What were the effects of Agent Orange in American troops? How did it affect their children? Why was Agent Orange used if the government knew that it was not safe?
Agent Orange caused turmoil and diseases for veterans of the Vietnam War. It was a horrible weapon used which also affected the families of the veterans. The government caused pain and suffering for over million people in Vietnam and Americans for the usage of Agent Orange. During the Vietnam War, specifically 1961-1972, approximately 19 million gallons of Agent Orange was sprayed on over 4.5 million acres of land. (1) Agent Orange affected the lives of American troops and the Vietnamese. Soldiers who came back from the war often suffered effects of Agent Orange years later. Over 400,000 people died from the powerful toxic chemicals. Agent Orange was a mixture of herbicides and defoliants. The military sprayed the land in Vietnam killing all plant life and contaminating the water. The effects of Agent Orange caused many medical problems varying from cancers, birth defects in future generations of children, and other illnesses. (2) During the 80’s, a class action suit was filed against the manufacturer fighting for compensation for troops affected by Agent Orange. (3) Years later, 180 million dollars was awarded to veterans and family members. By 1991 a formal act called the Agent Orange Act was enacted; it allowed veterans exposed to the chemical to receive compensation for recognized illness caused by Agent Orange. The range of illnesses recognized in 1991 were type II diabetes, Hodgkin’s disease, soft- tissue sarcoma, peripheral neuropathy, spina bifida in children of veterans, various forms of cancer, respiratory cases and added to the list in 2010 were B-cell leukemia, Parkinson’s disease and Ischemic heart disease. Since then there have been over 500 claims to defects of Agent Orange.
Many of the children who suffered birth defects mainly have mental diseases, nearly 4 to 6 percent of children from veterans had defects. (4) Families struggled to deal with the aftermath of Agent Orange. In this quote a mother struggles with her sons defects: “I lost my husband from a cancerous brain tumor thirteen months ago. My son has many disabilities, including tourette’s syndrome, mental retardation, mild cerebral palsy, hydrocephalus, and he is profoundly deaf. He will never be able to live on his own." (5) In severe cases like this one children were vegetables trapped in mutated bodies.
Before Agent Orange was used in Vietnam it was tested on plants and animals. Even a small amount killed all life. And this chemical was indirectly sprayed on humans and food they ate. The government made a huge mistake by allowing this type of chemical warfare. By the time the government realized their mistake they covered any traces of testing. In America the chemicals were diluted with water however, in Vietnam the chemical was concentrated causing more harmful effects to troops and residence.
Footnotes:
[1] Gough, Micheal. Dioxin, agent orange: the facts. New York: Plenum Press, 1986.
[2] Veterans and Agent Orange health effects of herbicides used in Vietnam. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press, 1994.
[3] Schuck, Peterh.. Agent Orange on trial: mass toxic disasters in the courts. Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1968.
[4] "The VVA Verteran: Agent Orange & Birth Defects." The VVA Veteran: Agent Orange &Birthdefects. http://www.wa.org/veteran/1207/agent_orange_feature.html (accessed April 14,2014)
[5] "The Story of Agent ORange." The Stoy of Agent Orange. http://www.11thcaynam.com/com/mail/story_of_agent_orange.htm (accessed April 14, 2014).
By Valerie Laslo
Agent Orange caused turmoil and diseases for veterans of the Vietnam War. It was a horrible weapon used which also affected the families of the veterans. The government caused pain and suffering for over million people in Vietnam and Americans for the usage of Agent Orange. During the Vietnam War, specifically 1961-1972, approximately 19 million gallons of Agent Orange was sprayed on over 4.5 million acres of land. (1) Agent Orange affected the lives of American troops and the Vietnamese. Soldiers who came back from the war often suffered effects of Agent Orange years later. Over 400,000 people died from the powerful toxic chemicals. Agent Orange was a mixture of herbicides and defoliants. The military sprayed the land in Vietnam killing all plant life and contaminating the water. The effects of Agent Orange caused many medical problems varying from cancers, birth defects in future generations of children, and other illnesses. (2) During the 80’s, a class action suit was filed against the manufacturer fighting for compensation for troops affected by Agent Orange. (3) Years later, 180 million dollars was awarded to veterans and family members. By 1991 a formal act called the Agent Orange Act was enacted; it allowed veterans exposed to the chemical to receive compensation for recognized illness caused by Agent Orange. The range of illnesses recognized in 1991 were type II diabetes, Hodgkin’s disease, soft- tissue sarcoma, peripheral neuropathy, spina bifida in children of veterans, various forms of cancer, respiratory cases and added to the list in 2010 were B-cell leukemia, Parkinson’s disease and Ischemic heart disease. Since then there have been over 500 claims to defects of Agent Orange.
Many of the children who suffered birth defects mainly have mental diseases, nearly 4 to 6 percent of children from veterans had defects. (4) Families struggled to deal with the aftermath of Agent Orange. In this quote a mother struggles with her sons defects: “I lost my husband from a cancerous brain tumor thirteen months ago. My son has many disabilities, including tourette’s syndrome, mental retardation, mild cerebral palsy, hydrocephalus, and he is profoundly deaf. He will never be able to live on his own." (5) In severe cases like this one children were vegetables trapped in mutated bodies.
Before Agent Orange was used in Vietnam it was tested on plants and animals. Even a small amount killed all life. And this chemical was indirectly sprayed on humans and food they ate. The government made a huge mistake by allowing this type of chemical warfare. By the time the government realized their mistake they covered any traces of testing. In America the chemicals were diluted with water however, in Vietnam the chemical was concentrated causing more harmful effects to troops and residence.
Footnotes:
[1] Gough, Micheal. Dioxin, agent orange: the facts. New York: Plenum Press, 1986.
[2] Veterans and Agent Orange health effects of herbicides used in Vietnam. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press, 1994.
[3] Schuck, Peterh.. Agent Orange on trial: mass toxic disasters in the courts. Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1968.
[4] "The VVA Verteran: Agent Orange & Birth Defects." The VVA Veteran: Agent Orange &Birthdefects. http://www.wa.org/veteran/1207/agent_orange_feature.html (accessed April 14,2014)
[5] "The Story of Agent ORange." The Stoy of Agent Orange. http://www.11thcaynam.com/com/mail/story_of_agent_orange.htm (accessed April 14, 2014).
By Valerie Laslo