Agent Orange - Its Affects in the Vietnam War and After

The Vietnam War, or also referred to as Thesystems, leaving barren trees and undergrowth
Second Indochina War, started on September 26,blackened and foul smelling.
1959 and lasted until April 30, 1975. The war wasOne of the components of Agent Orange was a
between the communist North Vietnam and thechemical called Dioxin, which today is considered to
government of South Vietnam, taking place inbe one of the most dangerous substances in the
Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. In 1959, two USworld. Dioxin is also known as TCDD, which caused a
military advisors were killed by Viet Minh guerillas invariety of adverse health effects in lab animals, and
South Vietnam, and were the first American deathshas been linked to numerous potentially dangerous
in the Second Indochina War, starting what we knowand deadly health problems. The World Health
today as the Vietnam War. The US entered this warOrganization has since classified the chemical Dioxin as
along with other anti-communist nations supportinga known human carcinogen which can damage
the South Vietnam government to help prevent thesensitive parts of the body like the endoctrine,
takeover of South Vietnam. The 16 year cold warimmune, and nervous systems.
killed over 58,000 Americans with over 153,000Many Americans still continue to suffer from different
wounded, leaving an estimated 1800 still unaccountedhealth problems due to Agent Orange and Dioxin with
for today.some being passed on down to their children with
Various war weapons were used in the Vietnamvarious complications. In 1978 the Veterans
including herbicides. These herbicides were developedAdministration set up a program to help veterans
for the military to help reduce plant and vegetation inwith their needs from being exposed to Agent
dense terrains, bringing the enemy out of hiding andOrange. Some of the effects from this devastating
protecting the American troops and their allies fromchemical are as follows:
ambush. They were also used to destroy any foodSkin irritation and some skin diseases like Chloracne
crops that the Viet Cong relied on to feed their armyNerve disorders including peripheral neuropathy
of soldiers. Statistics show that over 20 million gallonsType 2 diabetes
were sprayed with 15 different herbicides, someMiscarriages in women
being color coded arriving in barrels, and all supposedlyBirth defects, some physical deformaties and Spina
with no harmful effects to humans. The spray wasBefida
released from airplanes, helicopters, trucks, andNeurological disorders
soldiers carrying backpack sprayers. Little did anyoneCancers
know at this time, that more tragic historyLawsuits have been filed accusing the chemical
surrounding the Vietnam war was about to unfold,companies of war crimes because they sold Agent
and the name of the devil was Agent Orange.Orange to the military and companies such as
Agent Orange was a code name for the barrel withMonsanto, Hercules, Dow, and Diamond Shamrock
the orange colored steel band. Chemically, it is a 50knew about the dangers of the herbicide but did not
50 mixture of two different herbicides, 2, 4-D, and 2,reveal them. In 1984 a huge class-action lawsuit was
4, 5-T, and 11 million gallons of this toxic defoliantsettled in the U.S. courts, with seven U.S. companies
was used between 1965 through 1970. Over 6,000agreeing to pay a total of 180 million dollars to
missions, with 10% being over Vietnam, were291,000 people, with most of them being Vietnam
sprayed with Agent Orange, and some in Cambodiawar veterans. The final settlement which included
and Laos to utilize the Ho Chi Minh Trail, which was ainterest was around 240 million dollars. The tragedy
key supply route for the Viet Cong. Agent Orangesurrounding Agent Orange with Dioxin still goes on
killed vegetation of all types including the roottoday.