fast] during their entire tour [Also called Swift Boats, operating for enemy interdiction on close coastal waters]

(10) All vessels with the designation PBR [Patrol Boat, River] during their entire to ur [Also called River Patrol Boats as part of the Mobile Riverine Forces operating on inland waterways and featured in the Vietnam film “Apocalypse Now”]

USS Ingersoll (DD-652) [Destroyer] [Operated on Saigon River, October 24-25, 1965]
USS Mansfield (DD-728) [Destroyer] [Operated on Saigon River August 8-19, 1967 and December 21-24, 1968] USS Richard E. Kraus (DD-849) [Destroyer] [Operated on coastal inlet north of Da Nang, June 2-5, 1966, protecting Marines holding a bridge]
USS Basilone (DD-824) [Destroyer] [Operated on Saigon River, May 24-25, 1966]
USS Hamner (DD-718) [Destroyer] [Operated on Song Lon Tao and Long Song Tao Rivers, August 15-September 1, 1966]
USS Conway (DD-507) [Destroyer] [Operated on Saigon River, early August 1966]
USS Fiske (DD-842) [Destroyer] [Operated on Mekong River, June 16-21, 1966]
USS Black (DD-666) [Destroyer] [Operated on Saigon River, July 13-19, 1966]
USS Providence (CLG-6) [Cruiser, Light, Guided Missile] [Operated on Saigon River 3 days during January 1964]
USS Mahan (DLG-11) [Guided Missile Frigate] [Operated on Saigon River October 24-28, 1964]
USS Okanogan (APA-220) [Attack Transport][Operated on Saigon River July 22-23,29-30, 1968 and August 5-6, 1968]
USS Niagara Falls (AFS-3) [Combat Stores Ship] [Unloaded supplies on Saigon River and Cam Rahn Bay, April 22-25, 1968]

Update 1/6/2011

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Thank you, Bob

100% Disabled Vietnam Vet