Blue Water VA Veterans Update
October 15, 2020
Veterans who served on open sea ships off the shore of Vietnam during the Vietnam War are referred to as “Blue Water Navy Veterans.” The Blue Water Navy (BWN) Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019 (PL 116-23) extended the presumption of herbicide exposure, such as Agent Orange, to Veterans who served in the offshore waters of the Republic of Vietnam between Jan. 9, 1962 and May 7, 1975.
The VA has recently released a new verification tool that will help in determining qualifying ship locations in accordance with the law. For the first time, the VA will have each of these ships mapped with precision, providing a comprehensive view of their locations.
This will be a great help in determining exposure to Agent Orange and other herbicides used during this time. For a Veteran in need of benefits or their surviving spouse, being able to verify a ship’s location and deck logs could provide the data necessary to secure benefits.
Click on the link for more details: https://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/79052/vas-collaboration-nara-digitizes-vietnam-era-deck-logs/