“The Veterans Affairs Department and National Archives and Records Administration completed a massive digitization effort ultimately intended to quicken the time it takes for certain Vietnam veterans to receive help for enduring exposure to toxins like Agent Orange while they were at war.”
“In a robust, collective push, the agencies digitized heaps of NARA-held U.S. Navy and Coast Guard declassified deck logs, which may hold data used in the determination of VA-distributed disability claims. Also deemed ship or captain’s logs, the documents include chronological details of daily happenings on Navy ships and units.”
“The move to digitize these specific deck logs followed the passage of the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019 and the information contained in them can be tapped to validate service-connected disability claims particularly for Blue Water Navy, or BWN Veterans. During the Vietnam War, these Navy members served in the waters around the country—but after the conflict, they experienced more administrative barriers to demonstrate they were exposed to toxic agents amid their deployments. Many found it difficult to prove their eligibility for relevant benefits, though they developed similar symptoms and illnesses as other service members whose boots were on the ground.”
“Following a long legislative journey, the relatively recently passed law extends presumptive status for disability benefits to veterans who faced herbicide exposure in the ‘blue water’ near Vietnam…” Read the full article here.
Source: VA, NARA Complete Digitization Effort to Help Speed Up Disability Claims for Some Veterans – By Brandi Vincent, September 29, 2020. Nextgov.
