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Town Hall On Agent Orange Will Be Held At UNF On Wednesday

U.S. Army Operations in Vietnam R.W. Trewyn, Ph.D. , APC Defoliation National Archives
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Via Wikimedia Commons
This file photo shows a U.S. Army personnel carrier spraying Agent Orange during the Vietnam War.

Local veterans can learn if they have a potential claim when it comes to the carcinogenic effects of Agent Orange.

Agent Orange was a tactical herbicide used by the U.S. military from 1962 to 1975.

The military sprayed millions of gallons of it on trees and shrubs during the Vietnam War so enemies could not hide. Now, a whole range of diseases are associated with it. A town hall this week at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville is exploring the issue further.

UNF Military and Veterans Resource Center Director Bob Buehn, a retired U.S. Navy Captain, spoke about Agent Orange on Monday’s First Coast Connect with Melissa Ross.  He said a large number of veterans in Florida have been impacted by it. 

Related: Listen to the full interview with Buehn

“The numbers are bigger than we realize, but we know there are many, many Vietnam vets still with us who are demonstrating or, you know, manifesting these illnesses and we, we want to connect them with their benefits. Really, that's our purpose,” said Buehn.

Veteran Service officers will be in attendance to help file claims.

The Agent Orange Town Hall is Wednesday, August 7, from 9am to noon at the Herbert University Center on the UNF campus.

Michelle Corum can be reached at mcorum@wjct.org, 904-358-6308 or on Twitter at @MCorumonME.

Photo used under Creative Commons license.