Billy Shafer

dcarp · Aug 15, 2019

Someone mentioned it the other day, here is a article about the Agent Orange presumption for ?Blue Water Veterans. Not the best picture but the best I could do. As soon as I can find it I will post a link to the website.

dcarp · Aug 15, 2019

Billy, here?s the link to the info on the VA?s site.
Blue Water poke here

37chief · Aug 15, 2019

I was stationed off the coast about a mile, of Viet Nam, I was on the ship USS Sailsbury Sound sea plane tender for over a month. The ship just sat there to support the planes. Then boots on the ground for a short time. I often wonder if my prostate cancer was a result of that. I guess I will never know. Stan

Billy Shafer · Aug 15, 2019

dcarp.

Thanks for the information. I hope now we can get some help. I am tired of being told their is nothing wrong with me. Or the rest of my fellow Nam vets. The VA has always treated us Tonkin Gulf sailors like trash. Claimed we couldn't be sick. Even though we were dying from the same things that were killing. The in country men and women.

Our shop was in hanger bay three. The planes in for repair were parked just outside our door. Several of us remarked how the planes smelled like the cotton spray we were used to smelling at home. Only this was much stronger and our shop fan would suck in the fumes. Too late for some of us. But maybe the rest of us can get some help. The few around here are having a meeting to talk about it.

USS Saratoga CVA 60 Tonkin Gulf 1972.

Russ from MN · Aug 15, 2019

It seems like every guy our age has prostrate cancer, whether they were exposed to agent orange or not. I am not a veteran, but I have it, going to Mayo clinic next Wed for further tests. Many of my former co-workers who are not veterans have it, we wonder if it's from working in a paper mill for 30 years, being exposed to lots of chemicals.

JMS/.MN · Aug 15, 2019

Agent Orange is a combo of 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T...the brush killer. 2,4-D is a broadleaf herbicide- probably what was used on the cotton fields, thus the familiar smell. Here, it was used on small grains and corn.

GordoSD · Aug 15, 2019

I made 4 combat cruises to the Tonkin Gulf. I flew a total of 440 combat missions over SVN, NVN, and the Gulf itself. I am the only one of my friends that has not had Prostate cancer. One sold insurance from an office in a bank, Another was a rancher west of the river, no man's land No ag there at all Just cattle and grass, Another sold abrasive products to Forges and fabrication shops, Another was a CPA, Another was a doctor.
AO was sprayed at tree top level. It was a bright orange product. No one I ever knew flew through it. and unless you can fly through trees you couldn't be under it. I call BS on your story of Navy planes being in it.

JMOR · Aug 15, 2019

(quoted from post at 14:13:00 08/15/19) I made 4 combat cruises to the Tonkin Gulf. I flew a total of 440 combat missions over SVN, NVN, and the Gulf itself. I am the only one of my friends that has not had Prostate cancer. One sold insurance from an office in a bank, Another was a rancher west of the river, no man's land No ag there at all Just cattle and grass, Another sold abrasive products to Forges and fabrication shops, Another was a CPA, Another was a doctor.
AO was sprayed at tree top level. It was a bright orange product. No one I ever knew flew through it. and unless you can fly through trees you couldn't be under it. I call BS on your story of Navy planes being in it.

f you are a male & live long enough you will have prostate cancer, but something else will likely be your cause of death.....just the way it is.

tlock0331 · Aug 15, 2019

JMOR

"If you are a male & live long enough you will have prostate cancer, but something else will likely be your cause of death.....just the way it is."

how did you arrive at that conclusion?

HenryO · Aug 15, 2019

I served in the Air Force in the fifties and I ended up having prostrate cancer when I was 78. Never saw agent orange but spent 6 years spraying apple trees with lead arsenate between 10 and 16 years old. Now I am 88 and am cancer free. Who knows what causes cancer during our lifetimes. My doctor said "you are going to die of something, just hope its a quick departure" Henry

dhermesc · Aug 15, 2019

https://www.medicaldaily.com/half-men-over-60-have-prostate-cancer-most-die-other-causes-247635

50% of the men over 65 will get prostate cancer and 70% of the men over age 80 have it.

Billy Shafer · Aug 15, 2019

If your healthy that is great. I have a good friend in town that was in a PBR unit. 73 and as healthy as he can be. The man next door was in the jungle. 69 and looks 90. My brother laughed at me told me to get over Nam. Agent Orange was a myth.He died from ALS from depleted uranium. Everyone in his A 10 squadron is dead or has health problems. From handling the ammo.

I didn't believe the stories either. Until my first heart attack. Doc told me I needed to stop spraying crops without protection. I told him I never sprayed crops. Were you ever in Nam I said yes and he said that is your problem. I am not after money like some I know. I just want some help.

Billy Shafer · Aug 15, 2019

I had an uncle that died at 105. He always said. No one lives forever. 27 missions in a B17. Farmed all his life. Full head of hair. All his teeth and eyes like a hawk. He was a good man.

37chief · Aug 15, 2019

If I wasn't busy I would catch a patrol flight with one of our crews. The planes flew along the coast to NVN, then back looking for enemy shipping or subs. It wasn't uncommon for the pilot to let us open the rear door (hatch) to get some fresh air. I am sure we all got a snoot full of what ever was in the air. Stan

r.w.b. · Aug 15, 2019

The v.a. Here jacked around,my uncle died from agent orange,he was having trouble breathing,his wife took him to our local va.he was in a wheel chair,they acted like lets bet on how long he lives.he died in that dammed wheel chair after being there 3 hours no treatment or oxygen

Billy Shafer · Aug 15, 2019

I would like your idea. About an F4 that crashed. While were in the med. Nothing bad I would just like to hear what you think.

WAYNE-N-TEXAS · Aug 15, 2019

Sorry GordoSD, in my opinion you know very little, you're just blowing smoke, not trying to pick a fight. I have the effects AO. I can tell you for a fact, I DIDN'T FLY TROUGH TREE or swing from them either. Maybe they should have given you another bullet (Barney) and maybe most of us wouldn't have problems. Thanks for your service and you're full of it. Thanks anyway.

Just for the record, when you get disability, the VA still treats you like you're screwing the government. I don't care about all this stuff they send out saying what we're eligible for. Most of us don't want or feel like joining anything.

dcarp · Aug 15, 2019

Speaking of calling bs. Agent Orange was named that because of the way it was shipped. In drums with a orange stripe on them. The US also used Agent Blue, Agent Green, Agent Pink, etc. All named for the stripe on the drum or barrel, if you want to call them that. The actual chemical sprayed did NOT have those colors. They all looked the same, just about like any herbicide you can buy and use today. Grazon next looks a little amber colored I. The bottle, add it to water and it looks a little whitish, then when it comes out of the sprayer you really can?t see any color.

dcarp · Aug 15, 2019

Here?s a picture of the USAF spraying Agent Orange. Do you see any Orange in this picture? I sure don?t!

led · Aug 15, 2019

I think Agent Orange can bring about early onset of prostate cancer.
Led

On denial, some of you guys must work for the VA !!!

Billy Shafer · Aug 16, 2019

I have read your story many times.I too think it is BS. Agent Orange had no color. It was a code word for the sprays. Why do you use SVN,NVA and how could you fly missions over the Gulf. The Gulf was where the carriers operated. You sound just like the VA. Telling us it never happened. What bird farm did you use. Who was the CO and air boss.What squadron were you with.

GordoSD · Aug 16, 2019

I made three Westpac cruises on Connie. In 72 I was in VF92. VF-96 was our sister squadron. We were part of Air Wing Nine Gus Eggert was Cag, CVW 9 shot down 10 migs. USN record We received a Presidential Unit Citation. Maybe you heard oF DUke Cunningham? He was there. ANother cruise was Ranger and some support with USS Reeves DLG 24.
We flew hundred of Combat Air Patrol (CAP) missions over the Gulf. The fighters were up 24 hours a day as a barrier (BARCAP) between the land based Migs and the carriers. We capped all the SAR events both feet wet and feet dry.
My bad on the orange color, I was thinking of the fire suppression drops.

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