Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office Henry M. Jackson Federal Building February 11, Second Avenue, Seattle, WA 98714

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1 Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office Henry M. Jackson Federal Building February 11, Second Avenue, Seattle, WA This is in response to the Department of Veterans Affairs letter dated February 11, 2012, requesting additional information to support my claim of Agent Orange Exposure. The following letter is a variation from the one submitted on August 16 th of I have added key codes to each date, which references back to the attached deck logs and the IOM report. My submission is based on the DVA s letter of February 11 th, page 2, 3 rd paragraph which states (3) you were exposed to Agent Orange in some other manner, with an explanation of when, where, and how you were exposed. I would like to reopen my claim for Agent Orange exposure (prostate cancer) based on new information provided by the IOM study released in May of This concerns the plausibility of exposure by Blue Water Veterans due to the distillation process aboard the ship as well as other potential avenues of exposure. Plausible exposure could be from dermal contact, ingestion or other avenues of exposure. The IOM reported that concentrations were increased due to the distillation process and could be enhanced due to heat or humidity. I stated in my previous letter that while serving aboard the USS Topeka CLG8, I was assigned to the laundry department from November 1965 to September During our deployment to West Pac, the USS Topeka served as an R & R platform for thousands of ground troops. A Letter of Commendation is attached, referencing that the USS Topeka was a HOME AWAY FROM HOME FOR A THOUSAND OF THE NATION S FIGHTING MEN. A search of the deck logs were non-conclusive as they were too vague and did not list the number of personnel arriving via helicopter for R & R on the Topeka. Helicopter activity during the cruise was substantial and is reflected below: January Located in the Gulf of Tonkin there were 24 helicopter encounters. February 1966 Off the Coast of Trung Phan Province, South Vietnam in support of Double Eagle in Corps Areas II and III, there were 44 encounters. March & April 1966 In support of Operation Harrison, Yankee and Tom Cat Station there were 67 encounters. During this time, I was charged with doing the laundry of the land-based personnel. According to the IOM, plausible exposure could have come from any or all of the following: 1

2 Page 52 Water Contamination the flight paths of the C-123s often included flying over rivers, streams, and delta areas with direct application of Agent Orange or other herbicides to the water surface. The Army also verified that some herbicide was jettisoned over water near the Vietnamese coast (Department of the Army, 1981). Page 95 Dermal direct deposition of herbicides spray onto any ground troops or Brown Water Navy is possible. Page 97 Dermal: A conservative estimate of 20% of the amount of herbicide sprayed may be assumed to be available for transfer to human Skin or CLOTHING. Page 100 Dermal Ground troops and Brown Water Navy personnel may have had the opportunity for direct contact with contaminated sediments when walking along riverbanks, wading across streams or other activities. Page 104 Distilled Potable Water The committee received information from several Blue Water Navy veterans that firing lines for US ships could be as close to the Vietnamese coastline as 1-2 nautical miles. Although ships did not stay on the firing line for long periods, it is possible that they sometimes took up water for distillation while relatively close to the coastline. With the handling of the contaminated clothing of the thousands of ground-based personnel, the secondary contact while doing laundry on board the ship is a plausible route of exposure. IOM Page 105 Distilled potable waters: The committee found that Agent Orange Associated TCDD could, under some circumstances, contaminate marine waters off the coast of South Vietnam. Ships may have distilled those marine waters, so TCDD contamination of potable water aboard those ships was possible. Inhalation exposure could occur in water vapor during showering or other uses of hot water. The laundry department was a normal place where high heat and humidity was present on a daily basis, thereby increasing the plausibility of exposure via inhalation of the Agent Orange Associated TCDD s. Dermal exposure is plausible as well. IOM Page 93 that many Blue Water ships came relatively close to the Vietnamese shore where contamination could occur. The USS Topeka was providing NGFS in Corp Areas II and III. The following dates reflect the approximate distance the USS Topeka was from the South Vietnam s shore line during 1966: File Number: Dennis L. Franklin 1. February 6 th we were 6,000 and 7,000 yards from shore 2. February 7th, 7,000 and 6,000 yards from shore respectively. 3. February 13th in Fire Support Area II - 4,000 yards from shore 2

3 4. February14th - 3,000 yards 5. February 15 th - 4,000 yards 6. February16th - 4,500 yards 7. February17th - 4,000 yards 8. February 20 th we were in the Central Quang Tin Providence for NGFS and were within 4,000 yards of shore. 9. February 21 st Central coast of S. Vietnam 6,500 yards from shore. 9a. February 22nd Fire support areas I III 6,500 yards from shore. The Topeka was also anchored in 11 fathoms of water off the coast of Vietnam. 10. February 26th off the Cost of South Vietnam near Tuy Hoa we anchored in 10 fathoms of water. 11. February 27 th we were anchored off the coast in 50 feet of water with a mud bottom. The latitude was 13 degrees 12.6 minutes. The longitude was 109 degrees and 18.9 minutes. 12. February 28 th 2 miles off shore, 13. March 1 st Anchored off the coast in 13 fathoms of water with a mud and sandy bottom. 14. April 18 th Naval gunfire support Area II, 7,000 yards from shore. 15. May 19 th Anchored in the Da Nang harbor in 9 fathoms of water with a mud bottom. The longitude was 16 degrees 08.3N, longitude was 108 degrees 12.8 E. IOM Report Page 104 Distilled potable waters: Although ships did not stay on the firing line for long periods, it is possible that they sometimes took up water for distillation while relatively close to the coast line. In reviewing the deck logs of the USS Topeka, CLG8, it appears that the ships steam plants were operational on the following dates in 1966: a to 1-18 and 1-20 in the Gulf of Tonkin b and 1-23 in Subic Bay c. 2-6 in Fire Support Area III, 6,000 yards from shore d. 2-7 in Fire Support Area III, 6,000 and 7,000 yards from shore e. 2-8 in Fire Support Area III f. 2-9 to 2-12 off the Coast of the South China Sea in Support of Double Eagle g in Fire Support Area II, 4,000 yards from shore h in Fire Support Area II, 3,000 yards from shore i in Fire Support Area II, 4,000 yards from shore j in Fire Support Area II, 4,500 yards from shore k in Fire Support Area II, 4,000 yards from shore l to 2-19 South China Sea Corps Areas I & II m Central Quang Tin Province, 4,000 yards from shore n Off the Coast of South Vietnam, 6,500 yards from shore o in Fire Support Areas I through III, Operation Double Eagle Part II, 6,500 yards from shore p off the Coast of North Viet Nam q Corps Area II 3

4 r Vicinity of Tuy Hoa, 5 miles from shore s Vicinity of Tuy Hoa, 5 miles from shore t Operation Harrison u Vicinity of Tuy Hoa, 2 miles from shore v. 3-1 Corps Area II w to 4-15 Gulf of Tokin, Tom Cat Station x Area II, 7,000 and 8,000 yards off shore respectively y off the coast of South Vietnam In summary and support of my claim for Agent Orange exposure, the following are PLAUSIBLE avenues of exposure: 1. Laundry department due to secondary exposure to contaminated clothing of landbased military personnel. 2. Laundry department due to the distillation process of potable water and additional exposure to the high heat and humidity inherent with the laundry department. 3. Contamination due to the distance from Vietnam shoreline and water depth of any anchorage along the shoreline. 4. Distillation of potable water during many instances while relatively close to the shoreline. In addition to the above PLAUSIBLE avenues of exposure reflected above, the USS Topeka CLG8 was in Da Nang Harbor on from 0908 to 1346 in 9 fathoms of water with a mud bottom. The longitude was 16 degrees 08.3N, longitude was 108 degrees 12.8 E. The USS Saint Paul CA73 was in the Da Nang Harbor on the following dates and times: A from 0805 to 1158 at anchorage An in six fathoms of water with mud bottom. Bearing was radar tower 088.5right tangent of Hon Son Cha 0165 degrees T, Signal tower 109 degrees A from 1135 to 1706 anchored at R.U.N. in seven fathoms of water with mud bottom. Bearing radio tower 103 degrees T, Signal Tower 144 degrees T, Hon Son Cha 008 degrees T. A from 0812 to 1502 in anchorage 14 in nine fathoms of water with mud and sand bottom. Bearings: radio tower PGC, Signal building 147 degrees PGC. The ship departed with a draft of 23 forward and 24.5 aft. A from 1430 to 1729 Moored to starboard side of the USS Boston (CAG-1) 4

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