The Vietnam War, (1954-1975), was a lingering conflict that immersed between the North Vietnam communist government and its allies in South Vietnam (Viet Cong) and its principal ally, the United States. Some refer to this as the “American War” in Vietnam or the “War Against the Americans to Save the Nation” (Encyclopedia Britannica). The war was also a part of a much larger conflict as well, but that is not the research for this paper. On the home front, the opinions of the war and the U.S. existence in Vietnam were unrest; yet men and women continued to join the armed forces because it appeared everyone had to go. Military personnel were comprised from not only the United States, but Australia, South Korea, North Vietnam, New Zealand, and
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The U.S was the principal alley to South Vietnam. There were no boots on the ground for active combat until 1965 and, by 1969 more than 500,000 U.S. military forces were stationed in Vietnam. U.S. men and women volunteered to risk their lives in Vietnam for the betterment of the United States and its administration. Sacrifice, honor and courage carried men through the jungles of Vietnam and died with thousands as well. Women served as nurses and cared for the wounded. The one element of war that blindsided many was the exposure of the most infamous and widely used mixture of several toxic chemicals, including 2,4-D, 2,4,5-T; and 2,3,7,8T (tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin or dioxin) (15th Field Artillery Regiment, 2002). This combination of chemical defoliants is known as Agent Orange, which was used by the United States military to eliminate ground and forest cover for the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops. It was also the intent to destroy crops and food sources that were used to nourish the enemy as well. An underlying fault to the unleashed plan to spread agent orange over Vietnam presented itself as the lack of knowledge regarding the potential impacts on those who were exposed to …show more content…
military forces sprayed approximately 20 million gallons of herbicides over South Vietnam from 1962-1971. (Beaulieu, etal 2003). The U.S. program of defoliation, codenamed Operation Ranch Hand, covered over 4.5 million acres of land with the toxic chemicals. The chemical dioxin contained in Agent Orange was the most commonly used of the herbicide mixtures, and noted as the most effective. Because of their advancing age, similar to other baby boomers, Vietnam veterans are at a higher risk of developing malignancies. However, their exposure to Agent Orange also may increase their risk for cancer and other associated diseases. Serious health issues including tumors, birth defects, rashes, psychological symptoms and cancer has developed among returning U.S. servicemen and their families as well as among the Vietnamese population (history.com 2011). The degree of environmental
The U.S was the principal alley to South Vietnam. There were no boots on the ground for active combat until 1965 and, by 1969 more than 500,000 U.S. military forces were stationed in Vietnam. U.S. men and women volunteered to risk their lives in Vietnam for the betterment of the United States and its administration. Sacrifice, honor and courage carried men through the jungles of Vietnam and died with thousands as well. Women served as nurses and cared for the wounded. The one element of war that blindsided many was the exposure of the most infamous and widely used mixture of several toxic chemicals, including 2,4-D, 2,4,5-T; and 2,3,7,8T (tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin or dioxin) (15th Field Artillery Regiment, 2002). This combination of chemical defoliants is known as Agent Orange, which was used by the United States military to eliminate ground and forest cover for the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops. It was also the intent to destroy crops and food sources that were used to nourish the enemy as well. An underlying fault to the unleashed plan to spread agent orange over Vietnam presented itself as the lack of knowledge regarding the potential impacts on those who were exposed to …show more content…
military forces sprayed approximately 20 million gallons of herbicides over South Vietnam from 1962-1971. (Beaulieu, etal 2003). The U.S. program of defoliation, codenamed Operation Ranch Hand, covered over 4.5 million acres of land with the toxic chemicals. The chemical dioxin contained in Agent Orange was the most commonly used of the herbicide mixtures, and noted as the most effective. Because of their advancing age, similar to other baby boomers, Vietnam veterans are at a higher risk of developing malignancies. However, their exposure to Agent Orange also may increase their risk for cancer and other associated diseases. Serious health issues including tumors, birth defects, rashes, psychological symptoms and cancer has developed among returning U.S. servicemen and their families as well as among the Vietnamese population (history.com 2011). The degree of environmental