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Vietnam veteran battling house woes

By TERRY BROWN, Staff writer
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First published: Saturday, August 19, 2006

Vietnam War veteran is battling more than his Agent Orange exposure and service-related ailments.

Benny Ortega and his family are battling major structural problems with their house. They are now living in a three-bedroom home with no kitchen floor, no sink, stove, refrigerator and other appliances -- as well a big hole in the side of the roof and holes in walls.

"When it rains, it rains inside the house," said Ortega's wife, Aquayo. The couple have three children: Chris, 15; Lyenn, 12, who has cerebral palsy; and Nino, 14, who has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

When the kitchen floor started to buckle about four months ago, Ortega decided to have the kitchen renovated and expanded by 4 feet. He wanted to add enough space for a laundry room on the first floor. The current laundry room is in the basement.

"The stairs are too narrow for my wife, whose knees are going bad, to go up and down," he said. Ortega has two other children, Patricia and Elisha by a previous marriage, and four grandchildren.

"All we want to do is to be able to use the kitchen and for the family to have a hot meal together," he said after he showed the unfinished work. "It must be done before winter or we'll have to move in with relatives in Westchester County."

Several weeks ago, a couple of residents of Vet House, a shelter for homeless veterans across the street from Ortega's home, told the residence's cook, John Brooks, "Benny's in trouble. ... You've got to see his kitchen."

Brooks and the others visited Ortega to find out if they could do anything for him and his family.

After he visited the Ortega home, the cook suggested to the Vet House director Mike Ray, "How about we make a hot meal every day for his family?"

Ray agreed and then got permission from the Joseph Sluszka, executive director of the Albany Housing Coalition, which oversees the Vet House. Since then, the Vet House has delivered a hot meal daily.

Ortega's health troubles began when he was exposed to Agent Orange while serving as a Special Forces sergeant and scout with the 9th Infantry Division in the Mekong Delta. During his second combat tour with the 1st Air Cavalry in the Ashau Valley jungle and Hue.

He earned several medals for valor during those combat tours in 1967-1969.

Ortega earned a Silver Star and a Purple Heart for being wounded as he rescued two wounded soldiers from a rice paddy during a firefight against a North Vietnamese Army soldiers in the Iron Triangle.

Ortega was wounded by a grenade that left shrapnel in the backs of his legs as he pulled the wounded out of the paddy.

He earned a Bronze Star when he saved another wounded soldier in another battle. He also earned an Army Commendation Medal, Good Conduct Medal and Combat Infantry Badge.

He said his worst day in the Vietnam War occurred when his best friend was killed.

"My best friend died in my arms," he recalled as tears filled his eyes.

After Vietnam, he became a plumber in New York City.

After his Agent Orange ailments weaken his knees, caused type 2 diabetes and left his legs with rashes, boils and lesions that don't heal, he stopped plumbing 19 years ago and moved to Albany. He met his second wife and became a full-time cab driver.
Today, the veteran doesn't have the strength to work full time. He says he has only 20 percent use of his kidneys.

Both he and his wife have to take insulin shots several times a day to keep their diabetes in check.

Type 2 diabetes is on a Veterans Affairs list of diseases probably caused by Agent Orange exposure.

He did file a claim for compensation from the VA.

"I called the VA in New York City to get a status of the claim," he said. "I was told it was approved. But two weeks later I get a letter from the VA saying the claim was denied."

Ortega says he's considering appealing the denial.

He does receive a monthly $886 Social Security disability check for post-traumatic stress disorder. The family also receives $940 monthly from Social Security for the children.

For now, Ortega is able to drive a Duffy's Taxi cab two days a week and earn no more than $800 monthly.

With only $400 in the family's bank account, $712 monthly mortgage payments, medical and other bills, they can't afford to hire someone to complete work on their home.

Persons interested in donating money and services for the kitchen and roof work should contact Joseph Sluszka, executive director of the Albany Housing Coalition, at 278 Clinton Ave., Albany, NY 12210, phone 465-5251 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday or via e-mail at jsluszka@ahcvets.org.

News of your soldiers and units can be sent to Duty Calls, Terry Brown, Times Union, Box 15000, Albany, NY 12212 or by e-mail at brownt@timesunion.com

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