Many years later, he had polycethemia vera and then myelofibrosis, two rare blood cancers in the leukemia family called MPNs, which affect many Vietnam veterans. He was convinced his diseases were caused by his exposure to Agent Orange, but the VA refused to acknowledge it in his case – as it does in so many others.
In fact, the VA refuses to cover these diseases and pay service-related benefits to veterans in the vast majority of cases. The reason the VA fails these veterans is not because Agent Orange wasn’t the cause, but simply because it has not included these specific blood cancers on its “presumptive list” of diseases caused by Agent Orange.
As a result, veterans with these diseases are discouraged from even applying for benefits relating to Agent Orange exposure. And if they do, they must navigate a long and difficult process designed for them to fail.
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