As a helicopter door gunner during the Vietnam War, Paul Reutershan was exposed to clouds of a defoliant collectively known as Agent Orange. As a consequence, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 1978. Paul spent months constructing a class action lawsuit against the manufacturers of Agent Orange in order to help fellow victims.
Paul met two fellow Vietnam veterans, Frank McCarthy and Jimmy Sparrow, and together the three formed Vietnam Veterans Agent Orange Victims (VVAOV), a nonprofit that became one of the leading advocates for veterans and families whose lives had been affected by Agent Orange.
Paul died in 1978; in 1985, the lawsuit reached an out-of-court settlement. Proceeds were distributed directly to Agent Orange victims over the next 10 years. VVAOV helped establish a national consortium of 63 grassroots agencies to administer additional funds from the lawsuit. Through that consortium, grants and monies were awarded to help Vietnam veterans all over the country obtain medical and disability compensation, as well as death benefits.
VVAOV began to receive and honor requests from veterans from other wars. In 1998, after disbursing all funds from the Agent Orange lawsuit, the organization was renamed the National Veterans Services Fund (NVSF) to more aptly define its broader, more inclusive programs for all U.S. veterans.
In 2017, NVSF became HonorBound Foundation, expanding our mission to reflect our commitment to our brother and sister veterans. From our home base in Darien, Connecticut, HonorBound provides case-managed social services, medical assistance, and financial support to veterans and their families across the nation.
