U.S. Representative Rodney Davis of Illinois' 13th District says he hopes a new version of the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act makes to the president’s desk this year. The measure would restore easy access to Agent Orange disability benefits for tens of thousands of Navy veterans who served on coastal waters in the Vietnam War.
On the 21st: We learned how demonstrators in St. Louis have been responding to the news that a white police officer has been acquitted over the fatal shooting of a black man. We also learned about Illinois' ties to Agent Orange and the Vietnam War, discussed the long-term impact of the state's budget stalemate on higher education, and got the latest in Illinois politics.
Jerome Wiese of Rantoul, Illinois served as a combat medic in the Army during the Vietnam War from 1970-1971. Destined to become a soldier, he loved the friendships he developed in the Army and has no regrets about what he and other soldiers did during the war.
Richard Friemel served in the Air Force as an airplane mechanic during the Vietnam War and was exposed to Agent Orange which he believes caused his heart condition.
