While this isn’t “new” news, I publish it because it is pertinent to our plight. We’ve known for several years that some of the post-Vietnam era pilots and crews of the C-123 spray aircraft were seriously exposed to condensed, dried dioxin inside the A/C.  Subsequent to that, they developed the same diseases and symptoms that those of us who were in country suffer. Now we find out the military has decided to suddenly and abruptly destroy the evidence to reduce their “exposure” to lawsuits. We would consider this a criminal offense under most circumstances-most. The Government apparently gets a bye on it.

VA now can freely say they can’t test the A/C to determine contamination/exposure levels because -voila- they suddenly have none to test. Rather convenient? What did you expect? Sackcloth and ashes on the forehead? Admissions of culpability? What have you guys been smoking?

This may sound familiar to those of you who have HCV that can only be associated with the Munji/Pedojet air innoculation devices used up until 1998 when it was decided they weren’t “viable” in the new, improved sanitary world we need to assure proper medical hygiene. Again, no tests were run to determine possible contamination. In fact, the whole reason for the wealth of denials was that NO testing was done that proved our hypothesis HCV was readily transmitted by the jetguns. No conclusive proof equals hollow, unfounded assertions.  VA relies on this  as the foundation for their denials.  Just because something is plausible does not make it probable. Granted. On the other hand, when evidence mounts showing a disturbing trend that supports a medical correlation, most medical researchers bust out the test tubes  and begin looking. Most. VA doesn’t see a reason to go looking for trouble. Why would they? This smacks of more work and we know how horribly overtaxed they are with all these Veteran malingerers banging on the door.

VA wants to put the AO imbroglio to bed pronto. The absolute last thing they want is another wave of claims washing ashore when they are so near to closing the books on this. Remember, there are only about 367,000 of us left, not counting the Thailand and Korean Vets who are being disenfranchised. I apologize. I forget the Johnson Island, Okinawa and Guam Vets. Lord knows, there are inevitably more going to surface if and when they discover any more “non-existent” records of AO use stateside.