RE: http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,110726,00.html

It is the least they can do after this country treated them so bad.

It's about friggin time!

The force is with you vietnam vets!
God bless.

.............but, will "W" approve or just sign an order say no money ?

He has done that before with VA and more recently with the Armed Forces.

Well - ITS ABOUT TIME !

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THE FORCE IS WITH YOU NAM VETS.

Let us make this ruling real simple.....Include service to include Vietnam, Laos, Cambodis and Thailand. Agent Orange was transmitted over the entire area of South East Asia by wind and water. Presumption for AO exposure should include all of SEA.

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make this ruling real simple

it mess up a lot of people!

Sirs,I was never so dispondant when I went to NASA to apply for a job and was told that I did not qualify for ventrens preference. I was again turned down at the VFW because I did not have a Viet Serv Ribbon.
I was in the 314 Troop carrier Wing (C130B) TDY at Clark AFB and flew into country and moved trash off and on for three years and they (the Govt) said we were not there. The years 1960 thru 1963 were the prelude of our political mistake and the servicemen paid the price of being in the service but were non existant in country (Viet).
Craig H Smith
Ret M/Sgt USAF

I tried to file a disability claim; but they said since i was retired; if i got any compensation; it would be deducated from my military pension; thanks VA; after 21 years of service.........(Vietnam Vet)

2696272 - I understand your feelings completely. I was a dependant in Saigon 59-62 when my Dad was stationed there attached to MAAG (became MACV mid 62) and we had plenty of people there during that time. He died before the first ruling same about so his marker in the National Cemetary did include Vietnam.

Being a Navy vet I am glad to see a reversal of the VA ruling that they made several years ago regarding Navy (and Coast Guard) service. In my case the VA ruled that I did warrant Nam service status since we operated up the rivers but after looking at this latest ruling I guess even that was up in the air possibly.

great news . . long over-due !

2696272: I was beginning to think I was the only person who served on active duty but told I do not qualify for Veteran's Preference for employment and in a RIF. I'm now a GS employee working for the VA and I'm tired of seeing my Retention Subgroup listed as a I-B (a non-vet). Just because I signed on the dotted line during the cold war, yet soldiers getting out now are automatically given Vet Pref whether or not they actually saw/engaged in combat. What kind of SH_T is that?!? That tells me the gov't doesn't want to acknowledge that I served on active duty; and that my service doesn't mean squat.
I am glad to see that Vietnam Vets are finally going to "get something" instead of something being taken away.

Are there any other vets out there who do not get Veteran's Preference? I'd be interested to hear your opinion on this. The criteria needs to be changed. It's not fair. Yeah I know, neither is anything else the government does.

Figure's, huh? My best friend I grew up with was in the Navy off Viet Nam and died in 2000 from Agent Orange. He never received 1 cent in compensation, as his body was being chopped away from that disease, both legs amputated from a blood disease caused by Agent Orange. That's just great, just great! He raised his family from a wheel chair and the VA disapproved every effort he made to get medical care! Oh well, our government has never been known for keeping promises to ANYONE, starting at the Revolutionary war. At least they are consistent!

When I got out of the Marines amazingly enough all my record’s interestingly enough disappeared into thin air, never to be found again to this day! Sometimes I have to wonder, how anyone working at the VA could possibly destroy our records and deny our claims yet still call themselves American's. They denied every claim I filed also.

However, I lost my hearing in my left ear in the Marines and they tried to deny that as well, on the grounds there were no records. Just amazing! I told them, the law precludes anyone from joining the service if they are deaf in one or both ears, since my exit exam showed a total loss of hearing in my left ear they reluctantly were forced after 2 years fighting with them to accept my claim. These VA employees act as if Veteran's are trying to pick the tax payer’s pocket and most of them have never worn the uniform. Damn them to hell anyway. That’s just great.

Oh, Veteran's prefference? Nearly every job I applied for, I was told, we are sorry but being a Veteran is meaningless to our company, but thank you for serving our country. We'll call you if anything comes up. And other companies just said, we don't hire Veteran's because they have to many mental problems. That's just great! Got to grin and bear it.

Cry "KY" and slip in the dog of war. Semper Fi Mac

Glad to see the courts are on our side. let see them pull this with the new vets. After all these years that not wantng to do anything for nam vets its turning around . we may not have got the prase there getting now but slowly we are getting what is owed.

As long as you have the Viet Nam Service Medal weathr you were in Viet Nam, Thailand, Laos or Cambodia, you should be entitled to benifits from the governmet. But we all know hoe the government works now don't we. A friend of mine was cut in the stomach by a Vietnameese girl, but they sy he is not entitled to the Purple Heart because it was no in combat. So she was VC and not a regular. Well so what he still got cut. and spent time in the hospital.
and it happened on base not downtown now you figure that one out. He can't

now ladies and gents we wait for VA to appeal this rulling and tie it up for years while we all die off.we can possibly do something by everyone getting in touch with their congressperson and demanding that they let VA know that this rulling was their INTENT to start with and they need not appeal it !!

I agree with pissedoffsailor. Do NOT get excited! This will sit in appeals until there are so few of us left alive that the "pay off" will do no damage to the government and the VA. The same thing happened to vets exposed to "testing" of the atom bomb. The same happened to vets of the American Revolution, the War of 1812, the war with Mexico, the Civil War, the Spanish American War, WWI, WWII and Korea. It will happen to us, too....period!

Wake up and smell the coffee, ladies! The government is not about freedom, not about America. It is, and has been since the early 1800's, about the wealth of big international businesses. Do you recall the "eminate domain" of the railroads? Do you know your history well enough to appreciate that those laws gave big business, the rail roads, complete power of the legal rights of the orginal land owners...American citizens? Were you aware that the largest investors in those railroads were English banks?

Did you know the large textile industries in the North and in Englad, just before our Civil War, were largely financed by British banks? Do you think that fact that the South was planning to build their own textile industries funded with their own money was a completely irrelevant issue? Did you actually think the hardning of Washington's fiscal policies toward the Southern States, before the South withdrew from the Union, were not even remotely a cause? Slavery was NOT an issue until the Second year of the war! Now, how does that picture work for you? Look beyond your high school history books., The facts are there!

And how does this fit into this discussion?...Simple! The federal government was never about States Rights or Civil Liberties. It has always been about banking, investment and big business. And the only way to end it is to eliminate Career Politics. And the only way for that to happen is for every American to vote Against Every Incumbant every time. You do not have to be one more in the endless list of vets who suffer while politicians get rich. You Have the power to change it! The only question is, do you have the courage?!

There has never, in the entire history of our nation, been a time when the promises made to veterans has been kept After the War was Over...NEVER! So, ladies, don't get excited now. Until You do something to End Career Politics, there will be no changes.

Hey Grunt99 at least your getting something from the VA even though it took a while. Make sure they back date the compensation. I can't get squat from them for disability, say there's nothing in my service record. I guess the best I can do is help get my husband's rating increased and be satisfied with that.

Now if they'd changed this crap about Vet Preference, I'd be happy. All I want is the 5 Point Preference I should be entitled to. Just like the GIs getting out of service now who get it automatically just for serving in the military - and combat duty isn't even required. Still can't figure out why these OEF/OIF soldiers are being given the 'royal treatment'. All these rules coming down from upper level management saying that they MUST be seen by a physician within 30 days. Doesn't seem to matter that this causes other vets (WWII, Korea, Vietnam) to be pushed back and made to wait longer for appointments they're entitled to.

MrsH98; I was medically retired from the Air Force after 22 and 1/2 years with a 40% adjudicated disability, service-connected, rating from the VA. I did serve on the ground in Vietnam.

I never received a "VA Preference" for Government Jobs that I applied for; but, I was hired and worked for the Government for another 18 years. My subgroup for retention was also "Non-Veteran."

What I'm trying to point out -- is this "10 or 5 Point Veterans Preference" is of very limited use because of the relative few jobs it applies too. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has literally "thousands" of rules relating to placement of government employees in retention subgroups. And, the use of "Veterans Preference" in hirings!

Most Government Hiring Agencies "Must" give "Consideration in Hiring" to Veterans. If hirings are demonstrated to be "Anti-Vet;" then "Politicians" are usually eager for this type of battle!

I'm not arguing for the "beaucratic" rules; just merely saying they've been there for more years -- than I've lived -- and Veterans have never understood them! Your "in-house" suggestions are likely the best way to bring change. To gain a better understanding of "Veterans Preference" may I suggest: http://www.usajobs.opm.gov/ei3.asp

On the topic of the "Court Extended Coverage;" I believe a lot of Veterans deserved better treatment from VA and this is another (albeit small) step foreward!

From A Proud Vietnam Veteran

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Originally posted by MrsH98:
2696272: I was beginning to think I was the only person who served on active duty but told I do not qualify for Veteran's Preference for employment and in a RIF.

I'm now a GS employee working for the VA and I'm tired of seeing my Retention Subgroup listed as a I-B (a non-vet).


I am glad to see that Vietnam Vets are finally going to "get something" instead of something being taken away.

Are there any other vets out there who do not get Veteran's Preference?

I'm so happy for all of you. You deserve so much more for having been given these long drawn out "denials" from the VA.

It wasn't until our case got to the Court of Veterans Appeals (it took 7 to 8 years) that it was stated that we had a well-grounded case and it was remanded; it then took another 9 years (a total of 16 years). This is the way the VA works. It forces you to appeal and you have to keep appealing to get anywhere. Our case was not a VietNam case, but a case where my son was exposed as a hull tech to ionizing radiation and radioactive materials repairing and maintaining nuclear submarines. Acute lymphocytic leukemia took his life.

May God's healing touch be with all of you. Don't give up the fight!

Why do we even try we just get craped on time after time this country could care less about its vets as long as theres a tv, a soda a bag of chips and a cd, in front of there fat a##.We fight for our familys our loved ones and thats it !!!TOO HE## WITH THE REST OF THEM from now on thats what i say my fam has given up enough flesh and we still have 3 boys and 1 girl fighting plus one KIA AND WE still fight for care and whats should be ours by rights but no our COUNTRY DENIES US !!!