Veterans Service Office - Sonoma County

Flash:

The Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims decided on August 16, 2006 to strike down the VA's definition of "Service in Vietnam" in regard to presumed exposure to Agent Orange. The VA is now required to use an earlier definition which, in essence, includes either a physical presence on Vietnamese soil or the waters offshore. As a result, a veteran who served onboard a ship off the coast of Vietnam can and should file a claim if he or she has any of the following conditions or diseases, especially if the condition was previously claimed and denied due to "no service in Vietnam":

Diabetes, Type II, (Adult Onset)
Prostate Cancer
Lung Cancer
Larynx, Trachea or Bronchus Cancer
Multiple Myeloma
Hodgkins Disease
Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma
Cloracne
Soft Tissue Sarcoma
Porphyria Cutanea Tadra
Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Under current guidelines the VA should accept a Vietnam Service Medal as evidence of service in Vietnam for individuals who served on board a ship off the coast of Vietnam. If the VSM was not awarded, the VA should try to obtain ship's records as evidence that the ship was in territorial waters. Contact us for more information.

The SONOMA COUNTY VETERANS SERVICE OFFICE is a unit of the County of Sonoma, Human Services Department, Adult and Aging Services Division. The county Veterans Service Office program was established in Sonoma County in 1944 to provide assistance to veterans and their families. We are not part of the Department of Veterans Affairs (“The VA”). We are a county agency dedicated to serving veterans and their families. We are knowledgeable about the huge array of programs, benefits and services that are available today. TIP:You can select any picture or logo on this page to open up a new page with that agency's website.

Thank you for taking the time to visit our site. I invite you to look around, explore our links, and most importantly, make use of our services.
I am proud to be a member of a dedicated team of professionals. Dudley, Mark, Michael, Jody and I stand ready to provide information, assistance and referral to veterans and their families.
All too many veterans are unaware of the services and benefits to which they are entitled. In fact, often a veteran will visit our office for assistance in submitting a claim for one specific ailment and discover during an in-depth interview that there are other issues to be addressed. Our goal is to ensure that every Sonoma County Veteran we serve receives, or is at least made aware of his or her entitlements.
I have immense regard for our country’s Veterans, and I pledge the support of myself and the other members of the Sonoma County Veterans Service Office.
Again, thanks for visiting us. Now take a look around.

Christopher D. Bingham, Lt Col, USAF (Ret)
Sonoma County Veterans Service Officer