How did Agent Orange affect veterans?

United States military personnel used Agent Orange to clear trees and vegetation in fields known to hide enemies. Unfortunately, Agent Orange exposure has led to long-term health effects in many Vietnam era veterans, including multiple myeloma, Parkinson’s Disease, and various types of cancer.

How did Agent Orange affect American soldiers?

Health Effects Associated with Agent Orange Exposure These same American soldiers began to experience a range of health problems due to Agent Orange exposure, some not for years or even decades. Some of the most common ill health effects include: AL amyloidosis. Birth defects in future children.

How were Vietnam veterans affected?

Although most veterans were not permanently damaged by the war, some 15 to 25 percent of Vietnam veterans (between 500,000 and 700,000) suffered from a stress-related impairment known as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a psychological disease brought on by acute combat experience.

What health effects did our veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange start suffering from?

Many medical conditions are associated with Agent Orange exposure. Diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, and several forms of cancer are among the diseases caused by Agent Orange. If you were exposed to Agent Orange during military service, you may qualify for VA disability benefits.

How did Agent Orange affect humans?

Short-term exposure to dioxin can cause darkening of the skin, liver problems and a severe acne-like skin disease called chloracne. Additionally, dioxin is linked to type 2 diabetes, immune system dysfunction, nerve disorders, muscular dysfunction, hormone disruption and heart disease.

Is Agent Orange still affecting Vietnam?

After its use in the 1960s, Agent Orange was banned by the U.S. in 1971 and remaining stocks were taken from Vietnam and the U.S. to Johnston Atoll, a U.S. controlled island about 700 miles SE of Hawaii, where it was destroyed in 1978. There is no ‘Agent Orange’ in Vietnam or anywhere else today.

Who was most affected by Agent Orange?

Vietnamese people The government of Vietnam says that 4 million of its citizens were exposed to Agent Orange, and as many as 3 million have suffered illnesses because of it; these figures include their children who were exposed.

What happened to veterans after the Vietnam War?

Many Vietnam veterans built successful lives after they returned home from the war. They finished their educations, established good careers, and had families. But many other veterans had a tough time readjusting to life in the United States after they completed their military service.

What do you know about Agent Orange?

Agent Orange was a herbicide mixture used by the U.S. military during the Vietnam War. Much of it contained a dangerous chemical contaminant called dioxin. Production of Agent Orange ended in the 1970s and is no longer in use. The dioxin contaminant however continues to have harmful impact today.

What does Agent Orange smell like?

“Going into Agent Orange was like it had a musty smell to it. It was a reddish-brown-colored fog that would be in the air,” said Dudich, who served much of his first tour with troops of the Republic of Vietnam.

How did Agent Orange affect the environment?

Over 20 million gallons (90 million liters) of Agent Orange were poured over Vietnam’s rainforests, wetlands, and croplands. It defoliated the vegetation, destroyed a significant part of the food crops, and exposed over 4 million people to the harmful effects of the herbicide.

Did Agent Orange cause cancer in Vietnam Veterans?

As a result of the NASEM reports, the list of diseases presumed to be caused by Agent Orange continues to grow. Today the U.S. Veterans Administration recognizes that exposure to Agent Orange or other herbicides during military service is the probable cause of these types of cancer in Vietnam veterans: Chronic B-cell leukemias; Hodgkin lymphoma

Why was Agent Orange used in Vietnam?

Agent Orange was a powerful mixture of chemical defoliants used by U.S. military forces during the Vietnam War to eliminate forest cover for North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops, as well as crops that might be used to feed them.

What are the effects of Agent Orange in Vietnam?

Effects of Agent Orange. Because Agent Orange (and other Vietnam-era herbicides ) contained dioxin in the form of TCDD , it had immediate and long-term effects. 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.

What are the benefits of Vietnam Veterans?

Vietnam Veterans may be eligible for a wide-variety of benefits available to all U.S. military Veterans. VA benefits include disability compensation, pension, education and training, health care, home loans, insurance, vocational rehabilitation and employment, and burial.