Hi there....
I served on the USS Ranger (CVA-61) from 1961-1965. I am in the process of applying for my disability and one of the questions asked is if anyone on the Ranger at that time could prove that we were subjected to agent orange while cruising off the coast of Vietnam during that time. I remember several times bieng able to see the coast clearly as we were firing air strikes off the deck. I picked up the ship in Yokosuka in September (?) of 1961 and went directly to Yankee Station off the coast of Vietnam. We were bombing the Viet Cong as early as 1961.
Any information you have would be greatly appreciated
Thanks a lot....
Jack Smart
S-4 Division Disbursing
USS Ranger (CVA-61)
Replies
I have had another TIA and hospitalized 2 weeks 2 days. Second stroke and 1 heart attack. Agent orange, not anything else. Effected my right side.
HI Jack,
You Don't Me but I was over there when you were over there in Vietnam. You were on the USS RANGER CVA-61, I was on the USS MIDWAY CVA-41, back in 1965 to 1966. The USS MIDWAY CVA-41 WAS About Five or six miles from Vietnam, From our ship we were watching our fighter planes, dropping there BOMBS, that is how close we were to Vietnam. So yes, I know what you are talking about.
Our Ship and the USS CORAL Sea CVA-43, both ships were going thru discolored water at Yankee Station. Also our aircraft and I know your aircraft had A/O all over there planes. WE smelled, with that slimy oily substance, and we all broke out with Rashes all over are bodies.
I hope this help you, you did not lie, you are telling the truth. I forgot to mention to you there were two other Carriers over there also, they were the USS Hancock CVA-19, Of course the USS Ranger CVA-61. I hope this helps you.
Robert Turley
V-3 Division
USS MIDWAY CVA-41
Agent Orange Update From the 15 may 2015 RAO Bulletin. the court of Appeals for Veteran Claims has made a Landmark ruling that will help many Navy and Coast Guard Vets who have been Classified as Blue Water Sailors. the case was Gray vs McDonal and was decided on April 24 2015. this will greatly benefit many Vietnam navy veterans effected by Agent orange. in it they declared that the Harbors of Danang, Cam Ranh Bay and Vung Tau must now be Classified Brownd Water instead of Blue Water. Basically the courts said these ports were classified as deep water, but should have been classified as being in the spray area and not by the fact that large vessels could enter them. The V.A. must now declare all vessels that entered these harbors as dioxin (AO ) EXPOSED and compensate the sailors on them that have presumptive diseases that are recognized as having their genesis in AO exposure. in regard to service in mouth of rivers, such as minesweepers ,the court said that even the VA secretay declard that there is no definite boundaries of river mouths, thereford they cannot just make a decision by flipping a coin ass to what vessels were exposed and which were not. I will stop here you can look up the rest on www.veteransresources.org/wp-cntent/uploads/201515-pdf-edition.pdf God bless. hope this well help. benito Garcia.
Thanks Benito.
If the outer islands extent the territorial seas of Vietnam, then we "Blue Water" veterans have a win. The DVA will fine away to manipulate the issue.
I'm looking for any shipmates that can remember and testify to a Working party involving me, 2 or 3 More shipmates, a winch operator, 3 55 gallon drums, and our 1st lieutenant Vadinsky. Time is of the essence. I've been fighting this fight with the VA for several years and my time is about to run out. If you reply to this you will be talking to either my son, daughter, or sister as I am not only 99 percent blind but also computer illiterate. Thank you very much, Bonner
I just had a Navy Veteran retired CPO, who was on the USS Kitty Hawk in Vietnam. He has had diabeties for years and just lost his left leg. The VA raised his disability, but told him it was'nt because of Agent Orange!!!! Deny deny deny NAVY, that is what they are about. I was just approved by National Veterans Administration for Ischemic Heart or CAD, have'nt heard one word from Wisconsin Veterans Affairs !! I was Navy on the US Fred T Berry DD 858 in 1996 in Vietnam and they called me ERA!
Alvin try the following website: http://www.bluewaternavy.org/shiplocater.htm
John Paul Rossie and other veterans have devised a program to locate carriers within the 12 mile territorial water limit of Vietnam by entering the co-ordinates from the carriers deck logs. Several carriers were within the limits.
Ships that were inside Territorial Water of Viet Nam 12 miles
Ship
Date
Bennington
Dec 66, May '68
Bon Homme Richard
August '69, Oct. 1970
Constellation
Jun '66
Coral Sea
Jan '69, Dec 71
Hancock
Dec '68, 4/29-4/30 '75
Hornet
Jul '67
Independence
Sept'65
Intrepid
May, Jun, Jul, Aug '66
Oriskany
Jun '66 Jul '66, Sept '70, July '72, Oct '72
Ranger
Dec '69
Saratoga
May'72
Shangri La
Jun '70
Ticonderoga
Nov '65, Jan Feb Mar '66, Jun '68
Yorktown
Feb '66, Mar '68
Dennis