A measure pending before the House Veterans Affairs disability assistance and memorial affairs subcommittee would extend presumption of service-connected disability to some Navy Vietnam War veterans. Under the bill, so-called "blue-water" veterans who served on ships up to 12 miles off the coast of Vietnam between 1962 and 1975 would be eligible for treatment for their conditions at medical facilities operated by the Department of Veterans Affairs. They also could qualify for disability compensation and other benefits. Sponsored by Rep. Christopher P. Gibson, R-N.Y., H.R. 1494 would require the Defense Department to provide the names of each ship deployed in those waters during the 1962-1975 time frame, assuming the information is not still classified.
