Man, that's a tough story with your dad. He is probably about my age. I had no experience with VA back in the 80's, but what you said is also an indictment of the Viet Nam War and its use of Agent Orange. A private hospital with private insurance might have been just as deadly. I know they were in the late 90's and beyond in their treatment of servicemen who handled uranium tipped weapons in the first Iraq war. Same thing happened. Leukemia, aggressive treatment, death. I have personal knowledge of this. I don't know if VA would have been any better or any worse. My VA experience, which is mostly in the last ten years, has been positive.
RIP to your dad.