Hi there KATHMANDU...

I'm unable to assist you with respect to what specific medical conditions were occasioned to the children of Vietnam Vets., post the conclusion of the Vietnam War.

My only suggestion I'm afraid, is that you contact the VVCS (Vietnam Veterans Counselling Service) in the capital city of your state.

They will most definitely provide you with any assistance they can. In fact, it's an entitlement for the immediate family of veterans to receive this professional assistance.

Apropos your Dad consigning his 'gongs' to the garbage can - this is sadly, a fairly common event with some veterans. I'm a veteran, and I've had thoughts along the same lines too.

Just today, I attended the DVA Office in the city, and had to wait while two Asian gentleman (possibly Vietnamese) were attended to by staff, ahead of me.

For a moment, I saw R E D, almost totally consummed with resentment and anger ! Apparently, veterans of wars that Australians were involved, ARE entitled to some LIMITED benefits from DVA too ?

Anyway, just for that brief moment, I nearly lost it.....believe me ! I'm NOT a raciest, but I am a Veteran, and that particular spectacle of these two harmless Vietnamese gentlemen apparently accessing our/my DVA benefits, and who have the temerity to actually trespass upon the venerated interior of a DVA facility, precipitately, regressed me back 40 odd years. As I say, I very nearly lost it !!

Interestingly, I did a bit over 28 years with the coppers too, after my military service. In that particular vocation, we're supposed to be reasoned and rational. Yeah....?

My impressions, perceptions, and conclusions, of those two Asian gentleman, were absolutely unreasonable, prejudiced and irrational!

Oh yes KATHMANDU lamentably, I've had to attended the VVCS on many many occasions in the distant and recent past.

"accessing our/my DVA benefits, and who have the temerity to actually trespass upon the venerated interior of a DVA facility, precipitately, regressed me back 40 odd years."

With all due respect o sung wu, Australia trespassed on Vietnamese territory, invaded their country and killed their people. Show some goddamned respect. Vietnamese, despite all the war crimes against them have treated Australian visitors very well overseas.

Thank you, Foxy, for your uplifting response to my email of 'whininess'. I cant tell you how much it meant to me. The website is very helpful and informative - thank you so much. As you mentioned about your cousin, my dad also refuses to talk about Vietnam to this day, although I know he was a front line Tunnel Rat and experienced the Tet Offensive. It seems many of the soldiers who saw a 'lot of action' over there are the quiet ones. Dad is on Government approved medication to help him sleep and cope with stress and was granted a full TPI 6 years ago when he was aged just 56.

Dear Kathmandu

The defoliant spraying of Vietnam was a crime against humanity. At least one manufacturer, Monsanto, was aware of the human health impacts as early as the ‘60s but continued to supply the US military with this chemical.

The relationship between government authorities and corporate human rights abusers is a significant and sometimes confusing issue. Governments cannot legally authorize corporations to violate human rights, but corporations often act as if government’s encouragement will suffice.

However, depleted uranium (DU) weaponry has been used against Iraq for the first time in the history of recent wars by concealment, denial and misleading information released by the Pentagon about the quantities, characteristics and the areas in Iraq, in which these weapons have been used.

Accordingly millions of Iraqis have received higher doses of radioactivity than ordinary background levels. As a result a multi-fold increase of low level radiation exposure related diseases have been registered since 1995. Documents now reveal an increase of children’s leukemia, congenital malformations, breast cancer etc.

Returning to the issue, I advise that man-made organochlorine substances such as Agent Orange are neurotoxins, potential human carcinogens, and endocrine disruptors. Dioxins are reported to be very potent teratogens and one need only witness the heinous deformities in some Vietnamese children.

Man-made organochlorines are bioaccumulative, have invaded the entire food chain and subsequent generations (at least in Vietnam) will continue to be afflicted. Our allied troops were "unwittingly" used as cannon fodder since organochlorines are transboundary and can travel for thousands of kilometres.

Researchers have written on the neurotoxic effect of dioxins in the human brain and suicide amongst victims are reported to be higher than the norm, even amongst farmers who have used these chemicals.

That this nation elects governments who continue to support conflicts where we and our allies commit chemical and radioactive warfare on the enemy and allies alike, is to our shame when we ("the good men") say nothing.

Best wishes in your endeavours Kathmandu and good health and happiness to our Vietnam vets.

Good to see your return to OLO, o sung wu.

http://www.mindfully.org/Pesticide/Monsanto-Coverup-Dioxin-USEPA15nov90.htm

http://digitaljournalist.org/issue0401/pjg33.html

3. whininess

what IS that of which you speak, steel?

why did you add it to my list?

First of all I would like to say thank you all for your information and support. I am so grateful for the interest and indepth comments you have all given - it makes me feel as though the outcomes the Vietnam War have produced for family members in my situation are at least recognised by some fellow Aussies! I have very very down days where I dont see the need to be around but then remind myself how bad it must be for my dad and how strong he must be to stand it all day in and day out. I am my father's daughter, and proud of it, and this alone has prevented me from ending it on many occasions. I would love to hear from any other Vet children in the same position if you are out there - I am storing all information I have been given and plan to use it in the future to help others. I used to feel such inner turmoil and anger towards governments who felt it was ok to draw my dad's birthdate out of a lotto draw and send him off for a death sentence in Vietnam but now I feel nothing, just emptiness and resignation, and that scares me the most as I watch my dad, a strong, intelligent man, deteriorate year after year to nothing before my eyes. All I ask is Why was it my dad? Why not someone elses? Why were Australians involved at all? At this point, I dont care about Agent Orange, I just care about surviving from one day to the next.