Agent Orange
2.6 million veterans served in and around Vietnam. Over 11 million gallons of herbicide were sprayed in and around Vietnam between 1965 and 1975.
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An article posted in July of 2006 demonstrates an even deeper relationship between defoliants used in Vietnam and the same toxic chemicals being used in certain areas of the United States. For those American soldiers who find themselves in this double whammy nightmare this essay is definitely worth reading! Click anywhere in this box to access it. |
Agent Orange was an herbicide used in Vietnam to defoliate trees and remove cover for the enemy. Agent Orange spraying missions were flown in Vietnam between January 1965 and April 1970. Shipped in orange-striped barrels, it was a reddish-brown liquid containing four chemicals: 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T), 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), cacodylic acid and picloram. The 2,4,5-T was contaminated in the manufacturing process with dioxin (ADDT). Several herbicides were sprayed in Vietnam at different times -- during different years as well as during different seasons because of the variety of vegetation and environmental conditions.
There are currently 10 diseases and symptoms classified by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) as being caused by Agent Orange only one of the 15 herbicides used in Vietnam, which they are paying service-connected compensation and medical coverage for. They are:
Chloracne
Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma
Soft tissue sarcoma
Hodgkin's Disease
Porphyria Cutanea Tarda
(PCT)
Multiple Myeloma
Respiratory cancers
The VA also recognizes the
following condition in the Children of Vietnam veterans, pending final
regulation: Spina bifida
There is also a potential link between Agent Orange and
Multiple Sclerosis.
Proof of exposure to Agent Orange is presumptive, meaning if you were there, you are considered to have been exposed. The most heavily sprayed areas are, in order, III Corps, I Corps, II Corps and IV Corps. If you were in those areas, as virtually all 3rd/5th Cavalry Troopers were, you were heavily exposed. Several of our brothers in arms have one or more of the diseases listed above and a few have even died from Agent Orange. See Map
There has been trial upon trial attempting to hold the chemical companies that produced these herbicides responsible; and a lot of legal wrangling and shady court decisions involved in defeating these attempts for the most part. A paltry $180 million dollars was granted to all veterans suffering the effects of Agent Orange under a Class Action Suit back in 1987 and as of 1992, all of the money has been distributed to those registered with the Class Action Suit. Unfortunately, the legal war is about over but the war within our bodies fighting the effects of these chemicals wages on.
ADDT, Dioxin, is in truth a chemical contamination made during the production of Agent Orange, and is the most deadly of the toxic brew that makes up Agent Orange. Somehow the chemical companies were able to exclude this constituent from testing and litigation.
Whether or not you have
any of the above diseases, you need to go to your local VA facility and be seen
to get placed on the Agent Orange Registry. They will be able to examine you and
determine if you have any of the 10 diseases linked to Agent Orange.
In my, albeit little experience, the VA doctors have changed their attitude
regarding Vietnam Veterans. They want to welcome us to their facility and do
their best to ensure we get the treatment we have earned and deserved and not
received for the past thirty-odd years.
The following links are provided to assist you in obtaining more information about Agent Orange and its'
effects on us and the world should you want it:
The
Agent Orange Website
Dioxin Kills
Department of Veterans Affairs Agent Orange Website
Agent Orange - The Legacy of Vietnam
Gary's
Agent Orange Page
Vietnam Veterans of
America - Agent Orange Page
Please don't
put off getting on the Agent Orange Registry at the VA. They may be able to
catch a potentially life threatening disease before it kills you, and then
another American Veteran will have lost their life to that ugly war.