Well grounded Agent Orange claim?

Question:

I serve in the Army from 1981-1984. There was only one reading of my blood pressure in the 3 years period. I have been to sick call a few times in that time. In 1982, I visited an Air Force Base in which a C-123 Aircraft Carrier was grounded. I was told that it carried the Agent Orange. On 10/20/2011, I had an Aortic Aneurysm or Aortic Dissection. A graft mess was replaced because the walls were splitting and the blood was not flowing properly. It was a type A ascending operation. The questions I have are 1. Is there a claim? 2. How do I prove I was at the AFB? 3. Is this a 100% claim?

Jim's Reply:

There isn't any obvious claim to my eyes. There isn't anything you mention that is presumptive to agent orange even if you could prove you were exposed by a brief visit with an unknown aircraft.

To claim that you've suffered an aortic aneurysm because you were exposed to agent orange would require that you first prove that there was an aircraft in your proximity that was carrying or had carried agent orange. You would need to obtain all your travel or TDY records from NPRC.  https://www.archives.gov/personnel-records-center

If you could prove any or all of that you'd then have to prove the degree of exposure you suffered. If you flew in the aircraft or maintained the spraying mechanism, you might have a claim. If you were at the tower and it was 100 yards away on the field...not so much. You may need a "buddy statement" verifying the degree you were exposed.

Then you would need an expert witness...a physician...who could offer testimony that your aneurysm was caused, contributed to or aggravated by the exposure to agent orange that you've documented to the record.

It's my opinion that you're one of the unfortunate ones who had a bad disease...an aortic aneurysm is a tough one to endure. I don't see any way to service connect that though. Sometimes the bad things that happen to us aren't because of our service, it's just life coming on strong and whether you're a civilian or a veteran, it happens.