Bozho
(Hello),
The Citizen Potawatomi Nation’s Family Reunion Festival 2019 was good for the CPN Veterans Organization. We had five new members join the organization who were eager to be active, especially with our color guard. Another special event the CPN Veterans Organization participated in was the Vintage Cars and Memorabilia Auction in mid-June. A former commander of the CPN Veterans Organization, Troy Graham, donated a 1968 Ford Mustang to the organization to auction off to raise money for us. Migwetch (thanks), Troy! The funds will be put to good use.
According to a recent U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs press release, there is good news for Blue Water Navy veterans of the Vietnam War. The VA has extended Agent Orange presumption to include them for eligibility for disability compensation benefits.
“The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is preparing to process exposure claims for ‘Blue Water Navy’ veterans who served offshore of the Republic of Vietnam between Jan. 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975.
“These Veterans may be eligible for presumption of herbicide exposure through Public Law 116-23, Blue Water Navy Veterans Act of 2019, which was signed into law June 25, 2019, and goes into effect Jan. 1, 2020. They may also qualify for a presumption of service connection if they have a disease that is recognized as being associated with herbicide exposure.
“To qualify, under the new law, these veterans must have a disease associated with herbicide exposure, as listed in 38 Code of Federal Regulations section 3.309(e).”
According to a report by U.S. Medicine, “Agent Orange presumptive conditions are:
- AL amyloidosis
- Chloracne (or similar acneform disease)
- Chronic B-cell leukemias
- Diabetes mellitus Type 2
- Hodgkin lymphoma, formerly known as Hodgkin’s disease
- Ischemic heart disease
- Multiple myeloma
- Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, formerly known as Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
- Parkinson’s disease
- Porphyria cutanea tarda
- Prostate cancer
- Respiratory cancers (lung, bronchus, larynx or trachea)
- Soft-tissue sarcoma (other than osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, Kaposi’s sarcoma or mesothelioma)”
For more information visit: cpn.news/agentorange.
Remember, the CPN Veterans Organization meets every month on the fourth Tuesday at 6 p.m. (or as soon as you can get there) in the North Reunion Hall on the Potawatomi Powwow Grounds. All CPN and spouse veterans and their families are welcome. A meal is provided.
In June’s Hownikan, we included the wrong name in the photo caption of Troy Graham, a CPN Veteran who, on behalf of our organization, donated a 1968 Ford Mustang to the June 15 OK Classic Auction at FireLake Arena. Apologies to Troy for the mistake, and thank you for your support of our organization for such a fantastic donation.
Migwetch
(Thank you),
Daryl Talbot, Commander
talbotok@sbcglobal.net
405-275-1054
CPN VA Representative: Andrew Whitham
CPN Office Hours: 1st and 3rd Wednesday each month 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
918-397-2566