Agent Orange was a powerful herbicide used by U. The U. Agent Orange, which contained the deadly chemical dioxin, was the most commonly used herbicide. It was later proven to cause serious health issues—including cancer, birth defects, rashes and severe psychological and neurological problems—among the Vietnamese people as well as among returning U. During the Vietnam War , the U. S military engaged in an aggressive program of chemical warfare codenamed Operation Ranch Hand. From to , the U.
During this process, crops and water sources used by the non-combatant native population of South Vietnam were also hit. In all, American forces used more than 20 million gallons of herbicides in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia during the years of Operation Ranch Hand. Herbicides were also sprayed from trucks and hand-sprayers around U. The various herbicides used during Operation Ranch Hand were referred to by the colored marks on the gallon drums in which the chemicals were shipped and stored.
In addition to Agent Orange, the U. Each of these—manufactured by Monsanto, Dow Chemical and other companies—had different chemical chemical additives in varying strengths. Agent Orange was the most widely used herbicide in Vietnam, and the most potent. More than 13 million gallons of Agent Orange was used in Vietnam, or almost two-thirds of the total amount of herbicides used during the entire Vietnam War. It was found in varying concentrations in all the different herbicides used in Vietnam.
Dioxins are also created from trash incineration; burning gas, oil and coal; cigarette smoking and in different manufacturing processes such as bleaching. Dioxin is a highly persistent chemical compound that lasts for many years in the environment, particularly in soil, lake and river sediments and in the food chain.
Dioxin accumulates in fatty tissue in the bodies of fish, birds and other animals. Most human exposure is through foods such as meats, poultry, dairy products, eggs, shellfish and fish. We call this having a presumption of exposure.
You have a presumption of exposure if you meet at least one of the service requirements listed below. Between January 9, , and May 7, , you must have served for any length of time in at least one of these locations:. Dates and locations of herbicide tests and storage outside Vietnam. Get your VA medical records online. These may include your DD or other separation documents.
Submit your dependency records. Request your military service records. We refer to this as retroactive payment. File a claim for disability compensation.
To learn more about this change in the law, and how it may affect you, download our:. Note: Please be ready to give us your name, email address, telephone number, and VA file number or Social Security number. This is a free health exam for Veterans who meet any of the above service requirements for presumption of contact. Contact your local VA environmental health coordinator. Learn more about the Agent Orange Registry health exam.
If you served in Vietnam or Thailand, or in or near the Korean DMZ—and your child has spina bifida or certain other birth defects—find out if your child qualifies for disability benefits. If you served during the Vietnam War, you may be at risk of certain health conditions. Learn about these conditions and what to do next to take care of your health.
Review and print documents from your official military personnel file including your DD Set up your personal health record. Heart problems. Son has undersized testicles and probably not be able to have children either. He also has asthma from an early age. I agree. My husband was a marine and in Viet Nam He passed away from lung cancer due to AO in Prior to his passing, he started the process for benefits — after his passing, his benefits were approved.
I am still able to receive monthly cash benefits and medical. I believe they need to look deeper into medical issues with children of all vets who served during that time.
Our sons both have chronic coughs and asthma. Our youngest son was born 22 years after my husbands exposure and his health issues are just as bad as oldest son who was born in 15 yrs after exposure. These men and women went above and beyond to serve our country. The least we can do is support their plight and push congress to speed up the process People who are waiting years is so unfair.
We did the process ourselves as when we met the VA rep he was very negative and discouraging almost purposely to frustrate us to give up. I did all the research and we filled out forms, filed them ourselves and called directly to follow up. File online and make sure you have all supporting documents when you submit. My husbands claim took less than 6 months from the time he initially filed. My father passed away in from lung cancer that was caused by Agent Orange.
I have had a total hysterectomy due to ovarian cancer. I agree that they need to recognize issue the children of the vets face. To date I have not been able to find information on what effect AO has on Women. It is very interesting to me all 3 of these women have not been able to bear children.
One of them have had breast cancer with no family histoy. Another one has had cancerous tumors removed. Thank You for your time and service. My dad has ao, just diagnosed with cancer. My sister and I both had reproductive issues and had to have hysterectomy. Wishing they would recognize children with other health issues. I am 36 years old and my father served in vietnam. He died in when I was 7 due to cancer.
I have had reproductive issues. I lost 2 babies before conceiving my oldest who just turned 6. When my youngest was 3 months old I had to have a hysterectomy.
I truly feel you should be covered for your losses.. This was so bad for so many and still effects many still today.. My dad and uncle were there in and my uncle died 4 years ago from AO I hope my aunt see this and gets what she has coming to her as I know the VA was taking care of him but not sure to how much.
So sorry for all you have gone through. Coincidence or consequence of Ft. I just filed for medical bennies again last Saturday……will probably be turned down yet again. In regards to the time limitations of Neuropathy, what happens when you were not aware you were exposed to Agent Orange until much later in your life? I have other symptoms such as diabetes and non hodgkins lymphoma until You CAN be service connected for neurapathy in lower extremeties years after Vietnam. If those exact words are used, the dr has to say yes.
If the dr says yes, VA must error on the side of the veteran. My husband got it, you can too. Get help from state VA offices. Please help. Reply to Email: Begleyra gmail. Any help is much appreciated. Will you give more info on Dr Erickson Does he have a website. Dear Dr. Erickson, Thank you for your service.
My husband is a combat Vietnam Veteran. He was in Dong Ha and Quang Tri. Thanks to your research and writings he feels comfort knowing Agent Orange sicknesses are real. Thanks again for caring for the Vietnam Veterans. Sincerely, Jackie Stewart. A Year and a Half, jeffrey jones?
They sprayed the surrounding area as well as other places. Your state will usually have a list of VA advocates, any of which can help you file a claim.
I was stationed at Camp Ranger outside Bien Hoa Pulled many ambushes at the end of the air base runway. I developed Diabetes ll in and applied for diisability at that time. Despite carefully monitoring my Diabetes, it has progressed. I now have KIdney disease related to DMll. My claim is now being processed. I live in Maryland and my representitive is the Maryland Veterans Assistance. They will be able to work around the red tape inherent to any government program.
I have never had to wait more then 8 months for a claim to be processed. I was up north by the DMZ, as a Marine and you know we were all exposed to this stuff.
Nice sight to see, 3 in V formation. Thjis is the 4th time I am appying for Agent Orange. For no one mention the agent till just these past couple of year. If you are a Veteran in crisis or concerned about one, connect with our caring, qualified responders for confidential help. Many of them are Veterans themselves. Get more resources at VeteransCrisisLine. An official website of the U. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Looking for U. Visit USA. Talk to the Veterans Crisis Line now. Search for:. Agent Orange was a herbicide and defoliant used in Vietnam Agent Orange was a blend of tactical herbicides the U. Any Veteran who served anywhere in Vietnam during the war is presumed to have been exposed to Agent Orange. VA has linked several diseases and health conditions to Agent Orange exposure.
AL Amyloidosis A rare disease caused when an abnormal protein, amyloid, enters and collects tissues or organs Chronic B-cell Leukemias A type of cancer which affects a specific type of white blood cell Chloracne or similar acneform disease A skin condition that occurs soon after exposure to chemicals and looks like common forms of acne seen in teenagers.
Porphyria Cutanea Tarda A disorder characterized by liver dysfunction and by thinning and blistering of the skin in sun-exposed areas. Veterans who want to be considered for disability compensation must file a claim.
VA offers health care benefits for Veterans who may have been exposed to Agent Orange and other herbicides during military service.
VA recognizes and offers support for the children of Veterans affected by Agent Orange who have birth defects. Birth defects in children of women Veterans are associated with their military service in Vietnam but are not related to herbicide exposure.
Vietnam Veterans are not the only Veterans who may have been exposed to Agent Orange. VA continues to conduct research on the long-term health effects of Agent Orange in order to better care for all Veterans.
VA contracts with an independent, non-governmental organization to review the scientific and medical information on the health effects of Agent Orange. Next From Jurassic Park to Veteran therapy.
Kerry Underwood March 19, at pm. Lawrence J. Regan March 18, at am. Carol Fleshood March 17, at am. Tonya G March 17, at am. Jane March 16, at am. Joseph Dougan March 14, at pm. Wayn Watson March 14, at pm. Marty H Griffin March 14, at pm. Should have read settled case in Filed in June Rob Angle March 13, at pm. Brenda Gilpin March 13, at pm.
Joanne Hummer March 13, at pm. Sabrina Carey March 13, at pm. My father died from amlyodosis. Is my mother eligible for compensation? JC Carmody March 13, at pm. Rose little March 13, at pm. William Eggers March 13, at pm. Timothy Discher March 13, at pm. Randall Patterson March 13, at pm. And when dioxin seeps into soil, its half-life increases significantly [source: Dioxin Facts ]. After being poisoned, Yushchenko's appearance changed dramatically.
His once youthful face became pockmarked, scarred and shaded an eerie green-grey. He had terrible pain in his torso, in part because of lesions that contributed to his facial scarring. It's amazing that he even survived. His blood-dioxin levels were 6, times above normal, the second highest number recorded in a human being [source: CBC News ]. He has recovered, and some of the scarring on his face has receded, but some dioxin will likely continue to be in his body for several years.
Agent Pink and Agent Purple, millions of gallons of which were sprayed in Vietnam, were possibly more deadly than Agent Orange. Agent Purple had more than three times the dioxin content of Agent Orange [source: Wright]. There is a lot of controversy and debate about the actual health effects of Agent Orange. The Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences claimed that an "association" exists between Agent Orange and some types of cancer.
Some, such as the chemical companies facing lawsuits, argue that there's no way to judge definitively whether a health problem has been caused by Agent Orange or the dioxins it contains [source: Glaberson ]. But areas in Vietnam where Agent Orange was used showed and continue to show a high rate of certain diseases, birth defects and cancers.
Some Vietnamese who came into direct contact with Agent Orange quickly developed skin irritations that turned into lesions and tumors. Others attribute their cancers and multiple miscarriages to living in areas sprayed with the herbicide [source: Glaberson ]. The massive number of sick Vietnam veterans, especially those who handled Agent Orange, and Vietnamese civilians has all but eliminated any other possible cause.
In addition, many Vietnamese have very high quantities of dioxin in their blood , up to times above normal levels [source: Hitchens ]. That substance's toxicity is not disputed. In , the Veterans Administration set up a program to deal with veterans exposed to Agent Orange. The VA claims to have conducted health exams on , veterans [source: Veterans Administration ]. Because of the difficulties involved in testing for Agent Orange-caused illnesses, the "VA makes a presumption of Agent Orange exposure for Vietnam veterans" [source: Veterans Administration ].
Some veterans who served in Korea in and also were exposed to Agent Orange, though reportedly Korean soldiers did the spraying [source: Veterans Administration ]. These and other veterans who may have been exposed to toxic herbicides are eligible for health care from the VA.
The VA recognizes many of the aforementioned medical conditions as linked with Agent Orange exposure. Vets can receive health care and disability compensation for injuries or health problems related to serving in the military, including Agent Orange exposure.
The VA also provides medical care for children of Vietnam veterans whose health problems appear to be caused by Agent Orange numerous Vietnam War veterans have had children with birth defects apparently attributable to the father or mother's exposure to Agent Orange. To protect itself from claims of wrongdoing, the U. In lawsuits against the United States dealing with atomic testing and Agent Orange, the Supreme Court has upheld the legality of sovereign immunity.
The Tort Claims Act placed restrictions on sovereign immunity, but some loopholes have been carved out based on the wording of the law and subsequent Supreme Court decisions. The law protects against "discretionary" acts by the government, and the Supreme Court has ruled against plaintiffs in cases affecting military veterans [source: Taylor ]. Some lawsuits have accused chemical companies of war crimes for selling Agent Orange to the military.
These lawsuits generally claim that companies such as Dow, Monsanto, Hercules and Diamond Shamrock knew more than they revealed at the time about the dangers of the herbicide. In , a massive class-action lawsuit was settled in U.
Seven U. Other lawsuits have appeared after that major settlement. Some of these plaintiffs say that they missed out on the first class-action suit. Others say that they have a right to sue because more information is now available about the dangers of Agent Orange and dioxin.
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