When was agent orange first used in vietnam

In what became a program codenamed Operation Ranch Hand, the U. It should come as no surprise that Agent Orange was later revealed to cause very serious health problems, including tumors, birth defects and cancer among U.

In addition to Trichlorophenoxyacetic and Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, Agent Orange also contains Tetrachlorodibenzodioxin. It took years for the United States military to acknowledge that the chemicals were, in fact, harmful and even longer for them to begin compensating victims for their effects.

Meanwhile, the children of veterans and Vietnamese people exposed to the chemicals were born with serious birth defects and illnesses. In the United States alone, a ProPublica analysis suggests , a child born to a veteran exposed to Agent Orange was a third more likely to be born with a birth defect. And in Vietnam, people who lived beneath the rain of rainbow chemicals have experienced generations of health effects.

The companies could have used fewer or no dioxins in their products, but they failed to do so. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us!

Twice a week we compile our most fascinating features and deliver them straight to you. Live TV. This Day In History. History Vault. In addition to the massive environmental devastation of the U. In addition, Vietnam claims half a million children have been born with serious birth defects, while as many 2 million people are suffering from cancer or other illness caused by Agent Orange. In , a group of Vietnamese citizens filed a class-action lawsuit against more than 30 chemical companies, including the same ones that settled with U.

The suit, which sought billions of dollars worth of damages, claimed that Agent Orange and its poisonous effects left a legacy of health problems and that its use constituted a violation of international law.

Fred A. This would open the door to lawsuits that would cost the government billions of dollars. The extent and patterns of usage of Agent Orange and other herbicides in Vietnam. Facts About Herbicides.

Department of Veterans Affairs. Veterans Exposed to Agent Orange. Learn about Dioxin. Veterans and Agent Orange: Update National Academies Press. Spectre orange. The Guardian. VN Express International. Dioxins and their effects on human health. World Health Organization.

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! Complete Directory. If you are in crisis or having thoughts of suicide, visit VeteransCrisisLine. Quick Links. Exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam.