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Agent Orange & Australian VetsBy Bill DavisThe battle for testing, treatment and compensation for Agent Orange victims in Australia rages on. For Australian Vietnam veterans and the people of Australia the outcome must be successful or a grave injustice affecting even generations to come will forever mark the credibility of both the U.S. and Australian governments and, in all probability, deliver a felling blow to either country's ability to maintain and field an army abroad. While the struggle and condition that Vietnam vets face in both countries are essentially the same, recent development in Australia in the last 4 months can give American Agent Orange activists some indication of the battles to come. Major portions of the Australian press and media (unlike their U.S. counter parts) have maintained a high profile on Agent Orange coverage, keeping the issue before the public. Even a few members of the Australian Parliament have take an interest beyond giving lip service to the issue and have pursued the issue actively. One Member of Parliament, Clyde Holding, hit the nail on the head in a March, 1981 press release in which he stated, "The government has consistently refused to hold a judicial inquiry where Vietnam veterans could call evidence to prove the efficacy of their claims. Every concession the veterans have won to date has only been after months of haggling and negotiation." Holding went on the say, "There are two obvious reasons for the government's 'cover-up." First, the government is concerned about major political embarrassment to the Prime Minister and three senior ministers, Messrs Killen, Lynch and Peacock. Each of these four men were ministers with direct responsibility for parts of Australians involvement in Vietnam at some time during the crucial 1965-1971 period. Secondly, any adverse finding about chemical use will have a major impact on chemical companies' markets in Australia (more about that later)." True to form, in July the Australian government fronted by Tony Messner, Minister of Veterans Affairs completely undermined and stalled attempts by Australian vets, led by the Vietnam veterans association, to establish a judicial inquiry into defoliant poisoning. Of six proposals presented by Vietnam Veterans of Australia Association (VVAA) only one was approved. Like the U.S. Veterans Administration, Senator Messner is hinging everything on an epidemiological study hoping to stall action as long as possible. Phil Thompson, President of VVA, stated that the study "would not prove a thing." One more later in Canberra, scene of the July fiasco, traditional vets groups (similar to our VFW and American Legion) added insult to injury by rejecting a call by VVAA for their support for a judicial inquiry into Agent Orange. The conference of ex-servicemen's organizations die, however, pass a wishy-washy resolution calling for unsuccessful death benefit's applications by Vietnam veteran's widows to be reopened. When Senator holding referred to American chemical companies having an influence in these matters, he wasn't whistling in the dark. Incredibly enough, the sales, distribution and wide-spread use of 2,4,5-T and 2, 4-D(the components of Agent Orange) have not been curtailed in Australia. This situation has not escaped the notice of the Vietnam veterans, the public, or a large number of Australian scientists. In spite of American chemical companies, and the U.S. and Australian governments, this knowledge also has not escaped the world's scientific community or national governments. 2,4,5-T, 2, 4-D, TCCD, dioxin, Agent Orange—these and other petro-based chemicals have long been recognized as doing the very things Vietnam vets in the U.S. and Australia claim—since the 1930's, in fact! In early July, an appointed commission of the government of Queensland, ruled that no evidence in the U.S., Vietnam or Sweden proved any problems with 2,4,5-T and 2,4-D. They further ruled that there would be no change in administering or using these chemicals in the state of Queensland. Meanwhile, two Canberra scientists from the Australian National University have uncovered evidence that war-surplus Agent Orange, acknowledged by many scientists to be the deadliest chemical ever manufactured, was smuggled into Australia by way of Singapore in the late '60's and early '70's. The result, according to the scientists, has been an epidemic of newborn infants dying form birth abnormalities lined to TCDD. These are other well publicized cases of workers having problems after proven exposure will no doubt bolster public opinion and bring together a strong coalition of Australian environmentalists and Vietnam vets. In what was probably the most underhanded and slimy move to day, Messner-Veterans Affairs Minister—visited the U.S. with almost no press publicity. He slithered around DC, met with leaders of traditional vets groups, V.A. assholes and VVA leader Bobby Mueller. Messner wisely avoided almost all other Vietnam vets groups including Vietnam vets in Congress, and most certainly any Agent Orange activists. Upon returning to Australia, Messner stated that, "...there is no credible evidence at this stage of the game that indicates that there is any connection between Agent Orange and any disabilities." He had been reassured by groups and individuals he met with, he said, that Agent Orange was o problem among vets in the U.S. Messner held a series of press conferences and radio and TV shows to publicize his "new" theory that Vietnam vets' problems were due to re-adjustment and stress disorders solely, not to any Agent Orange related exposure. His main staple on every appearance was that, "I spoke to Mr Bobby Mueller of the Vietnam Veterans of America and he assured me that Agent Orange was not a problem among Vietnam veters in America but rather a problem of readjustment into society." We certainly hope that Mueller was being misquoted. In an interview with the student paper of Griffith University in Australia, Graham Bell, President of the Queensland branch of VVAA, spoke for Australian vets and for U.S. vets and our families when he stated, "And what of the future? The government mishandling of the whole issue of Vietnam veterans—particularly in the 'Agent Orange' controversy—has shown that Australian soldiers can no longer trust the government. Up until the Vietnam War, every soldier knew that if he was injured on active service, he and his family would be looked after. That vital trust, a morale factor worth far more than any high-technology weapons system, has now been destroyed by a few ruthless politicians and the bureaucratic hangers-on. Let's hope we are not involved in another war." Bill Davis (VVAW gratefully acknowledges the assistance of Bob Gibson of Sydney VVAA and Graham Bell of Queensland VVAA.)
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