Vet has eye op as Agent Orange exposure conceded

1.00pm

A Western Bay of Plenty Vietnam war veteran lay on a hospital operating table with eye cancer as politicians officially conceded that soldiers such as himself had been exposed to toxic Agent Orange.

The veteran, who asked to be identified only as "Mac", said his life -- and that of members of his family -- had been destroyed by Agent Orange, which was used to kill plants and trees used as cover by enemy soldiers in conflict more than 30 years ago.

Mac blamed Agent Orange for a massive list of medical ills he had suffered since he returned from duty in 1968.

"You just name it mate and I've got it," the 66-year-old former New Zealand Army private said.

Yesterday, after decades of official denial, and as Mac lay in hospital, Parliament's health select committee found New Zealand soldiers had been exposed to Agent Orange.

Mac said he had been plagued with memory loss, mood swings, fungal infections, irritable bowel syndrome, heart disease, and diabetes, as well as eye cancer.

The effects of Agent Orange had been passed on to his children and grandchildren. His grandson has been hospitalised 24 times in the past year for unexplained sickness and his daughter had been plagued with illness throughout her life, he said.

On his return from Vietnam, Mac said he knew he was not a well man.

"About six months after I got back my eyes went," he said.

"It all went downhill from there."

Another Western Bay veteran said his children, born after he returned home, had suffered serious health consequences as a result the chemical.

The veteran, who asked to remain anonymous, said his daughter had endometriosis -- a cause of female infertility -- and his son was born with three kidneys and five bladders.

"At least the Government have come clean with us -- they've lied to us for so long," he said.

"But it's not us we're worried about now. Give something to the kids. We're finished -- we don't care any more."

Hamilton veteran and former prison guard Greg Porter said it was insulting the Government would on one hand pay compensation to some of the worst offenders in the country but do nothing for the vets.

"Veterans of an unpopular war have had to fight 30 years for some form of recognition that has no compensation and no apology," he said.

Both the United States and Australia have paid compensation to veterans.

Kawerau man John Moller, the last president of the recently disbanded Vietnam Veterans Association, said the lack of compensation was an outrage.

"The report puts men who served their country behind the worst in our jails. Governments over the past 20 years have lied on what they knew," he said. "We've had four veterans die in the past two weeks; we're talking about men in their early 50s."

Veteran John Jennings, 60, of Ararimu, south of Auckland, vowed to continue his fight for compensation.

"The historical record has been put right, which makes it easier for me to fight my case (for compensation) through New Zealand legislation rather than through overseas jurisdiction. It has strengthened our legal position."

Mr Jennings said exposure to Agent Orange and other herbicides in 1967 led to a condition which robbed him of the sight in his left eye and has caused other health problems. He says genetic damage has also severely affected the health of his daughter, Marakech Jennings-Lowry, 30, who suffers from a congenital heart condition and other serious health problems, is on oxygen 16 hours a day, and needs a heart-lung transplant.

Ex-Vietnam Services Association war pensions advocate Terry Farrell, of Marlborough, said he was overwhelmed at the long awaited recognition that Vietnam veterans had been exposed to the defoliant.

Mr Farrell has suffered extensive health effects after serving in Vietnam in 1968 and '69, including serious liver problems. Since 1981 he has been struggling to be accepted for a war pension to cover medical bills and other costs but was repeatedly denied because Agent Orange was not officially recognised.

He said the important thing was that the committee's findings would make it easier for people exposed to defoliants to be accepted for a war pension.

"This is not about compensation, the important thing is the recognition so people can get the help they need through the war pension scheme. There has been a system put in place by the Government. When we enlisted we knew the rules and we accepted the rules."

He also wanted an apology from Parliament.

He believed governments had simply tried to save themselves a bit of money in refusing to recognise the veteran's claims.

While many had been accepted for war pensions by claiming they had post traumatic stress disorder, which often had similar symptoms to sufferers of Agent Orange, others had struggled to pay their medical costs for years.

- NZPA