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Letters to the EditorSaturday, July 19, 2008 12:01 AM CDT
Agent Orange exposure still killing veterans
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Recently many people visited the Vietnam Traveling Wall at Eastview Christian Church. This was a very heartwarming experience for the veterans as well as for families and friends.

There was another memorial that was not advertised and people missed it. It was behind the Wall and was called the Quilt of Tears.

This is a memorial to recognize and honor our veterans who have died and are diagnosed with diseases caused from Agent Orange exposure.

This was an emotional visit for me as well as for family members. Agent Orange was a chemical sprayed in Vietnam and along the DMZ in Korea to kill vegetation and foliage. Our soldiers were exposed to this not knowing what would occur later in life. We did what we were ordered to do to survive.

Our government has covered this up for years. It took me over two years to get into the VA for my screening. I know of one family that has lost two brothers from Agent Orange. Their pictures and stories were placed at the Wall for viewing.

There are many stories similar to this family's.

The sister told me she felt like she was spending time with her brothers.

We lost over 58,000 in Vietnam. We have lost as many to Agent Orange since the war. I will always honor our casualties but we have to look to our veterans that are dying daily from this disease. Their names are not added to the Wall.

Check out the Agent Orange Quilt of Tears Web site. In closing, freedom is not free. Again the soldier pays the cost. Thank a veteran for his or her service to our great country.

Roger Dyson

Bloomington

The writer is vice president, Manchu Association - 9th Infantry Regiment Association.

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Reader comments on this story - 3 total

Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.

Jarhead71 wrote on Jul 20, 2008 9:22 AM:

" Agent orange has caused many Vietnam veterans' children to be deaf or profoundly hearing impaired. Nothing has EVER been done to assist these deaf and hard of hearing children of Vietnam vets exposed to agent orange. The really sad thing is, that this is a well known fact in Vietnam and in VA circles, yet nothing was done and nothing will be done. Thank you America for your support of Vietnam veterans. "

mryblessent wrote on Jul 19, 2008 12:37 PM:

" THANK YOU!! It was about time someone said it! There were other things to see while the Wall was here, and people were not informed about the tents behind the Walll. We can thank The Pantagraph for informing our community about the schedule for the Wall, they printed a schedule, but they did not receive said schedule from the Fifty Flags Living Memorial who was helping to make arrangements and scheduling events related to the Wall coming to Bloomington-Normal. In my opinion, The Pantagraph totally dropped the ball when it came to informing the public about the schedule of events at the Wall! "

ktlin wrote on Jul 19, 2008 8:55 AM:

" What are some of the names of the related diseases caused by agent orange. How do you know if you just contracted some disease or if it goes back to agent orange. Since it has been 40 years or so? And why do you think they all weren't affected? "

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