As part of their guerilla tactics, the viet cong usually based and operated in south vietnamese lush jungles so that they could easily hide from the hunts of the u. Agent orange usage reached an apex during operation ranch hand, in. Children of agent orange is a documentary about the long term environmental and especially health effects of the herbicides and defoliants used during the vietnam conflict. Between the years of 1962 and 1971, during the vietnam war, more than 20 million gallons of agent orange were sprayed over the landscape of vietnam. Agent orange is a chemical weapon most notably used by the u. The vietnamese claim that 4 million people were exposed to agent orange and 3 million of its people suffer from medical conditions that were caused by the exposure from the vietnam war. We refer to this as having a presumption of contact. Much of it contained a dangerous chemical contaminant called dioxin. After years of meetings, signings and photo ops, the u. Agent oranges long legacy, for vietnam and veterans the. The scope covers the period from 1945 to the present.
Spatfolgen des chemiewaffeneinsatzes im vietnamkrieg agent. The dark shadow of agent orange the new york times. However, after seeing the impact of agent orange a defoliant sprayed by the u. Agent orange my vietnam experience the vietnam war. Agent orange thailand vets are often the vas orphans.
Agent orange or super orange was one of the socalled rainbow herbicides used. Agent orange is a very powerful herbicide that was used in the vietnam war. The extent and patterns of usage of agent orange and. This seems like a somewhat strange weapon, but since the north vietnamese and viet cong. In 1980 i along with other vietnam veterans received a medicalin confidence questionnaire from defence headquarters with some real obscure questions. Blue water veterans share their agent orange stories. A deadly chemical deployed during the vietnam war is still being linked to hormone imbalances in newborn babies half a century later. Chapter 944 lobbies to expand agent orange coverages. Agent orange simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Whether you served in the us military during the war or marched in the streets to end it, you cannot remain untouched by this documentary. Agent orange in vietnam mariehelene lavallard the vietnam war 19611975 is known for the massive bombings of north vietnam. Agent orange was a defoliant and between 1963 and 1966, six million gallons of it were used in vietnam. It is a mixture of equal parts of two herbicides, 2,4,5t and 2,4d.
During the vietnam war, agent orange was chemical herbicides used from 1961 to 1971 by the u. Military during the vietnam war, classified as defoliant. It was used by the united states military so their enemies had no place to hide problems. Agent orange puts a new generation at risk in vietnam. The vietnam wars agent orange legacy unreported world. Facts about the use of agent orange during the vietnam war. The vietnam war and agent orange while the vietnam war ended decades ago, its effects continue to linger on. The woman who became vietnam veterans voice against agent orange strategic media books, 300 pp. Agent orange associated conditions birth defects in children of women vietnam veterans va presumes that certain birth defects in biological children of women vietnam veterans were caused by military service when the birth mother served in vietnam during the period beginning february 28, 1961 and ending on may 7, 1975.
Panelists at a george washington university forum discuss the ongoing impact of agent orange in vietnam and laos, which the u. At the height of the vietnam war in 1968, two young americans who shared a sense of service made two very different decisions. The lingering issue of its civilian and military health impact. In total, 11m gallons were poured over south vietnam between 1961 and 71, over 10% of the country 14% of the area targeted was farmland. This historyplex article presents some facts about the. Read blue water navy vietnam veterans and agent orange. Agent orange was used by the americans in the vietnam war to take away jungle cover for the nlf on the ground. Yet there are grumblings that little if anything has been done to clean up the most contaminated sites. Between 1962 and 1971, they blasted over 20 million gallons of agent orange from fire hoses and planes, over an area about the size of new jersey.
More insidious, however, yet less wellknown to the general public, was the chemical war waged from 1961 to 1971against south vietnam. The dark shadow of agent orange retro report may 11, 2014 the use of agent orange during the vietnam war continues to cast a dark shadow. Magnitude and consequences background in 1961, as part of americas escalating war of counterinsurgency in vietnam, president kennedy approved military plans to use toxic herbicides in vietnam. Some years later there had been some media reporting of agent orange and vietnam veterans but this didnt really tell me anything. The lingering issue of its civilian and military health impact see also morabia, p. Its primary purpose was strategic deforestation, destroying the forest cover and food resources necessary for the implementation and sustainability of the north vietnamese style of guerilla warfare. The dioxin contaminant however continues to have harmful impact today.
The agent orange in vietnam program is an online resource to help americans and vietnamese address the continuing health and environmental impact of herbicides sprayed in vietnam during the war. It was contaminated with tcdd, the most poisonous dioxin, known to cause cancer and other diseases. The agent orange in vietnam program the aspen institute. Agent orange was a herbicide mixture used by the u. Agent orange abstract this paper explores the utilization of the chemical herbicide, agent orange, as it was sprayed over vietnam during the vietnam war in 1961 to 1971. Agent orange and the vietnam war vietnam veterans of america. The battle scenes are powerful, the stories of us veterans and vietnamese soldiers who fought on both sides of the war compelling. My understanding was that the intended active ingredients in agent orange itself were toxic but no more dangerous than many other types of herbicides in use at the time and, i might add, now. In early 1960s, after the formation of the national liberation front nlf, vietnamese communists began to increase their operations in south vietnam. Agent orange is a herbicide and defoliant chemical, one of the tactical use rainbow herbicides. Reporter ade adepitan travelled to vietnam to investigate the ongoing legacy of agent orange. During the height of the war, between 1962 and 1971, more than 20 million gallons of herbicide were sprayed over the rural areas and jungles of south vietnam, according to the report addressing the legacy of agent orange in vietnam. Agent orange was a cocktail of chemicals that were stored in drums marked with an orange band. Georgetown university, 2010 includes bibliographical references text electronic thesis in pdf format.
Since the vietnam war ended in 1975, numerous studies have been conducted to determine if an association exists between agent orange exposure and certain disabling conditions specifically cancer. Throughout the duration of the war, 1965 1973, eight million tons of bombs were dropped over vietnam. Sitting between the united states and vietnam and within the u. Agent orange and napalm served quite different purposes. One of them was the use of agent orange by the us military, which claimed millions of vietnamese lives. The extent and patterns of usage of agent orange and other. Agent orange haunts the lives of the people it has touched.
In vietnam, the ghost of agent orange still looms large. The toxic herbicide was dropped on vietnam by us forces during the war over 40 years ago. Agent orange vietnams last battle vietnam reporting. In addition to its damaging environmental effects, traces of dioxin. The agent orange trial proved that us chemical companies. Vietnam war, the prolonged struggle between the united states and vietnam, has had numerous dreadful chapters. Vietnamera veterans know, dioxin is a highly toxic and persistent organic pollutant. What purpose did agent orange and napalm serve in the. Agent orange agent orange is a toxic chemical herbicide that was used from about 1965 1970 in the vietnam war. The chemicals mostly agent orange killed the jungle brush and denied the enemy cover, but also may. The vietnam war is not history for victims of agent orange.
Between 1961 and 1971, us and republic of vietnam forces sprayed more than 20. More than 40 years after the american military used agent orange in the vietnam war, the chemical still casts a long shadow over the vietnamese and the american veterans who fought there. Members of vietnam veterans of america chapter 944 joined elected officials feb. Effects of agent orange on the vietnamese people wikipedia. Herbicides used in vietnam, in particular agent orange, that contained the highly toxic chemical 2,3,7,8tetrachlorodibenzopdioxin also referred to as tcdd, have been associated with a. The use of agent orange in the vietnam war and its effects. Agent orange has caused reproductive problems, birth defects, cancer and other diseases in affected people on both sides of the war. If you served in vietnam or in or near the korean demilitarized zone dmz during the vietnam eraor in certain related jobsyou may have had contact with this herbicide. Agent orange thailand vets are often the orphans of the vietnam war, and often have the hardest path to proving exposure to agent orange. Va issued a compensation and pension bulletin that addressed the process that the va should follow in handling agent orange claims for vietnam era veterans stationed in thailand. The medical and environmental effects of agent orange still haunt vietnam forty years after the vietnam war ended. Herbicide tests and storage outside of vietnam department of defense list 224 kb, pdf va benefits veterans who were exposed to agent orange or other herbicides during service may be eligible for a variety of va benefits, including an agent orange registry health exam, health care, and disability compensation for diseases. Watching the ken burnslynn novick 18hour series, the vietnam war, is an emotional experience. Herbicides including agent orange were sprayed by united states forces for military purposes during the vietnam war 1961.
Production of agent orange ended in the 1970s and is no longer in use. The defoliant, sprayed from lowflying aircraft, consisted of approximately equal amounts of the unpurified butyl esters. The effect of agent orange on vietnam history essay. Here are the basic rules to get the presumption of agent orange exposure if you served in thailand during the vietnam war. For the purposes of va compensation benefits, veterans who served anywhere in vietnam between january 9, 1962 and may 7, 1975 are presumed to have been exposed to herbicides, as specified in the agent orange act of 1991 these veterans do not need to show that they were exposed to agent orange or other herbicides in order to get disability compensation for diseases related to agent orange. It was one of the main mixtures used during operation ranch hand. Some of the funds were to be used to provide medical care for residents near the exmilitary base. Legacies of war 8457 west granite point road coeur dalene, idaho 83814. Agent orange was a herbicidedefoliant a chemical that kills plants and makes their leaves fall off. Between 1961 and 1971, the us army sprayed some 80 million liters of the defoliant, containing 366 kilograms of the highly toxic dioxin, over 30,000 square miles of southern vietnam. The 1995 editorial agent orange in vietnam by dwyer and fleschjanys was a penetrating summary of what was then known about the impact of this toxic defoliant on the workers who manufactured it. Herbicide tests and storage outside vietnam public health. The united states government, military, and corporations acted irresponsibly by creating the chemical and spraying it.
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