Noteboom The Law Firm

Soldiers Exposed to Agent Orange While in U.S. Training Camp

According to an article on WRDW.com, Camp Crockett, located in Fort Gordon, Georgia, was used as a training ground in the late 1960’s, which may have resulted in many veterans with disabilities due to Agent Orange exposure.

From January 1967 to the end of December 1969, the Army was using Camp Crockett as a testing ground for Agent Orange, Agent Blue, and Agent White. Helicopters sprayed the toxins all over a 98-acre spread between “Highway 221 on the west and the artillery range to the east.” Pictures were uncovered of soldiers bathing in a stream fed by Leitner Lake, which is “within a 6 to 8 square mile area” of where toxic mists could have drifted.

James Cripps was the first person to prove his exposure to Agent Orange within the U.S. Cripps was a game warden who was responsible for spraying the area to keep the trails clean. The Army won’t admit, however, to spraying outside their testing area, and rely on soil samples taken in 1994 to show how the areas are clean but they likely don’t include all the areas that were sprayed.

Agent Orange enters the human body and changes its DNA. It mutates and causes cancers that may not surface for 20-40 years after exposure. It also causes birth defects and primarily spina bifida, which many veterans should file benefit claims for.

If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, a South Florida disability attorney from LaVan & Neidenberg is ready to help. To learn if you are entitled to certain programs and benefits contact our veterans disability rights firm today – 1-888-234-5758.