Missouri Veteran Prevails on Prostate Cancer Claim  

While serving with the U.S. Air Force at the Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base in Thailand, veteran “Roger” often performed maintenance on aircraft parked on a “trim pad” near the base’s perimeter. The trim pad was sprayed with chemical defoliant, and Roger developed prostate cancer later in life — likely due to the repeated exposures. 

Missouri veteran service officer (VSO) Ron Adams filed a claim for service connection (SC) for Roger’s prostate cancer, but the VA denied it in November 2018. In July 2019, Adams filed an appeal, stating that Roger’s job brought him “at or near” the location where Thai military personnel regularly deployed toxic herbicides. 

After reviewing the facts, the VA awarded Roger SC at 100% including $98,815 in back pay. Roger’s monthly disability compensation went from $166 to $3,824. It was another success made possible by VVA’s funding of VSO programs nationwide.  

Contact a VVA Veteran Service Officer to assist with your claim in states that have a benefits program here, or search for a VSO from another organization through the VA’s website in states where we do not. Enter your ZIP code or city and state, and you’ll see which VSOs serve your area.