We Must Stop Predatory Companies from Scamming Veterans Seeking Disability Benefits

In 1967, I was stationed at a U.S. Army base in Bien Hoa, Vietnam -- one of the primary nodes in Operation Ranch Hand. This was the lighthearted name given to the cruel campaign of defoliating large areas of Vietnam with Agent Orange, making it easier for bombers and fighters to set their targets and depriving the local population of food. Almost 60 years later, the soil and groundwater in and around Bien Hoa remain contaminated with toxic chemicals, making residents ill.

Many Vietnam veterans have also become sick. I have two medical conditions resulting from my exposure to Agent Orange: cardiac disease and prostate cancer. The Department of Veterans Affairs provides care and compensation for these ailments, though this support requires securing a disability rating -- a number from zero to 100.

The higher the number, the more care and compensation a veteran receives. Getting that rating entails navigating a morass of regulations, evaluations and paperwork.