Last week, my father died as a result of his exposure to Agent Orange in the Vietnam War. My dad would often tell us stories of his military service at the dinner table — about fixing the planes that sprayed Agent Orange, sometimes leaving him drenched in the chemical. My brother followed in his footsteps to also enlist, serving in the first Iraq War.

My father first got cancer when I was about 9 years old. It was scary, and something he had to face three times, which we learned was related to his service. I was so grateful for all he did to protect our safety and security, while angry that he was left to battle cancer because of it.

Each time my dad was faced with cancer, he would not have survived without the support and health care provided by Veterans Affairs. The care he got through his VA benefits meant my dad could marry my brother and his wife, see all three of his children have children of their own, and that we got to see him grow old. Those are years that he got to see his grandkids grow up, be there for Thanksgiving and Christmas, celebrate his 50th wedding anniversary, and enjoy decades more of enjoying life. Over the years, the impacts of Agent Orange and the related cancer treatment also meant his heart, lungs and kidneys started to fail him. At this point I can’t even count how many times the VA has saved my dad’s life, not to mention how our family avoided financial ruin because all costs of care were covered. I will forever have a place in my heart for the VA for giving him, and our family, that extra time.

That’s why I was horrified when I learned that the........

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