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Making an argument to the VA for
Tactical Herbicide Exposure.
I believe that an awful lot of 51st Signal Battalion veterans are
missing an "EXTREMELY IMPORTANT SECTION" of this report and not
explaining it properly or correctly in how it pertains to their
service in South Korea. On Page 19, (swiping the pages listed),
you come to Paragraph (a). It begins, "To counter NK Infiltrators
use of heavily vegetated areas along the DMZ." At the bottom
of that paragraph it states the following, VERY CLEARLY!
"On 28 April the application of "Monuron" was completed in
the I-Corps area. A total of 145,000 pounds of Monuron
(2,900 drums) was sprayed by hand for a total coverage of 580
acres in the I-Corps area. A total of 1,500 drums of
Monuron had been spread over 341 acres in the FROKA area during
April."
First, the I-Corps Area, WAS AND INCLUDES CAMP RED CLOUD. CRC was
I-Corps Command Headquarters for years! Second, coverage of 580
acres in the I-Corps area. CRC was only approximately 160 acres in
size, according to military documents. That leaves 420 additional
acres of coverage to account for. Since Camp Pililaau was within
walking distance of CRC, and basically right up the road, one can
easily make the argument (I did in my VA Statement of Claim), that
spraying CRC and NOT Pililaau, which was I-Corps'only signal
communications unit and controlled the entire communications network
for ALL I-Corps units, (which included the 2nd Infantry Division,
the 7th Infantry Division, the 1st and 6th ROK Army, the 5th ROK
Marines, and the 25th ROK Army, as well as ALL REMOTE RADIO SITES,
in the western section of the DMZ, it is completely illogical to say
or even assume that Camp Pililaau was not afforded vegetation
control/protection from infiltrators by the use of Agent Orange or
Monuron. It is simply not possible. The Army at times can be
stupid, BUT NOT THAT STUPID. If you served or worked at Pililaau,
CRC, a remote radio site, or on tactical field maneuvers, be sure to
include and reference this fact, listed in this government document,
that we provided the communications ability for I-Corps (GP), and
all units attached or assigned to the First Corps. Let the VA
just try to "PROVE" that that is not the way it was! After citing
this document, you then find and cite Army Field Manual FM 11-92,
which will back up, show, document, prove, that is the way Corps
Signal Operations did, in fact, work. This manual is titled "CORPS
SIGNAL BATTALION OPERATIONS". One will compliment/prove the other.
The Army Field Manual is ARMY LAW, and is INDISPUTABLE in how it is
carried out. Even the VA cannot dispute Army Law and procedures.
Only the Secretary of Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff can
change or modify Army Laws and regulations. You and I lived by those
Army Regulations in the performance of our duties EACH AND EVERY DAY
WHILE IN THE US ARMY. GOOD LUCK.
SGT. JIM WHITE |
