Vietnam Vet Denied Compensation For Agent Orange Exposure

It's a health condition that 800,000 Vietnam War veterans have, but some can't get help for Agent Orange exposure.

During the Vietnam War, the U.S. military sprayed about 20 million gallons of the chemical in Vietnam to kill plant life. One Blair Count veteran, Jim Vance, said he was exposed to Agent Orange and is suffering side effects from it, but said he can't get medical coverage for treatment.

Vance told WJAC he was denied help at the Veterans Administration hospital in Altoona. Officials at the VA said they do serve veterans who are suffering side effects from Agent Orange, but because of a technicality in the law, they can only help certain veterans -- those who actually had their boots on the ground.

Vance served on an aircraft carrier off the coast of Vietnam and never stepped foot on the soil. However, he said he was exposed to Agent Orange and has a handful of diseases the chemical causes like peripheral neuropathy which makes his hands shake.

"I need some backing. I need the sailors that have it (to) get a hold of their senators, get a hold of theirf congressmen and everything. Keep bugging them," Vance said.

The legislation has been argued for years. Representatives in Washington said the law is still up in the air. Stay with WJACTV.com, WJACTV.com Mobile and WJAC-TV News for continuing coverage.

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