In Memory

My dad died eight years ago today - March 9, 1997 - three days before my 19th birthday. We didn't exactly get along very well - but I'd still like to acknowledge the anniversary of his death. He died of Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, which he developed after being exposed to Agent Orange during his service in the Vietnam War. He was diagnosed in 1984 and given 6 months to live -- he lived for 13 years and died when he was 50 years old. I think Mayo Clinic still studies his case...

The names of those who died because of their exposure to Agent Orange are not being added to the Vietnam War Memorial, which is dumb, I think. (The U.S. sprayed this chemical on Vietnamese crops.) Last year they did add some sort of marker acknowledging those who died since the war (b/c of their service in the war), but it's about the size of a normal tombstone in a cemetery...wouldn't want to make it too obvious that some died by the use of America's own war tactics...


Steven G. :: 1946-1997 :: Vietnam War 1970-1972 :: Agent Orange