New Letter I sent OUT

Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Association
7065 W Ann Rd #130651
Las Vegas, NV 89130
 
October 1, 2018
           
There is a lot of talk is going on about how everyone doesn’t like the way H.R.299 is being funded and how it is unfair for some Veterans to pay around $350 a year more on their mortgage to pay for it. While I agree that it may not be the best way to do it, Congress has left us no choice and no other options.


I would like for you to look at in from a different angle. What about the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veteran that must go to the doctor and pay co-payments. In my case the amount I owed was over $2500. That may not seem like a lot to you , but when you are living on Social Security, that is a large amount. I had to go out and look for a job, so I could pay my medical bills after being forced retired. It got to a point where I no long could afford to go a VA doctor. It was so much that the VA decided to take a portion of my Social Security check so that I could pay it back faster. I am sure I am not the only one in this position. I know in the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Association we have many members who are hurting financially because of the cost of their medical care due to the being exposed to Agent Orange.


For some reason the VA seems they know better that any other government agencies. The following are three examples.


The VA says the cost of providing benefits to the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans is over $6.7 billion, yet the CBO estimates it is going to cost around 1 Billion over Ten Years. One agency expertise in spending money and the other agencies expertise is managing money. There are other estimates that the cost over ten years is under 1 Billion far under the VA estimate.


Back in 1991 a law was passed to give benefits to Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans, then is 1998 the VA in their wisdom decided to take away these benefits. Why was the VA allowed to basically rewrite a law that Congress had passed, and the President has signed?  


The VA is stating that they are going to doing more researching to check on the possibility of the Agent Orange exposure for Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans. Back in 1991 the following was written into Public Law No: 102-4 it: “Directs the Secretary, for facilitating research on the effects of exposure to herbicides used in Vietnam, to establish and maintain a system for the collection and storage of voluntarily contributed blood and tissue samples of veterans who served there. Provides for: (1) specimen security; (2) authorized use; (3) limitations on acceptance of samples; and (4) authority based on specific funding.” I , and all other Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans were covered under this law, Yet I know for a fact I was never contacted, and I will bet very few of the members of Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Association or Members of our Facebook page were contacted. Yet the VA claims they have a Commitment to all Veterans. We are still waiting for that, so how can we expect the VA to follow through with their “research”. Each day there is a delay, more Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans are dying.


This doesn’t only affect Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans but their family members. I have been contacted by a Widow that is very worried about making her house payment since losing her husband. She is close to losing her house.  Her husband died of an Agent Orange related disease. How can our government keep allowing this to happen? I know for a fact that if I don’t receive benefits before I die, my wife will be in the same position.
We Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans have waiting long enough, please let H.R. 299 go to a floor for a vote. The time has come to help the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans.


The Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Association is a non-profit tax-exempt group organized under Section 501[c][3] of the Internal Revenue Code. We assist and advice Veterans on current legislation, right now focusing on the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act.
 
I want to thank you for taking the time to read this. If you need any other information, please feel free to contact me at:
Email: commander@bluewaternavy.org
Phone: 408-803-0764
Sincerely,


Mike Yates
National Commander/Executive Director
Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veteran Association