Vietnam, Agent Orange

Vietnam is still with us. It has created doubts about American judgment, about American credibility, about American power--not only at home, but throughout the world. It has poisoned our domestic debate. So we paid an exorbitant price for the decisions that were made in good faith and for good purpose.
--Henry Kissinger in Stanley Karnow's Vietnam: A History

I have chosen here to include a list of newspaper articles in order to impact students upon the seriousness of Vietnam and the ill judgements made by the US government in its prolonged intervention in a war where we weren’t wanted or necessarily needed.

1962: US Military Employs Agent Orange
US Air Force begins using Agent Orange -- a defoliant that came in metal orange containers-to expose roads and trails used by Vietcong forces.

1974: Report Cites Damage to Vietnam Ecology
According to a report issued by The National Academy of Science, use of chemical herbicides during the war caused long-term damage to the ecology of Vietnam. Subsequent inquiries will focus on the connection between certain herbicides, particularly Agent Orange, and widespread reports of cancer, skin disease, and other disorders on the part of individuals exposed to them.

1976-80: US GAO Issues Report on Agent Orange
After years of Defense Department denials, the US General Accounting Office releases a report indicating that thousands of US troops were exposed to the herbicide Agent Orange. Thousands of veterans had demanded a government investigation into the effect that dioxin, a chemical found in Agent Orange, had on the human immune system.

1976-80: Dow Chemical Knowledge of Dioxin Revealed
Documents used as part of a lawsuit brought by 20,000 Vietnam veterans against several chemical companies reveal that Dow Chemical had full knowledge of the serious health risks posed by human exposure to dioxin, a chemical found in the herbicide Agent Orange. Evidence indicated that despite this information, Dow continued to sell herbicides to the US military for use in Vietnam.

1980-1990: Report Cites Damage to Vietnam Ecology
According to a report issued by The National Academy of Science, use of chemical herbicides during the war caused long-term damage to the ecology of Vietnam. Subsequent inquiries will focus on the connection between certain herbicides, particularly Agent Orange, and widespread reports of cancer, skin disease, and other disorders on the part of individuals exposed to them.

Problems Proved to be Associated with Agent Orange

·         chloracne

·         liver dysfunction

·         severe personality disorders

·         cancers

·         birth defects

Cancer:

·         tumors

·         liver

·         lung

·         testicular

·         ear duct

·         soft tissue sarcoma

·         non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL)

Cardiovascular:

·         elevated blood pressure

·         blood deficiency (anemia)

Endocrine:

·         enlarged male mammary glands (gynecomastia)

·         excessive milk flow from nipples (galactorrhea)

·         decreased sexual desire

·         difficulty maintaining an erection

Family:

·         child deaths

·         birth defects:

·         cleft palates

·         open eye

·         kidney abnormalities

·         enlarged liver

·         enlarged head

·         club foot

·         intestinal hemorrhage

·         missing or abnormal fingers, toes

·         missing or abnormal reproductive organs

·         missing, abnormal or displaced body parts

·         miscarriages

Gastrointestinal:

·         loss of appetite (anexoria)

·         nausea

·         vomiting

·         diarrhea

·         constipation

·         yellowing of eyes, skin and urine (jaundice)

·         liver inflammation (hepatitis)

·         vomiting blood (hematemesis)

·         abdominal pain

·         gastric hyperplasia

·         gastric ulcers

Genitourinary:

·         stones

·         burning

·         bloody urine (hematuria)

·         dribbling

·         brown urine

·         bladder discomfort

·         kidney pain

·         hearing loss

Metabolic:

·         fatigue

·         rapid weight loss

·         spontaneous fever

·         chills

Neurological:

·         tingling

·         numbness

·         dizziness

·         headaches

·         twitching, fidgeting, etc. (autonomic dyscontrol)

·         suspension of breath (sleep apnea)

·         incoordination

·         unnaturally drowsy (hypersomnolence)

·         loss of sensation in extremities

Psychiatric:

·         violent

·         irritable

·         angry

·         severe depression

·         suicide

·         frenzied (manic)

·         tremulous

·         memory loss

·         loss of concentration

·         severe personality changes

Respiratory:

·         difficult or painful breath (dyspnea)

·         shortness of breath

Skin:

·         chloracne

·         rash

·         increased sensitivity (heat)

·         increased sensitivity (sun)

·         altered skin color

·         loss of hair

·         brittle nails

·         porphyria cutanea tarda

Visual:

·         blurring

·         burning