I am a Daughter of a Vet. I have two children of my own.
Cut a long story short, I attended my Pops funeral a long time ago. People that I didn't even know said to me "So, you are the agent orange baby". This was my introduction to the Vietnam War. I suffer from numerous ailments, most that have no reason to be with me. I was not supposed to be able to have kids. I did. But not without extreme problems and unfortunately can't have more. As an adult, I can now see how PDST ruled my Father, Mother, Brother and myself.
I see how it has and still affects my life, and now my childrens life. I am so proud of my Father. He had a job to do, and he represented my country. I passionately beleive that research needs to be carried out on the children, and hence the Grandchildren of Vets. Not necessarily for compensation, but for an understanding of why, I guess "we are different".
Good luck to you all.

I am the daughter of a Vietnam veteran and have a rare form of cutaneous lymphoma known to affect those veterans exposed to agent orange in Vietnam. I was conceived after my father returned from his time in Vietnam. Its obvious that this chemical is the cause of my lymphoma but no one wants to admit it. Its about time the health study regarding children of vietnam veterans got off the ground and the truth came out!

You guys need to nail this one down with the tightest research with controls etc. Accept nothing less. And if it has not already been done, go for a detailed audit of every pill and additive ever fed to you. More power to your arm.

As part of a naval dive team operating in Sth east Asia in the 60's, being involved in high stress situations was common. These situations, required extreme concentration, dependence on your training and those around you.

In combat, stress is to the fore front of ones being, yet can't be allowed to effect you. When the stress around you is released, the stress inside come bubbling out and the struggle for control begins and continues throughout life.

My children have little contact with me, nor does my family or ex friends. I cope by being a recluse, not getting involved, fighting for sleep and closure on my nightmares, battling constant desires to lockup, secure, be aware and prepared. I used to self medicate, which would give windows of opportunity to communicate with others. But it doesn't solve anything.

The Viet, veterans, are from an era where they were not going to be told to shut up an get on with it as in the past, but those in power have no understanding as to what effect there has been, upon those they sent to fight their wars.

For those that serve on active service that have strong ideologies, the effects can be more dramatic as their ideologies collapse under the weight of the massive death and destruction that surrounds them,so they begin to collapse within. There are lots of forms of PTSD, and they have varying effects.

In civilian life most PTSD is caused by single short term incidences. Whilst on active service, the incidences can continue for hours, days, weeks, months and even years with little respite. This is what veterans have had to contend with, not single moments of high stress and danger, but continuing episodes with no escape or rescue. No wonder they all have such long term debilitating life styles. How do you compensate someone for losing their minds to internal calamity.

Our internal fight goes on day after to day, coming home didn't fix it and the powers that be, only exasperate it by their ignorance

I am the wife of a Vietnam Veteran and mother of three adult children. My eldest daughter suffers extremely high blood pressure and various unexplained rashes. She is presently being treated for eye problems (severe failing sight in both eyes) and deafness in one ear. She also had too small a pelvis to give birth naturally and had to have caesarian births. The cause of these two recent problems are being investigated but to date no answers. My second child has suffered severe depression and been on medication for this and also receives counselling. He has Type 1 Diabetes and stomach ulcers. My youngest daughter has high blood pressure, a heart murmur and suspected Lupus as she has a very low immune system. She too has suffered depression, a breakdown and has been on medication for this.

My husband is one of five children. None of his brothers or their children have any medical problems. None of the problems our children suffer are hereditary. This all tells me we have a very serious problem with children of Vietnam Veterans.

Joey

It is good to see such interest in this important issue.
Many have asked...why Vietnam veterans only? The sons and daughters of Vietnam veterans are at an appropriate age for a health study.
The members of COVVHS ( Children of Vietnam Veterans Health Study,Inc.)hope that the outcomes of any study into the health of Vietnam veterans children will give a better understanding to the Australian government, of the impact that war (and Peacekeeping) service has, not only on the servicemen,but also on their families. We hope measures will then be put in place so that these continuing health problems in many of our children, can be rectified for future generations of servicepersons children.
Do we have a "victim" mentality? I do not believe that most do. There are some whose lives are hell and will rightly feel that they are victims of a terrible wrong!
As long ago as the Crimean war, it has been observed that war service damages men and through them their families. Far from being victims, we are informing the general community and Government of the significant effect we believe war service has on the sons and daughters of veterans; something that for generations until now, has been kept quiet!