DO I LOOK LIKE I WAS ONLY BORN YESTERDAY?
WHAT IS AGENT ORANGE ????
Agent Orange was a toxic, plant-killing chemical (herbicide) that the U.S. military used to clear foliage during the Vietnam conflict. Exposure to the herbicide causes Agent Orange effects, which include cancer, congenital (birth) disorders and life-threatening health complications.
I have read many claims for agent orange exposure at Fort Gordon that were denied at the VA Regional Office and denied again at the Board of Veterans appeals. Those searchable prior BVA decisions are available at the BVA search prior decisions web site. You can type into the search block contained in the below site the words Fort Gordon Agent Orange to view the BVA Fort Gordon granted and denied claims that I am refering to.
MY WIN, THE VERY FIRST CLAIM FOR AGENT ORANGE EXPOSURE AT A MILITARY POST OR BASE INSIDE THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES can be found at the following link.
https://www.va.gov/vetapp09/files5/0941553.txt
The BVA Veterans Law Judges, in denying a claim for agent orange exposure at Fort Gordon describe the conceded spray and test area of July 15-17, 1967 as being confined to a three acre plot. Most agent orange exposure claims have been denied for the reason that the veteran arrived at Fort Gordon sometime after the test dates.
James M. Cripps, circa 2015
I have read many Fort Gordon agent orange claims that were denied because the veteran arrived at Fort Gordon a few days, weeks, months, or even years after the conceded July 15-17, 1967 test spray dates. I have read many other cases where the veteran was granted agent orange exposure when the veteran arrived on post as much as five years after the conceded dates. There is no rhyme, reason or justification for such a wide range in the decisions. A few examples can be viewed by clicking the links below.
Here is a granted case for exposure six months after the conceded testing. https://www.va.gov/vetapp23/Files5/A23010031.txt
here is another granted case for exposure less than 1 month after conceded testing. https://www.va.gov/vetapp23/Files2/23011782.txt
Here is claim granted for exposure more than five years after the conceded testing. https://www.va.gov/vetapp22/Files3/22013091.txt
A denied case, this Veteran was stationed in Fort Gordon during and after the herbicide agent testing from June 8, 1967 to September 12, 1967 and from April 2, 1968 to April 12, 1968. https://www.va.gov/vetapp18/files9/18137634.txt
It is probable that I am, if not the last living witness, one of the last living witnesses as to what actually took place at Fort Gordon concerning the use of tactical herbicides, Agent Orange, Agent Blue and Agent White in 1967, 68, and up until March 4th 1969when I left Fort Gordon and was deployed to Germany.
A picture of my lower torso on the operating table, mid operation, in July, 2020, at the Nashville VAMC. The gloved haand is squeezing my bladder in order to empty it. I had to be reconstructed from my knees to my navel. The Fournier’s Gangrene was caused by the Chloracne, the Diabetes, and the prescribed medication thereof. All secondary to agent orange exposure at Fort Gordon. The Fournier’s Gangrene literally ate me alive.
I was a US Army MP Game Warden stationed at Fort Gordon from September 22, 1967 until March 4, 1969. I actually arrived on post two months after the July 15-17 test spray dates. I spent some time on patrol in the test atea, training area 47, as part of my duty to systmatically patrol the entire post in my job as a MP Game Warden.
FORT GORDON GAME WARDEN
The Veterans Law Judges seem to want to minimize the incident and the probability of exposure by stating that only three acres were involved in the testing, when in actuality, multiple three acre plots were involved totaling almost one hundred acres. In support of the involvement of more than a three acre plot, consider the amount of herbicides involved in the testing as described below.
Alvin L. Young, Ph. D, the trusted professor and government contractor who was hired to study, summarize, report and document the spraying and testing states that 475 gallons of tactical herbicides blue, 95 gallons of orange and six gallons of white were used on each test area. Alvin Young’s report on the testing at Fort Gordon is revealed further down in this thread.
My name on the Agent Orange Wall Of Honor located in Springfield TN. Sixth name from top right.
Those amounts would be the concentrated defoliants contained and transported in the color banded steel fifty five gallon drums. The concentrate had to be diluted by mixing with Diesel fuel, as it was soluble in oil. The Agents Blue and White were diluted using water as they were soluble soluble in water. Given the afore mentioned, we are now talking about many hundreds of gallons of defoliant being applied to a single three acre plot? Also, reasonably, there would be no need to use a Bell G-2 helicopter with two forty gallon tanks and two twenty six foot booms to spray a single three acre plot.
Dr. Dewey Dunn is the VA Medical Center Nashville Environmental Clinician. He is considered by the VA to be an agent orange expert. Dr. Dunn preforms agent orange exams and says that my chloracne is a,”tell tale sign”, or a “bio- marker”, for my agent orange exposure.
True, the tactical herbicides that were used in the testing were applied by Fort Detric personnel, and they brought the uncut product with them. What has not been discussed is the fact that all of the herbicides were not used up in the testing conducted by the airel Bell G-2 helicopter spraying. Also consider the fact that hand pumps were used to extract the product from the steel drums. The hand pumps were not capable of pumping all of the product from the drum. two to three unreachable gallons always remained in the bottom of the, so called, “empty drum”.
Pictured above is the cover of a novel written by a Vanderbilt Professor, Kaylon Bruner Tran. She devoted chapter 67 in her three book series novel to recognize my first CONUS agent orange win. My case happened to be the very first case to be granted for agent orange exposure at a military post or base inside the Continental United States.
Seemingly the words desiccants are always used along with in house mixtures in order to minimize. A desicant is a drying agent. An in house mixture simply meant that the herbicides were cut and mixed on sight. Piclorium was also used in the mixture in order to extend the time before the liquids dried, giving it a better chance of being absorbed into the soil.
In my job as a MP Military Game Warden, I was not your every day,”run of the mill MP”. I reported to and worked directly under the orders of the Provost Marshal. In addition to MP Game Warden, I was also appointed as a Deputy Sheriff of Augusta and Richmond County Georgia. I had orders to work in close association and relationship with the Fort Gordon Fish and Wildlife Division, The Fort Gordon Post Engineer, and the Fort Gordon Forestry Division.
At the time,1967-1969, there were only two asigned Fort Gordon MP Game Wardens and we worked oposite shifts, 12 hours on duty and 24 hours off duty, but avaliable on a on standby basis 24/7. We were asigned as Game Wardens, we were not formerly trained as MPs. We did not attend training with the 140th MP company and we were the only two Fort Gordon MPs who were asigned to Headquarters Company and not the 140th MP Company. In addition to the PM arm bands we wore badges on our breast pocket, identifying us as Fort Gordon Game Wardens. My Badge number was #6.
My classic 1948 Ford F-1 Agent Orange truck.
I was instructed to use up the herbicides that were contained in fifty five gallon drums and stored in a forestry shed. I was assigned a M151-A1 Jeep and a 1967 Ford Bronco. My radio call sign was 18 Alpha. both of my MP vehicles were clearly marked “Game Warden”.
Having no means to transport a 55 gallon drum in my assigned military vehicles, I pumped the herbicides from the steel fifty five gallon drums into smaller five gallon drums. I diluted the herbicides as instructed and transported them to a maintenance shed which was located inside the controlled lakes area and situated on Little Beaver Pond.
Upon the filing of my claim for agent orange exposure while working as a game Warden at Fort Gordon in 1967-1969, I was initially denied for the reason that I claimed to be a Game Warden but the record only revealed that I was a 95B20, an MP.
Hood art on my 1957 Chevrolet Nomad. Note the scene in the tear drop.
There was no doubt in my mind that I needed to travel back to Fort Gordon in order to prove my case. I needed to prove that, not only was I a Game Warden but that I was, without a doubt, exposed to agent orange and other tactical herbicides in the performance of my military duty.
On October 11th, 2006, my wife and I arrived on post, Fort Gordon Georgia. We began the task of gathering the needed evidence in support of my claim. I met with the Post Commandant, The Adjutant General, current Chief Game Warden, the Instillation Forester, and the retired Chief Post Engineer who happened to be the Engineer while I was stationed there. The Engineer remembered me by name as being the Fort Gordon Game Warden. I managed to secure written statements from each of those prominent and impeccable witnesses. Those statments in support of my claim eventually led to the successful appeal before the Board of Veterans Appeals on November 2nd, 2009.
Camp Crockett was established in late 1967 on the Fort Gordon Military reservation for the training of soldiers, preparatory to Airborne and Special Forces schools during the Vietnam war.
Located on an isolated part of the installation, the camp included a mockup of a village set up to look like one that would be encountered in Vietnam. The Vietnam Village at Camp Crockett in 1967 was a training site used for various purposes, including tactical tasks such as guerrilla and counter-guerrilla warfare. Soldiers training at the camp were housed in quonset huts, one of which served as a field kitchen.
Abandoned in 1969, the locations of the quonset huts are marked by concrete slabs in a pine forest planted as part of a reforestation project instituted in 1970.
In 2010, news reports indicated that Agent Orange herbicide was applied by helicopter to 98 acres of Training Area 47 in July 1967 prior to the establishment of Camp Crockett. Camp Crockett had no showers in the company area. The troops had to go down to Lower Leitner lake to shower in unfiltered lake water. In order to avoid the long lines at the showers, most soldiers chose to take a bath while swimming in the lake.
Notice the proximity of Camp Crockett quonsit huts to the chain of controled lakes. Leitner lake showers were just down the hill from the quonsit huts.
Lower Leitner lake was the last downstream lake in a chain of thirteen lakes and is situated downstream from Little Beaver pond where I stored my stash of herbicides. Ninety percent of my defoliation duties were conducted inside the controled lakes area to include all of the lakes contained therein.
Where did all the brave soldiers go?
The mock Vietnam Village
The perimeter of the mock Vietnam Village was also defoliated. I was not personaly involved in the defoliation there, but I did witness the spraying operations around the perimeter. I am aware of at least one claim for agent orange exposure that was granted for agent orange exposure at the mock Vietnam Village location.
Hopefully, soon after the end of the 2023 year, early Janurary, WRDW, Chanel 12 TV in Augusta Georgia will broadcast an investigative news special report on the Fort Gordon Agent Orange subject. On 12/20/2023, I completed my interviews with the reporters. I have already submitted the supporting evidence to the TV station. After the airing of that news story, I will post evidence here that shows a likleyhood that those herbicides that I did not have time to use up before being deployed to Germany remaind where I left them in the shead on the bank of Little Beaver pond until the mid 1980s.
It would be feasible, and “at least as likely as not”, that anyone who was assigned at Camp Crockett for AIT training was exposed to tactical herbicides orange, white, and blue. Anyone who trained at the former mock Vietnam Village could have been exposed to tactical herbicides orange, blue and or white. In addition to the above, anyone who entered the controlled lakes area for recreation and/or fishing would have met with the likleyhood of exposure to tactical herbicide orange, blue and/or white. The time frame of exposure at the above mentioned locations would have been between July 15, 1967 and the mid 1980s, when the Instillation Forester swore in a statement that he found my stash of herbicides on Little Beaver Pond.
I am a 100% disabled veteran. I have been rated as R-2 veteran for many years. I draw compensation at the maximum benefit rate, therefore, I stand to neither gain or lose anything by divulging the foregoing or the following information and documentation.
My 1986 M-39 5 ton Military truck.
The following report of the testing at Fort Gordon (site 21) by Alvin L. young can be found at the following website;
https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA534602.pdf
The History of the US
Department of Defense
Programs for the Testing,
Evaluation, and Storage
of Tactical Herbicides
December 2006
Submitted by
Alvin L. Young, Ph. D.
for
Office of the Under Secretary of Defense
William Van Houten
Crystal Gateway 2, Suite 1500
1225 Jefferson Davis Highway
Arlington, VA 22202
Contract No. DAAD19-02-D-0001
TCN 05204/D.O. 0691
Battelle Columbus A. L. Young Consulting, Inc.
Prime Contractor Subcontractor
Standard Form 298 (Rev. 8-98)
Prescribed by ANSI-Std Z39-18
REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Form Approved
OMB No. 0704-0188
- REPORT DATE (DD-MM-YYYY)
15-00-2006 - REPORT DATE
FINAL REPORT - DATES COVERED (From – To)
FROM: 24 Aug 06 TO:15 Dec 06
5a. CONTRACT NUMBER
DAAD19-02-D-0001
5b. GRANT NUMBER - TITLE AND SUBTITLE
The History of the US Department of Defense Programs for the Testing,
Evaluation, and Storage of Tactical Herbicides
5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER
5d. PROJECT NUMBER
5e. TASK NUMBER
- AUTHOR(S)
Alvin L. Young, Ph.D.
5f. WORK UNIT NUMBER - PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES)
A. L. Young Consulting, Inc.
1810 Tranquility Road
Cheyenne, WY 82009 - PERFORMING ORGANIZATION
REPORT NUMBER
Delivery Order 0691 - SPONSOR/MONITOR’S ACRONYM(S)
ARO - SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES)
U. S. Army Research Office
P. O. Box 12211
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 11. SPONSORING/MONITORING
AGENCY REPORT NUMBER
TCN 05204 - DISTRIBUTION AVAILABILITY STATEMENT
Public Release - SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES
Task was performed under a Scientific Services Agreement issued by Battelle Chapel Hill Operations, 50101 Governors
Drive, Suite 110, Chapel Hill, NC 27517 - ABSTRACT
Early in 2006, the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) requested that the Department of Defense (DoD) provide: “a official compilation of locations and dates outside of Vietnam where the Department used herbicide agents, including Agent Orange, as well as locations and dates where DoD personnel were likely exposed to these agents.” The intent of this request was to obtain information that may be important in evaluating the merits of many veterans’ disability claims.
Various estimates have circulated on the Internet as to the number of sites where veterans may have been exposed to Agent Orange and “other herbicides” used in Vietnam. There is, however, significant confusion by veterans and by the Department of Veterans Affairs as to the distinction between “commercial herbicides” used by the DoD and “tactical herbicides” used by the DoD. - The belief that commercially available herbicides were simply purchased from the chemical companies and deployed directly to Vietnam is incorrect and contrary to historical records. Tactical Herbicides were herbicides developed specifically by the United States Department of Defense to be used in “combat operations.” The
history of the military development and use of tactical herbicides dates to World War II. During the Korean Conflict, the DoD developed the first major tactical herbicide, Herbicide Purple, although never deployed. Subsequently, for Vietnam the DoD developed, tested, evaluated, and deployed five additional tactical herbicides, Herbicide Pink, Herbicide Green, Herbicide Blue, Herbicide Orange, and Herbicide White. This report discusses the history of the development of the tactical herbicides, how they differed from commercial herbicides, and where they were tested, evaluated, stored, used (in the case of Korea in 1968) OUTSIDE of Vietnam. Additionally, the report discusses the final disposition of Herbicide
Orange after Vietnam. The report contains 32 leaflets identifying different locations or multiple locations involved in same
projects (e.g., Leaflet 19 identifies 5 locations in Texas), or the multiple use of a specific location (e.g. Eglin Air Force
DOD TACTICAL HERBICIDE SITES
Site 21
Location: Fort Gordon, Augusta, Georgia
Fort Chaffee, Fort Smith, Arkansas
Apalachicola National Forest, Sopchoppy, Florida
Date → July 1967 – October 1967
Activity Description: During the period December 1966 to October 1967, the newly named “Plant Science Laboratories” at Fort Detrick initiated a comprehensive short-term project to evaluate desiccants and herbicidal mixtures as rapid-acting defoliants. The objectives of this study were to evaluate rapid-acting desiccants as defoliants and to assess the defoliation response of woody vegetation to mixtures of herbicides and/or desiccants. The criteria for assessment was based principally on rapidity of action, but included other features such as safety and ease of handling, compatibility with dissemination systems, and low toxicity to man and wildlife.
The approach to the objective of an improved rapid-acting defoliant involved three phases: (1) evaluation of commercially available rapid desiccants or contact herbicides;
(2) evaluation of improved formulations of rapid desiccants developed under industry contacts and by in-house effort; (3) development and evaluation of desiccant-herbicide mixtures containing the rapid defoliant characteristics with the sustained long-term effects of Orange and other Tactical Herbicides. The project required an immediate access to a diversity of woody vegetation. Accordingly, Fort Detrick arranged for test locations at Fort Gordon near Augusta, Georgia; Fort Chaffee near Fort Smith, Arkansas, and Apalachicola National Forest near Sopchoppy, Florida.
The Georgia site was described as a warm temperate, humid, moderate rainfall climate with deep, well-drained sands in rolling topography. The vegetation type was an oakhickory-pine forest. The Arkansas site was described as a temperate continental, moderate rainfall climate with fine sandy loam soils in rolling topography. The vegetation type was an oak-hickory forest. The Apalachicola National Forest site was
described as a subtropical, humid, moderate precipitation climate with sandy soils in a flat poorly drained topography. The vegetation type was described as a Southern mixed forest. All sites were selected because of their isolation from any local human
populations, e.g., in Florida, the site was a ridge located in a swamp forest.
Assessment: The desiccants selected for evaluation included Herbicide Blue (atactical herbicide), and the commercial desiccants diquat, paraquat, dinitrobutylphenol 50 (DNBP), pentachlorophenol (PCP), hexachloroacetone (HCA), and monosodium methanearsonate (MSMA), pentachloro-pentenoic acid (AP-20), endothall, and various
mixed formulations of these desiccants. The systemic herbicides included the two tactical herbicides Orange and White; the potassium salt, triisopropanolamine salts, and the isooctyl ester of picloram; and, a ethylhexyl ester of 2,4,5-T mixed with HCA. Mixtures
of propanil, nitrophenol, linuron, and silvex were also evaluated. All chemicals were furnished by Fort Detrick.
Aerial application at these three sites were made with a Bell G-2 helicopter equipped with two 40-gallon tanks and a 26-foot boom with 6-inch nozzle positions adaptable for volume deliveries of 3, 6, or 10 gallons per acre in a 50-foot swath. Spray equipment, pilot, and support were furnished under contract with Allied Helicopter Service of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Aerial applications were made on duplicate 3-acre plots, 200 by 660 feet in dimension. A sampling and evaluation trail was established in each plot on a diagonal beginning at 100 feet from one corner. Major species were marked along 500 feet of this transect and individual plants were identified by combinations of colored plastic ribbons. A minimum of 10 individuals of each species was marked unless fewer were present. Evaluations were made at 1-, 5-, 10-, 30-, and 60-day intervals by experienced Fort Detrick personnel. At each evaluation period the identical marked individuals of the
major species were rated for defoliation and desiccation. At each location, approximately 475 gallons (~10 drums) of Herbicide Blue, 95 gallons (~2 drums) of Herbicide Orange,and 6 gallons of Herbicide White were expended.
The assistance of Department of Army forestry personnel at Fort Gordon, Fort Chaffee, and the 3rd and 4th Army Headquarters were acknowledged in the report for their support in the selection and preparation of sites in Georgia and Arkansas. The land and facilities
for the Florida tests were provided by the Supervisor, Apalachicola National Forest, Tallahassee, Florida. Personnel from the Physical Sciences Division, Fort Detrick assisted in the development of formulations and preparations of field test mixtures. They
also provided the data on the physical characteristics of the candidate tactical defoliants and mixtures.
Sources: Darrow RA, Frank JR, Martin JW, Demaree, KD, Creager RA (1971): Field
Evaluation of Desiccants and Herbicide Mixtures as Rapid Defoliants. Technical Report
114, Plant Sciences Laboratories, Fort Detrick, Frederick, Maryland. Document
unclassified but subject to special export control. Available from the Defense
Documentation Center, Accession Number AD 880685
Game Warden’s parking at Fort Gordon Provost Marshal’s Office. 2006
In order to substantiate what I am saying in this thread, below are some of the documents of support. More will be added at a later date.
I wrote the following letter to the Fort Gordon Adjutant General in 2006.
I received the following letter in answer to my letter to the Adjutunt General.
Fort Gordon controled lakes area map. My storage building where I stored herbicides was on the East side of little Beaver Pond and just across the access road close to the dam. .
The Fort Gordon area 47 test area consisted of multiple three acre plots. More than 576 gallons of uncut,not yet deluted, concentrate was used. There would have been, at the least, thirteen 55 gallon steel drums used.
As explained below, Dioxin is said to be water fearing and fat loving.
The following is a letter written in support of my claim by the formost authoritive expert on the subject of agent orange in Vietnam and the United States.
The following is a statement written for me in 2006 by the Fort Gordon Chief Post Engineer. He was the Engineer when I was stationed there as a Game Warden and remembered me by name as being the Fort Gordon Game Warden.
The following statement was written by the 2006 Fort Gordon Game Warden.
With his permission, I took this picture of the Fort Gordon Game Warden in 2006.
This letter was written in support of my claim by the Director of the Georgia Pesticide Division Director.
Check for updates to this thread at later dates!
VA THE REDNECK WAY, YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO IT ALONE! 