Agent Orange 11 June 2012 The use of Agent Orange during the Vietnam War has had lasting effects on the citizens of Vietnam even today. Sali C. McDaniel

“Approximately 19 million gallons of herbicides, including Agent Orange, were applied by the U.S. Air Force to clear foliage in Vietnam during (Department of Defense)”

As part as Operation Ranch Hand, Agent Orange was used as a defoliant in Southeast Asia. It was used without the knowledge of its effects on human lives. This agent could kill and it effected many generations after the generation the was exposed to it. Because of the amount that was used then, today people are still affected. There are still traces of Agent Orange in fish, air, water, and land in Vietnam.

“Over many years, Vietnam veterans who began to get sick, have birth defected children and often died…(Cline)”

Agent Orange is commonly deemed responsible for birth deformations and defects throughout Vietnam. Those severely affected by this chemical can not function as an unaffected human may. The most common deformities caused by Agent Orange in Vietnam are clef palates, mental disabilities, extra fingers and toes, missing limbs, no eyes or noses and the inability to walk. There are approximately 150,000 children in Vietnam with disabilities from Agent Orange.

"564,000 people, 15,451 are suffering from the effects of toxic chemicals - 8,325 who were directly exposed, 6,881 of their children who suffer from birth defects and 245 grandchildren.(Alexander)”

The affects of Agent Orange has now traveled through generations. It will take at least the great grandchildren if not the great-great grandchildren to stop the birth defects of the original victims. 245 seems like a small number but that’s only coming from the 15,451 orginally sprayed, that’s a lot to go through 3 generations and the suffering isn’t over.

" Hoang Van Thong, vice chairman of the provincial Committee for Protection and Care of Children, says most families cannot afford specialized treatment for children with birth defects and that some youngsters may even be allowed to die as a result of the burden. (Alexander)”

Children that are affected that cannot afford medical treatment are basically left to fend for themselves. To keep in thought that this is the 21 st century, it is amazing that no one has tried to come out to the world that this is a problem that needs to be fixed. This is a big in Vietnam as cancer is in this country.

Rain has carried off many of the dioxins from the ends of an airstrip into the village of Dong Son. In result of this, many people in that village have birth defects due to the Agent Orange. 272 of 1078 people (a little over ¼) in Dong Son have been disabled (Alexander).

Since Vietnam is a country that gets a lot of rain, much of the chemical that is left is transported throughout. This makes the chemical even more effective to the people even more than it should have been. No one really expected that this chemical meant for defoiliating jungles would effect Vietnam so much in the long run.

Since more and more time has passed from the last time Agent Orange was used, the toxins in the ground and air are slowly disappearing. There have been less and less children being born with birth defects than in the 70s and 80s. There are still some local areas where people are warned that the fish may still be infected and not safe to eat (Alexander).

Agent Orange is a toxin that will only disappear slowly. With time less and less people will be affected by the toxins from Agent Orange. The people of Vietnam may never be the same but they are still people. No one knows what will happen with the society of this country due to the affects of Agent Orange, only time can take its course and we will know what happens when it happens.

The United States and Vietnamese government have been talking about working together to find all the effects of Agent Orange since both countries were involved with the dioxin. As of now there is only funding from the government and international funding from the Vietnamese Red Cross (Alexander).

It is somewhat pitiful that the United States and Vietnam have taken this long to step up and see what the effects of Agent Orange are. It has been more than 50 years since the chemical was used and they are just now trying to see what it does to the human body and if it was actually a bad ithing to do.

Even today, there are still many hot spots for Agent Orange; most are found around former U.S. airports.

Not many people realize the effects Argent Orange still has in Vietnam and even in the United States. If it is going to be fixed more people should know about it and take some form of action.

W ORKS CITED Cline, David. "Newsletter NO.1 November 24, 2006." VN Agent Orange. N.p., 24 Nov Web. 7 June "Military." Operation Trail Dust / Ranch Hand. John Pike, 12 Mar Web. 7 June 2012 Paul, Alexander. "Agent Orange Effects Still Being Felt 25 Years after End of Vietnam War."Agent Orange Effects Still Being Felt 25 Years after End of Vietnam War. Associated Press, 23 Apr Web. 7 June 2012 Wade, Hamlin. "Make Agent Orange History." Agent Orange Effects Linger in Vietnam «. N.p., 1 Mar Web. 7 June "U.S. Air Force plane sprays herbicide in Vietnam." Image. Department of Defense. World History: The Modern Era. ABC-CLIO, Web. 6 June 2012.