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Vietnam Veterans fighting off the battlefield from Agent Orange exposure

HARRISBURG, Pa. — In a span of five days veteran John Chiodi went from fighting in a war to living on the streets of New York City. For Chiodi, and Army a...

HARRISBURG, Pa. -- In a span of five days veteran John Chiodi went from fighting in a war to living on the streets of New York City.

For Chiodi, and Army and Vietnam War Veteran, his service is still difficult to talk about. "Knowing what I went through, it's like 46 years later and you can still feel it, and what a lot of other men are going through. It just hurts too much," he said choking back tears.

From PTSD to long-term physical medical issues, his fight never ended. He struggled for years to find himself. "I was totally lost," he said. "The first 15 years was basically going through hell because I was told I was addicted to adrenaline, I was an alcoholic, I smoked a lot of pot. I did a lot of crazy things."

Now it's a much different story. "Thankfully one of my friends dragged me to the VA in 2002 and I went to the Doctors, and was told you have to go see the other doctors, and psychiatrists, one thing led to another and it's been a long road but now I'm here helping veterans see what they're entitled to."

Many are Vietnam Veterans who like himself, were exposed to Agent Orange. "I had a double bypass, and I'm on medication for that, and also I have diabetes," he said.

Agent Orange is a powerful chemical mixture used by U.S. military forces during the Vietnam War to eliminate forest cover. Over the years the VA has slowly expanded benefits for illnesses related to exposure to the toxin. Chiodi recently helped a veteran who had just become eligible after more than 40 years. The veteran had flown a plane that had been previously used to spray the chemical. "He said he was a pilot, and he flew them around and the inside of the plane was still dripping. It's just sloppy stuff, like goo. And it was all over," he said.

"They used approximately 11 million gallons of it," said Cheryl Green, a Physician Assistant for the Lebanon Va Medical Center, who works with veterans dealing with medical conditions from Agent Orange. She encourages veterans to file claims.  "The government doesn't say, you have diabetes, but you're older, and you're overweight, you probably would've gotten it anyway. That doesn't matter," she said. "They are continually adding to that list of conditions."

Veterans who believe they have been exposed to Agent Orange are encouraged to have an Agent Orange Exam. The exam includes a physical, lab tests, and the veteran’s placement on the National Agent Orange Registry. The Agent Orange EAS Coordinator may be contacted at (717) 272-6621 x4195 or toll-free at 1-800-449-8771 extension 4195.

For free assistance with filing VA benefit claims contact the PA VFW State Headquarters in Harrisburg at (717) 234-7927. You will be given contact information for the closest VFW State Service Officer who is fully accredited to work through the VA system

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