Lou Christiansen, Commander of the USS Calvert Associates, passed away in January 2015. Lou served aboard the USS Calvert during ’65 and ’66. His obituary is available here.
Lou scoured the National Archives for records that would prove that the Calvert’s crew was exposed to Agent Orange during 1965 and 1966. His success in this research led to the addition of the Calvert to the VA’s “Brown Water.” Lou’s work opened the way for veterans aboard the Calvert in late ’65 and early ’66 to be eligible to apply for Agent Orange related illness benefits via the VA. Additional information is available here.
Later in his life Lou co-founded Drug Crisis in Our Backyard as described here and here.
I was very sorry to hear of Lou’s passing. I recall one Saturday afternoon when we spent almost an hr on the phone discussing the Calvert and also our illness which we were both diagnosed with. He worked tirelessly on the research of the Calvert to allow the ship to be placed on the “Brown Water” list, and deserves all the credit for that. Although we never met in person, I considered him a friend.
Rest in Peace Shipmate,
Wasey