Whitted1

Chemistry
5/5/14

Ogden11

Writeanessayonthehistory,development,chemistry,andusageofAgentOrangein
theVietnamWar.

AgentofDestruction

Significantconsequencesaresurfacedfromwartime,asprominentlydisplayed
bythedefoliatingchemicalnamedAgentOrange.CreatedforuseintheVietnamwar,
theUnitedStateslaunchedacampaignaimingtodefoliatethousandsofacresof
vietnamesesoilinordertodestroyjunglecoverusedbyenemytroops.Inadditionto
destroyingcountlessamountsofplantsandwildlife,itcausedserioushealthissuesfor
thoseexposedtoit.Thechemicalisassociatedwithanythingfromrashestofatal
diseasessuchascancerandleukemia(AgentOrangeControversy).Iftheoutcomeof
thisdeadlychemicalarenotalreadyclear,thedefoliatorisresponsiblefor400,000
confirmeddeaths,andalmost6timesasmanydiseasesrelatedtothechemicalalarge
radiusofdeathanddestruction.
Thechemicalsolutionitselfiscreatedbya50/50mixtureof2pesticides,aswell
asitsmosttoxicingredient:Dioxin.Thisparticularchemicalwastheprimarycauseof
healthissues,asitwasupto55timesastoxicasregularagriculturalpesticides(Dioxin
inVietnam).DuetothepersistentnatureofDioxin,therearemanyplaceswhereitstill
resides(i.e.deepinsediments,rivers,orundersoil).Soashardasitistobelieve,
AgentOrangeisstillgeneratingahealthproblemafter40yearsofitsdiscontinuation.
InordertodisplaythelargescaledefoliatingeffortsbytheUnitedStates,there
areunbelievablestatisticsassociatedwiththedifferentpesticides.Inonedecade,the
USwasabletospray20milliongallonsofassortedpesticidesacrossSouthVietnam
andsurroundingareas,leavingatrailoflonglastingdestruction(LethalSecretAgent).
Thisoperation(calledOperationRanchHandbytheUS)wasthedistributerof95%of
pesticidesacrosstheSouthernVietnamareaduringthewar(OperationRanchHand).
DuetothesevereeffectsthatthispesticidehadonVietnameseandeven
Americantroopswhowereexposedtoit,Americanarmyveteransarenowgranted
benefitsduetodisabilitiesorhealthissuesgainedfromexposure.However,the
conditionsareveryspecific.ThesoldiermusthaveservedbetweenJanuary9th,1962
andMay7th1975,andmusthavevisitedtheshoreoroperatedonaninlandwaterway
ship(CompensationEligibility).Andthemostimportantpartisthatthediseasehas
beenproventobelinkedtooneofthepesticidesusedduringVietnam.Ifaveteranhas

aclaimthatthediseaseexperiencedislinkedtopesticideexposure,therehastobe
evidence
Ogden12

thatmakestheclaimvalid.Thisisaveryunfortunateprocessforthousandsofarmy
veterans,asmanyofthemarenotcompensatedanythingdespitethefactthatthey
possessaserious,andpotentiallyfatalillness.
WhatcanbetakenfromthisisthattheUnitedStatesgovernmentandmilitaryis
forthemostpart,selfish.Theyhaveonethinginmindwhenitcomestowartimeand
thatistobeattheenemyatallcosts.Thecompaniesthatproducedthechemicalssuch
asdioxinclaimedthattheyhadnoideahowpowerfulthechemicalwas(AboutDioxin).
Thishorriblechemicalsolutionwasnothingmorethanabyproductofthegovernments
selfishdesires,anditendedupcostingundeserving,bravewarveteranseithertheirlife,
ortheirhealthastheystrugglethroughapainfulrestoftheirlifefromAgentOrange
exposure.

Bibliography:

1."AgentOrange."
History.com
.A&ETelevisionNetworks.10May2014.

2.Joseph,Janice."History:AgentOrange/DioxininVietnam."
TheAspenInstitute
.11
May2014.

3."WhyAgentOrange?"
America'sMostLethalSecretAgent?
AgentOrangeRecord.
10May2014.

4.Buckingham,WilliamA.,Jr."OperationsRanchHand."
OperationsRanchHandand
TrailDust
.RanchHandVietnam.10May2014.
.