But I still need proof. Why would we have that on an aircraft carrier? That means we sprayed. With what aircraft? Do you remember? F4’s? A6’s Cog’s…….It is all crazy. Why on earth would you use an attack aircraft carrier as a base station for folige spray operations? I would think an attack aircraft carrier would be better off in the North Vietnam area on bombing missions. But that is just me. Leave the foliage spraying to land based aircraft. Land based planes can surely be put to better usage! I also seem to remember this spraying was mostly confined to the Mekong Delta area……the most southern part of Vietnam. I seem to remember the Hawk was just up off of Haiphong harbor, just south of China at the time.
It seems like a long flight to just spray some jungle.
I do appreciate your time on duty, and I salute you! I just disagree on this issue.
I want to address this subject generally but not each post.. That would take me all week. This is a general response/support to Don's posts. My service on the Hawk was with VA-113. I started with the cruise around the horn and left mid June 1964. My duty stations were on the flight deck (as perhaps Don's) and the hanger deck servicing VA-13 aircraft as an ADJ2. I remember long tubes not barrels on the hanger deck forward with other equipment e.g. gas powered start up equipment for the A4Ds. A4Ds were repaired near that general area. What do I mean by "near"? I can't tell you but a bigger danger to all of us, especially those of you who worked and lived way down is asbestos. I am on the Agent Orange watch list but have no symptoms other than I am getting long in the tooth and my memories are fading.
I took a lot of pictures and I had some given to me by a ship's photographer. None of them show anything useful.
As a lawyer and former Judge what I have just written amounts to getting a case dismissed for lack of proof. But for the guys that are sick and those who died ( the news letter tells us there are lots of them) it all seems more than coincidental. And to the one comment about no one ever disclosed anything about Agent Orange while we were aboard? When did you ever know of the command telling us anything we should know?
Don, if you got soaked and are not on the Agent Orange list I would sure get on it.
Thank you Ronald for you remarks. I much appreciate it.
I feel everyone is missing my point…….I am talking about 1976!!!!!!!!! This was our country’s 200 year anniversary.
Like I said before
"Are you really serious? Agent Orange was used early in the Vietnam war. The US involvement in Vietnam, ended in early 73. Why would you be handling drums of Agent Orange in 1976……….especially when I know for a fact the ship had gone into a year long dry dock period in Bremerton Washington. Why on earth would the Navy have Agent Orange on a ship in dry dock? Please answer respectfully. I am very tired of people trying to get something for nothing!
I took a lot of pictures and I had some given to me by a ship's photographer. None of them show anything useful.
As a lawyer and former Judge what I have just written amounts to getting a case dismissed for lack of proof.
I can only hope you are off the bench for lack of proof of common sense. You seem a bit out there!
However this poker hand turns out, one thing remains, Any "brown water" ship in the US Navy or all sailors that worked on shore bases in Vietnam are considered to be contaminated or exposed to AO. The Australian Navy includes the "Blue Water" ships also. THIS is the point of contention. The Australian navy considers the fact that "the rivers run to the sea" and therefore, that body of water also counts for exposure claims. Our Navy does not. Cooley is right that the use occurred in the earlier days of the "Conflict", But he is also correct that no one has shown a picture of it on board the hawk, so far. I fold, too rich for this kid. Besides, I got nuthin.
