Program Date: January 26, 2012
Program Time: 1500 hours, PACIFIC
Topic: VA's War Against the US Navy's Agent Orange Survivors
Listen Live: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/lawenforcement/2012/01/26/vas-war-against-the-us-navys-agent-orange-survivors
About the Program
Our Guest, Bob Ford is a former US Marine & author of War Against the Navy.
According to the book description, "Agent Orange is a term used to describe a combination of deadly dioxins which were repeatedly sprayed over Vietnam for the purpose of defoliating the jungles. The term originated from the Orange stripe around the barrels of chemicals that were used.
Dumped by the tons from the skies from large multi-engine aircraft, often 3 & 4 abreast, & it did indeed transform much of Vietnam into a deadly wasteland. It also exposed American servicemen & women to the origins of numerous cancers that now have them dying at a rate of 13 years earlier than their counterparts who did not serve in Vietnam. When all this was taking place, the military was told there was nothing to fear from Agent Orange.
After years of denial in a prolonged battle by Vietnam veterans, the government finally acknowledged the disabilities caused by Agent Orange, and a system was established to process claims for those who now have one or more of the related diseases recognized by VA as caused by exposure to these chemicals. The legislation was clear in that anyone who served, whether on land or sea, was presumed to have been exposed to Agent Orange. Obviously, the one claim no veteran would ever hope to file with VA would be for Agent Orange benefits. The stark reality is that you must already have cancer to qualify.
The main conclusion of this story is there is a controlling group of senior bureaucrats within the United States Department of Veterans Affairs who are relentlessly determined to prevent United States Navy veterans of the Vietnam War from receiving benefits that are automatically granted to all other Vietnam veterans.”
About the Guest
Bob Ford has spent his life trying to make a difference where he could. He was a Marine infantryman, serving as clerk, radio operator and machine gunner. While a student under the GI Bill, he started a volunteer counseling program, by veterans for veterans, to help other veterans get into college. Upon graduation from Penn State in 1970, his program was adopted by Governor Shafer as Pennsylvania’s Program to Advance Veterans Education (PAVE), with Ford as Director, and with counseling centers at over 50 campuses eventually aided thousands of Pennsylvania veterans to receive a college degree. He was appointed to the national Veteran’s Education and Training Action Committee (VETAC) where he served with Bob Hope, Neil Armstrong and General William Westmoreland, and he was one of three veterans, along with John Kerry and John O’Neill, invited to address the 1971 national convention of the National League of Cities, U.S. Conference of Mayors.
In 1971, Ford was appointed by President Nixon to replace Brigadier General Henry Gross as Pennsylvania State Director of the Selective Service System, becoming, at age 31, the youngest Draft Director in the history of the United States, where he supervised the second largest operation in the Selective Service System, with over 70 Field Grade Officers, active and reserve, from all branches of the U.S. military, 176 Draft Boards, and over 800,000 registrants.
He was often in the news as he quickly changed many draft boards in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh from all white to all black members, appointed many women to draft boards, and eliminated occupational deferments for thousands of young men, including school teachers, athletes, and Amish and Mennonite farmers. He also appointed the first 18-year-old draft board member in U.S. history, and to emphasize fairness in Pennsylvania, he personally handed the draft notice to his own brother-in-law, who was subsequently inducted into the U. S. Army. Ford was awarded the Selective Service Silver medal, and two Bronze medals for his performance. At the request of Governor Shapp, to celebrate the 1973 homecoming of Pennsylvania’s P.O.W’s, Ford originated a new program which was to become the Governor’s Veterans Action Centers, which operated until 2010.
In 1989, Ford had a private clubs’ liquor license revoked for racial discrimination against a retired U. S. Army veteran. Bob Ford’s latest successful project, on Memorial Day, May 29, 2006, was to have the Newville, Pennsylvania Post Office named in honor of SFC Randall D. Shughart, Medal of Honor recipient for the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu, Somalia.
War Against the US Navy is his newest project. It is written in the hope of convincing the President of the United States to restore equality and benefits to those sailors and Marines who served their nation honorably in the Vietnam War.
About the Watering Hole
The Watering Hole is police slang for a location cops go off-duty to blow off steam and talk about work and life. Sometimes funny; sometimes serious; but, always interesting.
About the Host
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster was a sworn member of the Los Angeles Police Department for 24 years. He retired in 2003 at the rank of Lieutenant. He holds a bachelor’s from the Union Institute and University in Criminal Justice Management and a Master’s Degree in Public Financial Management from Listen, call, join us at the Watering Hole:
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Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.), MPA
909.599.7530
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