A mixture of 2,4,-t ( 2,4,5,- trichlorophenox acetic acid; 545.4 kg/m3) and 2,4,-D ( 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid; 485.1 kg/ m3), altogether weighing 1285 kg/m3; a herbicide; associated with the ( 2,4,5-T moiety is the impurity dioxin 2,3,7,8-tetra chlorodibenzo-p-dioxin).
   In other words Agent Orange was a 50-50 mix of two chemicals, known conventionally as 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T.  The combined product was mixed with kerosene or diesel fuel and dispersed by aircraft, vehicle, and hand spraying.  An estimated 19 million gallons of Agent Orange were used in south Vietnam during the war.  It got its code name from an orange stripe on the drums which it was stored in.  The purpose of the product was to deny an enemy cover and concealment in dense terrain.
   Agent Orange was a herbicide used in Vietnam to kill unwanted plants and to remove leaves from trees which otherwise provide cover for the enemy.  In the jungles of Vietnam destroying the vegetation helped  to protect American and allied troops from ambush and other undetected movements of the enemy.
   It destroys vegetation by defoliating trees and shrubbery.  The mixture contained plant hormone compounds which destroyed plants by interfering with their normal metabolism.  This was effective against dicotyledonous plants.
   After two to three weeks of spraying loss of foliage, flower and fruit occurred.
   Before the ending of spraying in 1971 more than 20 million gallons of herbicides were sprayed over 6 million acres, some of which were sprayed more than once.  Spraying occurred in all 4 military zones of Vietnam.
   It was sprayed in the inland forests near the demarcation zone; inland forests at the junction of the borders of Cambodia , Laos, and south Vietnam; inland forests north and northwest of Saigon; mangrove forests on the southernmost peninsula of Vietnam; and mangrove forests along major shipping channels southeast of Saigon.
   The effect of A-O on humans has been an area of intense debate for the past two decades.  It has now been thoroughly established that dioxin is a very potent person.  It can cause a wide range of organ and metabolic dysfunctions.  In laboratory animals dioxin has shown to be carcinogenic (causing cancer) and teratogenic (causing birth defects) and mutagenic (causing genetic damage).  I have listed a summary of reported Agent Oranges symptoms and effects at the end of this article. 
   In 1978, the veterans Administration, now known as the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), set up the Agent Orange Registry health examination program for the Vietnam Veterans who were concerned about the possible long-term medical effects of exposure to Agent Orange.
   No special Agent Orange tests are offered since there is no test to show if a veteran's medical problem was caused by Agent Orange or other herbicides used in Vietnam.
   Some veterans feel they are in good health but are worried that exposure to Agent Orange and other substances may have caused some hidden illness.
   VA pays disability compensation to Vietnam Veterans with injuries or illnesses incurred in or aggravated by their military service.  Veterans do not have to prove that Agent Orange caused their medical problems to be eligible for compensation.  Rather, VA must determine that the disability is " service-connected."
   The number of diseases that VA has recognized as associated with, but not necessarily caused  by, Agent Orange exposure has expanded considerably during the 1990's.  The following conditions are recognized for service -connection for these veterans chlorance (a skin disorder), Porphyria Cutanea Tarda, acute or sub acute peripheral neuropathy (a nerve disorder), and numerous cancers [non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, soft tissue sarcoma; Hodgkin's disease, multiple myetoma, prostate cancer, and respiratory cancer, including cancers of the lung, larynx, trachea, and  bronchus].  In addition, Vietnam veterans children with the birth defects spina  bifida are eligible for certain benefits and services.  Further more; VA has recently proposed that certain benefits, including healthcare  be authorized for children with birth defects who were born to women Vietnam veterans.  VA has also asked the IOM for a special review of the of the relationship between exposure to herbicides in Vietnam and the developement of diabetes. 
   Many other Federal departments and agencies have pursued and/ or are conducting scientific studies on this subject.  The centers of disease control/ and prevention (CDC), Air Force (USAF), National Institute for Occupational safety and healthy (NIOSH), National Cancer Institute (NCI), and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), have all been involved in research.
   In 1994, the CDC published an important study, partially funded by VA, regarding Vietnam Veterans risks of fathering babies with-birth defects.
   The IOM and its subcontractor are also considering the feasibility of developing a historical herbicide exposure reconstruction model that could be used in Agent Orange - related research efforts.
   San Francisco - Vietnam veterans suffering front diabetes and prostate cancer (news-websites) after being exposed to Agent Orange won a round Monday in their court  battle against the federal government.
   A federal appeals court ruled that the Department of veterans affairs (news-websites) must pay retroactive disability payments to thousands of Vietnam Vets.
   The payments must date to when veterans initially applied for benefits under a law that allowed them to do so beginning September 25, 1985.
   If a veteran believes that he or she has  been harmed by anything in their military experience, they have  the right to file a claim for treatment and compensation with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).  A claim can be at any time and there is never a charge to file a claim.
   How to file a claim: A claim can be filed at any VA office or medical center.  Many cities also have store front "Vet Centers" where claim may be filed.  It can also be done by mail, after requesting the appropriate forms from the VA facilities under " US Government."
   Agent Orange claims: An Agent Orange claim is filed the same as any other claim; essentially it is a claim for injury during service in the military.
   It is not necessary to discuss Agent Orange in the filling of the claim, and in fact, it can be detrimental.  As the veteran, all you must do is describe , to the best of your ability, the injury or disease.  This should be done in layman's terms; you are not a physician and should not attempt self-diagnosis.  The VA will accept the claim, and schedule the veteran.  At that time, the veteran should inform the physician that he was in Vietnam.  A "Agent Orange" tag should then be affixed to the veterans file.
   If you have seen a private physician, medical reports can and should be included with the claim.  There is no value , however, in a physician's opinion that the disease was caused by Agent Orange.  Quite simply put, most physicians are not qualified to make this assessment unless they are a researcher.  Many veterans think that a letter from their doctor stating that the physician thinks this was.
   If you have a health problem from military service: File the claim!!  Laws change, and a condition that may not be compensable tomorrow.  The only way you can protect your rights is to file the claim.  VA claim are usually awarded back to date filing.  If you don't file, you forfeit your rights.

 

 

Alex Godfrey                                           

8th Grade   American History

Rossville Jr. High

Post-World War II America Project

May 2002              

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