BIRTH DEFECTS AND ILLNESSES
SHOWING UP IN THE CHILDREN, AND
NOW THE GRANDCHILDREN OF
VETERANS CONTAMINATED BY
POISON.
IS IT EVIDENCE, OR COINCIDENCE?
TENSOF THOUSANDS OF AMERICAN
SOLDIERS AND SAILORS ARE
SUFFERING SEVERE HEALTH
PROBLEMS BECAUSE THEY WERE
EXPOSED TO, OR SPRAYED WITH A
POWERFUL TOXIC WEED KILLER.
IT'S AN HERBICIDE NAMED
AGENT ORANGE.
STEVE ANDREWS SAYS THAT'S JUST
KIND OF THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG.
THIS GOES BEYOND THAT SECOND OR
THIRD GENERATION.
AGENT ORANGE IS PERHAPS ONE
OF THE DEADLIEST CONCOCTIONS
EVER CREATED.
WHEREVER SPRAYED, IT WIPED OUT
JUNGLE GROWTH WHERE THE ENEMY
HID.
IT CAUSES CANCER, BIRTH DEFECTS
IN THEIR CHILDREN.
NOW CONCERNS THEY'RE PASSING
DOWN POISON TO THEIR
GRANDCHILDREN.
SHE LOOKS LIKE ANY 9-YEAR-OLD
PLAYING WITH HER DOG.
BUT EMMA ACKERSON HAS A LIST OF
MEDICAL CONDITIONS THAT KEEPS
GETTING LONGER.
EMMA SUFFERS HEADACHES, STOMACH
PAIN, MUSCLE FATIGUE, AND HEART
PROBLEMS.
ALL OF A SUDDEN SHE GETS
PALE.
SHE GETS DARK CIRCLES UNDER HER
EYES.
YOU EITHER HAVE TO LAY HER DOWN
ON THE FLOOR, OR PICK HER UP,
BECAUSE SHE WILL PASS OUT.
Reporter: ACCORDING TO HER
MOTHER, EMMA SUFFERS FROM A
BIRTH DEFECT.
PART OF THE BRAIN IS GOING
DOWN INTO THE SPINAL COLUMN.
Reporter: IT'S A CONDITION
ASSOCIATED WITH AGENT ORANGE
EXPOSURE.
EMMA'S GRANDFATHER, NAVY
VETERAN, LONNY KILPATRICK WAS
EXPOSED TO TO THE TOXIC
HERBICIDE WHILE ON GUAM.
HE DIED FROM CANCER, THE VA
MISSED.
SHEILA KILPATRICK, EMMA'S
GRANDMOTHER ALSO LIVED ON GUAM
IN AN APARTMENT COMPLEX NEAR
JUNGLE THAT WAS ALSO SPRAYED.
ALL MY KIDS, THEY ALL HAVE
SOMETHING.
HEART PROBLEMS.
Reporter: KERI WAS DIAGNOSED
WITH HEART TROUBLE.
I WAKE UP IN THE MIDDLE OF
THE NIGHT, FEELING LIKE I'M
GOING TO DIE.
Reporter: KERI WAS ALSO BORN
WITH CHARRY MAL FORMATION.
MANY SHOW UP ON THE LISTS OF
ILLNESSES ASSOCIATED WITH AGENT
ORANGE.
THE VA DISMISSES MOST AS NOT
CONNECTED.
LEROY FOSTER CLAIMS HE SPRAYED
AGENT ORANGE ON GUAM.
HE HAS 28 AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES,
AND TERMINAL CANCER.
I CARRY TERRIBLE GUILT,
BECAUSE ALL THESE CHILDREN I'VE
HURT, AND ALL THE UNBORN
CHILDREN THAT DIED THAT DIDN'T
HAVE A CHANCE TO LIVE.
Reporter: BETTY METACASEY IS
GATHERING DATA ON CHILDREN OF
VETERANS WHO SERVED IN VIETNAM.
I AM ABSOLUTELY CONVINCED BY
THE DATA THAT THERE IS
SOMETHING SIGNIFICANT GOING ON
IN THE CHILDREN OF VIETNAM
VETERANS.
Reporter: SHE CLAIMS STUDIES
TO DATE ARE INSUFFICIENT, AND
CHIDES THE VA FOR DRAGGING ITS
FEET ON RESEARCH MANDATED BY
CONGRESS.
I KNOW THAT INDUSTRY DOESN'T
WANT THESE CONNECTIONS MADE.
BUT IF IT'S HAPPENING, IT'S
HAPPENING.
IT ISN'T GOING TO GO AWAY
BECAUSE YOU DON'T LIKE THE
ANSWER.
Reporter: AT AGE 6, EMMA
UNDERWENT CORRECTIVE BRAIN
SURGERY.
HER SYMPTOMS RETURNED WITHIN
WEEKS.
SHE ASKS WHY IS SHE BEING
PUNISHED?
I TRIED TO EXPLAIN, YOU'RE NOT
BEING PUNISHED WE JUST HAVE TO
FIND A CURE.
Reporter: AT NIGHT ITS
WORSE.
I JUST START FEELING HOT,
SWEATY.
Reporter: EMMA WEARS A
COOLING PACK, AND ICE.
THEN THERE'S THE PAIN.
WHEN YOU HAVE TO LAY IN BED
AT NIGHT AND WATCH YOUR CHILD
SUFFER, AND THERE'S NOTHING I
CAN DO, I FEEL LIKE I APOLOGIZE
TO HER ALL THE TIME, BUT I
CAN'T HELP HER.
Reporter: NOW ACCORDING TO
BETTY METACASEY, BIRTH DEFECTS
ARE CAUSED BY MANY ISSUES.
AMONG CHILDREN OF ARE VIETNAM
IN LEARNING, ATTENTION, IMMUNE,
ENDOCRIN, AND SKIN ISSUES.
BIRTH DEFECTS ARE LARGER AMONG
VETERANS WHO HANDLED OR SPRAYED
IT.
IF YOU'RE A PARENT AND YOU
HAVE A CHILD, HOW DO YOU GO
ABOUT TALKING ABOUT THIS?
AND WHAT DO YOU DO NEXT, IF YOU
THINK YOU'RE THEIR
GRANDPARENTS, OR SOMEHOW WERE
EXPOSED TO THIS.
YOU'RE KIND OF AT A LOSS.
THEY'RE URGED TO FILE A CLAIM
WITH THE VA.
EXPECT IT TO BE DENIED.
BUT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THEM TO
GET REGISTERED.
ALSO, REGISTER WITH BIRTH
DEFECT CHILDREN.
THE VIETNAM VETERANS
ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA SAYS
IT'S RECEIVED REPORTS THAT
CHILDREN OF VETERANS,
GRANDCHILDREN OF VETERANS, EVEN
GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN OF
VETERANS.
YOU SAID MAYBE SEVEN
GENERATIONS.
THE LABORATORY TESTS SHOW
POSSIBLY SEVEN GENERATIONS ARE
AFFECTED.
WE'RE TALKING THREE HERE.
WHO KNOWS WHAT WE'RE TALKING
ABOUT AT THIS POINT.
INCREDIBLE.
STAGGERING.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
IF YOU NEED HELP IDENTIFYING
DISEASES ASSOCIATED WITH AGENT
ORANGE EXPOSURE, OR WAYS TO GET