Veterans Affairs Office Seeks Agent Orange Beneficiaries

Veterans who suffered specific illnesses related to chemical exposure could receive monthly payments

The San Bernardino County Department of Veterans Affairs is trying to find Vietnam veterans and their survivors who are unaware they are eligible for benefits related to Agent Orange exposure.

In 2010, the U.S. government began paying benefits to Vietnam veterans who had been exposed to Agent Orange and later developed certain heart ailments, B-cell leukemia and Parkinson’s disease, said Bill Moseley, director of the county’s veterans’ services office.

But he isn’t sure everyone got the word. He is particularly concerned about veterans who may have died from heart attacks before those changes were made. His office sent out a notice encouraging any Vietnam veterans who had ischemic heart disease — hardening of the arteries — or their survivors to inquire about possible benefits...