Vietnam War Agent Orange Health Effects — A Treacherous Prize for the Veterans
May 14, 2010
During the Vietnam War, Americans used one of its most decisive and devastating herbicidal weapons in order to augment its forces in battlefields and cripple critical portions of the war zone favoring the enemy. An estimated 20 million gallons of herbicides were sprayed on the thick jungles of Southern Vietnam for the purpose of reducing the growth of plants and vegetations in the area thereby lessening the supply of food for the Viet Cong, and clearing areas sheltering the enemy.
Among the herbicides used during the war was the defoliant with code name Agent Orange. Though this action proved to be of great impact to the war in advancing American troops, veterans, their offspring and innocent civilians had to pay the prize years later. The Agent Orange Act of 1991 became the passport of war veterans towards their uncertainties about the long term effects of their exposure to the herbicide.
Herbicides used during the war were thought to cause no adverse effects to humans until studies showed that Agent Orange brought several terrible diseases to those exposed to the chemical. Effects of the herbicide include: several skin diseases, cancers, nerve disorders, Type 2 Diabetes, miscarriages among pregnant women, deformities among babies whose mothers were exposed, respiratory problems, and neurological disorder, among others. From a recent study conducted by the Institute of Medicine, ailments such as Ischemic Heart Disease, B-cell leukemia, and Parkinson’s disease arising in Vietnam veterans may be due to their exposure to the herbicide.
For many war veterans, the real struggle did not stop the day the war ended. Today, thousands of Vietnam veterans continue to seek shelter from the American government blaming their exposure to the herbicide as the root cause of the diseases they continue to battle as they age. Tens of thousands of American soldiers who served in Vietnam during the war have already claimed disabilities benefits from the government which the VA willing catered. Apart from those who served in Vietnam, military personnel involved in the transport, preparation and other forms of involvement in the project have also taken their share of the benefits.
Human agent orange effects of exposure are widespread and can be evidenced by the turnout of veterans claiming to have been infected with harmful conditions as a result of their participation in the events. Several measures have already been taken by the VA to determine the depth of the effects of Agent Orange exposure. The VA, in coordination with the Institute of Medicine, continues to conduct studies in connection to the effects of the chemical and create programs to help veterans as they struggle for their health.
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