1964-1966 Camp Casey/Happy Valley

Hello,
I hope someone can help us.

My dad served in Korea on the DMZ at Camp Casey. He was 7th Infantry 2/31 B Company. He says it was also sometimes called Happy Valley and Happy Dragon. He served 1964-1967 in the US Army. He served 13 months at Camp Casey in 1964, 1965, maybe a small part of 1966.

He remembers being told, this is weed killer, spray it. It being in large barrels with an orange and white stripe. He would pump it into a backpack and spray it, and sometimes spray it from a truck. There were no aerial spraying. He said it killed everything and when the rainy season came, there was no vegetation to hold back the water. He worked with the ROK and the KOTUSA.

He has many symptoms of AO, or something similar, but the VA is denying he used AO. That they didn't use it until 1968, but I have found recently declassified papers that it was being tested as far back at 1963. He has also been told that his military records were destroyed in the St Louis MO fire in 1973, but the governments own website states it was records of people that were discharged years before him. He is getting the run around and I am angry about it. If he is there are many, many more.

AO, or something very similar, symptoms are showing up in his offspring, my sister and I, and in our children. These men, and women, served their time for their country. Now he is being asked...why did you wait so long? He didn't. He started having skin issues right upon discharge. Even went through a panel of doctors, 21 sets came in to see him, 63 doctors, and not one could agree what was wrong with him.

Can anyone from that time frame, or prior, that has any memory, or knowledge, of Agent Orange, or any other toxic weedkillers please get with us? Anything can help. He has worked his whole life, and just wants to VA to recognize that he has health problems from his Army service. My name is Michelle Varney, I am his oldest daughter. I can be contacted via email at trafficfina@gmail.com My sister is Evelyn Shaw. Her email is ecvshaw@yahoo.com My father is Verlin Varney. His email is vvarney@columbus.rr.com

We will be happy to share with you in return any information we find to help you as well.


We thank you in advance.

Verlin Varney
Michelle Varney
Evelyn Shaw