Brown Water Navy Ships List and VA Disability Compensation

If you’re looking for the Brown Water Navy Ships List and wondering if you could qualify for VA disability compensation and benefits—you’ve come to the right place.  

Many Vietnam veterans were exposed to toxins like Agent Orange, leading to various health conditions.  

This post will cover the Brown Water Navy Ships list, presumptive conditions affecting Vietnam veterans, how to file a VA disability claim, and more!  

Keep reading to learn what you’re entitled to… 

Summary of Key Points 🔑

The Brown Water Navy Ships list includes roughly 50 vessels that sailed in the Vietnam waters between 1962 and 1975.  
You may qualify for a VA presumptive condition because of Agent Orange exposure, which would entitle you to VA disability benefits.  
Although the VA presumes specific conditions were caused by your military service, you must still file a VA disability claim.  
You can file your VA claim online, by mail, by fax, or in person using VA Form 21-526EZ. 

Brown Water Navy Vietnam Veterans

If you served during the Vietnam War, there’s a chance you were aboard one of many vessels that sailed off the Vietnam coast.  

Regardless of whether you were on a PBR patrol boat or a large vessel, it’s important to understand your benefits. 

Like Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans, many service members experienced long-term health conditions directly linked to their time in the Vietnam waters.  

Brown Water Navy Ships List

While roughly 50 vessels were identified that served in the Vietnamese brown water, the exact deployment dates of the vessels on the Brown Water Navy Ships are unknown.  

Brown Water Navy Ships include: 

River Patrol Support Ships, 1966 

• Belle Grove (LSD-2) 
• Caddo Parish (LST-515) 
• Comstock (LSD-19) 
• Floyd County (LST-762) 
• Jennings County (LST-846) 
• Tortuga (LSD-26) 

River Patrol Support Ships, 1967-1968 

• Caddo Parish (LST-515) (through November 1969) 
• Garrett County (LST-768) 
• Harnett County (LST-821) 
• Hunterdon County (LST-838) 
• Jennings County (LST-846) 

Mobile Riverine Base Ships, 1967-1968 

• Askari (ARL-30) 
• Benewah (APB-35) 
• Caroline County (LST-525) 
• Cohoes (AN-78) 
• Colleton (APB-36) 
• Indra (ARL-37) 
• Kemper County (LST-854) 
• Mercer (APB-39) 
• Nueces (APB-40) 
• Satyr (ARL-23) 
• Sedgwick County (LST-1123) 
• Vernon County (LST-1161) 
• Washtenaw County (LST-1166) 
• Whitfield County (LST-1169) 

• Windham County (LST-1170) 
• APL-26 (“in service” vessel – no deck logs to scan) 
• YRBM-17 (“in service” vessel – no deck logs to scan) 
• YTB-84 (“in service” vessel – no deck logs to scan) 
• YTB-85 (“in service” vessel – no deck logs to scan) 

OTHER SHIPS: 

• O’Brien (DD-725) (Damaged by enemy gunfire, December 1966) 
• Snohomish County (LST-1126) (Deployed numerous times between 1965 and 1970) 

Presumptive Conditions of Brown Water Navy Veterans

The VA recognizes several health conditions directly linked to herbicide exposure of veterans who served on the waters of Vietnam between January 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975. These conditions are considered by the VA to be presumptive.

Brown Water Navy and Agent Orange: Here’s a look at Agent Orange Presumptive Conditions: 

Cancers caused by Agent Orange exposure 

• Bladder cancer 
• Chronic B-cell leukemia 
• Hodgkin’s disease 
• Multiple myeloma 
• Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma 
• Prostate cancer 
• Respiratory cancers (including lung cancer) 
• Some soft tissue sarcomas 

Note: The VA doesn’t include osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, Kaposi’s sarcoma, or mesothelioma on the list of presumptive conditions. 

Other illnesses caused by Agent Orange exposure: 

• AL amyloidosis 
• Chloracne (or other types of acneiform disease like it) 
  Note: Under VA rating regulations, this condition must be at least 10% disabling within 1 year of herbicide exposure. 
• Diabetes mellitus type 2 
• High blood pressure (hypertension) 
• Hypothyroidism
• Ischemic heart disease 
• Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) 
• Parkinsonism 
• Parkinson’s disease 
• Peripheral neuropathy, early onset 
  Note: Under our rating regulations, this condition must be at least 10% disabling within 1 year of herbicide exposure. 
• Porphyria cutanea tarda 
  Note: Under VA rating regulations, this condition must be at least 10% disabling within 1 year of herbicide exposure. 

VA Disability Benefits for Brown Water Navy Veterans

Vietnam Veteran Benefits: As a Brown Water Navy veteran, you may be entitled to the following VA benefits, depending on your VA rating: 

• Monthly compensation  
• Healthcare benefits 
• Education benefits  
• Tax exemptions 
• In-patient VA care  
• Travel pay  
• Burial and plot allowance 
• And much more!  

How to File a VA Claim for Agent Orange Exposure

If you are dealing with the effects of Agent Orange exposure, you deserve compensation! While the VA presumes your condition was caused by your exposure, you still must file a VA disability claim.  

You can file your VA claim for Agent Orange exposure by one of the following methods: 

Ensure you print and complete VA form 21-526EZ with your application.  

How to Prove I’m a Brown Water Navy Veteran 

If you served onboard a Navy or Coast Guard vessel during Vietnam, you should include details in your VA disability claim to prove your service in Vietnam’s territorial waters, including: 

• You were aboard a U.S. military vessel that operated in the inland waterways of Vietnam between January 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975, OR  
• You were on a vessel between January 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975, that operated within 12 nautical miles seaward from the demarcation line of the waters of Vietnam and Cambodia 

Related: Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act

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Kelly Olone

Kelly Olone is a military spouse who earned her degree in Psychology from Florida International University. After working in the non-profit sector for several years, she turned to her passion for writing. She aims to contribute to a better understanding of the valuable benefits that veterans deserve. As a mom, Kelly navigates the delicate balance between deadlines and bedtime stories with finesse.