Full Description

A herbicide and defoliant used by the US military during the Vietnam War to destroy jungle cover and deny food crops to enemy forces. Between 1961 and 1971, approximately 19 million gallons of Agent OrangeAgent Orange Full Description A herbicide and defoliant used by the US military during the Vietnam War to destroy jungle cover and deny food crops to enemy forces. Between 1961 and 1971, approximately 19 million gallons of Agent Orange were sprayed over South Vietnam. It contained dioxin, a highly toxic compound now known to cause cancer, birth defects, and other severe health conditions. An estimated three million Vietnamese and over 150,000 American veterans have suffered from health conditions linked to Agent Orange exposure. Critical Perspective Agent Orange represents a use of environmental warfare whose consequences have continued for generations. The Vietnamese government estimates that dioxin contamination remains in affected areas sixty years after the war. American veterans’ struggles to gain recognition for Agent Orange-related health conditions, which the US government initially resisted, mirror broader patterns in which the human costs of military decisions are borne by individuals while being denied by institutions. were sprayed over South Vietnam. It contained dioxin, a highly toxic compound now known to cause cancer, birth defects, and other severe health conditions. An estimated three million Vietnamese and over 150,000 American veterans have suffered from health conditions linked to Agent Orange exposure.

Critical Perspective

Agent Orange represents a use of environmental warfare whose consequences have continued for generations. The Vietnamese government estimates that dioxin contamination remains in affected areas sixty years after the war. American veterans’ struggles to gain recognition for Agent Orange-related health conditions, which the US government initially resisted, mirror broader patterns in which the human costs of military decisions are borne by individuals while being denied by institutions.