June 22, 2005 I  saw the CBC news clip last night and thought I would get in touch. I was in CFB gagetown between 1965/68 and was then posted the Vancouver BC. I came down with asthma within a few months of arrival and gout. I was declaired unfit for service and got out in 69. I later tried to get a pension for the asthma but was denied because I was unable to prove it was service related even though I had medical reports showing that I was in good health just prior to leaviging Gagetown.   I sympathize with you in the unnecessay death of your father. The Canadian Gov. covered it up for twenty years and denyed compensation to those who have suffered from their actions. I fully support you in your endevers and hope that you and others will be able to force the federal Gov. to right this great wrong that has ben done to their soldiers and o the people livng near the base.    Ex-Sgt Dave MacDonald,  Saanichton, BC ______________________________________________________________________________ June 22, 2005 Hello!   My name is Michael Jeffries.  I am an army brat who spent my formative years in Oromocto.  My father died last year and I am concerned that his cause of death might have been related to the chemicles sprayed while he was stationed in Oromocto.   My dad, Edward Jeffries, died last September of complications resulting from damaged lungs, heart problems and diabetes.  The combinations of these three conditions complicated his treatment so that neither could be adequately treated without inflaming the other.  His last years were difficult.  He mobility was limited as he was restricted to an oxygen tank.  I remember taking him to church one day and having to leave early as his oxygen tank was reading near empty.  I can still see the look of panic in his eyes.    My dad was a non-smoker but developed a pulmonary condition.  I have always questioned how he could have developed his lung condition.  His heart condition lead to a heart attack and a tripple by-pass about 20 years ago.  Through his heart attack his diabetes was diagnosed.   I would appreciate having my father's name included in any discussions regarding the chemical spraying in Oromocto.  He was stationed there between 1959 and 1974.  We moved to Moncton, New Brunswick in 1974 where he eventually retired and spent his remaining years.   Kindest Regards,   Michael Jeffries eeemm@rogers.com     My Dad was on oxygen Jeff. I am familar with that look of panic :( -Art _________________________________________________________________________ June 21, 2005 OPENING REMARKS FOR KAREN ELLIS ADM (INFRASTRUCTURE AND ENVIRONMENT) DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL DEFENCE   BEFORE THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON NATIONAL DEFENCE AND VETERANS AFFAIRS   OTTAWA, ONTARIO 21 JUNE 2005   Mr. Chairman, Members of the Committee: There has been significant media coverage regarding the testing of Agent Orange and Agent Purple at CFB Gagetown in 1966 and 1967. We welcome the opportunity to provide you with the facts as we know them, to share with you what we have learned in recent weeks and what we do not know, and to set out our next steps. We will do the same for the Gagetown Community on Thursday. As the Assistant Deputy Minister (Infrastructure & Environment), I am responsible for environmental issues in the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Forces. I am joined here today by General Ray Romses, the Army Commander for the Atlantic Region and Mr Bryson Guptill, Director Service and Program Modernization Task Force of Veterans Affairs Canada and Ms. Sandy Williamson, Director of Strategic Policy and Programs of Veterans Affairs Canada. Introduction At the outset, I want to make it clear that the Minister of National Defence has asked the department to compile as much information as possible on this matter for the Government’s consideration. He is committed to appropriate action based on a fuller picture of the history and the facts. The CFB Gagetown Test In 1966 and 1967 Agent Orange and Agent Purple were manufactured specifically for military brush control purposes. Colour code names were coined by the US military for these different defoliants. For three days in June 1966 and four days in June 1967 small scale testing of various defoliants and desiccants, including the defoliants known as Agent Orange and Agent Purple took place at CFB Gagetown. What I mean by small scale is that the tests were done on 472 acres out of the 271, 816 acres that make up CFB Gagetown. In fact the defoliants Orange and Purple were used only on 83 acres. This testing was for brush control purposes. The testing was conducted in cooperation with the United States military in order to evaluate the effectiveness of these products as defoliants. To the best of our knowledge, and with the available records, this is the only cooperative defoliant testing that we have done with the United States military. Old records indicate that both countries would benefit from brush control testing and evaluation and that Canada would benefit from the technical advice, which could be given by US experts. Both countries had personnel involved in the testing. The 1966 tests ·        The first tests were conducted during the period of 14 to 16 June 1966. The site was located in the western portion of Base Gagetown between Broad Road and Blissville Road. It was approximately 4 miles long by 1200 feet wide. ·        A total of 116 plots, each 200 by 600-feet (for a total of 320 acres) with a 100-foot buffer strip between plots were used for the tests. Of the plots, 107 were sprayed; the remaining nine plots were left as check plots. ·        A total of 9 herbicide products were tested in 1966 ·        For the entire test, 55 US gallons (1 drum) of Agent Orange were sprayed on 14 plots (38.5 acres), 55 US gallons of Agent Purple (1 drum) were sprayed on 14 plots (38.5 acres). The l967 tests ·        The second tests were conducted during the period of 21 to 24 June 1967. The test area was located along Rippon Road and east of Broad Road. ·        50 plots, each 200 by 660 feet (for a total of 152 acres) with a 200-foot buffer zone between adjacent plots, were laid out on both sides of Rippon Road. ·        A total of 15 herbicides were tested in 1967. ·        Agent Orange was sprayed on a total of 6 acres for a total quantity of 18 gallons of herbicide. The available records indicate that these tests consisted of spraying the defoliants and desiccants in two separate areas of the base. The plots chosen for the testing were deemed appropriate at the time because they consisted of the right mix and density of forest.  The location of the two test sites also took in to consideration their proximity to local croplands. The testing was conducted under strictly controlled conditions, ensuring minimal spray drift, in an area of the base that was difficult to access. Helicopters were used and flew low over treetops to ensure a spray swatch of 50 feet. Records indicate that spraying was conducted when there was little or no wind. Reports suggest there were a limited number of people, both American and Canadian, involved during the 1966 test and also who returned to verify the test results; however, the reports do not include a comprehensive list of all implicated in the testing. We do have the names of 18 people who were involved in organizing or may have participated in the testing, and we also have the names of certain units that appear to also have been involved in the testing in some capacity. This is by no means a complete list, however DND and Veteran’s Affairs Canada will work together to locate these people, obtain relevant information from them and provide assistance as may be required. Based on the information we have to date, the testing did not involve widespread spraying, and because of the precautions taken, it is unlikely that civilians outside the base came into contact with Agents Orange or Purple. According to U.S. studies, the CF Surgeon General has advised that spray drift beyond the borders of target areas in low wind conditions (as was the case in Gagetown) would be extremely unlikely and that any herbicide remaining in the air would be rapidly degraded by sunlight. The vast majority of Agent Orange sprayed in Gagetown would have been absorbed by the forest canopy or would have broken down in sunlight, with very little reaching the ground. It is extremely unlikely that individuals travelling through the Gagetown test area, even shortly after spraying, could have received an exposure to Agent Orange of any health significance.  In the absence of deliberate ingestion of large amounts of contaminated material, there is virtually no risk of significant exposure related to the spray among CF members who subsequently trained in Gagetown. At this point and with the available records, the tests in 1966 and 1967 at CFB Gagetown appear to be the only known instances in which Agents Orange and Purple were tested by DND. It was subsequently discovered that as a result of the manufacturing process, Agent Orange and Agent Purple were contaminated with varying levels of the dioxin 2,3,7,8 Tetrachlorodibenzodioxin (TCDD), a toxic and persistent substance. Contamination levels varied widely by production run and manufacturer. Without knowing exactly where the defoliants came from, exactly what they contain, and how they were produced, it is very difficult for us to determine the level of dioxin in the agents used for the specific tests in 1966 and 1967. We know that there has been public discussion surrounding these issues at other times in the past.  In 1981, a United States military report was tabled in the House of Commons, and according to a media report, DND quickly took action to examine the background of the tests and reported the results to the public. In 1985, the issue was again raised when DND received reports of suspected barrel dumps in the CFB Gagetown training area some of which allegedly contained Agent Orange. DND, in conjunction with Health and Welfare Canada and the Province of New Brunswick, conducted an investigation and through several private laboratories, had tests conducted of the suspected substances, the soil and the ground water. The final report was released to the public and confirmed that Agent Orange was not one of the substances. It also showed that there was no evidence of significant or harmful chemical contamination in the water or soil samples. In 1988, the issue was again reported in the media due to some further research done at CFB Gagetown. The heath effects of Agent Orange and Purple exposure remain unclear.  In 1991, uncertainties concerning the health impact of Agent Orange exposure among Vietnam Veterans led the US Congress to direct the conduct of comprehensive scientific health risk assessments by the US National Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Medicine (IOM). The IOM has been publishing its reviews of the available evidence every two years since 1994 and is widely viewed as authoritative with respect to this subject.  It maintains a list of illnesses for which there is sufficient or limited evidence of an association with exposure to AO.  It has not found that Agent Orange exposure is the cause of any illnesses and the associations it found were largely based on studies of industrial and agricultural workers with far greater exposure to dioxin containing chemicals than experienced by Vietnam Veterans. The Canadian Forces Surgeon General and her expert staff support the IOM’s medical conclusions. What we are doing In order to identify military personnel and civilian employees who may have been exposed to Agent Orange or Putple during the testing in 1966 and 1967,  we are taking a two-pronged approach.  First, we are reviewing our historical and archived files here in Ottawa and in Gagetown to attempt to identify personnel who were involved in the testing.  Assuming that we can then locate some of these people, we will be able to refer them to the appropriate agency such as Veterans Affairs Canada or to Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, if further assistance is required. This is why the second element of our approach is important. We will invite people, who believe they have been affected, to provide us with factual information and to receive the information we do have.  More information on this initiative will be released on Thursday at CFB Gagetown. DND will also be conducting research to see whether the dioxin levels of the Agents used in 1966 and 1967 can be determined. The Department will work with the United States Department of Defense to research and cross check any relevant files.  We need to complete the review of our own records first before we will be ready to seek further information from the Americans. We have already made initial contact with the United States Department of Defense. The Department will also be initiating a soil, vegetation and water-sampling program during summer 2005 in the area where the tests occurred. The results of this program will be made public. Conclusion The testing in 1966 and 1967 was conducted on a small scale, was carefully controlled, and took place over a total of seven days. In total, slightly more than two drums (128 US gallons) of Agent Orange and Agent Purple were tested on 83 acres in a remote and heavily forested area of the Base. There is chance that civilians living outside the base were exposed to the chemicals used in this testing. We are trying to reconstruct what happened 40 years ago.  Complete documentation is not readily available and may not be available at all.  This is not an easy task and I will say here and now that there are likely to be some questions that will be very difficult to answer and that new information may emerge. That said, we are committed to doing the most thorough and conscientious research possible so that we can advise the Government well.  We have a responsibility to take the time to do this work properly and to consider the interests of all Canadians when we think about the issues. While we want to inform citizens, we want to do so with facts and complete information and avoid providing erroneous or incomplete information which would unduly alarm area residents. It is a fact that environmental awareness and controls are much more substantive today that they were in the 1960’s and 1970’s as well as in previous decades. Across the country and across public and private sectors, and in individual households, knowledge and awareness of environmental matters is significantly greater today than it was in the past and we do things very differently now. While we are concerned, it is not always practical to apply today’s environmental and scientific knowledge, standards and practices to previous decades. The Department of National Defence and the Canadian Forces takes all questions related to health and the environment very seriously. We care about the health of our members, employees and neighbours. We know that people associated with the Gagetown area are concerned about the testing. We take their concerns seriously and we are committed to identifying and understanding them as part of finding out what happened at that time. We will continue our work to obtain relevant information, including outreach to people, as part of developing our advice to the Government and we will keep sharing new information as it emerges. Thank you. Karen Ellis, ADM June 21, 2005 Ottawa, Ontario    __________________________________________________________________________ June 21, 2005 Government promises new tests for toxins at CFB Gagetown Last Updated Tue, 21 Jun 2005 21:46:13 EDT CBC News Ottawa says it will conduct new tests on soil and water at CFB Gagetown, after a CBC News investigation into the toxic defoliants used at the New Brunswick base in the 1950s and 1960s. A number of people who came in contact with Agent Orange or Agent Purple developed serious health problems, or died. Defence official Karen Ellis On Tuesday, Department of Defence and Veterans Affairs officials told a Commons committee the spraying likely didn't harm many people and that the worst toxins dissipated quickly. In the last two weeks Veterans Affairs says it has received about 350 inquiries and 120 new claims for compensation related to chemical exposure at CFB Gagetown. The government says the number of people affected by the spraying is minimal. Defence official Karen Ellis says the tests of Agent Orange and Agent Purple in 1966 and 1967 were small in scale, limited in time and scope. She says the chemicals wouldn't have lasted long enough to do much damage. "Our understanding is that it's a very quick breakdown of the product, that it degrades very quickly, in a few hours, and that there is very little risk that it endures for any period of time in terms of permanent contamination," said Ellis. That explanation enraged New Brunswick MP Greg Thompson whose riding contains part of the base. He says it goes against the expertise of scientists who studied Agent Orange spraying in Vietnam. "That is absolutely incorrect and that would fly in the face of every scientist that's ever studied that toxic chemical. Why you would ever say that and believe that is beyond my imagination," said Thompson. The last official briefing on the issue took place in the 1980s when the government first admitted to spraying Agent Orange. That led NDP MP Bill Blaikie to wonder what the department has been doing since then. "I don't have any sense from your presentation that something was done," said Blaikie. He asked whether a specific report on health effects had ever been completed. Ellis said she "can't answer that question right now." In spite of saying not many people have been affected, the government has reopened the files of 22 veterans that were previously rejected. It has also added staff to deal with the influx of new claims. A public meeting for residents of Gagetown and the surrounding communities will be held on Thursday. And for the first time this summer the government will test soil and water samples where Agent Orange was sprayed.   "Our understanding is that it's a very quick breakdown of the product, that it degrades very quickly, in a few hours, and that there is very little risk that it endures for any period of time in terms of permanent contamination," said Ellis.  Gee I feel better now!!! DUHHHH  ...They must think that we are all affected mentally from their rainbow of herbicides.... I am sickened by this response. They figure "Lets just ignore it." If we wait long enough everyone will be dead and the problem just goes away. The government is going to test the soil and water????......Give me a break!! They should be ashamed ! I must prasie CBC for allowing me to appear and they showed a great shot of the www.agentorangealert.com site address. Hopefully it will drive more to the webiste and to our cause!! Can anyone near Gagetown attend this meeting on Thursday? It is apparently being held on Thursday at 1:30 PM at the theatre on the base. Talk about inconvenient!!!! -Art ______________________________________________________________________________ June 21, 2005 Maryiln Landry Maryiln.Landry@sympatico.ca My husband passed away on April 28, 2004 of metastic liver cancer, origin unknown.  He was posted to Gagetown from May 1966 to July 1967.  He also spent a lot of the early 60's in Gagetown.  I have read quite a bit about agent orange and although it mentions liver damage a lot it is never on the list of diseases directly assocciated with agent orange.  I have requested an application from Veteran's Affairs for a disability pension on his behalf and was wondering if you have any information that could help me present my case.   Can anyone help maryiln with info or links to info? Art ________________________________________________ June 21, 2005 Hi Folks; I want you to know that this website has received over 30,000 hits since its inception on June 9th 2005. Department of Veterans Affairs say they have received over 300 enquiries  regarding agent orange.  Hmmmmmm...quite a discepancy.....  I must confess that it is most flattering that you guys consider this site a more reliable source for info!! -Art ______________________________________________________________________________ June 21, 2005 I am told by a media friend that he was invited to a public “Information Session” regarding Agent Orange Testing at Base Gagetown in 1966 and 1967 to be held this coming Thursday at 130pm AST at the Base Theatre, Oromocto, NB.   Today at the Standing Committee on National Defence Karen Ellis stated that::  Between June 14, 15, 16, 1966 only one drum (55 US Gallons) of Agent Orange was used for testing on 14 plots (38.5 acres) as well as one drum (55 US Gallons) of agent purple was used on 14 plots (38.5 acres)  Between June 21-24, 1967, only 18 gallons of Agent Orange was used on a total of 6 acres  I am hearing from too many people who claim they were exposed to chemicals in the late 50’s and 60’s that have lead to their illnesses.  My immediate question is:  what about other chemicals used since 1953 outside the testing period to defoliate trees on Base Gagetown?  What chemicals were used, how much, where, when?  The Federal Government now has the moral and ethical obligation to release all information.  It is time to come clean.  Why was compensation provided for instances in the 1960’s to the farmers of Sheffield for overspray?  If the chemicals were not Agent Orange what were they then and what did the chemicals contain that lead to compensation for crop loss? Jody Carr MLA  I suddenly don't feel so well Jody....  I wonder what an "Information Session" is? Is this just a media op or if it is a session open to the public. Can you hear the sound of the brooms starting to sweep it under the rug? -Art  ______________________________________________________________________________ June 21, 2005 Thought you woiuld find this interesting. They interviewed my Mom on CBC Newfoundland last week Here is the link of interview I do not know how long it will be up for. http://www.cbc.ca/nl/   Troubling Thoughts is the interview which reqires RealPlayer.   Derrick williams Thank you Derrick....Lets keep these stories going bud!! -Art _______________________________________________________________________________ June 21, 2005__ ____________________________________________________________________________  From:   Maillard, Tony <tmaillard@ngl.ca>         [ add to contacts ]  To:  webmaster@agentorangealert.com  Cc:  Date:  Monday, June 20, 2005 08:01 am  Subject:  Agent Orange I was a RCEME weapons Tech attached to the RCD's back in 1968 when I first arrived on Base. Although the spraying of Agent Orange occurred two years earlier, I have wondered whether or not I was affected anyway. I have a bone marrow disorder for some years now and I am only 55 now. I have had thyroid problems as well for the past 10 years even though I did all the right things to stay in shape. I exercised daily, I don't smoke or drink, and I follow a healthy diet and have done all these things most of my life. Despite all that, I find out that I have a blood disorder (myelofibrosis) that usually strikes people in their 60's and I've had it since I was about 40. The only reason for this that I can think of is that I somehow was exposed to Agent Orange during training exercises. Apparently, this blood disorder occurs if one has been exposed to either benzene or some kind of radiation, and I have been racking my brains all this time trying to remember how I could have been contaminated. Now I think I have the answer. I can't prove that this is the case, but it seems obvious to me that Agent Orange is responsible somehow for my blood disorder. It sounds as if your father had something similar. The gout is actually another ailment produced by my blood disorder, but I have been taking medication for some time to prevent it. Thanks for starting this website. I'm sure that you will have many others contacting you with similar stories as mine if you haven't already. Tony Thank you Tony for your kind words -Art ____________________________________________________________________ June 21, 2005 Hello I was driving one day and heard your story on the radio, my husband and i are both victoms of agent orange, he had prostate cancer and i thyroid cancer. i remember him coming home and he would have this horrible smell to his clothing. We both lived in Base Gagetown in PMQ's that was the name for the army housing we had 2 children.   Thank you for your time, Mrs J Nixon  _____________________________________________________________________________ June 21, 2005 Thanks Art,             I have been sending all the articles I can to my brother Allan (AllanHendry37@aol.com)  who served in Gagetown with the Scots Guards in the mid sixties as he is aware of a number the men he served with having similar heath problems as the Canadians and have forwarded your web site to him. So if you here anything in regards to the Canadian Government advising other nations on this issue I would appreciate you keeping me advised.             I have also posed the same question to CBC but so far they haven’t asked the question of anyone or responded. Bruce H. From: webmaster@agentorangealert.com [mailto:webmaster@agentorangealert.com] Sent: June 20, 2005 6:56 PM To: Hendry, Bruce (DPS/MSP) Subject: Re:   Good question Bruce....Im thinking if they arent telling us Canadians they arent telling anyone else   Art -----Original Message----- From: Hendry, Bruce (DPS/MSP) [mailto:Bruce.Hendry@gnb.ca] Sent: Monday, June 20, 2005 09:52 AM To: webmaster@agentorangealert.com During the 1960 Numerous British and Commonwealth Troop trained at CFB Gagetown and I was wondering if anything has been done to inform them of the dangers associated with Agent Orange. Bruce Hendry _____________________________________________________________________________ June 21, 2005 Hi   I received a package from DND today concerning the spraying of CFB Gagetown, of the 82 pages there are 43 that are "withheld", just totally blank pages, I have to assume that since the briefing contains information about medical records of personnel in conjunction with the use of the defoliants that this is considered to be private information. However, it also provokes questions as to just what medical conditions these people have and this briefing was put out in 1984.   Just some additional facts that I thought you might find interesting. Note the official spray program lasted from 1956 to 1984       OVERVIEW OF HERBICIDE SPRAY PROGRAMME 1956-1984   1956    3,687 Acres sprayed  with 2, 4, D and 2, 4, 5, T   1957    3,879 Acres sprayed  with 2, 4, D and 2, 4, 5, T   1958    8,018 Acres  sprayed with 2, 4, D and 2, 4, 5, T   1959    No spraying   1960    9,079 Acres sprayed with AMMATE and 2, 4, 5, T   1961    5,189 Acres sprayed with 2, 4, 5, T   1962    No spraying   1963    9,643 Acres sprayed with 2, 4, D and 2, 4, 5, T   1964    9,225 Acres sprayed with 2, 4, D and 2, 4, 5, T   1965    4,708 Acres sprayed with TORDON 101   1966    8,431 Acres sprayed with TORDON 101 & unknown amount of Acres sprayed with Agent Purple   1967    7,375 Acres sprayed with TORDON 101 & unknown amount of Acres sprayed with Agent Purple            2,000 Acres sprayed with 2, 4, D   1968    5,675 Acres sprayed with TORDON 101   1969    3,710 Acres sprayed with TORDON 101   1970    9,550 Acres sprayed with TORDON 101   1971    9,625 Acres sprayed with TORDON 101   1972    10,213 Acres sprayed with TORDON 101   1973     8,664 Acres sprayed with TORDON 101   1974    4,144 Acres sprayed with TORDON 101            3,149 Acres sprayed with TORDON 101   1975    8,855 Acres sprayed with TORDON 101   1976    6,041 Acres sprayed with TORDON 101   1977    5,963 Acres sprayed with TORDON 101            300 Acres (approx) sprayed with SPIKE 5P   1978    6,055 Acres sprayed with TORDON 101            60 Acres (approx) sprayed with SPIKE 5P   1979    2,982 Acres sprayed with TORDON 10K            102 Acres (approx) sprayed with SPIKE 5P   1980    4,795  Acres sprayed with TORDON 10K   1981    1,847 Hectares (4564 Acres) sprayed with TORDON 10K            102 Hectares (252 Acres) sprayed with HERBEC 20P   1982    1,531 Hectares (3783 Acres) sprayed with TORDON 10K   1983    1,455 Hectares (3595 Acres) sprayed with TORDON 10K             183 Hectares (452 Acres) sprayed with HERBEC 20P   1984    2,825 Hectares (6980 Acres) sprayed with DYCLEER LH+            Unknown acres sprayed with SILVAPROP (but 550 barrels used)   Total Acreage sprayed from 1956 to 1984 -  181,038 Acres sprayed with 6,504 (45 gallon barrels) or 292,680 gallons or 1,328,767 litres of defoliant chemicals    I looked up TORDON 101,  have a look at the link below this graphic, I think it says enough about TORDON.   The following graphic is the label on a barrel of TORDON 101     http://www.dowagro.com/webapps/lit/litorder.asp?filepath=ca/pdfs/noreg/010-20085.pdf&pdf=true   It would appear that the switch from 2,4,D & 2,4,5,T to TORDON was supposed to be less poisonous, I wonder just how much research is being done on TORDON as to Human poisoning? Scary isn't it??   Some more thoughts for you.   Ken Dobbie Scary as hell my friend .....scary as hell.. -Art ______________________________________________________________________________ June 21, 2005 Hello Thank you for putting up a web site in hopes it will clear up some questions for you. My family was also at the base while this was going on unbeknownst to the dependants of course. My husband died of cancer Mar 6/79 but had been sick for yars before that. At present my son is looking into this and has already been in touch with the DVA. I gave him joint Power of Attorney to deal with this and between the 2 of us will get answers. I am waiting for some papers to arrive apparently for me to fill out....then the DVA will then ask for permission to get my late husbands Medical records and will go from there..We will see what happens. I too have all his medical Records and they seem to say exactly what we feared . If you want to get in touch with me...please feel free to e-mail me.  O. Martin ___________________________________________________________________________ June 20, 2005   First Name: Derrick Last Name: Williams City: Moncton E-mail Address: thewilliams@rogers.com Comments: I am proud of you for taking the time and effort to get this started. Hats off to you Art. Deepest sorrows for what your family has edured. We spent 9 years in Gagetwon and had 2 of 5 siblings diagnosed with Caner in 85. Lost a brother in 93 after being paralyzed for 7 years and sister is a survivor with 20 years of heavy medications and seizures. 2 of the remianing 3 have been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes as well as my Mother. No history in our family of Diabetes or Cancer. I would like to thank you for the info I have recieved already from your site and the postings from the gentleman who have posted in this this forum. I would also like to thank Don Dixon of CBC(Fredericton) for calling back and giving me this site address. Ken Dobbie please post a link if you get a site going I will also visit Jody Carrs site. Thanks to you all.   Thank you Derrick. You and your family has faced challenges as well.  I must confess as I read these postings I find it heart wrenching to read of the challenges faced. At the same time there is something therapuetic in knowing I and my family are not alone. Thank you for sharing. -Art ____________________________________________________________   June 20, 2005   First Name: Bill "GhostDog" Last Name: Gerdson City: Rusagonis E-mail Address: gerdson@nb.sympatico.ca Comments: Dear Art, Thank you for setting up a site for all of us to communicate. I found it more than a coincidence that you lost your dear brother at the age of seven and both of my children became sick at this age with blood disorders and although they both survived, we were told at the time to prepare ourselves to lose them. Having said that; they both suffer problems to this day. When I brought this up to the Veteran Affairs personnel, they stated that this was a shame but they only will deal with the veterans. My opinion is that they should also deal with any problems relating to what you may have passed on to your off-spring. If you find any information on how to deal with this issue, please advise me. Once again, thank you for creating this site and may the Great Creator bless you. As always I remain Listening To The Ancient Winds "GhostDog" "We Will Be Known By The Tracks We Leave Behind."   Thank you for your kind words "GhostDog" (love the name). Nothing can be more frightening than the thought of losing a child.  I too belive that if a childs illness is caused from the Agent Orange then they need to be accountable. By voicing ourselves and organizing in numbers they must listen. -Art   _________________________________________________________   June 20, 2005   First Name: mike Last Name: gould City: london E-mail Address: mikegould60@hotmail.com Comments: My father died of an abdominal cancer and my mother was just diagnosted with stomach and liver cancer.Both are or were around 70 years old but were stationed in Greenwood NS and Bagotville Que and Val"dor Que. Any thoughts???   I do not know if any heribicides were used at either of the bases that you mentioned.   Perhaps with research on your part you could find out what type of work your Dad did and if he was involved with any materials that may have caused his or your Mom's cancer.    -Art     NEXT PAGE