No excuse for either the Army or the DOD, yep -- in the distribution, or military schools or special distribution to the Rand Corporation.     You want evidence?     Written by a USAF officer and faculty member of the USAF Academy, law professor?     How about a special series of historical reports on the Vietnam War, the CHECO SEA Project?     Now, if you run into some "wet back" V.A. staffer or worse, VSO .. VSO, give them a popsicle.     And, if they give you some jibberish about the "source being the Internet," politely (and diplomatically) as possible, tell them it is an official air force historical report and is so darn important (to cover up,) the government has attempted to keep in classified well after its normal life expectancy of 7 years...


Printing Tip

Please keep in mind that this USAF CHECO report, title "Base Defense in Thailand" from 1968 to 1972 is an official air force report and you as a Thailand veteran should be submitting copies of these documents to support your disability claim under 38 U.S.C. § 1110 "Basic entitlement" for "direct cause" of your "Presumptive Diseases."

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Title of Report and reference to the USAF CHECO Project Series
in the heading is always desireable:

   

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FOIA/ROE Follow-Up 20 Dec 07

This is only the beginning ..     Correspondence       Extract Release

From "Operations from Thailand" ROE, adjustments.

Objective is hearings before Congress Oversight Committees
in both the House and Senate for Veterans Affairs

National Disgrace     Lying to Congress

The V.A. for 40 years has attempted to cover-up the use of herbicides in many Pacific regions in order to deny disability compensation to veterans serving there.     It is an atrocity that vets from Thailand affected amounts to probably over 500,000 air force and army personnel.

    Using the "government line," herbicide test spraying in Thailand were conducted only in 1964 and 1965 and in limited areas away from military installations where American forces lived and worked.     This, of course, was a lie and until this Extract was released in September, 2007
from the official air force report, will be disclosed.

USE OF AGENT ORANGE FINALLY ENDED

Ended?   Oh yeah, 1971 .. June 30 .. I guess that is why Thailand got a great supply of the shit .. it became politically correct to deny the use in Vietnam and hell, no one knew what was going on in Thailand, so a perfect place to move the inventory to.

[possible] harmful effects on humans .. that politically correct statement, evidently, never stopped them from using these herbicides in Thailand where the DOD emphatically denied same.

[The Air Force] sought to keep that information from the public by managing news reports., ie, classified "Secret"???     Click!     The Air Force Captain (and author of the CHECO report) may be a Law Professor at the Air Force Academy, but the Air Force has far more experience in handling things, things "that never happended."


Which way is it, Colonel???     Same response, different conclusions.

Source:   SAF (Secretary of Air Force) response to Congressman Evans   (June 30, 2005 puppet.)

    When it comes to the topic of the use of herbicides, as the above statement implies, you can be sure that the commanders remained vague.     Congressman Evans requested the information in 2005, and via the FOIA, we were able to uncover the most explicit document anywhere as to the use of herbicides in Thailand during the period 1968 thru 1972.

"There is also irrefutable evidence that the veteran served in Thailand for an extended period, based on entries in service medical records, and it is noted that he offers credible testimony that he was involved in the transport, as well as the loading of trucks and aircraft, with tanks of defoliants and was assigned the duty to spray a defoliant in areas surrounding his barracks at his base camp in Thailand.   Such is not inconsistent with his documented military occupational specialty of vehicle operator and dispatcher." Source Claim No. 0301935       Vegetation problem?   No -   K9 Cemetery @ 2002!

    During the escalation of the Vietnam war, my job was company clerk in an army engineer unit that was involved in counterinsurgency and construction of military installations and support of the air force for POL tanks in bases in Thailand.     Specifically, our special unit laid pipelines for petrol and sewage in camps.     We have laid a 50-mile pipeline for the 1st Air Cavalry in Anh Khe, Vietnam in 1967.

    My two-year tour in Thailand saw the extreme conditions for "vegetation" or jungles and the overall seasonal monsoon conditions that made it literally a war to maintain defense perimeter clearings for the various bases in Thailand.     Until now, such testimony went without credit to the veteran, but with the official air force reports that were released (Extract Only) just last month (2007;) just obtained, we have evidence of the continuous use of herbicides in Thailand.

    This official air force report has been reviewed now over 4 times since creation in 1973 and remains for the most part, classified "Secret."     Why?     It is a disgrace that an action of FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) is what it took to find out the truth.

    It is rather ironic how many veterans' claims for exposure to herbicides based upon same in Thailand versus Vietnam have been denied, died of cancer or complications of diabetes.     The famlies of these veterans having their lives cut short denied survivor benefits like second class citizens.

    How could the government deny such claims?     The government has many departments that provide scientific and military resources that would tell them the obvious:   the conditions in Thailand were no different than in Vietnam.     The army has been uncovered to be the most abusive with disclosures in the United States in Alaska and Hawaii and then Canada as well as other Pacific regions such as Guam and Okinawa.     If it wasn't for these reports, Thailand veterans would be sacrificed as an expendable item of war.

    We are now ready to correct this wrong.     So, let's get started with the official military documents that disclose the use of herbicides in Thailand and hopefully, hearings before Congress to correct the compensation for those that have already died as well as retro pay for all surviving veterans from 1972.

See also:   Trilogy of Hypocrisy and Affidavits of Thailand Vets


 


re:   USAF CHECO * Report "Base Defense in Thailand"

Credit for getting the USAF CHECO Report via FOIA MSgt Kurt Priessman, USAF (Retired)   .. a right to a fair trial or an impartial adjudication National Disgrace The U.S. Government, DOD and V.A. have collectively denied the access to necessary foundation information to prove their claims of exposure to herbicides in "Other locations" because they classified the records. "Fox guarding the hen house.." And, because I reported this "discrepancy" to the proper authority that manages the DOD List, doesn't make it right. When filing your claim .. Provide this CHECO Report Extract @ 21 Sep 2007 Indicate service in Vietnam or not, ie, Thailand only Assert your rights to disability compensation for exposure to herbicides in Thailand! Thailand Vets Extract in Support of Claim Excerpt Content Only

    Kurt served in 1972 at U-Tapao RTAFB as a security policeman and dog handler.     Kurt recognized that many of the dogs were dieing from some form of cancer evidently a result of their exposure to the herbicides in Thailand (in Thailand.)     Later, I will attempt to tie in a security police website that identifies both the handlers and dogs assigned them and their "disposition."     After all, they were dogs .. expendable.     I think the government became so calous to such treatment that they thought that they could get away with abusing the veterans that served too.

* Contemporary Historical Examination of Current Operations   (CHECO)

re:   CHECO Report Cover Letter to Kurt     Footnotes     Table of Contents

"Releaseable Extract of
Base Defense
in Thailand"
21 Sep 2007   AFDO


U.S. Air Force Publications:   Vietnam War Bibliography

"USAF Operations from Thailand" CHECO (TOP SECRET)

Point in Fact    The Army moved in around 1961 and began construction projects all over Thailand from Thai military support, bases, camps, and Friendship Highway to link the Deep Water Port in Satahip (bypass Bangkok) and feed the Air Force installations in Korat, Udorn and NKP. Most of these camps are active, turned over to the Thai counterpart. If anyone thinks that the USAF CHECO report marks the only years (1968-72) that our government employed the use of herbicides, you don't know how well our government/army covered up this liability issue. Today, the VA denies disability compensation to veterans that served in support of the Vietnam War; in the Pacific theatre and have made beggers out of most of them until they die.     It truly is a national disgrade.     See Army Disgrace.
Army/Air Force Military Installation Proximity Chart
Area	AF Base	Army Base       "Vintage 1967"
Satahip	U-Tapao	Camp Samae San, Deep Water Port, Vayama Map
Kanchanaburi	Thai Army	Testimony from Dick Okland Vietnam/Thai Vet
Central	Takhli	Lop Buri Special Forces
Central	Korat	Camp Friendship, USARTHAI
Northeast	Udorn/NKP	Camp Ruam Chit Chai, Sakon Nakon, Camp Sinthope Sarakham, ASA, CIA 7th RRFS Unit   Camp   (20 km south) *
* Udorn RTAFB would have been a source of supplies and BX for the 7th RRFS.
Cambodia	Ubon	ASA, eg, Camp Mukdahan

Chapter III.   Physical Defenses and Limitations -   Page 57





Chapter III.   Physical Defenses and Limitations (Continued) -   Page 58

mounted NODs,     Unfortunately, no base had sufficient numbers of these devices to permit visual observations of the entire base perimeter.     To further aid in observation, herbicides were employed to assist in the difficult task of vegetation control.     Use of these agents was limited by such factors as the ROE and supply problems.     Excerpt of Page 58     ROE = Rules of Engagement

Limitations -   Page 64,   Page 66, and Page 67



Korat RTAFB -   Page 68,   POL Tanks (near town)   Page 74   Pp 74-75 and Overall - Pp 69-78

JUSMACTHAI - Mission Policy on Base Defense
Note:   Declassified 3 Dec 07, a 1 Nov 69 Directive

">




   
Who knew what and when .. National Security Council

Memo to ..     Memo     Continued     s/Henry Kissinger   .. 37 years ago (Declassified 2/13/07)

"Herbicides were used for all defense perimeters
on military installations in S.E.A."

Hand-held chemical tanks and helicopters fitted with spray bars were the common delivery system other than the air force defoliation missions in the jungles of S.E.A.

The following memo from Henry Kissinger (National Security Council) to both the Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense speaks of the Vietnamization issues as they apply to a regular supply channel for the acquisition of the herbicides for such perimeter defenses.

NSDM 141

Memo to ..     Memo     dtd 14 Feb 72; declassified 14 Feb 07 (35 year anniversary)

NSDM 35

The Term Chemical and Biological Warfare (CBW) will no longer be used.

"Reflection of the Times" - November, 1969     Note:   Classified "Top Secret"

Memo to ..     Pg-2     Pg-3     25 Nov 69; declassified 13 Feb 07

NSDM 112

U.S. Post-Vietnam Policy on use of Riot Control Agents and Herbicides in War - "Secret/Eyes Only"

Memo to ..     Pg-2     7 Jan 71; declassified 8 Feb 07

1 Dec 71 Memo from White House, re:   NSDM 112; Geneva Convention

Memo to ..     Pg-2     Pg-3     DOD Study on Military Utility of Herbicides     Pg-5    

DOD Study on Riot Control Agents     Pg-7     Pg-8     Pg-9     Pg-10    

Military Application of RCA     Selected Examples of RCA Use in Southeast Asia    

Pg-13     Pg-14     Pg-15    

What else does our government not want us to know?
 

From POL tanks to base perimeter "defoliation" control Note the access road with vegetation not cut back versus the 3rd row perimeter photos Top right-hand corner:   defines "jungle"
U-Tapao thru the years ...   1966     1967     1968     1971     1973     1976     2002 -   K9 Cemetery NKP (1966)   1963 - Navy Engineers clear the jungle                     From May 1966 thru July 1966 , I was TDY from Clark AFB to Nakon Phanom.     We were Radio Relay tech/s with the 5th Tactical Control Group setting up equipment and preparing for take over by permanent party.     Recently , I was diagnosed with type II diabetes,and so I went to the VA to register and see if I could get some help.     Believe it or not the people at Hines Hospital were very helpful and gave me the papers for application for compensation.     I have contacted the local rep from the state of Illinois and he, too, was of great assistance.     He took me through the process and filed my application for me.     As I began my research, it seems as though my chances of compensation are slim, but I know I must make every attempt to gain the aide and compensation that we served for.     I saw your note on the TVVET website and as per our subsequent phone conversation, here are several photos that I took during my assignment in May, June, and July of 1966.     The pictures show the area around our barracks and work areas.     It appears obvious now that there is nothing growing in what was a jungle. Al Infante 4512 Black Partridge Ln Lisle,Il 60532 630 292-5691   Kennels Area   Base Perimeter   Ops Center   End Runway   Aerial "Brown" was in, and I am not talking about the airman's spify tan.     A nostalgia look at Udorn RTAFB will show anyone with a decent computer that things were "brown." No need to adjust your set. SEA Airbases Map     Runway Photos: Final Approach   Photo #1   Photo #2   Photo #3   Photo #4   Cockpit on Approach   Aerial/Perimeter Photos:   Aerial     Perimeter   Other Aerial:   Compound Area     "Brown"     Clouds         Living in a "World of Brown," tropics, rain (and women) wasn't so bad .. as long as you were ignorant of your final fate years after service. Ubon RTAFB - Ranch Hand Sorties     Defense!     AC-130 Spectre Lived   and   played in it.     Worked in it;   all around us.     Visit the A2 Pad.     Bomb Dump     Aerial Even the civilian Red Buses started to look "brown."     The Monsoons didn't have much affect either. Now, downtown looked a lot better, but you knew that was the case already, green. From the rooftops, you could see for miles around, nothing but green:   green #1;   green #2. Takhli RTAFB Perimeter No .. that brownish-red is not rust. (It's death waiting to happen.) Army Aviation - Korat Flight Line Operations "What did I tell'ya about storing those 55-gallon drums here?" Korat RTAFB - 2nd only to U-Tapao RTAFB in Satahip     Korat was a staging area on the great plateau of Thailand with the home of the air force fighter wing, a fall-back area for 2nd level hospital care from Udorn and staging area of an American army division, the 25th "Tropical Lighting" from Hawaii.     Red Horse, or the 556th CES was stationed in Satahip at U-Tapao RTAFB, but had five detachments at the other major air force installations.     Army/Air Force intertwined in Korat much like operations in Satahip, but Red Horse did not have the expertise to build the POL Tank Farm just off the main road to town and walking distance from this area was my home, home of the 44th Engineer Group (Construction,) a 2-batalion subordinates as well as several engineer specialization outfits including "Pipeline."     The 697th Pipeline went all over Thailand to perform tasks for the air force and even went TDY to Korea for a pipeline and earlier a pipeline for the army to An Khe from the coast to supply fuel for the 1st Air Cavalry.     I bring that up because the CHECO report authors either made an observation or interviewed those "in the know" that the strategic location of the POL Tank Farm was very poorly situated for sapper attacks.     In fact, there was hardly any perimeter defense to rely upon and it was like an "arm" outside the main area of the airbase.     In 1968 while we were based in Korat, everything was going well, but I guess things started to "pop" in 1969 which compounded the problem because of its proximity to civilian residential area and using herbicides with such deadly toxic levels must have caused a lot of liability. Korat Photos       "Vintage 1967"     Kennels;   Handlers Perimeter,   State-side Living;   aerial shot gives you an idea f theiv of army/air force encampment, and of course, your "basic brown" around the runways:   #1,   #2,   #3, and #4.

 

This should really be common sense, but when it comes to the VA, and the DOD, all bets are off.

Re:   Early 60's Construction Phase .. carving out of jungles

      NKP RTAFB (1962-63)   Naval MCB 3   (Mobile Construction Battalion 3)

      Camp Friendship (for Thai Army in 1964-65)   9th Logistics Command and 44th Engineer Group
      Korat (where 50,000 55-gal drum storage unit project planned)

      Camp Samae San (for Thai Army in 1966-67)   44th Engineer Group thru 1969
      Satahip Cantonement Area Complex in Satahip

When?     1961-62.     No .. you mean, all that early 60's construction of bases in the Far East occurred with the "aid" of herbicides?!     I'm shocked.     Next, you are going to tell me there is a "Secret" USAF CHECO Report that talks about the base perimeter defenses being secured with the use of herbicides.     Ha!     Gee, what a joke .. if you are skeptical, visit the DOD List -- that's should prove absolutely nothing ...

    // END OF REPORT -- I REST MY CASE //

Beyond this report - Cronological Order of Events
Report to Congress:   Inequities in Treatment
of Vietnam (Era) Veterans
- the Exclusion of Thailand Veterans
Complete Report
 
Cover Sheet     Testimony   Veteran Testimony (Accounts)

The V.A. denied over 200 Thailand Veterans appeals and no one knows how many other claims where the veteran just gave up on initial denial.
 
Kanchanaburi

Sent: Wednesday, December 26, 2007 10:12 AM
Subject: Checo Report and Thailand

SA WA DEE!   Hello!   My name is Richard Okland and I was stationed north of the famed Bridge over the River Kwai with the 556th LMC.     We trained and supported the Royal Thai Army Black Panther Division which was later sent to Vietnam in early 1969.     We lived at tent city for 3 months before our permanent cantonment area was completed.     We lived in tents from 7 Feb 1968 thru the end of April 1968 and then we moved to Camp Kanchanaburi just up the road from tent city. We stayed there until 1 July 1969 when Camp Kanchanaburi was turned over to the Royal Thai Army for thier use.     We used herbicides extensively for base defense.     Agent Orange was the only chemical know that would deter Jungle growth. I see the Checo report has quite a few pages missing.     Isn't that ironic after all these years.     BUT, what they gave you is very interesting. Thanks for sharing.     I got this info sent to me from Marilyn Oliver. Take care!   God Bless!   - Dick Okland

Part II of Testimony

Sent: Wednesday, December 26, 2007 4:18 PM
Subject: Re: Checo Report and Thailand

Hi Franco!   Its good to hear from you! Well, I was stationed at Camp Samae San from Dec 1972 when we closed our field team office at MACV HQ in Saigon and moved it to Camp Samae San.     I flew back and forth from Thailand until March of 1973 when I went back to Thailand and out and went back to the states and was stationed at fort Riley, KS (Bloody Red One) I have other folks who I believe would give you testimony as well.     One is Rex Huesties who transported a lot of chemicals from Sattahip Port to various camps in Thailand.     He is in real bad shape with fighting for his life because of his exposure.     Another one is Jose Miller, a PFC back then who rode on a dump truck when the engineers were constructing out airfield at Camp Kanchanaburi and he did actually spray Agent Orange on the bare before the PSP was laid down and then afterwards as well.     He retired as a Major.     The only time I was in Korat, or I should the many times I was there, was when we used to take 2 5-ton tractor and trailers and go from Kanchanaburi to the depot at Korat for supplies and repair parts for the Tech Supply I was in charge of at Camp Kanchanaburi.     After driving for about 3 months, I finally got some help and turned over the runs to those soldiers.

I went back to Thailand in April 2005 for 2 weeks and was a guest of the 9th Inf Div of the Royal Thai Army for a day and had the opportunity to visit our old camp site which is still being used to this day.     It was certainly memorable when I had the opportunity to go to the airfield and walked thru the same hangar.     WOW, that was something.     Also walked inside one of the 3 hootches that still remain in use to this day.     I also visited with Thida Loha, (Kulchaya Somprasong is her real name now) as Thida was a teenage girl helping out her father and mother at the Bridge over the River Kwai Restaurant, which is still in existence to this day.     Thida Loha owns the restaurant now and runs it.     I have made 3 DVD Editions of the 556th LMC from our teip crom Fort Bragg, NC to Thailand.     If you are interested, I can send them to you.   Take care!   God Bless!   - Dick Okland

Korat RTAFB

John Powell
- "The bomb dump inside and the perimeter when sprayed
with something as grass never grew there."

Michael Balash
- "In the entire 19 months * I was there, no vegetation grew back in these area that I patrolled."

* Sure does beat 2 hours at Ton Son Knut under the "presumptive exposure" provision.

Franco Picchione - Company Clerk
- "In my two year tour in Thailand, whether an air force base or army camp,
they all had one thin in common:   dead, brown grass that created dust condition;
early 1969, left Camp Friendship taking the new Friendship Highway to Satahip
on our motorcycle (advanced party) and from the road dust caked on my front
enjoyed a marvelous shower to rid my clothes and face of herbicides, etc."

Bob Davies     - "I was at Korat Air Base 4/65 to 4/66."
 
Mukdahan Radar Site

James Harrod
- "[herbicides] were used, on a continuing basis, to control and kill vegetation
growing throughout the site."

James Hopkins
- "I observed spraying of herbicides to control vegetation at "perimeter]"

Robert Baker
- "I remember that herbicides were sprayed around the perimeter and around the bunkers
of the camp on a regular basis to kill the foliage.

NKP RTAFB

David Wharton
- "I witnessed Defoliation Spraying Activities around the perimeter at NKP [airbase]"

Robert Lappin
- "[many] times I flew missions over defoliated areas."

Romeo Singleton
- "What I can remember seeing while stationed at NKP RTAFB,
was the outlying area of the base was defoliated like it had been sprayed."

Richwell Iso     - "I was stationed TDY at NKP and Ubon Thailand"

Tom Bjork - NKP Report     - "I was at Camp Ruam Chit Chai .."

Timothy Sturges     - "I served at NKP 72/73"

Sakon Nakon (Army)

Sidney Chancellor
- "We used a chemical spray during road construction to clear [foliage]"

Takhli RTAFB

Dale Everson
- "It struck me as strange that these bases were in a [jungle area]"

James Trapp
- "[assigned] duties in a base warehouse processing equipment and supplies.
We had I received an item of equipment that was [classified]"

Ubon RTAFB

James Ziats
- "I never saw anything growing in the perimeter fenc line."

Marty McCauley
- "Around the Bomb Dump and the Base Perimeter there were many areas
that vegetation did not grow.
[At] the CE compound they stored pallets with 55 gal drums with orange stripes on them.
Just before we closed the base these barrels disappeared."

Roger Fausey
- "There was no vegetation growing anywhere on the [base]"

Timothy Potter
- "After a sapper attack in July 1969, all foliage around the base,
in front of the perimeter and behind the perimeter, was either cut or sprayed."

Udorn RTAFB

Stephen Pippenger     Part II     Part III     Part IV
- "When we landed we thought it was a desert.
No sign of grean and the ground looked like it was dead." - Dog Handlers

U-Tapao RTNAB

John Kammer
- "During my year as a sentry dog handler 1969/1970,
much of the defenses along the perimeter road area was upgraded."

Joseph Provost     Part II
- "In an area, between the Baracks and the Barbed Wire fence line and the fence line and the jungle was just a barren dirt area, very unusual."

Jimmy Welch     - "I had a brief spell in Satahip, Thailand"

Conclusion



I find it very ironic under the circumstances that the court and V.A.
would deny benefits to Thailand veterans when their testimony
corroborated each others stories.

Furthermore, who is to deny those Thailand veterans
that served in the "early years" from 1961-1967
when these bases were under construction and herbicides used?
Logical .. common sense ...
re:   Korat - Bob Davies     - "I was at Korat Air Base 4/65 to 4/66."
Doesn't a court judge use the rule of common sense
where a party lies once, nothing more is considered.
At least, without evidence ...
The DOD has lied for four decades and no one knows to what extent.


Our (beautiful) government wouldn't allow such dioxins/toxins to be used
if they willing knew of the medical problems it would cause our soldiers.
No?     See Criminal Investigation of Monsanto Corporation
- Cover-up of Dioxin Contamination in Products
- Falsification of Dioxin Health Studies

More on the history of the Army Engineers
    that served in Thailand.

p.s.   If you are thinking that that is the only period of counterinsurgency "exercises," you are (widely) mistaken.     On file @ 1 Aug 69 - 31 Oct 69 ..     I just love how naive citizens of this country are.

Thailand: anatomy of a counterinsurgency victory
From: Military Review | Date: 1/1/2007 | Author: Marks, Thomas A.

Quarterly Classified Report Document



 
To be continued ..

.. please email your contributions.   Thank you.

   
Perimeter of Camp Friendship     Map
Central - Korat Motif "brown"   Aerial
Camp Friendship Mess Hall
Cutting a camp out of the jungles
Camp Samae San (Satahip)     Map
NKP Flight Line (Northeast)  
7th RRFS *   (Classified Army Site - defoliated)
CIA Lima Jumgle Landing Strip - Laos

* ASA (Army Security Agency) Post defoliated Compound Area   (Deactivated)

Seebees can take credit for constructing NKP; Red Horse for maintaining runway

After Action Engineer Reports -   Storage Farm - Korat     Plumber's Helper **

561st Engr Co (DT) - Army Engineers provided the dump trucks.

Base Photo Gallery       "Vintage 1967"

** What to do with hundreds of 55-gallon (empty) drums.       Groundwater Contamination

"Herbicides were used in Thailand from 1961-62 to Closing (1975)" - Franco (That's a fact/Jack)

Rep. Lane Evans, D-IL,
a friend to all veterans leaves Congress
due to bad health fight with Parkinson
for ten years.     Congresspedia

Rep. Evans was the Ranking Democratic Member of the House Committee
on Veterans' Affairs.     GovTrack

    It comes at no surprise that the government "left hand" doesn't know what the "right hand" is doing.
At least, in observing the President and Vice President.

    On June 30, 2005, an Air Force Colonel responded to an official inquiry made by Congressman Evans on behalf of veterans that served in Thailand regarding the potential exposure to herbicides.

    Unfortunately, the (good) Colonel did not know what he was talking about and this is outrageous for someone that has risen through the ranks and works at the Pentagon for the U.S. Air Force.     After all, our veterans in filing their disability claims for exposure to herbicides in Thailand deserve a better deal than having their claim shot down by someone in authority that obviously hasn't got the slightest idea what he is talking about.     Keep in mind, this is the "polite" version of what I really would like to say.

    After all, how many Thailand veterans have been denied their benefits because some jerk in a position of authority makes "false" statements?     And, the V.A. (and its adjudicators) stamp the claim denied.

    How many have died from the complications of their service connected (SC) medical condition without proper compensation as well as their surviving family members, ie, widows?

    For more details on the (bullshit) position the V.A. takes on such adjudications, click here.

    Now, brace yourself for the raw truth .. that the government misinforms, makes false statements, and in general, takes actions unfavorable to the veteran claimant.

    If there is any doubt whatsoever, you obviously did not start with the (official) USAF CHECO report on "Base Defenses in Thailand" at the top of this page.     You've got some reading to do before you can appreciate this section.     Note, in the FOIA inquiry made by Mr. Priessman that the response indicates (a) the documents provided were "sanitized" and (b) that there are portions either left out because they have yet to be de-classified (this 1973 report was not de-classified until last month, September, 2007)     Imagine, a court of law where the respondent to your claim does not have to respond in discovery.

    You are left in an adversarial situation without the legal tools to present your claim and the government has no obligation to you for penalties and interest on said claim.     No, you have not entered the "Twi-light Zone."     You have entered the world of reality with an incompetent, adversarial agency of the Executive Branch that at every opportunity will deny you your just disability compensation.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - PENTAGON:   SAF Letter   (June 30, 2005 Cover-Up)

    The Pentagon/Air Force responded to five (5) questions posed by the Congressman.     Let's take the irrelevant questions (responses) first and then get to the meat of the matter, use of herbicides in Thailand, denied.

    Question #1 as to where the aircraft (C-123s) were based is not important.     They could have been based at Hickam or CONUS and flown in daily for all we care.

    Question #3, ditto; squadron/aircraft based .. who cares?

    Question #4, again, a "smoke screen" and (helpful) reference to the GPO for further information is absurd and below a field grade officer responding to an inquiry by a member of Congress.

Relevant Issues

    Question #2   "To our knowledge, no herbicides were stored in Thailand."     Oh, really???     Huh?     Mosquito control .. what are they talking about???



    And, the "non-responsive response to a buck shot inquiry."     The good Congressman, in an attempt to be thorough and at the same time specific as to the various herbicides used, eg, orange, pink, blue, purple, etc., the Colonel attempts to be responsive and ambiguous at the same time:



    Accountability .. heavens know we can't have that.     As for "any more specific information," we don't need it now with the CHECO report in so much as we know (a) the air force installations are fairly large and therefore, (b) their perimeters would require quite a bit of:   herbicides to defoliate.

Nixon ordered Cambodia cover-up ...
The 50,000 pages of documents newly released show growing concern about the course of the war in Vietnam and the ability of the South Vietnamese government, in particular.     Sound familiar, ie, Iraqi government today???

Why would CHECO reports
be classified "Secret"?
    When they are first written, they become a library of training material at military colleges.     The air force, for instance, reviews its classified document every 7 years.     So, when you see something like this report, "Base Defense in Thailand," that is over 35 years old -- it must have been reviewed for declassification five (5) times!     Now, you may be wondering, why so many years after the war and the information is relatively useless?     In my professional opinion, the answer is because the information would be useful to all types of legal actions by American veterans, Thai veterans, Thai civilians and of course, the affect on the government budget for additional disability compensation payments that they do not want to incur.     Yes, it is true that they would rather those that were affected die and go away.

    Now, that sounds pretty disgruntled because of your own treatment.     No, let's take a look at another CHECO report, "The Fall of Site 85," was classified "Top Secret, [for] Air Force Eyes Only;   Limited Distribution."     Here, you had a dozen air force airmen that "volunteered" for a hazardous assignment, all alone without any army support on a mountain in northern Laos along the border of North Vietnam.     The airmen were officially discharged from the air force and became civilian contractors for a highly classified federal contractor in aerospace with a mission to direct bombing missions in Hanoi.     The mission was so secret that the demise of the airmen was really never revealed and a book, "One Day Too Long" which was a miscalculation of the evacuation of these, obviously expendable, highly skilled in air force electronic equipment.     You see, there was really only one way in and one way out, and that was serviced by a helicopter pad cut in the jungles at the top of this mountain.     Remember, now -- the mountain was selected for its obvious critical geography location and the height and natural defenses of cliffs.     But, like the stupid use of herbicides during the war, the generals did not calculate the motivation of their enemy and the build-up of NVA regiments at the base of the mountain.     The poor souls working there just kept aiding air force bombers on their path to Hanoi.

    Recently, there was the discovery of the remains of one of these airmen that was overrun and left to die.     When the announcement on the news was made, it was simply a foot note that did more for the promotion of the labs in Hawaii then tell this airman's story.     To add "insult to injury," because of these air force airmen's special status as civilian contractors, the families of these airmen fought for years with the government for compensation and other benefits such as the children to be provided with higher education.     When I say "expendable," I wasn't kidding.

    See also The Government Practice of Cover-Ups ...     There is no end to the abuse of authority and military classification of documents.

Remember ..
  "United we can conquer"
      "Divided we are denied.."

    Your support now will help bring Goliath to his knees.     Allowed to go unchecked, (intimidating,) we all lose.