Some Delayed Casualties of Vietnam War
Families Gather To Honor Victims Of Subtler Wounds
By Monte Reel
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, April 20, 2004; Page B03
Hundreds of family members gathered at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial yesterday to read aloud the names of relatives who died of the lingering effects of the war, including illness linked to the toxic defoliant Agent Orange and suicides attributed to post-traumatic stress disorder.
The tribute included the unveiling of an "In Memory" plaque, which sponsors hope will be added to the memorial grounds next month to honor those who died as a result of the war but do not meet the criteria for inclusion on the memorial wall.
For a name to be included on the wall, the Department of Defense must rule that the military service member died of injuries received in a Vietnam combat zone.
The 191 names read aloud yesterday are among almost 1,400 that have been identified by family members as victims of indirect physical or emotional wounds suffered during the war.
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