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THE FIRST FLAG DRAPED CASKET TO RETURN TO THE MERRIMACK VALLEY FROM VIETNAM WAS JOE GILES JR., A MARINE WHO I THINK WAS 19 YEARS OLD. EVERY ONE KNEW HIS FATHER WHO OWNED JOE’S BUNGLOW IN SOUTH LAWRENCE, MASSACHUSETTS. JOE’S BUNGLOW MADE THE BEST WHAT WE NORTHERNERS CALL, CHICKEN BBQ. IT’S NOT ANYTHING LIKE YOU SEE ON TV. THE BUNS ARE BUTTERED AND GRILLED AND THE CHICKEN IS BOILED I THINK. NO ONE HAS EVER SINCE BEEN ABLE TO MAKE THAT CHICKEN BBQ RIGHT, NOT EVEN THE ONES HE GAVE THE RECIPE TO. I WAS 13 OR 14, HIS SISTER WAS A FRIEND OF MINE AND WAS IN THE CLASS AHEAD OF ME. LIKE MANY AMERICANS, I TOO, WORE A POW/MIA BRACELET WITH THE NAME OF SOMEONE I HAD NEVER KNOWN OR KNEW ANYTHING ABOUT. I PRAYED FOR HIM AND HIS FAMILY AND THAT HE WOULD RETURN HOME ALIVE AND WELL.

I NOW HAVE FIVE AGENT ORANGE BRACELETS.

FOUR I WEAR ON DIFFERENT DAYS

THEY ARE BLACK…

FOR THEIR PAIN IS OVER….

THE FIFTH ONE IS GOLD.

AND ONE I WILL NEVER WEAR.

FOUR….ALL OF WHOM SERVED IN VIETNAM AND WHO HAVE DIED AS A RESULT OF AGENT ORANGE AND ONE WHO NEVER SERVED IN VIETNAM AND IS STILL LIVING WITH AGENT ORANGE ILLNESSES. I KNOW THEIR NAMES AND THEIR MILITARY HISTORY. TWO WERE MARRIED AND I HAVE SPOKEN TO THEIR WIDOWS, TWO WHO WERE NOT MARRIED. YET I KNOW THEM VERY WELL.

NONE OF WHOM HAVE AGENT ORANGE CLASSIFICATION FROM THE VA

SGT MAJOR WILLIAM E. BOWLES, JR

DOB 7-31-31 DOD 3-3-89 US ARMY

ROBERT A. DOUGLASS

DOB 11-21-49 DOD 2-19-99 US ARMY

L KIRK TEMPLE II

DOB 1945 DOD 12-01-003 US ARMY USAR

THOMAS M SCANLAN

DOB 12-11-23 DOD 5-30-03 US MARINE

RETIRED WWII KOREA VIETNAM

GENEVIEVE DOUGLASS, WIDOW OF BOB DOUGLASS AND DIANE BOWLES, WIDOW OF BILL BOWLES ARE THE FOUNDERS AND CO DIRECTORS OF AOWAC AGENT ORANGE WIDOWS AWARENESS COALITION FOUNDED AT STAND DOWN 1999 LONG BEACH , CALIFORNIA WWW.AOWAC.ORG. IS A SITE WHICH WILL EXPLAIN WHAT INCREDIBLE WOMEN THEY ARE AND THE WORK THAT THEY DO. THE VOICE ON THE TELEPHONE TO AOWAC ASKS FOR HELP… THE CALLER HAS HAD AGENT ORANGE ILLNESSES FOR OVER THREE DECADES BUT THE ILLNESSES HAS BECOME WORSE.

L KIRK TEMPLE’S FORMER RESERVE UNIT COMPANY COMMANDER RECEIVED A PHONE CALL A FEW WEEKS BEFORE HE DIED. THE MESSAGE WAS KIRK IS IN THE TEMPLE VA HOSPITAL IN TEXAS. HE IS DYING AND HE DOESN’T WANT ME TO TELL ANYONE. BUT HE’S ASKING FOR YOU WHEN HE UNDER THE MORPHINE. THE SAME VOICE CALLS HIM THE CONVERSATION WENT HI KIRK HE ASK HOW ARE YOU DOING. THE RESPONSE IS A HELL OF A LOT BETTER THEN YOU. SO DID ….. CALL YOU? YEP. THE CO MADE PLANS TO TRAVEL FROM NEW ENGLAND TO TEXAS THAT WEEKEND BUT HAD TO CANCELL. A CALL BACK TO KIRK EXPLAINED. SORRY FRIEND TO SICK TO TRAVEL (HIS RESERVE CO HAD LIVED WITH AO FOR ALMOST 3 DECADES AND KIRK UNDERSTOOD). THERE WERE PHONE CALLS DAILY TO HIM.

AND THEN ON DECEMBER 01, 2003 THE ONLY CALL FROM TEXAS CAME.

KIRK HAD DIED ALONE. HIS PAIN WAS OVER.

IN APRIL 2003 THE PHONE RANG IT’S THE CAPTAIN’S MOTHER HER BROTHER TOMMY WAS IN THE VA HOSPITAL IN PHILADEPHIA. VA HAS GIVEN HIM 6 MONTHS TO LIVE HE HAS ALL THE AGENT ORANGE CANCERS PLUS HAS HAD DIABETES II FOR MANY YEARS, AND DID NOT KNOW IT. OK MOM PUT ….. ON THE PHONE. THEN THE LATINTY BEGINS TELL THE VA YOU WANT AN AGENT ORANGE DETERMINATION, TAKE HIS 214, MAKE CONTACT WITH THE AGENT ORANGE REP, TELL SOCIAL WORKER……. ……. I’LL MAKE CALLS FROM HERE. (THE CO IS AWAITING MRI RESULTS BUT KNOWS THEY WILL ONLY CONFIRM WHAT WALTER REED SAID SOME 30 YEARS AGO WHEN THE FIRST WASTING OCCURRED. A SECOND WASTING HAS OCCURED NOW THE ILLNESSES ARE PHYCIALLY VISIBLE ESPESCIALLY TO FAMILY…. AND THE PAIN IS NO LONGER HIDDEN.

THEN ANOTHER CALL THE VA SAYS TOMMY CAN’T STAY THERE BECAUSE HE IS TERMINAL AND THERE IS NO VA HOSPICE CARE. AND THEY WILL NOT PROVIDE AND AMBULANCE TO TRANSPORT HIM TO HOLY REDEEMER HOSPITAL SOME 20 MILES AWAY. THE PAPER WORK WILL TAKE TOO LONG. (MOM IS GOING TO BE 78 HER BROTHER 80 THAT DECEMBER. SHE HAS 12 CHILDREN THREE WHO WORE THE US ARMY UNIFORM TWO ON ACTIVE DUTY AND ALL THREE SERVED IN THE RESERVES. HER BROTHER RETIRED MARINE WWII KOREA AND TWO TOURS IN VIETNAM).

THEN A REQUEST: CALL MR …… FOR HELP AND USE YOUR FATHER’S NAME. OK MOM AND I’LL CALL THE MARINES AT CAMP LEJUENE THE RETIREMENT OFFICER ALSO. HER HUSBAND HAD BEEN ELECTED TO THE MASSACHUSETTS HOUSE OF REPRESENATIVE IN 1949 AND SERVED IN THAT POSTION FOR ALMOST THREE DECADES HOLDING SEVERAL LEADERSHIP POSITION INCLUDING MAJORITY WHIP THE WEEK BEFORE HE DIED IN 1983 HE WAS PACKING TO GO TO WASHINGTON TO SERVE ON THE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE ON AGING. A PRIVATE LADY THE ONLY POLITICAL THING SHE HAD EVER DONE WAS ADDRESS AND STUFF ENVELOPES AND PUT STAMPS ON THEM. THE CALL WAS MADE ASSISTANCE WOULD BE IMMEDIATE.

A CALL WAS ALSO MADE TO CAMP LEJUENE.

THE CAPTAIN CALLED THE NEXT DAY ASSISTANCE WILL BE IMMEDIATE. TOO LATE…THE VA HAD TOMMY ALL PACKED UP AND PLACED HIM IN THE CAR WHEN THEY ARRIVED THE NEXT MORNING. HE WAS RESTING IN THE HOSPITAL. THAT NIGHT A VA OFFICAL CALLED THERE HAD BEEN A MISTAKE ANY VA HOSPICE WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE. (MR……

HAD KEPT HIS PROMISE) NO NEED TO MOVE HIM MEDICARE WAS PAYING FOR HIS HOSPITALIZATION. BUT WHEN HE IS ABLE TO GO TO HOSPICE? THE VA WILL BE CONTACTED.

TOMMY IS TOLD THAT THE MARINES WERE SENDING SOMEONE. “ TELL …..THANKS I DIDN’T WANT TO GET SCREWED”.

THE 12 HOURS SHIFT OF THE DEATH WATCH BEGAN HIS SISTER DOING THE DAY AND HIS NIECE THE NIGHT. SO HE DIDN’T DIE ALONE.

FOUR WEEKS AFTER THE VA MADE THE TERMINAL ASSESSMENT. (THREE HOURS AFTER THE MRI CONFIRMING WALTER REEDS ASSESSMENT.) A CALL WAS MADE FROM PHILLY.

TOMMY DIED. BUT HE DID NOT DIE ALONE.

MAY 30, 2003.

TWO DAYS BEFORE THE MARINES WERE TO ARRIVE.

THE GOLD BRACELET

THE JOURNEY FOR HELP AN ASSISTANCE THAT BEGAN THREE YEARS AGO, FOUND DIRECTION AND HOPE AFTER READING AGENT ORANGE: MY STORY BY JENNIE R LEFEVRE AND HAS NOW COME FULL CIRCLE. AS IF JENNIE HAD BEEN GUIDING THE FINGERS ON THE KEYBOARD…. FROM A MAZE OF AGENT ORANGE SITES…SITE TO SITE….FINDING THOSE WHO NEEDED HELP AND THOSE WHO GAVE HELP….AND FINALLY COMING HOME TO HER.

IT HAS THE NAME OF THE VOICE ON THE TELEPHONE TO GEN AND DIANE NOW TO SHEILA AND HENRY.

IT BELONGS TO KIRK’S CO AND FRIEND, TOMMY WAS HER UNCLE, THE CHILD OF JOHN AND AGNES (OLDEST DAUGHTER 3 OF 12).

I MOVE MY FINGERS ON THE GOLD AGENT ORANGE BRACELET WHICH I WILL NEVER WEAR:

CPT AGNES M “IRISH” BRESNAHAN

US ARMY 71-77

DOB: 10/05/50 AGENT ORANGE VICTIM

THE NAME AND INFORMATION ON THE GOLD AGENT ORANGE BRACELET IS MINE.