Bill would make it easier for veterans who signed secrecy oaths for covert ops to obtain back benefits

WASHINGTON — Veterans who signed secrecy oaths that kept them from disclosing to doctors or anyone else the nature of injuries connected to covert operations could seek benefits retroactive to their discharge date under a bill before Congress.

The Obligations to Aberdeen’s Trusted Heroes Act, or OATH Act, would lift a mandate that requires veterans to apply for benefits within one year of leaving military service to receive compensation dating back to their discharge.

The restriction would be waived for former service members who participated in secrecy oath programs that prevented them from disclosing a mission or seeking benefits for service-connected illnesses or injuries. Sponsored by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., the legislation specifically identifies Vietnam-era service members who were human test subjects from the mid-1950s to the early 1970s in Army experiments using chemical warfare agents and hallucinogenic drugs.