​Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Association
7065 W Ann Rd #130651
Las Vegas, NV 89130
 
September 17, 2018
Honorable Johnny Isakson
Chairman, Senate Veterans Affairs Committee
412 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
 
Dear Mr. Chairman;
            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 am writing to you in response to Secretary Wilkie’s letter of September 6, 2018 concerning H.R.299. This letter along with the testimony of Under Secretary Paul Lawrence on August 1, 2018 before the Senate Veterans Affairs concerning the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act (H.R.299) goes against the Mission Statement and Core Values of the Veteran Affairs Committee, which I will place at the end of this letter (this was taken off their Website).
The Mission Statement is as follows:
            To fulfill President Lincoln's promise “To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan” by serving and honoring the men and women who are America’s Veterans.
 
This is a Nobel statement that needs to be modified to include “with the exception of Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans”. Yes, they will give us care to a certain extent but not the same as the ones they classify as “Boots on the Ground”. I fully believe that these Veterans deserve the benefits that they receive but I also believe that the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans also deserve the benefits.
The Core Statement: 
There are also many parts of the Core Statement that needs to be changed. The following statement from then Core statement would be very powerful if it was true. The statement is “The core values define “who we are,” our culture, and how we care for Veterans and eligible beneficiaries. Our values are more than just words”. Secretary Wilkie, in his letter and Under Secretary Paul Lawrence statement on August 1, 2018 makes it clear that they need to change this statement. To them that statements is just words, since they have not told the whole truth in the letter and Testimony. Action as of truly believing this code needs to be shown.
Some samples are as follows:
The Science Does Support the Presumption That Those Who Served in the Bays, Harbors and Territorial Seas of the Republic of Vietnam Were Exposed to Agent Orange
 
The VA has decided to just pick certain statements from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) reports and disregard other statements. The VA stated:
 
In 2011, the Institute of Medicine (IOM), now the National Academy of Medicine, reviewed all available scientific evidence and concluded that exposure among Blue Water Navy Veterans “cannot reasonably be determined”. However, they failed to state the rest of the paragraph:  “Given the available evidence, the committee recommends that members of the Blue Water Navy should not be excluded from the set or Vietnam-era veterans with presumed herbicide exposure.”
 
Now, I must ask, does this fit their Core Statement of Integrity. It is one statement that shows that their Core Statements are just words.
 
Their next Core Statement is Commitment. It seems they are committed to make sure that Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans are NOT covered. While not the fault of the currant leadership of the VA, the problems started a long time ago. In Public Law No: 102-4 it states: “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 am, 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 our Facebook page were contacted. Yet the VA claims they have a Commitment to all Veterans.
 
Their next Core Statement is Advocacy. They may advocate for Veterans but not for Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans. It appears they work against us. They are working hard to make sure we are not covered. They are willing to wait while more Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans die to do more research, which will be done at the end of next year. Will they work to use those facts to make sure we aren’t covered. With the history of Cherry-Picking statement for Reports, I am concerned that this report may not include the majority of Blue Water Navy Veterans alive resulting in a poor outcome for us.
 
Their next Core Statement is Respect. I do have to say that when I go to a VA facility here in Las Vegas I feel I get Respect from the people that are serving me. I talk to other Veterans both here and in Other Facilities throughout the county and most do get respect. There are some facilities that are having problems and I hope they will be corrected. Where we are not getting respect is from the Leadership of the VA. They will mis-quote or delete or not include important statements from the letters and testimony to suit them. How is that respect?
 
Their next Core Statement is Excellence. This Core Statement I will break into two parts. The first part is “Strive for the highest quality and continuous improvement.” Again, here in Las Vegas I feel the people that serve me in the VA facilities try to live up to this, I know that is not the case in other facilities, I just hope that the one that don’t live up to that statement will be removed from the any facility that is not living up to that statement.
 
The second part of the Statement is “Be thoughtful and decisive in leadership, accountable for my actions, willing to admit mistakes, and rigorous in correcting them.” It seems that the leadership is not being held to this statement. A few facilities are not living up to it along with the Secretary and Under Secretary. The Secretary agreed to a meeting with John Wells from Military Veterans Advocacy yet will not answer his request. I urge you, along with Secretary Wilkie to meet with Commander Wells so he can explain the science and how the distillation system work. I feel that in 2001 the VA made a mistake in excluding benefits for the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans. Perhaps they are now afraid to admit their mistake? It is now time for them to be “rigorous in correcting them”
 
If you take the first letter of each of the letters of Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect, and Excellence you get ICARE. This is a great state to have but I believe they need to add an asterisk to it and in small letters the state, “With the Exception of Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans”. They are doing everything possible to avoid providing us the benefits we earned and Public Law No: 102-4 granted us, So I ask, where does the ICARE come in for Blue Water Navy Veterans.
 
One other point I want to address. The VA argues that Agent Orange was destroyed by sunlight within hours and would not make it out into the South China Sea.
 
The IOM covered this point as well. But I would like to cover this in a different way. Why would the United States Government pay Millions of Dollars to clean up Agent Orange in Vietnam over 45 years after it was stopped being used. Something doesn’t seem right here. The VA is saying that Agent Orange would have been destroyed. The USAID is reporting that they are cleaning up Agent Orange 50 years after it was creased to be used. It was just announced that Japan is going to help cleanup the Agent Orange in Vietnam. Who is correct here, the VA or USAID, Japan, Vietnam, and Blue Water Navy Veterans.
 
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: [email protected]
Phone: 408-803-0764
Sincerely,

Mike Yates
National Commander/Executive Director
Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veteran Association
 
Cc:       Honorable Jon Tester, Ranking Member
Honorable Dean Heller
Honorable Robert Wilkie, Secretary of Veterans Affairs
 
 
 
Mission, Vision, Core Values & Goals
About VA
Mission Statement
To fulfill President Lincoln's promise “To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan” by serving and honoring the men and women who are America’s Veterans.
Core Values
VA’s five core values underscore the obligations inherent in VA’s mission: Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect, and Excellence. The core values define “who we are,” our culture, and how we care for Veterans and eligible beneficiaries. Our values are more than just words – they affect outcomes in our daily interactions with Veterans and eligible beneficiaries and with each other. Taking the first letter of each word—Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect, Excellence—creates a powerful acronym, “I CARE,” that reminds each VA employee of the importance of their role in this Department. These core values come together as five promises we make as individuals and as an organization to those we serve.
Integrity: Act with high moral principle. Adhere to the highest professional standards. Maintain the trust and confidence of all with whom I engage.
Commitment: Work diligently to serve Veterans and other beneficiaries. Be driven by an earnest belief in VA’s mission. Fulfill my individual responsibilities and organizational responsibilities.
Advocacy: Be truly Veteran-centric by identifying, fully considering, and appropriately advancing the interests of Veterans and other beneficiaries.
Respect: Treat all those I serve and with whom I work with dignity and respect. Show respect to earn it.
Excellence: Strive for the highest quality and continuous improvement. Be thoughtful and decisive in leadership, accountable for my actions, willing to admit mistakes, and rigorous in correcting them.
 
 

Good Morning Shipmates,
Several members have been asking, and instead of writing to each one Ill address this publicly.
Dues will be used to pay for cost of a website, access to specific email domains, legal fees for taking case before the Supreme Court, administrative cost, some man hours, postage, and other items that may pop up. These expenses won’t be used without a vote from the board, but the ED will have discretionary use when it comes to paying certain items.
Currently there is no Constitution or By-Laws and the Board has no power based on the Articles of Incorporation. That is being changed to put the power in the hands of the Board and Elected Officers, ultimately giving the power to the members.
Many people are accusing me of running this like a dictatorship....I’m not sure how since we are keeping everyone up to date on the changes being made and also ran a member survey that almost a thousand of you responded to. I hope my post show that we are keeping the members informed and quarterly you will be seeing a financial report on the website. Nothing to hide here.
It is correct that dues are currently not mandatory, because we are a c3, but that dynamic is changing since we will be filing for a c19 status, Veteran Service Organization. This will allow us to file for VSO status within the VA and be recognized Nationally.
A lot of hard work has gone into the setting up of this association, and it’s time to take it into the next century of its existence. We currently have 2,439 members of BWNVVA and Blue Water Navy Awareness has over two thousand also. As we merge the two organizations membership (Facebook sites won’t go away, they do each offer something significant), this site offers official statements and the BWNA sites is more of a public forum, it will help our numbers as we take on other issues, and as we start to expand to other areas as well.
Change comes with all types of controversy, I am well aware most people are going to say “Well it wasn’t like that before”, that’s how organizations come to die. We need to be thinking outside the box and push this organization into a life that will exceed the vision of the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Association.
Blue Water Navy will always be our #1 priority and the top source of where we spend time, resources and energy, but we also must start expanding our talking points to attract newer members.
Bring me your Time, Talent, Treasures and Resources, and together we will thrive for the greater good of our Navy, Marine and Coast Guard Veterans!
Very Respectfully,
Michael J. Little
Executive Director

1.) Out of all respondents of our survey, 67% are willing to pay between $15-$25 yearly for a membership with Blue Water Navy. The majority of members would be willing to pay $25-- Few individuals are willing to pay $100 for a lifetime membership. Because the results were so close, we will be charging $20 annual dues for membership that runs between January 1 to December 31. Because of the complications of running a life membership, we will not be looking at that option at this time. However, if you wish to pay more than one year at a time, your dues will be reflected as such.
2.) Members would primarily like to receive updates, with approximately 17 individuals who would be interested in volunteering with Blue Water Navy.
3.) In addition to advocating for Agent Orange exposure(s), members would like reinstated benefits, information on Blue Water vets benefits, information on HR 299, continuing lobbying in Congress and the VA, BWN Healthcare, Reacquisition of presumption rights pursuant to the 1991 Act, VA benefits, and information on passage of bills to reinstate rights VSO’s to help with claims.
4.) Members would first and foremost like BWN to advocate for Agent Orange, then other toxic exposures. Navy specific issues and continuing to advocate for veterans in Congress also should be a top priority.
We will run a member survey every November

Shipmates!
I want to thank those of you who took the time to fill out our survey. While I wish it was more, it was enough to get the data we needed to move this ship full steam ahead. This week you will see alot of big changes happening in the wake of the recent court decision. While I am sure many of these efforts will seem reactionary, I want to assure you they have been in work since I took over almost 45 days ago.
The results of the Survey will be posted in a separate post, but we have decided to have a yearly dues system that will pay administrative cost, operations cost, and legal fees. We will also take donations throughout the year for anyone who wants to contribute more.
We need to come up with at least $20,000 in our legal fund to ensure we have what it takes to see this court case go before the Supreme Court. While a few organizations are thinking about supporting, I feel like it is the charge of this organization to ensure the case is properly funded.
We will start the fundraiser for this next week. My plan is to sell off what is left of the shirts I was turned over, and start a challenge coin and lapel fundraiser. Also this week you will see a brand new website launched. A lot of the data from the old site will not be up right away, but you will see it return over the next few months.
Mike Yates, will be interviewing those who wanted to volunteer and finding a place for each of you. While we dont have alot of positions on the board, we will find somewhere for each of you to contribute.
Thanks for all your support during this time.
Very Respectfully,
Michael J. Little
Executive Director

Shipmates,
Here is a joint letter from The American Legion National Headquarters, Military Order of the Purple Heart, USA, Fleet Reserve Association National Headquarters, Jewish War Veterans of the U.S.A., Military-Veterans Advocacy, Inc., Disabled American Veterans, National Association of County Veterans Service Officers and Association of the United States Navy. This is the first letter that has been signed by your first National Commander Mike Yates.
Feel free to share this letter with Donald J. Trump, when you are asking him to step in help restore your benefits that were so wrongly removed from you.
Michael J. Little
Executive Director

Greetings shipmates!
Thank you for being a valued member of Blue Water Navy Association. We appreciate your support and feedback as we determine what issues are most important for us to cover.
Enclosed is a brief survey that we have designed in order to see what you'd like from the association and how we can improve.
Please do not hesitate to contact us with questions or concerns.
Very Respectfully,
Michael J. Little 
Executive Director

This Saturday is Veterans Day, a day we pay tribute to all American veterans—living or 
dead—but especially gives thanks to living veterans who served their country honorably during war or peacetime. 
Veterans Day originated as “Armistice Day” on Nov. 11, 1919, the first anniversary of the end of World War I. Congress passed a resolution in 1926 for an annual observance, and Nov. 11 became a national holiday beginning in 1938.
Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans are also Veterans, but in some cases we are being treated different that other Vietnam Veterans. There are studies that we were exposed to Agent Orange by way of the Water used on board the ships we served on. It has also been proved that the water going through the distillation plants on board the ships actually enhanced the Dioxins in the water causing the Blue Water Navy Veterans to be exposed up to ten(10) times the amount as A Veterans with Boots On The Ground.
In 1991 Congress passed the Agent Orange Act of 1991(Public Law No: 102-4) and was signed into law by the President George H.W. Bush and were granted benefits. but in 2002 the General Consul Mary Lou Keener of the Veterans Administration decided to remove these Veterans from being cover despite the sprit of the Public Law No: 102-4.
The COB has estimated that the total cost to cover these Veterans is around 1.1 Billion over ten (10) years. Now one interesting FACT from www. Foreignassistance. gov is that from 2009 until 2018 the amount of Foreign Assistance given to Vietnam is around 1.1 Billion. Now this does include fund that are being used to CLEAN UP Agent Orange in Vietnam. Our Government can find money to Clean Up Vietnam but not to provide Benefits for our Veterans. So Vietnam is worth more than our own Veterans. This is very sad.
I have attached a video that I found last year and posted. I am againing going to share it. Please remember Share this video and help other remember other Veterans.
Mike Yates
National Commander
http://worriersanonymous.org/Share/Mansions.htm

Good morning Shipmates!
I am pleased to announce that we held our first Board of Directors meeting last night. The Board has given my staff and I a green light for the new initiatives. First, and foremost, I want to announce that Mike Yates has been selected to become the first National Commander of the Association. Mike will be posting his official comments on the page and website. We are currently redesigning the website and making it user-friendly, as well as, transitioning the new staff to help with deck log research. I look forward to his leadership and hope you're excited about the changes coming!
Very Respectfully,
Michael J. Little

I want to thank Mike Little and the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans
Association Board of Directors for this opportunity. I look forward to
working with them.
The BWNVVA has been around for many years doing some very good work for
Blue Water Navy Veterans. I hope to continue to do this type of work and
help to bring the BWNVVA to be an even stronger group than it already is.
We need to be able stand up with other Veterans Organizations with our
heads held up high and continue the fight. We need to be able to go up to
any Member of Congress and when they hear we are from BWNVVA they will
respect us and be willing to work with us.
One thing I want to make clear. BWNVVA is working hard with Blue Water Navy
Vietnam Veterans, BWNVVA is not only for them but for all Navy Veterans,
Marine Veterans, and Fleet Marine Veterans, Active Duty Members, and all
other Veterans. We all can work together and help each others
What does this mean for the BWNVVA. It means in the next year I am going to
be busy. There is a lot of planning to do in setting the direction of the
BWNVVA, I need to define and fill some other position and I need to do this
while working on H.R. 299, S. 422, H.R.809 and any other Bills that we need
to work on.
For those of you on the Blue Water Navy Awareness Facebook page, you may
ask what does this mean for Blue Water Navy Awareness, I want to bring BWNA
and BWNVVA closer together so we are all working together. Both pages will
stay as they are. I would like to suggest that if you are on one but not
the other you may want to make sure you are signed up for both just in case
one has more information than the other.
For those who don’t know me. I will tell you a little about myself. I am a
Blue Water Navy Veterans. I served on the USS Bainbridge DLG(N)25 as a
Sonar Tech. I spent many years in the San Francisco Bay Area and worked as
a Senior Test Engineer before being retired in 2012. In 2013 I was
diagnosed with Prostate Cancer and in 2014 I was diagnosed with Thyroid
Cancer. To top that off this year I have been diagnosed with Heart Problem,
receiving a stent a few months ago. I have had many people ask me how I can
keep a positive outlook while having these problems. I tell them two
things, first I have Cancer, Cancer doesn’t have me and second. I am too
busy with working on the Blue Water Navy Agent Orange issue to worry about
it. I let my doctors do the worrying and I listen to them.
If you have any questions or any ideas that are going to help us please
feel free to ask.
Mike Yates
​National Commander
Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Association