COPPERAS COVE, Texas — After five years of waiting on appeals with the Veterans Affairs office and seven cancer diagnoses, a new House bill may offer Copperas Cove resident and Vietnam veteran Richard Brown some hope.
There is new hope for Brown and others stationed in Thailand during the Vietnam War with the introduction of HR Bill 299 by Representative Mark Takano, a Democrat from California.
With the introduction of H.R. Bill 299 from Rep. Mark Takano, a democrat from California, Brown and other veterans who were stationed in Thailand during the Vietnam War could see extended benefits for being exposed to herbicides like Agent Orange.
Takano introduced the bill, better known as the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019, Jan 8.
Brown said, if passed, the bill would help more than just him.
"It'd be great," Brown said. "It'd make a lot of guys happy if they ever got this passed."
This bill was also introduced in the 115th Congress last year, but it was only passed through the House.
A statement from the office of Takano, who was also elected as the Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, read:
"Congress must pass H.R. 299 and ensure that all veterans exposed to Agent Orange get the healthcare and disability benefits they've earned. This is one of my top priorities, that's why as Chairman of the House Committee on Veteran Affairs, this was the first bill I introduced in the 116th Congress - to deliver on the promises we made to Blue Water Navy veterans. Congress cannot fail them again."
Brown said he was happy to see the effort Takano has put toward working with the VA.
"I'm glad because it seems like he's going to work for and with veterans," Brown said. "A lot of them... I don't even know if they care."
Brown said this bill, its progress and the way Texas politicians are responding is something he tries to monitor on a regular basis.
The 84-year-old said aside from a phone call from Tom Morley of Waco following Channel 6's initial report on Brown's case earlier this month, he hasn't heard from anyone from the VA since his case had been remanded.
The VA released a statement on his case's status, saying:
"In order to grant service connection for Agent Orange exposure to Veterans who did not serve in the nation of Vietnam, federal law requires documentation of Agent Orange exposure. After carefully reviewing Mr. Brown’s records to determine if evidence is available to support his claim, VA is waiting to receive additional documentation regarding the Veteran’s service from the Joint Services Records Research Center (JSRRC)."
When asked to clarify what that statement meant for his specific case the VA said:
"The Board of Veterans Appeals has the ability to remand, or send, an appeals claim back to the Veterans Benefits Administration with further instructions. In this case, the Board has asked VBA to obtain Mr. Brown’s military personnel records from the JSRRC. The records are needed to help determine whether Mr. Brown had regular perimeter security duty in Thailand, between January 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975 – a risk factor for contact."