Understanding Agent Orange
- Source: Mother Jones Magazine; Wikipedia
For the generation that lived through the Vietnam War, Agent Orange is a topic mired my controversy and debate. In recent years, many programs have emerged to tackle the issue, as our own Brian Luong reported in a post months ago. However, we have come to realize that for many, if not most, of those born in the generations after the war, Agent Orange has no meaning. Few understand what it is and even less know about its effects.
Here, we want to delve into Agent Orange 101 to understand what it is, the impact it made, and what is currently being done about it.
AGENT ORANGE 101
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What is Agent Orange? Agent Orange is a chemical used by the U.S. Army in the Vietnam War from 1961 to 1971 to remove forest cover, destroy crops, and disrupt agriculture food production. It is called “Agent Orange” because of the orange band that identifies the barrel the chemical came in. There were also Agents Purple, Green, and Pink.
What’s Bad About It? The production of the chemical created a useless but extremely dangerous byproduct named TCDD, more commonly called Dioxin. Dioxin is poisonous to humans and has been shown to cause serious diseases and deformities to those directly exposed to it and to their children.
How Widespread Was It? The estimates vary. According to a congressional report, 2.1 to 4.8 million people were directly exposed to Agent Orange. Below is a map of areas in Vietnam sprayed with herbicide:
- From US Congressional Report: Vietnamese Victim of Agent Orange, May 2009
The report states that between 1961 and 1971, 12 million gallons of Agent Orange was sprayed over nearly 10% of South Vietnam.
The Impact:
The chemical have been shown to cause serious skin diseases as well as a vast variety of cancers in the lungs, larynx, and prostate. Other effects include cleft palate, mental disabilities, hernias, and extra fingers and toes. The scariest impact is that the disease and deformities caused by the chemical can span across generations.
- Photo by Alexis Duclos
By the numbers:
- 2.1 to 4.8 million affected
- 400,000 deaths and disabilities
- 500,000 children born with birth defects
What Happened After:
A series of lawsuits came about when people started realizing and experiencing the effects of Agent Orange. Those lawsuits culminated into a class action lawsuit in the 1980′s by U.S. Veterans versus the chemical companies that produced Agent Orange. There were 37 companies involved. The major ones were Dow Chemical, Monsanto (now Solutia), Diamond Shamrock, Hercules, and Uniroyal.
In 2005, a similar lawsuit was filed by the Vietnamese Victims of Agent Orange against the chemical companies that produced the defoliant/herbicides. However, the same judge from the 1984 trial dismissed the lawsuit, the reason being “that the use of these chemicals during the war, although they were toxic, did not in his opinion fit the definition of ‘chemical warfare’ and therefore did not violate international law.”
In 2009, the US Supreme Court once again dismissed the lawsuit of Vietnamese Victims of Agent Orange.
What Now?
In recently years, numerous programs have sprung up to help decontaminate affected areas as well as provide care and compensation for victims. In 2007, President Bush passed a bill that allocated $3 million in funding to remedy “dioxin hotspots.” In 2009, President Obama signed a bill to double that aid, ensuring $6 million to the program.
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Personal Note:
There are numerous efforts by NGOs, like East Meets West Foundation, that spread awareness and rally our community to tackle the issue head-on. The fact remains that there are hundreds of thousands of people in Vietnam still suffering from the effects of Agent Orange.
Personally, I believe this issue should be kept free from politics. At the end of the day, there are people suffering and too few hands helping. It is an ongoing humanitarian issue and our resources should not be wasted litigating the past. If you are interested in helping out or raising awareness, I work with several groups trying to do just that. Feel free to contact me, James Bao, at jhbao @ onevietnam.org.
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17 Comments
Trackbacks
- Congressional Report on Agent Orange in Vietnam | Vietnam Talking Points
- Agent Orange: Old Problem, New Perspective | Vietnam Talking Points
- VIET2010 - Vietnam Involvement and Engagement Tour 2010 |
- One Vietnam Blog: Understanding Agent Orange | VIET2010
- Agent Orange Victims: Perspectives of a Fulbrighter | Vietnam Talking Points
- agent oprange initiatives and progress | Vietnam Talking Points
Thanks for sharing Geo. It's sad to see the effects of agent orange in the lives of these children in Vietnam. Hopefully we can help bring more awareness to the issue.
I'm speechless. Is there a way to extract the poison from people? Scientists should find a way to fix this now!
it effects DNA and genetic , I mean root cell, no way to fix it @!@ just have to clean up the mess …
To fix the problem, Orange must be removed from the soil; very difficult to do.
Brian's previous article says that the cost was pegged at about $60 million . . . JUST FOR three former military bases! Compare the size of three military bases to the red on the map in this article.
How can I do something to help?
http://www.veteranstoday.com/2010/03/04/who-ordered-agent-orange-to-be-used/
http://www.veteranstoday.com/2010/03/04/who-ord...
American can abuse their military powers by using, not one, but two nuclear warrheads on Japan and using chemical warfare in Vietnam, but it’s alright because it’s in the name of “freedom.” Pathetic is what it is…Other nations can’t have WMDs or use chemical warfare, while America prances around doing whatever it pleases.
Friends, we are approaching 10th August, on this day in 1961 the spraying of Agent Orange over areas of South Vietnam began. It not only destroyed vast areas of beautiful forests and the animal life within them, it destroyed the crops and poisoned the rivers, and lakes and the fish in them. Dioxin-remains in the fatty part of the fish.
It was also sprayed directly on the Hamlets of the people. All this resulted in many thousands of deaths of unborn babes in the wombs of their mothers. Hundreds of thousands were born with serious illnesses and deformities. Agent Orange has travelled in to the third generation. That is the horrific legacy left to the people and land of Vietnam.
Where I would disagree with James is when he writes: “Personally, I believe this issue should be kept free from politics.” Of course he has the the right to hold that view, but James the decision to use chemicals on Vietnam was a political one. The then US Government and the Chemical companies who manufactured Agent Orange knew of the danger of Agent Orange and Dioxin but remaind silent.
Us veterans and their familes were also affected by Agent Orange and have received payment for the suffering they have and are enduring. But for the Vietnamese not one cent has been paid by either the US Government or the Chemical companies headed by Monsanto and Dow Chemicals.
Friends the spraying continued for Ten-Years. This year will be the 49th anniversary of the spraying. Justice for the Vietnamese Victims is many years overdue.
One of your contributors asked what can they do? I sugegst that letters go to President Obama and to his wife Michelle the mother of two lovely children asking that compensation be paid to the Vietnamese. Letters should also be sent to Monsanto, Dow and the other 34 companies demanding that they accept responsibilities and to make compensation to the victims and their families.
Len Aldis. Secretary
Britain-Vietnam Friendship Society
London. UK
I am an adult child of an american military veteren who was sprayed by agent orange during the Vietnam Conflict. I want to point out that it is wrongly stated that americans have been compensated for the issues they have endured due to our government spraying this horrendous chemical. Most veterens who were affected have not been compensated or even acknowledged by our government or the veterens administration hospitals. They have died and are dying from the outcome of these sprayings en masse and most have not been able to even get the VA to provide medical care for the diseases our government has caused. Do not be so juvenile to believe that Americans whom were sprayed are being treated better than the unfortunate Vietnamese. The United States government doesn’t care much about any human beings, regardless if they are our own citizens or not.