WASHINGTON– U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) called on the Senate to advance his bipartisan legislation to ensure veterans who served in Thailand during the Vietnam War-era get the benefits they’ve earned to help address health care needs developed as a result of Agent Orange exposure.

Boozman recognized the efforts of Mena, Arkansas veteran Bill Rhodes who developed illnesses linked to herbicide exposure and has served as the inspiration for this legislation. Rhodes served in the U.S. Marine Corps and was stationed in Thailand in 1973. His benefits claim was denied by the Department of Veterans Affairs.