United States using Agent Orange during the Vietnam War, and

Aftermath

Nicholas Garza
History 1700: American Civilization
April 24, 2016

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During the Vietnam War, U.S government introduced an herbicide known as Agent
Orange; to remove dense bushes and trees, this was also sprayed upon soldiers from both sides;
on the field. When the war ended, reports of veterans having increase rates of cancer, their
children born with deformities, even worse death. U.S government usage of Agent Orange,
created a disaster and poisoning of Vietnam veterans, that they should be held responsible and
liable for their actions.
In 1969, the United States spread Agent Orange across Vietnam, on to the jungles;
airborne1, by boats as well, hopes of it being everywhere and can be in different parts of the
country easier. Soldiers missions by the U.S Government, were to be in charge of these
chemicals; being given gallons of Agent Orange to be poured in different sections and provinces
of Vietnam, a document of the missions that United state soldiers were given, was released after
the war in 19842. This explains how much the United States government overused, and
recklessly sprayed Agent Orange in their war efforts, expecting the foliage to deteriorate quicker
with large quantities.
Also, what came together from the transportation of Agent Orange3, and the assignments
given to different squads for each province of the country4, not one soldier were informed of

1 Spraying Agent Orange. Mekong Delta near Can Tho Defoliation Mission 336th
Avn.Co. Stationed at Can Tho. (Bryan Grigsby Collection. The Vietnam Center and
Archive, Texas Tech University. 1969.)
2 Herbicide Missions of Vietnam War. (Agent Orange Study Commission, ca. 1984.
Illinois State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State.)
3 Spraying Agent Orange Bryan Grigsby Collection.
4 Herbicide Missions of Vietnam War.

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what the herbicide actually did, if what theyve been exposed to is not going to affect them. But,
it also gives the public barely any information of what they were spraying during the war,
making it were the U.S withheld information to the public, and their soldiers.
When the Vietnam war came to an end rises of reports came from veterans that were
seeking claims for disability were studied, and diseases that theyve received after the war was
linked to Agent Orange; which was widely spread in Vietnam. With accounts of veterans facing
not only the public after the war, but facing another war against ravaging diseases it created
issues where the first blame was to be on the U.S government; but the government didnt accept
this responsibility but, placed it on the fault of the manufactures; Dow chemicals.
A cartoon from 1984 shows a Dow executive put on trial in the United States, for Agent
Orange being manufactured, but they refused to take responsibility for the rise of health issues
among Vietnam veterans5. Not only did United States government knew about the chemical
harming humans, but they were told of this from the manufactures, yet the U.S used Agent
Orange for chemical warfare, and refuse to accept the responsibility once countless Vietnam
Veterans reported their illnesses and their distraught. The U.S seemed quick to put the fault on a
person or group, when theres a serious issues raised in their own country.
Although, the soldiers that have handled these chemicals, during the war were told that
they werent going to be harmed by it, leaving them exposed continuously with barrels of
herbicide, and loaded onto helicopters6, and boats. Yet, the only ones that knew of the chemicals
impact to humans was the United States themselves, but they required Agent Orange to be used
5 Dow Chemical Executive on Trial. (Agent Orange Study Commission, ca. Illinois
State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State. 1984.)
6 Spraying Agent Orange (Bryan Grigsby Collection.)

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for warfare; not considering these consequences and the morality of impacting their own
soldiers health, when the U.S governments mission was to win the war.
While the struggle of veterans across the county trying to find treatment. Linda Gonzales
who is a wife to a Vietnam veteran; that was exposed to Agent Orange spoken out to the Chicago
tribune newspaper, in 19847 addressing her outrage of their return home from war; with not only
a serious skin condition from Agent Orange, but have liver, stomach, and lung cancer. Veterans
children being born with deformed limbs, or death. Linda says These Agent Orange children
are not veterans of the Vietnam War, but they certainly are its victims8. Also, the outrage of
veterans seeking medicine to treat their disease, but given the wrong medicine for them to treat
by professional doctors.
Proving a disaster for U.S to use Agent Orange for warfare, and the people of the United
States want justice, and for them to take the responsibility to allow such a chemical to destroy the
lives of veterans, that the herbicide has failed in its use during the war. It creates an issue that for
the U.S government that if they did take the responsibility they would be looked down upon by
other countries yet, they seem to care about their reputation from other countries than their own
people; when they report their illness that came from the U.S introducing Agent Orange.
Not only did the veterans, and families dealt with these consequences from the U.S. The
Veterans Administration had struggled to provide all disability claims the Veterans filed. In 1984
this cartoon, it explains how the Veterans Administration dealt with all the rising claims, and

7 Gonzales, Linda. "Voice of the People: Victims of Agent Orange. (Chicago Tribune,
19 June.1984.)
8 IBID.

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seemed to respond to the Vietnam Veterans9. This explained how quick and unprepared they were
once health issues among Veterans increased, as if they were never told of the harm that a
chemical entering the war had an impact on humans.
But, this came from a perspective of U.S citizens that were outraged of the Veterans
Administration being slow to give these disability claims to their Veterans being affected by
Agent Orange, following blame on them for not helping the soldiers after the war. Very similar to
when the public outrage rose against the U.S government, where they were redirected not to
them but, to the manufactures, Dow chemical10. When you deal with a public outrage, the
government feared to pay for their actions and repercussions and told them it wasnt them.
These cartoons, the Dow executive11, and the veterans Administration12, came from the
perspective of a public that saw the unmoral treatment and damages to their Veterans that they
were seeking to find out who should be held liable, and the paying for the Veterans medical bills.
What created the difference amongst the two, is the fact that they were putting pressure on each
different groups; Dow chemicals, the V.A, and the Unites States Government, but the public
again were told it wasnt the U.S governments fault; it was the others. Making it the U.S couldnt
handle the protest and voices of their citizens speaking for assistance in their veterans.

9 "Inner Organs 'Nuked by Agent Orange? We're Studying on it, What More do You
Want?" (Agent Orange Study Commission, ca. 1984. Illinois State Archives, Office of
the Secretary of State.)
10 Dow Chemical Executive on Trial.
11 IBID.
12 "Inner Organs 'Nuked by Agent Orange? We're Studying on it, What More do You
Want?"

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A diary from a former Vietnam Veteran in 1988, who is exposed to Agent Orange, David
Willson, explains the pain, and having respiratory cancer he had received after the war, talks
about from trying to file for disability claims to the V.A and seeing other veterans struggle to get
the money to pay for their medical bills, and himself included13. Further on, he gives a
perspective of the Veterans Administration by saying How much faith can I place in an agency
that gets my name and address wrong, when the information I provided them was correct?14
That the Administration had struggled with the constant claims from many Veterans; in
hopes to be covered for their illnesses from that chemical. Willson, saw the veterans crying in
tears, being frustrated when theyve needed to find documentation of marriage records, and
divorce records from the records center. Giving an insight on how much impact it had on
veterans were they were fighting to stay alive. This put much pressure not only on veterans, but
their wives, or family members, just like Linda Gonzales15.
Despite all of these view and, experience the victims of Agent Orange has seen, its still being
debated as well if Agent Orange, affected the future of Veterans children being born with defects.
In 1992, from Eric T, and Dean Jr. written in their book, that Despite a great deal of angry
rhetoric and a class action lawsuit settled for $180 million, it is still unclear if Agent Orange
really damaged Vietnam veterans. The Centers for Disease Control have concluded that children
born to Vietnam Veterans are not suffering from birth defects attributable to Agent Orange.16
13 Willson, David. REMF Diary (Seattle; Black Heron Press, 1988.) Ch 1. 4.
14 IBID, 3
15 Gonzales, Linda. "Voice of the People: Victims of Agent Orange.
16 , Eric. Jr. Dean. The Myth of the Troubled and Scorned Vietnam Veteran.
(Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992). 67.

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Its a coincidence that once the U.S government used Agent Orange, which was sprayed in large
quantities17 from helicopters18, handled by U.S soldiers, and sprayed not only on jungles and both
soldiers from each side, start to report their illnesses, and their crisis after the war. Which soon to
be, that their diseases was link to Agent Orange. You had the public outraged being told from the
U.S government it wasnt their fault; it was the Manufactures, it was the administration for being
slow to give disability claim to the veterans exposed to Agent Orange, and thats being an angry
rhetoric
But, to have the Disease control to conclude, in their book; theres no link to children deformities
and Agent Orange among the Veterans, doesnt dismiss the viewing of what Gonzales has spoken
about in the Chicago Tribune19, and she has saw from returning veterans after the war, that David
Willson seeing veterans struggling to find information for the V.A20 but, to later find out their
children will be born with defects. It seems this book showed a one-sided view on these issues
and sounded like it wasnt an issue to be actually concerned about.
The United States involving chemicals into warfare, has proven to be a disaster in history,
putting not only the danger of environmental concerns and damages, but to slowly poison your
own soldiers, and once health issues rise among the returning Vietnam veterans after the war.
The U.S government refuse to accept their responsibility, to not pay for the aftermath theyve
caused and how they should deal with the public. Theyve created distrust among the veterans,

17 Herbicide Missions of Vietnam War.

18 Spraying Agent Orange Bryan Grigsby Collection.
19 Gonzales, Linda. "Voice of the People: Victims of Agent Orange.
20 Willson, David. REMF Diary, 4

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and also to the veterans administration thought, they were never told of this was going to happen
in the future of the post-war. Where does the U.S actually take responsibility and being held
liable for their own actions?
What to understand is that, the U.S didnt care what the chemical also did, and the usage
of heavy amounts of chemicals, not caring about the men below, but it had to assist them in their
objectives to win the war, and reduce casualties, and that had proved to be the opposite. Theyve
sprayed the chemical, and now they hide behind their own law, to not accept a morale stand point
as their fault, and yet they still attempt to help, but not say they were the cause of their own
actions.
The introduction of Agent Orange in the Vietnam War, lasting from 1962 and 1971 by the
United States, ruined the environment in Vietnam, ruined the lives of Vietnam Veterans after the
war, and refused to take responsibility for bringing such a chemical into warfare. Theyve put the
blame on the manufactures, to not deal with the public outrage. The public trying to find justice,
and to deal with the health issues theyve received. Who should be held responsible and liable
has to be on the United States government for the authorization of using this chemical, pouring it
over Vietnam and all humans below, and creating distrust between the public, the veterans, and
the government itself.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Primary Sources:
Gonzales, Linda. "Voice of the People: Victims of Agent Orange. Chicago Tribune 19
June.1984. (March 5, 2016)
http://www.usd116.org/profdev/ahtc/lessons/SteffenFel09/Voice%20of%20the%20People
%20-%20Victims%20of%20Agent%20Orange.pdf
Herbicide Missions of Vietnam War. Agent Orange Study Commission, ca. 1984.
State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State
http://www.usd116.org/profdev/ahtc/lessons/SteffenFel09/agentorangestats.JPG

Illinois

Dow Chemical Executive on Trial. Cartoon. Agent Orange Study Commission, ca. 1984.
Illinois State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State. (March 5, 2016)
http://www.usd116.org/profdev/ahtc/lessons/SteffenFel09/cartoon2.JPG
"Inner Organs 'Nuked by Agent Orange? We're Studying on it, What More do You Want?"
Cartoon. Agent Orange Study Commission, ca. 1984. Illinois State Archives, Office of
the Secretary of State. (March 5, 2016)
http://www.usd116.org/profdev/ahtc/lessons/SteffenFel09/cartoon1.JPG
Spraying Agent Orange. Mekong Delta near Can Tho Defoliation Mission 336th Avn. Co.
Stationed at Can Tho. Photograph. 26 July 1969, Bryan Grigsby
Collection, The Vietnam Center and Archive, Texas Tech
University. (March 5, 2016.)
http://www.vietnam.ttu.edu/virtualarchive/items.php?item=VA002930
Willson, David. REMF Diary Diary. Seattle; Black Heron Press, 1988. Ch.1. (March 6, 2016)
http://www.wlajournal.com/webcontent/webcontent.htm

Secondary Sources:

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T, Eric. Jr. Dean. The Myth of the Troubled and Scorned Vietnam Veteran. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, 1992 (March 5, 2016)