Navy & Coast Guard Ships Affected by Agent Orange

VA Lists Navy Ships that Qualify for Presumptive Agent Orange Exposure

6/10 – The Department of Veterans Affairs Compensation and Pension Service has issued 2 lists of naval vessels it has verified conducted operations on the inland “brown water” rivers and delta areas of Vietnam. The lists also identify certain vessel types that operated primarily on the inland waterways. If a veteran’s service aboard one of these ships can be confirmed through military records during the time frames specified, then exposure to herbicide agents (e.g., Agent Orange) can be presumed. The lists include all vessels of Inshore Fire Support (IFS) Division 93; all vessels with the designation LST, LCVP, PCF (“Swift Boats”), and PBR during their entire Vietnam tour; all Coast Guard WPBs and WHECs during their Vietnam tours. Several other vessels and time frames of operations are included in these lists. See list issued 1/10, and list issued 6/10 (below).

Vessels that operated primarily or exclusively on the inland waterways



All U.S. Coast Guard Cutters with hull designation WPB [patrol boat] and
 WHEC [high endurance cutters]



USS Mark (AKL-12) [light cargo ship]; USS Brule (AKL-28)



USS Patapsco (AOG-1) [gasoline tanker]; USS Elkhorn (AOG-7)
; USS Genesee (AOG-8); USS Kishwaukee (AOG-9); 
USS Tombigbee (AOG-11); USS Noxubee (AOG-56)



USS Okanogan (APA-210) [attack transport]; USS Montrose (APA-212); 
USS Bexar (APA-237)



USS Benewah (APB-35) [self-propelled barracks ship]; USS Colleton (APB-36); 
USS Mercer (APB-39); USS Nueces (APB-40)


Barracks Barge (APL-26) [sleeping quarters]; Barracks Barge (APL-30)



USS Tutuila (ARG-4) [repair ship]; USS Satyr (ARL-23) [repair ship]
; USS Sphinx (ARL-24); USS Askari (ARL-30); USS Indra (ARL-37) ; USS Krishna (ARL-38)



USS Belle Grove (LSD-2) [landing ship dock]; USS Comstock (LSD-19);
 USS Tortuga (LSD-26)



USS Asheville (PG-84) [patrol gunboat]; USS Gallop (PG-85); USS Antelope (PG-86); USS Ready (PG-87); USS Crockett (PG-88); 
USS Marathon (PG-89); USS Canon (PG-90)



Floating Base Platform (YRBM-17) [repair, berthing, and messing barge]
; Floating Base Platform (YRBM-18); Floating Base Platform (YRBM-20)



Winnemucca (YTB-785) [harbor tug]


Vessels that operated temporarily on Vietnam's inland waterways or
docked to the shore:



USS Card (ACV-11) [escort carrier] mined, sunk, and salvaged in Saigon 
River Harbor during May 1964

USS Maury (AGS-16) [mapping survey ship] conducted surveys of Mekong
Delta and other coastal areas and rivers beginning November 1965 through
1969

USS Henrico (APA-45) [amphibious attack transport] operated on Hue River
during March 1965 and conducted numerous troop landings through March
1967

USS Montrose (APA-212) operated on Song Hue River during December 1965,
operated on Long Tau River during March 1967, and operated on Cua Viet
 River and at Dong Ha during May 1967

USS Talladega (APA-208) operated on Saigon River during October 1967
USS Bolster (ARS-38) [salvage ship] crew operated on land.

USS Canberra (CAG-2) [guided missile cruiser] operated on Saigon River
from March 31 through April 1, 1966, on Cua Viet River during December
15, 1966, and on Mekong Delta Ham Luong River during January 15, 1967

USS Sproston (DD-577) [destroyer] operated on Mekong Delta and Ganh Rai
Bay during January 1966

USS Picking (DD-685) operated on Saigon River during November 16, 1965

USS Epperson (DD-719) docked to Da Nang Pier on October 4, 1970

USS Southerland (DD-743) operated on Song Nga Bay and Saigon River
during July 1966

USS John W. Thomason (DD-760) operated on Nga Be River during 1969

USS Buck (DD-761) operated on Mekong River Delta and Saigon River during
October 1966

USS Preston (DD-795) operated on Mekong River Delta, Ganh Rai Bay, and
Saigon River during September 28 - 29 and December 27 - 29, 1965

USS Warrington (DD-843) operated on Mekong River Delta Rung Sat Special 
Zone, North of Vung Gahn Rai Bay during March 1967

USS Dyess (DD-880) operated on Saigon River and Rung Sat Special Zone
from June 19-July 1, 1966

USS Perkins (DD-877) operated on Saigon River during June 1969

USS Orleck (DD-886) operated on Mekong River Delta during July 1969

USS Joseph Strauss (DDG-16) [guided missile destroyer] operated on
Mekong River Delta and Ganh Rai Bay during November 7 and December 7,
1968

USS Waddell (DDG-24) operated on Cua Viet River during March 1967

USS Newell (DER-322) [radar destroyer escort] docked at port of Nha
Trang during December 22-24, 1965

USS Duluth (LPD-6) [amphibious transport dock] docked to pier at Da Nang
during March and October 1971

USS Cleveland (LPD-7) operated on Cua Viet River and at Dong Ha, as well
as Hue River, from November 1967 through 1968 and Saigon River during 
September 1969

USS Dubuque (LPD-8) docked at Da Nang on March 15, 1970

USS Boxer (LPH-4) [amphibious assault ship] docked to pier at Cam Rahn Bay on September 9, 1965

USS Carter Hall (LSD-3) [landing ship dock] operated on Cua Viet River and at Dong Ha during December 1967