Vietnam vet an advocate for chemical casualties of war

By Eric Kurhi
The Daily Review
11/07/2008 

ALAMEDA — Bronson "Chief" Parry remembers the sheets of liquid falling from the sky — clear, odorless, slightly oily drops that had the uncanny power to wither anything green in 24 hours.

"That damn airplane," he said. "Nixon put out the word — no more defoliant. So the pilots were dumping it anywhere they could."

He said he was doused several times while instructing riflemen on a Mekong Delta gun range in Vietnam in the early 1970s. There wasn't a reason to dump on the range, but they did it just to get rid of the stuff, he said.

"If you ever served the government, this would not surprise you," said Parry, 70, who joined the Navy when he was 17.

Fast-forward to 1992: Parry, retired from the military after decades of service, was working as a security guard for United Parcel Service.

He was chasing a thief who had snatched a small television when the whole world suddenly wobbled from side to side, and he collapsed.

"They thought it was an inner-ear condition until they did an MRI," he said. "That's when they found the tumors."

Parry had lipomas in his head and in his throat, courtesy of Agent Orange. Doctors removed the growths, along with part of his brain, which in turn disturbed his nerves and made him lose the use of his left eye for years. 

Then he became diabetic, although there's no history of diabetes in his family. He will never be in the clear, he said, adding that he knows of many men like him who eventually died of renal failure. 

Parry's not bitter, but the self-described "staunch veteran from the word 'go' " does question the war.

"Nothing can be done about it now, so why should I resent anything?" he said. "I did what the government told me to do, which was defend my country. Of course, it turns out we weren't defending anything. To this day, I ask what we were there for."

Parry will be in Alameda County's Veterans Day parade in Hayward on Tuesday. Each year, he works with other veterans to organize the parade, which changes location annually. He'll be in a flat green 1957 Dodge personnel carrier, as commander of the Disabled American Veterans of Alameda, Chapter 8. 

Parry is an advocate for people like him, who have been exposed to hazardous materials while serving their country. As president of the local Vietnam Veterans of America chapter, he is always fielding calls.

"They're looking for information, like how to file a claim," he said. "Or just the other day, a woman called. Her husband has a problem — he's all crippled up and in sad shape because of Agent Orange. I can steer them in the right direction."

Perry acknowledged it can take a while to get any government compensation. He kept refiling his claim until finally, in 2001, he got a settlement. But he stressed the importance of being persistent about the right for compensation.

"I watched so many guys get the short end of the stick," he said. "They've suffered ... men have died without getting the benefits they have coming to them, that they deserve. Sometimes it's because of pride. But then their wife and kids get the short end of the stick. That's wrong." 

Parry said that veterans seeking more information can contact him at oldsalt38@aol.com.
Eric Kurhi can be reached at ekurhi@bayareanewsgroup.com or 510-237-2473.