Word: viets
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Ryan, last week, was among those who won, or at least reached a negotiated settlement of, their longest battle of the Viet Nam War. His family and four others acted as plaintiffs representing thousands of Viet Nam veterans and their families in a massive class action against manufacturers of the herbicide. They charged that Agent Orange caused, among other things, cancer and liver damage in many of the soldiers, miscarriages in some of their wives and birth defects in some of their children. The five-year legal struggle, which came to symbolize the bitter suffering and frustration of the veterans...
...chemical companies had surrendered to an unjustified payoff, the share prices of the five companies on the New York Stock Exchange rose after the news. Some veterans felt that their side had sold out. "This was the settlement the chemical companies were looking for," said Lee Covino, a Viet Nam veteran in New York City. "The vets had no say in this." But most seemed to agree with Frank McCarthy, president of the Vietnam Veterans Agent Orange Victims. "It's an incredible start," he proclaimed. "We wanted a trust fund, and we got it without going through a trial...
...first began spraying Agent Orange over Viet Nam in 1965 to defoliate the jungles and roadsides that the enemy was using for cover. The herbicide got its name from the bright orange stripes on the steel drums that contained it. By itself, Agent Orange is not considered unusually dangerous to humans, but a compound produced in its manufacture, dioxin, is one of the most toxic chemicals known. A tiny amount of dioxin can kill some laboratory animals and in others produce liver disorders, various cancers and birth defects. In 1970 the U.S. military stopped using Agent Orange over Viet...
...Chemical announced that it would sue the Government to recover the money. Some lawyers believe that families of the affected veterans may be entitled to sue the Government even though the Feres decision prevents the former soldiers from doing so. Democratic Congressman Thomas Daschle of South Dakota, a Viet Nam veteran, demanded that the Government accept a measure of responsibility and join in providing some compensation. "If the companies can do it, then the Government can as well," said Daschle. He sponsored a bill, which has already passed the House, that would allow service-connected disability benefits for some Agent...
...many veterans the possible monetary compensation is less important than winning recognition and respect for their Viet Nam service-something the American public took far too long to grant to those who fought in that divisive war. This yearning too makes some restitution by the Government all the more important. Yannacone said last week that he planned to file a class action on behalf of the wives and children of Viet Nam veterans against the Veterans Administration, the U.S. Public Health Service and the Food and Drug Administration. Said Ryan, whose wife and daughter will be representative plaintiffs...