Napalm, Agent Orange
1962-1971
Agent Orange was a chemical defoliant, containing the chemical dioxin, the most toxic chemical currently known, used by the U.S. to destroy Vietnamese crops. It was one of the “Rainbow Herbicides,” and was named for the orange barrels it was stored in. Approximately 12,000,000 gallons of Agent Orange were deployed by the U.S., mostly from aircraft, destroying fourteen percent of Vietnam’s forests. The American public was informed that the defoliation campaign, Operation Ranch Hand, was intended to destroy the foliage that the Vietcong soldiers cover and camouflage. The soldiers deploying the gas were told that they were targeting farms that were used for food production by the Vietcong, however their actual targets were civilian farms, leading to mass starvation of Vietnamese civilians. Operation Ranch Hand also caused damage to the troops deploying it, with the air crews taking the worst of it.
More than 3 million Vietnamese people have been affected by Agent Orange, including at least 150,000 children who had birth defects because of the chemical, according to the Red Cross, while the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs claims higher numbers, 4.8 million affected and 500,000 children with birth defects. An additional effect that continues to persist is the amount of dioxin in the environment, which continues to cause significant harm to the environment.
Agent Orange was a chemical defoliant, containing the chemical dioxin, the most toxic chemical currently known, used by the U.S. to destroy Vietnamese crops. It was one of the “Rainbow Herbicides,” and was named for the orange barrels it was stored in. Approximately 12,000,000 gallons of Agent Orange were deployed by the U.S., mostly from aircraft, destroying fourteen percent of Vietnam’s forests. The American public was informed that the defoliation campaign, Operation Ranch Hand, was intended to destroy the foliage that the Vietcong soldiers cover and camouflage. The soldiers deploying the gas were told that they were targeting farms that were used for food production by the Vietcong, however their actual targets were civilian farms, leading to mass starvation of Vietnamese civilians. Operation Ranch Hand also caused damage to the troops deploying it, with the air crews taking the worst of it.
More than 3 million Vietnamese people have been affected by Agent Orange, including at least 150,000 children who had birth defects because of the chemical, according to the Red Cross, while the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs claims higher numbers, 4.8 million affected and 500,000 children with birth defects. An additional effect that continues to persist is the amount of dioxin in the environment, which continues to cause significant harm to the environment.