The Impact of Agent Orange
By Sharon Louise Moore
Agent Orange greatly affected Vietnam. It devastated the environment and caused serious health issues for many, both Vietnamese and Americans, who came into contact with it. To understand this requires both definition and context.
Agent Orange is a chemical that consists of a herbicide mixture of 2, 4-D and 2,4,5-T-D. From 1962 through 1971, the United States and its allies sprayed it over most of southern and central Vietnam. This resulted from Operation Ranch Hand, initiated by President John F. Kennedy to defoliate Vietnam in order to locate communist insurgents. Dow Chemical Company manufactured the chemical mixture for military application in Vietnam. Between 18 to 20 million gallons of Agent Orange were sprayed by the American military over Vietnamese fields, rainforests and wetlands. Mihai Andre, a news reporter from ZME Science describes the ongoing effects of Agent Orange and the attempts to recover from them. Agent Orange did not just seep into the soil and destroy Vietnam’s trees. It also contaminated water systems, destroyed many crops and other food supplies.
Agent Orange additionally affected Vietnamese people, Vietnam veterans and their families. Many Vietnamese adults and veterans die from exposure to Agent Orange. Those who survived the war developed cancer, parkinson disease, and diabetes. Many children whose father’s served in Vietnam endured serious birth defects such as Spina Bifida, stillborn and Neural Tube Defects. In his oral history interview, Vietnam War veteran Hank Deterring talks about being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. He states that “Five years ago, I noticed my hand would shake and my handwriting was different. I talked with friends who suggested I see a doctor at the VA, where they diagnosed me with Parkinson.” Others shared Dettering’s experience. Veteran John Morris recalled “we were told that it was not harmful to humans. You can’t get sick from it. They lied, men were getting sick and dying from Agent Orange.”
Research on Agent Orange began in earnest only in the 1980s. The Department of Veteran Affairs identifies some of the cancers veterans developed from their exposure to Agent Orange. The American Chemical Society (ACS) confirms the impact on both humans and the environment. It asserts that Agent Orange affected 4 million people, both Vietnamese and Americans.
While the Vietnam War becomes increasingly distant, the effects of Agent Orange endure. This serves an urgent lesson to today’s leaders about the impact of chemicals on humans and the environment.