Vietnam veteran Robert Smalling

On Feb. 13, 2019, Tennessee lawmakers officially recognized the Orange Heart Medal, becoming the first state in the country to do so. Since that time, a number of other states have followed the Volunteer State’s lead. 

The Beehive State is currently not among the states that have formally recognized the Orange Heart Medal. Is there really any need for Utah legislators to approve an Orange Heart Medal to honor victims of Agent Orange exposure?

One could argue that Vietnam veterans exposed to toxic herbicides don’t really need any more recognition for their sacrifice.  After all, those veterans have already received an official federal service medal, the Vietnam Service Medal.

Additionally, Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange and other toxic herbicides during the war are eligible for compensation from the Veterans Administration for illnesses associated with exposure to those chemicals. 

While the Vietnam Service Medal is a prestigious medal, it is awarded for a specific period of service performed in a specific area. A number of different awards are also authorized for circumstances that took place during the same period covered by the Vietnam Service Medal.

One notable example is the Purple Heart. That medal is awarded to service members wounded in action during wartime. It is not that uncommon for a veteran to receive a service medal and a Purple Heart during the same war.

In the case of VA compensation, many veterans do receive benefits for presumptive conditions associated with Agent Orange exposure. However, the VA currently only recognizes a certain number of presumptive health issues linked to toxic herbicide exposure. That number could well increase.

Regardless of VA compensation for Agent Orange related illnesses received by eligible veterans, Purple Heart recipients also receive VA benefits in certain cases. One example is a veteran who became disabled due to a wound received in combat.  

A key difference between veterans who receive a Purple Heart and an Orange Heart Medal is the nature of the injury sustained. Purple Heart recipients were wounded externally, while Orange Heart Medal recipients were wounded internally. 

Like veterans who have received a Purple Heart for their obvious wounds, veterans exposed to Agent Orange and similar toxic herbicides during the Vietnam War deserve an Orange Heart Medal for their inconspicuous wounds.

This rationale compelled Vietnam veteran Ken Gamble, founder and president of the Orange Heart Medal Foundation in Springfield, Tennessee, to design and create the Orange Heart Medal. 

Ken hopes the medal will eventually be approved in every state in the country. And there are certainly veterans in Utah who feel the same way. That was made clear by a recent Orange Heart Medal pinning ceremony in Sunset’s Rachael Runyan Memorial Park.

On Aug. 9, Utah Agent Orange Veterans Foundation Chairman Larry Kerr presented an Orange Heart Medal to Sunset veteran Robert F. Smalling in a solemn and emotional pinning ceremony. It was a ceremony that will no doubt take place with much greater frequency throughout the Beehive State.

The Orange Heart Medal is a very meaningful way to recognize veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange. So it is not really a question of whether lawmakers should approve an Orange Heart Medal. The real question is when will lawmakers approve a Utah Orange Heart Medal?