Question:
When I entered the army, my entrance physical showed no health problems. When taking my discharge physical, I had a heart murmur. I served in the infantry in the boonies of Viet Nam with the 25th Infantry for two months before receiving the million-dollar wound. Could agent orange have caused the heart murmur? Since then I have had to have open-heart surgery to replace the valve. Thank you!
Jim's Reply:
I'd have to guess that any claim that AO caused a heart valve problem won't fly. That you developed a clinically significant valve problem over time is probably just mother nature at work and this would have happened without Vietnam service. If you think that it's service connected then you should file a claim. You'll have to provide proof of service connection and that'll be an uphill battle.