America’s Lethal Rainbow
There were plenty of ways to die during the Vietnam War- but one left a deadly legacy for 50 years
The war in Vietnam changed the lives of thousands of people, Vietnamese and American alike. The warring factions of the nation battled in streets, jungles, and rice paddies for years, with foreign involvement escalating the war beyond anything civil.
America lept to the aid of South Vietnam in the early 1960s, with President Lynden Johnson increasing the number of combat personnel in Southeast Asia by 1965. By the end of the war, over 2.5 million American soldiers served, with the dangers to soldiers from both sides regular and varied.
A chemical formula designed to destroy crops and grassland was one of these dangers. From 1961 to 1971, the USA conducted a chemical warfare campaign codenamed Operation Ranch Hand. This involved the use of different pesticides that were sprayed on the dense jungles of Vietnam to clear routes and hideaways used by the Viet Cong.
The pesticides had different code names, based on the colour of the barrels they came in, Agent White, Agent Blue, Agent Green, Agent Purple, and Agent Pink were potent chemicals- but none were more so than Agent Orange. This was the most dangerous and most widely used pesticide during the war.
Around 13 million gallons of Agent Orange was used by the Americans during the war. This was two-thirds of the total pesticide used in Vietnam and although the aim was to destroy the Viet Cong infrastructure, the pesticide had far more devastating consequences for whoever it touched.
Agent Orange was particularly lethal due to the inclusion of a dioxin known as TCDD. Used in cigarettes and the burning of rubbish, TCDD is highly toxic even in small doses. This wasn’t added to Agent Orange intentionally, it was a by-product of the pesticide production process.
The use of pesticides was widespread throughout the war, but the true scale of the damage to humans would only become apparent after the conflict. American veterans returning home reported several symptoms upon arriving home. This then became their family members reporting sickness.
These were lengthy and worrying and included miscarriages, psychological symptoms, type 2 diabetes, birth defects in children, and cancers such as Hodgkin’s disease, prostate cancer, and leukemia.
The legacy of Agent Orange is much like the legacy of America in Vietnam. Millions of people now spanning several generations have suffered the consequences of the US government’s decision to douse the Vietnam countryside in this lethal herbicide. Multiple American governments over the years since the Vietnam War have been aware of the damage caused. Still, critics believe that there will be no payments made in compensation to Vietnamese casualties of Agent Orange. Why? Because that would be an admittance that a war crime was committed on innocent people.
In a war filled with controversy and the government’s unwavering efforts to fight against impossible odds, Agent Orange stands out as a dark chapter that left a lasting impact on the landscape of Vietnam. Generations of people have been scarred by the chemical, and the lives of thousands were irreparably damaged.
Vietnam is a war that will go down in history for many reasons. The use of open chemical warfare is one of these and for many, the American crimes will never be forgiven and life in Vietnam will never be the same for some locals.
