VA required to Service Connect Parkinson's Disease for Vietnam-era Veterans exposed to Agent Orange.

The VA has recently announced that it will add three conditions to the list of conditions that are presumptively connected to Agent Orange exposure:

1) Parkinsons

2) B cell leukemias, such as hairy cell leukemia; and,

3) Ischemic heart disease.

Agent Orange was used extensively in Vietnam as a defoliant: it essentially removed the ability of enemy soldiers to seek cover and concealment in vegetation.  

Agent Orange was used so extensively that, according to the VA, approximately 2.6 million U.S. soldiers were exposed to the defoliating agent between January 1965 and April 1970.  Agent Orange - a dangerous and toxic chemical - has, as the VA says, "left a legacy of suffering and disability that continues to the present".

Generally speaking, when a condition is added to the list of conditions presumptively connected to Agent Orange, a veteran need only prove exposure to Agent Orange and a current diagnosis with the particular condition.  

There are other issues which may affect your claim, so it is not always this straightforward and simple.

The list of conditions that are presumptively connected to Agent Orange Exposure now totals fifteen (15).