Admiral Elmo Zumwalt, Jr. will be remembered for many things -- his meteoric rise in rank in the US Navy, his restoration of racial equality among enlisted men, his efforts to upgrade the fleet and weapon systems, his "Z-grams" (the famous directives which changed everything in the Navy great and small), his criticism of "detente"and credit for helping win the Cold War, his books, his run for the U.S. Senate -- but perhaps his greatest legacy was his success in convincing the Government to study the health effects of Agent Orange and expand the benefits available to exposed Vietnam veterans

Zumwalt had a special interest in Agent Orange. His son, Elmo III, was believed to be a victim of the dioxin-laced defoliant used on the jungles of Southeast Asia as part of the U.S. war effort. Adm. Zumwalt, as commander of naval forces in Vietnam, ordered the spraying. His son, a naval officer in the Mekong Delta, died in 1988 of lymphoma believed to be linked to his exposure to the chemical.

With characteristic zeal, Adm. Zumwalt set out over a decade ago to reform the "see no evil" mentality at the Pentagon. He lobbied politicians to take responsibility by appropriating the funds necessary to help treat the thousands of Vietnam Vets who were suffering from Agent Orange-related diseases. In 1996, Adm. Zumwalt's perseverance paid off when President Clinton signed an order which added several new medical conditions, including prostate cancer, to the eligibility list for medical benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

It took courage for Elmo Zumwalt to buck the system and speak out on a problem that the brass very much wanted to ignore.

``No one has done more to face the consequences of Agent Orange and provide benefits to sick vets,'' said Bobby Muller, president of the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation in Washington. ``Not many military officials now want to deal with Agent Orange exposure.''

Admiral Zumwalt died of malignant pleural mesothelioma at Duke University one day after greeting the new Century. He was a career naval officer, who at age 44, became the youngest officer ever promoted to rear admiral. At age 49, he became the youngest four-star admiral in United States history and served as Commander of the United States Naval forces in Vietnam from 1968 to 1970. In 1970 he was promoted over 35 senior admirals to become the youngest man ever to serve as Chief of Naval Operations. Time Magazine hailed Admiral Zumwalt as "the Navy's most popular leader since World War II." In 1974, Adm. Zumwalt retired as CNO and a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Adm. Zumwalt dedicated his life to improving the quality of life of the average sailor and restoring a sense of mission and fairness. Adm. Zumwalt died from mesothelioma before he had an opportunity to marshall his considerable influence to cast light on this war-related illness that few politicians want to talk about. We would serve his memory well by doing what he would have done: admit the mistake, take responsibility for it, and set out to find a cure.

"I personally have reviewed more than 125 cases of mesothelioma among individuals who were exposed to asbestos while serving in the U.S. Navy. This is a tragic loss of life for those who have dedicated themselves to serving our country. We owe it to these men and women to do everything possible to find a cure for this dreaded disease, which is presently uncurable in most cases."

Dr. Victor Roggli
Director of Pathology
Duke University and Virginia Medical Centers

*** POSTED FEBRUARY 3, 2000 ***

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