How many deaths has Agent Orange caused?

Vietnam reports that some 400,000 people have suffered death or permanent injury from exposure to Agent Orange. Furthermore, it is estimated that 2,000,000 people have suffered from illnesses caused by exposure and that half a million babies were born with birth defects due to the effects of Agent Orange.

How many US troops have died from Agent Orange?

Roughly 300-thousand veterans have died from Agent Orange exposure -- that's almost five times as many as the 58-thousand who died in combat. “Did it save lives?

Are people still dying from Agent Orange?

“It was discovered while it was in use to have toxicities and carcinogenic properties. The VA moved through studies and reviews to properly assess that and then provide care for those people effected,” Hall said. Sklenar said Vietnam veterans are still dying every day from the effects of Agent Orange.

What did Agent Orange do to humans?

Many medical conditions are associated with Agent Orange exposure. Diabetes, Parkinson's disease, and several forms of cancer are among the diseases caused by Agent Orange. If you were exposed to Agent Orange during military service, you may qualify for VA disability benefits.

What are the 14 diseases associated with Agent Orange?

Agent Orange (The Vietnam War)

Is Agent Orange a 100 disability?

With a proper diagnosis of respiratory cancer in a veteran with Agent Orange exposure, the VA will provide a 100% disability rating as long as the cancer is active and during treatment. This means that the veteran will receive the highest compensation that fits their eligibility bracket.

Can Agent Orange be passed from father to child?

There is currently no definitive evidence that a father's exposure to Agent Orange causes birth defects. However, an analysis of Agent Orange registry data from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) suggests a link between males' exposure to Agent Orange and having children with certain birth defects.

What is the lifespan of Agent Orange?

Agent Orange has a short half-life of days and weeks after application to vegetation, and has not been found to persist, after 50 years, in the water or soils of southern Vietnam.

Was Agent Orange a war crime?

Is the spraying of Agent Orange considered a war crime? No. The Environmental Modification Convention, put into effect in after the end of the Vietnam War, prohibits the military to use techniques having widespread, long-lasting or severe effects on the environment.

How many Veterans were exposed to Agent Orange?

All told, about 9 million military personnel served on active duty during the Vietnam era, but most were not stationed in the country. Of those, some 2.6 million were potentially exposed to Agent Orange, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates.

Were all Vietnam vets exposed to Agent Orange?

For the purposes of VA compensation benefits, Veterans who served anywhere in Vietnam between January 9, 1962 and May 7, 1975 are presumed to have been exposed to herbicides, as specified in the Agent Orange Act of 1991.

Is Vietnam still suffering from Agent Orange?

Nearly half a century since the end of the Vietnam War, there remains an urgent need for the United States and Vietnam to address the harmful legacy of Agent Orange, a defoliant sprayed by the U.S. military over parts of southern Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia — an area about the size of Massachusetts — that continues to ...

At what rate are Vietnam veterans dying?

Considering the kind of information available about the death rate of WWII and Korean War Veterans, publicized information indicates that in the last 14 years Vietnam veterans are dying at the rate of 390 deaths each day.

How many Vietnam vets have died because of Agent Orange?

The Vietnam Memorial lists the names of more than 58,000 Americans who died overseas. However, the wall does not document any names of the estimated 2.8 million U.S. vets who were exposed to the poisonous chemical while serving and later died.

How old would a Vietnam vet be right now?

Today, Vietnam Veterans range in age from 61 to 103 years old. Nearly ten million Veterans are age 65 or older, but within the next five years, around 700,000 more Vietnam Veterans will reach retirement age.

Did the US know Agent Orange was toxic?

A 1990 report for the secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs found that the military knew that Agent Orange was harmful to personnel but took few precautions to limit exposure.

What are the horrors of Agent Orange?

Agent Orange is linked to serious health issues including cancers, severe psychological and neurological problems, and birth defects, both among the Vietnamese people and the men and women of the U.S. military. The VA recognizes 18 medical conditions for children of women who served in Vietnam.

What did Agent Purple do?

Agent Purple is the code name for a powerful herbicide and defoliant used by the U.S. military in their herbicidal warfare program during the Vietnam War. The name comes from the purple stripe painted on the barrels to identify the contents.

Who dropped Agent Orange in Vietnam?

From 1962 to 1971, the U.S. Air Force sprayed nearly 19 million gallons of herbicides in Vietnam, of which at least 11 million gallons was Agent Orange, in a military project called Operation Ranch Hand.

What is an Agent Orange baby?

Spina bifida is a spinal cord birth defect. A baby develops spina bifida while still in the womb. In some cases, a parent's past contact with specific chemicals causes this birth defect.

Can Agent Orange be passed down to grandchildren?

Agent Orange Continues To Plague Children And Grandchildren Of Veterans. Many Vietnam Veterans were exposed to a deadly nerve agent called “Agent Orange,” an herbicide used to clear foliage. Studies have shown the severe and deadly effects to babies born after military personnel was exposed to the deadly nerve agent.

Can Agent Orange be passed to spouse?

For veterans who have since passed away, their death could now be service connected to Agent Orange exposure, making their surviving spouse or dependents eligible for retroactive DIC benefits.

What is the average payout for Agent Orange?

Of the 105,000 claims received by the Payment Program, approximately 52,000 Vietnam Veterans or their survivors received cash payments which averaged about $3,800 each.

What birth defects did Americans get from Agent Orange?

Spina bifida (except spina bifida occulta), a defect in the developing fetus that results in incomplete closing of the spine, is associated with Veterans' exposure to Agent Orange or other herbicides during qualifying service in Vietnam or Korea.

Does Agent Orange go through generations?

Changes in gene expression — whether a gene for a trait is turned on or off — can be passed from one generation to the next, research shows. A 2012 study, for example, showed that gestating female rats exposed to dioxin, a byproduct found in Agent Orange, passed mutations to future generations.