Agent Orange In Vietnam

In 1965, the United States entered into the Vietnam War. Millions of US troops were deployed during this campaign, many of whom were tasked with carrying out Operation Ranch Hand. This operation was a large scale attempt to clear out the Vietnamese forests which were difficult for American troops to move through and which provided the Viet Cong with ample cover. Gallons upon gallons of the defoliant Agent Orange were used to rid the land of the thick trees populating these forests. After the war, it was discovered that Agent Orange caused life-threatening illnesses in the soldiers who handled it, and the Vietnamese who lived in the affected jungles.
Agent Orange is a defoliant, a chemical which is specifically designed to kill plants. This …show more content…
Such as in the case of the Vietnamese who still live near contaminated water and soil once doused in Agent Orange as shown below, have a higher rate of birth defects than normal. These include cleft palate, spina bifida, Williams’ Disease and many more. Plenty of soldiers who worked with Agent Orange came back only to be diagnosed with prostate cancer or a litany of other diseases including Hodgkin's Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, and soft tissue sarcomas, all of which are linked to Agent Orange. In the lab, TCDD raises the likelihood of developing tumors, solidifying the claim that Agent Orange is linked to …show more content…
Had it not been used, the adverse effects of dioxin may not have been discovered so soon. Many more could have been affected by this harmful toxin. Especially considering that it can be created when making paper. Problems with these Its use also rose concerns regarding the treatment of veterans and the role the government played in giving help to former soldiers. Compensation programs were started to help Vietnam veterans who had developed a disease because of Agent Orange or because of other chemicals used while in service of the